Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[Rockatansky]

An honest question... why would you watch this?
I continue to be baffled by people on this forum whom I hold in esteem and who I know like good movies as well as good bad ones and even just finding something good in bad ones, watching contemporary DTV dreck. I just can't fathom it. I just can't see any value at all. Like, if my choices were, re-watch Final Exam, pick lint out of my navel for 90 minutes straight, or watch a contemporary DTV action-flick, I would choose the first two in order and those failing would perhaps go polish the silverware that I don't own instead of the third.
What do you get out of watching these?

I can't vouch for this exact movie (haven't seen it), but over the last decade and a half, there have actually been some pretty good movies to come out of the DTV space. John Hyams (son of Peter) and Isaac Florentine are two directors who grasp the nuts and bolts of action direction better than a lot of big budget filmmakers. You don't get the benefits of that bigger budget (bigger scale, deeper casts), but for well executed no frills action, you could do a lot worse.

[Rockatansky]

I like watching movies while I grade student work or do planning or whatever, and DTV or B-action is pretty perfect. You just listen to most of it and look up when the punching starts.

I also really do enjoy watching Adkins--I think he's really physically talented and almost dancer-like in his body control and movement. Like Rock says, he's a charismatic actor in the right context.
The best way to sum up Adkins' appeal is if the classic JCVD or Seagal vehicles had an actual good actor as the star. (Oddly enough, JCVD became a legitimately good actor after his career tanked and he started doing DTV stuff.)

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/fd2c847f49a5caddb2338e81e6acb461/9b58e4b467c1844f-3d/s540x810/8876c3c52c7d001e81b66ca09e3c4875d5e29e81.gifv

https://64.media.tumblr.com/16aaf737d89693dde6437751ec6ab328/d2644aaff9418012-4c/s540x810/9c35780d38b6ef14001f625c64f5c8cf6b779284.gifv


Wrath of Man - Looks like Guy Ritchie is two for four when it comes to his projects starring Jason Statham with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch being superior and memorable productions. Revolver was just a convoluted mess though and this one falls somewhere in between. Having it set in Los Angeles means there's none of the offbeat British gangster appeal and instead it's peopled with wall-to-wall loathsome characters. I don't know if it's Ritchie's take on American boorishness or if he was going for hard boiled and failed.

Anyway, the story is told in semi-flashback style in four parts that eventually flow together. It opens with an armored truck robbery gone wrong told from the guards perspective in which the two and a civilian are killed. Flash forward five months with Statham playing Patrick "H" Hill, brand new hire at Fortico Security, a "cash truck" company. And, according to the script, just about everyone with a speaking role employed at Fortico is a misogynistic, homophobic mouth breather. They also have totally butch nicknames like Bullet (Holt McAllany) and "Boy Sweat" Dave (Josh Hartnett). I mean, I can sort of understand where they're coming from with this stuff. You get a bunch of guys together and they'll eventually get around to busting each others balls. But here there's no nuance you can use as a barometer. There's regular a-holes and even worse a-holes. Even Statham's surly protagonist is obnoxious.

Once Hill starts working there's the requisite few runs before another attempt at a robbery is made and Hill gets to show his skills where he quickly neutralizes the entire gang. This is where it got sort of confusing, at least for me. According (again) to the script, Los Angeles is a hotbed of armored car robberies with a veritable mosh pit of numerous gangs swarming over each other to knock them off. Andy Garcia shows up as a Federal agent and it's not entirely clear if he's there as a Basil Exposition type because his contribution serves to muddy the waters even more. There's a supposed crime lord pulling all the strings but which of these robbery crews does he control? All of them?

Stick with it and there's a bravura big score and accompanying shoot out at the end. Some will be okay with the intertwoven plotlines and time jumps, while others will find it needlessly complicated. But hey, it's Guy Ritchie and you have to expect this kind of trickery and embellishment from him.

70/100

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffilmmakermagazine.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F11%2Fjameswhitecynthianixonhalfdeadchristopherabbottgood.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

James White, 2015

James White (Christopher Abbott) is a twenty-something man with a drinking problem who we first meet mourning the recent death of his mostly absentee father. James convinces his mother, Gail (Cynthia Nixon) to sponsor him on a vacation to Mexico so that he can "process". But during his vacation Gail summons James back to New York---her cancer has returned and she has to go into another round of treatment. James does not deal well with this news, and even his best friend Nick (Kid Cudi) and his girlfriend, the high school age Jayne (Makenzie Leigh) can't keep him under control.

This is a well-observed, slice of life film that takes a stark look at the way that a trauma or challenging event can impact someone with a mental health issue or an addiction. It's a oft-seen trope that tough times really teach someone to clarify their priorities and get their life together. But the reality for many people is that a dying loved one does not cure alcoholism, and that stress and anger are not emotions that often lead to positive life changes.

Christopher Abbott has quickly become someone I get excited to see on screen. I really liked his performances in both Sweet Virginia and Possessor, and he does a great job here as well. James is a character who wants a solid life--a job, money, a girlfriend--but is fundamentally unwilling or unable to put in the work on himself to make it happen. With his mother dying, his last unquestioning support system is going away and he can't handle it.

The movie does a great job of simply observing James, which is wise because he is for the most part a pretty unsympathetic character. Frequently drunk, getting drunk, or hungover, he's the kind of person who will show up to a job interview in dirty clothing smelling of alcohol and then act baffled when told he's being unprofessional. He also, you know, seduces a teenager (who is often more mature than he is and seems to realize her mistake yet is not able to cut ties with him). His best friend is the kind of person who clearly cares about him, but makes horrible mistakes himself and doesn't do much to pull James out of the fire. Whether James is in this situation because of choices he's made, because of the way his parents raised him, or because of some underlying addiction/mental health reasons, you can at least realize that this is a person in pain whose life is probably only going to get worse.

Nixon is a strong supporting character as a mother who, facing her own mortality, must also worry about the child she's leaving behind. At this point, it is too late for her to course correct. She wants to allow James to be part of her care and her final days, but he is irresponsible and unreliable and she is losing her own mental and emotional capabilities.

This is a very well acted character study and I'd highly recommend it.

4.5

[pahaK]

The best way to sum up Adkins' appeal is if the classic JCVD or Seagal vehicles had an actual good actor as the star. (Oddly enough, JCVD became a legitimately good actor after his career tanked and he started doing DTV stuff.)

Seagal was perfect. Period. Adkins is possibly the best modern B-action star, but he never could have done the old Seagal films.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Scott Adkins is superior to Seagal and JCVD both in acting and martial arts ability by a sizable portion, and I say that as a fan of many of their films. Adkins prowess is almost unmatched in western cinema with only certain stunt doubles or other DTV stars like Michael Jai White rivaling him.

His output is also consistent, in which even if the movie around it isn’t great, the action is almost always amazing. His works like Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, Ninja 2, Accident Man, Triple Threat and Avengement are better than practically anything mainstream Hollywood has churned out in the genre. Comparing the action in those to the various Neeson (the modern closest parallel) or even bigger stars like the Rock is… well, there’s simply no comparison.

John Hyams, Isaac Florentine and Jesse V. Johnson are among the most talented action directors in the biz right now and I’m shocked the MCU hasn’t stolen them away.

That said, Abduction is abysmal and the worst Adkins film I’ve seen by a fairly large margin. Namely because it is effects driven (with TERRIBLE effects) and rarely allows Adkins to show off his action chops.

[Takoma11]

Scott Adkins is far superior to Seagal and JCVD both in acting and martial arts ability by a sizable portion, and I say that as a fan of many of their films. Adkins prowess is almost unmatched in western cinema with only certain stunt doubles or other DTV stars like Michael Jai White rivaling him.

Agreed. Though I do think that Van Damme has significant charisma in films like Universal Soldier even when his acting is spotty. Seagal has never really worked for me, and finding out that he's also a sexual predator hasn't made my opinion of him more charitable.

That said, Abduction is abysmal and the worst Adkins film I’ve seen by a fairly large margin.

Also agreed. Sigh.

I kept hoping it would get better and it most definitely did not.

[Thief]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdiaboliquemagazine.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F05%2FTheater_of_Blood_01.png&f=1&nofb=1

Theater of Blood, 1973

Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price), a long assumed dead Shakespearean actor, emerges from hiding to take gruesome, Shakespeare-inspired revenge on the circle of theater critics who lambasted his performances for years. Assisted by his equally ruthless and deranged daughter (Diana Rigg) and a gaggle of homeless men and women he's bribed to the cause, Lionheart cuts a swath through the critics.

This is a very silly movie, which of course knows that it is a very silly movie.

I personally am a fan of Vincent Price, and his all-in approach to his roles. There's such an intention to his performances in films like House of Usher or The Pit and the Pendulum, that their campy leanings feel like the only correct approach to the material.

It is fun, though, to see Price having a good time playing an actor who cannot understand why critics refuse to take him seriously. A highlight of many sequences is Lionheart reciting, with impassioned delivery, the writings of the critic he is about to slay. "Laid between the delicately underplayed performances of Miss Lillywhite as Lavinia and Miss Mole as Tamora," he booms, "one is irresistibly reminded of a ham sandwich." Lionheart sweeps around in a cape or under a variety of wigs and prosthetics, refusing to believe that his approach to Shakespeare is anything but correct.

The killings themselves are a mixed bag. Some are very funny, while others are a bit off. Despite the film being very silly, I still had mixed feelings about how often the revenge involved hurting the loved ones or pets of the critics. I was much more a fan of the over-the-top stuff, such as when Lionheart and one of the critics engage in a sword fight while leaping around on trampolines. That is the content I signed up for.

A fun little horror-comedy.

3.5

Yeah, this is a good one!

[ThatDarnMKS]

Agreed. Though I do think that Van Damme has significant charisma in films like Universal Soldier even when his acting is spotty. Seagal has never really worked for me, and finding out that he's also a sexual predator hasn't made my opinion of him more charitable.



Also agreed. Sigh.

I kept hoping it would get better and it most definitely did not.

I’m a big fan of JCVD and consider a lot of his early films to be camp action classics. However, he’s never proven himself capable of complex choreography like Adkins. All of his work is very editing, often repeating the same kick numerous times to seem like a flurry. But his performance in “JCVD” and Jean Claude Van Johnson have shown tremendous growth as an actor, if not a martial artist. The man can certainly do the splits though.

Seagal kinda sucks. Whereas someone like Chuck Norris has no charisma, Seagal has an anti-charisma, with his sleaziness just permeating through every performance. Some of his early films are strong despite him (Under Siege, Above the Law, and Marked for Death) but he brings neither chops more a martial arts skill that actually lends itself to cinematic fighting. He's also the world's most comically inept runner in cinema history.

I picked up the Blu-ray of Abduction for a whopping $3 and discovered there were two cuts of the film. I don't remember which I watched but the special effects looked incomplete. It hurt to look at because they clearly chose the effects over building competent action. It was like they stuck Adkins in an Asylum film. What a waste. Never watched the other cut so maybe it was less shockingly poor.

[pahaK]

Seagal kinda sucks. Whereas someone like Chuck Norris has no charisma, Seagal has an anti-charisma, with his sleaziness just permeating through every performance. Some of his early films are strong despite him (Under Siege, Above the Law, and Marked for Death) but he brings neither chops more a martial arts skill that actually lends itself to cinematic fighting. He's also the world's most comically inept runner in cinema history.

Blasphemy! :mad: Seriously, early Seagal films have some of the best fight scenes ever put on film. They're so far away from the usual 80s jumping and high roundhouse kicks, and I absolutely adore the fact that his character being a mega bad mofo actually shows in his films and he basically mops the floor with most of his opponents. If I'd had to compile a list of the best movie fights, half of the top ten would probably be Seagal.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Blasphemy! :mad: Seriously, early Seagal films have some of the best fight scenes ever put on film. They're so far away from the usual 80s jumping and high roundhouse kicks, and I absolutely adore the fact that his character being a mega bad mofo actually shows in his films and he basically mops the floor with most of his opponents. If I'd had to compile a list of the best movie fights, half of the top ten would probably be Seagal.

He's a better and more believable fighter than Rudy Ray Moore. I'll give him that.

[Takoma11]

It was like they stuck Adkins in an Asylum film

Okay, forget my review. This is all anyone needs to know about Abduction.

[GulfportDoc]

[The Green Man] I watched some clips on youtube and it does look right up my alley. The one where Sim is listening to the three ladies playing Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor was hilarious.
I agree. It was a tad slow to start while it was setting up the wacky premise. But from then on it was madcap.

[Thief]

He's also the world's most comically inept runner in cinema history.



Maybe. But at least he's a great dancer.

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-eda22971dcdf42305731eab6e82a0b6a

[WHITBISSELL!]

Notice how she's careful to keep her distance.

https://c.tenor.com/56yUsMaDAnAAAAAC/mac-dance.gif

[Takoma11]

Notice how she's careful to keep her distance.

https://c.tenor.com/56yUsMaDAnAAAAAC/mac-dance.gif

There are (1) pants on his body and (2) multiple witnesses. Two things we have learned are not always things women are lucky enough to have in his presence.

[Wooley]

It's not all that bad. A sort of poor man's Indiana Jones/DaVinci Code. Or you could just wait and watch Uncharted instead which looks like it covers the same ground. That's not a recommendation though. A Marky Mark/Spiderman teamup holds no interest for me.

Honestly, this is just sorta the exact kinda popcorn flick I avoid. I don't know why. I remember when it came out and I felt a sort of repulsion, like it was a cockroach on my pancakes.
I am no hi-brow when it comes to movies, I love The Ice Pirates and even like The Boogens for gods' sake... but I just can't bring myself to watch this kinda thing or DTV actioners. I just can't do it.

[Wooley]

I can't vouch for this exact movie (haven't seen it), but over the last decade and a half, there have actually been some pretty good movies to come out of the DTV space. John Hyams (son of Peter) and Isaac Florentine are two directors who grasp the nuts and bolts of action direction better than a lot of big budget filmmakers. You don't get the benefits of that bigger budget (bigger scale, deeper casts), but for well executed no frills action, you could do a lot worse.

Hmmm... that's actually interesting.

Alright, let's just say I was actually gonna add one or two of these to my queue - not saying I'll watch 'em but maybe put 'em in the queue and who knows what could happen some rainy day - y'all give me Adkins' best and one other of these to put in those slots. Please.

[Wooley]

Maybe. But at least he's a great dancer.

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-eda22971dcdf42305731eab6e82a0b6a

The thing I love about Seagal - Old Seagal, I never had too much affection for him at his, erm, peak - is that no parody of him could be as much of a parody of him as he actually is. Of him.

[mark f]

Send Me No Flowers (Norman Jewison, 1964) 3 6.5/10
Christmas Holiday (Robert Siodmak, 1944) 2.5 6/10
Cheaper by the Dozen (Walter Lang, 1950) 3 6.5/10
Chilly Scenes of Winter (Joan Micklin Silver, 1979) 2.5+ 6/10
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B2SE6zQCIAEXJeO.jpg
John Heard loves co-worker Mary Beth Hurt so much that he''ll do anything to win her back, but he finds that doesn't work out too well.
The Debut (Nouchka van Brakel, 1977) 2.5 5.5/10
Forbidden City, U.S.A. (Arthur Dong, 1989) 3 6.5/10
Porto of My Childhood (Manoel de Oliveira, 2001) 2.5 6/10
Black Sunday (John Frankenheimer, 1977) 3.5 7/10
https://i.gifer.com/Cri0.gif
After a detailed but ambiguous set-up, Israeli agent Robert Shaw tries to stop Black September, in the guise of disgraced U.S. Marine vet Bruce Dern and Swiss revolutionary Marthe Keller, from blowing up the Orange Bowl during the Super Bowl.
Key Largo (John Huston, 1948) 3.5- 7/10
Little Old New York (Sidney Olcott, 1923) 2.5 6/10
Who Am I Now? (Louise E. Lathey, 2021) 1.5 4/10
Don't Look Up (Adam McKay, 2021) 2.5+ 6/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/c26affdd94b856e23e77b75fb3ac6dec/f1c4509ecd22fdf5-7f/s540x810/a1dddafa566d0056285cce893f84608c031914a9.gifv
Scientists Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio find that no one cares when they learn a comet will end all life on Earth. Overly broad comedy has some good performances and gets a bit better towards the end.
Mystère AKA Vicky and Her Mystery (Denis Imbert, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Winter A-Go-Go (Richard Benedic, 1965) 2- 5/10
Winter Meeting (Bretaigne Windust, 1948) 2.5 6/10
Encanto (3 Directors, 2021) 3+ 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/41ff5dd43eefc008deae770804e0fdda/949d6f6828e10bd0-32/s540x810/ada91683eba196239331e7cee01e98989d856e01.gifv
A Colombian family enveloped by magical powers seems to have one member aware that they may be at risk of losing them and their community.
Juke: Passages from the Films of Spencer Williams (Thom Andersen, 2015) 2.5 5.5/10
Red Stone (Derek Presley, 2021) 2 5/10
Watermelon Man (Melvin Van Peebles, 1970) 2.5 6/10
Long Strange Trip (Amir Bar-Lev, 2017) 3.5 7+/10 242 min
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/816UaZTYemL._AC_SX522_.jpg
Incredibly thorough doc covers the Grateful Dead's long strange trip, including their innovation, evolution, drug use, non-commercialization, popularity and workaholism.

[Rockatansky]

Hmmm... that's actually interesting.

Alright, let's just say I was actually gonna add one or two of these to my queue - not saying I'll watch 'em but maybe put 'em in the queue and who knows what could happen some rainy day - y'all give me Adkins' best and one other of these to put in those slots. Please.

If you can spare a third slot, I'd suggest the below:


Avengement (Jesse V. Johnson)
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (John Hyams)
Ninja (Isaac Florentine)

[Rockatansky]

I’m shocked the MCU hasn’t stolen them away.

Sssshhhh, don't ruin it.

[Rockatansky]

I’m a big fan of JCVD and consider a lot of his early films to be camp action classics. However, he’s never proven himself capable of complex choreography like Adkins. All of his work is very editing, often repeating the same kick numerous times to seem like a flurry. But his performance in “JCVD” and Jean Claude Van Johnson have shown tremendous growth as an actor, if not a martial artist. The man can certainly do the splits though.

Seagal kinda sucks. Whereas someone like Chuck Norris has no charisma, Seagal has an anti-charisma, with his sleaziness just permeating through every performance. Some of his early films are strong despite him (Under Siege, Above the Law, and Marked for Death) but he brings neither chops more a martial arts skill that actually lends itself to cinematic fighting. He's also the world's most comically inept runner in cinema history.

I picked up the Blu-ray of Abduction for a whopping $3 and discovered there were two cuts of the film. I don't remember which I watched but the special effects looked incomplete. It hurt to look at because they clearly chose the effects over building competent action. It was like they stuck Adkins in an Asylum film. What a waste. Never watched the other cut so maybe it was less shockingly poor.

Have you seen Replicant or From Hell? Those are the earliest things where I've seen where he gives a decidedly non-action-star performance.


I'm kinder to Seagal than you are (Seagology by Vern somewhat endeared me to him), but I think the reason those early movies work is because he was paired with good directors who worked overtime to play to his limitation and make him a compelling screen presence and build a good movie around him. As soon as he directed himself in On Deadly Ground, the results were like a Tommy Wiseau movie with explosions. Still very entertaining, because instead of Greg Sestero, you get Michael Caine and R. Lee Ermey devouring the scenery.

[Rockatansky]

Also...


https://youtu.be/3v4-zYghodc


Never forget!

[Takoma11]

y'all give me Adkins' best and one other of these to put in those slots. Please.

I haven't seen Avengement yet or the Debt Collector films. My favorite from him so far is probably Accident Man, which benefits from a good supporting cast.

And I would just say that this ~7 minute YouTube video shows off a lot of what I like about the nature of his martial arts work. He's capable of such explosive action, height that I would have assumed was achieved with wire work, and a remarkable degree of precision in his movements. It's like martial arts, gymnastics, and dance all mushed together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wf5YKv3Zyg

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/mrKTLzPd/high-and-low.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17727690

High and Low - (1963)

Mark off another on the Kurosawa/Mifune list for me, this is the 6th collaboration between director and actor I've seen and the 9th Kurosawa film overall. There's a lot to unpack with High and Low, an epic detective story where people are ruined, a kid is kidnapped and a loathsome perpetrator hunted by the police. Mifune's Kingo Gondo lives in a large house on a hill and is just days away from a boardroom coup that will cement his ownership over a shoe manufacturing business he oversees. Someone attempts to kidnap his son, catches the wrong kid, but asks for the ransom anyway. Gondo is compelled to pay up - and it is up to the cops to track this person down. The first segment focuses on Gondo and his palatial home, which is invaded once the kidnap has taken place, then we descend from this heaven into the hell of the streets, ending up with the living dead in heroin dens (the film's Japanese title, Heaven and Hell is more apt.) For 1963 this film is ambitious and beyond most everything I've seen from that time period. I'd say that many police procedural films have taken a cue or two from it. It's genuinely exciting, captivating and emotionally wrenching. There's a final scene that just puts an added stamp on the excellence that has gone before.

