Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[Captain Terror]

79769

[Rockatansky]

79769

This is like Sophie's Choice.


*hasn't seen Sophie's Choice*

[GulfportDoc]

I know I'll eventually get around to it. It is Hitchcock after all. Even his subpar efforts are better than most other films. My list of Hitchcock films I feel I absolutely need to watch includes Torn Curtain, Topaz, I Confess, Notorious, Spellbound and Foreign Correspondent.
I really like all those films, perhaps "Curtain" being the least. I love Foreign Correspondent. Joel McCrea really carries the film even thought he wasn't a big star in 1940. I Confess is a unique atypical Hitchcock film shot in Canada. Montgomery Clift does a great job, but it's not a typical suspenseful Hitchcock. You'll like it.

[GulfportDoc]

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
(1968, Kubrick)
2001: A Space Odyssey was released in the spring of 1968, puzzling critics and audiences in the way. It is reported that in one premiere alone, more than 200 people walked out. Much like the scientists (or the apes, or Bowman) in the film upon finding the famous monolith, they were probably wondering "what the damn thing [was]". That is a question that even I, on perhaps my 4th or 5th viewing, still ask myself, regardless of my undying love of the film.


Although it spans several centuries, 2001: A Space Odyssey primarily follows a crew of astronauts on their way to Jupiter; a journey that was apparently sparked by the discovery of a mysterious monolith buried under the surface of the moon. But to limit the film to just that chunk is a disservice to it. The film is much more than that, more than the "apes" that initially encountered the monolith in the first act of the film, or more than Dave Bowman's colorful space "trip" beyond Jupiter in the last act.

Grade: rating_5
I agree. 2001 was a great, landmark, and enormously enjoyable film. A few of us from the band went to see it in Denver while we were on the road in 1968. I believe it was in Cinerama. A couple of them had taken acid or pot, so they had their minds blown. It's a film that hardly ever gets old, despite oodles of advanced sci-fi space films since.

The music theme is so iconic, used countless times since in other idioms. Not sure who wrote it, perhaps Alex North. But the sparing use of music (and dialogue for that matter) really set the movie apart. And Kubrick's use of well known classical music was inspiring.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGMzMzk0YzItOTZjMi00MDhjLWJhM2YtNzM3MjZiMzU0ODdjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjA2ODA0Nzc@._V1_.jpg



2.5

[Thief]

I agree. 2001 was a great, landmark, and enormously enjoyable film. A few of us from the band went to see it in Denver while we were on the road in 1968. I believe it was in Cinerama. A couple of them had taken acid or pot, so they had their minds blown. It's a film that hardly ever gets old, despite oodles of advanced sci-fi space films since.

The music theme is so iconic, used countless times since in other idioms. Not sure who wrote it, perhaps Alex North. But the sparing use of music (and dialogue for that matter) really set the movie apart. And Kubrick's use of well known classical music was inspiring.

North did write a score that was eventually ditched by Kubrick in favor of classical music. North found out at the premiere :eek:

[PHOENIX74]

I've been considering this for a while but a 5/10 review doesn't really inspire me.

Don't let me completely put you off watching The Head Hunter. Knowing about it's low budget and limitations, you'd be seeing it from a much better angle than I did.

[Fabulous]

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

4

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/dWLoSzvw52y1gt7ni9gZXdy693e.jpg

[xSookieStackhouse]

3.5
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDE1MGRlNTQtZjc4ZC00MTI0LWEwY2MtODk1YTM2NmFmYTNmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_.jpg

[Torgo]

Blind Fury - 3

Rutger Hauer does Zatoichi in this late '80s action movie. Sure, it's derivative, predictable and Hauer's child companion is hard to like, but it's still 90 minutes well spent. Did I mention Rutger Hauer is in it? Besides maintaining his reputation of being one of the most reliable and charismatic actors of all time, he is convincing as sight-impaired and as a sword expert. Oh, and he's pretty funny, too. The movie also has the standard assortment of action scenes from the bar fight to the car chase to the duel and they're all exciting, the latter being the highlight thanks to a very special guest star. Like I said, while it's ultimately familiar stuff, it's worth watching, and you really have no excuse not to considering it's on seemingly every free and paid streaming on the net. Heck, it may even be on C-SPAN.

[Jinnistan]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79769
The only thing that matters is that Rock loses.


Just like Sophie

[James D. Gardiner]

https://i.imgur.com/LtbBwW4.jpg

Hey this looks like fun. Check the fear in them eyes. :D

[Whammy]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79786

rating_3

Werewolves Within was okay. It wasn't scary and wasn't really funny but still managed to be entertaining. The characters were all oddballs and kept saying and doing the weirdest things. I won't be adding this to my collection but it wasn't the worst way I've ever spent a late night alone.

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/00/Fast_%26_Furious_Presents_Hobbs_%26_Shaw_-_theatrical_poster.jpg/220px-Fast_%26_Furious_Presents_Hobbs_%26_Shaw_-_theatrical_poster.jpg

2.5

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

[Stirchley]

3.5
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDE1MGRlNTQtZjc4ZC00MTI0LWEwY2MtODk1YTM2NmFmYTNmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_.jpg

Amazing cast. Hoping this movie is not as stupid as it looks.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/00/Fast_%26_Furious_Presents_Hobbs_%26_Shaw_-_theatrical_poster.jpg/220px-Fast_%26_Furious_Presents_Hobbs_%26_Shaw_-_theatrical_poster.jpg


Never seen a Jason Statham movie & I never will.

[John W Constantine]

Trouble in Paradise - 1932

4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjlmNDE2ZWQtNzcwYy00YjM1LWIzY2YtZjAzNmRmZDI1YWVjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA3MDk2NDg2._V1_.jpg



3.5

[Thief]

SWEENEY TODD
THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
(2007, Burton)
A musical

http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sweeney-todd-the-demon-barber-of-fleet-street-2007-johnny-depp-alan-rickman-pretty-women-hd-review.jpg


"I will get him back even as he gloats; In the meantime I'll practice on less honorable throats."



Sweeney Todd follows the barber (Johnny Depp) as he returns to London after 15 years of being falsely convicted and exiled by corrupt Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman). Realizing that he has lost his wife and that his young daughter is now under the care of Turpin, Todd sets out for revenge by reopening his parlor in order to lure Turpin, and eventually kill him. Aiding him in this quest is Nellie Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who owns a meat pie shop below Todd's establishment.

For some reason, I had relatively low expectations for this. Burton and Depp have been hit and miss for the last decade or more, it's not a film you see mentioned often, and I seem to recall a more lukewarm reaction to it (although it seems I was confused or mistaken). But anyway, a while ago some friend listed it among her own favorite films or musicals, which intrigued me. So when this category came, and I saw this was available on Hulu, I decided "why not?" and what a surprise it was.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2225105#post2225105)

[SpelingError]

This post is copied from this thread (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=64162):

Nights of Cabiria: Before watching this film, I had yet to rate any of Fellini's films higher than an 8/10 (I've also seen La Strada, La Dolce Vita, 8½, and Amarcord). Upon going into it, I was curious if this would be the first 9/10 or 10/10 rating I'd give to Fellini, but unfortunately, I ended up giving this one an 8/10. With that being said though, it's definitely my favorite of Fellini's films (I plan to revisit 8½ this year though, so that may change). While you obviously sympathize with Cabiria and root for her to find happiness, I liked how the film simultaneously recognized that her loneliness was partly her own doing. While she got along with some people in the film, she also acted argumentative with some of the other people she met, causing her to come off as cold, distant, and unappealing. While this isn't to say she deserved what happened to her in the film, there was definitely an implication that her behavior might have been a reason for her loneliness. Overall, I found her plight compelling and, even though I was able to predict the outcome of the final act, the last scene won me over and made for a rather oblique culmination to the film.

Rififi: This would make for a great introduction to foreign and classic film since it feels both classic (the first act) and modern (the last act), so it contains enough to give newcomers a sense of what classic film feels like while simultaneously displaying some modern sensibilities which may appeal to them (and, of course, the dialogue-free jewelry heist in the middle is nothing short of excellent). Overall, the jewelry heist was the only part of the film which dipped into favorite territory for me (the rest of the film ranges from really good to great), so it wouldn't have made my ballot, but I still enjoyed my time with it and I could see myself watching it again. As an aside, Kubrick's The Killing is my favorite heist film. It's also, arguably, Kubrick's first great film.

The Celebration: When I watched this, it didn't seem like the kind of film which would have any chance of making this list, so I found myself pleasantly surprised when I saw it here. Decently high, no less. I was impressed at the emotional appeal and the mystery of the family, but even more so at the terrific style and the cinematic technique Vinterberg employed throughout the film. Initially, the rough and unpolished camera shots (which I don't consider to be a flaw, btw) and unorthodox camera angles and shooting positions mildly impressed me. As the film went on though, my admiration over those aspects grew more profound. As more revelations about the family were revealed and as the siblings kept turning on each other, the bizarre camerawork resonated with me in the best way possible as it matched the craziness of the situation at the birthday party. Also, I briefly mentioned this film in the low budget film thread I started a few days ago, but I think the grainy feel of the camerawork makes the cinematography look even more stylish and crazy. I can't imagine the film giving off the same effect with a high budget. At times, I struggled with the film as it hit a bit too close to home for reasons I'd rather not get into, but I'm sure I'll like it more when I revisit it since I'll know what to expect. If I had to nitpick something though, I think it would be better to build to the unorthodox cinematography as opposed to utilizing it right at the start of the film. This isn't to say I disliked the unorthodox cinematography in the first act per se, but since it worked best for me when paired with the family conflict, it might have been cool to have the camerawork escalate in weirdness, with it growing more unorthodox and dreamlike as the film went on. This minor issue though was ultimately lost in the grand scheme of everything I loved about the film, so I don't mean to imply this matters much. Just some food for thought. But yeah, this film would've surely made my ballot had I seen it prior to this list.

High and Low: Didn't like this one as much as I hoped I would; sorry, y'all! It got its hooks in me at first, but it lost some steam after the first hour. Gondo's moral dilemma was my favorite thing about the film (in addition to the slow-burning suspense of how they had to prevent the kidnapper from finding out about the police). After this segment ended, Gondo mostly disappeared from the film in place of the less interesting police officers and the film turned into an entertaining and well-detailed, albeit far less emotionally engaging police procedural. The final scene is really chilling though. I'll give the film credit for that. Overall, it has a handful of good ideas and some great ideas here and there. It wouldn't crack my top 5 Kurosawa's though.

Also, when I watched this film, I found out that you can buy the Criterion version of this film on Amazon Prime for 4-5 dollars (the digital version though). Or, at least, you could do this when I watched it a few weeks ago. Since I already bought it, I can't see the price anymore, but hopefully it hasn't changed since then:

https://www.amazon.com/High-English-Subtitled-Toshiro-Mifune/dp/B00MFDPGNQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1NNGIG6JQW4QP&dchild=1&keywords=high+and+low+1963&qid=1627670292&s=instant-video&sprefix=high+and+low%2Cinstant-video%2C737&sr=1-1

Harakiri: I gave this film an 8/10, so it wouldn't have made my ballot, but it's still a great demythization and deconstruction of the customs and practices of samurai, specifically the code of honor which existed amongst them. I'm not a historian or anything, but from what I know, honor was really important for samurai and those who broke this code could face death. Given both this and how themes of honor were present in many other classic samurai films, I can only imagine how shocking this film was when it was released. Also, in regards to a statement someone made earlier in this thread on how Tatsuya Nakadai is a better actor than Toshiro Mifune (Mr Minio, I think), yeah, I can see that argument. I'd have to watch more of Nakadai's films though to decide whether I completely agree or not.

Woman in the Dunes: I watched this film a week or so before it was revealed in this list, so I'll just copy/paste what I wrote on it upthread as I've already written a lot in this post:

Woman in the Dunes is great, but it didn't make my list. It's the kind of film where I enjoyed thinking about it later more than actually watching it. However, I found its premise to be a thought provoking and deceptively simple adaptation of Sisyphus.

[ThatDarnMKS]

THE GREEN KNIGHT

5

A masterpiece and the greatest Arthurian adaptation. It was worth the delay to see in theaters because, to Scorsese meme for a second, this is cinema.

[Torgo]

Quiet, you!

https://64.media.tumblr.com/880a11f5a3a98d6c105bf447706aa370/8c741fc288c25e3b-80/s500x750/0083aed16eda8729c4964fbab21cf23e4a38d65c.gifvhttps://i.postimg.cc/YC0tVN1f/tumblr-b9a629ef3e8d73eae57016cc5a225fe9-d4824e8e-1280-1.png

[GulfportDoc]

North did write a score that was eventually ditched by Kubrick in favor of classical music. North found out at the premiere :eek:
Ouch! Kubrick must have been a pip to work with. There's an alternate spelling to "pip"...;) I knew North's score was ditched, but somebody had to write the well known theme.

*I just checked, and had forgotten that Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra (1896) was used: the "Sunrise" theme. Very powerful.

Here is the original opening by A. North, which to me sounds like another big budget western film score. Well composed, but nothing special:

https://www.classicfm.com/composers/strauss/music/also-sprach-zarathustra-2001-space-odyssey/

[Thief]

THE GREEN KNIGHT

5

A masterpiece and the greatest Arthurian adaptation. It was worth the delay to see in theaters because, to Scorsese meme for a second, this is cinema.

Everything I've heard/read about it, ranges from good to masterpiece. Unfortunately, I'm not willing to risk a theater outing now so I'll have to wait until streaming :(

[ThatDarnMKS]

Everything I've heard/read about it, ranges from good to masterpiece. Unfortunately, I'm not willing to risk a theater outing now so I'll have to wait until streaming :(
Can’t blame ya. Fortunately, I’m vaccinated and weekday showings at late hours seem to be particularly empty so I’ve been going for the last few months.

Have you seen Lowery’s other films?

[Gideon58]

SWEENEY TODD
THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
(2007, Burton)
A musical

http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sweeney-todd-the-demon-barber-of-fleet-street-2007-johnny-depp-alan-rickman-pretty-women-hd-review.jpg




Sweeney Todd follows the barber (Johnny Depp) as he returns to London after 15 years of being falsely convicted and exiled by corrupt Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman). Realizing that he has lost his wife and that his young daughter is now under the care of Turpin, Todd sets out for revenge by reopening his parlor in order to lure Turpin, and eventually kill him. Aiding him in this quest is Nellie Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who owns a meat pie shop below Todd's establishment.

For some reason, I had relatively low expectations for this. Burton and Depp have been hit and miss for the last decade or more, it's not a film you see mentioned often, and I seem to recall a more lukewarm reaction to it (although it seems I was confused or mistaken). But anyway, a while ago some friend listed it among her own favorite films or musicals, which intrigued me. So when this category came, and I saw this was available on Hulu, I decided "why not?" and what a surprise it was.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2225105#post2225105)


So glad you enjoyed this movie...and you're right, there's not a lot of discussion about it around here. I was wondering if you liked it enough to seek out the original Broadway production. I'm pretty sure I could send you a link to a DVD of the stage musical if you're interested,

[Thief]

Can’t blame ya. Fortunately, I’m vaccinated and weekday showings at late hours seem to be particularly empty so I’ve been going for the last few months.

Have you seen Lowery’s other films?

I think only A Ghost Story, which I loved.

[Thief]

So glad you enjoyed this movie...and you're right, there's not a lot of discussion about it around here. I was wondering if you liked it enough to seek out the original Broadway production. I'm pretty sure I could send you a link to a DVD of the stage musical if you're interested,

Sure thing! Send away.

[Thief]

TOOTSIE
(1982, Pollack)
A film from Sydney Pollack

https://www.moviehousememories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Tootsie-1982-featured-3.jpg


"I am Dorothy. Dorothy is me. Nobody's writing that part. It's coming out of me."



Tootsie follows Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), an unemployed actor that's been "blacklisted" for being a perfectionist and hard to work with. Desperate for money, he assumes the persona of Dorothy, a middle aged, feisty woman, in order to land a job in a soap opera. Of course, things get complicated when "she" becomes a star, while also falling in love for "her" main co-star (Jessica Lange).

This is a film I didn't feel that drawn to; I probably wouldn't have seen it if someone hadn't recommended it to me, but I'm glad I watched it. However, I won't deny that I had some significant issues with how the plot develops, but for the most part, it was an enjoyable watch, well acted and with some important and still relevant points to get across about the treatment of women in the workforce, and in general.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2225158#post2225158) and the PR HOF4 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2225159#post2225159)

[ThatDarnMKS]

I think only A Ghost Story, which I loved.
Then you should be in for a treat. I struggle to imagine someone loving one and not at least liking the other.

I love both but currently prefer TGK.

[SpelingError]

Then you should be in for a treat. I struggle to imagine someone loving one and not at least liking the other.

I love both but currently prefer TGK.
Given how much I love A Ghost Story, I'll keep an eye out for The Green Knight. Here's hoping it contains a lengthy scene of someone eating a pie as well.

[BooBooKittyFock]

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/03%20(99).jpg?bwg=1547147051
https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/04%20(99).jpg?bwg=1547147051
https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/13%20(100).jpg?bwg=1547147051
https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/23%20(100).jpg?bwg=1547147051

4

In America, even evil men can be considered national treasures.

[Fabulous]

Screamers (1995)

1.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/7LMy4tZggDRa31ycv5ccnPtLspV.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Brickmovieposter.jpg
By Focus Features, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2748633

Brick - (2005)

Popular movie here, so much so that it would feel superfluous to detail what it's about or who made it. The kind of noir where I like to get the whole plot down-pat so I can just sit back and enjoy the visuals, performances and soundtrack. I never get tired of watching Chinatown, and so it might be for this. Recently, after watching A Man For All Seasons I gave it an 8 - but then got pretty obsessed with it, and have since regarded it as a '10'. I feel a similar potential with Brick. Dark, beautiful and stunningly original considering it's well-trod source.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Spotlight_%28film%29_poster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47575397

Spotlight - (2015) - Rewatch

This film didn't really click with me when I first watched it as a 'Best Picture' Oscar movie - but I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around. Maybe it was because all the pressure was taken off, and I wasn't expecting too much. Perhaps I should give The Post another shot now.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Sunday_Too_Far_Away.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38814188

Sunday Too Far Away - (1975)

This is as Australian-film as you're ever likely to get - which might make it a little weird for non-Australian audiences to watch. I don't know. Set in the world of sheep-shearing, where the men nearly kill themselves with booze, try to kill each other with fists, and then work one of the hardest jobs there is in competition with each other. My head hurts just watching these guys. There's a kinship here that's unmatched though - except for when the shearers go on strike and reluctant union-man Foley (Jack Thompson) has to go to war on everyone's behalf. The title 'Sunday Too Far Away' comes from the Shearer's Wife's Lament - "Friday he’s too tired, Saturday too drunk, And Sunday, he’s too far away.” The first film made by the nascent South Australian Film Corporation. Lovingly directed by Ken Hannam - this is a pure film experience and probably best experienced on the big screen. A classic.

9/10

[xSookieStackhouse]

Amazing cast. Hoping this movie is not as stupid as it looks.



