Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[Wooley]

I think one of the reasons they play so well off each other is that Falk acts as such a warm, reassuring presence throughout the movie. It of context, what he says would be perfectly reasonable. If you'd just hear him out, everything will make sense.


If course, Arkin reacts as he does because in context... holy jeez.

Really, that's what makes the whole thing work right is that Falk is like this constantly calming voice that just happens to belong to the actual Agent Of Chaos.
Such a fun film.
"Ooooh, he very niiiice."

[Takoma11]

Anyway, my original point is, as per The Hunt, that even if this is not The Love Witch’s intention, it’s quite possible that a certain type of woman in the influencer generation take her as a role model. What the film definitely is not, in my view, is remotely feminist. Unless we argue that you’re meant to root for Trish, which I just don’t find convincing.

I think that the small difference in language between "The film is ______" and "The film can be read as _____" is important.

From Biller herself:
"The misunderstanding comes from the idea that [The Love Witch] is a parody of films that objectify women and that it's celebrating those films," she explains. "Rather than people understanding it as a film in which a woman is making a film about a woman who has been objectified and whose life has been ruined by it."

I think that in this scene, most of the audience is going to relate more to Trish. I knew a lot of the audience would be horrified at what Elaine was saying, and I wanted to give them an emotional anchor in Trish. But the point was to set up a polemic. Elaine and Trish are both strongly of the opinion that their worldview is right. But then we come back to the tea room later in the story, and Trish’s worldview, which had seemed like the sane one at the beginning, is not working for her, but Elaine’s is working for her. So I wanted people to think about that. I wanted them to think about how men reward women for conforming to their rules, and punish other women for not conforming.

Women are often feminine, and that’s not a bad thing to be feminine; it’s just that it’s been used against women. I don’t think there’s any problem with femininity and feminism being used together, because if that were a problem, that would mean we should be ashamed somehow of being women, being feminine. That’s a problem; it’s a problem to think feminism is about trying to be like a man.

I had an epiphany when I was still in school that had to do with creating work from the place of being a woman, on purpose. From the place of trying to create a female consciousness on the screen, in movies that were for women, but that weren’t necessarily didactic or political on the surface; that were made for women’s visual pleasure.. . . But in terms of creating a feminist cinema, years ago I started to say to myself, “What do I really like to watch on the screen? What kinds of images actually produce pleasure for me, rather than anxiety?”

You're welcome to assert that Biller is wrong about thinking she made a feminist film. But reading interviews with her, it is very clear that creating a feminist work was her intention. Elaine "winning" and Trish "losing" is not a commentary on their characters, it is a commentary on how society treats their characters.

[AgrippinaX]

I think that the small difference in language between "The film is ______" and "The film can be read as _____" is important.

From Biller herself:








You're welcome to assert that Biller is wrong about thinking she made a feminist film. But reading interviews with her, it is very clear that creating a feminist work was her intention. Elaine "winning" and Trish "losing" is not a commentary on their characters, it is a commentary on how society treats their characters.

Of course, I would never argue with that, and I have said multiple times in the above that I’m aware she intended to make a feminist film. But I think that films (any work of art) have a life of their own, independent of authorial intent. That latter stance can be taken to the extreme, but I don’t think that’s the case here. (See also: Showgirls was originally meant to be taken seriously, The Martian got classified as a comedy).

Re: difference in language, I stick ‘in my view’ virtually in every sentence, so no one can accuse me of making truth clams.

[Takoma11]

Of course, I would never argue with that, and I have said multiple times in the above that I’m aware she intended to make a feminist film. But I think that films (any work of art) have a life of their own, independent of authorial intent. That latter stance can be taken to the extreme, but I don’t think that’s the case here. (See also: Showgirls was originally meant to be taken seriously, The Martian got classified as a comedy).

Re: difference in language, I stick ‘in my view’ virtually in every sentence, so no one can accuse me of making truth clams.

Right. And I agree that having to preface everything with "In my opinion . . . " gets tedious.

I find Biller's explanations about why she feels her film functions as a feminist piece of work convincing. Elaine's behaviors certainly help her to achieve some short-term goals (like seducing someone), but her unhappiness and ultimate (and repeated) failure to achieve her goals make it hard for me to see her as a positive figure or that the film is endorsing her way of life. Everything she does or has (the great body, the clothing, the makeup, the deferential "make my man happy" attitude) is supposed to be a means to an end. She has the means, for sure, but never comes close to achieving the end.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic0.cbrimages.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F06%2FTotalRecall12.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Total Recall, 1990

In the near-ish future, Doug Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is living a mundane life with his gorgeous wife, Lori (Sharon Stone). But when Doug goes to have a Mars vacation implanted in his mind, something goes very much awry, and Doug realizes that his life isn't really his life. Suddenly on the run from a host of baddies led by a man named Richter (Michael Ironside), Doug seeks answers by going to Mars. Once there, he connects with a woman named Melina (Rachel Ticotin) who Doug had previously encountered in a dream.

This movie was a big old mixed bag for me, with some real highs and some frustrating lows.

To begin with, the film has some great visuals and some really stellar practical effects and makeup. There are fun character designs and a really neat setpiece (pictured at the top of this review) in which Doug hides inside a robotic woman in order to pass through customs on Mars. Something that bugged me a bit, though, was that once the film was good at an effect, it was used over and over and over. Did someone involved in production have stocks invested in the glass they use for stunts? In all seriousness, I'm not sure I ever watched a film with so much shattered glass: people jumping through plate glass, bullets shattering windows, people punching out windows, etc. Likewise, the film was in love with the main character getting kicked in the groin, like, why?

Storywise, my favorite part of the film was the middle third, where the question is raised as to whether these events are really happening, or if they are a part of Doug's fantasy. The question lingers over the whole film in a neat way. Because Doug doesn't know who he really is (and by extension what he has done in the past), there is a ton of uncertainty that permeates the film in terms of who Doug can trust or whose side he should be on.

Acting wise, everything is really over the top, and since that's consistent, it didn't bother me too much. I did get a bit tired of the one-liners, despite understanding why many people love them or find them quotable.

Unfortunately, though, this was one of those sci-fi films that betrays a weird lack of imagination in certain respects when it comes to the future. I remember computers from the late 80s/early 90s. And the computers in this film . . . look a lot like them. This future is super clunky and a lot of things are analog that just don't make sense. And this lack of imagination extends to the story and characters. All of the really key players are men. All of the female characters (um, all two of them) are someone's girlfriend or wife. The film acknowledges the existence of gay people, but naturally every prostitute we see is a woman and all the customers of note are men.

I can see why this film is beloved. I felt like its magic only half worked for me. It was fine and I really enjoyed certain parts (the customs sequence with the robot woman and the part in the hotel where Doug is being "talked down" from his dream), but it kind of dragged in parts and the quippiness got on my nerves at times.

3.5

[Rockatansky]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic0.cbrimages.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F06%2FTotalRecall12.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Total Recall, 1990

In the near-ish future, Doug Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is living a mundane life with his gorgeous wife, Lori (Sharon Stone). But when Doug goes to have a Mars vacation implanted in his mind, something goes very much awry, and Doug realizes that his life isn't really his life. Suddenly on the run from a host of baddies led by a man named Richter (Michael Ironside), Doug seeks answers by going to Mars. Once there, he connects with a woman named Melina (Rachel Ticotin) who Doug had previously encountered in a dream.

This movie was a big old mixed bag for me, with some real highs and some frustrating lows.

To begin with, the film has some great visuals and some really stellar practical effects and makeup. There are fun character designs and a really neat setpiece (pictured at the top of this review) in which Doug hides inside a robotic woman in order to pass through customs on Mars. Something that bugged me a bit, though, was that once the film was good at an effect, it was used over and over and over. Did someone involved in production have stocks invested in the glass they use for stunts? In all seriousness, I'm not sure I ever watched a film with so much shattered glass: people jumping through plate glass, bullets shattering windows, people punching out windows, etc. Likewise, the film was in love with the main character getting kicked in the groin, like, why?

Storywise, my favorite part of the film was the middle third, where the question is raised as to whether these events are really happening, or if they are a part of Doug's fantasy. The question lingers over the whole film in a neat way. Because Doug doesn't know who he really is (and by extension what he has done in the past), there is a ton of uncertainty that permeates the film in terms of who Doug can trust or whose side he should be on.

Acting wise, everything is really over the top, and since that's consistent, it didn't bother me too much. I did get a bit tired of the one-liners, despite understanding why many people love them or find them quotable.

Unfortunately, though, this was one of those sci-fi films that betrays a weird lack of imagination in certain respects when it comes to the future. I remember computers from the late 80s/early 90s. And the computers in this film . . . look a lot like them. This future is super clunky and a lot of things are analog that just don't make sense. And this lack of imagination extends to the story and characters. All of the really key players are men. All of the female characters (um, all two of them) are someone's girlfriend or wife. The film acknowledges the existence of gay people, but naturally every prostitute we see is a woman and all the customers of note are men.

I can see why this film is beloved. I felt like its magic only half worked for me. It was fine and I really enjoyed certain parts (the customs sequence with the robot woman and the part in the hotel where Doug is being "talked down" from his dream), but it kind of dragged in parts and the quippiness got on my nerves at times.

[RATING[3.5[/RATING]
Regarding the unimaginative future, I think that's intentional.*one of satirical points that Verhoeven makes here and in Robocop is that unchecked capitalism results in a future that's actually kind of ****ty.*They've achieved colonization of Mars, but because they cheaped out on protecting their workers, they end up with a bunch of mutants and a resulting revolt.*The fact that Mars kind of looks like a ride at the Epcot Centre kind of plays into this.*


Regarding the diversity of casting, that can probably be attributed to standard Hollywood practice, but as the premise presents a kind of fantasy (and a mostly male one, given the target audience for the genre), it makes some sense that the cast is male-dominated and all the prostitutes are female.*


Not sure if this will affect your enjoyment, but there are artistic justifications for these choices.*


Now if you don't find hits to the groin funny, I can't help you there.*:D

[Rockatansky]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a2/54/b0/a254b04994299c5d971bfe625f60769b.gif

[Takoma11]

Regarding the unimaginative future, I think that's intentional.*one of satirical points that Verhoeven makes here and in Robocop is that unchecked capitalism results in a future that's actually kind of ****ty.*They've achieved colonization of Mars, but because they cheaped out on protecting their workers, they end up with a bunch of mutants and a resulting revolt.*The fact that Mars kind of looks like a ride at the Epcot Centre kind of plays into this.*

But technology always advances, even if it's just to look more sleek and expensive. I don't mind future-set films where tech is kind of clunky or busted, but there's something kind of asymmetrical about a society that can implant memories but their computer screens are still black and yellow.

Regarding the diversity of casting, that can probably be attributed to standard Hollywood practice, but as the premise presents a kind of fantasy (and a mostly male one, given the target audience for the genre), it makes some sense that the cast is male-dominated and all the prostitutes are female.

I totally get that the male fantasy aspects of the film are strongly tied to the idea that this could be a literal male fantasy (ie the woman he meets is suspiciously close to the woman he ordered--*barf*--at the facility). But even if the male fantasy limitations are intentional and pointed, they still result in making certain elements feel rote.

Now if you don't find hits to the groin funny, I can't help you there.*:D

I'll never be a true film aficionado. :(

[ThatDarnMKS]

Most of the great science fiction films of the 70s and 80s have a degree of unintentional retrofututism, especially in regards to computers. It seems odd to levy that criticism towards Total Recall when it’s no more guilty of this than Alien or Blade Runner.

I also think it operating as a male fantasy is imperative to its themes and sci-fi concepts.

Plus, Arnold uses an innocent civilian as a shield as machine guns turn him into hamburger meat.

It’s a near perfect movie.

[mark f]

Most of the great science fiction films of the 70s and 80s have a degree of unintentional retrofututism, especially in regards to computers. It seems odd to levy that criticism towards Total Recall when it’s no more guilty of this than Alien or Blade Runner.

I also think it operating as a male fantasy is imperative to its themes and sci-fi concepts.

Plus, Arnold uses an innocent civilian as a shield as machine guns turn him into hamburger meat.

It’s a near perfect movie.

Pretty damn close.

[GulfportDoc]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79120
Sky Ladder: The [pyrotechnic] Art Of Cai Guo Qiang

This world renowned pyrotechnics artist will absolutely amaze you. The documentary is available to Netflix subscribers and on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/bSzsqTgMBh8

Here is a video of the fireworks ladder show that took him years to develop and present. Keep in mind this ladder gradually raises to half a kilometer into the sky. There is a gorgeous display he presents at the end, which you can gauge how large it is by looking at the cityscape below it.

Here's a short video of one of his other productions. There are several available on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/nh1TGLRKjFM

[Rockatansky]

It’s a near perfect movie.

I'm assuming you're docking points for the scene where Arnie suggested that he wasn't the real Quaid...
And then revealed that he was.
Too confusing.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I'm assuming you're docking points for the scene where Arnie suggested that he wasn't the real Quaid...
And then revealed that he was.
Too confusing.
I’m docking points due to a lack of Bill Duke or Bill Paxton. An Arnold always needs a Bill.

[Takoma11]

Most of the great science fiction films of the 70s and 80s have a degree of unintentional retrofututism, especially in regards to computers. It seems odd to levy that criticism towards Total Recall when it’s no more guilty of this than Alien or Blade Runner.

I can't be any more specific than saying it bothered me here but not in those films. Probably because I enjoyed the flow of those films better and it just didn't have time to register with me.

I also think it operating as a male fantasy is imperative to its themes and sci-fi concepts.

I don't disagree, I just didn't think it totally translated. For example, we get scenes that don't include Doug . . . which makes no sense if it's a fantasy. It's also slightly dulled by the fact that the "real world" woman, Lori, is just as improbably hot as his fantasy. So . . .

Plus, Arnold uses an innocent civilian as a shield as machine guns turn him into hamburger meat.

Where do you think that last half star came from?

I also loved the reveal that the cabbie was in on it the whole time. Loved that twist! I thought that was the most genuinely interesting thing that the film did in terms of casting, because the one-liner Black sidekick is such a trope.

It’s a near perfect movie.

Listen, sometimes I watch a film that people love and I'm like, "I don't get it." With this movie I get it, but it just didn't translate for me. Sorry! And I've been slightly looking forward to this film for like 30 years!

[ThatDarnMKS]

I can't be any more specific than saying it bothered me here but not in those films. Probably because I enjoyed the flow of those films better and it just didn't have time to register with me.



I don't disagree, I just didn't think it totally translated. For example, we get scenes that don't include Doug . . . which makes no sense if it's a fantasy. It's also slightly dulled by the fact that the "real world" woman, Lori, is just as improbably hot as his fantasy. So . . .



Where do you think that last half star came from?

I also loved the reveal that the cabbie was in on it the whole time. Loved that twist! I thought that was the most genuinely interesting thing that the film did in terms of casting, because the one-liner Black sidekick is such a trope.



Listen, sometimes I watch a film that people love and I'm like, "I don't get it." With this movie I get it, but it just didn't translate for me. Sorry! And I've been slightly looking forward to this film for like 30 years!
I like the CRTV aesthetic for all screens and use of cartridges and cumbersome drives in this era of sci-fi so I’ve always considered it a plus. It’s odd for me that it only stood out to you here but whatevs. I think if watched in a contemporaneous binge it would stand out much less.

If I had a quibble with TR it’s that Arnold himself is already a male fantasy of alpha masculinity and Sharon Stone is clearly a fantasy level casting of her own. However, I think that through casting them in the roles, it does blur the line between fantasy and reality more effectively because none of it seems to operate exactly out of fantasy. In some ways, it has pangs of Caligari where the story and reality are shot in the same distorted fashion, which carries its own implications about what is really “real.”

I’ll accept your apology for this indiscretion depending on your opinions of Robocop, Starship Troopers and Showgirls!!!

[Thief]

I don't know. I never really warmed up to Total Recall, even though I saw it arguably at the right time (I was 13-ish?). I revisited it a couple of years ago and felt the same, if not worse.

[Takoma11]

If I had a quibble with TR it’s that Arnold himself is already a male fantasy of alpha masculinity and Sharon Stone is clearly a fantasy level casting of her own. However, I think that through casting them in the roles, it does blur the line between fantasy and reality more effectively because none of it seems to operate exactly out of fantasy. In some ways, it has pangs of Caligari where the story and reality are shot in the same distorted fashion, which carries its own implications about what is really “real.”

Okay, so there we go. I think you've said it better than I did. The "reality" itself feels too much like fantasy, so the contrast between the two realities doesn't feel heightened enough. And unfortunately since they are the same reality that makes internal sense. but it dings the conceit a bit. Like the hotel scene. "Hey, man, that hot woman is obviously a fantasy! Clearly reality is that you are married to . . . .this equally hot woman who thinks you're a sex machine".

I’ll accept your apology for this indiscretion depending on your opinions of Robocop, Starship Troopers and Showgirls!!!

Opinions are, in order: Loved it! Meh! Haven't seen it but feel like I have, do I really need to watch the whole thing?

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2F25yearslatersite.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F05%2Fimg_7114.jpg%3Ffit%3D1600%252C900%26ssl%3D1&f=1&nofb=1

A Taste of Honey, 1961

Teenager Jo (Rita Tushingham) has a fraught relationship with her mother, Helen (Dora Dryan). When Helen picks up a new boyfriend-then-husband (Robert Stephens), Jo seeks solace in the arms of a soldier who has been wooing her (Paul Danquah). After Jimmy ships out and Helen moves in with her new hubby, Jo discovers she is pregnant. Enter Geoff (Murray Melvin), a gentle, gay young man who takes a liking to Jo. Together they set up house, but as Jo's pregnancy progresses, their domestic set-up begins to strain.

What a fun little film!

The best part of the film is the way that it captures the complex emotions of moving from childhood to adulthood. I so identified with Jo's misery as she both wants to be looked after by her mother in one moment and yet treated like an adult in another. Dora Dryan, as Helen, perfectly portrays the slightly baffled, slightly irritated reaction of a mother who can't do anything right, though she is very aware that she hasn't made the best choices herself or set the best example for her daughter. As she says "Why can't you learn from my mistakes? It takes half a lifetime just to learn from your own." While Jo is the central character, the film carves out a nice little space for Helen, who wants to do right by her daughter, but also finds herself at the mercy of her own decisions and her marriage to a man who seems to be her best option for future security.

Also interesting are Jo's relationships with the two male characters her age. Having read the plot description, it was a pleasant surprise to see how the relationship with Jimmy was portrayed. The two of them have a pretty sweet little romance. Sleeping together is obviously a huge mistake, but it's an understandable one even as you're going "No!!!!!!". At first, Geoff feels like a bit of a contrivance. This gay angel swoops in and cleans up Jo's apartment and provides her with stability and companionship while asking nothing in exchange. But as Geoff himself later makes clear, he was in a bit of a depression and having someone to care for was a way to give himself purpose. The film never really addresses what Geoff's future might look like. He obviously cannot openly seek out his own romantic partner, and the film lets that hang there. If anything, it seems plainly tragic that such a caring person will never be able to openly pursue love and the domestic partnership he has with Jo.

The film ultimately leaves a lot of elements up in the air: Jo's relationship with her mother; whether Jo and Geoff will continue their partnership; whether Jimmy will ever return. But the character arc is all about Jo coming to terms with how her pregnancy is going to change her life.

On the downside, the scenes between Helen and Jo are so good, that the rest of the film sort of pales slightly in comparison. Dryan is just so good, that I found myself wishing that I was spending more time with Helen. And while it's nice seeing a film portray a gay character in a positive and productive light, it does fall into that trap of the "asexual gay" character. Geoff is coded as being super gay---people seem to just take one look at him and clock him as homosexual--and yet we see no signs of desire. It's tragic that Geoff can't pursue love, and yet the film leaves this as just an implicit thing. It would have gone a long way, in my opinion, to have even a single longing glance at a man.

Good pick--thanks!

4

[Takoma11]

I don't know. I never really warmed up to Total Recall, even though I saw it arguably at the right time (I was 13-ish?). I revisited it a couple of years ago and felt the same, if not worse.

I kept wondering if I'd have liked it more if I were a teenager. But I think my teenage self would have been even more put off by the male gaze aspects, especially around the time nude breasts are being groped.

[Wooley]

I don't know. I never really warmed up to Total Recall, even though I saw it arguably at the right time (I was 13-ish?). I revisited it a couple of years ago and felt the same, if not worse.

I was like you until I revisited it about a month ago and I really warmed up to it. It was fun. And silly. Silly fun.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Okay, so there we go. I think you've said it better than I did. The "reality" itself feels too much like fantasy, so the contrast between the two realities doesn't feel heightened enough. And unfortunately since they are the same reality that makes internal sense. but it dings the conceit a bit. Like the hotel scene. "Hey, man, that hot woman is obviously a fantasy! Clearly reality is that you are married to . . . .this equally hot woman who thinks you're a sex machine".



Opinions are, in order: Loved it! Meh! Haven't seen it but feel like I have, do I really need to watch the whole thing?
I think if the film had donned a serious tone, it would bother me more but as it has its tongue firmly placed in cheek, it almost dons a meta-quality about narrative construction and film as fantasy. The opening shots of Arnold jackhammering and being macho have a degree of camp that lets those boundaries effectively blur. Given Verhoeven’s penchant for the fantastical and campy, I’m inclined to view it as a deliberate choice. Especially as it adds a layer of irony with “even THIS guy married to THIS gal needs to escape into a fantasy?”

Stages of forgiveness in order:
Forgiven! Forgiveness revoked! Forgiveness still possible if you rectify not having seen Showgirls and rightfully love it as the magnum opus of big budget Hollywood camp that it is. If you find it a difficult watch, track down a copy with the David Schmader commentary. He really gets to the essence of what makes Showgirls sensational.

It pairs nicely with Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Road House.

[mark f]

Prime Time (Jakub Piatek, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Mr. Hikita, I Am Knocked Up (Tôru Hosokawa, 2019) 2 5/10
The Last Circus (Álex de la Iglesia, 2010) 2.5 6/10
Hatred (Wojciech Smarzowski, 2016) 3.5 7/10
https://images.mubicdn.net/images/film/159660/cache-174311-1496331450/image-w1280.jpg?size=740x
During WWII, a young Polish woman witnesses what feels like all the atrocities.
The Little Ark (James B. Clark, 1972) 2.5 6/10
Adiós Amigo (Fred Williamson, 1975) 2 5/10
Let Freedom Ring (Jack Conway, 1939) 2.5 5.5/10
Ah Wilderness! (Clarence Brown, 1935) 3 6.5/10
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/25/cd/5a/25cd5a58bd1fb7c59dd0202f6331f6a2.jpg
In 1906, the mother (Spring Byington) and newspaper editor father (Lionel Barrymore) of two boys (Frank Albertson & Eric Linden - a third, Mickey Rooney, isn't shown) are worried that Linden, the class valedictorian, might say something embarrassing about America at his upcoming commencement speech.
Maso and Miso Go Boating (4 Directors, 1975) 3- 6.5/10
De Sade (Cy Endfield, 1969) 2 5/10
Space Probe - Taurus (Leonard Katzman, 1965) 1.5+ 4.5/10
1776 (Peter H. Hunt, 1972) 3.5 7/10
https://mutantreviewers.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/1776.jpg?w=640
John Adams (William Daniels), Benjamin Franklin (Howard Da Silva) and Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard) sing while devising the Declaration of Independence.
Crypt of the Living Dead (Julio Salvador & Ray Danton, 1973) 2- 5/10
Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (Lili Horvát, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
House of the Living Dead (Ray Austin, 1974) 2- 5/10
The Promoter AKA The Card (Ronald Neame, 1952) 3.5 7/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqXKM_TM1WI
Alec Guinness is a very clever young man, especially at making money and charming the ladies.
The Curse of the Living Corpse (Del Tenney, 1964) 2 5/10
Monstrosity AKA The Atomic Brain (Joseph V. Mascelli, 1963) 1.5- 4/10
Violent Midnight AKA Psycho-mania (Richard Hilliard, 1963) 2 5/10
The Time of Their Lives (Charles Barton, 1946) 3- 6.5/10
https://garth.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341d6d8d53ef01bb08893818970d-600wi
In 1946, a seance is performed where two ghosts (Lou Costello & Marjorie Reynolds) have been condemned since the days of Benedict Arnold. In fact, one of the participants (Bud Abbott - far right) is the descendent of one of Arnold's compatriots.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I was never much of a fan of his before but Bo Burnham’s new special “INSIDE” is a masterpiece. One of those works that pushes the boundaries of stand-up and one-man-shows to their limits and stretches the language of it until it bleeds into the experimental, avant garde, and documentarian.