8.5/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 56/100

https://i.postimg.cc/qqPbbKv3/lives-of-others.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Leben_der_anderen.jpg

The Lives of Others - (2006)

Set in East Germany, this brilliant masterpiece of a film places us inside the lives of people living under an oppressive regime where privacy has become a thing of the past and friends, family and neighbours have been scared to the extent that they betray those they love. But in the midst of this, a wonderful character has been created - Gerd Wiesler (played by Ulrich Mühe) : a true believer and ruthless Stasi Captain, who nevertheless becomes involved in the life of a person he's spying on. I can't say anything more than that. The Lives of Others is a film you have to see and approach fresh to get a wonderful, but difficult, surprise from. It's incredibly rare to come across a film that feels so fresh and brand new - something that's saying something unique enough to really stand out and be well worth the time invested in watching it. Tremendous performances, a last line I'll never forget, and just on the whole a perfect film for me. I can't believe a film about the East German Stasi is so life affirming and inspirational - really bucks up my faith in the human race as a compassionate and hopeful phenomenon.

10/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 57/100

[Takoma11]

https://i.postimg.cc/mrKTLzPd/high-and-low.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17727690

High and Low - (1963)

Mark off another on the Kurosawa/Mifune list for me, this is the 6th collaboration between director and actor I've seen and the 9th Kurosawa film overall. There's a lot to unpack with High and Low, an epic detective story where people are ruined, a kid is kidnapped and a loathsome perpetrator hunted by the police. Mifune's Kingo Gondo lives in a large house on a hill and is just days away from a boardroom coup that will cement his ownership over a shoe manufacturing business he oversees. Someone attempts to kidnap his son, catches the wrong kid, but asks for the ransom anyway. Gondo is compelled to pay up - and it is up to the cops to track this person down. The first segment focuses on Gondo and his palatial home, which is invaded once the kidnap has taken place, then we descend from this heaven into the hell of the streets, ending up with the living dead in heroin dens (the film's Japanese title, Heaven and Hell is more apt.) For 1963 this film is ambitious and beyond most everything I've seen from that time period. I'd say that many police procedural films have taken a cue or two from it. It's genuinely exciting, captivating and emotionally wrenching. There's a final scene that just puts an added stamp on the excellence that has gone before.

8.5/10

High and Low is my favorite film by Kurosawa, and it's not even close. The mix of the police investigation, the social commentary, and the drama of the decision the main character has to make is so well-balanced. It also has that sequence on the train which I have seen copied almost frame-by-frame in at least two other thrillers.

[Takoma11]

y'all give me Adkins' best

And if you're still not sold on Adkins, please note that when asked about the best fight scene in a movie, he cites . . . (skip to 2:22)

https://youtu.be/I6uJj5jk3rU?t=142

[ueno_station54]

https://www.slantmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/film_lamourbraque-1000x600.jpg
L'amour braque (1985, Andrzej Żuławski)
What if you made a typical crime/romance film except every character, literally all of them, were just as loud, annoying and unhinged as possible? Probably my favourite Żuławski film so far.
rating_4

[PHOENIX74]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffilmmakermagazine.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F11%2Fjameswhitecynthianixonhalfdeadchristopherabbottgood.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

James White, 2015

This is a very well acted character study and I'd highly recommend it.

4.5

I'd hazard a guess not many people have seen this, and it's a shame. I blind bought it a year or two ago and remember enjoying it immensely. Christopher Abbott is fantastic.

[Takoma11]

I'd hazard a guess not many people have seen this, and it's a shame. I blind bought it a year or two ago and remember enjoying it immensely. Christopher Abbott is fantastic.

I actually have had it bookmarked since it came out, because I read a review of it (in Entertainment Weekly or on the AVClub?) that gave it really high praise. The subject matter kept me away for a while, but I'm so glad I finally watched it.

For anyone else who is maybe a little hesitant there are some serious themes and content, but it's not just some misery slog.

[mark f]

Long Strange Trip (Amir Bar-Lev, 2017) 3.5 7+/10 242 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtZV6gTc1TY

[Fabulous]

Hands of Stone (2016)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/lVDDXGuuu2WiqQCyXMsLe513FNP.jpg

[ThatDarnMKS]

Hmmm... that's actually interesting.

Alright, let's just say I was actually gonna add one or two of these to my queue - not saying I'll watch 'em but maybe put 'em in the queue and who knows what could happen some rainy day - y'all give me Adkins' best and one other of these to put in those slots. Please.

Adkins absolute best is Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. Especially if you track down the director's cut. Rather than feeling lineage to the franchise, it feels like Gaspar Noe and Nicolas Winding Refn decided to co-direct a blend of Blade Runner and Apocalypse Now.

Ninja 2 is also quite possibly the best Ninja movie around (it’s even got Sho Kosugi’s son in it).

After that, I’d say either Triple Threat or Avengement. Triple Threat has an incredible cast of action stars and puts them all to good use. Avengement is like if an early Guy Ritchie movie had extremely violent and elaborate fight scenes.

[Deschain]

I watched Encounter, a movie I never heard of until I got the screener. It ended up being a lot more interesting than I initially thought. It’s on Amazon Prime.

[StuSmallz]

have u watched the bourne legacy it stars with jeremy renner
No, I've only seen the original trilogy, but if I had to rank 'em, they'd currently look like...


Supremacy (sorry, Rock-o!)

Ultimatum (which is just behind Supremacy for me at the moment)

Identity (decent, but it kind of feels like a basic espionage actioner/first movie, like more of an entry point/foundation for the series to move onto better things later, rather than standing on its own as a great movie)

[xSookieStackhouse]

5 rewatched my childhood favorite movie <3
https://flxt.tmsimg.com/assets/p13606_p_v10_am.jpg

[xSookieStackhouse]

No, I've only seen the original trilogy, but if I had to rank 'em, they'd currently look like...


Supremacy (sorry, Rock-o!)

Ultimatum (which is just behind Supremacy for me at the moment)

Identity (decent, but it kind of feels like a basic espionage actioner/first movie, like more of an entry point/foundation for the series to move onto better things later, rather than standing on its own as a great movie)
true i only seen the one with jeremy renner when i was at my ex house

[Wooley]

And if you're still not sold on Adkins, please note that when asked about the best fight scene in a movie, he cites . . . (skip to 2:22)

https://youtu.be/I6uJj5jk3rU?t=142

You had my curiosity. Now you have my attention.

[Wooley]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtZV6gTc1TY

And just like that, you and I are buddies.


(Dead Set was the first live Grateful Dead I ever heard, approximately 35 years ago, and "Brokedown Palace", when I'm forced to choose one song by someone, is often the song I cite as my favorite.)

[Wooley]

Adkins absolute best is Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. Especially if you track down the director's cut. Rather than feeling lineage to the franchise, it feels like Gaspar Noe and Nicolas Winding Refn decided to co-direct a blend of Blade Runner and Apocalypse Now.

Ninja 2 is also quite possibly the best Ninja movie around (it’s even got Sho Kosugi’s son in it).



What?!!!


(Big fan of Sho Kosugi.)

[CringeFest]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1974


8/10


Lol.

[Thief]

Hmmm... that's actually interesting.

Alright, let's just say I was actually gonna add one or two of these to my queue - not saying I'll watch 'em but maybe put 'em in the queue and who knows what could happen some rainy day - y'all give me Adkins' best and one other of these to put in those slots. Please.

The only thing I've seen him in outside of his mainstream work is Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, but I'll echo the support for that one. I would actually extend that support to Universal Soldier: Regeneration, which doesn't feature Adkins, but it's a pretty solid action film. But Day of Reckoning? That one's kick-ass, trippy, and disturbing, all in the same package.

[Iroquois]

Licorice Pizza - 4

Officially the first film I've ever seen that made me think "man, I wish Bradley Cooper had had more screen-time".

[Wooley]

Licorice Pizza - 4

Officially the first film I've ever seen that made me think "man, I wish Bradley Cooper had had more screen-time".

How was Alana Haim?
(I'm a big Haim fan and I'm hoping she does well in this new creative avenue.)

[Thief]

WEST SIDE STORY
(1961, Wise & Robbins)

https://www.alternateending.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/oa6aE010s3rySQ1oOZS2nEaqx7J.jpg


"Why do you kids live like there's a war on? Why do you kill?"



The film follows these two gangs as they struggle for control of their NYC neighborhood. The Jets are a white gang while the Sharks are a Puerto Rican gang. Meanwhile, Tony (Richard Beymer), a former Jet, falls in love with Maria (Natalie Wood), the sister of the leader of the Sharks, which further sparks the conflict between both groups.

I'm Puerto Rican, and my first experience with West Side Story didn't go that well. The first time I saw it was probably 20-ish years ago and I really didn't like it. Not necessarily for the reasons I mention above, but mostly because I found the two central characters AND performances (Beymer and Wood) to be utterly boring and completely uninteresting. However, as I grew up, I became more aware of the racial issues in its script and execution.

In addition, although the story does intend to put the Jets and Sharks on more or less the same level, the script and direction can't help but lean towards the Jets. The film opens with the Jets, and for most of the film's duration, the focus is solely on them, relegating the Puerto Rican Sharks to secondary characters or even the "bad guys". For a film that's heralded as the representation of Puerto Rican culture, that says a lot.

But my first point of contention remained the same; Beymer and Wood just can't hold this. Not only are their performances bland, but they're characters are completely boring. The fact that they are completely upstaged by Chakiris and Moreno, whose characters are infinitely more interesting, just adds to the list of film's flaws.

Grade: 2.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2266913#post2266913)

[Wooley]

WEST SIDE STORY
(1961, Wise & Robbins)

https://www.alternateending.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/oa6aE010s3rySQ1oOZS2nEaqx7J.jpg




Beymer and Wood... are completely upstaged by Chakiris and Moreno...


I completely agree with this, for sure.

[Deschain]

Check out the remake of WSS when you get a chance, Thief. I felt it made Bernardo and Anita a lot more sympathetic, and the Jets come off a little more like ********.

[Iroquois]

How was Alana Haim?
(I'm a big Haim fan and I'm hoping she does well in this new creative avenue.)

Very good.

Red Desert - 4

I can think of two things wrong with that title.

[Thief]

Check out the remake of WSS when you get a chance, Thief. I felt it made Bernardo and Anita a lot more sympathetic, and the Jets come off a little more like ********.

I'll surely check it out, but even as it is, I totally empathize with Bernardo and Anita in the original. I mean, Anita loses his boyfriend and is almost gang-raped, and it is all brushed aside as if it was nothing, in favor of poor Maria and Tony.

[Stirchley]

83914

Interesting real-life story & a great cast. But terribly slow. Two hours seemed like 4 hours.

[Thief]

RITA MORENO
JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT
(2021, Pérez Riera)

https://i.imgur.com/jwbIO4b.png


"Her career did not take off after West Side Story, rising with bigger and better parts. Her career widened to encompass a diversity of roles and media"



This documentary, from Mariem Pérez Riera, follows the life and career of Moreno from her birth in a humble town in Puerto Rico to where she is now, a 90 year old Oscar-winner with a renowned career, and a new film about to come out. The path there is neatly defined by film historian Annette Insdorf in the above quote, because when faced with the same stereotypes, she managed to shake it off and diversify her career in a unique way.

But the documentary also puts a spotlight on the many personal issues she has faced. Aside from discrimination and typecasting, she went through a toxic relationship with Marlon Brando, and even a sexual assault by a former agent. Despite all that, Moreno has managed to become a stalwart of Latin communities and an icon of female empowerment. All of that because she decided to go for it.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2266978#post2266978)

[matt72582]

https://i.postimg.cc/mrKTLzPd/high-and-low.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17727690

High and Low - (1963)

Mark off another on the Kurosawa/Mifune list for me, this is the 6th collaboration between director and actor I've seen and the 9th Kurosawa film overall. There's a lot to unpack with High and Low, an epic detective story where people are ruined, a kid is kidnapped and a loathsome perpetrator hunted by the police. Mifune's Kingo Gondo lives in a large house on a hill and is just days away from a boardroom coup that will cement his ownership over a shoe manufacturing business he oversees. Someone attempts to kidnap his son, catches the wrong kid, but asks for the ransom anyway. Gondo is compelled to pay up - and it is up to the cops to track this person down. The first segment focuses on Gondo and his palatial home, which is invaded once the kidnap has taken place, then we descend from this heaven into the hell of the streets, ending up with the living dead in heroin dens (the film's Japanese title, Heaven and Hell is more apt.) For 1963 this film is ambitious and beyond most everything I've seen from that time period. I'd say that many police procedural films have taken a cue or two from it. It's genuinely exciting, captivating and emotionally wrenching. There's a final scene that just puts an added stamp on the excellence that has gone before.

8.5/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 56/100

https://i.postimg.cc/qqPbbKv3/lives-of-others.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Leben_der_anderen.jpg

The Lives of Others - (2006)

Set in East Germany, this brilliant masterpiece of a film places us inside the lives of people living under an oppressive regime where privacy has become a thing of the past and friends, family and neighbours have been scared to the extent that they betray those they love. But in the midst of this, a wonderful character has been created - Gerd Wiesler (played by Ulrich Mühe) : a true believer and ruthless Stasi Captain, who nevertheless becomes involved in the life of a person he's spying on. I can't say anything more than that. The Lives of Others is a film you have to see and approach fresh to get a wonderful, but difficult, surprise from. It's incredibly rare to come across a film that feels so fresh and brand new - something that's saying something unique enough to really stand out and be well worth the time invested in watching it. Tremendous performances, a last line I'll never forget, and just on the whole a perfect film for me. I can't believe a film about the East German Stasi is so life affirming and inspirational - really bucks up my faith in the human race as a compassionate and hopeful phenomenon.

10/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 57/100


I liked how you divided "High and Low" into two parts. I'd call the first one "High" and then the descent into the streets as "Low"


I liked "The Lives of Others", but if you liked that, you might love "The Ear" (1970, released in 1990). I think its more realistic, and just better overall.

[Stirchley]

I liked how you divided "High and Low" into two parts. I'd call the first one "High" and then the descent into the streets as "Low"


I liked "The Lives of Others", but if you liked that, you might love "The Ear" (1970, released in 1990). I think its more realistic, and just better overall.

The Lives of Others is very good.

[ThatDarnMKS]

What?!!!


(Big fan of Sho Kosugi.)
Yup! The first Adkins Ninja flick is a decent enough joint but the second really steps up the action, strips the plot to a revenge flick and let’s Kane Kosugi show off how much of a badass like his dad he has become since his little kid turn in Revenge of the Ninja.

Basically, if you miss 80s action flicks from both Hollywood and Hong Kong, the closest you’re going to get is Adkins DTV vehicles. They’re straight forward, very violent and fun. Often pretty stupid but that comes with the territory.

[Marco]

Crumbsroom has warned me away from A Hole in My Heart, so I haven't seen that one. But everything else I've seen from Moodysson (Show Me Love, We are the Best!) I have loved. The latter film in particular is just an awesome explosion of joy.
Yes, I understand that...it's pretty bleak and nihilistic. "Together" is another great one by Moodysson.

[StuSmallz]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1974


8/10


Lol.Huh?

[GulfportDoc]

83929
Don’t Look Up (2021)

This is one of those shockingly bad films that comes along once in awhile which is packed with big name actors who, despite their best efforts, could not rescue it. It’s difficult to believe that writer/director Adam McKay was the same man who directed and co-wrote The Big Short (2015), which was a very well done film. Perhaps his co-writer on that project, Charles Randolph, might have made something of this turkey had he been employed.

Right out of the chute the premise of the picture was shaky, and had been done before in several iterations. To try to make an end-of-the-world black comedy humorous would be a very tall order no matter who were the writers. In this case it was the cinematic equivalent of a loud belch at a funeral.

Two scientists (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence) discover and determine that a large comet will collide with the Earth in 6 month’s time, the impact of which will destroy the planet. The pair eventually are able to take this news to the President of the U.S. (Meryl Streep), and her son and chief of staff (Jonah Hill). They at first pooh-pooh the idea, but then later see it as a move to increase their re-election chances. In addition, a Steve Jobs/Elon Musk type character (Mark Rylance) latches onto the circumstance as a way to make trillions by bombing the comet and mining its large trove of rare earth metals.

Along the way we meet two news anchors, ala the Today show, one of which (Cate Blanchett) inexplicably falls for the nerdy looking DiCaprio. The other scientist (Lawrence) flees home to Illinois where she has a relationship with a stoner (Timothee Chalamet). We’ll spare you the ending, but it’s as consistently bad as the rest of the film.

The picture was not without some good acting. DiCaprio let out all the stops when screaming to the TV audience that this would be the end of the world. Mark Rylance did a very effective and creepy portrayal of a megalomaniacal CEO whose sole intention was to increase his power and wealth. Some of the other actors did their best, but it’s not possible to breath life into a dead script.

Despite the fact that the title –Don’t Look Up—was an signal that this was to be a comedy, it was 15 minutes into the movie before there was evidence of it. As the story dragged on, hammering away with one leaden satiric or comedic misfire after another, the task soon became to try to last through a little longer believing that surely the film would improve. It didn’t. By the time the credits and two epilogues wound through at a tedious 138 minutes we’d become numbed but yet flabbergasted that this picture was made at all. If one didn’t know better one could imagine that this was a satire about a cast of social justice types who have attempted to make a satire. At least that would have been novel.

Doc’s rating: 2/10

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODBhZDljMTItNTcyMC00YzI4LWI0ZWQtMjU5MzcwNmFmYmM1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_.jpg


3

[WHITBISSELL!]

http://dailygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/gr-768x561.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IB8WRRaezTE/TObXsBjZV3I/AAAAAAAAAAU/WznOqk7-sSw/s1600/Watermelonman1.jpg

Watermelon Man - 1970 social satire directed by Melvin Van Peebles and starring Godfrey Cambridge and Estelle Parsons. I hesitate to label it a comedy even though there's a fair amount of farce in it. Hesitate mostly because a lot of what you see onscreen is still going on today only with deadlier consequences.

Cambridge plays Jeff Gerber, a cartoonishly insufferable insurance salesman and nonchalant racist. His levelheaded wife Althea's (Parsons) attempts to enlighten Jeff about his virulent views towards minorities go largely unheeded. There is no subtlety here. Cambridge's Gerber is an outsized buffoon and more of a dismissive renunciation of racism than an attempt at authenticity.

One day Gerber wakes up black. No explanation or foreshadowing provided although Jeff does frantically try to "cure" himself by using numerous skin care products and drinking copious amounts of milk. He also blames his predicament on his overuse of a sun lamp and homemade tanning lotion. Police constantly harass him while his boss sees it as the perfect opportunity for the company to branch out into the previously untapped and potentially lucrative "Negro" market. On the home front there are constant anonymous threats over the phone for the family to get out of the neighborhood.

One night a group of neighbors shows up and offers him increasing amounts of money to sell his house before he drives property values down. He eventually agrees to almost triple the amount it's worth. His wife does leave him though and takes their two kids, leaving Jeff to unreservedly embrace his new life.

I suppose when this first came out it was unheard of and I'm assuming controversial but watching it now only accentuates it's dated qualities. I don't know if Peebles meant to make it look like an old time sitcom or soap opera but there were also extraneous tight closeups sprinkled in for no apparent reason. I've read the reviews and some have called it a "masterpiece" and a "classic". Maybe back in the day but now it's more of a curio.

65/100

[ScannerDarkly]

Matrix resurrection


Walked out of the theater in 30 mine one of the worst things ive seen made me squirm in my seat. Gotta be a record for most amount of references to another film.

[ScannerDarkly]

And just like that, you and I are buddies.


(Dead Set was the first live Grateful Dead I ever heard, approximately 35 years ago, and "Brokedown Palace", when I'm forced to choose one song by someone, is often the song I cite as my favorite.)




Dead set is my favorite fire on the mountain, jerry knew that was going to be recorded, precision.