Never seen a Jason Statham movie & I never will.

well to me its an okay movie it mix with pirates of the Caribbean and the mummy vibes

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f2/Jolt_poster.jpeg/220px-Jolt_poster.jpeg

2.5

SF = Zzz


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

[capitano]

Hmm...
I'm watching Dumb and Dumber (1994) now, but haven't finished it yet. I'll type when I'm done. :D

[OnlyTry]

Recently I saw two parts of Mad Max, two were IMO better - after that, I saw her as the last one.
Certainly, Mad Max is an icon of his time, it has a unique atmosphere - which has been transferred to pop culture.
For example, one of my favorite games is Fallout - which draws a lot of money from the Mad Max universe. The film is suspenseful and slightly exaggerated. There are twists and turns, and there are touching moments. The brilliant performance of Mel Gibson and an unforgettable atmosphere, where all items were covered with dust and the smell of the wasteland was flowing from the screen.
Strong 8/10https://olamundo.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/mel-gibson-mad-max-2-1160x773.jpg

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWY3N2EyOWYtNDVhZi00MWRkLTg2OTUtODNkNDQ5ZTIwMGJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxODk2OTU@._V1_.jpg



3rd Re-watch...it's not my favorite Woody Allen film, but I do think it's his masterpiece. Woody has won 3 Oscars for screenplays and 1 for directing and I think his screenplay and direction for this film is better than his work that won Oscars. As always, he pulls superb performances from his cast with standout work from Martin Landau and Alan Alda.

4.5

[Fabulous]

Stepmom (1998)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/dIG9Gz8zAYaTYiAfPLijkfVoHio.jpg

[Whammy]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79803

rating_4_5

Crimson Peak really surprised me. I knew beforehand that it was a gothic horror of which I am not usually a fan. I don't really care for the costumes, the dialogue, or the big bulky houses. I had also read that it is a psychological horror. I disagree, it's actually just a ghost story, nothing psychological about it. The only reason I gave this a shot is because it was directed and co-written by Guillermo del Toro and I have enjoyed other work by him, such as Pan's Labyrinth and The Orphanage. I now have a third movie of his to add to that list and am looking forward to more.

[John W Constantine]

The Discreet Charm of the Burgeoisie - 1972

4

[ueno_station54]

I've watched almost nothing in the past couple of months that wasn't for the HoF so I guess I'll post the handful of things I've seen that were unrelated to that.

Behindert (Stephen Dwoskin, 1974) rating_4_5
Slap Shot (George Roy Hill, 1977) rating_2_5
Gumby: The Movie (Art Clokey, 1995) rating_2_5
The Black Pirate (Albert Parker, 1926) rating_3
Skinwalker Ranch (Devin McGinn) rating_1_5

Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg, 1988) rating_3_5
High Life (Claire Denis, 2018) rating_3
Air Conditioner (Fradique, 2020) rating_4
Pig (Michael Sarnoski, 2021) rating_2

[mark f]

Escape from the Bronx (Enzo G. Castellari, 1983) 2 5/10
The Operative (Yuval Adler, 2019) 2.5 5.5/10
Combat Squad (Cy Roth, 1953) 2 5/10
Limbo (Ben Sharrock, 2020) 3 6.5/10
https://resizing.flixster.com/GBAbpVSg7h8r9i1UsIBuCqBulBA=/740x380/v1.bjsyNTQ4NTI5O3A7MTg5Mjk7MTIwMDsxMjA1OzU5Mw
Syrian friends Vikash Bhai & Amir El-Masry find themselves in a strange situation in Scotland awaiting asylum status. Almost everything is surprising in this comedy/drama with nice human touches and cinematography.
Deluge (Felix E. Feist, 1933) 2.5 6/10
Volleyball (Foot Film) (Yvonne Rainer, 1967) 1 3/10
Jim Hanvey, Detective (Phil Rosen, 1937) 2.5 6/10
The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 (Joshua Zeman, 2021) 3 6.5/10
https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/The-Lonelist-Whale.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
The search for the mysterious, legendary 52-hertz whale is brought up to date with surprising results.
The Phantom (Alan James, 1931) 2- 5/10
The Overnighters (Jesse Moss, 2014) 3 6.5/10
The Unseen River (Pham Ngoc Lan, 2020) 2 5/10
The Last Mercenary (David Charhon, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://static.cinemagia.ro/img/resize/db/movie/30/65/977/the-last-mercenary-429127l-576x0-w-ec31eee3.jpg
Retired French spy Jean-Claude Van Damme gets involved with all kinds of craziness when his son does too.
Too Many Women (Bernard B. Ray, 1942) 2 5/10
Krabi, 2562 (Ben Rivers & Anocha Suwichakornpong, 2019) 2.5 5.5/10
Undercover vs. Undercover (Koon-Nam Lui & Frankie Tam, 2019) 2 5/10
Boys State (Jesse Moss, 2020) 3 6.5/10
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/10/17/USAT/8bcd32c8-b675-4dd9-9749-96cfc680206c-Boys_State_Photo_0102.jpg?width=660&height=349&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp
Powerful, if a bit obvious, learning process for Texas teenagers at their own political convention.
Bartkowiak (Daniel Markowicz, 2021) 2 5/10
A Father's Legacy AKA The Old Man and the Pond (Jason Mac, 2020) 2.5+ 6/10
Walk the Dark Street (Wyott Ordung, 1956) 2 5/10
In the Earth (Ben Wheatley, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://cinepop.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/in-the-earth-696x398.jpg
During a pandemic, an axe is heading for the leg of scientist Joel Fry, but who or what is wielding it? Crazy [or normal?] Wheatley film..

[Gideon58]

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/E5NCP4/monsters-ball-from-left-billy-bob-thornton-halle-berry-2001-lions-E5NCP4.jpg


3.5

[Fabulous]

The Commitments (1991)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/5P9b9aCZnO8V5Ep4NsqnjE2ExWr.jpg

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Star_Wars_The_Rise_of_Skywalker_poster.jpg

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

[GulfportDoc]

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
rating_4

In America, even evil men can be considered national treasures.
Phenomenal cinematography by the great Roger Deakins.

[Gideon58]

https://m.fzmoviesnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Here-Today-2021-HDCAM-1200x900.jpg



3

[BooBooKittyFock]

Phenomenal cinematography by the great Roger Deakins.


Was a gorgeous film. I love cinematography that uses natural lighting.

[BooBooKittyFock]

The Green Knight

https://cache.moviestillsdb.com/i/500x/caddvjon/the-green-knight-lg.jpg
https://cache.moviestillsdb.com/i/500x/spgfkvxg/the-green-knight-lg.jpg

Gorgeous film that gives a modern interpretation of the 14th century tale of “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight”. Lots of lore and “symbology” throughout the film, that seem to take on multiple stories of King Arthur and the Round Table, navigating through all the subtexts and clues I found quite hard but the overall plot is quite apparent. Would love to read more into this and give it another rewatch.

4

To live in fear or die with honor.

[Fabulous]

The End of the Affair (1999)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/qfIvAhZj9nMbQ2F4OAdiiPjr26K.jpg

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0e/Shadow_in_the_Cloud.png/220px-Shadow_in_the_Cloud.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

[Wooley]

THE GREEN KNIGHT

5

A masterpiece and the greatest Arthurian adaptation. It was worth the delay to see in theaters because, to Scorsese meme for a second, this is cinema.

I didn't realize this was out yet. I'm very intrigued and this is a story I'm a big fan of.
I had an affection for the one with Sean Connery that came out when I was young and ran on HBO when I was 12 years old.

[Fabulous]

20th Century Women (2016)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/xeawZmeVatw0lKPqvTbjzu0mXXb.jpg

[Torgo]

Torn Curtain - 2

I couldn't get into this Hitchcock spy thriller, which follows American scientist Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman) and fiancée Sarah (Julie Andrews) as they try to sneak a nuclear bomb-stifling mathematical formula out of East Germany. Speaking of formulas, all the elements are in place for a successful movie of its kind like clandestine conversations, searching for contacts, chase sequences, etc., so what's missing? Lead characters worth giving a darn about, I guess. Paul Newman seems bored and out of his element as Armstrong, and since he doesn't seem invested in the character, I couldn't be either. To be fair, Armstrong is just not that interesting and provides little to work with, so I can't fault Newman that much for his performance. As for Andrews, she's given even less to do and is essentially along for the ride. As a result, each sequence I mentioned is only entertaining in theory. The highlight, despite a heavy use of rear projection that has not aged well, is a getaway sequence on a commuter bus. The whole time, I couldn't care about whether Michael and Sarah would make it, so I was left examining what makes the sequence successful and how it compares to similar ones in other Hitchcock spy movies as if I were in a screenwriting class. The latter, though, may be the overarching problem: Hitchcock has done this movie many times before and better. I will say it is a nice-looking movie overall and while the leads disappoint, most of the supporting players do not, especially Ludwig Donath's eccentric German professor Lindt and Lila Kedrova's dramatic Countess Kuchinska. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save this from being one of Hitchcock's most middling efforts.

[GulfportDoc]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Brickmovieposter.jpg
Brick - (2005)

Popular movie here, so much so that it would feel superfluous to detail what it's about or who made it. The kind of noir where I like to get the whole plot down-pat so I can just sit back and enjoy the visuals, performances and soundtrack. I never get tired of watching Chinatown, and so it might be for this. Recently, after watching A Man For All Seasons I gave it an 8 - but then got pretty obsessed with it, and have since regarded it as a '10'. I feel a similar potential with Brick. Dark, beautiful and stunningly original considering it's well-trod source.

8/10
'Preciate the heads-up on this one. It's a very interesting production, mostly because, as you say, they were on a shoestring budget-- which of course shows. But I was impressed with what they did with what they had.

I loved the dialogue, which was oftentimes right out of the '40s & '50s noir. The idioms and slang were refreshing in contrast to the unending barrage of gutter language in most contemporary films.

And too, the story was solidly noir, despite the many sunny and outdoor locations. But for me the juxtaposition of the adult noir/mystery and the teenaged looking actors was a minor, but grating annoyance. The premise would have been easier to swallow if writer/director Rian Johnson had bumped it up to maybe college aged.

For example Gordon-Levitt as the teenaged shamus looked ridiculous with his adolescent moppy hair style. To me it really detracted from any poise or believability of his character. Also the femme fatale could not always bring off the vampy characterization that the role likely required.

I eventually turned it off at about the halfway mark, but that was probably influenced by the late hour. Still, all of the top participants in this unusual picture went on to have very successful careers. Brick was a helluva project, and very nicely done.

[Mr Minio]

mark f favorites binge:

Atlantic City, USA (1980) - 1 - Malle trying to be Altman? The film was made too late. It's a 60s film at best. But that's the point. Lancaster is way too old. He's too weak. He cannot protect Susan anymore. Old age is his curse. He wants to get back to his youth, but can he? This is his character's drama.
Olivier, Olivier (1992) - 1 - A little bit like these Japanese crazy family flicks, but the Japanese flicks are serious in the unseriousness while this one is unserious in its seriousness. Kinda good and definitely much better than Holland's latest output.
Buffet froid [Cold Cuts] (1979) - 1 - This one sure took me by surprise. I expected a rather straightforward French polar but got some absurdist nightmare à la Bunuel. It took me some time to get used to it. Just like with most Bunuel, I lick it more than I like it, but it's good.

Europa, Europa next, and then possibly anything else that I haven't seen from mark's list when it's all revealed.

Eric Rohmer binge:

https://64.media.tumblr.com/4f1aac27a3dca43d8d23301c91a73895/1dd27d1b0f1b9cb5-13/s1280x1920/3e403900a9cc7a14ea671c8dfe83b8f041afab1b.png

Conte d'automne [Autumn Tale] (1998) - 1 - kinda annoying tbh and I definitely would've left that restaurant if I was that guy
Les nuits de la pleine lune [Full Moon in Paris] (1984) - 2 - congrats Rohmer, you managed to make every character reprehensible
L' ami de mon amie [My Girlfriend's Boyfriend] (1987) - 2 - them visuals are everything
Conte d'hiver [A Tale of Winter] (1992) - 2 - not great until the ending and then it's beyond great

Mamoru Oshii binge:

https://64.media.tumblr.com/8a2755043205325f08ea3934aa8cd6cf/tumblr_mp94cex5R21s4wm2co1_400.gif

ケルベロス 地獄の番犬 [StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops] (1991) - 2 - August in the Blue Gate Sonatine Kommando. Them aesthetics!
Talking Head (1992) - 2 - amazing meta film about making films; I prefer Oshii's live-action to anime!
人狼 [Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade] (1999) - 2 - narratively dense and visually satisfying but I wish the story was more ambiguous
機動警察パトレイバー the Movie [Patlabor: The Movie] (1989) - 1 - I'm not big on Mecha Anime but this wasn't half bad
機動警察パトレイバー 2: The Movie [Patlabor 2: The Movie] (1993) - 1 - better than the first one. Music, aesthetics, mood, meaning... But I can't vibe with it. :(

Manoel de Oliveira binge:

https://64.media.tumblr.com/d01d326a24b5fe4317cd34b35efb1b4b/tumblr_nyf8tfXKYx1t4u0wio2_1280.jpg

Douro, faina fluvial [Labor on the Douro River] (1931) - 2 - Oliveira is the kind of director who can make a great film at 23 as well as at 104.
Famalicão (1941) - 1 - a step-down from his debut but still a nice one
Belle toujours (2006) - 2 - a remake of a Bunuel film that nicely pays homage to the original; Piccoli is badass!
Um século de energia (2015) - 1 - de Oliveira's final film. Could've been better.
As pinturas do meu irmão Júlio [My Brother Júlio's Paintings] (1965) - 0.5 - nice paintings
A caça [The Hunt] (1964) - 2 - amazing
O Velho do Restelo [The Old Man of Belem] (2014) - 2 - Straub-Huillet done right
Porto da minha infância [Oporto of My Childhood] (2001) - 1 - not bad but he already did it better in his 80s flick

King Vidor binge:

https://64.media.tumblr.com/a3b4cfe9737a788b96ee6b28677793a8/9f839e45e62b32ee-1f/s400x600/4ad4f1b16cf6e54fcc924244aaeba05b79eae9fd.gif

The Stranger's Return (1933) - 3 - “It may be possible for Japanese directors to make films like Sternberg’s, but we can’t become the master like King Vidor who made The Stranger’s Return." - Yasujiro Ozu, 1935; you can really see how much Ozu was inspired by this film - the ending gives you the same vibes Tokyo Story does and there's that daughter... similar!
Street Scene (1931) - 2 - so amazing; the living cell of Depression Era America in film!
Hallelujah! (1929) - 1 - Kinda like Elmer Gantry but BLACK. The topic of forgiving gets lots in all this horny blue balls Nosferatu Zekiel and Chick blasting Hot Shot with a poker scenes
The Champ (1931) - 3 - the last scene is easily my least favorite in the film but everything that came before it is perfect
The Patsy (1928) - 2 - I liked her faces

Tamizo Ishida binge:

https://i.imgur.com/aGURD53.png

花ちりぬ [Fallen Blossoms] (1938) - 3 - A forgotten masterpiece! Invisible men affect the lives of women, Kinmon Incident, Ishikawa Gozaemon, Yanagiwara Byakuren; "I look back at my life as I look at a beautiful moon. Even the moon has its shadow. Why would I regret my life, even if it wasn't always happy?"
花つみ日記 [Flower Picking Diary] (1939) - 2 - this felt lesbian af and then I found out it's based on a book by a female writer who initiated lesbian romance literature genre in Japan - sweet!
むかしのうた [Old Sweet Song] (1939) - 1 - kinda flew over my head

Other films:

https://64.media.tumblr.com/30696790e7580c779be312c26f341fe9/tumblr_noomay3tVz1qicfexo1_540.gif

Dirty Dancing (1987) - 0.5 - God-awful. Would've been 0 popcorns if not for the "Rand fan gets told off" scene
The Boys in the Band (1970) - 2 - surprisingly good!
銀座化粧 [Ginza Cosmetics] (1951) - 2 - very subtle but very beautiful
The Magus (1968) - 2 - quite original; felt some fresh air on my cinephile's face
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) - 2 - WHAT IS THIS?! WHY IS IT SO GOOD?! Well, not as good as My Left Eye Sees Ghosts but a great film, nonetheless. I can't really wrap my head around it, though. At first, I thought the ghost symbolized her deceased husband and how she cannot forget him, but I think it was mentioned that she didn't really love him and low-key regretted marrying him, so that interpretation is probably not right. Then, I thought the ghost was her imagination to fight the loneliness, which would make sense why he vanished the moment she gave herself to that writer guy (it would make sense if the ghost was her not letting go of her deceased husband, too). But then the ghost never appeared again for years, which kind of makes the loneliness interpretation faulty, too, because she would think him up again if she were lonely for so many years. Oh well, maybe he really was a confounded, blasted ghost, doggone it! Some amazing lines here, and wonderful retorts. I enjoyed the off-screen sex scene and how the ghost gave up afterward, too. :)
Beast (2017) - 2 - I might've overrated it but it's very enjoyable; quite a fresh thriller/crime :)
女医の記録 [Record of a Woman Doctor] (1941) - 2 - "People like me and Ozu get films made by hard work, but Shimizu is a genius..." - Kenji Mizoguchi; I kind of get what Mizoguchi means; Shimizu's films feel very humble and genuine; he's a natural

[Whammy]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0e/Shadow_in_the_Cloud.png/220px-Shadow_in_the_Cloud.png

rating_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


I didn't enjoy this movie. Moretz was great as far as acting goes but my problem was with the character herself. Something I've seen in movies quite a bit is a woman cheating on her husband and it being justified because he's a bad guy anyway. I don't like this, it's lazy and many times seems to be added as an afterthought once the writer realizes he's made his character unlikable. Well, Maude Garrett became unlikable for me and and I didn't care what happened to her. By extension, I didn't care what happened to her child or lover. It's difficult to like a movie whose characters you do not like or care about.

I also did not really understand the gremlin. I understand that gremlin was something people said when equipment malfunctioned, I learned that in Gremlins but it was unnecessary to the plot and added nothing to the story. If the gremlin was removed from the movie completely and we just had the encounter with the Japanese fighter and subsequent equipment malfunctions due to damage, the movie would have been better.

[John-Connor]

Stray 2020 Elizabeth Lo

79827

Very well made documentary following the life of stray dogs in Istanbul. Although it did leave me with a lot of unanswered questions about the animals involved.

4

Minari 2020 Lee Isaac Chung

79828

Released August '21 over here. 'Glenn' came a long way, solid performance by Steven Yeun, last time I saw him was in Burning/Beoning where he also made quite an impression. The cinematography is well done and overall it's pretty good. Perhaps I expected a bit too much because of the Oscar hype.

3.5

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://www.joylesscreatures.com/uploads/2/4/0/6/24065305/8698711_orig.jpg


https://i1.wp.com/classicmovierev.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-Asphalt-Jungle-19502.jpg?w=480&ssl=1

The Asphalt Jungle - I keep running across movies I had heard little to nothing of but which once seen are nothing short of indispensable. I guess that might be the very definition of a classic. This is noir of course, with that genre holding an undeniable attraction for me. Both effective character study as well as compelling heist thriller the actual robbery takes a backseat to the five men involved and their personal lives and significant others. It's also an exemplary cast with top to bottom great performances and stalwart direction by John Huston. It also features debut performances from people like Strother Martin, Jack Warden and Marilyn Monroe.

