Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[Allaby]

Tetris (2023) This was more interesting and entertaining than I thought it would be. Worth a watch, even if you are not a Tetris or video game fan. 3.5

[Thief]

I am a-Pauled at this turn of events

Go to your profile, or any profile, and you'll see how far this madness goes.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZmIyZGIxNDQtY2IxYS00MzZjLWFlMzUtYWM0NDZmNzBlZTkwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg



4

[Thief]

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
(2022, McDonagh)

https://i.imgur.com/x6mmICb.png


“We’ll keep aimlessly chatting, and me life will keep dwindling, and in 12 years I’ll die with nothin’ to show for it, bar the chats I’ve had with a limited man. Is that it?”



The Banshees of Inisherin seems to ask that question as it follows longtime friends Colm (Brendan Gleeson) and Padraic (Colin Farrell) reach a crossroad in their relationship. Colm seems to be going through an existential crisis that makes him see little value in his relationship with Padraic, especially as he approaches a certain age, whereas Padraic just can't believe his old mate doesn't wanna hang out with him anymore.

The thing is that Colm seems to be more interested in the future, his "legacy" as a musician, rather than his friendship with Padraic. McDonagh uses this conundrum to explore what is our place and purpose in the world – to create and leave "something" behind – or just to be nice to people, but also what it means to be a friend in the face of despair, maturity, growth, and even death.

Grade: 4.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381077#post2381077)

[Captain Terror]

Go to your profile, or any profile, and you'll see how far this madness goes.
I have a friend who unironically loves Mac & Me. I should ask him to join the forum today and blow his mind

[Thief]

I have a friend who unironically loves Mac & Me. I should ask him to join the forum today and blow his mind

Why is this person still your friend?

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/Resurrection_%282022_film%29.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2022/posters/resurrection_xxlg.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70943856

Resurrection - (2022)

Tough single mother Margaret (Rebecca Hall) has it all together. Her 17-year-old daughter, Abbie (Grace Kaufman) is leaving for college and she's in a non-relationship kind of relationship in the arms of Peter (Michael Esper) - but when she spies a man by the name of David (Tim Roth) around town her composure topples, and she has to come to terms with a past that is so horrifying that nobody believes her when she relates it. This was a great, and very much underseen, film about abusive relationships, loss, motherhood and the hold some men put on their partners via psychological manipulation and torment. I loved the creepy atmosphere, performance from Hall and that ending! Margaret's story, of what happened to her in her youth, is jaw-dropping and her behavior both maddening yet understandable. Roth also manages to be especially creepy in a type of role I've never seen him play before. There's a bit of horror in this - so be warned, Resurrection isn't for everyone, but I think it's a film that will build up a following as time goes by. I certainly enjoyed it.

8/10

[Fabulous]

Solomon and Sheba (1959)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/lRCzwOKb5Xq4NTGpCIcJrCJPVhl.jpg

[Daniel M]

Scanners (David Cronenberg, 1981) 3.5

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/images/5261-da75e0816939a6269df1c4582ad9cb9e/ScannersTwist_Current_medium.jpg

Iconic horror. Interesting plot that kind of blends superhero stuff with espionage. I'm a big fan of the mood Cronenberg conjures up through the way he shoots film, which along with the score creates an always uneasy feeling.

Decision at Sundown (Budd Boetticher, 1957) 3.5

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDE0ODZkODgtNmYzMC00MWFiLTllYmUtOTQ3Y2Y4YzNkMjE1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_.jpg

Probably the weakest I have seen from Boetticher so far but still a very good film. I like the raw, stripped-back nature of his stories and his focus on morality. This one seemed a little too muddled and pessimistic by its end, rather than as riveting as something like Ride Lonesome.

[cricket]

The Grey Zone (2001)

4

https://www.slantmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2002/10/greyzone-1280x720.jpg

From the Ebert list and called the greatest holocaust film ever by The Times of Israel, this is the story of Jews who participated in the extermination in order to survive longer and receive special privileges. It's a tough moral dilemma but I wouldn't go as far as those reviewers. I was hesitant because it stars Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, David Arquette, Mira Sorvino, etc., and is directed by Tim Blake Nelson, a fine lineup but a strange lineup I thought for a film like this. Plus every character speaks English but hey, Schindler's List exists as well. It works though and it's nice to have a film like this that only runs about an hour an 45 minutes. It's tough and intense and features some fine performances. On Tubi.

[this_is_the_ girl]

https://hammer.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/hero_r_large/public/migrated-assets/media/programs/2016/Fall_2016/THEM__1_copy.jpg?itok=ifn1nOgO
Them! (1954, Gordon Douglas)
3.5
Entertaining 1950s creature feature about giant mutated ants that develop as a result of nuclear testing and start terrorizing a small town in the Southwestern United States. Must have been really scary at the time, with all the Cold War paranoia running rampant—today it's just a lot of fun, I enjoyed it more than The Thing From Another World, another '50s sci-fi classic I saw recently. The ant special effects are really cool. Not sure if a modern remake of this exists and, if it does, if it's worth a look. But yeah, a classic!

[cricket]

The Big Red One (1980)

3.5

https://149357165.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/user-8200639_1173772765.jpg

From the Ebert list and for some reason I always thought it was a comedy. It's based on director Sam Fuller's experiences and stars Lee Marvin who leads his men through a wide variety of experiences and battles. This was a very solid war film, better than I had expected. Definitely worth watching and free on Tubi.

[GulfportDoc]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=92252
Safe House (2012)

Although not a new idea for a story, this is a well written, well acted espionage thriller with a stellar cast: Ryan Reynolds, Denzell Washington, Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard, and others.