[chawhee]

Don’t Look Up (2021)



Doc’s rating: 2/10

I really can't disagree with anything you said, but my rating would have been a 7/10 on your scale haha I think one can almost objectively say it is not a technically sound movie but I did enjoy myself

[CringeFest]

Come and See (1985)


8/10


Overall I thought the cinematography was pretty brilliant, and had pretty wierd and exciting content. The only thing I fault this film for is that there are scenes that didn't add anything, for example:





When the boy is shooting the portrait of hitler, and they're playing nazi propaganda footage, it just felt kind of boring and contrived, like "okay I get the point"

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/X7n8cCSt/wages-of-feawr.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7754623

The Wages of Fear - (1953)

Firstly - Wow. What a tension-filled two hours of fright, fear and excitement. I haven't been hanging off the edge of such a metaphorical cliff like this for a while. Two teams of two men must drive trucks full of nitroglycerine 300 miles over rugged roads, steep hills and boulder-strewn tracks - and luckily for us it's all captured in expert fashion, with sight and sound exposing every moment of dreadful near-catastrophe. I loved this film. The Wages of Fear takes it's time bringing it's characters to life, including the situation they're in. An impossible life in a filthy South American town, where there's no work and no hope for anyone. It's impossible to even escape - and residents pride themselves on being the toughest of the tough - so when $2000 is offered for the dangerous work it's jumped at. Once under way, the journey exposes which characters really are tough, and which ones had simply been putting up a front. Stupendously suspenseful, and one of those films that I'm astonished I'd never heard of - considering just how good it is.

9/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 58/100

https://i.postimg.cc/zX1gnZWB/another-round.jpg
By https://www.nfbio.dk/film/druk, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65388617

Another Round - (2020)

For some reason whenever I watch a film about drinking I have vivid feelings about the bad aspects of getting really drunk. The dizzy nausea, fuzzy lack of feeling, sore throat and sore head. I battled through the feeling yet again during Another Round. In it a group of teachers discover that drinking a limited amount of alcohol every day enhances their enthusiasm for their job and makes them more inspirational teachers. They push their experiment too far though - and I thought it was puzzling that they'd test what would happen if they really let go and drank copious amounts of booze. Of course things would get out of control, as they do. So I decided to not take that too literally, and see it as something we all go through in life - this experimentation with alcohol, which some of us take to the limit at first before learning to temper. Booze does seem like a miraculous wonder of life when we first come into contact with it - but before long, some learn that it can be the very opposite of that - a curse they can't rid themselves of. Some people can't do moderation - and others can't control their habits at all - so the experiment yields differing results, from tragic to joyful. Vinterberg, by the film's conclusion, insists on showing us the brightest and most dark aspects of our relationship with alcohol together, coexisting as they always will.

7.5/10

[Fabulous]

The Way of the Gun (2000)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/yiwjuuk2QsO2zVlOl6Y8lCtsy69.jpg

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://filmforum.org/do-not-enter-or-modify-or-erase/client-uploads/ny/_1000w/ACROSS-110-ST2050.jpg

https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/across110thstreet1972.17411.jpg?w=1216

Across 110th Street - This actually turned out to be a pretty good movie. I knew the cast was going to be first rate but I wasn't expecting it to be so deftly written. And director Barry Shear, who was mostly known for television work, did an outstanding job with the Harlem locations and handled the various action scenes smoothly.

The title comes from the geographical demarcation between Central Park and Harlem. As the films opens representatives from the local mob family have traveled to Harlem to count and collect their weekly take. Two men in police uniforms gain entry and while robbing them gun down all four of the men in the room. They make their getaway but not before killing two actual policemen.

From that point on it's a race to see who hunts them down first, the mob or the NYPD. For the gangsters it's a point of pride and the overriding need to avoid the appearance of weakness. The head of the crime family sends his son-in-law Nick D'Salvio (Anthony Franciosa) to find the men and send a clear message. They team with Harlem crime lord "Doc" Johnson (Richard Ward) and his right-hand man Shevvy (Gilbert Lewis) and immediately put out a $5,000 reward for information.

In the meantime the police assign the young and ambitous Lieutenant Pope (Yaphet Kotto) to head the high-priority case which doesn't sit well with the old school Captain Mattelli (Anthony Quinn). He's a throwback to the old days when cops busted heads with impunity. Mattelli is described as racist on numerous occasions but he turns out to share a number of traits with Pope and the two men eventually arrive at a grudging respect for one another.

Great acting overall with Kotto and Quinn making for a surprisingly suitable pairing. And there are small touches here and there from supporting players like Paul Benjamin who turns in an invaluable and understated performance as Jim Harris, one of the robbers. As far as the writing goes just pay attention to the scene where Harris and his fellow robber and fugitive Joe Logart (Ed Bernard) part ways, both knowing that chances are they won't survive to see the morning. It could easily have been overwritten or rang false but instead is one of the best in the movie. There are numerous quietly trenchant scenes like that. More than enough to elevate this above the blaxploitation label.

90/100

[ThatDarnMKS]

https://filmforum.org/do-not-enter-or-modify-or-erase/client-uploads/ny/_1000w/ACROSS-110-ST2050.jpg

https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/across110thstreet1972.17411.jpg?w=1216

Across 110th Street - This actually turned out to be a pretty good movie. I knew the cast was going to be first rate but I wasn't expecting it to be so deftly written. And director Barry Shear, who was mostly known for television work, did an outstanding job with the Harlem locations and handled the various action scenes smoothly.

The title comes from the geographical demarcation between Central Park and Harlem. As the films opens representatives from the local mob family have traveled to Harlem to count and collect their weekly take. Two men in police uniforms gain entry and while robbing them gun down all four of the men in the room. They make their getaway but not before killing two actual policemen.

From that point on it's a race to see who hunts them down first, the mob or the NYPD. For the gangsters it's a point of pride and the overriding need to avoid the appearance of weakness. The head of the crime family sends his son-in-law Nick D'Salvio (Anthony Franciosa) to find the men and send a clear message. They team with Harlem crime lord "Doc" Johnson (Richard Ward) and his right-hand man Shevvy (Gilbert Lewis) and immediately put out a $5,000 reward for information.

In the meantime the police assign the young and ambitous Lieutenant Pope (Yaphet Kotto) to head the high-priority case which doesn't sit well with the old school Captain Mattelli (Anthony Quinn). He's a throwback to the old days when cops busted heads with impunity. Mattelli is described as racist on numerous occasions but he turns out to share a number of traits with Pope and the two men eventually arrive at a grudging respect for one another.

Great acting overall with Kotto and Quinn making for a surprisingly suitable pairing. And there are small touches here and there from supporting players like Paul Benjamin who turns in an invaluable and understated performance as Jim Harris, one of the robbers. As far as the writing goes just pay attention to the scene where Harris and his fellow robber and fugitive Joe Logart (Ed Bernard) part ways, both knowing that chances are they won't survive to see the morning. It could easily have been overwritten or rang false but instead is one of the best in the movie. There are numerous quietly trenchant scenes like that. More than enough to elevate this above the blaxploitation label.

90/100
It also has one of the greatest theme songs ever, which was prominently featured in Jackie Brown.

[Wooley]

83929
Don’t Look Up (2021)

This is one of those shockingly bad films that comes along once in awhile which is packed with big name actors who, despite their best efforts, could not rescue it. Doc’s rating: 2/10

Interesting. I keep having people tell me I need to see it and how good it is but I didn't have a good feeling.

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmovies.marden.ws%2Fimages%2F6295f.jpg&f=1&nofb=1


It was kind of what I expected which is why I had never seen it until now. Pretty average for most of it's runtime then it gets silly at the end. It wasn't boring but it wasn't anything special either. rating_3

[Wooley]

It also has one of the greatest theme songs ever, which was prominently featured in Jackie Brown.

A friend of mine and I took a little LSD and walked through Central Park from 59th all the way up into Harlem (and not in a straight line), before winding our way back (over to the West Side and back down to Columbus Circle and then down Broadway), sharing a set of ear buds so we'd have the same music. As we passed 109th, I put on the theme song to this movie so the chorus would play right as we... crossed 110th Street.
Because you're right, the song kicks ass.

[Marco]

Shadowlands (1993)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Shadowlands_ver2.jpg
Good film during Hopkins' "emotionally repressed" period. Solid tale of the friendship and, eventual, love that the author and theologian CS Lewis formed with Joy Gresham (nee Davidman). The performances are all great especially Debra Winger in this subtle and touching film.
3.5

[FromBeyond]

Come and See (1985)




When the boy is shooting the portrait of hitler, and they're playing nazi propaganda footage, it just felt kind of boring and contrived, like "okay I get the point"




I thought it was incredible

[Torgo]

Interesting. I keep having people tell me I need to see it and how good it is but I didn't have a good feeling.I think it's pretty good, for what it's worth. I enjoyed it as a satirical comedy and think it provides satisfying catharsis about the current ills of the world such as celebrity obsession, social media and certain news channels serving as hives of misinformation, being subjected to the whims of profiteering politicians and CEOs who are barely members of the human race, etc. It's very broad and may bite off more than it can chew, but it's 2+ hours well spent.

[Wooley]

Shadowlands (1993)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Shadowlands_ver2.jpg
Good film during Hopkins' "emotionally repressed" period. Solid tale of the friendship and, eventual, love that the author and theologian CS Lewis formed with Joy Gresham (nee Davidman). The performances are all great especially Debra Winger in this subtle and touching film.
3.5
I liked this a lot and I thought it was one of the best performances of Hopkins' career. So subtle, a lot like his turn in The Remains Of The Day. Winger is always excellent and this was no exception.

[CringeFest]

Eraserhead


5


What the...

[Torgo]

What If - 4

You may have seen the "nachos" scene from this movie on YouTube, and even though it's the one that made me laugh the hardest, it's not all this romantic comedy has going for it. Wallace (Radcliffe), an ex-med student still reeling from a breakup that occurred over a year ago, connects with Chantry (Kazan), an animator, at a party. As luck would have it, she's been in a relationship for five years. Meanwhile, there's Wallace's nacho-loving pal Allan (Driver), who much to his chagrin has 100% better luck with relationships and seemingly without having to try.

If this setup seems familiar, it is, but what writer/director Dowse and company do with it makes it stand out. The quick, witty, staccato rhythm dialog - think Juno's, but less precious and self-conscious - is often hard to keep up with, but it's still a lot of fun to take in. As for Radcliffe and Kazan, they have strong chemistry, it’s charming to watch them spend time together, and speaking of Radcliffe, it's simply nice to see him play someone in a contemporary setting and who does not have magical powers. If comedy is what draws you to movies like this one more than the romance, it's there, mostly courtesy of Driver's impulsive and annoyingly confident best bud, which also describes his recent hookup played by another welcome sight, Mackenzie Davis. The movie also might as well be a tourism advertisement for Toronto, which might as well be the fifth main character.

While its hipness and witticisms are less annoying than they are in similar movies, there are a few occasions when they venture into cringe territory. Also, despite a few surprises, the movie does not completely avoid predictably. I still found it to be infectiously charming, delightfully funny and it's very possible that it elicited a tear of joy or two. Oh, and it will make you crave nachos as well as anything that goes well with Cool Whip.

[Marco]

I liked this a lot and I thought it was one of the best performances of Hopkins' career. So subtle, a lot like his turn in The Remains Of The Day. Winger is always excellent and this was no exception.

I like it when I get round to seeing a film that previously I'd have ignored or genuinely avoided. There were just go many staid "Upstairs Downstairs" type dramas around at that time, I found it overwhelming. Even Julian Fellowes was in this.

[Thief]

Eraserhead


5


What the...

Yep.

[Thief]

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR
(2007, Nichols)

https://i.imgur.com/vKA75ob.jpg


"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we f-ucked up the endgame."


Charlie Wilson's War follows the titular Congressman (Tom Hanks) and his efforts to support the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s. He does so with the assistance of Avrakotos and Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), a wealthy, right-wing socialite.

This is Mike Nichols' last film. He started his career as a comedian and then a stage director, before hitting it big on film with his first two films: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate (he was nominated for Best Director for both, and won for the latter). As someone who just saw both films (and Carnal Knowledge) within the last year, you can see his talent in handling personal relationships and exchanges between characters.

Charlie Wilson's War is different because the scope is bigger and the stakes are higher, perhaps? But he still puts the focus on the characters' personal relationships; particularly Wilson with Avrakotos and Herring. In that aspect, we can say the film is successful, also thanks to the sharp dialogue from screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2267388#post2267388)

[Guaporense]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/pt/5/5c/Don%27t_Look_Up_2021_film.jpg

Pretty fun satire of our internet-based culture which is too much focused on nonsense, so society is unable to get a grip regarding a serious issue. I found some of the jokes a bit cringe but overall not a bad movie. Loved the jokes on big-tech and hillary.

Still, if you look at Covid, the lack of seriousness was perhaps not the biggest issue, instead, it was the polarization of measures: excessive measures some people took while others did not take any measures.

[Marco]

Judy (2019)

Won't rate this as it's not really my sort of film and I don't know much about Garland....what I will say is that it dragged in long sections but I did manage to hang on till the end.

[Takoma11]

What If - 4

I found this film to be a really pleasant surprise. I find Daniel Radcliffe to be such an affable presence that I'm willing to give almost anything with him in it a try. And then the rest of the cast was great as well.

I think that the argument on the beach (and the situation leading up to it) is a great little subversion of romance tropes.

[GulfportDoc]

[Don't Look Up] Interesting. I keep having people tell me I need to see it and how good it is but I didn't have a good feeling.
If you have good friends that recommend it, then it would surely warrant a watch. You might like it.

I did note that even folks or reviewers who agree with the supposed philosophy behind the picture pooh-poohed it. Now watch it win an Oscar!...:D

[Torgo]

I found this film to be a really pleasant surprise. I find Daniel Radcliffe to be such an affable presence that I'm willing to give almost anything with him in it a try. And then the rest of the cast was great as wellSame here. I recommend seeing the miniseries The Young Doctor's Handbook and Other Stories and Swiss Army Man if you haven't already if you're up for more non-Potter Radcliffe.

As for What If, I finally got motivated to see it thanks to a Ratatouille clip, of all things:

https://youtu.be/mpjnNnLL2rA

[Wyldesyde19]

I found this film to be a really pleasant surprise. I find Daniel Radcliffe to be such an affable presence that I'm willing to give almost anything with him in it a try. And then the rest of the cast was great as well.

I think that the argument on the beach (and the situation leading up to it) is a great little subversion of romance tropes.

I have this saved to watch soon, but that’s mostly because of Zoe Kazan, who I feel is a talented actress.

[Takoma11]

Same here. I recommend seeing the miniseries The Young Doctor's Handbook and Other Stories and Swiss Army Man if you haven't already if you're up for more non-Potter Radcliffe.

Seen the former, not sure how much I'm interested in the latter, but I do keep almost watching it.

I have this saved to watch soon, but that’s mostly because of Zoe Kazan, who I feel is a talented actress.

She's very good in it. Honestly, all four of the main actors are really good in it.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-N8MNuu7cX8M%2FT-q2jiF0NHI%2FAAAAAAAAC5E%2FWkpHc9FNjJc%2Fs1600%2FFunny%2BGirl%2BStreisand.JPG&f=1&nofb=1

Funny Girl, 1968

In this based-on-a-true-story film, Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand) goes from being an unsuccessful dance hall girl to a successful comedienne and stage performer. Along the way, however, she must grapple with her complicated relationship with professional gambler Nick (Omar Sharif).

As with many biographical films, I had to give myself some distance with this one. As I just wrote about with tick tick BOOM!, I always struggle with the knowledge that I am being shown a "true story" where in reality alterations have been made to suit a narrative film.

That said, this is a mostly very charming film and Streisand's lead performance is palpably a breakthrough moment.

I read a lot of trivia about how mad people were about how controlling Streisand was on the set of the film. My main reaction? Good for her! This trivia actually mirrors one of the points of the film that I thought was most impactful: Fanny is (in the reality of the film) not a pretty girl. She's a funny girl. And she is very sensitive to the difference between being laughed AT and laughed WITH. Even more specifically, she wants to have control over moments in which she is being laughed AT, with it being important that moments of self-deprecation are by choice.

I enjoyed many of the musical numbers in the film, especially a comedic take on "Swan Lake" that comes later in the story. Streisand is an assured performer, whether in the within-film setpieces or in scenes like one where she is asked to perform on roller skates. "I thought you said you could roller skate!" protests the stage manager who is also her good friend and ally. "I didn't know I couldn't!!" Fanny exclaims, propelling herself back into the chaos of the piece. It's solidly entertaining.

Sharif, as love interest Nick, is also perfect in his role. In the first half, we see his confidence and how this seduces Fanny. But later in the film, we see the way that her success takes a toll on him. I have a friend who split from her husband, and a huge issue in their marriage was the fact that she is more successful and recognized in her career than he is (they are both writers). Nick's building resentment is wonderfully portrayed by Sharif, and capably counterbalanced by the way that Streisand shows how Fanny's attempts to "help" Nick only make him feel more bitter toward the situation.

I do have to say that I found the first half of the film a lot more fun and interesting than the second half. While the dynamics of their marriage are portrayed in a way that is realistic, it's also not very fun watching a woman trying to please a man who is so insecure that he takes her success personally. The first half where we watch Fanny fight for her place on the stage and also fight to do numbers her way is really good stuff.

Overall a solid film and a particularly good first half.

3.5

[Gideon58]

https://flxt.tmsimg.com/assets/p1600_p_v8_aa.jpg



4

[Thief]

SCANNERS
(1981, Cronenberg)

https://static.vvvvid.it/img/shows/scanners-back_720.jpg


"It's the voices in my head. They're driving me crazy. How do you stop them?"



Scanners follows the titular subjects who've been found to have special mental abilities. When one of them called Daryl Revok (Michael Ironside) starts to wreak havoc, a security and weapons company puts its trust in Vale to find him and stop him, before he takes over the world.

Probably one of the weakest points of the film is Lack, who is barely serviceable as the lead. Even though his performance is not bad, it's just too bland to get us all pumped up. Ironside, on the other hand, is all the opposite. His performance is energetic and in-your-face, and Ironside chews it all up pretty well.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2267504#post2267504)

[Takoma11]

[CENTER]SCANNERS
(1981, Cronenberg)

Ironside, on the other hand, is all the opposite. His performance is energetic and in-your-face, and Ironside chews it all up pretty well.

Have you seen Visiting Hours? Because a major side effect of watching Scanners was that I wished I was watching Visiting Hours instead.

[Thief]

Have you seen Visiting Hours? Because a major side effect of watching Scanners was that I wished I was watching Visiting Hours instead.

Not that I remember. But "funny story" about Visiting Hours is that when I was a kid I saw that trailer with the hospital windows/lights forming the skull...

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

...and it stuck with me. I became obsessed with that and frequently drew that image in notebooks. Don't remember if I ever saw the film, though. Should I? :shifty:

[Takoma11]

Don't remember if I ever saw the film, though. Should I? :shifty:

Absolutely yes.

[Thief]

Absolutely yes.

https://media.giphy.com/media/26ufoRAIGWxyizACQ/giphy.gif

[Takoma11]

https://media.giphy.com/media/26ufoRAIGWxyizACQ/giphy.gif

It's on YouTube, but doesn't seem to be legit streaming anywhere.

I think it's kind of a hidden gem that isn't discussed nearly enough, and I really like the interplay between the three main female characters with Ironside's violent killer in the center of it all.

[Captain Steel]

The Way Way Back (2013)

https://meshthemoviefreak.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/a389a-the-way-way-back-poster.jpg

Only saw the last 3/4 of this movie during a free cable channel preview.

I really liked it as an understated comedy / drama that has almost no laugh-out-loud moments, but rather the subtle humor of a bitter-sweet coming-of-age movie.

I think I related to it on the level of the main character finding himself at his first job. Unlike the character, my home life lacked the strife he had. I didn't come from a broken home, but high school was miserable for me... until I started working my first job. Mine wasn't at a water park, but at a restaurant. I suddenly went from a friendless outcast to being treated with respect & interest by people older than myself. It was the complete opposite of high school - I got no interest from girls my own age, but as soon as I started my job I had dozens of college-age and older women being friendly with me every shift I worked.

Interesting cast (with Steve Carrel as an against-type antagonist) & great movie for a lazy afternoon.

3.5

[Whammy]

Central Intelligence (2016)
Really funny, I liked it a lot. rating_4_5

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Incendies.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:External_editors, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28862731

Incendies - (2010)

Incendies packs a lot into it's 130 minutes of drama and pain - a whole lifetime full in fact. On the death of their eccentric and troubled mother, a brother and sister are instructed to find the father they thought was dead, and a brother they never knew they had - to deliver a letter to them both. To find them, they have to backtrack and learn about what their mother went through in the Middle East. She'd disgraced her family by bearing a child out of wedlock, went to study after having it sent to an orphanage and then became involved in a war between Christians and Muslims. Her transformation from student to warrior is brutal and shocking, and what happens to her after that is even more brutal, and even more shocking. Learning the whole story is transformative for the brother and sister - and they learn things about themselves and their mother that she hopes will end in love and forgiveness. Denis Villeneuve never dwells for too long on one aspect of the story - which moves along at a steady pace with one pounding revelation after the other. With strong musical accompaniment, bright and harsh visuals and intimate flash-backs it tells a story you want to go back to and hear again. I feel aggrieved that this lost to In a Better World when it came to the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, which I thought was average (but need to see again.)