I loved it.

5

[StuSmallz]

I mean, I have thought pretty much word to word that about American Psycho, especially with friends in investment banking circles - and so do they, at the time it was a running joke… same with The Wolf of Wall Street - they’re often psychopaths, but at least they’ve got a yacht/Lambo to shipwreck/crash. Don’t see anything odd about this response at all.

So to me that’s a perfectly possible reaction. The stuff about ‘poor comprehension’ is…. Loaded. I’ve always found it amusing how some creators think they can predict the response to their ideas/characters a 100 per cent. Same goes for critics. You and I were discussing Holmes just a few days ago, who continues to be perceived very differently than the author intended. I don’t see why an investment banking intern wouldn’t be jealous of Patrick’s apartment or an aspiring influencer appreciative of Elaine’s looks and lifestyle. If you set aside the witchcraft, many women live pretty much exactly like she does, engaging in constant manipulation - and many men too. It can even be a job. I wouldn’t even be so sure that they’re all so terribly unhappy.

Yes, she is a horrible person, so what? Walter White is a horrible person, does that make him any less of an alpha male?No, but Walter wasn't actually that much of an alpha male on the whole, at least not as much as the minority of people who manage to idolize him (meanwhile acting like Skyler was the "real" villain; gimme a f ucking break) insist. He did do some alpha stuff, obviously, but it was necessary to show that for us to understand the rush he got from his "new career" and why he became addicted to it, but for every "alpha" thing he ever did, he did something else to undermine it; even the episode which started out with him in one of his most alpha moments...


https://youtu.be/I3ecbEAtgVQ



...still ended with him impotently unable to coerce the information he needs out of Mike, getting his decisions verbally dressed down by him in response, leading him to ambush Mike like a coward because his ego got bruised, before he immediately admits that he could've gotten that info from someone else, and that he didn't need to attack Mike at all; hardly the portrait of a badass, if you ask me.

[AgrippinaX]

No, but Walter wasn't actually that much of an alpha male on the whole, at least not as much as the minority of people who manage to idolize him (meanwhile acting like Skyler was the "real" villain; gimme a f ucking break) insist. He did do some alpha stuff, obviously, but it was necessary to show that for us to understand the rush he got from his "new career" and why he became addicted to it, but for every "alpha" thing he ever did, he did something else to undermine it; even the episode which started out with him in one of his most alpha moments...


https://youtu.be/I3ecbEAtgVQ



...still ended with him impotently unable to coerce the information he needs out of Mike, getting his decisions verbally dressed down by him in response, leading him to ambush Mike like a coward because his ego got bruised, before he immediately admits that he could've gotten that info from someone else, and that he didn't need to attack Mike at all; hardly the portrait of a badass, if you ask me.

This is a separate discussion, wouldn’t you agree? I think ‘badass’ is on the whole a positive term, whilst ‘alpha male’ (especially in my context above) was intended to mean someone high on power. I don’t think WW is a coward, especially not in the later seasons, so I don’t necessarily agree with most of the above. Again, I feel like people don’t acknowledge that things can be read differently. I’ve seen BB circa 9 times and every single time I think in a completely fresh, calm, rational way, Hell, this man has guts. In my view, if he can be referred to as a ‘coward’, at all, that’s only in early Season 1. But I wouldn’t use that term. The way he kills Mike shows he’s a ****, traitor, awful person, call it what you will, but it has little to do with actual cowardice in my view. It’s just the most practical way to kill someone like Mike.

Again, your statement above is framed as if that’s the ‘ultimate’ truth. As I keep saying re: Biller, feminism, and whatnot, you can’t rely on authorial intent all the time! I have watched BB with about 8+ different people in my lifetime and we all generally think he is an alpha male if only because he has the guts to do all of this,challenge the existing status quo/market order to actually go for it. No one has to agree, but that’s my view - saying ‘that’s not really the case’ is not really relevant…?

It does appear that there is an ongoing attitude of condescension coming from some posters. Just something worth noting.

[StuSmallz]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic0.cbrimages.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F06%2FTotalRecall12.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Total Recall, 1990

In the near-ish future, Doug Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is living a mundane life with his gorgeous wife, Lori (Sharon Stone). But when Doug goes to have a Mars vacation implanted in his mind, something goes very much awry, and Doug realizes that his life isn't really his life. Suddenly on the run from a host of baddies led by a man named Richter (Michael Ironside), Doug seeks answers by going to Mars. Once there, he connects with a woman named Melina (Rachel Ticotin) who Doug had previously encountered in a dream.

This movie was a big old mixed bag for me, with some real highs and some frustrating lows.

To begin with, the film has some great visuals and some really stellar practical effects and makeup. There are fun character designs and a really neat setpiece (pictured at the top of this review) in which Doug hides inside a robotic woman in order to pass through customs on Mars. Something that bugged me a bit, though, was that once the film was good at an effect, it was used over and over and over. Did someone involved in production have stocks invested in the glass they use for stunts? In all seriousness, I'm not sure I ever watched a film with so much shattered glass: people jumping through plate glass, bullets shattering windows, people punching out windows, etc. Likewise, the film was in love with the main character getting kicked in the groin, like, why?

Storywise, my favorite part of the film was the middle third, where the question is raised as to whether these events are really happening, or if they are a part of Doug's fantasy. The question lingers over the whole film in a neat way. Because Doug doesn't know who he really is (and by extension what he has done in the past), there is a ton of uncertainty that permeates the film in terms of who Doug can trust or whose side he should be on.

Acting wise, everything is really over the top, and since that's consistent, it didn't bother me too much. I did get a bit tired of the one-liners, despite understanding why many people love them or find them quotable.

Unfortunately, though, this was one of those sci-fi films that betrays a weird lack of imagination in certain respects when it comes to the future. I remember computers from the late 80s/early 90s. And the computers in this film . . . look a lot like them. This future is super clunky and a lot of things are analog that just don't make sense.But it's an aesthetic that fits the tone of the film so well; it's an unapologetically pulpy, trashy bit of Sci-Fi/Action, so it has the look to go with that (which is far superior to the slicker but more generic future that Len Wiseman's pointless remake provided). I mean, I love the way that 2001 (https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/film/2001-a-space-odyssey/) still still looks like it takes place in the future, even twenty years after the actual year it was set in, but I don't think that sort of aesthetic would suit Total Recall as well, and vice versa, you know?

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/Breaker_morant.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/D0Jr5FKH/breaker.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4779841

Breaker Morant - (1980) - DVD

During the Second Boer War, just as fighting was becoming particularly dirty, English born Harry "Breaker" Morant and two Australian Bushveldt Carbineers were put on trail for the murder of Boer prisoners. The court-martial had a purpose to it - a German missionary had been shot dead, and Germany was bringing a lot of pressure on the British to make amends. It wasn't as simple as it set out to be. Major James Francis Thomas, ordered to be the soldier's defense counsel, put up an impassioned fight. But could he stop an entire empire from getting what it was determined to get? - Just a few soldiers lives to appease the German government.

A big movie in it's day, and one that kept the 'legend' of the breaker, Harry Morant, in the public eye. Morant was a poet and horse breaker and all around hard-edged character. In this film he's portrayed, very well, by Edward Woodward. Jack Thompson won a Best Supporting Actor at Cannes - the first ever given. The rest of the cast is replete with all the best known actors in Australia at the time. The film gives a good sense of the dirty campaign. The Bushveldt Carbineers had just been ordered to take no prisoners. It's interesting in this how much the "we were only following orders" defense is rolled out - considering how we don't accept that as a defense these days. But it's the actors who carry this on it's shoulders. Great performances everywhere. Beresford was nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay he wrote - and would later be nominated for directing Tender Mercies and direct Driving Miss Daisy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbMWX73XNDk

Special Features - A documentary called The Breaker which looks a thousand years old. It uses the same stock footage over and over. An interesting look at the figure Morant, his poetry and reputation - but it can get painful to watch. There is also The Myth Exploded - Director's Postscript in which an old letter from the 1920s is brought to our attention - it describes the murder of the German missionary, the Reverend Heese. I don't think any myth is particularly being exploded - the letter still fits in pretty neatly with the film. There's a trailer. Slideshow and photos - many photos.

Comparisons to Paths of Glory are/were inevitable.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/Poster-Sami_Blood.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52052163

Sami Blood - (2016) - Norway/Denmark/Sweden

I can't claim to know much about Sámi people at all. Indigenous Northern Scandinavian people? When it came to measuring these people's skulls and such I was reminded of Nazi Germany espousing how 'lower races' have differing proportions. Looks like the Sámi are discriminated against as much as any other ethnic race. This film follows Elle-Marja as she tries her damned hardest to escape her people (and what they're forced to do) and join mainstream society.

Some scenes made me particularly uncomfortable - such as one where the 14-year old girl is forced to strip naked in front of all the others. As if that's not bad enough, a bunch of older boys (who always bully her) are at the window, quick to make the humiliation horribly worse. Later, as she attempts to stand up to them, she has part of her ear cut off. Nothing makes her take a backward step however. Soon she is sexually active and trying to enroll in a normal school - hoping to live with her boyfriend. She's soon back out on the street.

A lot of racial stuff here - about being inferior in every way. I never thought I'd see a film where white people are treated to horrible racist abuse from other white people. If there aren't any different looking people around we'll just grab the neighbours and put them down. Good movie though.

6/10

[Kay Burton]

I watched the series "Origin". The plot is not bad, the special effects are good, but it clearly reminded me of the movie "Alien". In general, you can see it, but not a masterpiece.

[Wooley]

The "reality" itself feels too much like fantasy, so the contrast between the two realities doesn't feel heightened enough... "Hey, man, that hot woman is obviously a fantasy! Clearly reality is that you are married to . . . .this equally hot woman who thinks you're a sex machine".


:rotfl:

[cricket]

Unhinged (2020)

2.5

https://media4.giphy.com/media/XGsRtPfWjWir0fTYgP/giphy.gif

My first thought watching this was who has pictures of Russell Crowe having sex with the family dog. A young woman who has life issues of her own makes the mistake of beeping at an already completely "unhinged" Russ at a traffic light. The rest of the movie is him toying with and pursuing her with bad intentions. This is an incredibly dumb movie that I may have hated had I watched it alone. My wife picked it out, and her and I had a good deal of fun laughing throughout. I was surprised at the violence in the film which was quite nasty.

[Wooley]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/Breaker_morant.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/D0Jr5FKH/breaker.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4779841

Breaker Morant - (1980) - DVD

During the Second Boer War, just as fighting was becoming particularly dirty, English born Harry "Breaker" Morant and two Australian Bushveldt Carbineers were put on trail for the murder of Boer prisoners. The court-martial had a purpose to it - a German missionary had been shot dead, and Germany was bringing a lot of pressure on the British to make amends. It wasn't as simple as it set out to be. Major James Francis Thomas, ordered to be the soldier's defense counsel, put up an impassioned fight. But could he stop an entire empire from getting what it was determined to get? - Just a few soldiers lives to appease the German government.

A big movie in it's day, and one that kept the 'legend' of the breaker, Harry Morant, in the public eye. Morant was a poet and horse breaker and all around hard-edged character. In this film he's portrayed, very well, by Edward Woodward. Jack Thompson won a Best Supporting Actor at Cannes - the first ever given. The rest of the cast is replete with all the best known actors in Australia at the time. The film gives a good sense of the dirty campaign. The Bushveldt Carbineers had just been ordered to take no prisoners. It's interesting in this how much the "we were only following orders" defense is rolled out - considering how we don't accept that as a defense these days. But it's the actors who carry this on it's shoulders. Great performances everywhere. Beresford was nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay he wrote - and would later be nominated for directing Tender Mercies and direct Driving Miss Daisy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbMWX73XNDk

Special Features - A documentary called The Breaker which looks a thousand years old. It uses the same stock footage over and over. An interesting look at the figure Morant, his poetry and reputation - but it can get painful to watch. There is also The Myth Exploded - Director's Postscript in which an old letter from the 1920s is brought to our attention - it describes the murder of the German missionary, the Reverend Heese. I don't think any myth is particularly being exploded - the letter still fits in pretty neatly with the film. There's a trailer. Slideshow and photos - many photos.

Comparisons to Paths of Glory are/were inevitable.

7/10


This was one of the first "serious" movies I ever really fell in love with and it was my favorite movie for a year or two when I was a teenager.
I think Woodward and Brown are so excellent in this film and the climactic scene and quote were just the kind of thing that would turn me into a cinephile.
And then I always loved Morant's toast in the flashback, "Live every day as if it were going to be your last. One day you're sure to be right."

[beelzebubble]

I actually went to the movie theater yesterday. I saw Summer of Soul. It was a documentary of The Harlem Music Festival of 1969. It had all kinds of fabulous acts from Blues, (BB KIng),to Jazz (Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach)to Motown (David Ruffin) to Latin flavored music (Mongo Santamaria) to Gospel.(Mahalia Jackson) among many others. My sister was so worked up she started crying so it can be emotional for old heads.
4.5/5

[Wooley]

I actually went to the movie theater yesterday. I saw Summer of Soul. It was a documentary of The Harlem Music Festival of 1969. It had all kinds of fabulous acts from Blues, (BB KIng),to Jazz (Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach)to Motown (David Ruffin) to Latin flavored music (Mongo Santamaria) to Gospel.(Mahalia Jackson) among many others. My sister was so worked up she started crying so it can be emotional for old heads.
4.5/5

I keep hearing great things about this.

[this_is_the_ girl]

https://flopmovies.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/6159e3e9-16cc-45cb-b200-3f88d855004d.png
I Tre Volti Della Paura / Black Sabbath (1963, Mario Bava)
4
Classic horror anthology with some gorgeous Technicolor cinematography, sets and makeup. Great use of color and lighting.
The third and final story "The Drop of Water" is definitely my favorite.

[Wooley]

https://flopmovies.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/6159e3e9-16cc-45cb-b200-3f88d855004d.png
I Tre Volti Della Paura / Black Sabbath (1963, Mario Bava)
4
Classic horror anthology with some gorgeous Technicolor cinematography, sets and makeup. Great use of color and lighting.
The third and final story "The Drop of Water" is definitely my favorite.

Love this movie.
I saw the AIP version, which has "The Drop Of Water" first, then "The Telephone", and finishes up with "The Wurdelak". So TDoP sets the hook, then Telephone seems oddly out of tone given that it was re-worked as a supernatural thriller for American audiences, then Wurdelak is the climax/finale, which works as a capper, honestly. Apparently the AIP version is also less violent, less sexual, and has a different score.
I really need to see the Italian version.

PS - Wow, it turns out the wraparound (Karloff talking to the camera) in the version I saw was shot in Los Angeles by an unknown director, not in the original version at all.

[Thief]

I was like you until I revisited it about a month ago and I really warmed up to it. It was fun. And silly. Silly fun.

Oh, I definitely agree. It's a fun film, but for some reason, it never became my go-to Arnie film.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Oh, I definitely agree. It's a fun film, but for some reason, it never became my go-to Arnie film.
That reason is Terminator, T2, Predator and Conan. But TR falls nicely alongside his next tier of greats with True Lies and Commando.

[Wyldesyde19]

Oh, I definitely agree. It's a fun film, but for some reason, it never became my go-to Arnie film.
For me it’s Terminator, Conan, Predator and Commando.

TR is decent enough, however, that it warrants a rewatch on occasion.

[Wooley]

That reason is Terminator, T2, Predator and Conan. But TR falls nicely alongside his next tier of greats with True Lies and Commando.

Yeah, Conan would be my number one Arnold film going away, followed by The Terminator, then some random selection from True Lies, T2, Total Recall, and probably The Running Man (which I enjoy more than most people). I'm less of a Predator fan that a lot around here.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Yeah, Conan would be my number one Arnold film going away, followed by The Terminator, then some random selection from True Lies, T2, Total Recall, and probably The Running Man (which I enjoy more than most people). I'm less of a Predator fan that a lot around here.

I’d put Running Man at the top of his next tier (good movies), alongside things like Red Heat, Raw Deal and the Last Stand (I defend it!).

What do you have against Predator? I struggle to think of a more perfectly crafted blend of action, sci-fi and horror. It’s even my favorite from McTiernan.

[Takoma11]

I think if the film had donned a serious tone, it would bother me more but as it has its tongue firmly placed in cheek, it almost dons a meta-quality about narrative construction and film as fantasy. The opening shots of Arnold jackhammering and being macho have a degree of camp that lets those boundaries effectively blur. Given Verhoeven’s penchant for the fantastical and campy, I’m inclined to view it as a deliberate choice.

But it's an aesthetic that fits the tone of the film so well; it's an unapologetically pulpy, trashy bit of Sci-Fi/Action, so it has the look to go with that (which is far superior to the slicker but more generic future that Len Wiseman's pointless remake provided). I mean, I love the way that 2001 (https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/film/2001-a-space-odyssey/) still still looks like it takes place in the future, even twenty years after the actual year it was set in, but I don't think that sort of aesthetic would suit Total Recall as well, and vice versa, you know?

Right. Like, I get WHY it is the way it is. But it just doesn't work for me, even if all the choices were the right choices for the film and its intentions, know what I mean?

I'm sure it doesn't help that I've never really liked Arnold all that much and I found a lot of his line deliveries more painful than pulpy fun. Sorry bros.

[John W Constantine]

You could include Eraser and End of Days in those tiers for all the wrong (right?) Arnie reasons.

[Wooley]

I’d put Running Man at the top of his next tier (good movies), alongside things like Red Heat, Raw Deal and the Last Stand (I defend it!).

What do you have against Predator? I struggle to think of a more perfectly crafted blend of action, sci-fi and horror. It’s even my favorite from McTiernan.

I like The Running Man a lot more than those other films. Its ambitious dystopian vision and Richard Dawson elevate it.

[Thief]

MULHOLLAND DRIVE
(2001, Lynch)
Freebie

https://cinemontage.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/MulhollandDr_Feature-678x381.jpg


"It'll be just like in the movies. Pretending to be somebody else."



That's what spunky and determined Betty (Naomi Watts) tells her troubled, amnesiac friend Rita (Laura Harring) as they try to piece out what happened to her. Betty, an aspiring actress, wants to live the Hollywood dream so much that he transposes the illusion of being "in a movie" to her efforts to help Rita, and God knows to what else.

That's the premise of this surreal mind-bender by David Lynch. Originally conceived as a TV pilot, Mulholland Drive came to be as Lynch kept on tinkering with it after it was rejected by TV executives. The end result is equal parts confusing, impenetrable, mesmerizing, hypnotizing, and beautiful.

Grade: 5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2218613#post2218613).

You can also listen to the latest special episode of my podcast on it (click here (https://www.buzzsprout.com/850063/8768663-thief-s-monthly-movie-loot-special-episode-vi-mulholland-drive.mp3?download=true)).

[ThatDarnMKS]

You could include Eraser and End of Days in those tiers for all the wrong (right?) Arnie reasons.
I’d place them in a tier beneath that. Still fun but less good.

Then we start getting into highly questionable territory.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I'm sure it doesn't help that I've never really liked Arnold all that much and I found a lot of his line deliveries more painful than pulpy fun. Sorry bros.
Madness! I must convert you.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDk1OTQ5MjAtNzM5Ny00YTFhLWJiNzYtMjZhNWZmMGU0M2YwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDExMzMxNjE@._V1_.jpg


3.5

[Thief]

THE GAME
(1997, Fincher)
A film from the Criterion Collection whose number includes the #6 (i.e. 16, 621, 906)

https://www.mondospettacolo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Immagine-2021-03-20-074613.png


"Discovering the object of the game *is* the object of the game."



So says journalist Daniel Schorr in a bizarre exchange with investment banker Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) via his television. You see, Nicholas has become so self-absorbed and isolated that he has forgotten about what really matters. "The game", which was a gift from his brother Conrad (Sean Penn), is supposed to make his life "fun".

Unfortunately, the game turns out as an elaborate ruse that blurs the lines between fiction and reality for Nicholas, eventually threatening his life. The cast is rounded up by Deborah Kara Unger and James Rebhorn as two people that might, or might not be, involved in the game. And that's part of the beauty of the film cause it always keeps you guessing what will happen next.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2218626#post2218626)

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefilmyap.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FCabaret-inside.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Cabaret, 1972

Cambridge scholar Brian (Michael York) arrives in 1931 Berlin and quickly strikes up a friendship with quirky cabaret star Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli). The two of them attempt to navigate love, sex, and friendship, as the city around them transforms under the rise of the Nazi party.

This is one of those films that I've been meaning to get around to for ages, and I'm not tremendously familiar with Minnelli (outside of her work on Arrested Development and, um, this sketch that I watch way too much).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVvxOwxuk_w

In any event, I really enjoyed it and in particular the way that the musical numbers were filmed. The camera alternates between an audience point of view, an over-the-shoulder view from the performers, and a sense of being inside one of the dance numbers. I also enjoyed the song and dance numbers themselves, with their mix of highbrow and lowbrow elements and the sense of confidence and community among the performers. The dynamic of having the MC (Joel Grey) serve as this interesting mix of performer ("one of the girls") and as the lone male audience surrogate was neat.

And the anchor of the performances serves as an intriguing background to what is happening in the city at large. The performers strut and dance and sing, even as fascism is creeping up on the country. We get a musical interlude outside of the cabaret, and it is a performance of a chilling patriotic song ("Tomorrow belongs to us") that rouses the adults and even the children. Sometimes it is strange to look at entertainment--especially comedies or other "light" stuff--that was produced during intense global upheaval. In this film, the performers go on doing their thing despite the growing tide of change. And the fact that the cabaret itself is home to many people who would be harmed under fascist rule (the gay MC, a transgender performer) creates a neat tension. How long will this cabaret and its performers hold out? The chilling final shot of the film--in which the distorted reflections of Nazi officers are seen in an on-stage mirror--adds an ominous note.