Director Daniel Espinosa, and "Bourne" veteran cinematographer Oliver Wood, keep the thrills coming with superb photography.

The action takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, where a low level CIA agent who basically minds a hot line is confronted and tasked with chasing and returning a rogue ex-CIA operative who has been active in criminal activities.

There are both bad guys and good guys lurking around every bend, which fights and scratches to a gratifying ending. If you like action, this is a good film for you. It's a not unfamiliar story which is raised to a high level by the acting, directing, and cinematography.

Doc' rating: 7/10

[GulfportDoc]

Them! (1954, Gordon Douglas)
rating_3_5
Entertaining 1950s creature feature about giant mutated ants that develop as a result of nuclear testing and start terrorizing a small town in the Southwestern United States. Must have been really scary at the time, with all the Cold War paranoia running rampant—today it's just a lot of fun, I enjoyed it more than The Thing From Another World, another '50s sci-fi classic I saw recently. The ant special effects are really cool. Not sure if a modern remake of this exists and, if it does, if it's worth a look. But yeah, a classic!
This is likely the greatest of the 1950s monster movies, and it had a bunch of lesser imitators. My childhood buddy and I saw it on its release in the theater, and it scared the tweet out of us. It's tame by today's standards, but at the time it looked real and seemed authentic, not in the least due to the high quality special effects for the day, the pacing, and the editing.

The writing and acting convinced as being real, rather than campy. And the audience were befuddled as to what could possibly be done to stop the menace. Edmund Gwenn was especially effective as the scientist/doctor who helps discover the etymology of the giant creatures.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/Three_Thousand_Years_of_Longing.jpeg
By http://www.impawards.com/2022/three_thousand_years_of_longing_xxlg.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70822455

Three Thousand Years of Longing - (2022)

$100 million
Everlasting love from someone I'll always love in return
A guarantee my kids will turn out right and be happy people

How hard was that? Of course, scholarly Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) has grown up on tales of genies which have been cautionary ones, and she's almost convinced that the Djinn (played by Idris Elba) she's freed from a bottle is trying to trick her when he tells her he must grant her three wishes. When I say he must, I mean he must - or else he'll never be free, but it takes some convincing Alithea so he tells her his story - which covers 3000 years. Epic in scope and aided by much CGI, it kind of combines historical saga and modern day love story, and both Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton play their parts well. George Miller's first feature since Mad Max : Fury Road, and it was a bomb - but hopefully the Fury Road follow-up will remedy that.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Sissy-movie-poster-sissy-2022-aussie-horror-austra1_jpg_resize.png
By https://www.weekendnotes.com/sissy-film-review/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72927116

Sissy - (2022)

Sissy is a funny, ditsy kind of horror film where the best, most relatable person is the twisted killer - Sissy/Cecilia (Aisha Dee). From the moment she starts being mercilessly bullied, you're on her side - and damned if these people weren't asking for it, especially Alex (Emily De Margheriti). It also has a definite stance on a certain need human beings have these days for online gratification (through followers, likes and comments) to prop up their sense of self-worth. It's a fun movie, and for all my promotion of Australian film, one I ignored when it was released cinematically here. I fess up to getting that wrong. Although a few CGI effects are so bad they're unacceptable, there are psychological aspects and a story that make this something of a surprise.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Beavis_and_Butt-head_2022_film_poster.jpg
By https://www.vitalthrills.com/beavis-and-butt-head-do-the-universe/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70932665

Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - (2022)

I think I'm under-rating Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - it's actually the first thing related to Beavis and Butt-Head I've ever watched, and I had to acclimatize to the very specific way it works. Was it funny? Yeah - it was, and even thinking back to some of the bits I smile. The two characters are a strange duo to watch - absolute morons, and immature to boot, but it's the specific way the world reacts to them that makes everything so funny. I felt "oh - that was okay" after watching it, but it's stuck with me and I'll definitely be watching more (starting with the first feature) and I'll probably be back to see this again one day.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/82/The_Bubble_%282022_film%29.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2022/bubble.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70228554

The Bubble - (2022)

And then there was this. The Bubble has occasionally funny moments which really show what it could have been, but overall it's a jumbled mess. The cast and crew of the sixth installment of the successful "Cliff Beasts" franchise (think wacky Jurassic Park with mountain climbing) sequester themselves at a hotel during the pandemic. There, they go stir crazy and attempt to escape. Whenever the focus of the film switched to the making of the movie I thought things picked up - but that's only around 8% of The Bubble. We spend most of our time watching the various characters complain - obviously Judd Apatow thought this is where the comedy gold was. It's a little bit like Tropic Thunder (conference calls with producers etc) but there's no focus, and as the audience starts to feel as cramped and uncomfortable as the characters the absolutely mind boggling running time of 126 minutes makes this a chore to watch.

4/10

[Deschain]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Beavis_and_Butt-head_2022_film_poster.jpg
By https://www.vitalthrills.com/beavis-and-butt-head-do-the-universe/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70932665

Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - (2022)

I think I'm under-rating Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - it's actually the first thing related to Beavis and Butt-Head I've ever watched, and I had to acclimatize to the very specific way it works. Was it funny? Yeah - it was, and even thinking back to some of the bits I smile. The two characters are a strange duo to watch - absolute morons, and immature to boot, but it's the specific way the world reacts to them that makes everything so funny. I felt "oh - that was okay" after watching it, but it's stuck with me and I'll definitely be watching more (starting with the first feature) and I'll probably be back to see this again one day.