9/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 59/100

https://i.postimg.cc/pTW50Lnk/knife-in-the-water.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7606783

Knife in the Water - (1962)

Something very different here. Modern movie-making and thrillers made me expect rape, torture and death in a film called Knife in the Water, Roman Polanski's first full-length feature film. What it is though, is a more subtle interplay between three characters - a husband, wife and interloper. The interloper doesn't forcefully intrude on this duo's 24-hour sailing trip, he's almost forcefully brought along by the domineering husband who picks him up hitchhiking out of spite, to prove a point. There begins a game of machismo and wits, with both men trying to outdo the other, whether it be with words, actions, knowledge or physical prowess. Awfully difficult to shoot, if you look behind the scenes - but this seems to be the kind of film the Dogme 95 group of filmmakers were trying to reestablish. There's no cheap shocks or trickery to try and engender reactions from an audience - just a sense of foreboding these two men foster in their attempts to prove themselves superior, which this films examines uncomfortably closely.

8/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 60/100

I also watched a whole progression of Roman Polanski's early short films :

Murder : Barely a minute long. A man enters a room, stabs some poor guy to death, and then leaves - thereby establishing the dead-on accuracy of it's title. 1/10

Teeth Smile : Creepy, creepy short about a peeping-tom looking in at an undressed lady, leering with a horrible toothy grin. He flees when interrupted, and when he goes for a second look it's the woman's husband that's there, leering in a similar manner. 5/10

Break Up the Dance : The most interesting thing about this short are the pictures of Stalin everywhere at this student dance, reminding one of the era in Poland this was made. Aside from that there's a silent-era type brawl that breaks out. There's a strong sense of this silent era in a lot of Polanski's early shorts. 2/10

Two Men and a Wardrobe : Two men carrying a wardrobe come out of the sea, like primordial creatures and venture around, trying to carry out their day-to-day life carrying this thing everywhere with them. Polanski himself has a short role as a thug who beats one of the guys up. This short has an unbearable segment where a bunch of guys stone a kitten to death. WHY? WHY???? No way/10

The Lamp : A dollmakers business, with unsettling creations abounding, catches fire and the dolls seem to burn in anguish as people outside pass by without noticing. This one was quite good - the imagery very catching and enthralling. 7/10

When Angels Fall : I think this was Polanski's thesis production, and it plays out like a large-budget epic of a short. An old, haggard woman holds down a job as lavatory attendant - but things she sees takes her back in time (with lavish colour) to her youth, and romance with soldiers from invading armies, heartbreak, having a child and that child growing up, disowning her and dying during the First World War. This prompts her to break down crying, and a visit from an angel. The scale of this, compared to the other shorts, is off the charts. It's like the Ben-Hur and Gone With the Wind of Polish short films. 7/10

The Fat and the Lean : A silly short with an older aristocrat and his poor, disheveled servant (played by Polanski) who keeps trying to please him, attempting to run away, being pacified and repeating that cycle again and again. Very much like an old silent short, played at the same frame-rate they were played back then. 3/10

Mammals : Another Keaton/Chaplin/Arbuckle-type comedic short with two men - one pulls the sled and the other rests. They keep feigning injury and sickness to get the other one to pull, swapping places again and again until they lose their sled - whereupon they start carrying each other on their back. 2/10

All of those shorts were put together from around 1957 to 1962, the year Polanski made Knife in the Water

[Deschain]

I watched Goldstone, a solid sequel to Mystery Road. Elements of the plot feel like a rehash of the first movie but the new characters were intriguing, especially Josh, a cop who starts out easily corruptible and manipulated because of how naive and inexperienced he is. If you like slow burn outback thrillers give these a watch.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I watched Goldstone, a solid sequel to Mystery Road. Elements of the plot feel like a rehash of the first movie but the new characters were intriguing, especially Josh, a cop who starts out easily corruptible and manipulated because of how naive and inexperienced he is. If you like slow burn outback thrillers give these a watch.
I watched this for Noirvember after discovering it at a Dollar Store. I was a fan of Mystery Road (after accidentally ordering it through Amazon whilst the phone became sentient in my pocket) but didn’t know it had a sequel. So imagine my extra surprise when I learned not only did Goldstone exist, but it spawned a multi season TV series with the cast that I’ve not yet had a chance to see.

They did a good job with this 2 film/TV format for Wolf Creek so I hope the results are comparable.

[Dog Star Man]

I recently took to watching Brian de Palma's Scarface on a VHS transfer thinking, "Quintessential 80's film on an 80's format—yes this will be cool." ... but honestly what I learned is VHS formats seem to handle "gutter-films" from the 80's and 90's better. "Higher brow" films, (and yes, like it or lump it Scarface is more legit than say other films), don't transfer too well... but then I have Titanic on VHS and love it, so I don't know... I guess it's different strokes for different things... perhaps the "full screen" experience, (knowing the "wide"), tainted some of the experience. All told, oddly, I did enjoy my experience with it... just would stick to more "legit" handling(s) and versions. It's like a great big chicken just waiting to get plucked.

[Dog Star Man]

https://i.postimg.cc/pTW50Lnk/knife-in-the-water.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7606783

Knife in the Water - (1962)

Something very different here. Modern movie-making and thrillers made me expect rape, torture and death in a film called Knife in the Water, Roman Polanski's first full-length feature film. What it is though, is a more subtle interplay between three characters - a husband, wife and interloper. The interloper doesn't forcefully intrude on this duo's 24-hour sailing trip, he's almost forcefully brought along by the domineering husband who picks him up hitchhiking out of spite, to prove a point. There begins a game of machismo and wits, with both men trying to outdo the other, whether it be with words, actions, knowledge or physical prowess. Awfully difficult to shoot, if you look behind the scenes - but this seems to be the kind of film the Dogme 95 group of filmmakers were trying to reestablish. There's no cheap shocks or trickery to try and engender reactions from an audience - just a sense of foreboding these two men foster in their attempts to prove themselves superior, which this films examines uncomfortably closely.

8/10

Been awhile since I've seen it, but the dynamics of motion through the boat on the waves and the mise-en-scene are really telling in that film an "add more" to the narrative and character interplay as well. Glad you liked it, mate!

[ThatDarnMKS]

I VHS formats seem to handle "gutter-films" from the 80's and 90's better.
I frequently see this sentiment but can’t think of a time I’ve agreed. I value this world of Severin, Arrow and Vinegar Syndrome pristine releases of cult fare. One of two things tends to happen: either there’s more artistry on display, uncompromised by a garbage format OR the incompetence is heightened by the crystal clarity.

I feel I’m one of the few that grew up with VHS, and watched a great many classics that way, but am utterly un-nostalgic for the format.

[Dog Star Man]

I frequently see this sentiment but can’t think of a time I’ve agreed. I value this world of Severin, Arrow and Vinegar Syndrome pristine releases of cult fare. One of two things tends to happen: either there’s more artistry on display, uncompromised by a garbage format OR the incompetence is heightened by the crystal clarity.

I feel I’m one of the few that grew up with VHS, and watched a great many classics that way, but am utterly un-nostalgic for the format.

To each their own.

[pahaK]

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
2.5
Maybe I'm too generous with this, but it exceeded my expectations so much that I was left with a mostly positive vibe. I don't usually like these meta movies, but here it worked decently. Nothing too innovative in its jibes towards the entertainment industry and the consumers, but sort of funny to see that in a cash grabby sequel to a major franchise. Also, surprisingly lacking the woke agenda (unless you take the ending seriously, which I didn't). Still, totally unnecessary film.

--
Labyrinth (1986)
2.5
A bit too childish for me, but still quite an entertaining tribute to classics like The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland.

--
The Innocents (2021)
aka De uskyldige
4
A dark and haunting tale of childhood. Trauma, friendship, curiosity, and selfish childish cruelty combined with a strand of supernatural. Just my kind of film. It ended on my watchlist after this_is_the_ girl gave it a positive review here, thanks.

[Fabulous]

Slither (2006)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/1Wfi0yIFcxplGUX5pYyvwVhZTtJ.jpg

[Deschain]

I frequently see this sentiment but can’t think of a time I’ve agreed. I value this world of Severin, Arrow and Vinegar Syndrome pristine releases of cult fare. One of two things tends to happen: either there’s more artistry on display, uncompromised by a garbage format OR the incompetence is heightened by the crystal clarity.

I feel I’m one of the few that grew up with VHS, and watched a great many classics that way, but am utterly un-nostalgic for the format.

I’m with ya man. I still have my VHS tapes from my childhood but once DVDs came out I never looked back.

[Wooley]

If you have good friends that recommend it, then it would surely warrant a watch. You might like it.

I did note that even folks or reviewers who agree with the supposed philosophy behind the picture pooh-poohed it. Now watch it win an Oscar!...:D

Well, the thing that got my attention was that my boss, who is Republican enough to throw had a fund-raiser for an extremely Conservative Senator, who had us all "join in prayer for our nation" in his house and my friend who is an exhausting Party Democrat (the worst kind) both recommended it pretty vigorously to me.
Given that there is a political/societal nature to the film, and that no one can have a discourse with anyone from the "other side" about anything anymore, that got me scratching my chin.

[Captain Terror]

83954
2


New Year's resolution: Watch better movies in 2022

[Wooley]

SCANNERS
(1981, Cronenberg)

https://static.vvvvid.it/img/shows/scanners-back_720.jpg




Scanners follows the titular subjects who've been found to have special mental abilities. When one of them called Daryl Revok (Michael Ironside) starts to wreak havoc, a security and weapons company puts its trust in Vale to find him and stop him, before he takes over the world.

Probably one of the weakest points of the film is Lack, who is barely serviceable as the lead. Even though his performance is not bad, it's just too bland to get us all pumped up. Ironside, on the other hand, is all the opposite. His performance is energetic and in-your-face, and Ironside chews it all up pretty well.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2267504#post2267504)

Lack is so brutal in this. It might be the single worst film performance I can remember. Although Keanu had a couple of pretty bad ones too, now that I think about it.

[Wooley]

Have you seen Visiting Hours? Because a major side effect of watching Scanners was that I wished I was watching Visiting Hours instead.

https://i.imgur.com/iXwfze3.jpg?1

[Wooley]

Not that I remember. But "funny story" about Visiting Hours is that when I was a kid I saw that trailer with the hospital windows/lights forming the skull...

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

...and it stuck with me. I became obsessed with that and frequently drew that image in notebooks. Don't remember if I ever saw the film, though. Should I? :shifty:

I had the same experience. Well, up until the notebooks.

[Wooley]

I frequently see this sentiment but can’t think of a time I’ve agreed. I value this world of Severin, Arrow and Vinegar Syndrome pristine releases of cult fare. One of two things tends to happen: either there’s more artistry on display, uncompromised by a garbage format OR the incompetence is heightened by the crystal clarity.

I feel I’m one of the few that grew up with VHS, and watched a great many classics that way, but am utterly un-nostalgic for the format.

I agree.
I thought I was the other way, give me the grainy, dark, and almost out of focus feel of VHS for the low-brow fare.
And then I saw the re-releases of Lemora, Eaten Alive, and Messiah Of Evil.
Now I want that on all my wonderful trash.

[Marco]

Lack is so brutal in this. It might be the single worst film performance I can remember. Although Keanu had a couple of pretty bad ones too, now that I think about it.
I had thought that (about Lack) when I watched years ago. Re-watched earlier this year and thought his performance brought an other-wordly (like it needed it) aspect. He is cr@p though.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.j5lBFW2hFxi0qUbpGvZyrAHaEK%26pid%3DApi&f=1

My Brilliant Career, 1979

Sybylla Melvyn (Judy Davis) decides very early on that she will not fall into the societal trap of being married off. As various relatives--her mother, her aunt, her grandmother--try to convince her of the importance of marrying well, Sybylla digs in her heels and decides instead that she will make her own way and pursue her own career. This gets complicated when a local gentleman named Harry (Sam Neill) catches feelings for her, and Sybylla realizes that she loves him in return.

I really enjoyed this film, anchored by a very fun performance from Davis in the lead role.

What the film captures best is just how limited the imagination is when it comes to how certain people can live their lives. The idea of Sybylla not marrying is something that so many people just cannot handle. Her desire to make her own way is seen as offensive and an insubordination.

What makes this observation all the more powerful is that the system her family wants her to fall into puts her at a disadvantage. Sybylla is not a beauty, and her looks manage to become the talking point for how people regard her. She is truly treated more like an object, and things like her ability to play an instrument are seen as a fun little extra as opposed to something she might seriously pursue. And while Harry seems to be drawn to her personality, he also does not hesitate to literally push her around, in one sequence dragging her into an empty room and repeatedly grabbing at her. When he believes on their first meeting that she is a servant, his "attentions" are even more aggressive. It's not hard to see why Sybylla chafes at this system, even when there are "nice guys" here and there in the mix.

I had two little complaints with the film. The first has to do with the titular career. Sybylla talks a lot about having a career but, like, what career? She seems to mention a lot of things, but we don't see enough of her being creative, in my opinion. I wish we'd gotten more of a sense of who she is as a writer.

The other complaint is just to do with film and its own reality. We are told over and over that Sybylla is ugly and . . . nope. Just nope. You can frizz out her hair, you can cover her face with a thin layer of dirt, you can make her lips look chapped. But to repeatedly hear characters--and Sybylla herself--refer to her as being ugly was just obnoxious. I can buy the idea that she isn't refined, and that comes across very well and very comedically. But when the guy wooing her starts his proposal with "looks aren't everything" I just had to roll my eyes.

Overall this was a charming and funny film. It made me think a bit of the recent version of Little Women and the idea of a woman's relationship to her art being like a romance in a parallel (and even in competition) to a romance with a man. A very endearing picture.

4

[Rockatansky]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.j5lBFW2hFxi0qUbpGvZyrAHaEK%26pid%3DApi&f=1

My Brilliant Career, 1979


Have you seen Starstruck? For a musical, the songs are kind of whatever, but otherwise it's a very fun movie, the kind of thing that would have been a favourite had I seen it as a teenager.

[Takoma11]

Have you seen Starstruck? For a musical, the songs are kind of whatever, but otherwise it's a very fun movie, the kind of thing that would have been a favourite had I seen it as a teenager.

I haven't! But it's on Tubi so I just added it to my watchlist.

[mark f]

Last Looks (Tim Kirkby, 2021) 2 6/10
Iron Angel (Ken Kennedy, 1964) 1.5 4/10
Princess O'Rourke (Norman Krasna, 1943) 2.5 6/10
Mass (Fran Kranz, 2021) 3.5- 7/10
https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/TWCNews/Film_Review_-_Mass_26031?hei=300
Quietly devastating conversation between two families about a particular school shooting. Left to right - Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Reed Birney, Ann Dowd.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (Peter Weir, 2006) 3.5 7/10
Barrage (Laura Schroeder, 2017) 2.5 5.5/10
This Game's Called Murder (Adam Sherman, 2021) 2 5/10
The Super Bob Einstein Movie (Danny Gold, 2021) 3.5 7/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGLnjx5b3vQ
Super Dave in all his guises and eras is shown through what he meant to people.
Death to 2021 (Jack Clough & Josh Ruben, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Hell Squad (Burt Topper, 1958) 2 5/10
City Slickers (Ron Underwood,1991) 3.5 7/10
The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://resizing.flixster.com/gd3D0lJeJEq1wVm4ODXwWfgYTlg=/740x380/v2/https://statcdn.fandango.com/MPX/image/NBCU_Fandango/321/959/thumb_9C99FA56-BF28-4069-8C0D-3DD80FBF08F6.jpg
The internal life of how mother Olivia Colman deals with her life choices and those around her is pretty well displayed although occasionally difficult to understand.
Scarface (Brian De Palma, 1983) 3 6.5/10
Take Me Home Tonight (Michael Dowse, 2011) 2.5+ 6/10
National Champions (Ric Roman Waugh, 2021) 2+ 5/10
JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass (Oliver Stone, 2021) 3+ 6.5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH3F7rT_eNQ
Maybe not as revelatory as it could be, but still a good compendium of many of the questionable conclusions of the Warren Commission.
The Tender Bar (George Clooney, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Outbreak (Wolfgang Petersen, 1995) 3- 6.5/10
Wife of a Spy (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2020) 2.5 6/10
Murder on the Orient Express (Sidney Lumet, 1974) 4 8/10
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b8/07/f9/b807f917af3a34245a8e27d739dd98a9.gif
Mastermind detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) lets over-the-top Lauren Bacall spill some more beans.

[Stirchley]

Re-watch. Could have been more sharply edited. We did not need to see the wedding of Julia Child’s sister, for example.

Amy Adams & Chris Messina very cute together.

83962

[ThatDarnMKS]

I agree.
I thought I was the other way, give me the grainy, dark, and almost out of focus feel of VHS for the low-brow fare.
And then I saw the re-releases of Lemora, Eaten Alive, and Messiah Of Evil.
Now I want that on all my wonderful trash.

Samurai Cop has a dazzling transfer that shows at least the camera operator knew how to keep that 35mm film in crystal clear focus, which makes the incompetence he captured all the more hilarious.

The only movies that I wouldn't mind watching on VHS are ones like Sledgehammer, actually shot on VHS. But those are generally harder to come by.

[crumbsroom]

Samurai Cop has a dazzling transfer that shows at least the camera operator knew how to keep that 35mm film in crystal clear focus, which makes the incompetence he captured all the more hilarious.

The only movies that I wouldn't mind watching on VHS are ones like Sledgehammer, actually shot on VHS. But those are generally harder to come by.


Yeah, I don't see how something like Sledgehammer would be improved by cleaning up the transfer. That would be like wanting hi-fidelity on a black metal recording. Ends up removing the charm of how aggressively off putting it is aesthetically.


It would be like fixing the sound on Things...but then I wouldn't get a splitting headache every time I watch it...hardly the same movie experience at all.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Yeah, I don't see how something like Sledgehammer would be improved by cleaning up the transfer. That would be like wanting hi-fidelity on a black metal recording. Ends up removing the charm of how aggressively off putting it is aesthetically.


It would be like fixing the sound on Things...but then I wouldn't get a splitting headache every time I watch it...hardly the same movie experience at all.
Exactly! But if someone went through the effort to shoot on film, I want it to look as faithful to that film stock as possible. Seems downright disrespectful to want a garbage resolution despite their intention. Like pan &scanning, which most VHS were.

[Rockatansky]

Yeah, I don't see how something like Sledgehammer would be improved by cleaning up the transfer. That would be like wanting hi-fidelity on a black metal recording. Ends up removing the charm of how aggressively off putting it is aesthetically.


It would be like fixing the sound on Things...but then I wouldn't get a splitting headache every time I watch it...hardly the same movie experience at all.
Oh, I don't know. A crystal clear, hi fi Amber Lynn might have her charms.

[Rockatansky]

Oh, I don't know. A crystal clear, hi fi Amber Lynn might have her charms.

Actually if only her scenes were cleaned up and the rest of the movie still looked like garbage, it would be pretty fitting.

[Gideon58]

https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Dont-Look-Up-Posters.jpg


4.5

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/Brazil_%281985_film%29_poster.jpg
By The best 80s sci-fi film posters, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9890943

Brazil - (1985)

Come the mid 1990s Brazil would have easily slotted into my favourite 10 films list - and I guess it was simply time which made it slip from that position. Watching it again yesterday, I was reminded of what electrified me about it to begin with. It's endlessly inventive, throwing 5 different wonderful things at you at a time, with curious objects, wonderfully bizarre performances, dreamy music and a simple dystopian plot. A breath of fresh air at the time, with a daring ending that choked me up. Jonathan Pryce would again play a much darker character that dreams in the same way his does in this, in the true-story Selling Hitler - which I'm always reminded of. His Sam Lowry though, is sweet, if ineffectual. The broken down world Terry Gilliam created still has a lot to say about our world, a bureaucratic nightmare full of pollution, paper and misery. Watching it felt like falling in love with it for a second time.