From the opening scene of a dreary and overcast riverfront with a lone figure scuttling along a crooked street the movie immediately draws you in.

Sam Jaffe, in an Oscar nominated role, plays Doc Erwin Riedenschneider who has just gotten out of prison and still hopes to carry out a once in a lifetime score which he had all planned out right before the authorities sent him up. He approaches Cobby (Marc Lawrence) a bookie who in turn puts Doc in touch with shady lawyer Alonzo Emmerich (Louis Calhern). Emmerich agrees to bankroll the heist and help fence the jewels in return for a percentage. Riedenschneider then hires the rest of the gang, Louie Ciavelli (Anthony Caruso), a professional safecracker who recommends Gus Minissi (James Whitmore), the hunchbacked owner of a diner, as a getaway driver. The last member of the crew is a friend of Gus', strongarm "hooligan" Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden).

The heist itself goes according to plan until the men are surprised by a night watchman. While in the process of disarming him, Louie is accidentally shot in the stomach. From there the caper gradually and inexorably unravels as each member of the gang is hunted down by the authorities or betrayed by greedy co-conspirators. This being first and foremost a hard boiled yarn, Police Commissioner Hardy (John McEntire) throws the rulebook out the window and it's not long before the cops coerce a confession and names out of Cobby. As it turns out Emmerich is flat broke and had planned to double cross the gang, keep the jewels and leave the country. When Doc and Dix show up at the apartment where the lawyer keeps his mistress Angela Phinlay (a young Marilyn Monroe in one of her first roles), they're surprised to find private detective Bob Brannom (Brad Dexter) waiting with a gun. Doc had suspected Emmerich of duplicity and had shared his misgivings with Dix. Dix manages to shoot and kill Brannom but not before being wounded himself. After confronting Emmerich and instructing him to contact the insurance company and arrange a settlement for the return of the jewels the two men go on the run while being hounded by a citywide manhunt. They eventually take refuge with Dix's longtime acquaintance and wannabe girlfriend Doll Conovan (Jean Hagen). After turning down Doc's offer of half the jewels the two men separate and Doc is eventually caught on the outskirts of town when he stops to ogle a young girl dancing to a restaurant jukebox. His character is portrayed as being erudite and professional to the core but he also has a weakness for women which ultimately leads to his downfall.

Which leaves the character of Dix Handley who is introduced and setup as being a mindless thug but actually turns out to be the star of the film and surprisingly ends up the moral center of the story. He confides to Doll that his one dream is to go home to Kentucky and buy back the horse farm that his family once owned but ultimately lost. With that as his finish line he sets out accompanied by Doll, who refuses to abandon the wounded and doomed Dix. And what a transcendent sendoff he's given. A memorable and elegiac ending to a surprising character and to a magnificent example of film noir.

rating_4_5

[Fabulous]

50 First Dates (2004)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/dNkGQu4EQiXZwbM5IrrUqXUUiCl.jpg

[matt72582]

Marvin & Tige - 7.5/10


I saw this years ago on Prime, and loved it. John Cassavetes runs into an 11-yr old black boy who wants to commit suicide. If you wanna know more, check out the movie. It's now on Tubi. I know my score probably went a half point down because of the disruptions, but its still good. Very minimalist.


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

[Fabulous]

Colette (2018)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/p2u6k1iLRzR2flTnG7kylYb7lN1.jpg

[Takoma11]

I just watched the original theatrical cut (I think?) of Blade Runner for the first time and

WOW

That voice-over is TERRIBLE. Just so bad. And while the beginning voice over is just intrusive and dumb, the one at the end actively makes the scene much, much worse. You go from this beautiful speech and visual moment to "Well, I guess I'll never know why he saved me. . . . ".

And then the slow jazz playing over them driving away--with additional voice-over!--like some horrible Toyota commercial.

Woof.

[Wyldesyde19]

I just watched the original theatrical cut (I think?) of Blade Runner for the first time and

WOW

That voice-over is TERRIBLE. Just so bad. And while the beginning voice over is just intrusive and dumb, the one at the end actively makes the scene much, much worse. You go from this beautiful speech and visual moment to "Well, I guess I'll never know why he saved me. . . . ".

And then the slow jazz playing over them driving away--with additional voice-over!--like some horrible Toyota commercial.

Woof.
Yep. A cautionary tale of what happens when a studio interferes. Although I’m not as. bothered by the voice over narration as some.
I think there is something like 4 versions of it? And the final cut is supposedly the definitive version that most seem to appreciate the most.
At some point, I’ll have to watch it.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I just watched the original theatrical cut (I think?) of Blade Runner for the first time and

WOW

That voice-over is TERRIBLE. Just so bad. And while the beginning voice over is just intrusive and dumb, the one at the end actively makes the scene much, much worse. You go from this beautiful speech and visual moment to "Well, I guess I'll never know why he saved me. . . . ".

And then the slow jazz playing over them driving away--with additional voice-over!--like some horrible Toyota commercial.

Woof.
"Sushi. That's what my ex-wife used to call me. Cold fish."

[Takoma11]

Yep. A cautionary tale of what happens when a studio interferes. Although I’m not as. bothered by the voice over narration as some.
I think there is something like 4 versions of it? And the final cut is supposedly the definitive version that most seem to appreciate the most.
At some point, I’ll have to watch it.

I thought that it was poorly written, not well-delivered, and unbearably loaded with needless exposition.

Like, I cannot overstate how shocking it was after seeing the film without it. I've read about it, obviously, but I hadn't expected to be so put off by it.

[Takoma11]

"Sushi. That's what my ex-wife used to call me. Cold fish."

Sorry, I've decided to move into the denial stage of my feelings about this and I have no idea what you are referencing.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I thought that it was poorly written, not well-delivered, and unbearably loaded with needless exposition.

Like, I cannot overstate how shocking it was after seeing the film without it. I've read about it, obviously, but I hadn't expected to be so put off by it.
Ford didn't want to do it and it wasn't a part of the original script. It was tossed together and forced upon them so Ford tried to sabotage it by delivering it utterly monotonously.

They still kept it. It's bafflingly bad.

[Fabulous]

Concussion (2015)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/edKzvUYvMusauHVHybnXUpbSt95.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

Going back to 2010, to a couple of films I really liked, but haven't seen since then...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/39/Submarine_poster.jpg
By IMPAwards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31566396

Submarine - (2010) - DVD rewatch

Back in 2010 it felt to me like Richard Ayoade could do absolutely no wrong. Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Man to Man with Dean Learner, and his comedic acting as Moss in The IT Crowd made him a prominent figure that was ushering in a new era of British comedy that included figures like Peter Serafinowicz, Chris Morris and Steve Coogan. Morris had written and directed his first feature, the excellent Four Lions in 2010. So how good was Ayoade's debut? More than promising. It was good enough for Ayoade to let me down by not becoming a full-time writer/director and building a body of work - instead stretching himself thin hosting television shows, writing and providing voice-over work on various projects.

Based on a novel (as yet unpublished when it was suggested Ayoade turn it into a script and a feature film) by Joe Dunthorne, Submarine reflects the pain and triumph of first love. It's protagonist, Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is eccentric in the extreme, and has an imaginative inner world that reflects cinema. Many films are referenced - but not at the expense of a wonderful comedic timing that's exploited to the full. Tate is a pragmatist who becomes an unlikely bully and arsonist to win the girl he's attracted to - Jordana (Yasmin Paige). When Jordana's mother is diagnosed with a brain tumour and his own parents seem on the verge of splitting, Tate's life begins to spiral out of control - something he'll try all manner of ways to correct.

Great supporting roles for Noah Taylor, Sally Hawkins and Paddy Considine - not to mention some great original songs by Alex Turner - make this a very pleasant, funny film experience. It had me from the very first moment and engaged me the whole time. I'm glad I returned to it.

Special Features - A commentary by Ayoade, Joe Dunthorne and cinematographer Erik Wilson. Unfortunately all three seem to be quiet individuals who fail to inspire, but I appreciate all the film references (ie - Le Samouraï) being pointed out. Lengthy Q&A sessions which are quite funny. The full Through the Prism with Graham T. Purvis video within a movie. Interviews. Ben Stiller (executive producer) message to the crew. Deleted scenes. Extended scenes.

8/10 (but possibly 7/10)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/94/Another_year_poster.jpg
By The cover art can or could be obtained from year.html IMP Awards or Momentum Pictures., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30047133

Another Year - (2010) - Rewatch

Heartbreaking Mike Leigh film with a typically great performance by Lesley Manville. It centers on main characters Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) - two people who have their lives very much in order and are happy with how they turned out. Revolving around them are a cast of characters whose lives are a big disappointment. Ken (Peter Wight) - overweight and unfit. Ronnie - just lost his wife. Carl - Ronnie's bad-boy son. But especially Mary (Lesley Manville) - alcoholic, lonely and a life that's in complete disarray. When Mary sets her sights on seducing Tom and Gerri's son (who is half her age) her fragile friendship with Gerri becomes unglued, which in turn breaks her down to a desperately low emotional mess. It's here that the film finds it's focus and turns it from average to a very good Mike Leigh movie.

7/10 (but possibly 8/10)

[StuSmallz]

I just watched the original theatrical cut (I think?) of Blade Runner for the first time and

WOW

That voice-over is TERRIBLE. Just so bad. And while the beginning voice over is just intrusive and dumb, the one at the end actively makes the scene much, much worse. You go from this beautiful speech and visual moment to "Well, I guess I'll never know why he saved me. . . . ".

And then the slow jazz playing over them driving away--with additional voice-over!--like some horrible Toyota commercial.

Woof.Yup; I mean, I haven't watched the theatrical version since I was 13 (which was twenty years ago), back when I'd barely watched any movies in a more critical, "adult" manner, but even then, I still remember those creative decisions striking me as being lousy. Hopefully this won't put you off of watching the other, voiceover-free cuts, though, since they certainly benefit from the alterations.

[Fabulous]

A Dangerous Method (2011)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/9c77W1XZ4qGMTUYcaGbw3ZNAHOB.jpg

[Takoma11]

Yup; I mean, I haven't watched the theatrical version since I was 13 (which was twenty years ago), back when I'd barely watched any movies in a more critical, "adult" manner, but even then, I still remember those creative decisions striking me as being lousy. Hopefully this won't put you off of watching the other, voiceover-free cuts, though, since they certainly benefit from the alterations.

Oh, I've seen another version (possibly the Director's Cut?) twice and really enjoyed it. This version was horribly jarring. (I mean, it gets okay in the middle when the voiceover basically goes away, but then it comes raring back at the end).

This is the first time it's ever made sense to me that someone gave this a bad review when it came out.

[Wooley]

I just watched the original theatrical cut (I think?) of Blade Runner for the first time and

WOW

That voice-over is TERRIBLE. Just so bad. And while the beginning voice over is just intrusive and dumb, the one at the end actively makes the scene much, much worse. You go from this beautiful speech and visual moment to "Well, I guess I'll never know why he saved me. . . . ".

And then the slow jazz playing over them driving away--with additional voice-over!--like some horrible Toyota commercial.

Woof.

It's funny because for years that was the ONLY Blade Runner and I loved it. I didn't like the voice-over, I never have liked voice-over, but it was still just a really cool movie.
Then the Director's Cut was released in theaters in '92 and all our minds were blown. Oh that wasn't just a really cool movie... it was a masterpiece of cinema. How about that?
The DC is still my favorite version.

PS - There is a recurring story out there that Ford was really irritated about the voice-over decision and intentionally undermined it with his weird delivery.

[Wooley]

"Sushi. That's what my ex-wife used to call me. Cold fish."

:rotfl:

[Stirchley]

Another Year - (2010) - Rewatch

Heartbreaking Mike Leigh film with a typically great performance by Lesley Manville. It centers on main characters Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) - two people who have their lives very much in order and are happy with how they turned out. Revolving around them are a cast of characters whose lives are a big disappointment. Ken (Peter Wight) - overweight and unfit. Ronnie - just lost his wife. Carl - Ronnie's bad-boy son. But especially Mary (Lesley Manville) - alcoholic, lonely and a life that's in complete disarray. When Mary sets her sights on seducing Tom and Gerri's son (who is half her age) her fragile friendship with Gerri becomes unglued, which in turn breaks her down to a desperately low emotional mess. It's here that the film finds it's focus and turns it from average to a very good Mike Leigh movie.

7/10 (but possibly 8/10)

Terrific movie. Manville very very good.

[Stirchley]

79856

Re-watch after many years. Good movie though I had to wiki it to understand what the heck was going on. I am not good with convoluted plots.

Interesting tidbit: the 2 excellent leads - Hutton & Penn - were born one day apart in California in 1985.

79857

One does need to have seen Gomorrah the Italian series in order to understand this movie. I needed two viewings & wiki to fully understand the plot. Very good movie & I hope this means that Marco D’Amore will be returning for the final season of Gomorrah.

[Thursday Next]

The Tomorrow War (2021) - When this started, for at least half an hour I was thinking this movie can't be as bad as everyone says, there's some decent alien action stuff and then... yeah, it is as bad as everyone says. Towards the end it seemed like some of the dialogue was from a comedy parody film. Altogether it was like some strange spliced together hybrid of the scripts for several different films, none of which really worked. I did like the music, though, that belonged in a better film.
2

[ThatDarnMKS]

It's funny because for years that was the ONLY Blade Runner and I loved it. I didn't like the voice-over, I never have liked voice-over, but it was still just a really cool movie.
Then the Director's Cut was released in theaters in '92 and all our minds were blown. Oh that wasn't just a really cool movie... it was a masterpiece of cinema. How about that?
The DC is still my favorite version.

PS - There is a recurring story out there that Ford was really irritated about the voice-over decision and intentionally undermined it with his weird delivery.
Have you seen the Final Cut? I was skeptical about it but the changes between it and the DC were largely technical and it seemed to maintain the important narrative changes. Just a big official polish from Ridley Scott himself (the Director’s Cut is something of a misnomer as, if I recall correctly, it was made without his direct involvement and was merely based off notes and the Final Cut is also a proper Director’s Cut).

[GulfportDoc]

79868
The Underneath (1995)

It should be said that it took either courage or chutzpah for director Steven Soderbergh to fashion a re-make of one of the greatest of noir films, Criss Cross (1949) for his fourth film project. Re-makes however tend to pale in comparison to the originals. The Underneath is a good example of an attempt that missed the mark by a wide margin.

The screenplay by Sam Lowry and Daniel Fuchs did manage to copy the main plot points of the original: man returns to hometown; rekindles a realtionship with former lover; takes job as armored car driver: runs afoul of former lover’s secret lover; man enlists that guy to help in armored car robbery; man gets hurt; lover double crosses him; she is in turn double crossed (“criss cross”).

However the cards were reshuffled in some critical ways, both in the writing and in the mood of the picture. Soderbergh used some interesting filtering and camera angles, but his repetitive use of extreme closeups provided a rather senseless claustrophobic feel, which, combined with the laconic performance of the lead (Peter Gallagher), made the film a little incoherent and misty. The other two characters in the sordid triangle, played by Alison Elliot and William Frichtner both turned in good performances, yet the writing tended to strain credulity. There were also memorable parts for Joe Don Baker, Shelley Duvall, and the lovely Anjanette Comer.

There was a very tasty and spare music score done by Cliff Martinez, formerly of he Red Hot Chili Peppers and Captain Beefheart. Martinez has worked with Soderbergh on several films.

Gallagher, at aged 40, was a strikingly handsome actor—almost to the point of prettiness. Yet I’ve always felt that he had a limited range, and it shows here. The picture is a bit of a mess of a film, and it’s doubtful that a heftier actor could have put it over the top.

Doc’s rating: 4/10

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://images.csmonitor.com/csmarchives/2011/09/0930-movie-Review-Take-Shelter.jpg?alias=standard_900x600nc

https://s1.freebeacon.com/up/2016/04/tumblr_lyj9puy2ks1qje0bvo1_r1_500.gif


Take Shelter - Finally watched this Jeff Nichols 2011 film which followed up his impressive 2007 debut Shotgun Stories. Michael Shannon stars as quiet and devoted family man, Curtis LaForche. He has a good job on a pipeline project in Ohio and is married to Samantha (Jessica Chastain). They have a hearing impaired daughter named Hannah (Tova Stewart) and, having finally navigated their way through a morass of medical insurance regulations, the couple can finally afford a medical procedure for her. Curtis however is suddenly stricken with vivid apocalyptic nightmares that all involve thunderstorms. It's only when Curtis starts having waking nightmares that he comes to believe are hallucinations that his worst fears are realized. His mother Sarah (Kathy Baker) had abandoned her family and been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at the same age as Curtis and is currently in an assisted living facility. After seeing a doctor and a therapist and trying sedatives his nightmares continue to the point where he becomes obsessed with building onto his storm shelter. His life gradually starts to implode as he sinks into debt and alienates his boss as well as his best friend and co-worker Dewart (Shea Whigham). It's a slow moving film and Jeff Nichols takes care to keep the tension simmering at just below the boiling point. I've always been a fan of Michael Shannon ever since first seeing him in Shotgun Stories and make a point of trying to check out all his roles and he does a masterful job here. His Curtis is a man suddenly adrift and feeling precariously alone. Cut off from his wife and daughter and unable to either help himself or respond to the harbingers of doom that threaten the people he cares about the most. And always with the specter of mental illness looming over him. Jessica Chastain is oh so good in this as well. Her character is the perfect bookend for Shannon's and it's hard to imagine this having the same impact it does without her. The rest of the cast is aces. Shea Whigham is another actor I keep an eye out for and having him and Michael Shannon share the screen was a treat for any fans of Boardwalk Empire. The little girl who played Hannah is also hearing impaired and she is just as valuable an asset as the others. With this film I've watched all five of Jeff Nichols' big screen directorial projects and as far as I'm concerned there isn't a misstep among them. As with most of his films there is a bit of a twist at the end that is left open to interpretation. I'm open to believing what another viewer speculated and see it as more an uplifting benediction than a prophecy fulfilled.

rating_4

[Stirchley]

⬆️ Take Shelter is very good.

[SpelingError]

I also love Take Shelter.

[Gideon58]

https://suddenlyashotrangout.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/the-chase-poster.jpeg



3.5

[Fabulous]

The Double (2013)

4

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/sFNvHmELf07kwBQwxPN0OHGWVzF.jpg

[John-Connor]

Blue Thunder 1983 John Badham
79897
Cool throwback 80's action flick (pre Air Wolf) starring; Roy Scheider, Warren Oates, Candy Clark, Daniel Stern and Malcolm McDowell.

3+

[Wooley]

Have you seen the Final Cut? I was skeptical about it but the changes between it and the DC were largely technical and it seemed to maintain the important narrative changes. Just a big official polish from Ridley Scott himself (the Director’s Cut is something of a misnomer as, if I recall correctly, it was made without his direct involvement and was merely based off notes and the Final Cut is also a proper Director’s Cut).