6/10

If you're looking for more Beavis and Butt-Head you can't go wrong with Do America. Unfortunately the original run of the MTV show is hard to find due to copyright issues with all the music videos. But the new season on Paramount+ is a lot of fun, especially their reactions to tiktoks and mukbangs. I also don't know what happened to the one-off season from a few years ago but it was ****ing hysterical too thanks to the duo making fun of trashy reality TV.

[Torgo]

Shadow (2018) - 4

Zhang Yimou's commitment at making the best-looking movies you'll ever see is still intact. In his wuxia from 2018, there are two opposing kingdoms, Pei and Yang, the former still nursing its wounds after having to cede control of a strategically located city after losing a duel. Pei's combatant arranges a rematch, but there's a twist: he's sending a not-so-willing doppelganger, or "shadow," in his place. This and other deceptions occurring behind closed doors still place this movie in the war genre, but they also give it the appeals of film noir.

If Hero and House of Flying Daggers are of any indication, the director knows the power of color, which is also the case here despite its black and white aesthetic. While he did this to evoke ink paintings, another benefit is the atmosphere of division it adds, which works so well that the Yin and Yang-shaped dueling ground - as cool as it looks - is almost unnecessary. I also like that nearly all the table setting before the big rematch from the scheming to the dealmaking to the shadow's training occurs in secret rooms, behind curtains, etc., which adds a pleasant noir vibe and proves that the little of what the rich and powerful who control our fates show and tell us is the mere tip of the iceberg. It thus goes without saying that there are not constant fight scenes like there are in Hero, but the action we do get is built up oh so nicely, well worth the wait, and best of all, replete with Zhang Yimou's trademark visual flair. To bring film noir up again, the plot is similarly intricate and thus hard to keep up with at times. I enjoyed the challenge, though, and since I haven't seen any of the director's movies for a long time, the sensation of finally seeing another one again - not to mention one this enjoyable - was akin to seeing an old friend and thus made the experience even better.

[Stirchley]

92255

92256

Both good movies.

[beelzebubble]

SAP: Mae Martin Stand-up Special 2/5
I thought I would give Mae Martin another try. I don't think I liked her last stand up special. I didn't care for her tv show. But I was ready for a laugh. The first fifteen minutes were somewhat amusing. There were a lot of tales of her quirky dad. I tittered and waited for more. The next fifteen minutes were bereft of laughter so I bailed. Maybe the last half hour was hilarious but I will never know.https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/dc5/9a2/9dbb4ebfee6b46710786d02572978f4ea2-mae-martin-sap-2.1x.rsquare.w1400.jpg
https://drunktvpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/dennis-the-menace-fi.jpg?w=1200

[Fabulous]

Best in Show (2000)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/dwXoEuz9XAOtiUJyC1s7PdX5SAV.jpg

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjlhNzM4NjItMWRkNi00MWRmLWIzZmEtMmVlNGMwNzU3MmUzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTAyMjQ3NzQ1._V1_.jpg


3

[cricket]

We are the Flesh (2016)

2.5

https://www.joblo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/watf1.jpg

Mexican apocalyptic horror with explicit sex, cannibalism, incest, and some gross stuff. Stylishly filmed, it's worth a watch for fans of extreme film.

[GulfportDoc]

SAP: Mae Martin Stand-up Special 2/5
I thought I would give Mae Martin another try. I don't think I liked her last stand up special. I didn't care for her tv show. But I was ready for a laugh. The first fifteen minutes were somewhat amusing. There were a lot of tales of her quirky dad. I tittered and waited for more. The next fifteen minutes were bereft of laughter so I bailed. Maybe the last half hour was hilarious but I will never know.

Is that a female?

[beelzebubble]

Is that a female?
Mae Martin is a woman. She identified as non-binary and now identifies as trans. She has had her breasts removed and is bisexual. I think she is sort of promoted because she is more palatable to the normies because she is a very cute person. I have seen lesbian and straight women comics who are much funnier and are not getting the opportunities she is getting. I have seen other trans comics but they are not cute.

[Allaby]

I watched Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (2023), the new documentary on Disney+ (Hulu in some countries). This was a really interesting and insightful look at Brooke's life and career. There is a lot of substance here and I suspect different viewers will get different things out of it. Definitely worth watching. My rating is 4.5.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/Firestarter_%282022%29_poster.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2022/firestarter.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70230680

Firestarter - (2022)

There's nothing offensively wrong with this 2022 edition of Firestarter, but it is a film devoid of a soul - the only time it did anything to rouse any kind of feeling from me was when Charlie McGee (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) roasted a poor cat, and we had to wait an interminable amount of time for her to put the poor thing out of it's misery - and she does this by roasting it again, causing it more pain. Actually - strike my first statement - there was that one thing offensively wrong about the film. Other than that, it just went through the motions. I read Stephen King's Firestarter in 1987 - too long ago to remember what's missing here - but this bare bones, tired adaptation is what happens when people methodically make a film they don't care all that much about. It was the wrong film to direct for the promising Keith Thomas - but for some reason he was thinking that this would lead to some kind of Firestarter franchise - so he at least envisioned this being better. It's not the worst film ever made - it's just not good. Another pointless remake. John Carpenter's score was nice though.

4/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2f/Morbius_%28film%29_poster.jpg
By Sony Pictures, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69435980

Morbius - (2022)

How can I even begin to judge this film's worth after all the memes and such? If I'd sat down expecting a really good film I would have been disappointed - but instead I was kind of curious about what kind of mess it was. It's just another origin story - a concept so worn out by now that I'm not up to seeing another unless I absolutely have to for some reason. It had moments where some very nice creepy visuals crept into the film, making it interesting - but other than that it didn't do much for me. I didn't hate any of it, except the very awkward credits-sequence tie-in to the Spider-Man franchise, which was awful. Other than that it hovered around Firestarter level as far as being neither entertaining nor bad enough to be fun. Unlike Firestarter though, it didn't have a good score, or interesting original story.