10/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Lesdiaboliquesposter.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17817235

Diabolique - (1955)

This was a murder mystery where the mystery isn't who committed the murder. That's all I'm willing to say really, after being warned in a post-credits sequence to keep my mouth shut (I think Witness for the Prosecution did the same.) I can say though that I became more and more tense as this film went on, and as we reached the conclusion it was reaching boiling point. Georges Clouzot films seem to do that to me. When there appears to be no other explanation apart from the supernatural in such a down-to-earth film, things felt especially freaky - and thankfully Clouzot's wife Véra could give us a convincing performance. This is probably as close you could possibly get to Hitchcock without it actually being a Hitchcock film - and one it's said he enjoyed personally.

8/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 61/100

[Fabulous]

What If (2013)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/cfgRaHgdaONHzZ4Gg2zTDATu7xA.jpg

[Iroquois]

Free Guy - 0.5

blue pill cinema

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F474x%2F59%2F6a%2F9e%2F596a9ef98f3209d55709628ac7d9dc2d.jpg&f=1&nofb=1


My first movie experiences with Buñuel were Viridiana and Simon of the Desert which I thought were both great. Then I watched The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie which was okay and now this. This bored the hell out of me. A bunch of rich people are trapped at a dinner party they can't leave and begin sniping at each other. Never felt like I got to know any of the characters so who gives a f*** if they're having a couple bad days trapped in a mansion eating paper and drinking coffee? Needed more cannibalism.rating_2

[this_is_the_ girl]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fforestrowfilmsociety.org%2Fnews%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F06%2FIncendies.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Incendies (2010, Denis Villeneuve)
5

Great film, probably the best Villeneuve I've seen so far. Loved the tone, the pacing, the cinematography, and. of course. the storytelling is just top notch. I liked how understated and restrained it was — even though the film depicts horrific events, it never goes into gratuitous, shocking graphic visualization of violence, but rather implies it (i.e. the rape). The bus massacre scene is definitely a highlight and one of my favorites in the film.
But again, it's the power of the story as a whole that's at the forefront here, and Villeneuve keeps it simple and elegant, putting the gimmicks aside and just letting it work its magic.

[Allaby]

What Sex Am I? (1985) Watched on the Criterion channel. A short documentary about transgender people in the 80s. I thought this was excellent. It was honest, powerful, heartbreaking, inspiring, and interesting. I liked hearing from different types of people and learning about their stories and experiences. Highly recommended. 4.5

[Marco]

Don't Look Up (2021)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/Don%27t_Look_Up_2021_film.jpg
Pretty funny, not really much more than that. As a satire it was flimsy I thought.

2

[Captain Steel]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F474x%2F59%2F6a%2F9e%2F596a9ef98f3209d55709628ac7d9dc2d.jpg&f=1&nofb=1


My first movie experiences with Buñuel were Viridiana and Simon of the Desert which I thought were both great. Then I watched The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie which was okay and now this. This bored the hell out of me. A bunch of rich people are trapped at a dinner party they can't leave and begin sniping at each other. Never felt like I got to know any of the characters so who gives a f*** if they're having a couple bad days trapped in a mansion eating paper and drinking coffee? Needed more cannibalism.rating_2

Interestingly, when Stephen King first wrote Under the Dome (which had a similar theme about people suddenly being unable to leave an area) he titled it "the cannibals". The original title gave us insight to the author's intent if the isolation of the community in the story had continued any longer than it did.

(And then, of course there was The Simpson's Movie which borrowed the theme not long after King's book was released.)

Exterminating Angel was definitely an interesting concept, but I agree that it didn't make for a very gripping movie. It might have made a very good episode of the Twilight Zone!

[GulfportDoc]

Well, the thing that got my attention was that my boss, who is Republican enough to throw had a fund-raiser for an extremely Conservative Senator, who had us all "join in prayer for our nation" in his house and my friend who is an exhausting Party Democrat (the worst kind) both recommended it pretty vigorously to me.
Given that there is a political/societal nature to the film, and that no one can have a discourse with anyone from the "other side" about anything anymore, that got me scratching my chin.
Well, of course there's the possibility that both men simply have poor taste...;)

[Torgo]

Happy New Year, everybody. Here's my first of hopefully many hastily-assembled writeups of 2022:

The Beta Test - 4

The life of Jordan, a Hollywood agent who is recently engaged, becomes more complicated when he accepts an offer to have an anonymous tryst. A man who schmoozes so much that he might as well have forgotten how to be honest, watching him try to cover his tracks as well as discover who's behind the offer had me clenching my armrests on some occasions and guffawing on others. It helps that Jim Cummings - who stars, directs, and co-wrote the script - manages to make Jordan loathsome, easy to laugh at yet oddly sympathetic at the same time. Jordan's investigation is a joy to watch for how it resembles those in the best film noir. It's also fascinating and a little scary for how it comments on the corruption of social media and the constant degradation of our privacy, which it thankfully does with a minimum of Sorkin-esque soapboxing. It ends up being a lean and mean little dark comedy that makes me want to check out the rest of Cumming's movies, salute its defiance of runtime bloat found in the typical modern movie and, well...makes me want to use incognito mode as often as possible. Oh, and I highly advise you to pay close attention to Jordan's, uh...preferences in his affair application.

[Takoma11]

Happy New Year, everybody. Here's my first of hopefully many hastily-assembled writeups of 2022:

The Beta Test - 4

It ends up being a lean and mean little dark comedy that makes me want to check out the rest of Cumming's movies

Both of his other ones are great, but for me Thunder Road is next level and only gets better on a second or third viewing.

At Christmas my sister and I were talking about doing a movie day and she goes, "What's the name of that new movie by that guy who makes you really uncomfortable?"

[AgrippinaX]

Happy New Year, everybody. Here's my first of hopefully many hastily-assembled writeups of 2022:

The Beta Test - 4

The life of Jordan, a Hollywood agent who is recently engaged, becomes more complicated when he accepts an offer to have an anonymous tryst. A man who schmoozes so much that he might as well have forgotten how to be honest, watching him try to cover his tracks as well as discover who's behind the offer had me clenching my armrests on some occasions and guffawing on others. It helps that Jim Cummings - who stars, directs, and co-wrote the script - manages to make Jordan loathsome, easy to laugh at yet oddly sympathetic at the same time. Jordan's investigation is a joy to watch for how it resembles those in the best film noir. It's also fascinating and a little scary for how it comments on the corruption of social media and the constant degradation of our privacy, which it thankfully does with a minimum of Sorkin-esque soapboxing. It ends up being a lean and mean little dark comedy that makes me want to check out the rest of Cumming's movies, salute its defiance of runtime bloat found in the typical modern movie and, well...makes me want to use incognito mode as often as possible. Oh, and I highly advise you to pay close attention to Jordan's, uh...preferences in his affair application.

Wow, that’s high - I’ll have to give that another go. Didn’t work for me tone-wise, was billed as a thriller but felt like a bad satire.

Happy New Year right back at you :)

[Torgo]

Both of his other ones are great, but for me Thunder Road is next level and only gets better on a second or third viewing.

At Christmas my sister and I were talking about doing a movie day and she goes, "What's the name of that new movie by that guy who makes you really uncomfortable?"I'll check out Road next. The family drama in the description seemed a bit heavy for New Year's Eve viewing, so I went with the bitingly satirical one instead. Oh, and "really uncomfortable." Talk about a ringing endorsement. :D

[Torgo]

Wow, that’s high - I’ll have to give that another go. Didn’t work for me tone-wise, was billed as a thriller but felt like a bad satire.

Happy New Year right back at you :)Thanks!
I can see how you may have been disappointed if you were expecting a thriller. I'm not sure if this will improve your opinion, but I viewed it as a dark comedy in the same vein of American Psycho, which it reminds me of greatly.

[Takoma11]

I'll check out Road next. The family drama in the description seemed a bit heavy for New Year's Eve viewing, so I went with the bitingly satirical one instead. Oh, and "really uncomfortable." Talk about a ringing endorsement. :D

I had to fast-forward a chunk of the first 10 minutes because I could not handle it. But I hands-down endorse this film. The way that it builds the characters and the narrative is awesome.

[AgrippinaX]

Thanks!
I can see how you may have been disappointed if you were expecting a thriller. I'm not sure if this will improve your opinion, but I viewed it as a dark comedy in the same vein of American Psycho, which it reminds me of greatly.

Sure, that makes sense. I quite like American Psycho, it’s not a masterpiece but pretty good, strikes the right balance. I tend to think what one views as a satire is extremely subjective. I think Fight Club, for instance, is very much a satire (to me) which still works marvellously as a thriller. Anyway, might rewatch the above as I had a mixed impression and have been thinking back to it.

[Thief]

PHANTOM THREAD
(2017, Anderson)

https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/shutterstock_editorial_9349523h.jpg?resize=800,533


"Je m’appelle Alma
...
I live here"



That's the territorial claim from Alma (Vicky Krieps) to a client of his paramour, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis). We don't get a lot of background on what drives Alma, but this little exchange lets us know how much she craves this standing and this position, which is what drives this toxic relationship with Woodcock forward in Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece.

Phantom Thread follows the relationship between Woodcock and Alma since their "puppy love" meeting at a restaurant to their established, toxic relationship of love and hate. Woodcock, a meticulous and obsessive bachelor with deep-seated "mommy issues" is prone to pick up and discard lovers with ease, but Alma seems determined to stake her claim on his life.

Grade: 5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268034#post2268034)

[Thief]

RAFIKI
(2018, Kahiu)

https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/rafiki-2019/rafiki-image-9.jpg


"I wish we could go somewhere where we could be real."



Rafiki follows Kena (Samantha Mugatsia), a young woman whose father runs a small convenience store, while also running for a political seat in a local election. When Kena befriends Ziki (Sheila Munyiva), tensions arise about their relationship. Not only that, but Ziki also happens to be the daughter of the rival of Kena's father.

This film was recommended by a great Internet friend and I thought it was a very pleasant surprise. Being a romantic drama, there's little need for directorial "flair", so to speak, so director Wanuri Kahiu relies on the solid performances from Mugatsia and Munyiva. Both actress have great chemistry and sell the relationship really well.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268039#post2268039)

[Fabulous]

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/3Mw6eKDZuGfcU10OqPURGcbTZlm.jpg

[pahaK]

Encouraged by this thread, I decided to give a chance to a couple of modern B-actions. I guess it was a mistake.

--
Ninja (2009)
1.5
Qualitywise, this is almost as bad as latter-day Seagals. For some reason, the ADR on this one was horrible, and the whole film felt like a poorly dubbed foreign movie despite most (all?) actors speaking English on the set. The writing seemed aimed at the tween boys, and the whole film just reeked of incompetence. On the positive note, Adkins is a physically able person (despite that the fights themselves were bad), and there was lots of gore (sadly of the CGI kind that vanishes mid-air, but still).

--
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013)
1.5
The best ninja movie around my butt. It's technically less inept than the first film was (e.g. it doesn't sound like a poor dub), but it also lacks what little charm the first one had. Gone are the excessive (CGI) blood and the goofy ninja bat-gliders, but the tween boy writing is still present with laughably telegraphed "twist" in the end. It's also the worst acting performance by Adkins I've seen, and the fights are again boring high kick barrages.

--
Based on these two, I'm not at all surprised that Isaac Florentine hasn't got a chance to make a bigger budget film. Early Seagals are golden age timeless classics compared to these. Oh, and Ninja Assassin is still the best ninja movie from this century. I find it hard to rate the older ones, as there's a lot of nostalgia involved.

[Beard vs Bush]

Don't Look Up 0.5/10 Worthless film!:down::leo:

[ThatDarnMKS]

Oh, and Ninja Assassin is still the best ninja movie from this century. I find it hard to rate the older ones, as there's a lot of nostalgia involved.
I prefer my action scenes to have talented martial artists, fluid editing, clear blocking and be actually visible (I.e. not hidden in darkness like it's AVP Requiem). It's a crazy notion but I stand by it.

This is a better action scene than anything in Ninja Assassin on a fraction of the budget.

https://youtu.be/Ye5g6BCJqU4

[pahaK]

I prefer my action scenes to have talented martial artists, fluid editing, clear blocking and be actually visible (I.e. not hidden in darkness like it's AVP Requiem). It's a crazy notion but I stand by it.

This is a better action scene than anything in Ninja Assassin on a fraction of the budget.

https://youtu.be/Ye5g6BCJqU4

Let's just say we disagree on almost everything when it comes to these Adkins ninjas movies? They're the worst of his films I've seen thus far.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Let's just say we disagree on almost everything when it comes to these Adkins ninjas movies? They're the worst of his films I've seen thus far.
I'll let the scene I posted stand as its own testimony against the "boring high kick barrage" description and would like to see a single fight from Ninja Assassin that compares. And I say that as a fan of Ninja Assassin.

Other than that, sure. Agree to disagree away, friendo.

[WHITBISSELL!]

PHANTOM THREAD

... Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece.
This.

[ueno_station54]

https://images.mubicdn.net/images/film/96851/cache-113456-1445965558/image-w1280.jpg
Woman of the Ganges (Marguerite Duras, 1973)
First watch of the year and it was an definite banger. Just tailor-made for my aesthetic sensibilities and has a perfect vibe. Duras has immediately jumped to the top of my "directors I gotta see all the sh*t from" list.
4

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemamuseum.org.uk%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F09%2FMutiny-on-the-Bounty-4-488x388.jpg&f=1&nofb=1


Of the two films I've seen about the Bounty this is the better of the two by a slim margin. Bligh is pretty much a one note character, he's an impressive prick throughout and Laughton carries that one note well. Not once did I think Bligh was anything other than a prick. I always enjoy watching Gable and he's great here, sans stache, as the mutinous Fletcher Christian. Have yet to see him in a movie were I haven't liked him. The movies first half, the trip to Tahiti, was a little more interesting than the second half. After the mutiny things felt a little choppy but it was still very good. rating_4

[this_is_the_ girl]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F0c%2Fc5%2Fc4%2F0cc5c46b0b113a7b0b9ca01af19827f3.png&f=1&nofb=1

Taste of Cherry (1997, Abbas Kiarostami)
5
Coming from Close-Up and Certified Copy, the old taxidermist's monologue toward the end, though filled with some profound worldly wisdom no doubt, felt to me just a little too simplistic and safe and kinda corny in its didacticism, so I was preparing to be thoroughly disappointed. I was like, "That's it? This is gonna make him change his mind and that's how it's going to end? Is Kiarostami really going to take this piece of unadorned luminous beauty he just created and ruin it with a banal happy ending?" He almost fooled me there but somewhere at the back of my mind I knew he is not that kind of filmmaker, I knew there must be more to come. And then comes that absolute stunner of an ending, a trick that changed my entire perception of the film and turned it on its head, adding a whole new dimension to everything that preceded it. It's one of those rare magical moments that show the true power of cinema as a medium.

[GulfportDoc]

84011
T-Men (1947)


This is probably the best of the “police procedural” noirs in a so-called semi-documentary style from the classic era. Yet as soon as the stodgy opening narration by a real life Treasury chief concludes, the film dives head on into pure noir, with the impressive opening scenes photographed by the great John Alton framed in striking chiaroscuro.

Produced by Edward Small for the underrated Eagle_Lion Films, T-Men was one of several excellent noirs done by the dream team of Director Anthony Mann and DP John Alton. The two other excellent collaborations were He Walked By Night (1948) and Raw Deal (1948).


Two Treasury agents go undercover to bust a U.S. counterfeiting ring operating in Detroit and Los Angeles. The two pose as counterfeiters from out of town, and quickly get embroiled in showing their authenticity, which eventually puts the main agent in the position of standing by while his partner is murdered.

Dennis O’Keefe stars as the chief agent protagonist. O’Keefe, like Dick Powell before him, had recently changed his image as a comedy & dance man in the ‘30s and early ‘40s to a dramatic leading man well suited for noir. Alfred Ryder plays the partner agent who comes to an ill end. Wallace Ford shines as an underworld sleaze, “The Schemer”. The ladies, June Lockhart, and the gorgeous Mary Meade, didn’t have a lot to do in this picture, although their roles were pivotal to the action. And rounding out the players was the inimitable Charles McGraw as --what else-- a tough guy.


Eagle-Lion Films partnered with Edward Small as producer in a host of noirs. T-Men was considered a “B” picture upon its release, but is stature has grown over the years as the finest example of procedural noir. The locations featured are of old L.A. before the freeway system cut it up, and include Union Station, Alameda St., and old Chinatown, showing the historic Lugo Adobe home.

This is a wonderful classic noir film, with the brilliant cinematography of John Alton alone making it worth the price of admission.


Doc’s rating: 7/10

[Wooley]

Well, of course there's the possibility that both men simply have poor taste...;)

Ha! :D

[SpelingError]

Here are my first couple viewings of the year:

Broadcast News: Not the biggest fan of romcoms, but I did enjoy this one quite a bit. I've seen the love triangle trope represented in other films of this ilk, but I felt this film handled that trope well enough so that it didn't feel too heavy-handed or weighed down by its clichés. Mainly though, I enjoyed how the three characters in it weren't 100% likable, yet were at least self-aware of each other's flaws. Aaron and (eventually) Jane were aware that Tom represented the decline of news media, Tom was willing to admit his flaws as a reporter, Aaron was aware that Jane could be a control freak (at one point, he tells her "Except for socially, you're my role model"), and Tom and Jane were aware that Aaron could be a prick. As a result, I strangely found myself drawn to the three characters given how honest they were about each other's flaws. In addition, the movie also works as a satire for the decline of news media. It explores the shift from proper and respectful journalism to a deceitful and dishonest business that values ratings and revenues above all else. In this film, your looks and your physical appearance are valued higher by your employers than any skill or talent you possess.

Run Lola Run: Glad to finally have this one under my belt, but I wasn't as impressed with it as I hoped I'd be. Looking around this forum a bit, I noticed that repetitive was a common criticism that some people were raising towards it, but I wasn't that bothered by this as I felt there was enough variation to the various running scenes to keep them entertaining (interestingly enough, the running scenes in the final "third" were easier to watch for me than those in the first "third"). With that being said though, this film mostly felt like an interesting gimmick in a pretty average film. In spite of all the style, I actually didn't find this film that fun and I felt like many other films I've seen were able to provide more fun with a less zany style. Plus, the story elements pretty much fell flat for me, especially in the moments the film tried to generate pathos for Lola and Manni as I didn't care much about the human angle of this film. In spite of these issues though, I still think this is a fine film, though one I probably won't watch again or check out any sequels if they were ever made. It's an average 80-minute speedrun of a videogame that's somewhat improved by some tongue-in-cheek humor, a good soundtrack, and a decent bit of suspense here and there.

[Torgo]

Dracula A.D. 1972 - 3

Drac's back - and in then-modern times, no less - in an entry I liked even though quite a bit of it left a bad taste in my mouth (not of blood, at least). For one, a lot of the movie comes across as attempts at padding the runtime. From the seemingly endless swinger party to the glacially paced police investigation scenes, it's as if everyone involved in the production knew there wasn't much "there" there. Case in point: the sum total of Christopher Lee might as well be less than one minute. Also, there are period touches that are dated, so much so that they likely even made audiences in 1972 smirk. This especially applies to the funky saxophone portions of the soundtrack, especially during the action-packed finale. Oh, and was it really necessary to spend so much time informing us that Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards? If anything, it makes you wonder how difficult it really is to be a vampire expert. But seriously, Peter Cushing's return to the series is very welcome from the class and dignity he brings to the production to the mythos of the Dracula/Van Helsing rivalry and the real stakes (no pun intended) it adds to the story. As for Dracula ally Alucard, Christopher Neame's performance may be over the top, but he adds much-needed fun, and considering his mostly dull swinging pals, personality. Again, despite my qualms, there are enough good things in this entry for me to recommend it. At the same time, though, I'm glad the series is almost over because this is the first entry to make it seem long in the tooth (no pun intended...well, maybe a little).

[GIGCINE]

Hi everyone

[GulfportDoc]

T-Men (1947)


This is probably the best of the “police procedural” noirs in a so-called semi-documentary style from the classic era. Yet as soon as the stodgy opening narration by a real life Treasury chief concludes, the film dives head on into pure noir, with the impressive opening scenes photographed by the great John Alton framed in striking chiaroscuro. ...


The caps in the above review are unintentional. For some reason the transfer formatting causes them.

[ThatDarnMKS]

The caps in the above review are unintentional. For some reason the transfer formatting causes them.
Have you seen Naked City or the G Men? I consider them a triumvirate of great noir era procedurals, alongside T Men.

[GulfportDoc]

PHANTOM THREAD
(2017, Anderson)

That's the territorial claim from Alma (Vicky Krieps) to a client of his paramour, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis). We don't get a lot of background on what drives Alma, but this little exchange lets us know how much she craves this standing and this position, which is what drives this toxic relationship with Woodcock forward in Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece.