Surprisingly, the least interesting or compelling part of the film for me was the central story between Brian and Sally. And don't get me wrong, Sally's bold-as-brass personality and the curious relationship that develops between her and Brian is a lot of fun. There is something really appealing about the intersection between her larger than life antics pushing up against his more reserved personality. It's also really nice to see Brian's matter of fact bisexuality just be a normal part of the plot. Sally herself is in this weird carpe diem downward spiral as she waits to break into something bigger. There is certainly something magnetic about Minnelli's Sally, especially when she is performing. I just found that the various romantic plots and squabbles lost my interest as the film went on.

Glad I finally checked this one out!

4

[Takoma11]

Madness! I must convert you.

*folds arms*

Go on. (https://www.nj.com/news/2011/05/arnold_schwarzenegger_apologiz.html)

[ThatDarnMKS]

*folds arms*

Go on. (https://www.nj.com/news/2011/05/arnold_schwarzenegger_apologiz.html)
If only Arnold could be all of our secret fathers.

[crumbsroom]

Minnelli is also good in The Sterile Cuckoo. But she's dreadful in Arthur (my first experience with her, which tainted me against her for years)

L is For Liza is also worth checking out.

[Wyldesyde19]

Minnelli is also good in The Sterile Cuckoo. But she's dreadful in Arthur (my first experience with her, which tainted me against her for years)

L is For Liza is also worth checking out.

I actually thought she was quite good in Arthur, but it doesn’t hold a candle to her performance in Cabaret. I have not seen The Sterile Cuckoo yet, but I’m familiar with it.

[crumbsroom]

I actually thought she was quite good in Arthur, but it doesn’t hold a candle to her performance in Cabaret. I have not seen The Sterile Cuckoo yet, but I’m familiar with it.


Its just one of those performances that gets under my skin like some kind of irritant. Its the rare movie where I sometimes find myself wishing he'd take the money over love. And I say this as a pretty big fan of the movie in genral

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDJmZDRkMDAtM2JiNS00ZjdlLThiOTYtMWVhODJmYmY1MGEwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDk3NzU2MTQ@._V1_.jpg



1

[Jinnistan]

About a week after Sly's show in Harlem, he was one of the acts invited to the Newport Jazz Festival (July, 1969). Why, I don't know. We were on the bill too (Zappa/Mothers). Most everyone was disgusted with him because he tried to incite a riot and have the fans tear down the fences at the festival. I'm sure he was on drugs, but the guy was a real a**hole.
Well, Ed, if anyone has any footage of the legendary Newport Jazz Festival '69 - Miles Davis, James Brown, Sly Stone, Sun Ra, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Art Blakey, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, Herbie Hancock, BB King - I'd love to see it and it would probably blow away all of the other 1969 festival docs off the map. Where is that doc, Doc?

[Jinnistan]

Also, Team Love Witch, because witches are silly, so they deserve a silly movie as an antidote to those who take witches way too seriously.

[Jinnistan]

Oh man, every line he says is comedy gold. Truly an all-time comedy performance.
I think that BadLieutenent was the only other poster who shared my appreciation for the brilliant but underloved Big Trouble. (It works primarily because of Falk.)

[Jinnistan]

I mean, I have thought pretty much word to word that about American Psycho, especially with friends in investment banking circles - and so do they, at the time it was a running joke… same with The Wolf of Wall Street - they’re often psychopaths, but at least they’ve got a yacht/Lambo to shipwreck/crash. Don’t see anything odd about this response at all.
"Gosh, I wonder if Leatherface has an Etsy!!!"

[Rockatansky]

I think that BadLieutenent was the only other poster who shared my appreciation for the brilliant but underloved Big Trouble. (It works primarily because of Falk.)
I tried to seek that one out a while back, but it turned out the video store I frequented only carried the Tim Allen movie of the same name. Was extremely disappointed.

[AgrippinaX]

"Gosh, I wonder if Leatherface has an Etsy!!!"

Etsy is not deserving of attention in my view, however, fun fact: it was named after a phrase in 8 ½.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e0/Bronson_poster.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23516822

Bronson - (2008) - DVD rewatch

Bronson was one of those movies I was wowed by, and bought the DVD intending to watch it again at my leisure. That leisure expanded to over a decade, but I'm finally there. So, was I as wowed? Not so much. But that's not to say it isn't a good film. It takes Michael Peterson (aka Charles Bronson, aka Charles Ali Ahmed, aka Charles Salvador,) one of Britain's most violent and famous prison inmates, and gives us an insight into who he is, or who he wants to be. The film does this by allowing Bronson to present his own life to us, via a strange kind of vaudeville act. He tells us he felt he was always destined for some kind of greatness - but isn't quite sure in what way. Whatever he wanted to be, the man sure is violent. This violence colours the film like paint colours a canvas.

One of the things I really enjoyed about it was that it's sure not a biopic, and it will not blandly present facts. Instead Bronson's life behind bars is presented in a musical way. What music there was in the background swells to the forefront as blood, faeces, shoe polish - you name it - become war paint, and fists/batons fly. Despite all of this, he is portrayed as a likeable character - though extremely eccentric. Tom Hardy also spends a great deal of the film nude, his johnson swinging around for all to see. I've never seen a name actor spend as much time in front of the camera with full frontal nudity. Bronson and Hardy - neither are what you'd call shy. It's all a bit of performance, from vaudeville to dancing (for that's what the violence often looks like to me ) to painting. Perhaps Bronson simply wants to perform and represent who he is through some kind of artistic expression.

Hardy's performance is great. Darkness and shadows transform to harsh red light to a bright neon insane asylum glow - I enjoyed the lighting. The choreography of his violence. The way he dresses (or lacks any clothing) and the way he paints himself. Towards the end even his drawings come to life. I enjoyed all of that. Bronson becomes his own canvas as an artist - and that canvas comes to life and becomes a living work of art.

Special Features - The director's commentary was horrible. He spends 15 minutes talking about casting Tom Hardy, paying no attention to what is going on. Would be fine, but he keeps digressing and the things he has to tell us aren't interesting or what I'd call the crux of the film. Disappointing. Teaser. Trailer. An interview with that darn director, Nicolas Winding Refn, who has nevertheless made some great, great films after Bronson.

7/10

[Redapplecigz]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e0/Bronson_poster.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23516822

Bronson - (2008) - DVD rewatch

Bronson was one of those movies I was wowed by, and bought the DVD intending to watch it again at my leisure. That leisure expanded to over a decade, but I'm finally there. So, was I as wowed? Not so much. But that's not to say it isn't a good film. It takes Michael Peterson (aka Charles Bronson, aka Charles Ali Ahmed, aka Charles Salvador,) one of Britain's most violent and famous prison inmates, and gives us an insight into who he is, or who he wants to be. The film does this by allowing Bronson to present his own life to us, via a strange kind of vaudeville act. He tells us he felt he was always destined for some kind of greatness - but isn't quite sure in what way. Whatever he wanted to be, the man sure is violent. This violence colours the film like paint colours a canvas.

One of the things I really enjoyed about it was that it's sure not a biopic, and it will not blandly present facts. Instead Bronson's life behind bars is presented in a musical way. What music there was in the background swells to the forefront as blood, faeces, shoe polish - you name it - become war paint, and fists/batons fly. Despite all of this, he is portrayed as a likeable character - though extremely eccentric. Tom Hardy also spends a great deal of the film nude, his johnson swinging around for all to see. I've never seen a name actor spend as much time in front of the camera with full frontal nudity. Bronson and Hardy - neither are what you'd call shy. It's all a bit of performance, from vaudeville to dancing (for that's what the violence often looks like to me ) to painting. Perhaps Bronson simply wants to perform and represent who he is through some kind of artistic expression.

Hardy's performance is great. Darkness and shadows transform to harsh red light to a bright neon insane asylum glow - I enjoyed the lighting. The choreography of his violence. The way he dresses (or lacks any clothing) and the way he paints himself. Towards the end even his drawings come to life. I enjoyed all of that. Bronson becomes his own canvas as an artist - and that canvas comes to life and becomes a living work of art.

Special Features - The director's commentary was horrible. He spends 15 minutes talking about casting Tom Hardy, paying no attention to what is going on. Would be fine, but he keeps digressing and the things he has to tell us aren't interesting or what I'd call the crux of the film. Disappointing. Teaser. Trailer. An interview with that darn director, Nicolas Winding Refn, who has nevertheless made some great, great films after Bronson.

7/10

Great review. Yes Bronson was a fascinating movie. Hardy gave a great performance.

Very interesting film. I liked how it was artistic at times (much like Bronson himself) and gave some insight into the true person.

I like the DVD special features, the interview with Hardy was interesting to see some of his thought process behind it.

The director seems like a very strange guy but he made a cool film so I can’t complain.

9 / 10 for me. No complaints here.

[Jinnistan]

Etsy is not deserving of attention in my view, however, fun fact: it was named after a phrase in 8 ½.
Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it.

[AgrippinaX]

Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it.

At this point, I’m tempted to call all of the above ‘spamming’, as it’s deeply irrelevant.

[xSookieStackhouse]

5 been huge fan of scarlett johansson for long time and been fan of Natasha Romanoff aka black widow for long time aswell, im glad they chose scarlett johansson as Natasha Romanoff. loved the movie and make sure to watch end credits also if ur a big marvel fan like me :)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EuONWCzXAAE1uip.jpg
https://64.media.tumblr.com/87bd7f13b8d92b423925288c28377be0/2cd020baa5399ed2-e5/s540x810/987d72dae0a7904ce2d947f2fa4818b052058653.gifvhttps://66.media.tumblr.com/a007b1e81b82e3818c5a8ef69ab0a9c5/93c82e4f2bb6ddb0-e5/s540x810/1b4f3ff0001881996b8065ac8e63cbb7a9db5e81.gifv

[Wooley]

THE GAME
(1997, Fincher)
A film from the Criterion Collection whose number includes the #6 (i.e. 16, 621, 906)

https://www.mondospettacolo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Immagine-2021-03-20-074613.png




So says journalist Daniel Schorr in a bizarre exchange with investment banker Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) via his television. You see, Nicholas has become so self-absorbed and isolated that he has forgotten about what really matters. "The game", which was a gift from his brother Conrad (Sean Penn), is supposed to make his life "fun".

Unfortunately, the game turns out as an elaborate ruse that blurs the lines between fiction and reality for Nicholas, eventually threatening his life. The cast is rounded up by Deborah Kara Unger and James Rebhorn as two people that might, or might not be, involved in the game. And that's part of the beauty of the film cause it always keeps you guessing what will happen next.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2218626#post2218626)

This is my favorite Fincher, actually.

[Jinnistan]

At this point, I’m tempted to call all of the above ‘spamming’, as it’s deeply irrelevant.
Oh, I thought that we were sharing a moment of psychopathic appreciation. My bad.

[AgrippinaX]

Oh, I thought that we were sharing a moment of psychopathic appreciation. My bad.

I would like that very much. But, alas.

[Thief]

This is my favorite Fincher, actually.

It's very high for me. Probably #3 or #4, after Fight Club.

[Stirchley]

Cabaret, 1972

Terrific movie. Definitely a classic. Michael York’s best, IMO.

[CharlesAoup]

Four Flies On Grey Velvet, 1971 (A-)

This isn't the best GIallo I've ever seen, but it's the most Giallo I've ever seen. Everything is overdone in the best way, the kills are goofy as hell, and the killer's story is convoluted as hell, because nothing else would make sense after this whole situation. Good stuff.

[mrblond]

At Eternity's Gate (2018)

4.5

I caught it two evenings ago on the national TV channel here. It was my second watch of the movie (first seen during the awards season in the early 2019).
Superb cinematography, absolute impression(ism), great colours. Willem Dafoe on top level as always. Notable short appearance of Mads Mikkelsen too.
I can award here one of the two best "twins" ever in cinema: Willem Dafoe = Van Gogh
The other one being Val Kilmer = Jim Morrison

79206

[EsmagaSapos]

The song where he's climbing the mountain is very beautiful. The colors made this film unique, afaik, and the poetry was also beautiful.

[GulfportDoc]

Well, Ed, if anyone has any footage of the legendary Newport Jazz Festival '69 - Miles Davis, James Brown, Sly Stone, Sun Ra, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Art Blakey, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, Herbie Hancock, BB King - I'd love to see it and it would probably blow away all of the other 1969 festival docs off the map. Where is that doc, Doc?
Heh, heh. Well, I don't know. But if you run across one, let me know..;)

[GulfportDoc]

At Eternity's Gate (2018)

rating_4_5

I caught it two evenings ago on the national TV channel here. It was my second watch of the movie (first seen during the awards season in the early 2019).
Superb cinematography, absolute impression(ism), great colours. Willem Dafoe on top level as always. Notable short appearance of Mads Mikkelsen too.
I can award here one of the two best "twins" ever in cinema: Willem Dafoe = Van Gogh
The other one being Val Kilmer = Jim Morrison
I agree with your points and rating. Here is some commentary from a few years ago:

At Eternity's Gate (2018)
Willem Dafoe’s Vincent Van Gogh was the performance of 2018. The film itself was modest in scope, almost boutique in feel, which, added to the fact that there were no social justice or fashionable causes advocated, may have caused the Academy members to pass over this unique and striking performance.

There have been several good screen portrayals of the fascinating painter, making it all the trickier to develop a character about whom so much has been written, and displayed so thoroughly. It’s hard to say whether the director, artist Julian Schnabel, had any input on the characterization. The screenplay was co-written by Schnabel, his girlfriend Louise Kugelberg, and the veteran Jean-Claude Carriere. We would guess that Mr. Carriere did most of the heavy lifting on the treatment.

The sound palette and photography were very important. The music of the wind, rustling wheat fields, and Van Gogh’s firm brush strokes blended with the beautiful scenes captured by cinematographer Benoit Delhomme. To his credit they didn’t attempt to mimic the essence of the paintings with film technique, but rather offered them both as a duet and a nod to Van Gogh’s inspiration.

Likewise they resisted the use of art film techniques to accompany the subject’s well known mental decline. Tatiana Lisovskaya’s score was adequate, but at times the unaccompanied piano portions didn’t seem to want to commit either to dissonance or tonality, instead providing sophomoric chords or intervals that were confusing in their ambiguity. Yet at other times the music perfectly matched the mood.

Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of Paul Gaugin seemed off the mark. The treatment seemed too conservative for such an opinionated and assertive character. On the other hand Mads Mikkelsen gave a powerful and nuanced cameo performance of the priest who ultimately decided to allow Van Gogh to be released from his last asylum stay. All the other character parts were first rate.

In a masterful decision the producers did not dwell on the infamous ear cutting event. In fact it was not even shown, but left only to the imagination. One wonders if Dafoe exhibits more resemblance to Van Gogh from his right side, since in the film they incorrectly chose the left ear for excision, whereas in real life it was the right.

The movie title took its name from one of Van Gogh’s works completed two months before his death, Sorrowing Old Man (At Eternity’s Gate), painted from memory of an earlier pencil drawing. The time frame is the last few years of his life in France, first at Arles, and finally at Auvers-sur-Oise. His death has long been thought to have been a suicide, but more recent evidence has emerged that suggested accidental death. This is the route taken by the film.

He desired "not to see a landscape but only the eternity behind it". This is an excellent study of Van Gogh’s final years, and a memorable portrayal of the afflicted artist by Willem Dafoe that should not be missed.

Doc’s rating: 9/10

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c3/Hamilton_Disney%2B_poster_2020.jpg/220px-Hamilton_Disney%2B_poster_2020.jpg


1st Re-watch....my recent viewing of In the Heights motivated me to re-visit this groundbreaking musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda. I did something this time when I watched that greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the piece and I can't believe I'm recommending this, but I put on the closed captioning so that I could catch every lyric, which made the piece even more powerful. Miranda is the first composer to offer serious challenge to Stephen Sondheim as Broadway's greatest lyricist. Also love how Miranda doesn't hog the stage and allows his brilliant cast their share of the spotlight, especially the divine Daveed Diggs, who lights up the stage as Lafayette/Jefferson. Diggs stops the show with the second act opener "What'd I Miss." Another brilliant performance that often gets overlooked and deserves a second glance is Jonathan Groff''s dazzling King George III. 4.5

[Allaby]

I just finished watching Fail Safe (1964) and the first word that comes to mind is WOW! Masterfully directed by Sidney Lumet, the film has a great cast including Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Larry Hagman, Fritz Weaver, Frank Overton, and Dan O'Herlihy. A technical malfunction mistakenly sends American planes on a mission to bomb Moscow. The President has limited time to try and either stop the bombing or prevent a possible nuclear war. The film is really dramatic and intense, with edge of your seat suspense and high stakes. The viewer doesn't know how things will go down until they do. The screenplay is pretty much flawless and the performances are all excellent. This is a really intelligent film with something worthwhile to say about the systems of politics and war and ultimately taking responsibility for our own actions. Fail safe is thrilling and chilling and very compelling. I was invested in the characters and the events that were happening. I don't throw around the m word very often, but I'm going to call this a masterpiece and add it to my list of favourite films. This is an essential film. 5

[mojofilter]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDlkZmY3ZGUtMjY3ZS00MGE4LWFjMjYtZjNmYTE0YWYxOTJmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_.jpg
WEREWOLVES WITHIN
(2021)

First viewing. Enjoyable comedy horror film that I caught at the theatre last night. It's the movie Clue set in a wooded community and the killer is a werewolf.

3.5

[Wooley]

Minnelli is also good in The Sterile Cuckoo. But she's dreadful in Arthur (my first experience with her, which tainted me against her for years).

Wow, I love her in Arthur, I think her comedic timing in the film is just great. That was also my introduction to her and I've been a fan ever since.

[Wooley]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDJmZDRkMDAtM2JiNS00ZjdlLThiOTYtMWVhODJmYmY1MGEwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDk3NzU2MTQ@._V1_.jpg



1

I'll never understand all the hate for what is literally one of my favorite movies of all time.

[Wooley]

5 been huge fan of scarlett johansson for long time and been fan of Natasha Romanoff aka black widow for long time aswell, im glad they chose scarlett johansson as Natasha Romanoff. loved the movie and make sure to watch end credits also if ur a big marvel fan like me :)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EuONWCzXAAE1uip.jpg
https://64.media.tumblr.com/87bd7f13b8d92b423925288c28377be0/2cd020baa5399ed2-e5/s540x810/987d72dae0a7904ce2d947f2fa4818b052058653.gifvhttps://66.media.tumblr.com/a007b1e81b82e3818c5a8ef69ab0a9c5/93c82e4f2bb6ddb0-e5/s540x810/1b4f3ff0001881996b8065ac8e63cbb7a9db5e81.gifv

Can't wait!
I also have absolutely loved Natasha/Black Widow/Johannson. I'm a huge Marvel fan and she has been one of my favorite characters since The Avengers. She really become the glue that holds that whole thing together and I was glad to see her as the leader in Endgame and then... well, the fitting resolution of her arc.
Really look forward to this movie.

[KeyserCorleone]

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge

Damn good movie. Faithful, action packed and well cast. Joel McHale voicing Johnny Cage was a stroke of genius.

rating_4

[Gideon58]

Minnelli is also good in The Sterile Cuckoo. But she's dreadful in Arthur (my first experience with her, which tainted me against her for years)

L is For Liza is also worth checking out.

I think you mean Liza with a Z, not L is for Liza

[StuSmallz]

Okay, so there we go. I think you've said it better than I did. The "reality" itself feels too much like fantasy, so the contrast between the two realities doesn't feel heightened enough. And unfortunately since they are the same reality that makes internal sense. but it dings the conceit a bit. Like the hotel scene. "Hey, man, that hot woman is obviously a fantasy! Clearly reality is that you are married to . . . .this equally hot woman who thinks you're a sex machine".There are obviously aspects of Total Recall's portrayal of women that should be criticized, but I still think you're dismissing/underselling how progressive the gender dynamics in the film really are on the whole, especially for a movie that's over thirty years old. For one thing, I see little evidence that Melina was intended to be some sort of "improbably hot" fantasy woman, considering that, even in her most glamorous moment (in her introduction scene), she's still wearing some very tacky eyeshadow, and is dressed fairly modestly for someone who's supposedly a "prostitute" (which is pretty clearly just a front she puts on in public, since she behaves very different with Quaid in private, so the sleazy come-ons aren't indicators of her thinking he's a "sex machine", but clearly just an act she's putting on). And, she dresses even more modestly for the remainder of the film, never suffering the kind of "conveniently alluring" clothing damage (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ClothingDamage) you'd expect from a more typical male fantasy, despite all of the intense physical action she engages in throughout providing an excuse for it.

Besides that, saying that all of the key players in the film doesn't make sense, when you consider how big an impact Melina has on the story; her presence in the film is less to be Quaid's love interest, and more as an equal partner to him in the ass-kicking, and without her coming to save Quaid by shooting Cohagen at the end, he and all the mutants we saw in that sector are literally dead, with the rest of the entire planet doomed to continue suffering under Cohagen's oxygen tyranny. I mean, how much more could she have saved the day? And all of that is with me still leaving out a lot of points (I didn't even get into how progressive the racial dynamics of the film are), so, it's definitely a progressive characterization, even when not comparing it to an actual regressive portrayal of a female character in Hollywood around that time, like the way that Vicki Vale in the previous year's Batman was a character who was almost entirely defined by how attractive she was, by just being a love interest to Bruce, and by constantly being a damsel in distress for Batman to save, you know?

[StuSmallz]

Regarding the unimaginative future, I think that's intentional.*one of satirical points that Verhoeven makes here and in Robocop is that unchecked capitalism results in a future that's actually kind of ****ty.*They've achieved colonization of Mars, but because they cheaped out on protecting their workers, they end up with a bunch of mutants and a resulting revolt.*The fact that Mars kind of looks like a ride at the Epcot Centre kind of plays into this.*


Regarding the diversity of casting, that can probably be attributed to standard Hollywood practice, but as the premise presents a kind of fantasy (and a mostly male one, given the target audience for the genre), it makes some sense that the cast is male-dominated and all the prostitutes are female.*Also, the cheap-looking future can be interpreted to be a result of the implanted memory program being unable to properly reflect what an advanced society would presumably look like, in a kind of lingering "uncanny valley" effect, so that's another layer to it. Anyway, about the diversity of casting, I'll just say that the amount of women in the film has nothing to do with the amount of screentime or impact they have on the story (which is a lot, especially in the case of Melina, for the reasons I just listed). I mean, Persona has the same amount of major female characters in it as Total Recall does; does that mean they didn't have enough impact on that film? Anyway, it makes sense as a creative decision to have just two major female characters in the film, so that they can better contrast one another as mirror images, and it's also worth noting that, by the end of the film Quaid has rejected the one who was portrayed by a "sex symbol"-actress who checked off every conventional box Hollywood had for standards of female beauty (blonde, blue-eyed, white, etc.), and embraced the one who was played by a Latina actress, a racial dynamic that's still pretty rare these days, let alone 30+ years ago, which is additional evidence for how progressive the film's casting/characterizations really were.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/53/Rabbit_Hole_Poster.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29389100

Rabbit Hole - (2010) - rewatch

Saw this a decade ago and loved it the first time around. A glimpse inside the life of couple Becca and Howie (portrayed by Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) and how they process their grief after losing a child in an accident. Becca becomes aggressive and angry, Howie just seems lost. They go to grief counselling where Becca starts picking fights and embarrassing Howie. Meanwhile Howie latches on to the newly single Gabby (Sandra Oh) by smoking pot with her and having a good time. Eventually Becca reaches out to the kid who caused the accident, Jason, and encourages him when she sees a comic he's created - Rabbit Hole - which deals with alternate universes.