I've seen and own the five versions released in 2007. The DC remains my favorite. Though I'd probably have to watch them all again to remember why. The Final Cut was, I believe made during one of the Scott's periods when he was taking one position on the Big Question of the film, which was not part of the theatrical, was only hinted at as a possibility in the DC (the way I like it), then was made almost irrefutable in the Final Cut... which he has subsequently dramatically softened his stance on. I think that's why I preferred the DC, it was more open.
Some quick research shows that the DC I saw in theaters in '92 is the Scott-approved DC not the one made without his involvement. He subsequently made the FC for 2007.

[Marco]

A Bigger Splash (2015)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c0/A_Bigger_Splash_poster.jpg
Interesting drama about a singing star (Tilda Swinton) holidaying on an Italian island with her younger, troubled boyfriend (Matthias Schoenaerts). They are joined by her ex-lover and promoter (Ralph Fiennes) and his recently discovered daughter (Dakota Johnson). The tension builds nicely, as, as well as the language barriers with the locals, the star cannot talk as she needs to allow her voice to recover.
3

[ThatDarnMKS]

I've seen and own the five versions released in 2007. The DC remains my favorite. Though I'd probably have to watch them all again to remember why. The Final Cut was, I believe made during one of the Scott's periods when he was taking one position on the Big Question of the film, which was not part of the theatrical, was only hinted at as a possibility in the DC (the way I like it), then was made almost irrefutable in the Final Cut... which he has subsequently dramatically softened his stance on. I think that's why I preferred the DC, it was more open.
Some quick research shows that the DC I saw in theaters in '92 is the Scott-approved DC not the one made without his involvement. He subsequently made the FC for 2007.
I’d heard people complain about that element when I watched it and was myself caught up in it… Until I rewatched the theatrical and the DC and realized virtually all the little things I thought Scott had added were already in place and I just hadn’t been looking for them then.

I think it pairs nicely with 2049 in keeping the ambiguity

[Marco]

The Double (2013)

4

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/sFNvHmELf07kwBQwxPN0OHGWVzF.jpg

I liked this too.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDU1N2QyMjktYzM2NC00ZDMzLWEzNTYtZDdiN2VmYWU5YWFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTM0NTU5Mg@@._V1_.jpg



3

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.daily-movies.ch%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F01%2Fdaily-movies.ch_comanche2.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Comanche Station, 1960

A man named Cody (Randolph Scott) arrives at a Comanche camp, where he trades a blanket full of goods for a woman named Nancy (Nancy Gates) who was taken in a raid. Their return to Nancy's home is complicated when the two come across another group of searchers, led by the immoral Ben Lane (Claude Akins). Lane, along with his much younger men Frank (Skip Homeier) and Dobie (Richard Rust), are interested in the award money offered for the return of Nancy.

This western is one of the many collaborations between Scott and director Budd Boetticher and writer Burt Kennedy.

Generally speaking, I thought that this was a pretty good entry in the Scott-Boetticher catalog. While not quite as compelling as my favorites, there were still enough interesting character dynamics and tense action set-pieces to more than hold my interest.

Scott plays his usual gruff-but-compassionate cowboy. In this case, he is a man whose motives for rescuing the kidnapped Nancy (along with many others he's rescued) are both personal and tragic. As with many of these Westerns, the characters are engaged in something of a "parallel romance"--Cody's emotions toward Nancy are grounded in a different relationship. It adds a lot more depth to what might typically be a "rescued damsel falls for rugged rescuer" dynamic.

The most interesting characters, though, are the villains. We learn very early that Lane intentionally led a massacre of a non-violent Native American village, slaughtering women and children along the way. Cody was one of those who advocated not only for Lane's court marshal, but openly expressed that he should be hanged for his crimes. (The fact that Lane was merely dismissed from the army for his slaughter of so many lives is its own commentary). There's a casual, almost charismatic aspect to Lane's sociopathy, and it's reflected in interesting ways in the characters of Frank and Dobie. Both men at first seem to be just simple, nice dudes, but when Lane notes that they could kill Cody and Nancy and still claim the reward, the two go along with it without much more than a remark from Frank that it seems a shame to "waste" a woman like Nancy. Dobie is maybe more reserved, but he still goes along with it.

There's an interesting discussion between Frank and Dobie, in which one of the men says that his father told him "No matter what you have to do, or who you have to do it to, make something of yourself." The idea of what it means to be a "great man" is something that is often explored in the Boetticher westerns. I always find it noteworthy that the hero--in this case Cody--is often a bit awkward, sometimes even kind of a bit of a goober. But he wouldn't kill unarmed people. In this universe, manliness is about intentions and deeds, not about being cool and unflappable in every moment.

The action scenes are also pretty thrilling and well-shot.

The only real negative for me was Nancy. The performance is fine, and the character herself is also fine, but most of the use of the character is to be stubborn at times and to serve essentially as a prize the men fight over. This wouldn't be too much of a problem, except that the character feels a bit flat compared to the other characters. The film keeps a piece of information close to the chest until the last few minutes, and yet I felt this information would have been better served if it were revealed earlier.

Overall a good little Western.

3.5

[Rockatansky]

I gotta get off (or on) my ass and get around to Boetticher's work one of these days.

[Rockatansky]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79856

Re-watch after many years. Good movie though I had to wiki it to understand what the heck was going on. I am not good with convoluted plots.

Interesting tidbit: the 2 excellent leads - Hutton & Penn - were born one day apart in California in 1985.
Leave the plot for the eggheads and bask in Penn's amazing sleazy fashion sense. *chef's kiss*

[Rockatansky]

Blue Thunder 1983 John Badham
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=79897
Cool throwback 80's action flick (pre Air Wolf) starring; Roy Scheider, Warren Oates, Candy Clark, Daniel Stern and Malcolm McDowell.

rating_3+

I understand Dan O'Bannon wrote the movie after being pissed off about loud police helicopters. Interesting critique of the increasing militarization of police undermined by lots of sweet super helicopter footage.

[Takoma11]

I gotta get off (or on) my ass and get around to Boetticher's work one of these days.

A ton of them are currently on the Criterion Channel, if that's something you have access to.

I've yet to dislike anything I've seen from him, and I've really liked a few of them.

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://www.cautionspoilers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/greenland-GREENLAND_SG_00020_v2_rgb-1024x576.jpg

Greenland - Decent enough comet-destroys-earth disaster film. Not the all encompassing turgidity of 2012 or the patented Michael Bay cheesiness of Armageddon. Still though I found it just a bit more involving than Deep Impact. The always reliable Gerard Butler stars as building engineer John Garrity. Because of his particular know-how he's been chosen by lottery to be evacuated to a secure bunker to wait out the impact of a so-called planet killing comet. He sets out with his wife Allison (Morena Bacarin) and son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) to a nearby Air Force base. This being a standard 2 hour movie the wheels have to come off at one point or another and the film wastes no time outside of some basic expository background involving John and Alison's troubled marriage and their son's diabetes. The rest is the usual people behaving badly in a crisis situation. But Butler makes for an appropriate everyman and a steady presence to help see this through to the end.

rating_3_5

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/Minari_%28film%29.png
By https://a24films.com/films/minari, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65461364

Minari - (2020)

Nice film, with a satisfying ending (for some - it was fairly open-ended,) but I couldn't quite see it up there as a film truly deserving of being called one of the best of 2020. I did think the performance from Yuh-Jung Youn was terrific however, so I agree with the Academy there. I loved her character - she seems like a nightmare for all and sundry (especially young David) when she arrives on the scene, but after a while she really endeared herself to me - to the point where I cared deeply about her during her turbulent journey through the story. It was her that lifted the movie to a '7' for me.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/Little_Women_%282019_film%29.jpeg
By https://sonypicturespublicity.com/dom/secured/title/titleFolderContainer.jsf?terrtitleId=1840, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61598613

Little Women - (2019)

This. I had two reasons for watching the 2019 version of Little Women. First and foremost, I want to get through all the Best Picture Academy Award nominated films for 2020 (that's Joker, Jojo Rabbit, Parasite, 1917, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood and this one done - a remarkable field of films.) Secondly, I've never read Little Women or seen any of the other adaptations, and I'd like to have some familiarity with it, seeing as it comes up so often. That said, it's really not my kind of thing. I was checking the run-time constantly, seeing how far I'd progressed and how long I had to go. I remember (I think it was when I went to see Parasite) seeing the trailer for this and musing about the fact that I'd never see it. Well, I've seen it now. I remember reading Wuthering Heights and thinking it was a tremendous novel, and yet I don't fancy any of the myriad screen version of that. I doubt I'll ever attempt to read Little Women though.

On a positive note - the film looks beautiful. The cinematography marvelous. A lady-orientated period drama is about as far from my favoured type of film as you can possibly get... I got negative again didn't I? I should quit now...

6/10

[Wooley]

I’d heard people complain about that element when I watched it and was myself caught up in it… Until I rewatched the theatrical and the DC and realized virtually all the little things I thought Scott had added were already in place and I just hadn’t been looking for them then.

I think it pairs nicely with 2049 in keeping the ambiguity

Yes, I think 2049 almost REFUTES The Final Cut.

[Wooley]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.daily-movies.ch%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F01%2Fdaily-movies.ch_comanche2.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Comanche Station, 1960

A man named Cody (Randolph Scott) arrives at a Comanche camp, where he trades a blanket full of goods for a woman named Nancy (Nancy Gates) who was taken in a raid. Their return to Nancy's home is complicated when the two come across another group of searchers, led by the immoral Ben Lane (Claude Akins). Lane, along with his much younger men Frank (Skip Homeier) and Dobie (Richard Rust), are interested in the award money offered for the return of Nancy.

This western is one of the many collaborations between Scott and director Budd Boetticher and writer Burt Kennedy.

Generally speaking, I thought that this was a pretty good entry in the Scott-Boetticher catalog. While not quite as compelling as my favorites, there were still enough interesting character dynamics and tense action set-pieces to more than hold my interest.

Scott plays his usual gruff-but-compassionate cowboy. In this case, he is a man whose motives for rescuing the kidnapped Nancy (along with many others he's rescued) are both personal and tragic. As with many of these Westerns, the characters are engaged in something of a "parallel romance"--Cody's emotions toward Nancy are grounded in a different relationship. It adds a lot more depth to what might typically be a "rescued damsel falls for rugged rescuer" dynamic.

The most interesting characters, though, are the villains. We learn very early that Lane intentionally led a massacre of a non-violent Native American village, slaughtering women and children along the way. Cody was one of those who advocated not only for Lane's court marshal, but openly expressed that he should be hanged for his crimes. (The fact that Lane was merely dismissed from the army for his slaughter of so many lives is its own commentary). There's a casual, almost charismatic aspect to Lane's sociopathy, and it's reflected in interesting ways in the characters of Frank and Dobie. Both men at first seem to be just simple, nice dudes, but when Lane notes that they could kill Cody and Nancy and still claim the reward, the two go along with it without much more than a remark from Frank that it seems a shame to "waste" a woman like Nancy. Dobie is maybe more reserved, but he still goes along with it.

There's an interesting discussion between Frank and Dobie, in which one of the men says that his father told him "No matter what you have to do, or who you have to do it to, make something of yourself." The idea of what it means to be a "great man" is something that is often explored in the Boetticher westerns. I always find it noteworthy that the hero--in this case Cody--is often a bit awkward, sometimes even kind of a bit of a goober. But he wouldn't kill unarmed people. In this universe, manliness is about intentions and deeds, not about being cool and unflappable in every moment.

The action scenes are also pretty thrilling and well-shot.

The only real negative for me was Nancy. The performance is fine, and the character herself is also fine, but most of the use of the character is to be stubborn at times and to serve essentially as a prize the men fight over. This wouldn't be too much of a problem, except that the character feels a bit flat compared to the other characters. The film keeps a piece of information close to the chest until the last few minutes, and yet I felt this information would have been better served if it were revealed earlier.

Overall a good little Western.

3.5

I think you have sold me on this film.

[Rockatansky]

A ton of them are currently on the Criterion Channel, if that's something you have access to.

I've yet to dislike anything I've seen from him, and I've really liked a few of them.
I'm at this weird crossroads where I want to be fiscally responsible but also support the economy, which means I do confounding things like avoid getting more streaming services while splurging on Blu-ray sales.


I spent like 100 CAD on a special edition of I Spit On Your Grave from a local video store.*Why? I don't even like the movie that much.*

[Takoma11]

I think you have sold me on this film.

I fully endorse all of the Boetticher films I've seen.

And something I kind of love about them is that because of the same actor, the same writer, the same director, and the same vibe, they sort of feel like this set of parallel universes.

Like I mentioned before, a ton of them are available on Criterion Channel. I am very fond of The Tall T and Ride Lonesome.

[Stirchley]

Leave the plot for the eggheads and bask in Penn's amazing sleazy fashion sense. *chef's kiss*

His funny little tache was very distracting.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Yes, I think 2049 almost REFUTES The Final Cut.
I don’t think the Final Cut is as definitive in its claim as you’re saying, though. I think it’s about as ambiguous as the DC, overall. 2049 maintains that level of ambiguity.

I could say each leans slightly more in the opposite direction but nothing to where they seem at serious odds with each other.

[Wooley]

I don’t think the Final Cut is as definitive in its claim as you’re saying, though. I think it’s about as ambiguous as the DC, overall. 2049 maintains that level of ambiguity.

I could say each leans slightly more in the opposite direction but nothing to where they seem at serious odds with each other.

Hmm... you may be right but I've had numerous people insist that The Final Cut clearly decides it and it is now irrefutable, so I'm used to having to just accept it and argue that it is only one version of the film.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Hmm... you may be right but I've had numerous people insist that The Final Cut clearly decides it and it is now irrefutable, so I'm used to having to just accept it and argue that it is only one version of the film.
I’ll stand by it only being as irrefutable as the DC, as the strongest piece of evidence remains the same (Unicorn dream).

Things I thought were added, like the glowing eye effect, were actually already there all the way back to the theatrical cut.

I may be wrong but I feel like TFC mostly just cleans up glaring technical issues (male stunt doubles for women are now digitally altered to not look like men in wigs) and the like. I’ll look into it again.

Also, TFC is the only one to have a gorgeous 4K UHD release so that’s a big plus in my book

[Thief]

THE MONSTER SQUAD
(1987, Dekker)
A film from the 1980s
-- recommended by Josh (from Your Next Favorite Movie Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-next-favorite-movie/id1549302963)) --

https://bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The-Monster-Squad.jpg


"Didn't you hear a word I said? These guys are dead, get a clue! Something's out there and it's killing people! And if it's monsters, nobody's going to do a thing about it except us!"



The Monster Squad follows a group of kids who band together in order to stop Count Dracula (Duncan Regehr) and his fellow monsters from taking over the world. This film was strongly recommended by my friend Josh, and as I was watching it, I couldn't stop thinking "how the hell did this film escape me in the 80s??", cause it was tailor-made to my tastes and sensibilities back then.

The film is a bit of a send-up, or homage, to the classic Universal monster films from the 1930s, as it features versions of their characters like Dracula, the Wolfman (Jon Gries), the Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay), the "Gill Man" (Tom Woodruff, Jr.), and Frankenstein's monster (Tom Noonan). Their goal is to retrieve a mysterious amulet that would allow them to somehow take over the world.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2226736#post2226736)

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWQ2OGIyZTgtZmY5MC00NzY3LTg5NDYtMjdkZjgxZmFhZTMzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTA3ODI3NDA@._V1_.jpg



4

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/eagletribune.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/92/792a78a2-5bec-5aca-80f1-22d648c02a76/5fa2e52b5f094.image.jpg

Let Him Go - I don't know if there's such a thing as Western Gothic but if there is this is surely a prime example of it. This is set in 1960's era Montana and stars Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as George and Margaret Blackledge. When the movie opens the couple has just lost their son in a riding accident and he's left a wife and young son. Their former daughter-in-law remarries local man Donnie Weboy who turns out to be an abusive stepfather to their grandson Jimmy. After they disappear in the middle of the night Margaret finds out they've gone to North Dakota to live with Donnie's family. She decides to follow them there and try to somehow get custody of her grandson which of course forces George to go along. The family turns out to be a creepy and aggressive bunch. Jeffrey Donovan plays Uncle Bill Weboy and British actress Lesley Manville is the matriarch Blanche Weboy. They live out on an isolated ranch and the first meeting with George and Margaret is steeped in implied violence. Anyone watching will be able to see that it won't end well for certain characters but the natural progression towards eventual bloodshed will still catch the viewer off guard.

I wish I could say that these were towering performances from Costner and Lane but since it's basically Lane's movie Costner isn't given much to do but play the part of sacrificial lamb. And I also wish I could say that Lane's Margaret is a sympathetic character but she isn't. I think part of that is that it's an underwritten role. She is the way she is and triggers events that eventually lead to the death of her husband and five others because ... why exactly? I know that she wants her grandson back but there's just not enough of a solid foundation provided to excuse her actions. And it doesn't help that her line readings and her affectations seem to belong in an entirely different movie. Maybe if they had provided some backstory it would have explained the character's glib delivery and clueless nature. Or maybe I completely missed the boat on this.

rating_3

[Fabulous]

Knocked Up (2007)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/lavWAUXVe7vHlKhZEGmfVLaVd4S.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/43/TheDouble2013Poster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42411368

The Double - (2013)

Well, that smashed all my expectations and made me a little giddy and excited. In a nightmarish dystopia not all that different from the one in Brazil, Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg) lives a life of unrewarded toil and expectations. His miserable existence seems on the up and up when his doppelganger appears and befriends him - but things take a turn for the decidedly worse when this twin version of himself begins to take him for everything he's worth. Based on the novella by Dostoyevsky. What a second feature from Richard Ayoade - now I feel even worse that he never took up directing films as a more permanent venture. Jesse Eisenberg is completely rehabilitated in my eyes, having enjoyed his performance(s) in this and Vivarium. I've always had a thing for bleakly dark films like this - but The Double also has the benefit of being uplifted by Ayoade's winning sense of humour - not to mention the return of actors such as Noah Taylor, Yasmin Paige, Craig Roberts, Paddy Considine and Sally Hawkins from Submarine. Also includes wonderful cameos from Chris O'Dowd and Christopher Morris. I loved this film.

8/10 - That rating may go up if it remains as good on subsequent re-viewings.

[Wooley]

THE MONSTER SQUAD
(1987, Dekker)
A film from the 1980s
-- recommended by Josh (from Your Next Favorite Movie Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-next-favorite-movie/id1549302963)) --

https://bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The-Monster-Squad.jpg




The Monster Squad follows a group of kids who band together in order to stop Count Dracula (Duncan Regehr) and his fellow monsters from taking over the world. This film was strongly recommended by my friend Josh, and as I was watching it, I couldn't stop thinking "how the hell did this film escape me in the 80s??", cause it was tailor-made to my tastes and sensibilities back then.

The film is a bit of a send-up, or homage, to the classic Universal monster films from the 1930s, as it features versions of their characters like Dracula, the Wolfman (Jon Gries), the Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay), the "Gill Man" (Tom Woodruff, Jr.), and Frankenstein's monster (Tom Noonan). Their goal is to retrieve a mysterious amulet that would allow them to somehow take over the world.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2226736#post2226736)

Many years ago there was much discussion around the fact that I absolutely loathe this movie except for the Vampire Circus poster on the wall of the kids' clubhouse. And Lazlo from Real Genius is the werewolf.