Phantom Thread follows the relationship between Woodcock and Alma since their "puppy love" meeting at a restaurant to their established, toxic relationship of love and hate. Woodcock, a meticulous and obsessive bachelor with deep-seated "mommy issues" is prone to pick up and discard lovers with ease, but Alma seems determined to stake her claim on his life.

Grade: rating_5
Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268034#post2268034)
I too enjoyed the film very much, although you appreciated it a little more than I. Here's my commentary on it:


Phantom Thread(2017)

It stands to reason that serious movies deserve seriously considered commentary. Films which have drawn together first rate writers, director, cast and craft people are at a higher level in terms of expectations, and set a higher standard for reflection.

Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread has been placed in that elite group of films which come out every so often that have garnered the type of attention and anticipation reserved for serious cinematic artists. In fact the film was already considered to be of the highest caliber before most people even saw it. And in most aspects the picture did not disappoint.

The film is beautiful to watch. The camera work, art and set design by Denis Schnegg and Veronique Melery, and costume design by Mark Bridges, along with attention to detail, expertly place the viewer into mid-1950s London where the story takes place. The music score by Johnny Greenwood uses an entire palette of musical styles from several periods (Romantic, Impressionism, Modern, avant-garde) to enhance the story. Reportedly Anderson had no cinematographer, but relied heavily for the photography on the camera people.

We are immediately drawn into the high end personal dressmaking trade of the 1950s, and to one of it's most painstaking and eccentric high priests of the trade, Reynolds Woodcock, whose designs grace the figures of wealthy, famous, and royal ladies of London. He lives and breathes dressmaking, which allows him no personal life apart from interaction with his sister, who serves as his manager, confidant, and sounding board. His dress making process is like battlefield preparation, assembling his soldiers for their tasks, and having the maneuvers carried out with military precision. But soon Woodcock happens upon a waitress by whom he is enchanted, and the rest of the story mostly concerns their relationship.

The film was anticipated to be masterful, the presumption magnified by Daniel Day-Lewis' announcement that he was retiring from film making due to the rigors of performance in this project. His acting was predictably exceptional and many-faceted. Lesley Manville, as Woodcock's sister, turned in an icy cold and first class performance, putting many in mind of Judith Anderson's Mrs. Danvers in Hitchcock's Rebecca. Vicky Krieps was good as Woodcock's mistress, although she seemed slightly miscast, lacking of a full range. The rest of the cast was as natural and believable as if it were a documentary. And in fact many of those playing Woodcock's staff were not actors, but professional seamstresses.

There was no plot to the film, but instead more of a linear story. The relationship between Woodcock and his mistress, who he eventually marries, goes through many changes, as does the juxtaposition of his sister and wife. But midway through the final act Woodcock suddenly has a major personality change. Within five minutes the movie shifts from an intriguing drama to an art house film. The result is mystifying and not quite believable.


WARNING: "Phantom Thread" spoilers below
To suddenly believe that Woodcock would knowingly and purposefully consume poisonous mushrooms to make himself ill in order to enter into a pact with his wife, who will then both control and take care of him, is perplexing and uncharacteristic. Putting his life in jeopardy to continuously be his wife's ward strains credulity. The scene offered the opportunity for a fine bit of acting from &nbsp;Day-Lewis; and in fact reportedly the idea for this came from a time when Anderson himself was sick, and his wife showed him extreme tenderness. But yet the notion that the protagonist as a self-centered monomaniacal artist who insists on obedience and complete control of all his endeavors would suddenly cede his life and well being to another is irretrievably far-fetched. Presumably Anderson must have been consumed by the story point, but since it was not lead up to with sufficient preparation, it didn't make sense.

The title Phantom Thread was itself a phantom, since the word "phantom" has no bearing on the story, except to perhaps give the project more mystique. One could imagine that simply "Thread", or "Woodcock's Thread" might have better fit the bill.

Will we see another project for Daniel Day-Lewis, despite his announced retirement from films? It has been several years since his last outing, so perhaps in time he'll change is mind. We hope so.

Doc's rating: 7/10

[Takoma11]

Have you seen Naked City or the G Men? I consider them a triumvirate of great noir era procedurals, alongside T Men.

I must be the only person who wasn't a big fan of T-Men. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. But it just never totally clicked with me.

[rauldc14]

Phantom Thread rocks

[GulfportDoc]

[T-Men]Have you seen Naked City or the G Men? I consider them a triumvirate of great noir era procedurals, alongside T Men.
I sure have, and you make a good point. This is the best of the procedurals IMO.

I like to mention He Walked By Night and Raw Deal, both from 1948, as other great collaborations between Mann and Alton.

[Thief]

I too enjoyed the film very much, although you appreciated it a little more than I. Here's my commentary on it:


Nice write-up. Thanks for sharing it.

If I might reply to some of your points...


WARNING: "Phantom Thread" spoilers below
To suddenly believe that Woodcock would knowingly and purposefully consume poisonous mushrooms to make himself ill in order to enter into a pact with his wife, who will then both control and take care of him, is perplexing and uncharacteristic. Putting his life in jeopardy to continuously be his wife's ward strains credulity. The scene offered the opportunity for a fine bit of acting from &nbsp;Day-Lewis; and in fact reportedly the idea for this came from a time when Anderson himself was sick, and his wife showed him extreme tenderness. But yet the notion that the protagonist as a self-centered monomaniacal artist who insists on obedience and complete control of all his endeavors would suddenly cede his life and well being to another is irretrievably far-fetched. Presumably Anderson must have been consumed by the story point, but since it was not lead up to with sufficient preparation, it didn't make sense.


I didn't see it as "perplexing and uncharacteristic", but the other way around. It is established from the get-go that Woodcock has issues regarding the loss/death of his mother. That's pretty much the backbone of the film, to the point that he asks Alma on their first date about her mother, tells her about the lock of hair he keeps sewn in his jacket, as well as the story about how he made the dress for her second wedding.

His hallucination while ill is the most evident demonstration of what he's lacking and what he craves, and the relationship he has with his sister, as well as the seemingly endless parade of lovers and mistresses before Alma are his attempts to regain some surrogate maternal care. However, it is Alma the only one that provides that, in a way that makes him feel "complete".

Him consuming Alma's food is the ultimate pact (I like that you used that word) in this toxic relationship where he agrees to suffer physical illness, as long as he can have that maternal care he longs for, even if it is by proxy.


The title Phantom Thread was itself a phantom, since the word "phantom" has no bearing on the story, except to perhaps give the project more mystique. One could imagine that simply "Thread", or "Woodcock's Thread" might have better fit the bill.


A "thread" is something that ties together pieces of cloth, obviously a reference to the craft of dressmaking. But metaphorically, it is a symbol of what ties both Woodcock and Alma (and to a certain extent, Cyril) together. Something that is not necessarily evident to everybody ("phantom") considering how much they clash, as well as all their other differences (age, class, etc.) But regardless of all of that, that "phantom thread" is there.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fa.ltrbxd.com%2Fresized%2Fsm%2Fupload%2Fwp%2F57%2Fy1%2Fl8%2Fstrike-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg%3Fk%3D9fe11fe6d9&f=1&nofb=1

Strike, 1925

In a factory town in pre-Revolutionary Russia, workers in a factory decide to strike for better working conditions. When the owners of the factory refuse to agree to their terms, the strikers hold firm and the weight of the law is brought down on them.

This is a film by Sergei Eisenstein, who would later go on to make Batttleship Potempkin, and it strongly utilizes the montage-style of film-making in which images are overlapped or interposed with one another to create meaning.

Generally speaking, I liked this film. I was really blown away by the efficacy of some of the images: then workers as gears (seen at the top of this review), a shot of a woman laughing drunkenly as she is consumed by a housefire, or a group of men sitting on a large ship's anchor as they plot the strike. There are even a few moments of dark humor, such as when a man buttons up his shirt, seemingly unaware that the shirt has been shredded around his body except for the narrow strips containing the buttons and button-holes.

Despite the fact that the workers outnumber the owners (and the police!) by a tremendous amount, the film really shows the way that money and power create an imbalance that cannot be simply overcome with superior numbers. The image of the workers being assaulted with powerful fire-hoses is intense. The film evokes a lot of anger as it portrays the smarmy response of the factory owners, men who would never understand what it means to not have enough.

There were two aspects of this film that I found a bit challenging. Like many films from the silent era, the shots tend to be very short. Combining this with how often Eisenstein cuts between different subjects (a child, a duckling, a child, a duckling!) I was sometimes in information overload from the sheer volume of abrupt cuts.

The second challenge for me was the animal content. I am glad that halfway through I checked out the Wiki page for the film to make sure I was understanding the plot correctly, because it alerted me to two disturbing elements of animal violence. I'd already had some mixed feelings about animal content in the film (captive muzzled bear cubs being forced to perform, the rough handling of a goat). But there are also cats that are hung and the slaughter of a cow. A kitten is seemingly (actually?!) dropped from a balcony. I actually did not watch either of these parts. I understand that the animals in their various situations were being used as allegory for the treatment of the workers, but animal cruelty (simulated or especially unsimulated) is never something I want in a film and always dings it a point for me. It's a shame, because it meant that I could only half watch the climax of the film.

A really interesting film, with a few elements that were hard for me personally as a viewer.

3.5

[Thief]

SERGEANT RUTLEDGE
(1960, Ford)

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


"Lady, you don't know how hard I'm trying to stay alive."



Sergeant Rutledge follows the titular man (Woody Strode), a black sergeant in a regiment of the U.S. Cavalry who is being court-martialed for the rape and murder of a white girl. He is represented by Lt. Tom Cantrell (Jeffrey Hunter), who is also Rutledge's troop officer.

The film starts as the court martial begins and then goes through a series of flashbacks from witnesses and Rutledge himself to explain what happened. These witnesses accounts serve to expose the racism and prejudice that Rutledge was, and still is subject to, as we understand how hard he is trying to stay alive.

The Wild West that is shown here, in 1881, is a West that is still getting use to changes; whether it is the struggles of expansion or the "integration" of black people into society and regular life. There are countless times when characters, with malice or not, refer to Rutledge as "colored", or cower from him as he approaches. Is it because they think he's a murderer/rapist, or because he's black?

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268313#post2268313)

[ThatDarnMKS]

I must be the only person who wasn't a big fan of T-Men. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. But it just never totally clicked with me.
I’m physically incapable of not being enamored by John Alton cinematography. That was the star of the film and what elevates the ordeal from the countless other procedurals with comparable narratives.

Naked City is the top though.

[ThatDarnMKS]

SERGEANT RUTLEDGE
(1960, Ford)

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




Sergeant Rutledge follows the titular man (Woody Strode), a black sergeant in a regiment of the U.S. Cavalry who is being court-martialed for the rape and murder of a white girl. He is represented by Lt. Tom Cantrell (Jeffrey Hunter), who is also Rutledge's troop officer.

The film starts as the court martial begins and then goes through a series of flashbacks from witnesses and Rutledge himself to explain what happened. These witnesses accounts serve to expose the racism and prejudice that Rutledge was, and still is subject to, as we understand how hard he is trying to stay alive.

The Wild West that is shown here, in 1881, is a West that is still getting use to changes; whether it is the struggles of expansion or the "integration" of black people into society and regular life. There are countless times when characters, with malice or not, refer to Rutledge as "colored", or cower from him as he approaches. Is it because they think he's a murderer/rapist, or because he's black?

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268313#post2268313)


I think one also has to look at the film in the historical context in which it was made. While Ford was progressive throughout much of his life, during this era he slid more towards the right, eventually supporting Nixon.

Despite this, he was clearly struggling with his views on America and the Old West and this film is essentially him reckoning with his own depiction of a West that was far more tolerant and unifying than reality (well, at least towards non-Comanche and Apache).

To make such a deeply empathetic film that allows his constant supporting character actor the spotlight in a titular role, while his quintessential star John Wayne was spouting pro-segregation nonsense, is something that can’t be ignored or erased from the film.

Adding that it’s among the finest court room dramas ever made from a director who had already done one of the best (Young Mr. Lincoln) and I think it’s a film that deserves a lot more appreciation and attention than it ever seems to have gotten.

[Thief]

I think one also has to look at the film in the historical context in which it was made. While Ford was progressive throughout much of his life, during this era he slid more towards the right, eventually supporting Nixon.

Despite this, he was clearly struggling with his views on America and the Old West and this film is essentially him reckoning with his own depiction of a West that was far more tolerant and unifying than reality (well, at least towards non-Comanche and Apache).

To make such a deeply empathetic film that allows his constant supporting character actor the spotlight in a titular role, while his quintessential star John Wayne was spouting pro-segregation nonsense, is something that can’t be ignored or erased from the film.

Adding that it’s among the finest court room dramas ever made from a director who had already done one of the best (Young Mr. Lincoln) and I think it’s a film that deserves a lot more appreciation and attention than it ever seems to have gotten.

I definitely agree about its place in time and the context it was made in. But part of me wishes that Ford could've stayed with Rutledge and not put Cantrell, or the half-baked romance with Beecher, up front so much; especially in the last 5-10 minutes.

[Thief]

ONE & ONE IS TWELVE
(2015, Ferlic)

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


"I love you more than my gun loves bullets"



One & One is Twelve is a 14 minute short from aspiring filmmaker Ryan Ferlic. It follows a young couple of bank robbers (Matt Rozsak and Hannah Sprigg) that are laying low in a motel. In the meantime, they reminisce about a weird conversation the guy had with a shoeshine earlier that day.

I've seen my share of amateur and independent short films, but few of them are as inept as this one. Ferlic seems to take doses of True Romance and Pulp Fiction, with sprinkles of the Coen Brothers, put them all in a blender, and film what comes out of it, however it comes out.

Grade: 0.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268324#post2268324)

[StuSmallz]

WARNING: "Phantom Thread" spoilers below
To suddenly believe that Woodcock would knowingly and purposefully consume poisonous mushrooms to make himself ill in order to enter into a pact with his wife, who will then both control and take care of him, is perplexing and uncharacteristic. Putting his life in jeopardy to continuously be his wife's ward strains credulity. The scene offered the opportunity for a fine bit of acting from &nbsp;Day-Lewis; and in fact reportedly the idea for this came from a time when Anderson himself was sick, and his wife showed him extreme tenderness. But yet the notion that the protagonist as a self-centered monomaniacal artist who insists on obedience and complete control of all his endeavors would suddenly cede his life and well being to another is irretrievably far-fetched. Presumably Anderson must have been consumed by the story point, but since it was not lead up to with sufficient preparation, it didn't make sense.I already posted some thoughts in response to Thief's Phantom Thread review over in his thread (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268075#post2268075), but just to reiterate, I agree with you that it wasn't as good as it could've been... although not necessarily for the same reasons, since I found the resolution to Reynold/Alma's relationship to be plausible enough (and fairly unexpected/intriguing to boot). The real problem I had with it is that Reynold's mother/control issues felt underdeveloped to me, having been set up fairly early in the film, but then mostly forgotten about afterward, except for the moment when Reynolds hallucinates his mother on his sickbed, which, while a striking image, still ended up clashing with the tone of the rest of the film, as a left field turn into pseudo-supernatural imagery in an otherwise overly restrained Drama.

So, it was still a good movie despite that, but it should've been at least a little bit better, IMO.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I definitely agree about its place in time and the context it was made in. But part of me wishes that Ford could've stayed with Rutledge and not put Cantrell, or the half-baked romance with Beecher, up front so much; especially in the last 5-10 minutes.
I think those things relate strongly to the historical context in which it was made. Ford, as one of America’s greatest myth makers, seemed to be especially concerned with how myths were created, as overtly explored in Fort Apache and the Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Like those films, the main character is canonized by others, therefore he shifts emphasis to them.

In this film, it’s important to Ford how Rutledge is seen by others (and the audience by proxy). He’s trying to create a new myth that encompasses the ugly, racist past he ignores but optimistically believes it can be transcended.

The result could be that Rutledge loses agency with the construction of his own narrative, which could be problematic racially, but in the context of Ford’s work, he’s no less developed or focused upon than many of the character’s Wayne played, who was often refused the romance or happy ending in favor of more wholesome supporting characters.

With all of that in mind, it’s Ford’s love letter to Strode as a performer and his apology for his previous ignorance.

I wish it had been a rousing success and allowed many black led westerns that weren’t stuck in the confines of the subsequent blaxploitation era (of which I’m a fan, but it does add a few asterisks at times).

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c0/A-man-escaped.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Gaumont Distribution., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23561565

A Man Escaped - (1956)

A Man Escaped is a film that focuses entirely on one thing so that it absorbs you to the point that you're holding your breath the entire time the titular escape is being carried out. Fontaine (François Leterrier) has already tried to escape once on his way to a prison in Lyon where the occupying Germans are keeping members of the French Resistance. His shirt is bloodied, and he'll remain in it for the entire film - in fact, nothing much changes at all, and since the camera stays with Fontaine mercilessly I started to feel the horror he'd be feeling. It's terrible - there's no time outside for anything, nothing in his cell but a thin mattress and nothing to do but plot escape. This takes time. He daringly starts to dismantle the door with spoons fashioned into chisels, replacing the wooden slats carefully. Once out of his room at night, he plans the rest of the escape - which must be hurried up, as he's sentenced to death and gets a room-mate (can he trust him?) in short order. As I said, the escape itself is real 'hold your breath' kind of stuff. Very interesting film for having such a tight, claustrophobic focus - more so than any other prison or escape film I've seen. Made me feel like I was there.

8/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 62/100

[PHOENIX74]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fa.ltrbxd.com%2Fresized%2Fsm%2Fupload%2Fwp%2F57%2Fy1%2Fl8%2Fstrike-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg%3Fk%3D9fe11fe6d9&f=1&nofb=1

Strike, 1925

There were two aspects of this film that I found a bit challenging. Like many films from the silent era, the shots tend to be very short. Combining this with how often Eisenstein cuts between different subjects (a child, a duckling, a child, a duckling!) I was sometimes in information overload from the sheer volume of abrupt cuts.


I don't think I've seen many early Soviet films, but I'm very curious. I've read that due to how expensive and hard-to-find film was in the early Soviet Union, they used to use every little bit and scrap they had - even if they only could get mere seconds out of it, so the whole early Soviet montage style was partially created out of necessity. Many filmmakers had to make do with small scraps of film (and sometimes stock footage) to create their own sense of storytelling through this medium. It kind of woke the rest of the world up though, as to what could be accomplished with the sheer suggestiveness of images when one followed the other, I think. Many early Soviet films consist of many many short shots. It's the whole "necessity is the mother of invention" thing. Great invention though.

[Thief]

CHICAGO
(2002, Marshall)

https://i.imgur.com/2OaT45n.png


"You're a phony celebrity and in two weeks no one's going to give a s-hit about you... that's Chicago."



Chicago follows Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger), a housewife and aspiring entertainer that finds herself in jail for murder. While there, she hires Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), a brilliant but self-absorbed attorney that also happens to be representing Roxie's idol, Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones). This puts both Roxie and Velma in a tug-o-war to hog the spotlight of their trials.

One could say that Chicago works on two planes: first, the straightforward plot about Roxie's trial and her attempts to gain fame at all costs through it; and second, the musical numbers, which are usually shot on stage, independently of the first plane, and then weaved into the film through editing.

Putting that aside, most of the songs are quite catchy and lively. I think "Mister Cellophane" and "We Both Reached for the Gun" were the most memorable for me, both in terms of music, performance, and what they mean regarding the story.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268347#post2268347)

[Takoma11]

I don't think I've seen many early Soviet films, but I'm very curious. I've read that due to how expensive and hard-to-find film was in the early Soviet Union, they used to use every little bit and scrap they had - even if they only could get mere seconds out of it, so the whole early Soviet montage style was partially created out of necessity. Many filmmakers had to make do with small scraps of film (and sometimes stock footage) to create their own sense of storytelling through this medium. It kind of woke the rest of the world up though, as to what could be accomplished with the sheer suggestiveness of images when one followed the other, I think. Many early Soviet films consist of many many short shots. It's the whole "necessity is the mother of invention" thing. Great invention though.

I definitely appreciated the style, especially in certain moments (like the one in the photo I posted). But while I won't go as far to say "headache" or "nausea", the brevity of the shots and the constant abrupt cuts had, like, a negative physical response for me. And this was for a full 90 minutes. The film itself is divided into six "chapters" and I think I would have handled it better watching one chapter a day for a week instead of watching the film in one go.

I would definitely recommend the film, despite my strong reservations about the treatment of animals in it.

[Thief]

MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(1983, Mattinson)

https://i.imgur.com/Xhl3nII.png


"Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits. Listen to 'em. Do what they say, or your chains will be heavier than mine. Farewell, Ebenezer."