Kidman was nominated for a best actress Oscar (the year of Black Swan and Natalie Portman's win.) She conveys her 'angry grief' well. Her sensitivity to everything, and rejection of her husband keep us on edge. A wrong move and someone's going to have a complete breakdown. I like the way she finds comfort in the comic book written by the boy who accidently killed her child. The film has a nice ending, and by nice I mean it works well within the confines of this film - a film more true to life than most. Another welcome cast member is Dianne Wiest, playing Becca's mother Nat. Nat has lost a son herself, but Becca is always quick to point out that losing a son who's 30 is a different thing. Both true and untrue - and cruel.

For what it was, based on a play by David Lindsay-Abaire which he adpated for this film, it's an insightful film about loss comparable to Ordinary People and films like it. There's nothing outrageous, but many uncomfortable and sad moments woven together. It's quite short and to the point. We don't linger over the shocking events. Those events reverberate well throughout the whole film. Really good one this, but again, not as good to me as it was the first time around.

6/10

[StuSmallz]

I don't disagree, I just didn't think it totally translated. For example, we get scenes that don't include Doug . . . which makes no sense if it's a fantasy.That's the thing, though; the film doesn't explicitly comfirm that it is a fantasy, as there are about as many aspects of it that point to it being real as there are the opposite, so, besides the neccessary exposition they provide to us as an audience, the scenes without Quaid provide an additional "plausible deniability" to the idea that it's not just happening in his head. Besides, the Rekall guy said Quaid's fantasy had gone haywire in his brain, so it makes sense for it to be shifting its focus as a result of that malfunction, and despite the central real/not-real conceit, the movie still has to operate as a coherent bit of cinematic storytelling to us as an audience. It's why the film is still mostly shot from an outside, "objective" perspective, instead of entirely from Quaid's personal 1st-person perspective (ala Hardcore Henry), and if it's all a fantasy, then it also doesn't "make sense" to include the shot of Richter reacting in anger after Quaid has escaped from him by jumping onto the train, since the former is already out of his line of sight, so it's a thin line to try to draw anyway.

[xSookieStackhouse]

Can't wait!
I also have absolutely loved Natasha/Black Widow/Johannson. I'm a huge Marvel fan and she has been one of my favorite characters since The Avengers. She really become the glue that holds that whole thing together and I was glad to see her as the leader in Endgame and then... well, the fitting resolution of her arc.
Really look forward to this movie.

same here since iron man 2 and i agree she does an amazing job as natasha also im glad i have all the pop vinyls and statues of her aswell . she so perfect as a leader i agree. at the end of the credits the scene shocked me :O especially julia louis dreyfus from the falcon and the winter soldier was on it

[FromBeyond]

Lost In London

Alright mate... Horrible.. utterly dreadful mate So it was shot in one take and live streamed, why would they go to so much effort with such a crap script and idea mate alright mate... Woody harrelson at his worst, England at its worst.. alright mate alright mate the people who conceived and made this film should be wiped from existence mate alright mate meaningless soulless drivel would be too kind.. but I guess it was a technical achievement... no.. doesn’t look good either.. mate.. portrays my country horribly.. just bizarre and we don’t say mate in every sentence **** off

[Takoma11]

I see little evidence that Melina was intended to be some sort of "improbably hot" fantasy woman

Doug literally orders her off of a menu in the scene where he is making choices about his fantasy.

In fact, she HAS to be a fantasy woman because otherwise the whole sequence where they are trying to convince Doug that he's in a dream wouldn't work. Her being a fantasy is essential to a big part of the film.

so the sleazy come-ons aren't indicators of her thinking he's a "sex machine", but clearly just an act she's putting on

The person who thinks he's a sex machine is the other very sexy lady.

Besides that, saying that all of the key players in the film doesn't make sense, when you consider how big an impact Melina has on the story

I didn't mean key players in the sense of main characters. I was criticizing the limit of imagination shown in how the film envisions the future and remarking on the fact that in this portrayal of the future, men are still in charge of all the important stuff and they are the vast, vast majority of the spies/toughs as well. There is one woman in the agency, and not only is she somebody's "girl," her job is to pretend to be a wife (complete with all wifely duties).

it's definitely a progressive characterization

Agree to disagree. Did the film have a single important female character who didn't have sex with the male lead?

Don't get me wrong, I liked Melina and appreciated her very active role in the action in the latter half of the film. But doing better than other people who were doing horribly does not mean you did well. Like the shot where Doug punches out Lori and then the camera conveniently comes to rest on a shot of her spandex-clad butt. Very progressive, A+.

Ya'll are like talking me down to 3.

[Jinnistan]

Heh, heh. Well, I don't know. But if you run across one, let me know..;)
I only have some audio. The Miles was released as part of Bitches Brew Live, I have a boot of James Brown's set. I have part of Zappa's but only as an audience recording. Seriously, given its reputation (which, for those unaware, this was the largest scale event to fuse jazz musicians and rock musicians in one venue, all one month before Miles even recorded Brew), I'm surprised that there hasn't been an effort at archiving and restoring the material. I don't know if anyone was filming at all, but surely someone has something which could be used to document it.


What I'm saying is that you buried the lead, which is that you were an eyewitness to this legendary event. I'm sure there are many stories....

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/You%27re_a_Big_Boy_Now_poster.jpg



2.5

[Rockatansky]

Doug literally orders her off of a menu in the scene where he is making choices about his fantasy.

In fact, she HAS to be a fantasy woman because otherwise the whole sequence where they are trying to convince Doug that he's in a dream wouldn't work. Her being a fantasy is essential to a big part of the film.



The person who thinks he's a sex machine is the other very sexy lady.



I didn't mean key players in the sense of main characters. I was criticizing the limit of imagination shown in how the film envisions the future and remarking on the fact that in this portrayal of the future, men are still in charge of all the important stuff and they are the vast, vast majority of the spies/toughs as well. There is one woman in the agency, and not only is she somebody's "girl," her job is to pretend to be a wife (complete with all wifely duties).



Agree to disagree. Did the film have a single important female character who didn't have sex with the male lead?

Don't get me wrong, I liked Melina and appreciated her very active role in the action in the latter half of the film. But doing better than other people who were doing horribly does not mean you did well. Like the shot where Doug punches out Lori and then the camera conveniently comes to rest on a shot of her spandex-clad butt. Very progressive, A+.

Ya'll are like talking me down to 3.
If you move it down by a few more popcorns, pretty sure it resets to 5.

[phunizer]

A quiet place 2 8/10

[ThatDarnMKS]

If you move it down by a few more popcorns, pretty sure it resets to 5.
I believe that’s called a total recall.

[Rockatansky]

I believe that’s called a total recall.

Liek the movie!!!!!1!!!1!!1!


https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XxoejN3FL._AC_SY580_.jpg

[GulfportDoc]

I only have some audio. The Miles was released as part of Bitches Brew Live, I have a boot of James Brown's set. I have part of Zappa's but only as an audience recording. Seriously, given its reputation (which, for those unaware, this was the largest scale event to fuse jazz musicians and rock musicians in one venue, all one month before Miles even recorded Brew), I'm surprised that there hasn't been an effort at archiving and restoring the material. I don't know if anyone was filming at all, but surely someone has something which could be used to document it.
What I'm saying is that you buried the lead, which is that you were an eyewitness to this legendary event. I'm sure there are many stories....
Frank recorded many of our shows. Seems like he would have recorded the Newport, since it was rather a milestone. I'm not sure if he used any of it on any album releases. He very commonly edited-in bits and pieces from many shows-- some were years apart.

I do have a couple of stories, but they're X rated..:cool: I can tell you that the guys were determined to play their best because we had lots of pure jazz veterans listening and watching, so I recall it being a good show. I'd like to hear it myself..:)

We went on to play several jazz festivals. One I recall was the Charlotte, NC Jazz Festival. All of the other acts were pure jazz: Roland Kirk, Gary Burton, Duke Ellington, and a bunch of others.

At the "wrap" party at the Hilton, I walked into the crowded ballroom and looked for the bar. There wasn't one, but they had a table set up in the middle of the room which had a very large punch bowl sitting on it, full of champagne punch. When I went to get a cup, I looked at the server who was a long hair, and his eyes seemed to be rolling in different directions. I looked closer, and there was about 6" of sludge at the bottom of the bowl. It was LSD. I thought, "Oh, f**k it, and drained a cup (and had several more). 10 minutes later I'm standing there talking with Larry Coryell, when all of a sudden the whole ballroom lit up in flames.. It was a helluva acid trip. I almost left with some Hippies who had a commune. Came down the next day..:cool:

[Jinnistan]

Frank recorded many of our shows. Seems like he would have recorded the Newport, since it was rather a milestone. I'm not sure if he used any of it on any album releases. He very commonly edited-in bits and pieces from many shows-- some were years apart.
Yeah, like the You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore sets. I haven't gone deep on all of the dates used for those.


I do have a couple of stories, but they're X rated..:cool:
That why I asked!!!


I can tell you that the guys were determined to play their best because we had lots of pure jazz veterans listening and watching, so I recall it being a good show. I'd like to hear it myself..:)
There's a few clips on Youtube, all of which appear to come from the same audience tape that I have. And there's also this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiWlZLe8T18), which is proof that somebody was filming in a professional capacity at the time (and with much better fidelity, but heavily edited).


We went on to play several jazz festivals. One I recall was the Charlotte, NC Jazz Festival. All of the other acts were pure jazz: Roland Kirk, Gary Burton, Duke Ellington, and a bunch of others.
If you'll indulge my music nerd, were you still with the Mothers when Zappa guested with Pink Floyd at a Belgian festival that October?

At the "wrap" party at the Hilton, I walked into the crowded ballroom and looked for the bar. There wasn't one, but they had a table set up in the middle of the room which had a very large punch bowl sitting on it, full of champagne punch. When I went to get a cup, I looked at the server who was a long hair, and his eyes seemed to be rolling in different directions. I looked closer, and there was about 6" of sludge at the bottom of the bowl. It was LSD. I thought, "Oh, f**k it, and drained a cup (and had several more). 10 minutes later I'm standing there talking with Larry Coryell, when all of a sudden the whole ballroom lit up in flames.. It was a helluva acid trip. I almost left with some Hippies who had a commune. Came down the next day..:cool:
As Zappa was fervently anti-drug, I've always wondered about the possibility that, since these situations were quite common in the era, he may have found himself spontaneously dosed. Which I'm sure must have annoyed him greatly.

[Gideon58]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51bnhL%2BhDbS._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg



3.5

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/02/Nights_of_Cabiria_Poster.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35657519

Nights of Cabiria - (1957) - Italy

Nothing I'm capable of writing could really do justice to Nights of Cabiria - only the second Fellini film I've ever seen. I had it on VHS for many years, but never got around to watching it back then, and I'm glad I didn't. I can appreciate it more now than I could during that era of my life. Giulietta Masina plays the prostitute going by the name 'Cabiria' and my eyes never left her for a moment. Such an expressive face, and a brilliant performance which completely transcends time and place. She reminds me a little bit of a manic Carole Lombard when her comedic notes hit home.

Cabiria believes in love deep down inside, so much so she's an easy target for men just out to use her, or steal from her. The opening scene where she's pushed into a river while her so-called boyfriend steals her money immediately grabs our attention, and we already want to know what sort of person this is - who wouldn't see beyond what must have been the empty promises and platitudes of her man? Whatever naivety she has about love is balanced by her general toughness, high hopes and endless energy. Has she learned yet, or is she destined to repeat history? No matter, for it seems nothing can quell her spirit.

Every aspect of this film was spot on. I rewatched it the morning after seeing it for the first time. A classic movie.

9/10

[hell_storm2004]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTM3OTEwODYzNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjM1NzUzMw@@._V1_.jpg




North Country (2005) - 4.8/10. Just meh! The movie tries to focus more on the abuse and less on the trial. Such a historic case, the movie just didn't do justice. The writing is weak. Every did a decent job. But just let down by the script. Passable!

[mark f]

Return to Greendale (Bernard Shakey [Neil Young], 2020) 2.5+ 6/10
Blood Orgy of the She-Devils (Ted V. Mikels, 1973) 1.5 4/10
Babysitter Must Die (Kohl Glass, 2020) 2 5/10
Major Grom: Plague Doctor (Oleg Trofim, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://cdn.lifehacker.ru/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/aYpgXzu_1616762697-630x315.jpg
Complex action-thriller about a vigilante, a copycat and a possible revolution in Russia.
The House of the Dead (Sharron Miller, 1978) 2 5/10
Hikari AKA Radiance (Naomi Kawase, 2017) 2.5 6/10
Finders Keepers (Alexander Yellen, 2014) 2 5/10
Till Death (S.K. Dale, 2021) 2.5 5.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/3c72012c55d233fb4b0fd48b94d38ffb/e7b192788a585369-02/s540x810/f33f23b65af88a371e492b8959c5fb196793950f.gifv
Unusual, slow-starting thriller where Megan Fox is put through the wringer.
The Child (Robert Voskanian, 1977) 2 5/10
Satan's Children (Joe Wiezycki, 1975) 1.5+ 4.5/10
The Big Space Travel (Valentin Selivanov, 1975) 2 5/10
Andrey Tarkovsky. A Cinema Prayer (Andrey A. Tarkovskiy, 2019) 3.5 7/10
https://www.sentieridelcinema.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Andrej-Tarkovskij.-Il-cinema-come-preghiera-627x376.jpg
Cinematic love letter from father-to-son and son-to-father with interviews from Tarkovsky Sr. and highlights from his films arranged by Jr. as poetry since that was his father's art's major concern.
The Serpent (Gia Skova, 2020) 1.5+ 4.5/10
Alice and the Mayor (Nicolas Pariser, 2019) 2.5 6/10
The Harder They Fall (Mark Robson, 1956) 3 6.5/10
Rogue Male (Clive Donner, 1976) 2.5+ 6/10
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A2SnaKyiAmw/XIdYAgqhHLI/AAAAAAAAGPo/kRFVgmwqAocHsFVEm4EFJWjLgVYFE6S3wCLcBGAs/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/ROGUE%2BMALE-%2BNOW%2BWITH%2BA%2BBULLET.jpg
Little-seen remake of Fritz Lang's Man Hunt with Peter O'Toole excellent as the Hitler stalker.
The Good, the Bart, and the Loki (David Silverman, 2021) 3- 6.5/10
White Demise (Daeil Kim, 2020) 1.5 4/10
Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight (Robert Downey Sr., 1975) 2 5/10
No.7 Cherry Lane (Yonfan, 2019) 2.5 6/10
https://nitter.nixnet.services/pic/media%2FEo1LfAnW4AIRLVl.jpg%3Fname%3Dsmall
Super-slow-moving political romance set in 1967 Hong Kong.

[CharlesAoup]

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 2011, 3rd watch (A+)

A slow burn spy film about surrounding turmoil in the British secret services in what seems to be the 60s.

As rivetting as a film can ever be while being this slow.

[Tugg]

Next (2007) 3.5
https://r8w7.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/next-2007.jpg
Till Death (2021) 2.5
https://societyalert.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1624018363_maxresdefault-782x440.jpg
The God Committee (2021) 2.5
https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/GUEST_f461dc16-640e-4dbf-ba4b-dbfe25a1e174?fmt=webp&wid=1400&qlt=80
Black Widow (2021) 3.5
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/2d819208-bfe6-4330-aaec-c90db2bb52ac/deiu6xd-874e9591-d589-4df7-af00-3761d15a3ed4.jpg/v1/fill/w_1131,h_707,q_70,strp/black_widow__2021__wallpaper_4k__by_xxmcufan2020xx_deiu6xd-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZ DQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7Imhla WdodCI6Ijw9OTAwIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvMmQ4MTkyMDgtYmZlNi00MzMwLWFhZWMtYzkwZGIyYmI1MmFjXC9kZWl1NnhkLTg3N GU5NTkxLWQ1ODktNGRmNy1hZjAwLTM3NjFkMTVhM2VkNC5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTQ0MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2Vyd mljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.Dfmi6wwOPOW3m06roi7MoyNKIiVmFquo41eXtMYfCrk

[Stirchley]

North Country (2005) - 4.8/10. Just meh! The movie tries to focus more on the abuse and less on the trial. Such a historic case, the movie just didn't do justice. The writing is weak. Every did a decent job. But just let down by the script. Passable!

I bailed out of this. As you say “meh”.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 2011, 3rd watch (A+)

A slow burn spy film about surrounding turmoil in the British secret services in what seems to be the 60s.

As rivetting as a film can ever be while being this slow.

I’ve seen it at least twice. Excellent movie. Is it really 10 years old already?

[AgrippinaX]

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 2011, 3rd watch (A+)

A slow burn spy film about surrounding turmoil in the British secret services in what seems to be the 60s.

As rivetting as a film can ever be while being this slow.

This one is plain exquisite.

[Stirchley]

This one is plain exquisite.

It is, but it took me simply ages to figure out who was who. Very confusing movie at first & I read quite a bit online to help me along.

[AgrippinaX]

It is, but it took me simply ages to figure out who was who. Very confusing movie at first & I read quite a bit online to help me along.

I agree, I’m not great with those types of spy films. I think with things like that you can just go along and enjoy. If you really like it, after the third viewing it’ll make a bit more sense. At least that was the case with me.

[GulfportDoc]

79269
No Sudden Move (2021)

Director/cinematographer: Steven Soderbergh; Screenplay: Ed Solomon; Actors: Don Cheadle, Benecio del Toro, David Harbour, John Hamm, Ray Liotta, Brendan Fraser, and others.

This is a very well put together, watchable movie that nevertheless felt vaguely recognizable. It put me in mind a little of the 4th season of Fargo: set in the '50s, black mob, Italian Mob, unusual plotting-- but with a great MacGuffin: plans for the first automotive catalytic converter. Here it’s unique because the MacGuffin goes through several permutations.

The story starts off in a familiar manner, with 3 gangsters employed to hold hostage a family while the banker husband is taken to his bank to steal some valuable documents. However the plot soon fans out several ways, and involves an eclectic groups of players.

The editing and photography were outstanding, and the music score by David Holmes was tasteful and period specific.

The acting was predictably good, given the heft of the crew. The standout for me was David Harbour (known for his role as Jim Hopper in Stranger Things) playing a nuanced Matt Wertz, the kidnapped character with a double life. The nadir was Matt Damon playing Mr. Big in an uncredited role. Perhaps if his part was to have been credited he would have tried a little harder. Truthfully, it was a matter of miscasting. Ray Liotta did a nice turn, who was almost unrecognizable in his role as Frank Capelli, a mob ruler. And a somewhat aging Don Cheadle nicely carried the central character, Curt Goynes, a small time gangster who gets in over his head.

The film does drag a bit in the middle, but soon gets back on course. The picture definitely has Soderbergh's stamp on it, and it holds one's interest from start to finish.

Doc's rating: 8/10

[GulfportDoc]

...
There's a few clips on Youtube, all of which appear to come from the same audience tape that I have. And there's also this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiWlZLe8T18), which is proof that somebody was filming in a professional capacity at the time (and with much better fidelity, but heavily edited).


If you'll indulge my music nerd, were you still with the Mothers when Zappa guested with Pink Floyd at a Belgian festival that October?

As Zappa was fervently anti-drug, I've always wondered about the possibility that, since these situations were quite common in the era, he may have found himself spontaneously dosed. Which I'm sure must have annoyed him greatly.
Interesting, but peculiar, video clip. Still, it's a good find. Nice of you to suss it out.

Right, the "Festival Actuel" was in Belgium on 10/24 to 10/28/69. Frank was by himself on that one. He was hired to be the MC. He did jam with several bands, but MOI was not there.

To my knowledge Frank was never "jarred" with any drugs in his drinks/food. He was anti drug, and he didn't drink alcohol, but for a very occasional aperitif on a flight. He did drink gallons of coffee daily, while smoking 2-3 packs of butts-- alternating regular and menthol.

None of us ever drank or drugged before or during a performance. Although after the shows it was, "Katie bar the door!"...:cool:

[KeyserCorleone]

First opening day movie of my life: Black Widow. 85/100.

[Takoma11]

It is, but it took me simply ages to figure out who was who. Very confusing movie at first & I read quite a bit online to help me along.

Have you seen the miniseries? I think it's pretty great.

[EsmagaSapos]

Andrey Tarkovsky. A Cinema Prayer (Andrey A. Tarkovskiy, 2019) 3.5 7/10

I'm completely obsessed with Tarkosvky documentaries, that man, that man saw the world. Sadly, I haven't had to opportunity to watch this one, but people that like his work (and often are more critical) said it was emotional and well made. I hope I can watch it one day.

[chawhee]

Hotel Rwanda (2004)
http://www.domlife.org/moviereviews/2006/images/hotelrwanda_175x150.jpg
4
Finally found a chance to watch this since having it on my radar after seeing Hotel Mumbai a couple years ago. Definitely different approaches between the two in terms of polish and presentation, but I enjoyed them almost equally.

[LChimp]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E5EKmUwXwAYg3BW.jpg:large

[Thursday Next]

Black Widow (2021)

https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIF.nFAmHPZ43l89uurOEkLLUw?pid=ImgDet&rs=1

After this and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I have to ask - when did Marvel movies stop being fun?

I think Black Widow deserved a movie, probably about 10 years ago. Rectifying that by making one after Endgame with something set before Infinity War which sort of promises to delve into her past but then doesn't exactly do it was a bit of a weird choice.

The plot, the tone and the editing were all over the place. It's about an hour in before there are even any attempts at humour, and none of those landed for me. The back story is actually kind of upsetting, which makes the attempts at humour about it worse. I just don't think they pulled off the tone. It all lurches joylessly from fight scene to explosion to fight scene.

I expect to suspend disbelief a certain amount in a superhero movie, but pheromone force fields, magic mcguffin dust which resets behaviour conditioning and characters who can't normally fly basically flying through the air without any explanation just seemed silly. The reset dust just sort of undermined the whole idea of conditioning and free will and making the right choices that the movie could have tried to explore.

Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz are always good, I just wish they were in a better movie. It's not terrible, but I didn't enjoy it.

2.5

[Thief]

MAPS TO THE STARS
(2014, Cronenberg)
A film with a title that starts with the letters M or N

https://www.redbrick.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Maps-Julianne.jpg


"On the stairs of Death I write your name, Liberty."



Maps to the Stars follows Agatha Weiss (Mia Wasikowska), a mysterious young woman that arrives at Los Angeles and seeks employment with Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), an aging, washed-up actress struggling to face the truth about her career. Unbeknownst to Havana, Agatha's real intentions are to get close to Benjie (Evan Bird), a problematic child star dealing with his own problems.

The thing is that both Havana and Benjie are captive by expectations and failed dreams; from the struggles of "old" age and mature actresses in Hollywood, to the plights and pressures put on child stars that don't have the maturity to handle it. The contrast of both trying to be liberated from the oppression of the Hollywood system is quite interesting, while also extending to other peripheral characters, including driver/wannabe-actor Jerome (Robert Pattinson) that are as captive as them.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2219845#post2219845)

[Jinnistan]

MAPS TO THE STARS
(2014, Cronenberg)
A film with a title that starts with the letters M or N
Also has a great performance by Jamie Spears. I mean, John Cusack.