[Takoma11]

Many years ago there was much discussion around the fact that I absolutely loathe this movie except for the Vampire Circus poster on the wall of the kids' clubhouse. And Lazlo from Real Genius is the werewolf.

Wait, why did I think you loved this movie? Who is the Horrorcrammer who loves it?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/43/TheDouble2013Poster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42411368

The Double - (2013)

Also includes wonderful cameos from Chris O'Dowd and Christopher Morris. I loved this film.

I also was pleased with this one, and was more than happy with the mini IT Crowd reunion.

[GulfportDoc]

Greenland - Decent enough comet-destroys-earth disaster film. Not the all encompassing turgidity of 2012 or the patented Michael Bay cheesiness of Armageddon. Still though I found it just a bit more involving than Deep Impact. The always reliable Gerard Butler stars as building engineer John Garrity. Because of his particular know-how he's been chosen by lottery to be evacuated to a secure bunker to wait out the impact of a so-called planet killing comet. He sets out with his wife Allison (Morena Bacarin) and son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) to a nearby Air Force base. This being a standard 2 hour movie the wheels have to come off at one point or another and the film wastes no time outside of some basic expository background involving John and Alison's troubled marriage and their son's diabetes. The rest is the usual people behaving badly in a crisis situation. But Butler makes for an appropriate everyman and a steady presence to help see this through to the end.
rating_3_5
I gave it the same rating as did you. Here's my commentary:

Greenland (2020)

It's been awhile since I've watched a disaster film, and this movie turned out to be a good one.

Disaster films are tricky because they end up tending to be either unbelievable, or too schmaltzy. This one stays fairly close to what people imagine a cataclysmic comet impact might look like. And although they have the family of three dip into the emotional goo a few times, they pull up before the viewer gets sick of it.

As with most disaster films there's not much to the plot, so they must portray plenty of tension, thrills, and dread. A skyscraper foreman, John Garrity (Gerald Butler), comes home early one day to soon find out that there are mentions of a comet coming near Earth, but that it'll likely miss. Later of course the comet --which now is in several pieces-- is calculated to hit earth after all.

To the dismay of his friends and neighbors, John, his wife (Morena Baccarin), and son (Roger Floyd) have been among the chosen for relocation to a shelter in Greenland, because of John's skills. What happens between that time and to the point they make the perilous quest to Greenland makes up the entire narrative. The boy has insulin dependent diabetes, so that adds to the drama.

To the credit of excellent production design, special effects, and first rate photography the film really holds one's interest throughout. The man and wife do have good chemistry despite a slow start.

If you're a fan of good PG-13 action/thriller pictures, this one is for you. Available on Amazon, HBO (I think), and various streaming services.

Doc's rating: 7/10

[ThatDarnMKS]

THE SUICIDE SQUAD

This film is basically James Gunn pulling from his entire career, creature feature elements from Slither, tragically twisted and funny violence from Super and the stylish, musically driven blockbuster action and family of misfits from Guardians, all into a singular vision with an astounding cast and a deft handling of action and spectacle that dwarfs what he’s done before.

I’ve always been a fan, back to his Scooby Doo days. This is his masterpiece and is the best DC flick in this entire universe by a healthy margin.

5

[mark f]

Rock Paper Scissors (Jayme Laforest & Richard Yearwood, 2021) 2.5 6/10
The Nest AKA The Bewailing (James Suttles, 2021) 2- 5/10
The Hottest August (Brett Story, 2019) 2.5 6/10
The Fantasy of the Monastery (Fernando de Fuentes, 1934) 3- 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/2670bad8e1441b3ae44eb98c44876746/tumblr_pu4sadyZxk1vuts7go1_540.gifv
Trippy Mexican horror film about a haunted monastery where either the dead monks come to life or three visitors visit death for a night.
Criminally Insane (Nick Millard, 1975) 2 5/10
Mimi (Laxman Utekar, 2021) 2.5 6/10
The Connection AKA La French (Cédric Jimenez, 2014) 3 6.5/10
F9 (Justin Lin, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://media0.giphy.com/media/34PNpyzmgf9s5itWw0/giphy-downsized-large.gif?cid=6c09b952aca7938dbb1bdbb128286df43f339b9fbdcd86b3&rid=giphy-downsized-large.gif&ct=g
F & F gang do their standard over-the-top stuff.
Inspector Hornleigh (Eugene Forde, 1939) 2.5 6/10
All Hands on Deck (Guillaume Brac, 2020) 3- 6.5/10
London Belongs to Me AKA Dulcimer Street (Sidney Gilliat, 1948) 2.5 6/10
The Shepherds of Calamity (Nikos Papatakis, 1967) 3 6.5/10
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lxLioDG2iiI/V1a7Uk3xoyI/AAAAAAAAcS8/KWbcYNixLJQ27p6YjP-4Uuf9Q64dgj1_gCLcB/s640/Nikos%2BPapatakis%2B-%2BOi%2Bvoskoi%2B%2528Les%2Bpatres%2Bdu%2Bdesordre%252C%2BThe%2BShepherds%2Bof%2BCalamity%252C%2B196 7%2529%2B%2B%25285%2529.png
Doomed Greek romance allegorically parallels the 1960s coup.
Walking with Herb (Ross Kagan Marks, 2021) 2.5 5.5/10
Amy and Peter Are Getting Divorced (April Moreau, 2021) 2 5/10
La revue des revues (Joe Francis, 1927) 2.5 6/10
Jungle Cruise (Jaume Collet-Serra, 2021) 3 6.5/10
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/43400000/-The-Rock-Emily-Blunt-Disney-s-Jungle-Cruise-dwayne-the-rock-johnson-43429616-640-387.gif
Scientist Emily Blunt enlists riverboat captain Dwayne Johnson to search for a legendary medicinal plant in the Amazon.
Treasure Island (Guillaume Brac, 2018) 2.5 6/10
Gebo and the Shadow (Manoel de Oliveira, 2012) 2 5/10
Men & Chicken (Anders Thomas Jensen, 2015) 2.5 6/10
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong (Gary Giddins & Kendrick Simmons, 1989) 3.5 7/10
https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/satchmothelifeoflouisarmstrong1989.480422.jpg?w=900
Biography filled with rare photos, movies, TV clips and numerous interviews.

[Fabulous]

Side Effects (2013)

4

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/xddVC1kH4fm7KmYJFrfNByyMNnG.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/43/Stonedmp.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8850280

Stoned - (2005)

Having just finished reading the Brian Jones biography Who Killed Christopher Robin? I couldn't resist watching Stoned - a film that was already on my watchlist. Unfortunately it's a rather uninspiring affair. Leo Gregory lacks any of the charisma the founding member of The Rolling Stones had. Paddy Considine plays the last man to ever see Brian alive, builder and minder Frank Thorogood - but their relationship in the film is overstated. They appear to be firm friends and close, while everything I've read describes Thorogood antagonizing and physically intimidating Brian from the get-go - trying to squeeze every dollar out of the musician that he can. Furthering the let-down is an absence of Rolling Stones music which they either couldn't afford or the band refused to let them use.

It looks like they may have filmed some scenes at Cotchford Farm - Brian's very famous residence which had earlier been occupied by Winnie-the-Pooh creator A.A. Milne, including the statue of Christopher Robin. If not, then I'm impressed by it's recreation. Some scenes hit the mark - but the issues with the film I've outlined above make it flaccid - a word that is about as far from the real Brian Jones as to make it the ultimate antonym to any word you might use to describe him.

4/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/Brokeback_mountain.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13151442

Brokeback Mountain - (2005) - DVD rewatch

Watched this again for the first time since it was released all those years ago. It still holds up very well, especially the performance from Heath Ledger. Lost out on the Best Picture Oscar to Crash - which isn't even the best movie with the title Crash, let alone better than Brokeback Mountain. Votes may have been siphoned by the equally good Good Night, and Good Luck. Anyway, this is a glorious love story with breathtaking vistas and a beguiling soundtrack.

Special Features : Four short docos, during which some interview answers and moments repeat themselves. The movie speaks for itself.

9/10

[xSookieStackhouse]

5
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/pv-target-images/e8cc4e53fbc503f6c653a995b8121a7c3b941cd9b9ee59c19d509a9f66cfc33f._RI_V_TTW_.jpg

[Stirchley]

80006

Sweet thoughtful movie. I enjoyed it. Huge fan of Mike White who wrote & directed.

[Thursday Next]

Jungle Cruise (2021)

I think a blockbuster movie is a bit like a theme park ride, really, and Disney are in the business of theme parks and movies so it makes a lot of sense to combine the two. This movie does exactly what it says on the tin. There's absolutely nothing new or groundbreaking here - this could have been made pretty much anytime in the past 30 years. But in a way, that old-fashioned adventure charm is exactly the appeal. It's certainly why I went to see it. I ate my popcorn and I enjoyed it very much.

3+

[Wooley]

Wait, why did I think you loved this movie? Who is the Horrorcrammer who loves it?



The person I crossed swords with constantly. But I can't remember which of us.

[Wooley]

THE SUICIDE SQUAD

This film is basically James Gunn pulling from his entire career, creature feature elements from Slither, tragically twisted and funny violence from Super and the stylish, musically driven blockbuster action and family of misfits from Guardians, all into a singular vision with an astounding cast and a deft handling of action and spectacle that dwarfs what he’s done before.

I’ve always been a fan, back to his Scooby Doo days. This is his masterpiece and is the best DC flick in this entire universe by a healthy margin.

5

Wow.
I was gonna skip it entirely because it just looks so ridiculous and of course its predecessor was one of the worst big-budget, financially successful movies I've ever seen.
Now I have to consider this.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Wow.
I was gonna skip it entirely because it just looks so ridiculous and of course its predecessor was one of the worst big-budget, financially successful movies I've ever seen.
Now I have to consider this.
If you like James Gunn, I can’t see you not liking this. Outside of his own films, it’s basically like if Dirty Dozen, Escape From New York and Troma’s War got tossed in a blender.

The first was a train wreck and it’s embarrassing seeing how they’re butchered it, trying to make it like Gunn’s Guardians. Especially in seeing what happens when they actually get Gunn to do it himself.

[Captain Terror]

I watched two directed by Vernon Zimmerman, both of which featured an unexpected name in the credits:

80013

Unholy Rollers (1972)
A while back I watched Kansas City Bomber, which starred Raquel Welch as a roller derby-ist (?) derby-er? a roller derby person.
This was made the same year, and has basically the same plot- Pretty lady joins the team and must prove herself to the other players, etc. But this is a Roger Corman production so it's decidedly more crass. More boobs, more gay jokes, more cussing. A gropey doctor giving physical exams played for laughs, etc. Fine if you're in the mood for such goings-on, but Kansas City Bomber is better.
Surprise name in the credits: MARTIN SCORSESE, EDITOR !

80014
Deadhead Miles (1972)
This is mostly a standard "trucker hauling illegal goods and dodging Smokey" story, but with a kind of meandering vibe to it and featuring an idiosyncratic performance from Alan Arkin. Not for everybody, but I was into it.
Surprise name in the credits: TERENCE MALICK, SCREENPLAY !

[Captain Terror]

ps-- I should point out that I haven't seen any of the films that Malick has directed, but I have seen Deadhead Miles. I think I might be doing this wrong.

[kgaard]

ps-- I should point out that I haven't seen any of the films that Malick has directed, but I have seen Deadhead Miles. I think I might be doing this wrong.

Or maybe you’re the only one doing it right.

[doubledenim]

Wow.
I was gonna skip it entirely because it just looks so ridiculous and of course its predecessor was one of the worst big-budget, financially successful movies I've ever seen.
Now I have to consider this.

If you’re not a fan of the genre, you can skip this one. Pales in comparison to Guardians. It’s not a bad movie, but you can tell he was too interested in seeing how many characters he could kill off “just because “.

[re93animator]

The Fantasy of the Monastery (Fernando de Fuentes, 1934) rating_3- 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/2670bad8e1441b3ae44eb98c44876746/tumblr_pu4sadyZxk1vuts7go1_540.gifv
Trippy Mexican horror film about a haunted monastery where either the dead monks come to life or three visitors visit death for a night.


Where did you find this one Mark? It looks like my cup of grim.

[Captain Terror]

Where did you find this one Mark? It looks like my cup of grim.

It's on the Criterion Channel this month

[PHOENIX74]

80013

Unholy Rollers (1972)
A while back I watched Kansas City Bomber, which starred Raquel Welch as a roller derby-ist (?) derby-er? a roller derby person.
This was made the same year, and has basically the same plot- Pretty lady joins the team and must prove herself to the other players, etc. But this is a Roger Corman production so it's decidedly more crass. More boobs, more gay jokes, more cussing. A gropey doctor giving physical exams played for laughs, etc. Fine if you're in the mood for such goings-on, but Kansas City Bomber is better.
Surprise name in the credits: MARTIN SCORSESE, EDITOR !

Yeah, Martin Scorsese also directed Roger Corman's Boxcar Bertha in 1972, a film I saw a couple of months ago. He showed his first cut to John Cassavetes, who told him it was great, but also exploitation garbage and that Scorsese was so much better than that - he went on to prove Cassavetes right.

[Fabulous]

Ironweed (1987)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/yF4WfkHwvA2N8SL9a0GTbttG7Q.jpg

[Thief]

Many years ago there was much discussion around the fact that I absolutely loathe this movie except for the Vampire Circus poster on the wall of the kids' clubhouse. And Lazlo from Real Genius is the werewolf.

Aww, but why? It was a lot of fun :D

[Wyldesyde19]

Monster Squad is fun, but it’s more of a guilty pleasure then anything.

[Thief]

I don't believe in "guilty pleasures".

[Wooley]

I don't believe in "guilty pleasures".

Me either. If you like something you like it. No reason to feel guilty.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/Sicario_poster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46727168

Sicario - (2015) - Rewatch

Excellent film. Love director Denis Villeneuve's stuff. Love screenwriter Taylor Sheridan's stuff. Love cinematographer Roger Deakins' stuff. Great score from Jóhann Jóhannsson. Great performances from Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin. All comes together for a powerful film about the war against drug cartels and how they should be fought, which forces an internal debate. Do the ends justify the means?

8/10

[Fabulous]

Bull Durham (1988)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/6N852AJyrSV1noX9odRyoZQthcN.jpg

[Siddon]

https://www.regmovies.com/static/dam/jcr:980255ec-4e47-49bd-8b42-4b4068e72f30/TheSuicideSquad-Regal-Reel-TitleImage.jpg

The Suicide Squad (2021)

James Gunn does it again with The Suicide Squad a retooling of a failed film from 5 years ago. Out with the old in with the new, 4 characters from the orginial return (Waller, Flagg, Captain Boomerang, and Quinn) and Deadshot is basically redone as Blood Sport. Though the difference being Deadshot felt like Will Smith in a costume while Blood Sport is an actual realized three dimensional character. One of the many reasons why the 2021 film is superior to the 2016 version.

The Suicide Squad even succeeds where GOTG failed. If you watch GOTG you know that it has a Middle Eastern political structure in the sense that Ronan is basically ISIS, and that the GOTG are basically meant to represent different corners of the geopolitical landscape. It's overtly complicated and not given time so it takes a bit to get it and even then...it's labored. The Suicide Squad has no labor's the political elements are front and center. You have scenes in this film that are straight out of Bananas (1971)...and done very well.

Based on the trailers you assume King Shark is going to be the star of the film but really, Sebastian, Ratcatcher II, and Polka Dot Man are all much more effective in the film. Taika Waititi's has really one scene in the film and he just nails I almost teared up. As a Kaiju film Starro looked great everything was in daylight which is important events were hidden with rain or shadows or speed like in other DC films.

My only criticisms with the film is that they had several opportunities to elevate the film into a BP candidate. Bloodsport could have had a powerful death scene at one point near the end but sadly they let him live for the denouncement. The other thing with Harley Quinn Harley's subplot is the dictator wants to take her as his wife, Margot could have and likely should have gone nude. Nudity is in the film including full frontal male nudity which is going to be a shock for the kiddies, but the women in the film are definitely de-sexualized. While at the end of the day it won't get Oscar consideration...I do expect it to show up on top ten lists.

rating_4_5

[Gideon58]

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/eagletribune.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/92/792a78a2-5bec-5aca-80f1-22d648c02a76/5fa2e52b5f094.image.jpg

Let Him Go - I don't know if there's such a thing as Western Gothic but if there is this is surely a prime example of it. This is set in 1960's era Montana and stars Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as George and Margaret Blackledge. When the movie opens the couple has just lost their son in a riding accident and he's left a wife and young son. Their former daughter-in-law remarries local man Donnie Weboy who turns out to be an abusive stepfather to their grandson Jimmy. After they disappear in the middle of the night Margaret finds out they've gone to North Dakota to live with Donnie's family. She decides to follow them there and try to somehow get custody of her grandson which of course forces George to go along. The family turns out to be a creepy and aggressive bunch. Jeffrey Donovan plays Uncle Bill Weboy and British actress Lesley Manville is the matriarch Blanche Weboy. They live out on an isolated ranch and the first meeting with George and Margaret is steeped in implied violence. Anyone watching will be able to see that it won't end well for certain characters but the natural progression towards eventual bloodshed will still catch the viewer off guard.

I wish I could say that these were towering performances from Costner and Lane but since it's basically Lane's movie Costner isn't given much to do but play the part of sacrificial lamb. And I also wish I could say that Lane's Margaret is a sympathetic character but she isn't. I think part of that is that it's an underwritten role. She is the way she is and triggers events that eventually lead to the death of her husband and five others because ... why exactly? I know that she wants her grandson back but there's just not enough of a solid foundation provided to excuse her actions. And it doesn't help that her line readings and her affectations seem to belong in an entirely different movie. Maybe if they had provided some backstory it would have explained the character's glib delivery and clueless nature. Or maybe I completely missed the boat on this.

rating_3
I enjoyed this film, rated it slightly higher than you did. Have never enjoyed Diane Lane onscreen as much as I did here.

[Thief]

YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT
(2020, Koepp)
A film with the word "Left" in its title
-- recommended by VHUS_Podcast (https://vh-us.com/) --

https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2521_D028_00145R2.jpg?w=780


"People have always stayed in that house. Some don't leave. The right ones usually find the place. Or perhaps it's the other way around. The place finds them."



You Should Have Left follows Theo Conroy (Kevin Bacon), a retired banker that decides to take a break in a secluded rent-a-house in Wales. In for the ride are Theo's young wife, Susanna (Amanda Seyfried) and young daughter, Ella (Avery Essex). But as is expected, shortly after arriving, weird occurrences start happening around the house, lights turning on and off, shadows in the corners, doors in places where they shouldn't be.

As the film progresses, Theo finds himself more tormented by these incidents, while his relationship with Susanna starts to crumble because of the insecurity and paranoia, as well as the weight of past secrets. Despite what might seem like a tired premise, the setup is intriguing and there are some solid scares and eerie moments. Unfortunately, as is usual with this kind of films, it kinda crumbles as it falls victim to tropes and cliches while also trying to explain too much.

Grade: 2.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2227898#post2227898)

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/Friends_The_Reunion_poster.jpg



4.5

[Allaby]

Lash of the Penitentes (1936) also known as The Penitentes Murder Case. I bought this on blu ray today. It only has 41 total votes on imdb. It's a strange film, mixing documentary type footage with a murder mystery in a low budget exploitation format. The film is flawed and could have benefited from better directing and writing. There are some cool moments and interesting elements here. Not a great film, but I kind of liked it, in its own odd way. My rating is a 3. Anyone else here seen it?