As you all know, Scrooge McDuck (Alan Young) is a selfish miser that doesn't even celebrate Christmas and punishes his loyal employee, Mickey Mouse (Wayne Allwine) with endless work. That is until he is visited by three spirits that show him why he is the way he is, how his actions are affecting those around him, and where his actions will lead to eventually.

There's really not much to say. The story is widely known, but the animation and voice work is really nice. I will say that there seems to be genuine thought and care put into the "casting" of characters against Dickens' story, and those choices work.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268353#post2268353)

[Fabulous]

The Mad Women's Ball (2021)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/bLV74mbBDo7RDbPDJd7BN0N724V.jpg

[James D. Gardiner]

https://i.imgur.com/ZH9Izqr.jpg

Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
Directed by John Moore

Saw this once before years ago on TV when that used to be a thing and really liked it. Figured it was time for a re-watch and pleased I did. An easy to watch, loosely based on fact action drama about a downed US Navy airman Lieutenant Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) who finds himself - unsurprisingly - behind enemy lines in Bosnia. While rescue efforts led by his commander (Gene Hackman) are hampered by indecision and political motives, Burnett uncovers evidence of genocide and battles to evade capture. Among his pursuers is a relentless stereotypical arch villain, made properly amusing by way of his adidas tracksuit. Plenty of action and incidents make it an exciting ride from start to finish. There's loads of movie gimmickry going on as well and that's just fine (in this case ;)).

I think the main reason I enjoy this film so much is Owen Wilson - such a likable guy. This was also the feature film debut for director John Moore, who I know nothing about, but I guess that's pretty impressive.

7/10

[Yomi]

Gone with the Wind (1939)
rating_4_5

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjUyZWZkM2UtMzYxYy00ZmQ3LWFmZTQtOGE2YjBkNjA3YWZlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzkwMjQ5NzM@._V1_FMjpg_UX300_.jp g

[xSookieStackhouse]

2.5 only watched 45 mins then i was like meh couldnt finish it

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGJkNDJlZWUtOGM1Ny00YjNkLThiM2QtY2ZjMzQxMTIxNWNmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg

[Agbitaj]

7

[xSookieStackhouse]

https://i.imgur.com/ZH9Izqr.jpg

Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
Directed by John Moore

Saw this once before years ago on TV when that used to be a thing and really liked it. Figured it was time for a re-watch and pleased I did. An easy to watch, loosely based on fact action drama about a downed US Navy airman Lieutenant Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) who finds himself - unsurprisingly - behind enemy lines in Bosnia. While rescue efforts led by his commander (Gene Hackman) are hampered by indecision and political motives, Burnett uncovers evidence of genocide and battles to evade capture. Among his pursuers is a relentless stereotypical arch villain, made properly amusing by way of his adidas tracksuit. Plenty of action and incidents make it an exciting ride from start to finish. There's loads of movie gimmickry going on as well and that's just fine (in this case ;)).

I think the main reason I enjoy this film so much is Owen Wilson - such a likable guy. This was also the feature film debut for director John Moore, who I know nothing about, but I guess that's pretty impressive.

7/10
theres another one called Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil so make sure to watch it also
Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil

[pahaK]

2.5 only watched 45 mins then i was like meh couldnt finish it

Just out of curiosity, what does it take to give a film 0.5 if bailing out after 1/3 is still 2.5?

[xSookieStackhouse]

MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(1983, Mattinson)

https://i.imgur.com/Xhl3nII.png




As you all know, Scrooge McDuck (Alan Young) is a selfish miser that doesn't even celebrate Christmas and punishes his loyal employee, Mickey Mouse (Wayne Allwine) with endless work. That is until he is visited by three spirits that show him why he is the way he is, how his actions are affecting those around him, and where his actions will lead to eventually.

There's really not much to say. The story is widely known, but the animation and voice work is really nice. I will say that there seems to be genuine thought and care put into the "casting" of characters against Dickens' story, and those choices work.

Grade: rating_3_5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268353#post2268353)
loved this movie . one of the best classic christmas movies <3

[Thief]

theres another one called Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil so make sure to watch it also
Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil

I haven't seen them, but there are actually three sequels :D

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Behind_Enemy_Lines_movie.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/Bel2ae.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/05/Behind_Enemy_Lines_Colombia.jpg/220px-Behind_Enemy_Lines_Colombia.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/46/SEAL_Team_8_Behind_Enemy_Lines.jpg/220px-SEAL_Team_8_Behind_Enemy_Lines.jpg

[Wooley]

https://i.imgur.com/GU25SmK.jpg?1

Well. Welcome back, Marvel.
After the last several Marvel films, I, a Marvel fan-boy since the 1970s, had finally given up. Just thrown up my hands and said, "How did you break it, it was going so well?!" There just hasn't been much to like with, in my opinion, Ant Man & The Wasp, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, and Shang-Chi all being varying degrees on the spectrum of disappointment to suck. I didn't even think that much of Doctor Strange so, outside of the Spider-Man franchise and the wrapping up of The Avengers, everything since Black Panther has been a disappointment. And my friends, who have really liked most of the Marvel movies, literally got up and walked out of Eternals.
So I said I was done watching Marvel movies unless somebody insisted that one had bucked the trend. But then my buddy I see once a year said he really wanted to talk to me about No Way Home, I dragged my carcass to the theater.
And wow, am I glad I did.
This is, in my opinion, the best non-Avengers Marvel film since Black Panther.
It is full of heart and pain. The thing that Marvel used to get right, making you care about the characters and what they're going through, with the battles really being secondary to the characters, is back. The woman sitting next to me cried at the end. I was a little choked-up myself.
A few specific things I wanted to point out.
Holland is just so perfect for this, more so than any of his predecessors.
Both of his predecessors are really good in this and this movie actually kind of fixes the shortcomings of their respective runs as the character. While MacGuire is probably the highlight of the film (outside of Holland and Zendaya), Garfield is also redeemed. And there is a great meta-joke about him and his films.
The meta-jokes, and this film is about as meta as it could be (I don't want to spoil why for anyone who doesn't know), somehow thread this wonderful needle of not winking at the audience too much even though they're winking at the audience. There are also some just wonderful meta moments that really not only give this film heart but make the movies they're referencing better. It feels good and never forced. Perfect bullseye.
Zendaya is just a little treasure blossoming on us. I had never heard of this person before Homecoming. After seeing her in the three Spideys, Malcolm and Marie, and Dune, I feel like there is something special going on there. She has a star presence that can't be denied. And she's good.
The Doctor Strange stuff in this is probably the only threat to the movie and the Marvel team deftly side-step that with a clever twist that allows one to mostly hand-wave all that and focus on the Spidey story.
But, really, the focus here should be on the heart of the film. There were so many moments that just played my heart-strings and the movie plays to the strength of Marvel, which has always been the plight of its characters. This movie puts Peter Parker and the people he cares about through the wringer. And even the villains are given actual thoughts and feelings and plights.
When we talk about stakes in Marvel films, it has always been about the stakes of the characters not whatever the silly conflict was which is always supposed to be there as a coat-rack to hang the character conflicts on. The Captain America movies are successful for this reason. They're not about Hydra and The Red Skull and giant gun-ships in the sky, they're about what Steve Rogers is going through in his struggle to be a hero and a human-being. Civil War ultimately boils down to the death of a friendship and a trust. It is the best climax of a Marvel film because it is literally a fist-fight between two friends whose conflicts have finally boiled over.
No Way Home is very much like this. It is entirely about what Peter Parker goes through simply because he was unlucky enough to be given the power to save people and because he is a good enough soul to want to more than anything. It is a warm-hearted yet kind of tragic film that is still somehow a lot of fun. If Marvel gets back on this track, they have me back in the fold.

[mark f]

That's Entertainment! (Jack Haley Jr., 1974) 3.5+ 7.5/10
That's Entertainment, Part II (Gene Kelly, 1976) 3.5 7/10
Zone 414 (Andrew Baird, 2021) 2 5/10
Procession (Robert Greene, 2021) 3.5- 7/10
https://dedocupdate.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/procession-netflix-documentary.png?w=640
Adult survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests try to track them down and if failing that, try to recreate what occurred to them for closure.
Shadow of the Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1941) 2.5 6/10
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Stanley Donen, 1954) 3.5 7/10
Psycho Granny (Rebekah McKendry, 2019) 2 5/10
The Trouble with Harry (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955) 4 8/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/4da8884c0ed3d3e9ea15a468a17faa70/813a2e104b04fe8b-d2/s540x810/15864adc2dc0839d468b3b09335d303f02bf607c.gifv
Artist John Forsythe shares the facts of life with the son (Jerry Mathers [the Beave]) of young widow Shirley MacLaine, whom he wants to paint in the nude.
The Thin Man Goes Home (Richard Thorpe, 1944) 2.5 6/10
American Refugee (Ali LeRoi, 2021) 2+ 5/10
Bowery Buckaroos (William Beaudine, 1947) 2.5 6/10
The Sound of Music (Robert Wise, 1965) 3.5+ 7.5/10
https://i0.wp.com/brightestyoungthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/the-sound-of-music-gif-julie-andrews-coming-back-from-honeymoon.gif?fit=499%2C239&quality=100&ssl=1
Upbeat musical comedy ends as a suspenseful escape of the von Trapps from the Nazis.
The Last Lullaby (Jeffrey Goodman, 2008) 2.5 5.5/10
What We Left Unfinished (Mariam Ghani, 2019) 3 6.5/10
This Is the Night (James DeMonaco, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Where the Buffalo Roam (Art Linson, 1980) 3 6.5/10
https://c.tenor.com/ptyIkcrDCbIAAAAC/where-the-buffalo-roam-bill-murray.gif
In between writing his gonzo articles, Hunter S. Thompson (Bill Murray) hangs with his attorney "Lazlo" (Peter Boyle -here with Nixon mask) as well as the Nixon re-election campaign.
Ayar (Floyd Russ, 2021) 2 5/10
The Gold Rush (Charles Chaplin, 1925) 3.5 7+/10
The Eternal Sea (John H. Auer, 1955) 2.5 6/10
Immortal Beloved (Bernard Rose, 1994) 3- 6.5/10
https://i.gifer.com/1w9N.gif
After the death of Beethoven (Gary Oldman), the conservator of his estate (Jeroen Krabbé) searches for his unknown immortal beloved.

[Rockatansky]

[center]
Bowery Buckaroos (William Beaudine, 1947) 2.5 6/10


Have you seen Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla? Not a "good" movie, but has its halfassed charms, and Bela is great as expected. At the very least, it delivers on the title.

[mark f]

Sure. It's worth some laughs every once in a while but not as fun as Bowery Buckaroos. :cool:

[Rockatansky]

Sure. It's worth some laughs every once in a while but not as fun as Bowery Buckaroos. :cool:


I will add that to the watchlist.


Oddly enough, while I haven't seen any actual Bowery Boys movies, I have seen Ray Dennis Steckler's homage The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Monsters. That's probably the "best" thing I've seen from him.

[Wooley]

https://i.imgur.com/GbtG8Ov.jpg?1

Well, here's a movie that's given me a lot to think about. I mean, in the sense of my feelings continuing to remain in mind and expand and evolve over the last 24 hours.
For those who don't know, this is a 1947 noir film by Orson Welles and starring himself and Rita Hayworth as the titular femme fatale. Welles plays Michael, an Irish sailor with a funny way of looking at life who meets Hayworth's Elsa Bannister in Central Park and saves her from a robbery. He is immediately smitten and hopes to continue to play hero for her... but she is married to the country's most famous defense attorney. Instead of offering him her bed, she offers him a job. And that job becomes more and more complex as he attempts to navigate the dark personalities at play.
From a directorial standpoint, this is Welles at his finest. His imagery is just fantastic, almost startling for the time. This is six years before Touch Of Evil and he's already playing with some of those ideas, including the almost grotesque close-ups on sweaty faces and mad expressions. He puts the camera in so many interesting places and plays with a lot of imagery throughout both of which add to the building surreal tension of this bleak story.

https://i.imgur.com/jUL3g8s.jpg?1

And he really has a ball once he gets the main characters to "The Crazy House" which is an old carnival attraction of a whole building of slides and mirrors odd lighting but which serves as an obvious but excellent metaphor for the insanity of Michael's situation and the characters he's fallen in with.

https://i.imgur.com/3MvTAgk.jpg?1

The story is dark, bleak, convoluted, and a bit nuts, all of which was just aces for me. The cast is excellent with Everett Sloane, an actor I don't really know, being surprisingly effective going toe to toe with Welles and Hayworth. Glenn Anders seemed off to me for a good portion of the movie until I realized that he is supposed to be "off" and that's an important part of the story. He ended up being very effective and integral, really. Hayworth is excellent, honestly. I've never seen her in a role like this and she was extremely effective, especially at the end when Welles (as the director and her husband) pushes her further than I am accustomed to seeing in films from the 1940s. Even 1953's The Big Heat, which I think of as a landmark of grit, isn't quite as gritty as Hayworth's final scene, in my opinion.
And then there's Welles. I mean, the fact that he manages to never really screw up his Irish brogue the whole film was impressive enough, but man, this is a really good performance. I mean, really good. It's so disappointing to me that he could not have been a more prolific actor. When you think about Citizen Kane, this, The Third Man, A Touch Of Evil, man... we needed more of that guy. Just consider this wonderful shark monologue, perhaps second only to one Mr. Robert Shaw...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTQx-WuZW-M

Now that's a fine shark monologue.
My issues with the film really came down to one thing, the movie committed my one cardinal sin. The climax is preceded by one huge exposition dump to resolve all the plot lines so that the climax can occur. It was pretty disappointing as I'd waited an hour and twenty minutes to see how it was all gonna come together and then it's just Welles in voiceover telling the audience, "Here's how it all went down, now let's get to this awesome climax I've filmed."
That's been enough to ruin a lot of films for me that maybe I wasn't 100 on.
But this movie, honesty, is just too good everywhere else, I'm gonna have to forgive it. It's a disappointment, and since I can't go back and fix it it will remain a disappointment forever, but this is a movie that just has too much going for it not to see and recommend. Honestly, I think every film-lover and self-imposed home-film-student should see. Probably all film students to, but I'm talking to us, those of us who love movies and want to see the movies that made movies great. I think this has to be one of them. Watch it and you'll see what I mean.

[mark f]

Oddly enough, while I haven't seen any actual Bowery Boys movies, I have seen Ray Dennis Steckler's homage The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Monsters. That's probably the "best" thing I've seen from him.
I caught up with that one last year because I think you mentioned it. My fave of Steckler's so far is still The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?. Cool cinematography.

[Marco]

Ida Red (2021)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/Ida_Red.jpg
Pretty decent, nothing too spectacular story about a crime family where the Mother is in the clink for a "job" and wants to get out as she's terminally ill. The performances (Hartnett cool, Grillo hamming it up) are all fine but it's a pretty predictable, if enjoyable ride.

2.5

[CringeFest]

SLC Punk (1998)


4.5


Lol.

[Wooley]

Oddly enough, while I haven't seen any actual Bowery Boys movies...

I have seen SO many Bowery Boys movies. Between those and the "Maisy" movies, which I quite enjoy, it seemed for a while like that's how TCM filled their daytime schedules.
I find the Bowery Boys films a pleasant diversion.

[Wyldesyde19]

I prefer my action scenes to have talented martial artists, fluid editing, clear blocking and be actually visible (I.e. not hidden in darkness like it's AVP Requiem). It's a crazy notion but I stand by it.

This is a better action scene than anything in Ninja Assassin on a fraction of the budget.

https://youtu.be/Ye5g6BCJqU4

Hmmm. Small sample size for sure, considering I haven’t seen anything from Adkins at all, and probably won’t ever, but Jet Li seems much better judging from this one scene.

[Stirchley]

84045
84046
84047

All 3 very good. Re-watch.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Mb43E6h5L._AC_SX342_.jpg


4th Re-watch...Director Robert Zemeckis hits a direct bullseye with this delicious black comedy rich with re-watch appeal, some spectacular visual effects, and, believe it or not, my favorite Meryl Streep performance.

4

[LChimp]

https://br.web.img3.acsta.net/pictures/15/02/27/18/09/579774.jpg

Decent action flick

[Allaby]

I just finished watching When Pigs Fly (1993). Directed by Sara Driver, the film stars the always wonderful Alfred Molina as a struggling jazz musician who is given an old rocking chair. It turns out the rocking chair is haunted by two ghosts, a middle aged woman and a cute little girl. This was an unusual and interesting film that I liked. Molina is great and I liked the two ghosts, played by Marianne Faithfull and Rachael Bella. I would rate When Pigs Fly a 4.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDQ5ZjRiNDItYjBjOS00MDNjLTgzNTgtMzEzMzZhN2NiODkyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODI1OTk4MTQ@._V1_.jpg


2.5

[Takoma11]

I just finished watching When Pigs Fly (1993). Directed by Sara Driver, the film stars the always wonderful Alfred Molina as a struggling jazz musician who is given an old rocking chair. It turns out the rocking chair is haunted by two ghosts, a middle aged woman and a cute little girl. This was an unusual and interesting film that I liked. Molina is great and I liked the two ghosts, played by Marianne Faithfull and Rachael Bella. I would rate When Pigs Fly a 4.

Yay! I also quite enjoyed this one, as well as Driver's other feature film.

[xSookieStackhouse]

I haven't seen them, but there are actually three sequels :D

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Behind_Enemy_Lines_movie.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/Bel2ae.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/05/Behind_Enemy_Lines_Colombia.jpg/220px-Behind_Enemy_Lines_Colombia.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/46/SEAL_Team_8_Behind_Enemy_Lines.jpg/220px-SEAL_Team_8_Behind_Enemy_Lines.jpg
i only seen 2 of them i didnt know theres another 2 😱

[ThatDarnMKS]

Hmmm. Small sample size for sure, considering I haven’t seen anything from Adkins at all, and probably won’t ever, but Jet Li seems much better judging from this one scene.
Jet Li is a world class martial arts prodigy that was given the full thrust of the Chinese and Hong Kong film industry. There’s no shame in him being better than Adkins.

Now compare Adkins to virtually every single Western action star, even based on this small sample size. Find me a Seagal, JCVD, or Statham sequence that beats it.*

Chuck Norris is the only one that’s clearly a better martial artist, but he’s possibly the best Champion fighter in film history. It didn’t make his fight sequences particularly good though.

[Wyldesyde19]

Jet Li is a world class martial arts prodigy that was given the full thrust of the Chinese and Hong Kong film industry. There’s no shame in him being better than Adkins.

Now compare Adkins to virtually every single Western action star, even based on this small sample size. Find me a Seagal, JCVD, or Statham sequence that beats it.*

Chuck Norris is the only one that’s clearly a better martial artist, but he’s possibly the best Champion fighter in film history. It didn’t make his fight sequences particularly good though.
Why are we narrowing it down to western stars only? Seems slightly arbitrary.
But, Legitimately? I’d say Keanu is better at his actions scenes from what I’ve seen lately. Especially the John Wick films. You may disagree, of course.
Again, this is a small sample size, but I don’t see anything all that particularly amazing. Decent, sure. Certainly has better movements compared to Seagal, maybe JCVD.

[CringeFest]

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)


4


how heart warming they could have said "what the cuss" a lot less...

[ThatDarnMKS]

Why are we narrowing it down to western stars only? Seems slightly arbitrary.
But, Legitimately? I’d say Keanu is better at his actions scenes from what I’ve seen lately. Especially the John Wick films. You may disagree, of course.
Again, this is a small sample size, but I don’t see anything all that particularly amazing. Decent, sure. Certainly has better movements compared to Seagal, maybe JCVD.

Because he’s a Western action star that isn’t going to have been inundated in a lifestyle and cinematic culture that’s been aimed at martial arts specifically his entire life? No Westerner is going to have the Peking Opera background of the Dragons (Chan, Hung, Bao) or the network of highly specialized and trained martial arts teams that make dozens of movies a year. It’s a completely different ballgame.

That said, I think Adkins holds his own far better than Keanu when held alongside Eastern contemporaries. Comparing how Adkins handles the choreography with/against Tiger Chen, Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais in Triple Threat and there’s a far greater sense of equal give and take.

Whereas in John Wick 3, when Keanu is placed against Cecep Rahman and Yayan Ruhian from the Raid 2, he is clearly dwarfed by their speed and acrobatic ability. The film makes this work dramatically, by emphasizing how tired Keanu is but he’s still expected to beat them to a draw.

Let me put it this way, Scott Adkins could do the John Wick films (they’re even tapping him for part 4) but I don’t think Keanu could do half of the aerial acrobatic kicks that Adkins is asked to do in virtually any of his films, especially without the benefit of wire work that he was afforded in the Matrix films.