[Gideon58]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511GJC0P02L.jpg



3.5

[Wooley]

Black Widow - Initial Reaction

Well, I looked forward to this movie for like 2 years. And tonight, I saw it, my first movie in a theater since The Invisible Man in February of last year.
I'm honestly not sure what I thought about it.
I would say that it had a lot of heart and that unlike a lot of Marvel movies, it had time to breathe. And when it did, it took advantage of that time to surprisingly effective character and emotional effect. The sisterhood aspect was particularly strong. As was Florence Pugh in general. She really surprised me with this. I've seen her work and I know how good she is, but I thought this might be over her head or at least out of her wheelhouse. Yet she was as convincing as anyone in the film, including Rachel Weisz, Ray Winstone, and Scarlett herself.
But the script. I mean, did this story even need to be told? And I don't mean from a "Black Widow shoulda had her own movie by now" perspective I mean a "was this story, this particular one, actually worth telling?" perspective.
Again the character and emotional aspects of the film work but the actual plot is convoluted, probably unnecessarily so, and almost ends up coming off like a really high-budget extended-episode of Agents Of Shield. I'm really not sure the MacGuffin, which seems dubious from the start, plays at all. And the resolution of the MacGuffin left me pretty limp. Some of the action scenes were good particularly a prison-break sequence, but even that was left feeling very distilled or maybe just never really inspired in the first place. The film goes to pretty achey lengths not to show a drop of blood to the Disney audience, despite the rather intense violence that occurs and the fact that both of the main characters were assassins. And honestly, some of the movie seems to contradict what we've seen in the previous films, even though Marvel is usually so meticulous about making everything fit together. One wonders, did they have too much time with this film or did they just not write a very good script.
I hope I will feel better about it in the morning or maybe after a re-watch but, I dunno, I came away feeling like Marvel did some of its best work yet in the emotional territory of this film but made a movie that simply didn't need to be made. Perhaps as a too-little-too-late apology to Scarlett.

I've been pretty excited for Shang-Chi but this film, in the wake of the already rather hit and miss nature of the MCU going back to Doctor Strange, has me a little worried about any future MCU films. Could it finally be unravelling? Or do I just need to take a deep breath and sleep on this movie?

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5d/WrongTurn2021poster.jpg/220px-WrongTurn2021poster.jpg
(2021 film)

3

SF = Z


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/14/Tom_%26_Jerry_%28Official_2021_Film_Poster%29.png

2

SF = 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

[Wooley]

Black Widow (2021)

https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIF.nFAmHPZ43l89uurOEkLLUw?pid=ImgDet&rs=1

I think Black Widow deserved a movie, probably about 10 years ago. Rectifying that by making one after Endgame with something set before Infinity War which sort of promises to delve into her past but then doesn't exactly do it was a bit of a weird choice.

The plot, the tone and the editing were all over the place. It's about an hour in before there are even any attempts at humour, and none of those landed for me. The back story is actually kind of upsetting, which makes the attempts at humour about it worse. I just don't think they pulled off the tone. It all lurches joylessly from fight scene to explosion to fight scene.

I expect to suspend disbelief a certain amount in a superhero movie, but pheromone force fields, magic mcguffin dust which resets behaviour conditioning and characters who can't normally fly basically flying through the air without any explanation just seemed silly. The reset dust just sort of undermined the whole idea of conditioning and free will and making the right choices that the movie could have tried to explore.
2.5
Well, I mostly agree with you. I thought the plot was just... was this really the best they could come up with? I thought the gravity of the backstory was good but then when they try to go to the Marvel Fun Times it does feel kinda weird. The big action sequences and the convoluted-but-dumb plot seemed to actually drag down the fairly good dramatic storyline that ran through the film, which was bolstered by good actors doing their job across the board. But the movie isn't put together right, when we finally meet the villain it doesn't really pay off and then the resolution of the B-plot or C-plot or maybe it was the A-plot and the villain was the B-plot or was the family-story the A-plot...? I dunno, it seems like a mess. But the resolution of the Red Room plot was like TV-episode weak. And another weird tonal thing was "How do we make a Disney movie about assassins?" So they're having extreme violence (like an early, rather visceral, straight-up murder) but cut away quickly or show the violence from angles where nothing too rough is really seen and then maybe just a drop or two of blood on somebody's face or a bloody nose after horrific beatings.
And when did Natasha get her super-powers? She is clearly super-human in this film, not peak-human, super-human. She endures things no human could survive and gets up to walk away or even fight (including one particularly egregious fall that would kill any living thing on Earth).
I dunno, I'm hoping I like it better tomorrow but man, for a movie that made me feel as much as it did, I sure left feeling let-down.

[StuSmallz]

Doug literally orders her off of a menu in the scene where he is making choices about his fantasy.

In fact, she HAS to be a fantasy woman because otherwise the whole sequence where they are trying to convince Doug that he's in a dream wouldn't work. Her being a fantasy is essential to a big part of the film.

The person who thinks he's a sex machine is the other very sexy lady.

I didn't mean key players in the sense of main characters. I was criticizing the limit of imagination shown in how the film envisions the future and remarking on the fact that in this portrayal of the future, men are still in charge of all the important stuff and they are the vast, vast majority of the spies/toughs as well. There is one woman in the agency, and not only is she somebody's "girl," her job is to pretend to be a wife (complete with all wifely duties).

Agree to disagree. Did the film have a single important female character who didn't have sex with the male lead?

Don't get me wrong, I liked Melina and appreciated her very active role in the action in the latter half of the film. But doing better than other people who were doing horribly does not mean you did well. Like the shot where Doug punches out Lori and then the camera conveniently comes to rest on a shot of her spandex-clad butt. Very progressive, A+.I know Melina is obviously supposed to be a "fantasy woman" if you go with the most likely interpretation of the film's story (that it's all happening inside Quaid's head); the point I'm making is that she's not supposed to be some sort of improbably, stereotypically "hot" fantasy woman like you claimed earlier, which is a significant subversion of gender roles in Hollywood, because Recall actually has an in-film justification to portray her in that manner (because of the strong possibility that it's literally all just a male fantasy), and chooses to do the opposite instead, and even goes out of its way to highlight that subversion on multiple occasions (like how, even when she's posing as a "prostitute", and would have an excuse to show more skin, she's still dressed quite modestly anyway).

As for the points about how men are still mostly in charge in the film's future, and how the only woman in the agency has to pretend to be someone's wife, I think the former is ignoring just how much Melina contributes to the film (because, again, she saves the day just as much as her male counterpart does, if not even more so), while the whole point of the latter detail is that the agency is weaponizing female stereotypes in order to sneak an elite assassin into the home of one of their targets, who turns out to be a woman who gives a character played by one of cinema's biggest all-time "alpha male" actors some serious trouble in both armed and hand-to-hand combat, which is the opposite of a regressive gender role for her (and Melina, who is arguably the lead female character in the film, never has sex with Quaid, so that complaint doesn't make much sense either). Anyway, I'd also respond point about the supposed male gaze intentions of the shot of Lori's "spandex-clad butt", but this post is already going on a bit long for a non-review, so I'll address that later if I have the space.

[Fabulous]

Moonstruck (1987)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/2kLkUrbA653dhIKBgtYYDuB5uZl.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/MGwN7wCW/phibes.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/056v2kx3/phibes2.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8160372 Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10406572

Double Feature - The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) / Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

It's been 50 years since the release of the very strange Abominable Dr. Phibes - a visually striking film, but somewhat dated these days in terms of humour and horror. Vincent Price is a little bit wasted, but all the same welcome, as the titular character - burned beyond recognition in a car accident, yet rendered more acceptable with plastic ears and nose. He talks (haltingly) with the aid of some contraption plugged into his neck (he eats and drinks that way as well.) Mostly he hovers around as mute as his assistant, frowning at the doctors he's exacting a revenge on. Those poor souls don't seem to have done much wrong, trying, and yet failing, to save his wife on the operating table. He dispatches them with imagination, re-staging the 10 plagues of Egypt.

Phibes literally goes to Egypt in the sequel, which isn't as subtle in it's humour as the first (which wasn't all that subtle to begin with.) He takes his wife with him, as he's certain she can be resurrected with the help of an ancient river of eternal life. What's missing in this one are the wonderful sets which made up Phibes' abode. He takes his mechanical musicians with him though, so it's not all bad. He has a nemesis this time - Darius Biederbeck (Robert Quarry). He needed one, because he killed nearly everyone in the first film. Darius has kept himself alive for centuries by drinking some kind of magical potion. It's all very campy, but at least it's aware that it is.

They're a little too comedic to be horror. Not quite comedic enough to be really hilarious. But they're colourful and really good looking films - especially the first. I found them (especially the second) to be a little too cartoonish. You almost expect an anvil to be dropped on one of the unsuspecting victims, and for that person to walk around as a head with two feet propped underneath. I found it hard to get into the spirit of all the tomfoolery.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes - 6/10
Dr. Phibes Rises Again - 4/10

[The Rodent]

https://www.joblo.com/assets/images/joblo/news/2021/03/mortal-kombat-2021-poster-group.jpg

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Finally had a pop at this...

Spoilers!

Better than the 1995 version... but in saying that, the trailer was better.

The word I'm looking for is... generic?

Standard modern day actioner.
There's a little backstory with a couple characters... and the movie plays out as a nod to fans when it comes to why things are the way they are, like the powers the characters have, and the various other realms of existence.
What I mean is: Nothing's actually explained.
If you know the games, you'll know the lore of the powers and realms. If you don't know the games, the movie will come across as a shoddy fantasy.
What's different with this movie though... it's a fan-service movie in some respects, but with a couple changes here and there from what the fans know, it's also not a fan-service movie.

It's like, with the unexplained elements, and yet the changes made... the movie wasn't quite sure if it wanted to be a fan-service, or be accessible to everyone.

And there's the other kicker... some of it is shoddy.
Some of the writing and acting is, well, poor.
At least with WS Anderson, he went for cheesy. Knowingly cheesy.

This version though, the bad stuff is just bad.
Wooden acting for about 40% of the acting that's involved, and little to no audience-character connections... and sadly, this is especially apparent with Cole, the main protagonist.
The main guy we're supposed to care about. He's a nobody. He's just, well, there. He exists.

They could have re-treaded Liu Kang's backstory tbh, kinda like remaking the 1995 movie... and if anything, the small backstory Kang does tell to Cole, actually sounded more interesting. I would have liked to have seen his story, certainly more than Cole's.

Remove Cole, have Liu Kang as the main guy again with the backstory they gave Kang, and this movie would have been far far better.

The other bad thing with this movie... is they went all out with the budget on some things, but not others.
Some of the scenes, especially scenes with Shang Tsung while he's in Outworld (another realm next to Earthrealm)... it appears they simply shot in an old quarry and digitally adjusted the colouring.
The background and set-pieces in Outworld, and the photography,, combined with the wooden acting/actors make these scenes look like something from the old Mortal Kombat Webseries.

Talking of Shang Tsung (and other characters)... played by Chin Han. Miscast.
No charisma at all.
And Raiden played by Tadonobu Asano, is also the same. Miscast and the character is underused.

It's that poorly designed in some places.

The good stuff...
The backstories for Sonya, Jax, Liu Kang are good... and the set-up for Scorpion and Sub Zero is really well done.
I feel Cole is just an excuse to be able to bring Scorpion into the movie but when Scorpion is on screen, the movie lights up with excitement.

Kano (Josh Lawson) is standout... even though he has 0 threat as an antagonist.
He basically gets his ass kicked several times, easily.
Lawson though steals the movie.

Fighting and action is what it's about... yet the trailer gives the wrong impression. I get the feeling there may well have been some editing or even reshoots at some point.
Actual action and fighting though is tip top, if short lived.

The rest of the characters and their characterisations... they're there... just not utilised or written well.
They're just, kinda, there.

All in all...
Dodgy acting and writing on some points... but some really good action and occasionally good acting and writing in other points.
Plus, it's gory too, doesn't hold back on what a Mortal Kombat movie should be in that respect.
Not sure if it's a fan-service or not...

It's a mixed movie, but worth watching: The good points do outweigh the bad... and it far outweighs WS Anderson's movie.

75%
4

(I rated WS Anderson's movie 65% at 3.5)

[Iroquois]

I love it when I see a review that, were it not for the positive rating at the end, I'd assume it was negative.

Big Trouble in Little China - 5

Better than Mortal Kombat '95, far better than Mortal Kombat '21

[chawhee]

Luca (2021)
https://d13ezvd6yrslxm.cloudfront.net/wp/wp-content/images/luca-poster-frontpage-700x300.jpg
3
I'm probably being a bit more harsh than I should, but amongst all the animation movies I could watch, this one felt a little lacking. The charm is certainly there, but the humor seemed to be completely absent from this one. It also seemed a bit predictable and confined...recommended but I doubt I'll ever watch it again.

[Wooley]

https://i.postimg.cc/MGwN7wCW/phibes.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/056v2kx3/phibes2.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8160372 Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10406572

Double Feature - The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) / Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

It's been 50 years since the release of the very strange Abominable Dr. Phibes - a visually striking film, but somewhat dated these days in terms of humour and horror. Vincent Price is a little bit wasted, but all the same welcome, as the titular character - burned beyond recognition in a car accident, yet rendered more acceptable with plastic ears and nose. He talks (haltingly) with the aid of some contraption plugged into his neck (he eats and drinks that way as well.) Mostly he hovers around as mute as his assistant, frowning at the doctors he's exacting a revenge on. Those poor souls don't seem to have done much wrong, trying, and yet failing, to save his wife on the operating table. He dispatches them with imagination, re-staging the 10 plagues of Egypt.

Phibes literally goes to Egypt in the sequel, which isn't as subtle in it's humour as the first (which wasn't all that subtle to begin with.) He takes his wife with him, as he's certain she can be resurrected with the help of an ancient river of eternal life. What's missing in this one are the wonderful sets which made up Phibes' abode. He takes his mechanical musicians with him though, so it's not all bad. He has a nemesis this time - Darius Biederbeck (Robert Quarry). He needed one, because he killed nearly everyone in the first film. Darius has kept himself alive for centuries by drinking some kind of magical potion. It's all very campy, but at least it's aware that it is.

They're a little too comedic to be horror. Not quite comedic enough to be really hilarious. But they're colourful and really good looking films - especially the first. I found them (especially the second) to be a little too cartoonish. You almost expect an anvil to be dropped on one of the unsuspecting victims, and for that person to walk around as a head with two feet propped underneath. I found it hard to get into the spirit of all the tomfoolery.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes - 6/10
Dr. Phibes Rises Again - 4/10

I'm a big fan of ADP, I think it hits a perfect note of quirky and bizarre and gorgeous and fun.
I never saw the second one because I thought the first one was perfect.

[Rockatansky]

I'm a big fan of ADP, I think it hits a perfect note of quirky and bizarre and gorgeous and fun.
I never saw the second one because I thought the first one was perfect.

The second one is quite a bit more formulaic but still fun. Hard to see you not digging it at least a little.


It's funny, I remember watching the first one and thinking it had strong shades of Lucifer Rising, only to realize it came out a year earlier. Did Fuest influence Anger? Who's to say? (I'm sure somebody smarter can explain the influences, but it's fun to note the similarities. )

[Mr Minio]

Decided to go on some binges!!!

Hongkong binge:

無味神探 [Loving You] (1995) - 2 - my 40-odd Johnnie To and a pretty entertaining film!
流金歲月 [Last Romance] (1988) - 0.5 - a typical slightly-annoying normie meloromance but Maggie Cheung is like 11/10 in this, look:

https://i.imgur.com/s0T0dqo.png
https://i.imgur.com/Nwr3hjC.png
https://i.imgur.com/sJ9FPU9.png
https://i.imgur.com/xyNRd41.png
https://i.imgur.com/PTanArF.png

紅場飛龍 [The Dragon from Russia] (1990) - 2 - as incoherent as Godfrey Ho films but Maggie Cheung is so cute and SPEAKS RUSSIAN!!!
降頭 [Gong Tau: Oriental Black Magic] (2007) - 1 - nice modern CAT III but far from the best in the "genre"
城市女獵人 [Madam City Hunter] (1993) - 2 - amazing fun, Cynthia Khan is <3 but Anthony Wong is <3 <3 <3


Preston Sturges binge:

The dude makes some very entertaining and occasionally pretty funny films. High-quality entertainment!

Christmas in July (1940) - 2
The Great McGinty (1940) - 2
The Palm Beach Story (1942) - 2
Unfaithfully Yours (1948) - 2
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) - 2
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) - 1

John Ford binge:

Tobacco Road (1941) - 1 - zany but fun
The Hurricane (1937) - 2 - amazing visuals
Sergeant Rutledge (1960) - 2 - my fav color Ford so far
The Horse Soldiers (1959) - 1 - nice but forgettable
Donovan's Reef (1963) - 0.5 - nice church scene but that's it

Other:

https://i.imgur.com/mE4JvEX.png

Kotoko (2011) - 3 - one of the most distressing films I've seen - wasn't ready for that!
偶然と想像 [Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy] (2021) - 3.5 - Hamaguchi's comeback and what a beautiful film; he's a genius!
山河故人 [Mountains May Depart] (2015) - 2 - about the passing and geometry of time, changes taking place in the country and society, and about the intergenerational lack of understanding; the 3rd act is a typical immigration movie with Sylvia

[Tramuzgan]

Stranger than Fiction (2006) - 7,5/10

I wanted to see if the 2000s had any comedy on par with The Truman Show, that delivered on both the laughs and the story, and while this wasn't it, it was by and large enjoyable. It left good first impressions, too. The first 20 minutes were really snappily written and visually interesting.

[Crowkiller]

Within (2016) :up: 6/10

The right kind of horror fan will be able to appreciate this.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWFiODQ3OWItMDcyNS00ZDI0LWE5YTEtNmYzYzIzZTUzZmNkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI4MzE4MDU@._V1_.jpg

[StuSmallz]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefilmyap.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FCabaret-inside.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Cabaret, 1972

Cambridge scholar Brian (Michael York) arrives in 1931 Berlin and quickly strikes up a friendship with quirky cabaret star Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli). The two of them attempt to navigate love, sex, and friendship, as the city around them transforms under the rise of the Nazi party.

This is one of those films that I've been meaning to get around to for ages, and I'm not tremendously familiar with Minnelli (outside of her work on Arrested Development and, um, this sketch that I watch way too much).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVvxOwxuk_w

In any event, I really enjoyed it and in particular the way that the musical numbers were filmed. The camera alternates between an audience point of view, an over-the-shoulder view from the performers, and a sense of being inside one of the dance numbers. I also enjoyed the song and dance numbers themselves, with their mix of highbrow and lowbrow elements and the sense of confidence and community among the performers. The dynamic of having the MC (Joel Grey) serve as this interesting mix of performer ("one of the girls") and as the lone male audience surrogate was neat.

And the anchor of the performances serves as an intriguing background to what is happening in the city at large. The performers strut and dance and sing, even as fascism is creeping up on the country. We get a musical interlude outside of the cabaret, and it is a performance of a chilling patriotic song ("Tomorrow belongs to us") that rouses the adults and even the children. Sometimes it is strange to look at entertainment--especially comedies or other "light" stuff--that was produced during intense global upheaval. In this film, the performers go on doing their thing despite the growing tide of change. And the fact that the cabaret itself is home to many people who would be harmed under fascist rule (the gay MC, a transgender performer) creates a neat tension. How long will this cabaret and its performers hold out? The chilling final shot of the film--in which the distorted reflections of Nazi officers are seen in an on-stage mirror--adds an ominous note.

Surprisingly, the least interesting or compelling part of the film for me was the central story between Brian and Sally. And don't get me wrong, Sally's bold-as-brass personality and the curious relationship that develops between her and Brian is a lot of fun. There is something really appealing about the intersection between her larger than life antics pushing up against his more reserved personality. It's also really nice to see Brian's matter of fact bisexuality just be a normal part of the plot. Sally herself is in this weird carpe diem downward spiral as she waits to break into something bigger. There is certainly something magnetic about Minnelli's Sally, especially when she is performing. I just found that the various romantic plots and squabbles lost my interest as the film went on.

Glad I finally checked this one out!

4Yeah, that's a good one, and very interesting to look at as a deconstruction of the Musical genre as a whole, as you can see in my post (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2153895#post2153895) on the topic, if you're interested.


/shamelessself-promotion

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/Limehouse-golem-poster.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55597465

The Limehouse Golem - (2016)

Music-hall star Elizabeth Cree (Olivia Cooke) is in prison, suspected of poisoning her husband John - but Inspector John Kildare (Bill Nighy) suspects that John was the much feared 'Limehouse Golem' killer and strenuously tries to solve the case before poor Lizzy meets the wrong end of the hangman's noose. Based on a novel by Peter Ackroyd, this story has obvious parallels to Jack the Ripper's crimes, which were committed in London around the same time. Not a really bad movie, but now that I hear Alan Rickman was supposed to be Kildare I'm left to lament what might have been...

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Just_Mercy_Official_Poster.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62555909

Just Mercy - (2019)

True story about the Equal Justice Initiative and specifically the wrongful conviction of Walter McMillian, who was sentenced to death despite a jury recommendation of life imprisonment. He was convicted on the flimsiest evidence imaginable, and despite the mountain of evidence pointing to his innocence, and the recantation of the coerced testimony of the star witness, his death sentence is confirmed over and over again. Bryan Stevenson arrives in Alabama hoping to help those who have gone through a justice system which is anything but just, and is subjected to strip searches, police harassment, bomb threats and corrupt judges.

This will make your blood boil, but as always there is some semblance of hope offered. The Equal Justice Initiative looked destined to fail as it was set up in 1989, but has since made significant headway by looking into capital cases and softening archaic 'life without parole' sentences for juveniles. It all makes for a compelling and dramatic narrative anchored by fine performances from Michael B. Jordon and Jamie Foxx.

7/10

[LChimp]

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/Hd1151923223f4c53812f633e9c7ada0cu/Art-A-Quiet-Place-Part-II-2020-Movie-Emily-Blunt-Horror-40-24x36-14x21-Fabric-Silk.jpg_Q90.jpg_.webp

A bit more action oriented than the first one, but I kinda liked it. It also ends pretty much identical to the previous one.