3.5/10

[Guaporense]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2MyNjYxNmUtYTAwNi00MTYxLWJmNWYtYzZlODY3ZTk3OTFlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzkwMjQ5NzM@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg
The Godfather (1972)

I watched this movie for the 3rd time. First two times I watched when I was a teenager so, being older and more lived experience now, I had an improved understanding of the characters motivations and actions.

It is certainly among the best executed movies ever made. While I am not a big fan of the gangster genre, this singular movie stands head and shoulders above other gangster movies. It is like Breaking Bad in the sense that BB transcends crime TV shows, The Godfather transcends the gangster movie genre and functions as a truly unique work of narrative art. It is also a great example of Italian American culture; being partly Italian myself, I appreciated such a sense of cultural familiarity.

Rating: 10/10, while watching it, there was nothing wrong with this movie; everything is executed smoothly and elegantly.

[Fabulous]

Waiting for Guffman (1996)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/fkktPRJM0UiYd63Q3WAneeBk2Au.jpg

[Thief]

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
(2022, Daniels)

https://i.imgur.com/bA1k2zg.jpg


"Not a single moment will go by without every other universe screaming for your attention. Never fully there. Just a lifetime of fractured moments, contradictions, and confusion. With only a few specks of time where anything actually makes any sense."



That's how one of the main characters of Everything Everywhere All at Once (or rather her "evil" counterpart) describes this "tortured" multiverse reality they're living, but it could also be used to describe the plot of the film. I mean, a Chinese-American immigrant (Michelle Yeoh) is being audited by the IRS when she discovers her connection with multiple universes, including one where people have hot-dog fingers; a connection she has to use to save these universes from being destroyed by her alternate father and daughter, and a floating bagel. Whoosh!

I commend the Daniels for staying true to their quirky ideas, but to be honest, I think that the emotional weight of the film was sometimes drowned by all the things that they throw at the audience screaming for our attention. Now that they won every single Oscar, I suppose they'll swing even harder, but I think a bit of restraint wouldn't have been a bad thing here. Even though I was never fully there, I cherished those specks of time where something, anything, made any sense for me.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381397#post2381397)

[GulfportDoc]

The Godfather (1972)

I watched this movie for the 3rd time. First two times I watched when I was a teenager so, being older and more lived experience now, I had an improved understanding of the characters motivations and actions.

It is certainly among the best executed movies ever made. While I am not a big fan of the gangster genre, this singular movie stands head and shoulders above other gangster movies. It is like Breaking Bad in the sense that BB transcends crime TV shows, The Godfather transcends the gangster movie genre and functions as a truly unique work of narrative art. It is also a great example of Italian American culture; being partly Italian myself, I appreciated such a sense of cultural familiarity.

Rating: 10/10, while watching it, there was nothing wrong with this movie; everything is executed smoothly and elegantly.
Very well put! I agree 10%.

[cricket]

Barefoot Gen 2 (1986)

3.5

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZGMxMDVmMDctMzg5Ny00ZmM1LWE2NWMtZmQwOGY2MGEyMjk2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTc0NjY1ODk@._V1_.jpg

Part 1 is a devastating film that focuses on the immediate effects of the bombing of Hiroshima. This is a worthy sequel that picks up 3 years later. It's not as powerful but it definitely has it's moments.

[ApexPredator]

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Technically, this Edward Berger film is fine. Outside of its discordant score (which could work better in a space film or thriller), the film looks and sounds wonderful as it dives into the brutality (and futility) of war. The acting is fine and we get some moments such as the German soldiers breaking into French farms to steal eggs and chickens.

But something about this one kept me from fully embracing it. Perhaps the anti-war genre is all tapped out? Maybe it tries to have it both ways as they have the soldiers fight around in the muck while trying to make them look as dirtily good looking as possible? Or maybe none of the war scenes stand out as unique or breathtaking and outside of Felix Kammerer as the lead character Paul and Albrecht Schuch as a seen it all veteran still on the frontlines, nobody really stood out?

Although it's a decent war film, All Quiet could have been better had it given more depth to Paul's friends or even Matthias (Daniel Bruhl) who plays a German official trying to find the best possible armistice to end World War 1. Or if it toned down the glamour and focused on the brutality of the war. This is my third Best Picture nominee that I've seen and only one of them I'd categorize as pretty good.

3

[ApexPredator]

Barefoot Gen 2 (1986)

3.5

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZGMxMDVmMDctMzg5Ny00ZmM1LWE2NWMtZmQwOGY2MGEyMjk2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTc0NjY1ODk@._V1_.jpg

Part 1 is a devastating film that focuses on the immediate effects of the bombing of Hiroshima. This is a worthy sequel that picks up 3 years later. It's not as powerful but it definitely has it's moments.

I knew there was a sequel...but hadn't been able to find it anywhere. Part one shocked me as a teen when I saw it.

[ApexPredator]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/Firestarter_%282022%29_poster.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2022/firestarter.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70230680

Firestarter - (2022)

There's nothing offensively wrong with this 2022 edition of Firestarter, but it is a film devoid of a soul - the only time it did anything to rouse any kind of feeling from me was when Charlie McGee (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) roasted a poor cat, and we had to wait an interminable amount of time for her to put the poor thing out of it's misery - and she does this by roasting it again, causing it more pain. Actually - strike my first statement - there was that one thing offensively wrong about the film. Other than that, it just went through the motions. I read Stephen King's Firestarter in 1987 - too long ago to remember what's missing here - but this bare bones, tired adaptation is what happens when people methodically make a film they don't care all that much about. It was the wrong film to direct for the promising Keith Thomas - but for some reason he was thinking that this would lead to some kind of Firestarter franchise - so he at least envisioned this being better. It's not the worst film ever made - it's just not good. Another pointless remake. John Carpenter's score was nice though.