[Raven73]

7.5/10.
I loved the atmosphere of it and the cinematography. Not sure I fully understood it. The movie reminded me a bit of Beowulf (2007), but with even more symbolism and mystery.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/09/The_Green_Knight_poster.jpeg/220px-The_Green_Knight_poster.jpeg

[Captain Terror]

Lash of the Penitentes (1936) also known as The Penitentes Murder Case. I bought this on blu ray today. It only has 41 total votes on imdb. It's a strange film, mixing documentary type footage with a murder mystery in a low budget exploitation format. The film is flawed and could have benefited from better directing and writing. There are some cool moments and interesting elements here. Not a great film, but I kind of liked it, in its own odd way. My rating is a 3. Anyone else here seen it?

I've not heard of that but just checked out the trailer and it looks like a hell of a thing. :up:

[Fabulous]

Heaven's Gate (1980)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/tOUuPbywu4CW9ktyENijSxdJ5IZ.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/Dark_City_poster.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/1998/dark_city_ver1.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26455017

Dark City - (1998) - Rewatch

First time I've seen this since I saw it at the cinema late last century. I remember really liking it, and the film being pretty well received. Takes place in a world created by the minds of alien beings - experimenting with us to see how we tick. Underneath all of that is a typical noir plot involving murders and memory. Loved seeing the underseen Richard O'Brien, but the film's lead, Rufus Sewell, is a little underwhelming. The only thing I'd seen Jennifer Connolly in to that stage was Labyrinth I think. Nice blending of genres.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/QuizShowPoster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://www.impawards.com/1994/quiz_show_ver1.htmlhttp://www.impawards.com/1994/quiz_show_ver1.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3270379

Quiz Show - (1994) - Rewatch

Always loved this movie. Seeing Ralph Fiennes' real-life character Charles Van Doren's fall from grace always got to me. Nearly another Best Director Oscar for Robert Redford, and I'd rate this film as better than Ordinary People. John Turturro is a blast as Herb Stempel - is he redeemed by film's end? I mean, he takes pity on Van Doren, despite pushing his way into the Congressional Hearing hoping to see him fall. Considering the state of television (especially after the arrival of 'reality' TV) today, this film still has a lot to say.

7/10

[paranoid android]

King Kong (2005)



8.5/10

Recently picked up the 4K. Wife hadn't seen it and I hadn't seen it since it came out in 05. Holds up well. Especially well when put next to the steaming pile that was Kong: Skull Island. **** I'd rather watch 98 Godzilla on repeat for a week straight than attempt to sit through that again.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjYxYmRlZWYtMzAwNC00MDA1LWJjNTItOTBjMzlhNGMzYzk3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg

[Wooley]

King Kong (2005)



8.5/10

Recently picked up the 4K. Wife hadn't seen it and I hadn't seen it since it came out in 05. Holds up well. Especially well when put next to the steaming pile that was Kong: Skull Island. **** I'd rather watch 98 Godzilla on repeat for a week straight than attempt to sit through that again.


That movie did suck but can any movie suck that much?

[Takoma11]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/Dark_City_poster.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/1998/dark_city_ver1.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26455017

Dark City - (1998) - Rewatch

First time I've seen this since I saw it at the cinema late last century. I remember really liking it, and the film being pretty well received. Takes place in a world created by the minds of alien beings - experimenting with us to see how we tick. Underneath all of that is a typical noir plot involving murders and memory. Loved seeing the underseen Richard O'Brien, but the film's lead, Rufus Sewell, is a little underwhelming. The only thing I'd seen Jennifer Connolly in to that stage was Labyrinth I think. Nice blending of genres.

6/10

I really, really like Dark City. There's a great commentary by Roger Ebert on the DVD I own, and that is also a delight. To me, this is one of the best integrations of sci-fi and noir.

[SpelingError]

Hot take:

Dark City > The Matrix

[matt72582]

Metropolitan - 7/10
Finally saw a good movie. This had a good feel, and I respect any guy who directs and writes their movie. And it's a newer movie, so if I liked it, chances are you will too. But now that I think about it, those threads John Connor started (yearly favorite movies of 1990, etc), I noticed no one listed the movies I liked, so I guess my tastes are a bit unorthodox.


I thought the lead actor, Edward Clements was good and likable, so I wanted to see if there were any available movies with him in it, but after playing a crew member in a movie the year after, he never did another movie again.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/45/Metropolitan-poster.jpg

[Thief]

Hot take:

Dark City > The Matrix

I agree. Saw both back in the day and have been saying it since.

[Takoma11]

Hot take:

Dark City > The Matrix

I also prefer Dark City.

But I also feel as though, despite some really obvious similarities, one of them is a sci-fi/action/thriller and the other is a sci-fi/thriller/mystery.

I think that, in their own ways, they are different films with different aims, and I think that each succeeds at its own goals. (I just happen to find the goals and execution of Dark City more than those of The Matrix).

[WHITBISSELL!]

I enjoyed this film, rated it slightly higher than you did. Have never enjoyed Diane Lane onscreen as much as I did here.There were quite a few reviews that mentioned Costner and Lane's performances so you're not alone. Like I said, I may have missed the boat.

https://c.tenor.com/bkL3_q_U-n0AAAAC/bye-bye-kids.gif

[paranoid android]

Hot take:

Dark City > The Matrix


Yeah I would agree with this. The noir look, tone, and mystery all put it just ahead of The Matrix for me. I've also watched it many many more times. Both solid 8.5's from me though.


How about:


World on a Wire vs Dark City vs The Matrix?

[Fabulous]

Elizabeth (1998)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/cCzvJ95pEB1I5cUX7Zjfl606noN.jpg

[mark f]

English Without Tears AKA Her Man Gilbey (Harold French, 1944) 2.5 6/10
Sin (Don Tjernagel, 2021) 2 5/10
Just My Luck (John Paddy Carstairs, 1957) 2.5 5.5/10
The Suicide Squad (James Gunn, 2021) 3 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/9a31c4ed8872dd5d3076336e34ba5935/f9184a3f7c1d2134-9d/s540x810/22f1041e5fdd62aa01edae8245cf5213104d32e7.gifv
Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) shows off her moves.
The Naughty Ones (Vojislav 'Kokan' Rakonjac, 1967) 2.5 6-/10
Aftermath (Peter Winther, 2021) 2 5/10
The Swarm (Just Philippot, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
Val (Leo Scott & Ting Poo, 2021) 3.5- 7/10
https://livegeneralnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/1628341872_hqdefault.jpg
Unable to talk properly due to throat cancer, Val Kilmer reminisces about his life and career.
Scheme Birds (Ellinor Hallin & Ellen Fiske, 2019) 2.5 5.5/10
The Legion of Missing Men (Hamilton MacFadden, 1937) 2 5/10
Found. (David Alford, 2020) 2.5+ 6/10
Style Wars (Tony Silver, 1983) 3 6.5/10
https://i-likeitalot.com/wp-content/gallery/late-1970s-early-1980s-hip-hop-culture-new-york/tumblr_mt0mi6ddtu1sn8ziso1_1280.jpg
Presentation of NYC's feelings pro and con about the current rise of graffiti and hip hop.
Meander (Mathieu Turi, 2020) 2.5 6/10
The Vampire Happening (Freddie Francis, 1971) 2 5/10
The Club (Pablo Larraín, 2015) 2.5 6/10
Vivo (Kirk DeMicco & Brandon Jeffords, 2021) 3- 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/d0027c6569efbf82494fc022122b17b1/e133a37b13d8a5dc-ac/s400x600/c92b9c265b3ec5c81a3f7c61171fb6448115e2bb.gifv
Cuban kinkajou Vivo (Lin-Manuel Miranda) comes to Miami to make several people's dreams come true.
Just Before Dawn (Jeff Lieberman, 1981) 2 5/10
Stray (Elizabeth Lo, 2020) 3 6.5/10
One and the Same (Felipe Cisneros, 2021) 2+ 5/10
Woodstock 99: Peace Love and Rage (Garret Price, 2021) 3+ 6.5/10
https://ic-cdn.flipboard.com/consequence.net/c91e8f86d28d5a3426babbf0a79c560f9bba3775/_medium.jpeg
Doc that paints Woodstock 99 as an apocalyptic end of an era.

[Fabulous]

New Jack City (1991)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/7nr53oeEqszkA1Sj2A3JyynIQAW.jpg

[Wooley]

Hot take:

Dark City > The Matrix

I've heard this hot take many times and, while I really like Dark City and have watched it many times, I cannot agree in the slightest.

[Wooley]

Metropolitan - 7/10
Finally saw a good movie. This had a good feel, and I respect any guy who directs and writes their movie. And it's a newer movie, so if I liked it, chances are you will too. But now that I think about it, those threads John Connor started (yearly favorite movies of 1990, etc), I noticed no one listed the movies I liked, so I guess my tastes are a bit unorthodox.


I thought the lead actor, Edward Clements was good and likable, so I wanted to see if there were any available movies with him in it, but after playing a crew member in a movie the year after, he never did another movie again.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/45/Metropolitan-poster.jpg

If you liked this I would recommend Stillman's Barcelona.

[paranoid android]

I've heard this hot take many times and, while I really like Dark City and have watched it many times, I cannot agree in the slightest.



I think The Strangers memory swapping in search of the human soul just resonated a little more in me



I would say The Matrix was definitely the far more groundbreaking film though, especially when you consider everything that has come after.


I dig both of them, though. And I'm also a bit of a defender of Reloaded and Revolutions

[jiraffejustin]

I just watched Magnolia for the first time and it might be one of the best movies I've ever seen.

[SpelingError]

I just watched Magnolia for the first time and it might be one of the best movies I've ever seen.

Yeah, it's a terrific film. I believe it cracked my top 30 a while ago, but was pushed off over time. I should rewatch it someday to see how well I respond to it.

[Wooley]

I think The Strangers memory swapping in search of the human soul just resonated a little more in me



I would say The Matrix was definitely the far more groundbreaking film though, especially when you consider everything that has come after.


I dig both of them, though. And I'm also a bit of a defender of Reloaded and Revolutions

I also dig both and I agree with your statements for the most part. I also liked Reloaded but Revolutions felt like a bit of a letdown for some reason.

[Wooley]

I just watched Magnolia for the first time and it might be one of the best movies I've ever seen.

That is a good film. That's funny because I just mentioned it in another thread even though I haven't seen it in years. Really a helluva movie.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/44/Slingbladeposter.jpg
By Impawards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8623823

Sling Blade - (1996)

I don't know what it is with me and Oscars lately. Anyway, this film heralded the arrival of Billy Bob Thornton and won him a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar (and, along with his role in A Simple Plan, one of his two nominations for acting.) This film started out as a one-man play, which was in turn adapted into a short and eventually into this lengthy film. The version I have runs for 148 minutes - above the 135 minutes listed in most places. Kudos to it for keeping me engaged until the end. The best way to describe it is as a darker kind of Forrest Gump - wherein Gump is as friendly as always but occasionally kills the odd person here and there. Only if they deserve it though. Having been released from a mental institution, Karl (Billy Bob Thornton) struggles to adapt to a life of freedom. He somewhat sees himself in a child he befriends, and that brings him into the vicinity of Doyle (Dwight Yoakam) - a man who is cruel to the kid and Karl.

Interesting, trying to figure out what makes the unusual Karl tick. I thought it was very good, but it didn't blow me away as much as it did others.

7/10

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://compote.slate.com/images/d3362851-9a48-4af6-b62b-ff58227e3493.jpeg?width=1280&rect=1558x1039&offset=2x0

https://4cljj02jkmo341op21yakkkn-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/secrets-and-lies-1996-001-brenda-blethyn-marianne-jean-baptiste-toasting-1024x666.jpg

Secrets & Lies - I hadn't seen this 1996 Mike Leigh film in years. It's about a successful London optometrist who decides to look for her birth mother after her adoptive mother dies. Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays Hortense Cumberbatch and she happens to be black. Meanwhile, Cynthia Rose Purley (Brenda Blethyn) toils away at a box factory while living in her dilapidated East London childhood home with her resentful daughter Roxanne (Claire Rushbrook). Her younger brother Maurice (Leigh regular Timothy Spall) runs a successful photography business and lives in the London suburbs with his peevish wife Monica (Phyllis Logan). Monica has never gotten along with Cynthia the result of which is that Maurice has distanced himself from his older sister. The couple are particularly fond of Roxanne though which is one of many details that will eventually be addressed.

Hortense eventually tracks down Cynthia who so happens to be white. This is the catalyst that brings together numerous separate storylines but the acting from all involved is solid and their characters engaging so it's a seamless transition. After the expected pushback from Cynthia the two women slowly ease into an amicable relationship based on their mutual loneliness. It all comes to a head after Cynthia talks Hortense, under the guise of coworker, into attending a barbecue at Maurice and Monica's home in honor of Roxanne's 21st birthday. With Hortense out of the room Cynthia can't keep her secret bottled up any longer and drops the bombshell that her so called "mate from work" is actually her daughter and Roxanne's sister. It's readily apparent that she does it not to cause strife or upset anyone but partly because of her decades long guilt and her unanticipated love for her newfound daughter. The dysfunctional family uses the somewhat unsettling news to acknowledge and eventually come to terms with long dormant issues. Admittedly that's a very clinical and dispassionate way of summarizing the third act of a very fine film filled as it is with marvelous performances and adroit direction by Mike Leigh. As far as his works go I've only seen this and Vera Drake but I did enjoy both immensely and hope to delve deeper into his catalogue.

rating_4

[paranoid android]

I just watched Magnolia for the first time and it might be one of the best movies I've ever seen.


Hah. Just yesterday I was just telling my wife she needs to see it after John C Reily came up in a conversation we were having about actors that excel in both drama and comedy. Unbelievable flick from an unbelievable filmmaker. Man, I could talk about Punch Drunk Love for days. Watch it if you haven't seen it.


PTA does no wrong

[LChimp]

https://br.web.img3.acsta.net/pictures/21/05/27/15/41/2183225.jpg

Pirates of The Caribbean anyone? Anyway, it's a very weak film. I couldn't recommend it any less.

[therapist09]

date with a stranger
7/10

[Raven73]

Dragonheart: Vengeance (2020)
7/10.
Better than I thought it was going to be, and not bad for a made-for-video movie. They used real locations and an actual symphony orchestra.
https://www.heavenofhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Dragonheart-Vengeance-Netflix-Review.jpg

[Torgo]

Django - 4

Django, a B-movie riff on Yojimbo, is as fun as spaghetti Westerns get. Granted, I'm no expert on the genre since I haven't even seen that other Yojimbo riff, A Fistful of Dollars, but how could it possibly be more fun than this one? For starters, it does not merely ape the movie that inspired it and swap feudal Japan for the Old West. Besides defying my expectations as to what would happen next on many occasions, this version has a hooker with a heart of gold, two tense heist scenes and a very deadly weapon. Franco Nero, taking a break from ninja lessons to play Django, is just as much if not more of an action star and as charismatic as Clint Eastwood. What's more, he manages to do this while carrying a giant coffin around for most of the movie. If action is what you love about Westerns, look no further. It's excessive in the best way and it has a spontaneous, short burst style that always surprises and excites. As you would expect, there is plenty of cheese to be found, especially in the dialogue. Even so, the cheese is grade A parmesan, and what goes better with…sorry, I’m getting to be too cheesy myself. Oh, and it features what may be the dingiest, most decrepit and muddiest Western town in movie history.

Mildly interesting tidbit: while I actually wanted to watch this, I chose to out of superstition because I saw three movies from 1966 in a row (Torn Curtain, Dracula: Prince of Darkness and Persona). Barring Torn Curtain, which I didn’t like, what a great year for movies, huh?

[Thief]

Mildly interesting tidbit: while I actually wanted to watch this, I chose to out of superstition because I saw three movies from 1966 in a row (Torn Curtain, Dracula: Prince of Darkness and Persona). Barring Torn Curtain, which I didn’t like, what a great year for movies, huh?

That was the year of Manos, so yeah :cool:

[Captain Terror]

Mildly interesting tidbit: while I actually wanted to watch this, I chose to out of superstition because I saw three movies from 1966 in a row (Torn Curtain, Dracula: Prince of Darkness and Persona). Barring Torn Curtain, which I didn’t like, what a great year for movies, huh?

https://media0.giphy.com/media/14y3bdRzH8aT0k/200.gif

https://64.media.tumblr.com/f661b15c24275ccde6686bbc95759d88/tumblr_pplkr5Hvuh1x6m6njo1_500.gifv

Agreed.

[Torgo]

That was the year of Manos, so yeah :cool:Haha, it is!
I see other MST3K movies Agent for H.A.R.M. and Secret Agent Super Dragon also came out that year, so it was a good year for junk, too.

[SpelingError]

Mildly interesting tidbit: while I actually wanted to watch this, I chose to out of superstition because I saw three movies from 1966 in a row (Torn Curtain, Dracula: Prince of Darkness and Persona). Barring Torn Curtain, which I didn’t like, what a great year for movies, huh?
Yeah, 1966 is easily my favorite year for film. It has a phenomenal lineup of films (Persona, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Andrei Rublev, Seconds, and The Battle of Algiers are all masterpieces in my book).

[Torgo]

Yeah, 1966 is easily my favorite year for film. It has a phenomenal lineup of films (Persona, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Andrei Rublev, Seconds, and The Battle of Algiers are all masterpieces in my book).I've been meaning to see those two. Au Hasard Balthasar is another masterpiece from that year that I recommend if you haven't seen it already. Tokyo Drifter and Sword of Doom aren't half bad, either.

[Captain Terror]

Yeah, 1966 is easily my favorite year for film. It has a phenomenal lineup of films (Persona, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Andrei Rublev, Seconds, and The Battle of Algiers are all masterpieces in my book).

Blow-Up also. :up:

[SpelingError]

Au Hasard Balthazar and Close-Up are two films I like a lot, but need to rewatch. I haven't seen Tokyo Drifter and Sword of Doom, but I'll keep an eye out for them.

[WHITBISSELL!]

Django - rating_4Granted, I'm no expert on the genre since I haven't even seen that other Yojimbo riff, A Fistful of Dollars ... :eek:

Django - rating_4Barring Torn Curtain, which I didn’t like, what a great year for movies, huh?You're like the fourth or fifth person here that has voted thumbs down on TC. I'll still give it a shot strictly out of curiosity but I'll be sure to have my thumb on the FF button. :shifty:

[Torgo]

:eek:

You're like the fourth or fifth person here that has voted thumbs down on TC. I'll still give it a shot strictly out of curiosity but I'll be sure to have my thumb on the FF button. :shifty:I hate to reduce your expectations even further, but it's the weakest Hitchcock movie I've seen. Granted, I haven't seen Topaz or Family Plot yet. I recommend following it with a Saboteur or Foreign Correspondent chaser.

[Captain Terror]

I've watched Topaz 2 or 3 times now and I just find it a chore to sit through. There's one great shot, and I could honestly just watch a 3-second gif of that moment from now on, instead of sitting through the entire film.