[Gideon58]

https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/04/NINTCHDBPICT000647205823.jpg




2.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzYxYzZiMjUtYTc3Zi00YzYzLWIyZDgtNDRkNjMwNGVjNWE5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDk3NzU2MTQ@._V1_.jpg



2.5

[mark f]

The Unholy (Evan Spiliotopoulos, 2021) 2 5/10
How I Became a Super Hero (Douglas Attal, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
So Sad About Gloria (Harry Thomason, 1973) 2 5/10
Awaken (Tom Löwe, 2018) 3 6.5/10
https://w0.peakpx.com/wallpaper/393/350/HD-wallpaper-awaken-movie-2018-awaken-movies-2018-movies.jpg
Not all that different from the Qatsi trilogy but well worth watching and listening to.
Let's Be Evil (Martin Owen, 2016) 2+ 5/10
The Halt (Lav Diaz, 2019) 2.5 6/10
Bees Make Honey (Jack Eve, 2017) 2+ 5/10
Sicilian Ghost Story (Fabio Grassadonia & Antonio Piazza, 2017) 2.5 6/10
https://www.keaton.eu/images/films/sicilian_ghost_story/gallery/SicilianGhostStory_Giulia_Parlato_6.jpg
Love story (between Julia Jedlikowska & Gaetano Fernandez) and torturous crime saga which stretches the boundaries of time and space.
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (Leigh Janiak, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Nightbeast (Don Dohler, 1982) 1.5+ 4.5/10
The God Committee (Austin Stark, 2021) 2.5 5.5/10
The Sparks Brothers (Edgar Wright, 2021) 3.5 7/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/bbff0cfc6a6a236d919e871578548b99/c3b562e3b57c1879-a3/s540x810/4761d2733d86f432434137957cbc9c94d4f00740.gifv
Solid, funny exploration of the Mael Bros. 55+ year musical career from one of their biggest fans.
Black Widow (Cate Shortland, 2021) 3 6.5/10
Remember My Name (Alan Rudolph, 1978) 2 5/10
Blood Mania (Robert Vincent O'Neil, 1970) 1.5 4/10
Mind Game (Masaaki Yuasa & Kôji Morimoto, 2004) 3+ 6.5/10
https://i.imgur.com/l8DDzb2.gif
Surreal animation takes the characters and viewers on a real mind game.
Settlers (Wyatt Rockefeller, 2021) 1.5+ 4.5/10
Moffie (Oliver Hermanus, 2019) 2.5 6/10
Dream No Evil (John Hayes, 1970) 1.5+ 4.5/10
Muscle Shoals (Greg 'Freddy' Camalier, 2013) 3.5 7/10
https://www.atlanticrecords.com/sites/g/files/g2000003466/f/styles/photo_detail_large/public/201312/film-still-11.jpg?itok=1QjekbPc
The Muscle Shoals [Alabama] sound was highlighted in 1000s of records and 100s of artists, most of which music enthusiasts know and love. It also acknowledges the history of racism in the Deep South.

[John-Connor]

Black Widow 2021
79359
3+

Mortal Kombat 2021
79358
3+

The Tomorrow War 2021
79357
2.5

[Insane]

7/10

The Nun (2018)



Beautiful shots of the Romanian countryside, too many predictable jump scares, some corny dialogue, and a few nods to the classic horror movies from Universal and Hammer.



I don't think I'll watch it again, but it was worth watching the first time.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDk0YmYwZDAtNGMzNi00YWY1LThhOTctNWRiMGY2YzZmMjNiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


3.5

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/57/The_Silencing_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=64373338

The Silencing - (2020)

meh

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5d/Hide_and_Seek_2005_movie.jpg
By [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1190548

Hide and Seek - (2005)

Bleergh!

3/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Synchronic_poster.jpeg
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - Can be obtained from film’s distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65330939

Synchronic - (2019)

Not a bad entry into the whole time travel genre. Two paramedics come across strange victims of what appear to be drug overdoses. One young man has been stabbed through the chest. Another burned to death with a doorknob laying near. Another a snake bite victim in a hotel room. All of these people have been taking 'Synchronic' - a new designer drug that has led to disappearances and bizarre appearances. When the teenager of one of the paramedics goes missing after taking it, the other starts taking the drug and going on mind-bending adventures in an attempt to find her.

I wasn't expecting too much going in, and I'm resigned these days to CGI effects, but overall I'm a real sucker for time travel films and this one has elements of horror. It also has an interesting parallel with drug users, addicts, designer drugs and the way they play with people's lives. I wouldn't say it comes to any satisfying conclusion with regards to those topics, but it made the film more interesting nevertheless.

6/10

https://i.postimg.cc/8zL2jYbf/alive.jpg

Alive - (2018)

He he he he he. Ahhhhh. We have two young victims who don't know who they are, or where they are - and one very odd tormentor. He claims to be a doctor, and is fairly kind to them at first, but he has them strapped to hospital gurneys and appears to be conducting medical experiments on them. He's also horribly, horribly insane. If you're hard up for good horror films - then this isn't really a good horror film, but it's an enjoyable ride nonetheless. Nasty at times (which I like) and not the 'torture porn' you'd be expecting after it's worryingly bloody beginning. Angus Macfadyen, who I quite liked in The Lost City of Z gets to really chew the scenery as a manic who adores his victims as if they were pets, but is still harsh when they won't play along. It sure ain't Tokyo Story - but it's still fun nonetheless.

5/10

[tatmmw2]

Luca

No need for a poster honestly, since I just changed my avatar into a gif of the movie

4

It's a really high 8/10 for me, I just watched it and I really liked it. The animation is beautiful, the transformation is always so amusing to watch, the colors are wonderful! Aesthetically it's really good!

The story was pretty interesting and made it fun to watch, as I kept watching I started thinking: "Hmm, they are really close...I wonder since the movie is new, if it means that there's a chance that it can feature gay mcs" Like I thought that in this time and age it wouldn't be weird, of course that wasn't the case and I wouldn't care either way honestly. But later on I googled about it and apparently many LGTB people thought the two boys were gay and that it was all a huge metaphor somehow...and when the director clarified they weren't...let's just say they were kind of pissed lmao, what a stupid reason to get angry at.

That whole subject aside, I liked the characters a lot! The dad was hilarious, really nice touch that he was handicap since birth (he is missing his right arm). The villain might be the weakest thing...but then again, no need to make the villain likeable I suppose. I loved the whole Italian theme as an Italian descendent myself, I'm sure my grandad would love this movie...well expect the part where I've no idea if he would like an animated film.

The pasta, the italian phrases...the ****ing names omg, I loved the italian names, Luca, Antonio, Giulia (first time I see this kind of spelling variation) Bruno lmao...then them saying "Santa Mozzarella" "holy Ricotta" omfg.

In my opinion this just proves that Disney can still make cool movies, specially with the resources they have to make this beautiful animation! My only regret is not watching it on 4k.

Edit: Oh and i forgot to mention I recently watched Wish Dragon...no idea if it's disney or not...doubt it. I thought it was ok but nothing too fancy, the designs were cool but the animation didn't feel too over the top to me (they have a genie, the amount of possibilities is endless with that) A really cool chinese oriented movie honestly. At the start of this movie I thought that if Wish Dragon is an Aladdin movie, then Luca is a Little Mermaid movie

[pahaK]

A quick update for the last two weeks or so...

Xtreme (2021)
2.5
A Spanish action loaning from John Wick and a multitude of Far Eastern films. Some OK fights, but the budget limitations are obvious at times. Suffers also from boring cliches and not very likable characters. OK if forgettable.

--
Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021)
2.5
Better than I expected. Never heard of the books before, but it feels obvious they're YA. The whole Shadyside and Sunnydale business felt terribly forced (I guess the gay aspect is forced too, but the characters worked well enough). It didn't feel like the 90s, though, and the use of music was a poor attempt to enforce a poorly made illusion. Pretty entertaining still, and not that far from being 3 stars.

--
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)
2.5
Even with Sadie Sink, it's a little worse than the first film. It manages the period better, but the majority of the characters are either plain boring or rehashes of part one. I guess it's safe to say that I'll watch the last film too.

--
Black Widow (2021)
2
The first act (and some - all the way up to the prison escape) is quite good and I was like "this is a top-tier MCU". Sadly it dives pretty deep from there (up to a point of facepalming the multiracial entourage of women liberated from under the yoke of patriarchy). How about just telling a story of Nat and Yelena, eh?

--
Double Team (1997)
1.5
I'd seen this in a theater back in the day but remembered nothing. I guess it's a bold thing to make a film this stupid, but I'm afraid I actually killed some of my brain cells during those 90 minutes. The whole production must have been on drugs.

[Mr Minio]

Nightbeast (Don Dohler, 1982) 1.5+ 4.5/10 Cult rating 5?

[LChimp]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ExVTquzWgAExEdO?format=jpg

Two thumbs up!

[Wooley]

A quick update for the last two weeks or so...

--
Black Widow (2021)
2
The first act (and some - all the way up to the prison escape) is quite good and I was like "this is a top-tier MCU". Sadly it dives pretty deep from there (up to a point of facepalming the multiracial entourage of women liberated from under the yoke of patriarchy). How about just telling a story of Nat and Yelena, eh?

--


No ****. That was a painful eye-roll, especially with the whole "What do we do now?" "Oh, you just start making all your own decisions", or whatever the hell. Movie ends up being a real letdown, not just for the titular character but for the MCU in general.

[kgaard]

Cult rating 5?

Some films are beyond mere ratings.

[Raven73]

Black Widow
7/10.
Meh. The best part of the movie is the banter between Romanoff and her "family".
https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/black-widow-2021/large_black-widow-poster.jpeg

[John W Constantine]

Double Team (1997)
1.5
I'd seen this in a theater back in the day but remembered nothing. I guess it's a bold thing to make a film this stupid, but I'm afraid I actually killed some of my brain cells during those 90 minutes. The whole production must have been on drugs.

The first part of it I found not good but once Rodman gets involved in the second half I found it more entertaining than it probably has any right to be. Not a masterpiece but I'd put it In the Van Damme cannon for a marathon.

[Iroquois]

Werewolves Within - 2.5

Another year, another videogame movie that's touted as the best-reviewed one that will "break the curse" and then I finally get around to it and it's still not as fun as a good percentage of the more notoriously reviled works in the genre.

[Torgo]

The Astrologer - 2

This is a lean and low budget would-be occult/sci-fi thriller with a story featuring Zodiac signs, the second coming of Christ, Tarot cards, cults; in short, almost every section of your local New Age bookshop. I say "would-be" because despite the potential in these subjects, it's a mostly dull affair. The acting is flat, most of the sets resemble corporate offices and there is much more talk than action. While the dialogue is well-written and thought-provoking, this is a movie and not a book. Granted, this is James Glickenhaus's (Shakedown, McBain, etc.) first movie and he probably had peanuts for a budget, but given what the directors of similarly low budget movies like Cube, Pi and Primer accomplished, this should not give him a pass. It's not a total loss: the (too few) scenes involving the Indian cult deliver what we should have seen more of, Monica Tidwell provides much-needed warmth, charm (and eye candy) and Brad Fiedel's (The Terminator) ominous score does as much as it can to overcome the overall dullness of the presentation. Regardless, I watched this on Tubi, and when you're more interested in what the next ad will be than what happens next in the movie, there's a problem.

It looks like there's another movie with the same title from the same year directed by Craig Denney. I guess I should have watched that one instead.

[Thief]

HIGH NOON
(1952, Zinnemann)
Freebie

http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/high-noon-1952-gary-cooper-alone-review.jpg


"People gotta talk themselves into law and order before they do anything about it. Maybe because down deep they don't care. They just don't care."



High Noon follows Will Kane (Gary Cooper), a marshal at a small town who is about to retire and move to another town after marrying Amy (Grace Kelly). But things change when he finds out that Frank Miller, a ruthless outlaw with a vendetta against him has just been released and is set to arrive on the noon train.

Unlike other westerns, High Noon is a more introspective film as it follows Kane's unsuccessful attempts to recruit a posse to aid him against Miller, while also questioning his own decisions from the past and his current decision to stay and fight. It is in this process that his predecessor, Martin (Lon Chaney) tells him the above quote. Instead of bringing words of comfort and inspiration, he lays it all bluntly: people just don't care.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220765#post2220765) and on the PR HOF4 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220766#post2220766).

[Thief]

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
(2020, Sorkin)
A film with the number 7 (Seven, Seventh, etc.) in its title

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/10/16/arts/16trial1/merlin_177227988_de81c935-ade5-46bf-80b2-094c38758f25-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg


"We're not goin' to jail because of what we did, we're goin' to jail because of who we are!"



In 1968, eight anti-Vietnam War activists were arrested for allegedly starting a riot during the Democratic National Convention. Their trial was marred from the beginning by bias, unethical behavior, discrimination, and racism, primarily at the hands of Judge Julius Hoffman. That is part of the reason why one of the accused, Abbie Hoffman (no relation to the judge), argues the above.

The Trial of the Chicago 7, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, more or less drops us as the trial begins with little knowledge of how or why the riot began, which kinda puts us in the role of the "jury". As the trial unfolds, little snippets are revealed and we get to know the motivations of the characters; most notably Abbie (Sacha Baron Cohen), from the "Yippies" and Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), from the Students for a Democratic Society, who frequently clash as far as their methods go.

I'll say that there are many worthy aspects to this film, but if I had to give one kudos, I would probably give it to the character of Judge Julius Hoffman. From the portrayal by Frank Langella to Sorkin's dialogue, everything contributes to create a truly despicable character and an air of anger, not only against him but against the system. This is worsened by reading real accounts of Hoffman's career and how he led the case. Like Abbie said, it's not what they did, but who they are.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220790#post2220790)

[mark f]

Cult rating 5?
I was thinking more like 3.5 or 4 so maybe 7.5/10. There's a lot of competition on this post.

[Stirchley]

The Muscle Shoals [Alabama] sound was highlighted in 1000s of records and 100s of artists, most of which music enthusiasts know and love. It also acknowledges the history of racism in the Deep South.

Brilliant documentary. Loved it.

[Gideon58]

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
(2020, Sorkin)
A film with the number 7 (Seven, Seventh, etc.) in its title

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/10/16/arts/16trial1/merlin_177227988_de81c935-ade5-46bf-80b2-094c38758f25-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg




In 1968, eight anti-Vietnam War activists were arrested for allegedly starting a riot during the Democratic National Convention. Their trial was marred from the beginning by bias, unethical behavior, discrimination, and racism, primarily at the hands of Judge Julius Hoffman. That is part of the reason why one of the accused, Abbie Hoffman (no relation to the judge), argues the above.

The Trial of the Chicago 7, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, more or less drops us as the trial begins with little knowledge of how or why the riot began, which kinda puts us in the role of the "jury". As the trial unfolds, little snippets are revealed and we get to know the motivations of the characters; most notably Abbie (Sacha Baron Cohen), from the "Yippies" and Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), from the Students for a Democratic Society, who frequently clash as far as their methods go.

I'll say that there are many worthy aspects to this film, but if I had to give one kudos, I would probably give it to the character of Judge Julius Hoffman. From the portrayal by Frank Langella to Sorkin's dialogue, everything contributes to create a truly despicable character and an air of anger, not only against him but against the system. This is worsened by reading real accounts of Hoffman's career and how he led the case. Like Abbie said, it's not what they did, but who they are.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220790#post2220790)

I thought this film was brilliant and the best film of 2020. I was dumbfounded when it didn't win a single Oscar. Loved that you mentioned Frank Langella...masterful performance.

[Gideon58]

https://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/cabaret-blu-ray.jpg


Umpteenth Re-watch...Read reviews here from a couple of people who discovered this movie for the first time recently which motivated a re-watch. This instant classic is just as dazzling as it was when it hit theaters almost 50 years ago. Many were shocked when Fosse took Best Director over Francis Ford Coppola, but this film is a directing textbook...with a strong assist from Oscar winning film editor David Bretherton, Fosse provides myriad challenges to the art and to people who love and hate musicals. The creation of two separate worlds...Nazi Berlin during WWI and this dingy little nightclub are seamless. The film's challenging of sexual mores and imagery still fascinates...I'm still convinced that at least two of the Kit Kat Girls and at least three members of the band are played by males. The "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" scene still gives me chills and the credit for that has to go to Fosse. It's a little sad that Minnelli's Oscar-winning performance was the zenith of her career and it did a steady decline after that, but she did win the Oscar that mother Judy Garland never did. This would also be my vote for best translation of a stage musical to the screen, possibly improving on the stage show. 5

[John-Connor]

Space Sweepers 2021 ‘승리호’ Jo Sung-hee
79377
3.5

[Thursday Next]

Of Love and Shadows (1994)

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w500_and_h282_face/uMbWBCbBpbJhs5eLNhWS4PegtPr.jpg

I've been wanting to see this film for decades and finally saw it. I loved the book, but was never allowed to rent the video as a teen (because it was 18 rated). It's not the finest example of film making in the world, a little uneven, some of the acting dubious and the music was annoying. Antonio Banderas was perfectly cast as Francisco though and I enjoyed watching it.

3

[GulfportDoc]

79385
Audrey (2020)

This documentary really did not break any new ground, nor were any of its facets particularly unique. However simply showing video of Audrey Hepburn in selected film roles, in both private and news footage, and hearing her narration gleaned from taped interviews, are enough to hold the viewer enthralled during its 100 minute run time.


Hepburn was one of the very greatest actresses and personalities of the 20th Century. Her large almond shaped eyes, balletic frame, and coquettish mouth combined to make her irresistibly cute-- in obvious contrast to the busty, voluptuous starlets of her era. But it was her delicate but commanding gentleness that permeated every glance, every movement, every sentence, every role that she took, that made her so incredibly distinctive.

Audrey Hepburn’s fans will not be treated to many new revelations about her life, roles, and loves; but to have her whole life encapsulated in a tender package is what makes the biography so appealing. At the height of her career Hepburn slowed way down her film work, appearing only occasionally in films such as Robin And Marian (1976) with Sean Connery, and Peter Bogdanovich’s They All Laughed (1981). For 20 years she spent time nurturing her own children as well as children of the world via UNICEF. Sadly she died at aged 63 of a rare form of abdominal cancer. She was the last great star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and this documentary showcases her very nicely.

Doc’s rating: 7/10


[Available on Netflix subscription and various streaming services.]

[John-Connor]

NO SUDDEN MOVE 2021 Steven Soderbergh
79386
1h 55m | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Writer: Ed Solomon
Cast: Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Ray Liotta, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, Kieran Culkin, Amy Seimetz, Julia Fox, Bill Duke

3.5

[Gideon58]

No Sudden Move 2021 Steven Soderbergh

79386

Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Ray Liotta, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, Kieran Culkin, Amy Seimetz, Julia Fox, Bill Duke

3.5+


Liked this movie...I'll watch Don Cheadle do anything...gave it the same rating you did.

[Gideon58]

79385
Audrey (2020)

This documentary really did not break any new ground, nor were any of its facets particularly unique. However simply showing video of Audrey Hepburn in selected film roles, in both private and news footage, and hearing her narration gleaned from taped interviews, are enough to hold the viewer enthralled during its 100 minute run time.


Hepburn was one of the very greatest actresses and personalities of the 20th Century. Her large almond shaped eyes, balletic frame, and coquettish mouth combined to make her irresistibly cute-- in obvious contrast to the busty, voluptuous starlets of her era. But it was her delicate but commanding gentleness that permeated every glance, every movement, every sentence, every role that she took, that made her so incredibly distinctive.

Audrey Hepburn’s fans will not be treated to many new revelations about her life, roles, and loves; but to have her whole life encapsulated in a tender package is what makes the biography so appealing. At the height of her career Hepburn slowed way down her film work, appearing only occasionally in films such as Robin And Marian (1976) with Sean Connery, and Peter Bogdanovich’s They All Laughed (1981). For 20 years she spent time nurturing her own children as well as children of the world via UNICEF. Sadly she died at aged 63 of a rare form of abdominal cancer. She was the last great star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and this documentary showcases her very nicely.

Doc’s rating: 7/10


[Available on Netflix subscription and various streaming services.]

I loved this documentary...rated it 4 if memory serves

[xSookieStackhouse]

5because my favs Karen Gillan (MCU) and Angela Bassett (9-1-1,American Horror Story ) is in it. amazing chick flick :) <3 https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTRjNTkyNTMtYmRlYi00MDdiLWFmMzktOGE2MjU2YzMzYTc2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMjM2NDc2._V1_.jpg

[LChimp]

https://d13ezvd6yrslxm.cloudfront.net/wp/wp-content/images/the-tomorrow-war-700x933.jpeg

It had it's flaws, but was going somewhat smoothly until the third act.... boy was it bad. I chose this poster on purpose.

[xSookieStackhouse]

https://d13ezvd6yrslxm.cloudfront.net/wp/wp-content/images/the-tomorrow-war-700x933.jpeg

It had it's flaws, but was going somewhat smoothly until the third act.... boy was it bad. I chose this poster on purpose.

is it good?

[ScarletLion]

my favs Karen Gillan

Have you seen 'All Creatures Here Below' ?

[Wooley]

HIGH NOON
(1952, Zinnemann)
Freebie

http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/high-noon-1952-gary-cooper-alone-review.jpg




High Noon follows Will Kane (Gary Cooper), a marshal at a small town who is about to retire and move to another town after marrying Amy (Grace Kelly). But things change when he finds out that Frank Miller, a ruthless outlaw with a vendetta against him has just been released and is set to arrive on the noon train.

Unlike other westerns, High Noon is a more introspective film as it follows Kane's unsuccessful attempts to recruit a posse to aid him against Miller, while also questioning his own decisions from the past and his current decision to stay and fight. It is in this process that his predecessor, Martin (Lon Chaney) tells him the above quote. Instead of bringing words of comfort and inspiration, he lays it all bluntly: people just don't care.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220765#post2220765) and on the PR HOF4 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2220766#post2220766).

I was really impressed by this film (another extensive write-up I did that was lost in the Corri ending).
When I went back and looked at a number of the technical things on this film, particularly with the photography, and the real-time idea that runs through it, along with a much more morally complex conceit than I expected and some great acting from Peck, Grace Kelly, and Katy Jurado (I also liked Lloyd Bridges), I felt that this movie deserved it's place among the Great Films.

[Thief]

I was really impressed by this film (another extensive write-up I did that was lost in the Corri ending).
When I went back and looked at a number of the technical things on this film, particularly with the photography, and the real-time idea that runs through it, along with a much more morally complex conceit than I expected and some great acting from Peck, Grace Kelly, and Katy Jurado (I also liked Lloyd Bridges), I felt that this movie deserved it's place among the Great Films.

I was checking on Letterboxd and according to their broad classification of "westerns", this one ranks very highly for me. Within my Top 10, out of 38 logged "westerns".

[Wooley]

5because my favs Karen Gillan (MCU) and Angela Bassett (9-1-1,American Horror Story ) is in it. amazing chick flick :) <3 https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTRjNTkyNTMtYmRlYi00MDdiLWFmMzktOGE2MjU2YzMzYTc2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMjM2NDc2._V1_.jpg
I'm definitely looking forward to this. Amy Pond is the best companion, yo!

[Mr Minio]

Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen (2020) - 1

https://i.imgur.com/D6IkWPV.png

Trans people talk about their experiences as juxtaposed to pop culture. The film largely talks about how movies have depicted transgender people throughout time and how this led to certain stereotypes and stigmas. While some examples do not seem overly offensive to my cis-self, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective feels very cringy even to me. But let's face it: it's Ace Ventura, so it would be cringy even if it had no transphobic elements in it.

Essentially, it all boils down to: How much do depictions in films affect the viewer? This issue of depiction is not just about transgender people, obviously, but also about violent sex, treatment of women, rape, use of drugs, and a myriad of other things. And the answer is non-binary and a very hard one to measure. Mainly because these things can affect us both consciously and subconsciously. But we've (you've) already said a lot about this on MoFo. I just wonder if these few films that conflate transgender people with a vomit reaction were enough to elicit any big change in the public consciousness.

But the real point of this documentary is to present personal experiences and thoughts of a selected group of transgender people and the film succeeds as far as this intent goes. I don't agree with 100% of what is being said here, though. Unless I misunderstood, it is implied that a transgender person is not obliged to tell their prospective sexual partner about some important details concerning their body prior to the intercourse because that would mean the other person is more important than the transgender person.

While it's slightly rude to ask questions about genitalia on a talk show, I believe it's a transgender person's responsibility to inform their prospective sexual partner about what they can find down there. I understand that we all have this romantic notion that we will be loved and accepted no matter what, but it's not always true. When given more time, the prospective SO has more time to think it over and potentially accept the transgender person. Conversely, when the reveal happens the very moment a transgender person faces their partner stark naked, the partner is prone to react on impulse, and while violence can never be justified, surprise, shock, and escape are all understandable reactions.