4/10


I have thoughts on this one.

What's the point of hiring a diverse cast if you're not going to give them anything to do?

Why pick Zac Efron who works best as an ordinary guy and cast him as an average tough guy (cracks neck)?

Why is the plot reminding me so much of Frozen?

I'd probably give it a 1/10, the worst film from this past year.

[Thief]

SHIP OF FOOLS
(1965, Kramer)

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


"Are you happy?"
"Who is happy?"



Set in 1933, Ship of Fools follows a group of passengers on a ship headed to pre-World War II Germany. The passengers include a "flirty" divorced woman, a young couple that can't stop fighting and making up, a disgraced former baseball player, an opiate addict, a troupe of flamenco musicians and dancers, a dwarf, Nazi sympathizers, Jewish people, and hundreds of poor Spanish workers sent back to their country. Through their interactions, the film addresses themes like classism, racism, xenophobia, regrets, love, infatuation, happiness, and the lack of it.

The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast that includes Vivien Leigh, Oskar Werner, Simone Signoret, Lee Marvin, José Ferrer, and George Segal, among many others. Most of the performances are solid, with Werner probably being my favorite. His role as the ship's medical officer, Dr. Schumann, is the closest that comes to a protagonist and his complex relationship with La Condesa (Signoret) provides a lot of the emotional baggage of the film.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381441#post2381441) and the HOF30 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381442#post2381442).

[cricket]

I knew there was a sequel...but hadn't been able to find it anywhere. Part one shocked me as a teen when I saw it.

Youtube

[PHOENIX74]

I have thoughts on this one.

What's the point of hiring a diverse cast if you're not going to give them anything to do?

Why pick Zac Efron who works best as an ordinary guy and cast him as an average tough guy (cracks neck)?

Why is the plot reminding me so much of Frozen?

I'd probably give it a 1/10, the worst film from this past year.

It was a good way to make a very middling 1980s film actually look great in comparison. I get a sneaking suspicion those franchise plans have been put on permanent hold.

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/59C3QL9n/broker.jpg
By CJENM, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70513420

Broker - (2022)

Familiar themes here with Hirokazu Kore-eda returning to the idea of the ad-hoc, adoptive family - and like in Shoplifters, this one involves some criminality. When mother Moon So-young (Lee Ji-eun) leaves her baby near an 'abandoned baby' box by a church it's picked up and stolen by Ha Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) to sell on the black market. So-Young eventually tracks them down, and the three embark on an adventure, trying to find a home for little Woo-sung. After passing by an orphanage Dong-soo was once a part of, one of the children (Hae-jin, played by Im Seung-soo) stows away in their van. The five suddenly find their unit gels in such a profound and enjoyable way that they feel an urge to stick together as a family unit - but they're being followed by two detectives eager to take them down - not only for trafficking the child but for a crime Moon So-young has committed. The film is full of heartfelt moments, and Hirokazu Kore-eda really knows how to explore the inner yearnings and torment of his characters. There's the pain of abandonment, and the joy of finding a place where everything feels 'right' - and Broker also has it's share of comedy, something Song Kang-ho is particularly adept with. A very warm and satisfying film that explores what family really means, aside from being related by blood.

7.5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Hallelujah_leonard_cohen_a_journey_a_song.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2022/hallelujah_leonard_cohen_a_journey_a_song.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71258067

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song - (2022)

"How the hell is this documentary going to be about one single song, yet last nearly two hours?" is what I thought to myself before starting this. Well, it also serves as a decent biography for Leonard Cohen himself, at least from the mid-60s onwards. Most people were introduced to the song "Hallelujah" when it was covered by another artist, because the album it was originally on was rejected by Columbia Records. Yes - the album, 'Various Positions' never came out in the United States when finished by Cohen - Walter Yetnikoff (President of Columbia Records at the time) turned it down. A fringe label released it later on, and over time artists like Bob Dylan and John Cale covered the song 'Hallelujah' from it, and it really picked up steam after Jeff Buckley did his version. Turns out it really does have quite a history - as does Cohen. Makes for a fascinating documentary.

7/10

[ApexPredator]

It was a good way to make a very middling 1980s film actually look great in comparison. I get a sneaking suspicion those franchise plans have been put on permanent hold.

Only making $15 million on a budget of $12 million will do that to you.:)

[Iroquois]

The Super Mario Bros. Movie - 2

I miss Bob Hoskins

[Torgo]

The Feather Fairy - 4

This is a beautiful and whimsical take on Grimm fairy tale Old Mother Frost. Played by Italian icon Giulietta Masina, and as her name implies, she's in charge of bringing snow to the world. She literally becomes a mother when she rescues a child, Jakub, from an avalanche. He embraces his consequence-free existence in which he doesn’t age at first, but he desires a normal life once he gazes into Mother's all-seeing crystal ball, discovers put-upon farmer's daughter Alzbeta and immediately falls in love. Meanwhile, Alzbeta's scheming family and the much less motherly Old Lady Death have other plans.