[WHITBISSELL!]

I hate to reduce your expectations even further, but it's the weakest Hitchcock movie I've seen. Granted, I haven't seen Topaz or Family Plot yet. I recommend following it with a Saboteur or Foreign Correspondent chaser.I really liked Family Plot. Either because of or despite it having a lot of humor. I think you'll like it too. It's certainly not boring. I've also seen and enjoyed Saboteur. Foreign Correspondent is on my Hitchcock need-to-watch list as is Topaz.

[WHITBISSELL!]

I've watched Topaz 2 or 3 times now and I just find it a chore to sit through.D'oh!

[Stirchley]

Blow-Up also. :up:

Fantastic movie. Seen it a million times.

[Stirchley]

80072

Re-watch. Made Dominic Cooper a star.

80073

The Shop on Main Street

Dark & comedic. One of the many tragic events of WWII.

80074

Not bad. Two leads very good. Did not buy Pitt as a wingman in the Royal Airforce (by way of Canada). Some silly scenes: RAF officer doing a line of cocaine at a party during WWII would never have happened.

80075

Lordy, what made me finish this movie. Would like my 90 minutes returned.

[Thief]

I hate to reduce your expectations even further, but it's the weakest Hitchcock movie I've seen. Granted, I haven't seen Topaz or Family Plot yet. I recommend following it with a Saboteur or Foreign Correspondent chaser.

I really liked Family Plot. Either because of or despite it having a lot of humor. I think you'll like it too. It's certainly not boring. I've also seen and enjoyed Saboteur. Foreign Correspondent is on my Hitchcock need-to-watch list as is Topaz.

I've never understood the issues with Family Plot. It's not top tier Hitchcock, but it's still a lot of fun.

Anyway, being the completist that I am, I'm sure I'll get to Topaz and Torn Curtain at some point. They're two of the 15 Hitchcock films I've yet to see.

[rauldc14]

I've never understood the issues with Family Plot. It's not top tier Hitchcock, but it's still a lot of fun.

Anyway, being the completist that I am, I'm sure I'll get to Topaz and Torn Curtain at some point. They're two of the 15 Hitchcock films I've yet to see.

Only 15 left? Nice work.

[SpelingError]

The only Hitchcock film I dislike is Marnie due to all its sexism. I get that Hitchcock was attempting to create another psychological thriller with complex characters. And to some extent, he achieves this as Marnie's character is well-written. With Mark though, it backfires so much. I think I see what Hitchcock was going for (i.e., protagonist who wants to help his love interest in spite of having bad morals). Mark just didn't have the same development Marnie did and it felt like he was being praised as a hero in the end in spite of him being a control freak, abuser, and a rapist. And this is a real shame because it does seem like there's a great film in there somewhere. Its script needed a ton of editing though.

[Thief]

I would say that Marnie is his most problematic film, but without condoning the actions of the characters, I still find it interesting and well made.

The ones I find more tedious are some of his silent films, especially The Farmer's Wife and Champagne.

[Siddon]

When people say they don't like XYZ Hitchcock I assume they are only starting with his talkies because his silents are terrible.

[Siddon]

Damn you Thief for your twinsies post

[rauldc14]

Young and Innocent my least favorite Hitch but I got 32 left.

[Thief]

When people say they don't like XYZ Hitchcock I assume they are only starting with his talkies because his silents are terrible.

To be honest, those two I mentioned are the only ones I find a chore to get through. The Lodger is pretty darn good, I have a soft spot for Easy Virtue, and I really enjoyed The Manxman, even if it was a bit too long. The others are more spotty, but I wouldn't call them "terrible".

[Thief]

For what it's worth, here's something I wrote (https://hubpages.com/entertainment/The-Apprentice-of-Suspense-Alfred-Hitchcocks-early-silent-films) back when I first saw most of his silent films. Since then, I've seen Downhill and The Pleasure Garden, and I've also bumped The Lodger a notch or two in my ranking.

[Thief]

Young and Innocent my least favorite Hitch but I got 32 left.

I thought Young and Innocent was breezy and fun. I think it works better when you see it within the context of the films he was making in the late 30s, which were all very similar and formulaic (in a sorta good way) spy thrillers. I find that stretch of 4 or 5 films to be very enjoyable.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTYxNTEzMTA1MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODU3MDcxMQ@@._V1_.jpg


3.5

[WHITBISSELL!]

That poster invites all kinds of questions. I only saw the upper half of it at first so before I read who the stars were I thought it was a guy in drag. And then the exact nature of "the weapon" Ali MacGraw was about to use because I've seen those kinds of vids before. And last, props to that adductor muscle on MacGraw.

[SpelingError]

I would say that Marnie is his most problematic film, but without condoning the actions of the characters, I still find it interesting and well made.

I also find it interesting and well-made, as I vaguely alluded to at the end of my post. Just not enough for those aspects to save the film.

[Wooley]

Au Hasard Balthazar and Close-Up are two films I like a lot, but need to rewatch. I haven't seen Tokyo Drifter and Sword of Doom, but I'll keep an eye out for them.

I watched Sword Of Doom last year and it made a real impression on me.

[SpelingError]

I watched Sword Of Doom last year and it made a real impression on me.

I'll have to check it out then.

[Wooley]

80075

Lordy, what made me finish this movie. Would like my 90 minutes returned.

No kidding?
Whole group of us watched it and, while it was not what we expected (or wanted, honestly) we all ended up agreeing that it was a good movie.

[Wooley]

I've never understood the issues with Family Plot. It's not top tier Hitchcock, but it's still a lot of fun.


I always get Family Plot and The Trouble With Harry (which is an old favorite that I just haven't seen in years) conflated.

[Wooley]

I'll have to check it out then.

That movie is not here to **** spiders. **** happens in like the first 10 minutes or so that sets the tone.

[GulfportDoc]

80079
Pulp (1972)

By 1972 Michael Caine had already established himself in comedy roles (Alfie), had shown his trademark distant impassive character (The Ipcress File, Deadfall), and had starred in what many believe to be the greatest crime drama ever, Get Carter.

In this mystery comedy outing Caine uses both of these skills in his portrayal of a hardworking pulp fiction writer, Mickey King (in a nod to Mickey Spillane) living in Malta who accepts a commission to ghost write the autobiography of a retired movie star (Mickey Rooney), whose name is kept secret until the meeting. He travels to the star’s remote island to meet the subject and to begin prep and work. There follows several twists and turns, which includes meeting some colorful and shady characters. The movie star soon meets an unusual end, which compels the writer to solve the crime, which, of course, he does.

There are some great character parts to enjoy. A shady mystery man played by the inimitable Al Lettieri (The Godfather, The Getaway) appears, then leaves, but comes back to life. Also we have Dennis Price (Kind Hearts and Coronets), and the gruff speaking Lionel Stander (Hart to Hart). I was anticipating enjoying the great Lizabeth Scott in what was to be her last film appearance. Unfortunately much of her part was left on the editing room floor, and what remained was rather bland.

This was Director Mike Hodges’ second feature film. He had directed Caine in their previous Get Carter, so he was comfortable with Caine, and continued his natural talent for mystery and noir.

Interestingly the film score was by George Martin (Beatles producer). Some of his film music is solidly reminiscent of several of the Beatles’ songs.

This is an enjoyable and well produced PG comedy mystery which we could use more of today.

Doc’s rating: 7/10

[Siddon]

I thought it was really good until the end where everything just kinda fell apart.

[Thief]

I always get Family Plot and The Trouble With Harry (which is an old favorite that I just haven't seen in years) conflated.

The Trouble With Harry is probably one of the most "notable" of his films that I haven't seen.

[Fabulous]

Miss Potter (2006)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/27I6gAoZV6ZNuL1hX4SLXPEN5ex.jpg

[StuSmallz]

Oh, I've seen another version (possibly the Director's Cut?) twice and really enjoyed it. This version was horribly jarring. (I mean, it gets okay in the middle when the voiceover basically goes away, but then it comes raring back at the end).

This is the first time it's ever made sense to me that someone gave this a bad review when it came out.Well, to be honest with you, BR has always been a movie that I've respected much more than I've loved, and I actually never was a huge fan of any version of it, since I've always felt pretty disengaged from it on a tonal/character level, at least when it comes to Deckard & Rachel, who I found to be a pretty uninteresting lead couple (and I prefer 2049 (https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/film/blade-runner-2049/1/) to any cut of the original; have you seen that one, btw?). That being said though, the theatrical cut was the first version I ever saw, before the '92 "director's cut", so my personal opinion of it has at least only gone up over the years, at least.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/The_Merchant_of_Four_Seasons.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://www.cartelespeliculas.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25647058

The Merchant of Four Seasons - (1972) - Germany

This was my introduction to the cinema of Rainer Werner Fassbinder - his name kept on popping up at the end of the foreign language countdown, as people were sharing what they'd voted for, and I knew I had this one lined up ready to watch. Got bumped to the top of the pile. It was particularly rewarding watching this for a second time with the commentary, as I really need someone holding my hand and pointing things out to me. (A couple of Fassbinder-loving university lecturers did the trick.) There was a lot to point out - and a lot of things happening in every scene that I found I could enjoy. It has a pretty hard edge to it - everyone in this film seems to have a tortured soul (as does Fassbinder himself it seems to me.) I especially like Kurt Raab in this, though he has a small role.

I think someone else saw this and posted their comments about it in this thread a couple of months ago - I have a vague recollection. The only other film of his I'd heard about (before the foreign language countdown) was Ali : Fear Eats the Soul which is particularly famous. I'd like to get my hands on The Marriage of Maria Braun and Beware of a Holy Whore now - preferably with some more hand-holding. I love the little details.

Oh, and I really enjoyed The Merchant of Four Seasons. I didn't enjoy seeing the character of Hans Epp (Hans Hirschmüller) crushed the way he is in this film - but every scene is so full of bright cinematic touches and the actors are so enjoyable to watch that I don't feel crushed myself - just uplifted.

7/10

The only Hitchcock film I dislike is Marnie due to all its sexism. I get that Hitchcock was attempting to create another psychological thriller with complex characters. And to some extent, he achieves this as Marnie's character is well-written. With Mark though, it backfires so much. I think I see what Hitchcock was going for (i.e., protagonist who wants to help his love interest in spite of having bad morals). Mark just didn't have the same development Marnie did and it felt like he was being praised as a hero in the end in spite of him being a control freak, abuser, and a rapist. And this is a real shame because it does seem like there's a great film in there somewhere. Its script needed a ton of editing though.

That encapsulates how I feel about Marnie exactly.

[ScarletLion]

'The Strong Ones' (2021)

Directed by Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo

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

A lovely film reminiscent of 'God's Own Country' and Andrew Haig's 'Weekend' but not quite matching up to those two films. Nevertheless it's a solid addition to the LGBTQ film set and very much worth a watch. Some lovely scenes of the Chilean landscape too.

There is one terrible bit of CGI though, but it doesn't spoil the film

7.2/10

[Thief]

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
(1994, Darabont)
Birthday freebie

https://www.unilad.co.uk/cdn-cgi/image/width=648,quality=70,format=webp,fit=pad,dpr=1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unilad.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F07%2FThe-Shawshank-Redemption-Andy-Dufresne-and-Red-702x395.png


"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."



Starting in the late 1940s, The Shawshank Redemption follows Andy (Tim Robbins), a banker that is wrongly imprisoned for the murder of his wife and her lover. After being sent to the brutal Shawshank Prison, he befriends long-time convict Red (Morgan Freeman), as the two develop a friendship that would alter the course of both of their lives.

To those that have known me before MoFo, my love for this film is probably widely known. Ever since I first saw it back in the mid-1990s, while going through some "petty" romantic frustrations of my teens, the film instilled in me that philosophy I mentioned in the opening paragraph: I could wallow in my frustrations and get stuck where I was, or I could assure myself that things can change, and move towards that. "Get busy living or get busy dying".

Grade: 5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2228715#post2228715)

[Fabulous]

Ingrid Goes West (2017)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/117u6OWHXuBxl3aw8uYcZTad108.jpg

[paranoid android]

The Vault (2021)

https://www.heavenofhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/the-vault-2021-review.jpg

What started out as a mildly fun little heist movie quickly devolved into absolute tropey nonsense. And this is coming from someone that often enjoys movies of a tropier nature. I find tropes will often work when they feel like the natural course for story or character to take in film, but this **** was a straight force-feeding beginning with the most shoe-horned in romance I have seen in a movie in recent years.

I somewhat enjoyed the first 30 or so minutes as well as Liam Cunningham. That's all really want to say about this.

4/10

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto

https://www.panorama-cinema.com/V2/images/critique/critique848/entete.jpg

Toshiro Mifune stars as a wild ashigaru with grand dreams of becoming a great samurai, who, after saving his injured (and rapey) lifelong friend from the losing side of a battlefield is quickly abandoned by the cowardly attempted rapist and suddenly finds himself on the run through war-torn Japan.

Toshiro Mifune gives the kind of performance we all expect, a phenomenal one. His switch from wild ashigaru to calm and collected samurai is fantastic, even if it does happen a little suddenly (I would have loved a few transitional scenes in there, but they certainly got the point across by the end of the film). However, my favorite performance in the picture would have had to have been Kuroemon Onoe as the calm and cool, but jovial monk who makes rapists nope the **** out of dodge using nothing but his pointed smile. As soon as he appears the whole picture is elevated by him and he compliments Mifune perfectly. The portrayal of woman in this picture may be seen as "problematic" today but whatever, this was 1954 and I think it's silly to judge a classic by todays standards. So I'll just acknowledge that and move on. If anything it gets across the feeling of desperation that has taken hold of the general population at that time.

The production design and color photography in this samurai picture is absolutely stunning. Possibly only topped by the late Kurosawa pictures Kagemusha and Ran from 1980 and 1985. The action is very well shot and edited and reminiscent of Kurosawa pictures from that time. The great battle in the first act especially was truly something to behold.

I really really enjoyed this picture and look forward to watching II and III in the coming days.

8.5/10

[Gideon58]

http://eriklundegaard.com/media/2/rocketman.jpg

3rd Re-watch...this musical fantasy biopic just gets more entertaining with each re-watch; Director Dexter Fletcher's imagination is in serious overdrive here as he takes a completely non-traditional look at the life and career of the musical icon. My favorite musical sequences are "The Bitch is Back", "Crocodile Rock", "Honky Cat", "Bennie and the Jets", and the title tune. Also loved the scene where he first puts music to the lyrics of "Your Song". Some solid drama is provided here too... watch the first scenes documenting the meeting of John and Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell), or the scene where Reggie's father asks him to autograph an album for someone else or the scene where Elton comes out to his mother over the phone. Taron Egerton was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his kinetic performance in the starring role, made much richer than Rami Malek's Freddie Mercury because he does his own singing. Bryce Dallas Howard was also robbed of a supporting actress nomination for her dazzling work as Elton's insensitive, self-absorbed mother...I don't know how her performance didn't make my "worst movie moms" list. 4.5

[paranoid android]

The Vault (2021)

https://www.heavenofhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/the-vault-2021-review.jpg

What started out as a mildly fun little heist movie quickly devolved into absolute tropey nonsense. And this is coming from someone that often enjoys movies of a tropier nature. I find tropes will often work when they feel like the natural course for story or character to take in film, but this **** was a straight force-feeding beginning with the most shoe-horned in romance I have seen in a movie in recent years.

I somewhat enjoyed the first 30 or so minutes as well as Liam Cunningham. That's all really want to say about this.

4/10

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto

https://www.panorama-cinema.com/V2/images/critique/critique848/entete.jpg

Toshiro Mifune stars as a wild ashigaru with grand dreams of becoming a great samurai, who, after saving his injured (and rapey) lifelong friend from the losing side of a battlefield is quickly abandoned by the cowardly attempted rapist and suddenly finds himself on the run through war-torn Japan.

Toshiro Mifune gives the kind of performance we all expect, a phenomenal one. His switch from wild ashigaru to calm and collected samurai is fantastic, even if it does happen a little suddenly (I would have loved a few transitional scenes in there, but they certainly got the point across by the end of the film). However, my favorite performance in the picture would have had to have been Kuroemon Onoe as the calm and cool, but jovial monk who makes rapists nope the **** out of dodge using nothing but his pointed smile. As soon as he appears the whole picture is elevated by him and he compliments Mifune perfectly. The portrayal of woman in this picture may be seen as "problematic" today but whatever, this was 1954 and I think it's silly to judge a classic by todays standards. So I'll just acknowledge that and move on. If anything it gets across the feeling of desperation that has taken hold of the general population at that time.

The production design and color photography in this samurai picture is absolutely stunning. Possibly only topped by the late Kurosawa pictures Kagemusha and Ran from 1980 and 1985. The action is very well shot and edited and reminiscent of Kurosawa pictures from that time. The great battle in the first act especially was truly something to behold.

I really really enjoyed this picture and look forward to watching II and III in the coming days.

8.5/10

Just quoting it so it because I am an attention whore that doesn't want to get lost as the last post in the last page. Curious if anyone has any thoughts or any (non Kurosawa) samurai recommendations from around that period. On a bit of a samurai kick.

[paranoid android]

http://eriklundegaard.com/media/2/rocketman.jpg

3rd Re-watch...this musical fantasy biopic just gets more entertaining with each re-watch; Director Dexter Fletcher's imagination is in serious overdrive here as he takes a completely non-traditional look at the life and career of the musical icon. My favorite musical sequences are "The Bitch is Back", "Crocodile Rock", "Honky Cat", "Bennie and the Jets", and the title tune. Also loved the scene where he first puts music to the lyrics of "Your Song". Some solid drama is provided here too... watch the first scenes documenting the meeting of John and Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell), or the scene where Reggie's father asks him to autograph an album for someone else or the scene where Elton comes out to his mother over the phone. Taron Egerton was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his kinetic performance in the starring role, made much richer than Rami Malek's Freddie Mercury because he does his own singing. Bryce Dallas Howard was also robbed of a supporting actress nomination for her dazzling work as Elton's insensitive, self-absorbed mother...I don't know how her performance didn't make my "worst movie moms" list. 4.5

I keep forgetting to watch this. Bryce Dallas Howard kicks ass in most anything she's in even if the movie is less than stellar.

[ScarletLion]

In the City of Sylvia (2007)

Directed by José Luis Guerin

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ3OTk0NzY5OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODk0NzkwMzE@._V1_.jpg

I'm not sure why this film isn't talked about more. It's beautiful. A young man takes a trip to try and find a girl he had a brief moment with 6 years earlier. It has shades of Linklater's before / After trilogy but is also a little aloof in an arthouse type way like something from the French new wave.

There are about 5 lines of dialogue in the whole film, yet the sound design of bustling city cafe culture is thrust in the viewers ears, making it feel like you're peeping in on this people watching excursion. In that sense it feels like pure cinema.

In some ways it's a take on youthful exuberance / lost love / memories and the people that come and go at that stage of life. In other ways it's a mystery, and if you pay attention to detail there are possible ways to analyse the film as having a ray of hope right up until the end image.

8.9/10

4.5

[Thief]

Had a mini-binge of Kubrick's first two short films the other day...