I'm also not sold on the idea that non-transgender people playing transgender people is so abhorrent. They say that this creates an idea that transgender people are men just masquerading as women who slip back into their man clothes and looks after they're done acting. But hey, that's exactly what it is - acting. I'm not against the idea of transgender people playing transgender roles. I'm not against people with disabilities playing people with disabilities. But a great actor without disabilities can play a person with disabilities and excel at it, showing great acting skills. This is not ableism. Ideally, filmmakers should be able to make films in which transgender people play any role, including films that never explicitly talk about any transgender topics. Such standardization would shift the focus from 'films about transgender people' to 'films with transgender people', which in my opinion would end up much more empowering to the community. Films about transgender representation and hardships can be made along the way, too, of course.

I loved the point about how we all like seeing our mirror image on the screen and how a transgender person who watches a film with a trans character can find out they're not the only transgender person in the world, feel better, feel represented, etc. I love watching films that fit my personality, worldview, and self, too, so I deeply resonated with this point. I know it's a different thing, but, incidentally, I kinda like the fact not many films represent me as well because it makes them a little bit more special. Incidentally, again, people with mental disabilities are often shown in a very condescending, wrong way, too. I have friends with depression, and that experience makes most representations of depression in film silly. I don't have any transgender friends, though.

The film could use more examples of positive representation. It had some very short clips of films with fair representation, but the film is mostly about the bad representation and lots of complaining.

I think my main takeaway (which isn't really a takeaway from this film but something I've thought about for a long time now) is that our experiences are shaped by a plethora of impulses that come to us from all around. Film is just one of these impulses, and sometimes it's hard to pinpoint how strong it is. Nowadays film is hardly the only impulse. We also have TV, different websites, and places of conversation on the web. A film is just 2 hours a week for an average Joe. So if that average Joe is an asshowl, maybe it's not the films they watched but the way the Joe was brought up, their company, the websites they visit. Because, really, if you're a bitch to some people, you're just a bitch. If you enjoy watching films about people being bitch to other people, you're just a jaded cinephile.

[Marco]

Beast (2017)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e4/Beast_%282017_film%29.png
Atmospheric British psychological thriller. a young and fragile lady on the Isle of Jersey seems brow-beaten by her family and longs for freedom. This seems to come in the shape of Pascal, a local man with a bad reputation and rough ways. This puts her at odds with her family and, an admirer, a local police detective. Enjoyed this and all the acting was spot-on.

Strong 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/JTEEF0/bambi-thumper-bambi-1942-JTEEF0.jpg



4

[Gideon58]

Goon (2012) - My buddy was praising it so I had to check it out. I believe this was one of Seann Williams Scott best performances. He had to play it low key and pulled it off well. I know next too nothing about Hockey, and don't really care for it, but learned a few things about it. If you have ever been on a team sport the messages it is trying to translate are pretty relevant across all team sports. It was very violent and pretty funny at times, but was surprised at how much heart it had. Anyways, I really enjoyed it.

I'd give it a strong 7.5/10...depends on your taste whether or not you'll like it.

I didn't know anyone else had seen this film but me...you seemed to have liked it a little more than I did, but Seann William Scott was very good.

[Dr. Badvibes]

https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2021/07/13/ign-quiet-place-part2-review-blogroll-1620522573962-1626142373531.jpeg

A Quiet Place, Part II - ★★☆☆☆
- John Krasinsky, 2021 -
-------------------------------------------

I was kind of looking forward to this after having the enjoyed the refreshing (albeit somewhat slight) original. Unfortunately, it ended up being a massive disappointment. The meager script, when it isn't attempting to retreat the best beats of the the first film, does absolutely nothing to advance the story, characters or even basic world building, and instead chooses to present us with endless jump scares and another one of the classic staples of horror: writer-induced stupidity. Every decision made by the characters is illogically and transparently contrived to keep the characters moving or to generate unearned tension. It might just be the most brain dead horror movie I've seen all year.

It's a shame, because the opening scene, which features Krasinsky's character from the first movie, is actually pretty good. He is definitely a skilled director with a keen eye for drama in the midst of mayhem. His vision and guiding hand definitely result in something that is well-shot, proficiently crafted and beautifully (and subtly) scored during the best of moments. You can tell he enjoys playing around with shot composition and audio mixing to get the most out the film's inherently captivating (yet fatally stupid) core gimmick. He just needs to be fired as a writer, though. Or at least given the chance to learn a thing or two.

I hope the inevitable third film takes things in a much-needed new direction. No need to give us the exact same ending thrice, eh?

[Marco]

A Young Man with High Potential (2018)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2NlNmVmNzctYzdiMC00YzEwLWE4MWYtMGI0MmE1YzJjMjhhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NTk3Nw@@._V1_.jpg
Pretty decent film about a young man at a German Uni (the film is in English) who is technically brilliant but socially lacking. The start of a study project with a young attractive female gets him acting rather strangely..romance/horror if that's even a genre!

2.5

[mark f]

Tides AKA The Colony (Tim Fehlbaum, 2021) 2 5/10
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (Burt Kennedy, 1969) 2.5 6/10
Blood Nasty (Richard Gabai & Robert Strauss, 1989) 1.5+ 4.5/10
Eyewitness (Peter Yates, 1981) 2.5 6/10
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CXxXfswdS8M/VpCAUDM-jCI/AAAAAAABORU/sPGqZ5MV_-Q/s1600/eyewitness10.jpg
Convoluted murder mystery where janitor William Hurt tries to convince network newscaster Sigourney Weaver that he knows more about the murder because he has a crush on her from years of watching her on TV.
Untitled Horror Movie (Nick Simon, 2021) 2.5 5.5/10
The Cowboys (Mark Rydell, 1972) 2.5 6/10
Slam Dance (Wayne Wang, 1987) 2.5 5.5/10
Blood on the Moon (Robert Wise, 1948) 2.5 6/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/c010f213214a65a72e878ece8c147ea3/6a3d88256a408c15-50/s540x810/563e5f4ffb6e95141339791e7e13a59a96c1850d.gifv
Noirish western where Robert Mitchum is hired by his buddy for questionable reasons.
Zombies on Broadway (Gordon Douglas, 1945) 2+ 5/10
Man with the Gun (Richard Wilson, 1955) 2.5 6/10
Wishman (Mike Marvin, 1992) 2 5/10
Gunpowder Milkshake (Navot Papushado, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/b29fd257610abe4d5643816d871a0ef5/ee148231124da072-4c/s500x750/92a6e405a35d659fcc09c91ed62f5ea1ca7bf22b.gifv
Mother (Lena Headey) and daughter (Karen Gillen) assassins share a milkshake in between killing most everybody.
Out of Death (Mark Burns, 2021) 1.5+ 4.5/10
Courage (Robert L. Rosen, 1984) 2.5 6/10
Girl Rush (Gordon Douglas, 1944) 2+ 5/10
The Wasps Are Here (Darmasena Pathiraja, 1978) 2.5 6/10
https://images.mubicdn.net/images/film/38183/cache-28100-1625760993/image-w1280.jpg?size=x350
Violence [not so much love] is all around when competing patriarchal societies in Sri Lanka want to kill after an affair between Vijaya Kumaratunga & Malini Fonseka leads to a well-liked man's death.
America: The Motion Picture (Matt Thompson, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Cruel Jaws (Bruno Mattei, 1995) 1.5 4/10
The Wrath of God (Ralph Nelson, 1972) 2.5 5.5/10
Bandido! (Richard Fleischer, 1956) 3 6.5/10
https://www.cineforever.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/Bandido-foto08.jpg
Mercenary Robert Mitchum tries to sell guns to revolutionary Gilbert Roland in twisty, action-packed western set in 1916 Mexico.

[GulfportDoc]

[High Noon] I was really impressed by this film (another extensive write-up I did that was lost in the Corri ending).
When I went back and looked at a number of the technical things on this film, particularly with the photography, and the real-time idea that runs through it, along with a much more morally complex conceit than I expected and some great acting from Peck, Grace Kelly, and Katy Jurado (I also liked Lloyd Bridges), I felt that this movie deserved it's place among the Great Films.
I agree with you. It's a landmark film for sure. One of the longest building suspense movies that I've ever seen. Watching it when it was released, we were nervous wrecks by the time the gunfight played out. It seems real tame today, but it was something then. Of all the big names who turned down the role of Marshal Will Kane, no one could have done it better than Gary Cooper. Nice little turn for Lon Chaney, Jr. too.

[GulfportDoc]

Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen (2020) - rating_1
...
Very thoughtful commentary.

"I just wonder if these few films that conflate transgender people with a vomit reaction were enough to elicit any big change in the public consciousness." Great sentence!..:D

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/63/Godzilla_vs._Kong.png/220px-Godzilla_vs._Kong.png

3

SF = 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

[Fabulous]

Atlantic City (1980)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/jj9uuzvv3mtpJZTwlZX5HnMkhl5.jpg

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02558/Day_of_the_Outlaw_2558790b.jpg


Day of the Outlaw - This 1959 B&W western is directed by by André De Toth and stars Robert Ryan as tough as nails rancher, Blaise Starrett. The movie takes place in the dead of winter and when it opens Starrett has ridden into the snowbound town of Bitters, Wyoming for a final showdown with who he considers to be his chief rival, homesteader Hal Crane. Crane is the de facto leader of the loose group who have been using barb wire to keep their cattle from roaming and Starrett, who settled the once wild territory and founded Bitters, considers it an affront. It also doesn't help matters any that Crane's wife Helen (Tina Louise) is Starrett's old flame. Their impending showdown is interrupted by the arrival of a gang of murderous outlaws led by renegade Army Captain Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives). They're on the run from the law after robbing an Army payroll and take over the small town as both a hideout and to seek treatment for Bruhn's potentially fatal bullet wound. He keeps his gang in check through sheer force of will and intimidation but it's plainly obvious that most of the men would like nothing better than to have their way with the town's women.

This is a bleak, almost noirish western and the nihilistic aspects of the story are bolstered by the isolated and snowy setting. Just like the desperate outlaws these are unforgiving conditions and DeToth does a good job of slowly ratcheting up the tension to it's inevitable conclusion. Speaking of which, it's a fine ending and the penultimate shot captures the uncompromising and sardonic nature of the story that was just told.

rating_3_5


https://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/10667_1.jpg


My Darling Clementine - I had never gotten around to watching this but after a few minutes I knew why this is considered such a classic. It is John Ford after all and this is him at his most assured. The cast is peerless with Henry Fonda starring as Wyatt Earp, Victor Mature as Doc Holliday, Walter Brennan as the Clanton patriarch and Ward Bond as Morgan Earp. If you're looking for a historically accurate version of the events leading up to and including the gunfight at the OK Corral then you'd be better off looking elsewhere but if you want a truly enjoyable and impressive movie going experience then check it out. From the simple act of framing a shot to the small, playful and character defining touches by the actors to the crucial transition from light to somber Ford somehow makes it all look effortless.

rating_4_5

[Rockatansky]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02558/Day_of_the_Outlaw_2558790b.jpg


Day of the Outlaw - This 1959 B&W western is directed by by André De Toth and stars Robert Ryan as tough as nails rancher, Blaise Starrett. The movie takes place in the dead of winter and when it opens Starrett has ridden into the snowbound town of Bitters, Wyoming for a final showdown with who he considers to be his chief rival, homesteader Hal Crane. Crane is the de facto leader of the loose group who have been using barb wire to keep their cattle from roaming and Starrett, who settled the once wild territory and founded Bitters, considers it an affront. It also doesn't help matters any that Crane's wife Helen (Tina Louise) is Starrett's old flame. Their impending showdown is interrupted by the arrival of a gang of murderous outlaws led by renegade Army Captain Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives). They're on the run from the law after robbing an Army payroll and take over the small town as both a hideout and to seek treatment for Bruhn's potentially fatal bullet wound. He keeps his gang in check through sheer force of will and intimidation but it's plainly obvious that most of the men would like nothing better than to have their way with the town's women.

This is a bleak, almost noirish western and the nihilistic aspects of the story are bolstered by the isolated and snowy setting. Just like the desperate outlaws these are unforgiving conditions and DeToth does a good job of slowly ratcheting up the tension to it's inevitable conclusion. Speaking of which, it's a fine ending and the penultimate shot captures the uncompromising and sardonic nature of the story that was just told.

rating_3_5


https://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/10667_1.jpg


My Darling Clementine - I had never gotten around to watching this but after a few minutes I knew why this is considered such a classic. It is John Ford after all and this is him at his most assured. The cast is peerless with Henry Fonda starring as Wyatt Earp, Victor Mature as Doc Holliday, Walter Brennan as the Clanton patriarch and Ward Bond as Morgan Earp. If you're looking for a historically accurate version of the events leading up to and including the gunfight at the OK Corral then you'd be better off looking elsewhere but if you want a truly enjoyable and impressive movie going experience then check it out. From the simple act of framing a shot to the small, playful and character defining touches by the actors to the crucial transition from light to somber Ford somehow makes it all look effortless.

rating_4_5


Just rewatched My Darling Clementine this past weekend, actually. Great stuff.



Haven't seen Day of the Outlaw, but I do quite like De Toth's Play Dirty, his Dirty Dozen rip-off with Michael Caine. Nice use of the desert environment in that one.

[WHITBISSELL!]

Just rewatched My Darling Clementine this past weekend, actually. Great stuff.It truly is.

Haven't seen Day of the Outlaw, but I do quite like De Toth's Play Dirty, his Dirty Dozen rip-off with Michael Caine. Nice use of the desert environment in that one.I don't think I've watched Play Dirty but the title rings a bell. I'll keep an eye out for it.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fa/Nadie_quiere_la_noche.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49183029

Endless Night - (2015) - (aka Nadie quiere la noche)

Another survival film for me, this time in the frozen wastelands of Greenland. Juliette Binoche plays Josephine Peary, wife of explorer Robert Peary who is attempting to reach the North Pole. Josephine is a tough but cultured woman who has shared much of Peary's exploration. She decides she wants to be as close to him as possible on his journey and travels further than all the guides recommend. In fact they keep pleading with her to go back. She ends up stuck in a shack with an Eskimo (who has more of a connection to her than she realises) during the polar winter, when the sun never rises. There, it's a brutal struggle just to survive.

This isn't the film that those making it wanted it to be, I'm afraid - and it's been cut up in a desperate attempt to save it. I enjoyed some of it, but agree with anyone thinking it's too dour, the pacing is way off and it's too uneven. The crux of the whole thing - Josephine and Allaka (Rinko Kikuchi) coming to terms with each other, their man and the horrifying permanent night - comes to us far too late, and is rushed through at a hurried pace. Small touches (on an expedition where you need every ounce to survive, Jospephine brings a large crate of crockery and fine silver to eat dinner as a lady should) still stand out, as does the initial meeting and melding of cultures.

There are some truly breathtaking shots of avalanches and the glorious arctic wilderness - but the film doesn't leave a lasting impression overall.

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/The_Commuter_film_poster.jpg
By The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist. - Teaser-Trailer.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55216453

The Commuter - (2018)

Liam Neeson's wife and daughter get kidnapped again.

3/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Defianceposter08.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17879994

Defiance - (2008)

This film has been around for ages, and I see it pop up everywhere at DVD sales, on television, on posters. I never really felt the need to see it - but after so much time I thought I may as well put a movie to the cover/posters. This is much more a war film than a Holocaust film, although the executions are there - they're shied away from a little bit. Based on Nechama Tec's 1993 book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans, this true story tells the tale of two Jewish brothers, who set up a group of partisans in the woods instead of submit to a concentration camp.

I guess this is a survivor film too in a way - especially seeing all the families involved living in the woods, and surviving any way they can. It's entertaining and engaging - but the horrors are significantly diminished. At it's heart it's a tale about families, and the relationship between Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig) and Zus Bielski (Liev Schreiber) is the best thing about it. The script is fine, but the focus is too broad. This is a really heavy subject, and it's a shame to see it being taken so lightly.

5/10

[chawhee]

Logan Lucky (2017)
https://cdn1-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/2017/05/loganluckyheader.jpg
3.5
I think I would have liked this more, but there is just something about southern humor that distracts me more than anything...a more than serviceable Ocean-type plot. All of the acting was superb, with Daniel Craig standing out to me the most.

[John W Constantine]

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)

4.5

[Wooley]

I agree with you. It's a landmark film for sure. One of the longest building suspense movies that I've ever seen. Watching it when it was released, we were nervous wrecks by the time the gunfight played out. It seems real tame today, but it was something then. Of all the big names who turned down the role of Marshal Will Kane, no one could have done it better than Gary Cooper. Nice little turn for Lon Chaney, Jr. too.
Yeah, I love the whole John Wayne backstory to this one and how he tried to play it off. Cost The Duke a lot of respect in my eyes (as if he'd care) but people are complicated I guess.

[Wooley]

Atlantic City (1980)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/jj9uuzvv3mtpJZTwlZX5HnMkhl5.jpg

Really liked this one. Burt Lancaster is so underappreciated, historically.

[Stirchley]

Atlantic City (1980)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/jj9uuzvv3mtpJZTwlZX5HnMkhl5.jpg

I recently bought this dvd.

[Rockatansky]

Yeah, I love the whole John Wayne backstory to this one and how he tried to play it off. Cost The Duke a lot of respect in my eyes (as if he'd care) but people are complicated I guess.

Cooper is without a doubt the better man, but John Wayne did go and make Rio Bravo in response, which I absolutely love. So I guess the real winner is the viewing public.

[Stirchley]

79416

Interesting concept. Well-acted. A looooooong movie.

79417

Good movie though the book is better.

[Fabulous]

American Gigolo (1980)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/tnbEY8Kn0mPyMfkxONYePWP5RUa.jpg

[GulfportDoc]

[Atlantic City] Really liked this one. Burt Lancaster is so underappreciated, historically.
Yes, Lancaster was one of the all time greats-- an unusual combination of athlete and artist. AC is one of my favorite films: great story, great acting. And Sarandon made very good use of lemons..:cool:

[Wooley]

Yes, Lancaster was one of the all time greats-- an unusual combination of athlete and artist. AC is one of my favorite films: great story, great acting. And Sarandon made very good use of lemons..:cool:

Yes she did.

[Gideon58]

https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/WCB_EN-US_Hero_Press_16x9_wBranding.png?w=1000


4

[Fabulous]

About Last Night (1986)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/m87n2XmqDMc4J9RsM6xVDhje901.jpg

[EsmagaSapos]

79416

Interesting concept. Well-acted. A looooooong movie.

Many of the dislikes I see about this picture came from the story itself, they say it's nothing real life. My life wasn't like that growing up, but I wouldn't say the movie is inaccurate because of that. What do you think of the two other movies of this director with Ethan Before Midnight and Before Sunrise?

It's not a director I'm passionate about, but I liked Slacker, and School of Rock, the last one mainly because of Jack Black.

[Fabulous]

Bad Boys (1983)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/rYVSl3c0iJYMcxuTveQftMo8hOH.jpg

[Siddon]

https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/american-horror-stories-rubber-woman-scarlett.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&h=370&dpr=1.5


I have a real love/hate relationship with Ryan Murphy. Rubberwoman is a two-part (basically) movie for American Horror Stories. I'm not sure if this was meant to be on FX and got moved to Hulu but I don't know how you do a sex horror story...without sex and horror. The humor is very good in this and the story has some quality elements to it but man does it spiral out of control.


Paris Jackson(Michael Jackson's daughter) is in this and she's pretty good though the one note is pretty much ruined. It has my woke bingo card (AA authority figure, multi-ethic clique, evil predatory white dude) which is somewhat balanced by the humorous gay relationship. We then end up with a character who is just introduced for the second episode and she makes no sense...I have no idea what she did except exist because the plot demands it.



2

[Marco]

No sudden move (2021)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/No_Sudden_Move_poster.jpg
Enjoyable crime/caper film that owes a debt to Guy Ritchie I think. The setting of 50s America is quite good.
And blimmin 'ell I didn't realise Brendan Fraser was in it, he's gone to seed a bit!
3

[Siddon]

https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Fear_Street_Part_3__1666_00_39_05_11R.jpg

Fear Street 1666


It's the best and the worst of the trilogy. The first part takes place at the start of the story in 1666 with pilgrims...and black people are there for...reasons. They never bothered to explain that which to me is a problem because historical horror should be accurate and when it's not you basically take yourself out of the film. Also it's a little hard when the central message of the story is the intolerance towards homosexuality with color blind castings in a historical setting. It was just tone-deaf and weird.


But you can get past it because the horror during this period of time is excellent. It's easily the best the show has to offer and worth the wait. A lot of spooky stuff with religion comes into play and when they go dark it lands well. Also the reveal is nice, I didn't really see it coming though it is morally bankrupt and eye rolling because of-course the show/series goes there.


I don't want to come off as a right wing guy lecturing the liberalism of Hollywood if you have a good inspired idea I'm all for it. But sometimes a metaphor becomes so labored and tired that you just want to groan and change the channel. As fans of Community it is ironic that Britta is a central character because Netflix definitely Britta'd this excellent series (on paper).


3.5

[Siddon]

https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Scarlett-Johansson-in-Black-Widow-Movie.jpeg

Black Widow (2021)

Yeah I don't get why Disney didn't just give this away for free. Black Widow feels like Falcon and the Winter Soldier except not as good because the best parts (Florence Pugh, Dave Harbour, and Rachel Weitz) are all really cool and interesting characters who are saddled with a bored widow ScarJo, a third act deux ex machina and another walking not talking toy in TaskMaster.

This is the worst looking Marvel film ever released...it's basically a Fast and Furious film except it looks worse at points. This "film" is just littered with wasted potential...I almost wish Loki had been a two movie and this had been a six hour mini-series. Plus they wasted what could have been a top tier level bad guy which is unforgivable.

rating_2_5

[Marco]

Every Breath you Take (2021)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/Every_Breath_You_Take.jpeg
Highly derivative "psychological thriller" that didn't really get going. Affleck looks bored and I'm not really surprised. Every "twist" was predictable. Tries to build tension but fails.

2

[doubledenim]

No sudden move (2021)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/No_Sudden_Move_poster.jpg
Enjoyable crime/caper film that owes a debt to Guy Ritchie I think. The setting of 50s America is quite good.
And blimmin 'ell I didn't realise Brendan Fraser was in it, he's gone to seed a bit!
3

It is really something, compared to his former “leading man” appearances. Those eyes look like they could pop out of his head at any moment!

[Wooley]

Bad Boys (1983)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/rYVSl3c0iJYMcxuTveQftMo8hOH.jpg

One of my favorites from my youth.

[this_is_the_ girl]

https://bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Screen-Shot-2018-06-25-at-1.09.13-PM.jpg
The Omen (1976, Richard Donner)
3
One of those movies you get creeped out by as a kid and then as an adult scratch your head wondering what all the fuss was about.
Don't get me wrong, it's a decent film, definitely not without its moments (the death scenes, for example, were pretty good) but it's also kinda dull, old-fashioned and not nearly scary or sinister enough.
Didn't care for Peck and Remick here - just seemed a bit flat and stiff to me.