While the synth soundtrack places the movie firmly in the mid-'80s, it looks so good that it might as well be a recent release. The swooping, angular cinematography adds to the movie's fantastical atmosphere and makes the Slovakian countryside seem like paradise. As for the special effects, my favorites being the crystal ball and any scene featuring snowfall, they do not come across as dated. Jakub is played by multiple actors, their strong performances effectively marking the passage of time, and his romance with Alzbeta is pure, charming, believable and recalls the one in the much more famous Grimm tale Cinderella. On the flipside, our antagonists, especially Alzbeta's scheming sister Dora (a great Milada Ondrasíková), exemplify the much less pure "virtues" of greed and self-interest.

If my favorite things about this movie and my synopsis are of any indication, the tale it tells resembles Cinderella, but there are enough variations and the movie is so unique stylistically that it does not just amount to "Cinderella Jr." Cinderella wishes it had a travelling circus as cool and funny as the one in this movie, for instance. Again, the soundtrack is on the chintzy side, and some of the moments occurring while Jakub is on trial made me raise an eyebrow. The movie still adds weight to the argument that the '80s were a strong decade for fantasy, so if you think you've seen the best of it, check to see if you've missed this one.

[this_is_the_ girl]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjNhYjVlMDctYmNiOS00Y2EyLTkwYmItOWYzYzkwNGI4NzJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDkzNTM2ODg@._V1_.jpg
The Quiet Earth (1985, Geoff Murphy)
2
I really wanted to like this Kiwi take on the post-apocalyptic "last man on earth" genre. The opening was rather intriguing and had a lot of potential but the rest of the film simply squandered it imo. The ending was just terrible—I mean, I don't mind open endings when done right (in fact, I love them) but here it felt more like a cop-out, and a poor one at that. I also thought the film took a nosedive with the introduction of the other characters.. it was probably supposed to draw a symbolic parallel to the Adam and Eve story but it didn't quite work for me.

[Stirchley]

92307

Good movie, but too long. Two many storylines too. The Spanish Civil War, maternity, lesbianism, dna testing, war graves, etc. Seemed like two movies.

One very strange thing: two female babies are mistakenly switched at the hospital. When the “parallel mothers” discover this nobody calls the hospital to inform them of their grievous mistake. Here in America this would be cause for a major medical malpractice lawsuit.

[Fabulous]

Foxy Brown (1974)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/fBbaoVkZjzmF3Rea40xz87qwwf3.jpg

[Tugg]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Beavis_and_Butt-head_2022_film_poster.jpg
By https://www.vitalthrills.com/beavis-and-butt-head-do-the-universe/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70932665

Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - (2022)

I think I'm under-rating Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - it's actually the first thing related to Beavis and Butt-Head I've ever watched, and I had to acclimatize to the very specific way it works. Was it funny? Yeah - it was, and even thinking back to some of the bits I smile. The two characters are a strange duo to watch - absolute morons, and immature to boot, but it's the specific way the world reacts to them that makes everything so funny. I felt "oh - that was okay" after watching it, but it's stuck with me and I'll definitely be watching more (starting with the first feature) and I'll probably be back to see this again one day.

6/10

This JAY KOOL (https://m.youtube.com/@JAYKOOL380/videos) guy has many funny Beavis and Butt-Head videos.

[ScarletLion]

92307

Good movie, but too long. Two many storylines too. The Spanish Civil War, maternity, lesbianism, dna testing, war graves, etc. Seemed like two movies.

One very strange thing: two female babies are mistakenly switched at the hospital. When the “parallel mothers” discover this nobody calls the hospital to inform them of their grievous mistake. Here in America this would be cause for a major medical malpractice lawsuit.

I thought it was amazing. The ending is so poignant. It's not a true to life narrative. Not everything that happens in the film happens if you know what I mean. The symbolism is much more important than any consistency issues or reality base.

[Gideon58]

92307

Good movie, but too long. Two many storylines too. The Spanish Civil War, maternity, lesbianism, dna testing, war graves, etc. Seemed like two movies.

One very strange thing: two female babies are mistakenly switched at the hospital. When the “parallel mothers” discover this nobody calls the hospital to inform them of their grievous mistake. Here in America this would be cause for a major medical malpractice lawsuit.

Switched babies at a hospital has been a staple of daytime television forever.

[Stirchley]

I thought it was amazing. The ending is so poignant. It's not a true to life narrative. Not everything that happens in the film happens if you know what I mean. The symbolism is much more important than any consistency issues or reality base.

No, I don’t know what you mean.

Switched babies at a hospital has been a staple of daytime television forever.

Never ever watched daytime tv.

[Thief]

TIMECRIMES
(2007, Vigalondo)

https://i.imgur.com/ogCrIE3.jpg


"No matter what you hear, don't come out. Don't interfere."



Some SPOILERS might follow

Timecrimes takes that premise and brings it down into more personal stakes. The film follows Héctor (Karra Elejalde), a man who unknowingly walks into a time machine that takes him an hour into the past. This puts him in a time loop where he is attacked by a masked man, forcing him to protect his wife from him or others.

It is impossible to talk about this film without spoiling it in some way, so I won't try. I appreciate how economical the film is in how it handles its premise. With a low budget, and a cast of only four people, the script is clever enough to keep the focus, not necessarily in the sci-fi/time travel aspect, but rather in the choices this man makes as he explores this new reality. Like I said above, the stakes are not "world destruction", but rather to protect his wife at all costs.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381578#post2381578)

[ScarletLion]

No, I don’t know what you mean.



Well, you know the ending.......do you think they really did that? And that happened as a linear drama film?

[chawhee]

The Wrong Missy (2020)
https://themornitor.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/the-wrong-missy.jpg
2
Typical Happy Madison movie anymore. Little originality, a few cheap jokes here and there that make you chuckle, and lots of over the top stupidity.