[Wyldesyde19]

Because he’s a Western action star that isn’t going to have been inundated in a lifestyle and cinematic culture that’s been aimed at martial arts specifically his entire life? No Westerner is going to have the Peking Opera background of the Dragons (Chan, Hung, Bao) or the network of highly specialized and trained martial arts teams that make dozens of movies a year. It’s a completely different ballgame.

That said, I think Adkins holds his own far better than Keanu when held alongside Eastern contemporaries. Comparing how Adkins handles the choreography with/against Tiger Chen, Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais in Triple Threat and there’s a far greater sense of equal give and take.

Whereas in John Wick 3, when Keanu is placed against Cecep Rahman and Yayan Ruhian from the Raid 2, he is clearly dwarfed by their speed and acrobatic ability. The film makes this work dramatically, by emphasizing how tired Keanu is but he’s still expected to beat them to a draw.

Let me put it this way, Scott Adkins could do the John Wick films (they’re even tapping him for part 4) but I don’t think Keanu could do half of the aerial acrobatic kicks that Adkins is asked to do in virtually any of his films, especially without the benefit of wire work that he was afforded in the Matrix films.
Which still seems a little arbitrary to me, but I’ll let it go?
I’ve looked at a few of his clips, and he does seem to be pretty talented. They sure do like to use slow mo for his moves. *
Keanu’s scenes seem better in comparison to me, although he lacks the aerial acrobatics that you mentioned. Adkins seems to rely on too many flashy moves like that, it seems.
I’ll take the crisp hand to hand movements of Keanu, for the moment, but I need to see more from Adkins to make a firm decision.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Which still seems a little arbitrary to me, but I’ll let it go?
I’ve looked at a few of his clips, and he does seem to be pretty talented. They sure do like to use slow mo for his moves. *
Keanu’s scenes seem better in comparison to me, although he lacks the aerial acrobatics that you mentioned. Adkins seems to rely on too many flashy moves like that, it seems.
I’ll take the crisp hand to hand movements of Keanu, for the moment, but I need to see more from Adkins to make a firm decision.
Look at it this way, China has been trying to make a Hollywood style blockbuster for decades. However, they lack the budget, resources and professionals that have been cultivated in Hollywood and simply can’t operate at that level of spectacle because the foundation isn’t there.

That’s not Keanu’s ability as an action star, that’s fight choreography. The John Wick films have wonderful choreography and Keanu handles it extremely well (especially weapons handling). One need only watch a couple of Adkins more gun oriented flicks to recognize that he’s more than capable of such choreography.

I’ve never seen Keanu do anything without the benefit of wires that Adkins can just do. They’re not even in the same ballpark on that level.

I also think Adkins is probably the better actor (Avengement would be my choice for that) though Keanu definitely has that star quality.

I’d say watch Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning if you only wanna give one a chance. If you dig it, Avengement, Triple Threat and the rest of Ninja 2 would be nice follow ups.

[Rockatansky]

I'll leave this here in light of the Adkins talk:


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

[James D. Gardiner]

theres another one called Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil so make sure to watch it also
Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil


Thanks!

[GulfportDoc]

...
Him consuming Alma's food is the ultimate pact (I like that you used that word) in this toxic relationship where he agrees to suffer physical illness, as long as he can have that maternal care he longs for, even if it is by proxy.

A "thread" is something that ties together pieces of cloth, obviously a reference to the craft of dressmaking. But metaphorically, it is a symbol of what ties both Woodcock and Alma (and to a certain extent, Cyril) together. Something that is not necessarily evident to everybody ("phantom") considering how much they clash, as well as all their other differences (age, class, etc.) But regardless of all of that, that "phantom thread" is there.
You might have something their about the "pact". But if that was the film's intention, it blew right by me...:)

There again, "Phantom" in the title is too abstruse for me. OTOH one sees plenty of titles with obscure meanings.

[GulfportDoc]

I already posted some thoughts in response to Thief's Phantom Thread review over in his thread (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2268075#post2268075), but just to reiterate, I agree with you that it wasn't as good as it could've been... although not necessarily for the same reasons, since I found the resolution to Reynold/Alma's relationship to be plausible enough (and fairly unexpected/intriguing to boot). The real problem I had with it is that Reynold's mother/control issues felt underdeveloped to me, having been set up fairly early in the film, but then mostly forgotten about afterward, except for the moment when Reynolds hallucinates his mother on his sickbed, which, while a striking image, still ended up clashing with the tone of the rest of the film, as a left field turn into pseudo-supernatural imagery in an otherwise overly restrained Drama.

So, it was still a good movie despite that, but it should've been at least a little bit better, IMO.
You make some good points. The ending to me felt very uncharacteristic of Reynolds, and felt tacked on. Perhaps as you say, it simply wasn't prepared enough. But the rest of the film was first rate.

[GulfportDoc]

...
The story is dark, bleak, convoluted, and a bit nuts, all of which was just aces for me. The cast is excellent with Everett Sloane, an actor I don't really know, being surprisingly effective going toe to toe with Welles and Hayworth. Glenn Anders seemed off to me for a good portion of the movie until I realized that he is supposed to be "off" and that's an important part of the story. He ended up being very effective and integral, really. Hayworth is excellent, honestly. I've never seen her in a role like this and she was extremely effective, especially at the end when Welles (as the director and her husband) pushes her further than I am accustomed to seeing in films from the 1940s. Even 1953's The Big Heat, which I think of as a landmark of grit, isn't quite as gritty as Hayworth's final scene, in my opinion.
...
Very nice review and pictures. I think that "Shanghai" has gathered heft over the decades, and has outlived what Welles did to R. Hayworth's hair..;) IMO it's a semi-masterpiece, behind only his Citizen Kane and The Third Man. I thought some of the scenes on the boat dragged a little, but I forgot about that later.

BTW Everett Sloane was part of Welles' stable, appearing as Mr. Bernstein in "Kane", and also in Journey Into Fear-- the two films preceding "Shanghai". I never liked him that much as an actor (too theater like), but he got the job done in "Shanghai".

[Takoma11]

Not really a review even, because I only made it like 2 minutes into the film, but tried to watch Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind (for the 2022 Film Challenge) and what is with the number of people who are cool with making and consuming art where animals are actually tortured? And I'm not talking, like, footage from a slaughterhouse or something.

Everyone involved with this movie can go jump in a lake.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Not really a review even, because I only made it like 2 minutes into the film, but tried to watch Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind (for the 2022 Film Challenge) and what is with the number of people who are cool with making and consuming art where animals are actually tortured? And I'm not talking, like, footage from a slaughterhouse or something.

Everyone involved with this movie can go jump in a lake.
I’m strangely unfamiliar with this movie but from the description, I was certain it would be an Italian production (probably directed by Umberto Lenzi)….

So imagine my shock when I saw it’s a Tsui Hark film starring Lo Lieh? Two favorites of mine whom I would never expect would *checks IMDb* torture mice? What a world.

[Rockatansky]

Not really a review even, because I only made it like 2 minutes into the film, but tried to watch Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind (for the 2022 Film Challenge) and what is with the number of people who are cool with making and consuming art where animals are actually tortured? And I'm not talking, like, footage from a slaughterhouse or something.

Everyone involved with this movie can go jump in a lake.

You probably made the right call here. There's another scene where something awful happens to a cat.


I do remember liking the movie, but things like that are hard to defend.

[Takoma11]

You probably made the right call here. There's another scene where something awful happens to a cat.


I do remember liking the movie, but things like that are hard to defend.

Oh yeah. I read all about it after looking online to confirm my suspicion about what was going to happen to the mice.

Just what the actual hell.

I'm getting tired of having to read a ton about movies and spoil the plots/endings just so that I don't have to watch actual animal torture and murder.

[Rockatansky]

Oh yeah. I read all about it after looking online to confirm my suspicion about what was going to happen to the mice.

Just what the actual hell.

I'm getting tired of having to read a ton about movies and spoil the plots/endings just so that I don't have to watch actual animal torture and murder.
I'm kind of surprised there isn't a database for this kind of stuff (or at least I couldn't find one). I lean on the IMDB parent's guide, but those aren't always that thorough (except when they're bizarrely thorough).

[Thief]

I'm kind of surprised there isn't a database for this kind of stuff (or at least I couldn't find one). I lean on the IMDB parent's guide, but those aren't always that thorough (except when they're bizarrely thorough).

I'm pretty sure I saw a site that listed instances of animal cruelty on film, but I can't remember. I was actually Googling about it once I read Tak's post, but couldn't find it. Or maybe I'm imagining things, who knows.

[Citizen Rules]

I'm pretty sure I saw a site that listed instances of animal cruelty on film, but I can't remember. I was actually Googling about it once I read Tak's post, but couldn't find it. Or maybe I'm imagining things, who knows. There is such a site
Does the Dog Die (https://www.doesthedogdie.com/)

[Takoma11]

I'm kind of surprised there isn't a database for this kind of stuff (or at least I couldn't find one). I lean on the IMDB parent's guide, but those aren't always that thorough (except when they're bizarrely thorough).

I regularly use the site Citizen posted, Does the Dog Die. (As in, if I type "do-" into my browser, it automatically is like, "Oh, I know where you want to go!"). But their site is somewhat limited because it is user input. They don't have an entry for this film, nor do they have one for the last film I watched (Strike), nor for the one I am currently watching (Boat People).

[CringeFest]

Death of a Prophet (1981)


4


A little pompous and propagandist, but the film moves along pretty smoothly and is a good length, Morgan Freeman as more of a youngster :D

[Rockatansky]

I regularly use the site Citizen posted, Does the Dog Die. (As in, if I type "do-" into my browser, it automatically is like, "Oh, I know where you want to go!"). But their site is somewhat limited because it is user input. They don't have an entry for this film, nor do they have one for the last film I watched (Strike), nor for the one I am currently watching (Boat People).
Wait, is Boat People on the Criterion Channel already?

[Mr Minio]

what is with the number of people who are cool with making and consuming art where animals are actually tortured? What's with the number of people who are all touchy about that? Don't mean to be rude but it's only recently that I started noticing people taking an issue with that and adding content warnings to film reviews (not just "animal cruelty"). It's as if people want to create a safe space and never let art penetrate it. Everybody became touchy and sensitive. It's one thing to make such scenes. But watching them? Eh dunno seems an exaggeration. Other content warnings include rape, self-harm, misogyny and what not. Sorry but sometimes you need to expose yourself to some bad stuff to recalibrate and get a fresh perspective. We're not talking about opposing making films with such contents but opposing watching them. These are 2 different things. The second seems pretty snowflakey (sorry if that's offensive)

[Wyldesyde19]

Oh boy. Here we go.
*grabs a bag of popcorn*

[Rockatansky]

What's with the number of people who are all touchy about that? Don't mean to be rude but it's only recently that I started noticing people taking an issue with that and adding content warnings to film reviews (not just "animal cruelty"). It's as if people want to create a safe space and never let art penetrate it. Everybody became touchy and sensitive. It's one thing to make such scenes. But watching them? Eh dunno seems an exaggeration. Other content warnings include rape, self-harm, misogyny and what not. Sorry but sometimes you need to expose yourself to some bad stuff to recalibrate and get a fresh perspective. We're not talking about opposing making films with such contents but opposing watching them. These are 2 different things. The second seems pretty snowflakey (sorry if that's offensive)
Call me crazy, but I think there's a difference between real life animal cruelty and "rape, self-harm, misogyny and what not" that are staged for the movie.

[Takoma11]

Wait, is Boat People on the Criterion Channel already?

Yup.

[Takoma11]

What's with the number of people who are all touchy about that? Don't mean to be rude but it's only recently that I started noticing people taking an issue with that and adding content warnings to film reviews (not just "animal cruelty"). It's as if people want to create a safe space and never let art penetrate it. Everybody became touchy and sensitive. It's one thing to make such scenes. But watching them? Eh dunno seems an exaggeration. Other content warnings include rape, self-harm, misogyny and what not. Sorry but sometimes you need to expose yourself to some bad stuff to recalibrate and get a fresh perspective. We're not talking about opposing making films with such contents but opposing watching them. These are 2 different things. The second seems pretty snowflakey (sorry if that's offensive)

Watching animals (or any living thing) be tortured/harmed is viscerally upsetting for me. It is absolutely not the same as upsetting content that is simulated by actors and equating those things is totally bonkers from my point of view. Frankly I'm not that interested in debating content warnings with someone who doesn't think there's a difference between staging a rape scene with actors and shoving a needle through an animal's head.

What "fresh perspective" am I going to glean from watching someone torture mice? Or impale a cat on a fence?

And further, from my point of view, yeah, shame on people for consuming such content. Consumption drives creation, and if no one was willing to consume art that featured actual abuse, there probably wouldn't be as much art that featured actual abuse. "Oh, I'm not a fan of filming actual child molestation, but why critique people who watch it?".

[Thief]

Why can't I downvote tweets?? :(

[Fabulous]

Assassination (2015)

2.5

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

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Bluevidcov.jpg
By scan, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12247977

Three Colours: Blue - (1993)

Finally on my way through this Kieślowski trilogy. The first film had a lot of interesting stuff going on visually, not to mention the use of orchestral music to signify something deeply personal for it's main character, Julie (Juliette Binoche). Julie has just lost her husband and young daughter in a car accident, but she doesn't go through the usual process of grieving. Julie tries to free herself from grief altogether by abandoning her former life completely, severing ties and selling all her property. Is it possible to isolate yourself like this, and if so what are the effects? This is a very poetic and artistic film with an interesting performance from Binoche who is both stricken and at the same time determined to shut herself off from all the pain. For Kieślowski, there are many "ahh, look what he did there" moments which I enjoy noticing a lot these days - so overall I enjoyed the film a great deal and look forward to seeing the next two in the trilogy to be able to stand back and judge the work as a whole.

8/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 63/100

[xSookieStackhouse]

Thanks!
ur welcome and theres a 3rd aswell that someone on here told me

[Wooley]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Bluevidcov.jpg
By scan, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12247977

Three Colours: Blue - (1993)

Finally on my way through this Kieślowski trilogy. The first film had a lot of interesting stuff going on visually, not to mention the use of orchestral music to signify something deeply personal for it's main character, Julie (Juliette Binoche). Julie has just lost her husband and young daughter in a car accident, but she doesn't go through the usual process of grieving. Julie tries to free herself from grief altogether by abandoning her former life completely, severing ties and selling all her property. Is it possible to isolate yourself like this, and if so what are the effects? This is a very poetic and artistic film with an interesting performance from Binoche who is both stricken and at the same time determined to shut herself off from all the pain. For Kieślowski, there are many "ahh, look what he did there" moments which I enjoy noticing a lot these days - so overall I enjoyed the film a great deal and look forward to seeing the next two in the trilogy to be able to stand back and judge the work as a whole.

8/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 63/100

This is one of my favorite movies of all time.

[xSookieStackhouse]

5 made me teary, im glad they did the reunion and still fan of harry potter <3
https://www.heraldscotland.com/resources/images/13325686.png?display=1&htype=90&type=responsive-gallery

[pahaK]

Let me put it this way, Scott Adkins could do the John Wick films (they’re even tapping him for part 4) but I don’t think Keanu could do half of the aerial acrobatic kicks that Adkins is asked to do in virtually any of his films, especially without the benefit of wire work that he was afforded in the Matrix films.

I'll hop in once more as I think I now understand better the differences in our opinions. The above quote is there only because of its reference to the acrobatics (and to tag you, of course).

To me, aerial acrobatics are mostly gymnastics, not martial arts. Some arts have them in practice, but they're mostly just meant to develop certain kinds of athleticism. That sort of stuff may look great in movies, but more often it's just stupid (IMO) like Adkins trying to finish a downed opponent with a knife by lunging into the air, doing horizontal triple lutz, and landing flat on his back beside his foe.

The ability to do such acrobatics doesn't define a "true" martial artist. It doesn't say anything about one's ability to fight, either. If it would, the Olympic gymnasts would be the greatest martial artist of all time. That way of fighting is just one style of cinematic fighting and apparently, it's a style you prefer.

I have no doubt that Scott Adkins can do many things Steven Seagal never could. Based on their credentials, I'd still rather call Seagal a master martial artist than Adkins. Despite possibly being an ass and a pathological liar, Seagal still has real and high credentials in Aikido (as far as I know, much more than Adkins has in any martial art). More importantly, though, I much prefer his style of cinematic fighting and the fact that in his films every crook he meets isn't a martial arts expert.

But yeah, I do like Adkins but at the same time, I wish he'd be in better (and better choreographed) movies.

[Iroquois]

The Devil's Rejects - 1

clown sh*t

[ThatDarnMKS]

But yeah, I do like Adkins but at the same time, I wish he'd be in better (and better choreographed) movies.
This is the crux of my entire argument. Adkins is better and more capable than virtually any of his western contemporaries but has been relegated to the DTV market.

[Marco]

The Constant Gardener (2005)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/54/Constant_gardener.jpg
Good interpretation of a John le Carré work. Subtle and intriguing. Fiennes is excellent as the rather winsome diplomat who grows a pair.
4

[beelzebubble]

Licorice Pizza
I would have given it three out of five popcorn boxes if it had ended an hour a half after it started but it just kept on going so I give it two and half popcorn boxes. Paul Thomas Andersen needs an editor.

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/93/Benedetta_2021_poster.jpg/220px-Benedetta_2021_poster.jpg

3

^ I forgot to check if the blu ray had English subtitles and it didn't, so my French isn't good now so they could have been saying the most cringeworthy dialogue ever... but going by what I knew about Benedetta Carlini and everything else it got the above rating.


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

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODMwYTYyY2ItOWQ5Yi00OTI1LTllYTQtYTdlNWM4YzJhYTM0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA2MDU0NjM5._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


4

[LChimp]

https://cinesiageek.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Run-poster-1.jpg

Pretty basic, but enjoyable.

[Takoma11]

This is one of my favorite movies of all time.

I watched it recently for the first time, and it launched itself incredibly high up my all-time list. Just absolutely moving in every single frame.

[Allaby]

The Star Prince (1918) A silent fairy tale/fantasy film directed by a 21 year old woman and starring a cast of children. The role of the prince is actually played by a little girl! This is a little all over the place and meanders at times, but there are some amusing moments. I enjoyed the kiddies' performances and their facial expressions. Some parts of the story were fun and entertaining. This is worth checking out if you like unusual silent films. 3.5

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2Fba%2Fe8%2F1e%2Fbae81e1450e1a6e20ba0ebc7de9cfdac.png&f=1&nofb=1

Boat People, 1982

Shiomi Akutagawa (George Lam) is a Japanese photojournalist who covered the Communist takeover of Danang years earlier, who now returns to Vietnam to cover how life has changed since the end of the war. Greeted by a rosy-cheeked group of schoolchildren singing Government-approved songs and led on a carefully curated tour, the pleasant veneer soon begins to crack as Akutagawa meets Cam Nuong (Season Ma), a teenager who sells food in the local market. Observing the difficulties of her life, and also bearing witness to other troubling incidents---beatings, executions--Akutagawa slowly becomes horrified with the state of things and the way that the people are treated.

This was a powerful and memorable film, and I can see why it pushed its director, Ann Hui, to international attention. Hui packs her movie with jarring imagery, from characters unexpectedly stumbling over landmines to a woman's desperate, extreme response to being shamed in front of her neighbors. I dare not say a word about one of the final images, except to say wow.

This is a good example of a film operating at two different levels. The first is the more intimate story of a supposedly objective observer being drawn into the lives of his subjects. The other is the larger story of a country where appearances are kept up while trampling on the rights of its citizens.

When it comes to the former, that was where I was most able to connect to the film. Akutagawa meets Cam Nuong as children steal food on a muddy street. When he goes to photograph her, she flips him the bird and storms off. As the film progresses, Akutagawa begins to feel increasing responsibility for Nuong and her family, in part because of the role he has played in perpetuating the government's version of events.

The latter theme is where I had a bit more difficulty. Not because I didn't understand what the movie was showing, or because I thought it was done poorly. Quite the opposite. But I was keenly aware of my own dearth of deep (or even, frankly, more-than-superficial) understanding of the political situation in Vietnam and how that gets complicated when presented by a Chinese filmmaker. As I appreciated the film, I did question how skeptical I should be about what I was seeing. Reading a little bit about the film and its context hasn't done a whole lot to clarify that question for me.

I thought that all the performances were pretty strong. I will admit that around 2/3 of the way through the film, I felt my attention begin to wander. It's my first week back at work after a week off for break, so I can't say if that's a me problem or an actual lull in the film itself. The final act, and specifically the final sequence lands with a bang.

4

[Wyldesyde19]

Boat People has been on my watch list for ages.

[Takoma11]

Boat People has been on my watch list for ages.

It's on (yes, I'm going to say it!) the Criterion Channel.