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b7/Kiscousposter.jpg/220px-Kiscousposter.jpg

[Fabulous]

Real Genius (1985)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/5gx3ZkoETzszwhEgdFW6M3roasH.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e8/A_White%2C_White_Day.jpg
By IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9801736/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61913955

A White, White Day - (2019) - Iceland

The sparsely populated country of Iceland continues to pump out decent films. I really would have expected this to be a Grímur Hákonarson film, but A White, White Day was written and directed by Hlynur Pálmason. Either of those two might break out into the more mainstream one day - I thought Hákonarson's Rams to be one of the best foreign language films of the 2010s, and while White Day doesn't reach dizzying heights, it's certainly a good film.

Ingimundur (Ingvar Sigurdsson) has just lost his wife - her car going over the edge of a cliff on a white, foggy day. He's the type of man not to let his emotions get the better of him, and anyway, he has the love and adoration of his granddaughter who he looks after from time to time. All that changes when he discovers something in his wife's possessions that she'd kept hidden from him. Slowly he starts to lose control - and being an ex-cop he has the means at his disposal to do real harm. Can he avoid complete self-destruction?

Great performances, a beautiful backdrop and a dream-like climate make this a very involving, realistic tale of grief, jealousy, family and revenge.

7/10

https://bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Screen-Shot-2018-06-25-at-1.09.13-PM.jpg
The Omen (1976, Richard Donner)
3
One of those movies you get creeped out by as a kid and then as an adult scratch your head wondering what all the fuss was about.
Don't get me wrong, it's a decent film, definitely not without its moments (the death scenes, for example, were pretty good) but it's also kinda dull, old-fashioned and not nearly scary or sinister enough.
Didn't care for Peck and Remick here - just seemed a bit flat and stiff to me.

The Omen was really excoriated by the media and film critics when it was released in 1976 - but it was fortunately backed by a massive advertising campaign. It was listed as one of "The Fifty Worst Movies of All Time" in Harry Medved's book - published two years later - but I think he was looking for a current day film to pillory. I liked it more when I was a kid too - and would give it the same rating as you did. It's not a bad film at all. Seems like a lot of 1970s horror was frowned upon on release - ie, The Exorcist - in a knee-jerk manner.

[Fabulous]

The Accidental Tourist (1988)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/ucEgYBXB1N7iP7Zx8YEHXFVwOnd.jpg

[edarsenal]

https://images.csmonitor.com/csm/2021/07/0715%20DDP%20BLACKWIDOW.jpg?alias=standard_900x600
https://d.newsweek.com/en/full/1837813/cast-black-widow.jpg?w=600&e=beb6c3f2e2b94c42077a9c4efa32a633
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210701124121-03-black-widow-movie-large-169.jpg

Yelena (To Natasha) You are such a poser.


Marvel's Black Widow (2021) 4-+++ Today, in the prime format for such a film, I went to the local mainstream movie theater and experienced this warmhearted, delicate, slice of life; of a subdued, docile Russian family with. . . well, okay, the occasional disturbance of the peace. What one may concur, if one was of the mind, to classify as a tad, dare I say -- conflict(ish)?
But. Hey, What family doesn't? Am I right?

Working the bill of both a side/solitary story occurring between Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018), we have a past debt to settle intertwined with an introduction to the Super Hero family of Natasha Romanov. Her scientific mother, Melina (Rachel Weisz), the simple muscle father, Alexi (David Harbour), and the little sister, now a deadly assassin, Yelena (Florence Pugh).
Yelena herself having an introductory role as a likely new character to future Marvel endeavors. Which I think is pretty f@ckin awesome considering how much I loved her persona and her interaction with Natasha and their estranged "family." The dynamic being a strong favorite of my viewing. Giving me a very entertaining "heart" to this Action Film with Espionage nuances. Their family sit down to eat, drink vodka and grumble with each other being one of my favorite scenes.

Said 'heart" being cohesive that endears so many of these Marvel films beyond mere popcorn-munching eye candy of explosives, shoot-outs, assortments of chases, and narrowing action scenes.
In fact, I enjoyed the Romanov "family's" storyline so much; I even got a little weepy at some of the more sentimental scenes. It was a lovely thing.

I'll be adding this one to my collection of specific favorites of Marvel to rewatch and be entertained by.

[wositelec]

Delta Force (1986) - 9 / 10

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTM3NzY5MTg3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjAwODM2NA@@._V1_.jpg

[John W Constantine]

Ride the Pink Horse (1947)

4

[Fabulous]

The Karate Kid (1984)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/klZKHmAex2FVAXcNH9X8ZPrZ15K.jpg

[xSookieStackhouse]

https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Scarlett-Johansson-in-Black-Widow-Movie.jpeg

Black Widow (2021)

Yeah I don't get why Disney didn't just give this away for free. Black Widow feels like Falcon and the Winter Soldier except not as good because the best parts (Florence Pugh, Dave Harbour, and Rachel Weitz) are all really cool and interesting characters who are saddled with a bored widow ScarJo, a third act deux ex machina and another walking not talking toy in TaskMaster.

This is the worst looking Marvel film ever released...it's basically a Fast and Furious film except it looks worse at points. This "film" is just littered with wasted potential...I almost wish Loki had been a two movie and this had been a six hour mini-series. Plus they wasted what could have been a top tier level bad guy which is unforgivable.

rating_2_5


seriously black widow is like one of the good marvel movies, to me i loved it, been fan of Scarlett Johansson for long time
https://media.giphy.com/media/NQRRqqkImJ3Da/giphy.gif https://media.giphy.com/media/3oriO8RY4erFEUpHZm/giphy.gif

[Marco]

Brothers by Blood (2021)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Brothers_by_Blood_poster.jpg
Despite having 2 good leading actors in it this is really quite boring and lacks spark. There's an "apple doesn't fall too far from the tree" aspect that is shown in flashbacks which is interesting. The characters, though, are too one dimensional. Was surprised to see this was adapted from a novel as the dialogue is very leaden and none of the leads is properly fleshed out.

2

[mark f]

Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star (Peter R. Hunt, 1986) 2 5/10
Star Pilot (Pietro Francisci, 1966) 1.5+ 4.5/10
Chasing Comets (Jason Perini, 2018) 2 5/10
The Legend of Hei (Mtjj, 2019) 3 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/f02b942b74615c4259019becb6773e0d/5d9a7d5a0976c8b1-6a/s540x810/79cda5e4050aeaaf9157b27a132ad65c0682ca2e.gifv
Spirits and humans have shared the Earth for a long time but it's becoming more obvious and dangerous.
Los Tallos Amargos (Fernando Ayala, 1956) 3 6.5/10
Star Knight (Fernando Colomo, 1985) 1.5+ 4.5/10
Deep Space (Fred Olen Ray, 1988) 2 5/10
Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 (Leigh Janiak, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://rogermooresmovienation.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/fear4.jpg?w=640
The origins and conclusion of the witch saga that covers 5 1/2 hours over three films.
Night Feeders (Jet Eller, 2006) 2 5/10
Battle Beyond the Sun (Francis Ford Coppola edit, 1959) 1.5 4/10
A Fork in the Road (Jim Kouf, 2010) 2.5 6/10
Space Jam: A New Legacy (Malcolm D. Lee, 2021) 2 5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/41fc74aae90cdffd060255aca1a85b85/0ea29627ed315a74-01/s540x810/355d19db00c67f702df276cb852e293fb2edfef1.gifv
Looney Tunes are back to help another NBA star, this time LeBron James, against more wacko aliens..
R100 (Hitoshi Matsumoto, 2013) 2.5 5.5/10
Touch (Aleksandra Szczepanowska, 2020) 2 5/10
She (Avi Nesher, 1984) 1.5 4/10
Arab Blues (Manele Labidi, 2019) 2.5 6/10
https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/0vhTBWnzT_YOpRbLlu2p5g--~B/aD0zNTQ7dz02MzA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://media.zenfs.com/fr/article.bfmpeople.com/3c3cf06a6364aca50a0ce6ea42710f4d
Psychotherapist Golshifteh Farahani returns home to Tunis from Paris to start her business which results in good and bad things.
The Woodsman (Christian Cisneros, 2012) 2 5/10
Rocket Attack U.S.A. (Barry Mahon, 1961) 1+ 3.5/10
Playing Men (Matjaz Ivanisin, 2017) 2.5 6/10
McCartney 3,2,1 (Zachary Heinzerling, 2021) 3.5 7/10
https://i1.wp.com/d.newsweek.com/en/full/1846598/rick-rubin-paul-mccartney.jpg?resize=640%2C360&ssl=1
Record producer Rick Rubin and Paul McCartney discuss the origins and making of his songs.

[GulfportDoc]

79476
City That Never Sleeps (1953)

A must-see classic film noir, this remarkable film occupies the nether world of not-quite-“A” quality for pictures of that style.

It’s unique because the emblematic narrator is in this instance the city itself! The “Chicago” narration was by Chill Wills.We don’t “wake up in a city that never sleeps”, as in Lisa Minnelli’s singing from the Scorcese film, New York, New York (1977). Here the action takes place in the 1953 sleepless city, Chicago. And Chicago’s cityscapes and back alleys are prominentlyon display in John L. Russell’s wonderfully noir cinematography. Able direction is accomplished by John H. Auer (Hell’s Half Acre).

The story of a weary married cop who falls for a crooked attorney’s wife holds us in suspense, although it was a little grey in the middle, chiefly because too many cinematic possibilities were introduced, but then not pursued, making the narrative seem uneven.

But what more could one ask for in a noir with William Talman (D.A. Hamilton Burger in the Perry Mason series), Marie Windsor (the hypnotic quintessential femme fatale), the stylish Gig Young, and the lovely hard working Mala Powers? There were very nice turns by the veteran sneerer Edward Arnold, and the grandfatherly Chill Wills.

Noir expert, Eddie Muller --the “Czar of Noir”-- has City That Never Sleeps ranked at #25 on his list of favorite noirs. That seems like the perfect place to me.

Doc’s rating: 7/10

[matt72582]

Los tallos amargos - 7/10
I have a sense of relief that I finally watched a decent movie, despite the fact I'm pretty noired out. I record almost every movie on TCM I haven't seen. Solid noir from Argentina. If you don't have TCM, you can watch with the link below.


https://youtu.be/I6Un9OU5KZA

[WHITBISSELL!]

Ride the Pink Horse (1947)

rating_4This one doesn't get a fraction of the attention and praise it deserves. Great noir. Textbook.

[Thief]

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
(1978, Molinaro)
A film from the 1970s

https://resizing.flixster.com/2jMJdcwHmD0TQpZn1jUfw92GHeM=/740x380/v1.bjsxNzgzOTYxO2o7MTg4NzU7MTIwMDsyOTU4OzE5Mjg


"Forgive me, but you're just a bitter old bitch. You've lost your sex appeal, you're grotesque, and everyone laughs at you. Yet here I am, still at your side, because you make me laugh. So you know what I'm going to do? Sell my plot in Lombardy and lie by you here in the s-hit in Foissy so we can go on laughing."



La Cage aux Folles follows the lives of Renato and Albin, who've been together for 20 years. Through ups and downs, loyalties and infidelities, they've stuck together, living together, while managing the titular nightclub. But their lives are shaken when Renato's young son, Laurent (Rémi Laurent) announces he's getting married. The thing is that his fiancée is the daughter of an important and ultra-conservative politician, and they want to meet them.

In order to pretend a more "normal" life to his future in-laws, Laurent convinces his father to pretend he's not gay, remodel their apartment, but also to get rid of the more "flamboyant" Albin for the time of the visit. This sparks the above exchange after Albin dejectedly decides to leave.

Maybe some of my complaints might seem silly, since the film is obviously aiming more for the comedy and the slapstick, but moments like the above exchange let out a more emotional angle to the story that I wish would've been embraced more. As it is, I'll lie here so I can go on laughing.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2221737#post2221737)

[CharlesAoup]

San Andreas, 2015 (C-)

A series of big earthquakes hit California. Because this is an American disaster movie, this event not only causes untold destruction, but also rescues the main characters from their awkward divorce, as it does every time.

So the movie's not good as a general movie, or a disaster movie. It's pretty gosh darn ugly. The CGI is awful for a movie that can afford Dwayne Johnson and open with a girl listening to a Taylor Swift song. The fact that this is nearly all green-screened is nearly impossible to ignore, especially when they go for that fancy one-shot scene, where it's obvious the actress has nothing to do, and they get like 2 other actors on the actual set, while all the extras filmed their scenes elsewhere.

A good number of ships are close-ups when they shouldn't be. We don't even get a frickin scenic shot of the collapse of the Hoover Dam. We see it from the point of view of a guy. Ugh.

The kids were pretty stock as well.

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://images.mubicdn.net/images/film/47381/cache-39650-1500621775/image-w1280.jpg

They All Come Out - The fact that this was supposedly Jacques Tourneur's American directorial debut was good enough for me. But it turned out to have a very documentary type of vibe. At the time Tourneur was working at MGM cranking out shorts and documentaries when studio head Louis B. Mayer took a liking to his project on prison reform and asked Tourneur to expand it to a feature length film using as much of the existing footage as he could.

This stars Rita Johnson as Kitty Carson, a member of Reno Madigan's (Bernard Nedell) hold up gang. She makes the acquaintance of Joe Cameron (Tom Neal), an unemployed mechanic, and eventually recruits him into the gang. During their first bank robbery together Kitty is shot and wounded and Joe risks his life to go back for her. After leaving her to get treated the rest of the gang is eventually hunted down, as is Kitty. That's when the story takes kind of an odd turn. The focus turns to the prison reform system and the authorities are somewhat improbably shown to be an altruistic and saintly bunch. I don't know if this is actually how things operated back then but it goes against every hard boiled crime drama I've seen from that era. The difference between this movie and something like I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is like night and day. Anyway, the rest of the members of Reno's gang take full advantage of the rehabilatative process and everything seems to work out well for them.

Even though this is basically a propagandist love letter to the federal prison system Tourneur still shows flashes of brilliance and keeps things moving at an efficient clip. Watch it for the sheer novelty of witnessing a future heavyweight's nascent beginnings.

rating_3_5


https://i.imgur.com/oWKJVZL.jpeg

A Slight Case of Murder - I thought I was familiar with Edward G. Robinson's lighter hearted efforts and I thought they began and ended with Larceny, Inc. (with maybe Brother Orchid thrown in as well). But then along comes this hilarious offering from 1938, directed by Lloyd Bacon and adapted from his play to the screen by Damon Runyon.

Robinson plays Remy Marco, a former successful bootlegger who made his illicit fortune selling beer during prohibition. Once the Volstead Act is repealed Marco is determined to go legit and keep his brewery open. After a few months his busines is in serious trouble when no one will buy his product. As it turns out Remy's beer is terrible and since he himself has never tasted it and none of his crew will tell him the truth, he's in danger of losing everything when the bank threatens to finally call in his note to the tune of 462,000 dollars.

One crazy weekend at his summer home in Saratoga Springs will see everything come to a head. It involves Marco, his wife Nora (Ruth Donnelly) and Mike, Lefty and Gip, his loyal crew of colorful hoods played by comedic veterans Allen Jenkins, Edward Brophy and Harold Huber. There's also his daughter Mary (Jane Bryan) recently returned from Europe with her new fiancee Dick Whitewood (Willard Parker) who just happens to be a State Trooper recruit. Also in the mix is a larcenous orphan, Douglas Fairbanks Rosenbloom (played by Bobby Jordan, one of the Dead End Kids) and a rival gang who have some unfinished business with Remy. Add Dick's wealthy, disapproving father Mr. Whitewood (Paul Harvey) to the mix and toss in a large gathering of the Marco's sketchy and inebriated friends and you end up with a pleasant surprise of a screwball comedy. Highly recommended.

rating_4

[Allaby]

I just finished watching I Daniel Blake (2016). Directed by Ken Loach, the film stars Dave Johns as a carpenter who after a heart attack has to fight to try and get employment and support allowance. Going in to the film, I wasn't sure if I would like it. I had only seen one film from the director before (Kes) and hated it. I was concerned the film sounded like it would be too much of a downer and would be hard to enjoy. I am very pleased to report that I loved this film! Dave Johns is fantastic and brings a lot of depth and humanity to the role. I think he should have been nominated for an Oscar for his performance. Hayley Squires is also very good as a single mom that Blake befriends. I also really liked young Briana Shann's performance as one of her kids. I thought the screenplay was very well written and done in an honest, believable way that avoided clichés. I Daniel Blake is a compelling and interesting film that tackles an important subject matter in a way that is heartfelt, compassionate and still manages to be an entertaining film. Good call whoever suggested this for me. I am glad I saw it. This one rates a high 4.5.

[John W Constantine]

This one doesn't get a fraction of the attention and praise it deserves. Great noir. Textbook.

Yessir, Robert Montgomery has quite a bit of stuff from the 40's that I consider top notch. He's one of the actors from this time that grabs my attention.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/06/Jonathan_film_poster.jpg
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - From the film's distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58755482

Jonathan - (2018) - (aka : Duplicate)

Another one with Baby Driver's Ansel Elgort (watched him in The Goldfinch recently.) In this he plays Jonathan and John, two divergent personalities which exist in the same body. Through an advance in medical technology, they find that they can share half a day each, from 7am to 7pm and vice versa. They communicate with each other by recording what has happened during their day, and what they've done, how they're going etc. There's a lengthy list of rules of what not to do, lest the whole thing fall apart. One of those is a romantic relationship - but when John starts secretly dating a girl and falls in love with her it creates a conflict which threatens to destroy Jonathan/John completely.

The film is okay, but doesn't hit the heights some other 'split personality' films do - though most of those films use it to create plot twists. "They were both the same person? :eek:" In this we know just about from the get-go that these two 'brothers' are the same person. The main thrust of this film being the internal conflict, and the unfairness - one can't commit suicide without taking the other with him. Love appears to be an impossible dream for both of them.

5/10

[ScarletLion]

I just finished watching I Daniel Blake (2016). Directed by Ken Loach, the film stars Dave Johns as a carpenter who after a heart attack has to fight to try and get employment and support allowance. Going in to the film, I wasn't sure if I would like it. I had only seen one film from the director before (Kes) and hated it. I was concerned the film sounded like it would be too much of a downer and would be hard to enjoy. I am very pleased to report that I loved this film! Dave Johns is fantastic and brings a lot of depth and humanity to the role. I think he should have been nominated for an Oscar for his performance. Hayley Squires is also very good as a single mom that Blake befriends. I also really liked young Briana Shann's performance as one of her kids. I thought the screenplay was very well written and done in an honest, believable way that avoided clichés. I Daniel Blake is a compelling and interesting film that tackles an important subject matter in a way that is heartfelt, compassionate and still manages to be an entertaining film. Good call whoever suggested this for me. I am glad I saw it. This one rates a high 4.5.

I've never seen a bad Ken Loach film. 'Sorry we missed you' is quite similar to I, Daniel Blake, as is most of his filmography. 'Raining Stones' is another good one.

[Marco]

Vivarium (2019)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Vivarium_film_theatrical_poster.jpg
What a strange movie. Couple goes to view a started home and ends up trapped on the estate and having to look after a being/child that ages in a dramatic fashion. Nothing wrong with the performances at all and the cuckoo symbolism was pretty neat. It really ran out of direction at the 1/2 way point and went for a studiedly obscure climax. Not bad not great.
2.5

[Guaporense]

Lensman (1984)
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/20/1c/e9/201ce99137363c364b94fe06796cb7bc.jpg

Old japanese animated adaptation of the Lensman novels. It does feel like a remake of the original Star Wars (1977) in many ways. I first watched this movie when I was 6 years old and I rewatched it now I remember many scenes.
3

[Stirchley]

I just finished watching I Daniel Blake (2016).

I also liked this.

Vivarium (2019)

Delightfully weird.

[Allaby]

I watched The Swimmer (1968) for the first time. Burt Lancaster is fantastic as a man who decides to swim in his neighbor's pools on his way home. But all is not as it seems and there is more to his story than originally appears. A must see film. 4.5

[Citizen Rules]

I watched The Swimmer (1968) for the first time. Burt Lancaster is fantastic as a man who decides to swim in his neighbor's pools on his way home. But all is not as it seems and there is more to his story than originally appears. A must see film. rating_4_5Gosh, I really liked that one too when I seen it for the first time in the Movie Roulette, Cricket chose it for me.

[Stirchley]

Gosh, I really liked that one too when I seen it for the first time in the Movie Roulette, Cricket chose it for me.

Familiar with Cheever’s original story, but always avoided Lancaster movies. Isn’t it dated & clunky?

[Citizen Rules]

Familiar with Cheever’s original story, but always avoided Lancaster movies. Isn’t it dated & clunky?I don't know what you mean exactly by clunky? As far as 'dated' that doesn't apply to movies as far as I'm concerned.

[Stirchley]

I don't know what you mean exactly by clunky? As far as 'dated' that doesn't apply to movies as far as I'm concerned.

Clunky - old-fashioned.

[Allaby]

Familiar with Cheever’s original story, but always avoided Lancaster movies. Isn’t it dated & clunky?

No, I wouldn't consider it dated or clunky at all. It's a really well made film with substance, smart and entertaining.

[Fabulous]

The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/lmvFZDC55ha4Hu7HPv2Qgrq4sWI.jpg

[Stirchley]

No, I wouldn't consider it dated or clunky at all. It's a really well made film with substance, smart and entertaining.

Ok, I will now put it in my Netflix Q.

[Allaby]

Ok, I will now put it in my Netflix Q.

Cool. I hope you enjoy it. I would be curious to see what you think of it.

[Stirchley]

Cool. I hope you enjoy it. I would be curious to see what you think of it.

Don’t hold your breath waiting. It will take at least a year to wend through my Q. :p

[WorldFilmGeek]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTQ3ODQwYWUtNWU5OC00MDQ3LTliYzItYmI5N2I0M2QzMjk1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzQzNTgxNTg@._V1_.jpg
4.5

Hilarious South African meshing of Father of the Bride and My Big Fat Greek Wedding with Rob van Vuuren in the titular role of a Boer farmer who must choose when his daughter gets engaged to an Englishman and his father, who could disown him if he allows the marriage to go through. Old school style humor with one gross out joke and van Vuuren's comic timing makes this a favorite of mine.

[Marco]

I also liked this.

I found some scenes quite infuriating like Daniel cracking jokes when on the fone to the Benefits assessor....anyone knows they are humourless gets. I suppose it was made to stress the point. That Daniel was happy go lucky till his "occurrence"
Delightfully weird.
Man it was Stirchley!

[Gideon58]

https://wallpapercave.com/wp/wp9057915.jpg



2.5

[Allaby]

Just watched Serenity (2005) on dvd. I didn't enjoy this. I couldn't care about the characters and the story wasn't very interesting. There was some decent action, but overall the film dragged on far too long. I thought this was pretty generic and I'm a little surprised it is rated so high on various sites and made the top 100 sci fi list here. My rating is a 2.5

[hell_storm2004]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQG4W2-DnlZOCvJ6TmJPj31a1mfljlD7ynSxA&usqp=CAU


Welcome Home (2020) - 7/10. This was good stuff. Violent, gritty and dark. Loved it. Quite unexpected. Indian movies are mostly fluff, but this was quite different. Recommended!

[hell_storm2004]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShqp_G6-2ngKKeR9lbnUWxYfCYWfZBbGCG_Q&usqp=CAU

Divorce Italian Style (1961) - 6.8/10. A very fine comedy! Delightful! Well acted.