[Darth Pazuzu]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/80/The_Blob_%281958%29_theatrical_poster.jpg/220px-The_Blob_%281958%29_theatrical_poster.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81GFgJa8UAL._AC_UY218_.jpg

THE BLOB
directed by: Irvin S. Yeaworth, Jr.
screenplay by: Kay Linaker and Theodore Simonson / based on a story by Irving H. Millgate
starring: Steve McQueen, Aneta Corseaut, Earl Rowe, Olin Howland, Stephen Chase

Well, here's a really fun blast from my past! I just purchased the Criterion Collection Blu-ray edition of this low-budget sci-fi/horror classic which introduced Steve McQueen to the moviegoing public at large. I remember my parents having recorded this one from TV on a VHS cassette, which I would watch frequently. And watching the Blu-ray last night, everything pretty much came flooding back to me and I started to remember all the great lines of dialogue and everything. Although made for very little money, the primitive FX work is admittedly pretty cool just because it's so primitve, with that raspberry-colored ooze just pouring through the windows and under the doors of what are actually models. Incredibly simple, but very effective, and I think it still holds up.

In 1988, this movie was remade by director Chuck Russell, in a film which stars Kevin Dillon playing a slightly more juvenile delinquent version of the Steve McQueen role. (In a way, Kevin was sort of taking up the sort of role that his older, more famous brother Matt had previously played in movies like 1979's Over the Edge and 1983's The Outsiders and Rumble Fish, but had kind of left behind at that point.) That movie was the third in a kind of informal trilogy of '80s remakes of '50s horror classics, the other two being John Carpenter's classic 1982 remake of the Howard Hawks production of The Thing from 1951 and David Cronenberg's brilliant 1986 re-working of the 1958 The Fly. Unlike those other two remakes, I don't necessarily think that Chuck Russell's The Blob quite surpasses Irvin Yeaworth's original, even though it's a decent film in its own right, with more gruesome FX which allows you to actually see the title creature's digestive process at work. (Yum, yum!)

Overall, I'd have to rate the original The Blob a 4/5. (And for the record, I think the '88 remake is also a 4/5, but only the minutest smidgen behind the '58 classic.)

[matt72582]

Taste of Cherry - 9/10
Second or third viewing. Highly recommend this unique movie.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/Tasteofcherryposter.jpg

[Darth Pazuzu]

THREE OTHER RECENT VIEWING EXPERIENCES (PART ONE)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d1/Caligulaposter.jpg/220px-Caligulaposter.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vIpbO9azL._AC_UY218_.jpg

CALIGULA (1979)
directed by: Tinto Brass
screenplay by: Gore Vidal (original)
starring: Malcolm McDowell, Teresa Ann Savoy, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud

In the immortal words of one of its star's earlier iconic characters: "Welly welly welly welly welly welly well!" At this point in time, what is there to be said for this infamously excessive and fluid-swamped trainwreck of a Roman epic, as well as its history of dysfunction and strife among the creative talents involved? Perhaps nothing. Perhaps a great deal more. In any case, this is definitely one of those movies which more mature and hardy viewers absolutely need to watch at least once in their lifetime... if only for the bragging rights! (And ownership of the Imperal Edition Blu-ray is a nice little plus as well.)

Quite honestly, I'm not particularly a fan of porn, so I'm not particularly big on the full 156-minute Uncensored Version, which has all of producer (and that title's being generous) Bob Guccione's hardcore reshoot footage. I found it all just a mite crass and clinical, to tell you the truth. I prefer the more softcore 152-minute Alternative Version, which is much closer to how Tinto Brass originally envisioned the film (although still not really qualifying as a "director's cut"). Granted, you still get quite a bit of full frontal in the orgy scenes, but not the acts of penetration.

So ultimately, the question is: Do I like or dislike Caligula? I must confess, I definitely lean more towards "like," in spite of this film's many flaws in terms of writing and directing (Gore Vidal's original screenplay having been subjected to the more anarchic temperament of Tinto Brass, who was in his turn overriden by the dictates (heh-heh-heh) of producer Bob Guccione). What's the ultimate saving grace of the film, one may wonder? Well, beyond the admittedly impressive if ostentatiously baroque production design... the British leads, of course! Malcolm McDowell is incredibly charismatic and energetic, throwing himself into the role of the mad and capricious Roman emperor with gusto, making Caligula into something of an ancestor of A Clockwork Orange's Alex DeLarge. (God help me, I find the scene of him giving his "wedding present" to the unfortunate Livia and Proculus to be utterly hysterical. Either McDowell's just that good or I just have a seriously warped sense of humor.) John Gielgud, in his brief role as Nerva, provides some much-needed gravitas as well as a genuinely moving death scene. Teresa Ann Savoy as Caligula's sister Drusilla and especially the young Helen Mirren as his wife Caesonia are also wonderful, somehow managing to maintain a dignity and humanity amongst the decadence. And Peter O'Toole (who didn't get along with Brass or Guccione, having been a friend and ally of Vidal's) is scary good as Caligula's uncle, the mad Emperor Tiberius. O'Toole's ravaged and blistered visage effectively sums up in a nutshell and personifies the film's voluptuously diseased vision of a decaying imperial Rome.

So, do I recommend it? Well... yeah, I guess so. But be forewarned, my little droogies, this is strong stuff! I'll be generous and give it a 3/5 Others might be less generous and give it either a 2, a 1, or even a 0. But I happen to have a sense of humor and a strong stomach, so it's kind of a guilty pleasure for me. (Objectively, my head says 2.5/5, but my heart - or perhaps something a little darker - is telling me 3/5.)