DAY OF THE FIGHT
(1951, Kubrick)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dMfRGolbhGY/Uq-NyAmfI6I/AAAAAAAAFOE/p3vp4U2dNO4/s1600/Day+of+the+fight++(32).jpg


"The fight Walter's riding to now in a friends car, may bring him nearer to the middleweight crown. When it's over, there will be another one coming along. And another one after that. Always it's fighting and training and fighting again"



Day of the Fight is Stanley Kubrick's first short documentary film. It follows middleweight boxer Walter Cartier as he prepares for a championship fight in New York. During the 10-minute short, Kubrick frequently emphasizes how hard the "waiting" is for Cartier, as we see him have breakfast, spend time with his brother (and manager), walk around New York, have a medical exam, train, etc.

I suppose it was way overdue for me to catch up on Kubrick short films, which I'm not sure why I hadn't seen before. He's my favorite director and, as part of my research for my next podcast episode, I decided to finally face his first two. There's not much to say about them. They're fairly interesting and well shot, even if they're not particularly memorable.

Much like Cartier's fight, this short film finishes in the blink of an eye, but not without showing a preamble of Kubrick's directorial eye. And much like Cartier, he would have another film coming along, and another one after that. Always "fighting and training".

Grade: 3



FLYING PADRE
(1951, Kubrick)

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4uxa10jLu1w/Vxrk_U5VY4I/AAAAAAAAbWM/85LUoxj6JNU3gJpJfIVNVeNXCvOpd5MIgCLcB/s640/flying%2Bpadre00001.png


"The wise and friendly counsel of the priest is always available to his flock."



Flying Padre is Stanley Kubrick's second short documentary film. This one follows two days in the life of Reverend Fred Stadtmueller, who services a handful of churches across rural New Mexico with the help of his small plane. During the course of these days, we see him officiate a funeral service, helping quarreling kids make amends, and flying a sick child to a nearby hospital.

Like Day of the Fight before it, there's not much to say about this short. Clocking in at less than 10 minutes, even shorter than his first one, it is more of an interesting curiosity, but a well directed one. But released in the same year than the previous one, it shows that work intensity I mentioned in the previous review: there's always another film coming along, and another one after that.

Grade: 3

[Rockatansky]

Some great use of sound in that one, from what I remember.


Ignatiy Vishnevetsky wrote a pretty good piece about it for the AV Club a while back. That's what prompted me to check it out in the first place.


https://www.avclub.com/an-overlooked-masterpiece-about-looking-1798245401

[ScarletLion]

Some great use of sound in that one, from what I remember.


Ignatiy Vishnevetsky wrote a pretty good piece about it for the AV Club a while back. That's what prompted me to check it out in the first place.


https://www.avclub.com/an-overlooked-masterpiece-about-looking-1798245401

That's an excellent article, thanks.

[John-Connor]

JCVD 2008 Mabrouk El Mechri
80096
4

Cheers Captain_Spaulding for including this on your ballot, great performance and film, loved it!

[GulfportDoc]

I would say that Marnie is his most problematic film, but without condoning the actions of the characters, I still find it interesting and well made.
....
I agree. It's not a bad film. It's just weak Hitchcock. His notion was that the Sean Connery character had a fetish for a women because she was a thief. But the writing and editing didn't emphasize that enough, and Connery was not the best actor to represent that type of guy. Hitchcock admitted the film's weaknesses.

I think it's had a bit of a re-assessment over the years, despite the wokesters yapping about a character in a 60 year old movie...:)

[WHITBISSELL!]

http://www.ageuklondonblog.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/NEBRASKA.jpg

https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/27.jpg

Nebraska - Rewatch of Alexander Payne's 2013 B&W family centered drama starring Bruce Dern as Woody Grant, an irascible retired mechanic living out his twilight years in Billings, Montana. He's pretty much an alcoholic and his wife Kate (a wonderful June Squibb) can barely tolerate him. They have two sons, David (Will Forte) and Ross (Bob Odenkirk), who try and steer clear of their parent's constant wrangling. David is an electronics salesman and Ross an up-and-coming local newscaster. One day Woody is stopped by a police officer while walking along the side of a busy highway. The disoriented Woody is taken in and picked up by David who finds out that his dad was planning on walking to Lincoln, Nebraska to ostensibly claim a sweepstakes prize after receiving a letter in the mail. He makes no headway with his father after trying to explain that it's a come on to sell magazine subscriptions and after the third try by Woody to walk to Lincoln, David decides that it would be simpler to drive him there himself.

The rest is a road trip of sorts with the son trying to forge some kind of connection and ultimately make sense of his remote and surly father. There's a detour to a family reunion of sorts in the Grant's hometown of Hawthorne, Nebraska to visit Woody's large collection of brothers. It's a genetic tableau by turns hilarious and poignant and which Payne fans will immediately recognize. The good-hearted and wistful denouement is also typical Payne. Bruce Dern is great in this as is Will Forte. He and Bob Odenkirk are known more for their comedic chops but they both do a commendable job in their respective roles. I've seen six of Payne's films and this is probably my favorite but Election is right up there too.

rating_4

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/19/The_Great_Beauty_poster.jpg
By Derived from a digital capture (photo/scan) of the Film Poster/DVD Cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party). Copyright held by the film company or the artist. Claimed as fair use regardless., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39396941

The Great Beauty - (2013) - Italy

The second half of this film caught me off guard - I was beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about. Paolo Sorrentino's story about a talented writer just wasting his life away going to parties and fluffing up his own ego won such a slew of awards - and to me it felt like a lot of baggage searching for justification. It's a long film (135 minutes for me, though there is a 142 minute version and a 173 minute director's cut) and takes it's time to really get going. We have to soak up a lot of ugliness before it's contrasted with the beauty the film's title daringly proclaims is here. "The Great Beauty" is what Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo) has failed to find after the artistic success of his first (and only) novel - and so he dines out (sometimes literally) on it's success for decades, knowing he doesn't have it in him to follow it up with a second. After an hour of following Jep around, from party to party to social gathering, I was becoming extremely restless and puzzled. It isn't one thing that creates an epiphany for Jep, but a number of things one after the other - and when we get there we're treated to a torrent of incredible beauty, our eyes similarly opened to enchanting and seducing wonders. I feel this film really deserves another watch from me, but I'm hesitant because I felt the first hour was such a drag. The rest was a sheer masterpiece.

7/10

[Fabulous]

Dangerous Beauty (1998)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/52bqRYbzzV32SnYcxmJUILbbv6L.jpg

[Rockatansky]

Just quoting it so it because I am an attention whore that doesn't want to get lost as the last post in the last page. Curious if anyone has any thoughts or any (non Kurosawa) samurai recommendations from around that period. On a bit of a samurai kick.
I am no expert, but I remember Sword of Doom and Kill! from Kichachi Okamoto being quite worthwhile. And obviously Kobayashi's Hara-Kiri and Samurai Rebellion should be sought out as well (I'm not crazy about the latter, but worth seeing for the Mifune performance obviously).

[Rockatansky]

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto

https://www.panorama-cinema.com/V2/images/critique/critique848/entete.jpg
I was a little cold on the first one (it's definitely the first part of a trilogy, with a lot of setup), but parts 2 and 3 have some really terrific action sequences.

[paranoid android]

I am no expert, but I remember Sword of Doom and Kill! from Kichachi Okamoto being quite worthwhile. And obviously Kobayashi's Hara-Kiri and Samurai Rebellion should be sought out as well (I'm not crazy about the latter, but worth seeing for the Mifune performance obviously).

Awesome and noted. Out of those the only one I have seen is Sword of Doom. Which I enjoyed the hell out of. Thanks for the recommendations!

I was a little cold on the first one (it's definitely the first part of a trilogy, with a lot of setup), but parts 2 and 3 have some really terrific action sequences.

Rad. Going to be popping in 2 in a few minutes. It might have been because I just finished watching The Vault, which was like the movie equivalent of my unwashed gym clothes, but I couldn't help but get sucked right into Samurai 1.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ad/Thenakedjungle.jpg
By horror-wood, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11803968

The Naked Jungle - (1954)

A romance between Christopher Leiningen (Charlton Heston) and his sight-unseen mail-order bride Joanna (Elenor Parker) is interrupted by billions of army ants on the march in a South American jungle. It's not too bad - I always enjoy watching Charlton Heston act, and his Leiningen is such a douchebag, he creates a great deal of tension in the film's opening act. Directed by Byron Haskin, who also helmed War of the Worlds the year previously.

5/10

[Stirchley]

80117

Very good movie. Unusual storyline. Lane & Costner very convincing as a married couple. Excellent acting from both of them.

80118

Re-watch. Excellent true-life story. Poignant & sad.

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20201011/rs_1200x1200-201111105842-1200-freaky.cm.111120.jpg?fit=around%7C1080:540&output-quality=90&crop=1080:540;center,top

Freaky - This is from Blumhouse Productions the studio that specializes in low budget but generally effective horror offerings. They've also cranked out great drama like Whiplash and BlacKkKlansman but this definitely falls under the former category. It's a takeoff on body switch comedies like Freaky Friday and The Hot Chick and stars Kathryn Newton as Millie Kessler, an awkward teen beset by the usual awkward teen problems. It's a bit of a stretch since Newton is so naturally appealing but Millie and her sister Charlene (Dana Drori) and mother Coral (Katie Finneran) are having trouble getting past the recent death of her husband and their father. But Millie has two good friends, Nyla (Celeste O'Connor) and Josh (Misha Osherovich) and an unrequited crush on Booker (Uriah Shelton) to keep her busy.

Enter the "Butcher" played by Vince Vaughn, a psycho serial killer that's been terrorizing the small town of Blissfield and who attacks Millie and unknowingly stabs her with a mystical Aztec knife that randomly caught his fancy. It somehow causes them to switch bodies with the middle aged slasher taking on Millies appearance and the teen girl inhabiting the hulking frame of the 6'5" Butcher which is actually played to great effect by Vaughn. After the required adjustment period for both players and some appropriate exposition Millie susses out that she had only 24 hours to reverse the effects of the swap. Which leaves her and her friends a rapidly shrinking window in which to somehow get their hands on the knife and find Millie the Butcher, all while avoiding a police dragnet and keeping the petite blonde killer from adding to her body count at the high school prom.
It's not a horror classic by any means and pilfers from just about any teen slasher movie you can name but Vaughn has all kinds of fun channeling a perky and guileless teenage girl. The rest of the cast acquits themselves nicely as well.

rating_3_5

[WorldFilmGeek]

Daar Doer in die Bosveld (South Africa, 1951)

rating_3_5

Translated as Far Away in the Bushveld, this was the film debut of one of South Africa's most renowned filmmakers, the late Jamie Uys (1921-1996). This film, in which Uys takes the lead role, revolves around a farmer who is asked to pick up the new school mistress leading to a series of wacky misadventures back to town. Those who have seen Uys' renowned The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) will recognize that this is the same as the subplot of Marius Weyers' shy and wacky Andrew Steyn falling for school mistress Kate Thompson, played by Sandra Prinsloo. In the case here, Jamie Uys is the shy farmer Hans Botha with his real-life wife Hettie playing school mistress Martie du Toit. Pretty fun film in the classic slapstick manner and it only runs 61 minutes. The full movie is on YouTube with English subtitles.

[paranoid android]

Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)

https://images.mubicdn.net/images/film/530/cache-8198-1494111735/image-w1280.jpg

Having improved upon his skill as a swordsman, Musashi Miyamoto (formerly known as Takezo) travels across the countryside in search of knowledge that will allow him to become a truly great samurai. After a deadly duel with a veteran wielding a chain and scythe, Musashi is accused of being nothing but a murderer who lacks the chivalry to be a respected samurai. He must overcome his anger and learn restraint, compassion and humility.

In this film Musashi is mostly either being attacked on all sides by he thug-like samurai students of a local school or attacked on all sides by the various woman in his life that are all so madly in love him. The fight sequences in this film are very well done, especially near the end of the film where Musashi is outnumbered 80 to 1 and shows how he has improved tactically by leading the men into rice paddies and then a forest. These large fights are where the film is at it's best. They are well choreographed, stylish, and smart. The film is at it's worst with nearly everything involving the love love-crazed women. I felt Otsu and Akemi's stories had a lot more depth and variety in the first film. And while there were a few interesting scenes such as Akemi threatening Otsu with knife then straight up lying to her to discourage her from pursuing Musashi, and Otsu almost becoming a nun in order to forget about Musashi, for the most part I felt like I was being beaten over the head with their love. It was very one note and far too much time was spent with it.

Toshiro Mifune does a fantastic job delivering a performance of a man that is outwardly more well-composed than in the first film, but inwardly still the same angry beast we know. Scene by scene we watch him learn the lessons he needs to get closer to his goal of being a respected samurai and Mifune's performance evolves accordingly, with it all culminating in the final duel. Visually the movie is just as beautiful as the first, but a little less grand. The adventure and large scale battle with plenty of extras in the first film gave it a more epic scope, compared to this story that takes place in mostly one place. The cinematography, editing, and production design was still fantastic, however.

Overall I dug it, but prefer the first one. The action sequences were better in this one and Mifune's performance was arguably better as well, but I found the characters surrounding Musashi far more compelling the first film, despite the film itself being mostly set up.

7.5/10

[Takoma11]

Just quoting it so it because I am an attention whore that doesn't want to get lost as the last post in the last page. Curious if anyone has any thoughts or any (non Kurosawa) samurai recommendations from around that period. On a bit of a samurai kick.

I've heard good things about Samurai Rebellion but haven't watched it yet.

Echoing Rock's post a bit, but:
Hara-kiri
Three Outlaw Samurai
Sword of the Beast

Samurai Vibes (Not Quite Samurai, but Sorta?):
Onibaba
Kuroneko
Gate of Hell
Blind Woman's Curse


Out of Your Time Frame, but Samurai Favorites:
Lone Wolf and Cub
Blade of the Immortal

[edarsenal]

https://media.timeout.com/images/105260388/630/472/image.jpg

The Crime of Monsieur Lange aka Le crime de Monsieur Lang (1936)

4

I've only seen a couple of Jean Renoir films with a few more I'd like to and one of the things that truly sticks out for me with Renoir is how masterfully he depicts Human Nature in all it's glory, rife with strengths and faults, good and bad. Here we have something akin to a dark comedy with the opening after the murder as Monsieur Lang and his girlfriend, Valentine are running from the police. Arriving in a small inn, the people recognize Lang and consider turning him in when Valentine sits with them and tells all.
What unfolds is an expose into the "victim" who was and is, an utter scoundrel in every sense of the word. Played with a serpent's prowess by Jules Berry. Whom I first saw in Jour se Leve aka Daybreak opposite Jean Gabin. Where he played a more world weary scoundrel, in this, he is a manipulating, thieving, womanizing cad of such finesse, at the very height of his cunning. I was continually chuckling at how evil a culprit he was and how smooth he was at it.
The one person beyond his serpent wiles is the street smart Valentine (Florelle), but just barely.

A common enough setup nowadays, I simply loved how it all played out.

[Wyldesyde19]

47 Ronin, of which there are multiple versions. Mizoguchi, Inagaki, Watanabe (1958)and even Fukusaku have made one, though the last one was in 1994.

[Wyldesyde19]

Hold on a tick. I’m fairly certain in confusing Kukusaku version with another director from 1994

[Wyldesyde19]

Ok yes, Fukusaku did a 1978 version (Titled The Fall of Ako Castle) and Ichikawa did the 1994 version.

[StuSmallz]

The conversation I had with Takoma11 a while ago about whether or not Total Recall truly qualifies as being a "progressive" film on the whole inspired to me write a couple of entries (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2225657#post2225657) about it over in my old "Smusings" thread in the Reviews sub-board, so I figured I'd share the link to it in case anyone's interested in it here; enjoy!

[paranoid android]

I've heard good things about Samurai Rebellion but haven't watched it yet.

Echoing Rock's post a bit, but:
Hara-kiri
Three Outlaw Samurai
Sword of the Beast

Samurai Vibes (Not Quite Samurai, but Sorta?):
Onibaba
Kuroneko
Gate of Hell
Blind Woman's Curse


Out of Your Time Frame, but Samurai Favorites:
Lone Wolf and Cub
Blade of the Immortal

Excellent. I haven't seen any of these. Thanks dude!

[paranoid android]

47 Ronin, of which there are multiple versions. Mizoguchi, Inagaki, Watanabe (1958)and even Fukusaku have made one, though the last one was in 1994.

Which would you recommend? The one on Criterion?

The one with Keanu?

[Wyldesyde19]

Which would you recommend? The one on Criterion?

The one with Keanu?

We do not speak of the Keanu version around here……

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/A_Scanner_Darkly_Poster.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Warner Independent Pictures., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4191523

A Scanner Darkly - (2006)

Strikingly disorientating dark animated sci-fi film based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick. Set in the future where a new designer drug is producing a new generation of addicts whose brains are being destroyed. Add to that a dystopian society where people are relentlessly spied on and you've got yourself a really effecting movie with a powerful ending. I liked it.

6/10

[Flicker]

What unfolds is an expose into the "victim" who was and is, an utter scoundrel in every sense of the word. Played with a serpent's prowess by Jules Berry. Whom I first saw in Jour se Leve aka Daybreak opposite Jean Gabin. Where he played a more world weary scoundrel, in this, he is a manipulating, thieving, womanizing cad of such finesse, at the very height of his cunning. I was continually chuckling at how evil a culprit he was and how smooth he was at it.

Note that, as importantly as Renoir and Carné, both Lange and Daybreak are scripted by Jacques Prevert, who may be, more than Jules Berry himself, a reason for the similarity between these baddies (see also : Michel Simon's character in Quai des Brumes).

Prevert was the angle through which I came to these movies.

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGM3YzdlOWYtNjViZS00MTE2LWE1MWUtZmE2ZTcxZjcyMmU3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODEyMTI1MjA@._V1_.jpg

Quite entartaining, I'd watch it again.

[Torgo]

Trespass (1992) - 3

Firefighters Vince (Bill Paxton) and Don (William Sadler) hunt for treasure in an abandoned factory that happens to be in gang territory in this loose riff on The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. It's lean, mean and full of men who are desperate and/or trigger happy, so it's a good thing that Walter Hill is at the helm. It's been said that the best acting occurs in confined spaces, and while Paxton and Sadler are no slouches, they still lend credence to this argument. Paxton's transition from a mere lover of exploring to a man who must fight for his life is as convincing as it is visceral. The same could be said of Sadler, who's not there just to play treasure hunter. It's also a joy to see Ice-T and Ice Cube, who play two of the more volatile gang members, simply be in the same movie because they play off each other just as well as the leads do. The movie's style makes it a relic of its time, especially in its use of camcorder footage courtesy of aptly named audience surrogate gangster Video (T.E. Russell). Some have said that this touch is distracting or calls too much attention to itself, but I like it for the uncertainty it adds as to how it will pay off. There are several "best laid plans" thrillers like this one, and even though it's far from the best one, it has enough going for it from the cast to its unpredictably to its close-quartered intensity to recommend it. What's more, Tiny Lister has a tiny...sorry, small part in it (too easy). Oh, and a fun fact: legends Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis wrote the script when they were just starting out.

[Thief]

I haven't seen that in decades, but I remember it made for a fun 1-2 punch with Judgment Night (Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding, Denis Leary).