[Darth Pazuzu]

TWO OTHER RECENT VIEWING EXPERIENCES;

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c5/Stuntmanposter.jpg/220px-Stuntmanposter.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Vbqy1+bnL._AC_UY218_.jpg

THE STUNT MAN (1980)
directed by: Richard Rush
screenplay by: Lawrence B. Marcus and Richard Rush / based on the novel by Paul Brodeur
starring: Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback, Barbara Hershey, Allen Goorwitz, Chuck Bail

More Peter O'Toole! And this film's a real beauty, a brilliantly witty existentialist slam-bang action extravaganza. Almost two decades before the Wachowskis gave us a choice between the red pill and the blue pill, we've got a wonderfully distorted layering of reality and fantasy, with O'Toole as an eccentric movie auteur offering Vietnam war veteran and fugitive from justice Steve Railsback a sanctuary as the stunt man in his work-in-progress World War I epic. Definitely a 5/5 for me, easily!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ea/Last_Night_in_Soho_%282021%29_poster.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71QJ6ew1P7L._AC_UY218_.jpg

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO (2021)
directed by: Edgar Wright
written by: Edgar Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
starring: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp

I've seriously gotten into the work of Edgar Wright as of late, having only just recently become a die-hard fan of his "Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy" (Shaun of the Dead / Hot Fuzz / The World's End). This one's a nice change of pace, but still containing a large dose of Wright's good-humored sense of the macabre. This time-warped gothic tale of Thomasin McKenzie's aspiring fashion designer and her supernatural / telepathic identification with Anya Taylor-Joy's aspiring '60s nightclub singer has a very strong Italian influence (shades of Bava and Argento, particularly on the visual side of things). It's also a rather harrowing tale of the dark underside of London's Soho district, possessing a new emotional depth which might come as a surprise to admirers of the gonzo irreverence of Wright's earlier work. Another 5/5 for me...

[Gideon58]

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/Athena-689172852-large.jpg


2.5

[Thief]

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
(2017, McDonagh)

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


"There are just some cases, where you never catch a break. Then 5 years down the line, some guy hears some other guy braggin' about it in a barroom or a jail cell. The whole thing is wrapped up through sheer stupidity."



Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri follows the efforts of Mildred to spark Willoughby and the local police into action in order to bring justice, but also for her to have some sort of closure. Her strategy is to rent three billboards on an isolated road in town asking the sheriff for results. Unfortunately, this puts her at odds not only with many supporters of the sheriff, but especially with Dixon (Sam Rockwell), a loyal but racist deputy that's determined to stop Mildred.

This was the second McDonagh film I saw in the month. It's interesting to see the parallels in terms of tone as the writer and director skillfully juggles both tragedy and comedy. It kinda reminds me of Bong Joon-ho, who does so in the middle of serious dramatic films about murder, serial killers, or classism. McDonagh's script is clever enough to weave in and out of these tragic situations with effective humor, but without losing the dramatic weight of what has happened or what will happen.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381645#post2381645)

[PHOENIX74]

THREE OTHER RECENT VIEWING EXPERIENCES (PART ONE)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d1/Caligulaposter.jpg/220px-Caligulaposter.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vIpbO9azL._AC_UY218_.jpg

CALIGULA (1979)
directed by: Tinto Brass
screenplay by: Gore Vidal (original)
starring: Malcolm McDowell, Teresa Ann Savoy, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud


You might be interested to know that Caligula is being re-edited, and virtually recreated by Dave McKean from mountains of footage (90 hours) with not one single shot we see in the 1979 version. I'm excited to see what this new version looks like, and how cohesive it is. I was always a little disappointed with how this movie came out. I'm a huge fan of how John Hurt played Caligula in I Claudius - he was the best mad emperor if you ask me.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d4/Marcel_the_Shell_with_Shoes_On_%282021_film%29.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2022/marcel_the_shell_with_shoes_on.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70470659

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On - (2021)

Finally, this had a streaming release in Australia and I got to see Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (I must get that VPN.) Marcel's cuteness translates well to feature length - Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate give the little shell a quest and endearing relationships with his grandmother Connie and Dean, who is ostensibly filming a documentary about the little talking thing. I liked how it never felt the film was just spinning it's wheels, with scenes including a drive around which makes Marcel appreciate how big the world really is (he's searching for his lost family) and how awful it feels when fame brings a multitude of privacy-destroying interlopers that never ends and threatens the peace these characters have. The stop-motion is really nice, and Slate's voice work especially well done. Dean's quite genuine laughter at some of the things Marcel says adds another layer of heart.

7.5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2a/Fall_%282022_film%29.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Lionsgate Films., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71494057

Fall - (2022)

Sweaty palms time. I remember the first time I went up in a plane - I was just scared enough to be really uncomfortable, but my main phobia is spiders. Heights just make me nervous, and I think that people who climb sheer cliffs with their bare hands are quite crazy. In this film, to aid in getting past grief, climber Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) is persuaded by friend Hunter (Virginia Gardner) to climb a 2000-foot tall radio mast with her. When the ladder leading to the upper reaches collapses, the two are stuck at the very top with no way to get down. Their bag with water, and a drone rests on a radio dish around 50 feet below them - and their phones have no signal, of course. They must figure out how to survive, and how to get word out of their predicament. A very well done suspense/survival thriller which had me on the edge of my seat - it's gripping, and very tense. A lot of fun.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f4/Tea_with_Mussolini_film.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/1999/tea_with_mussolini_ver2.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2682329

Tea With Mussolini - (1999)

Letterboxd : "Fine filmmaking, acting and views of Florence along with the wonderful San Gimignano can't disguise the fact that I was not Tea With Mussolini's audience. For those who like light dramas."

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6c/My_sisters_keeper_poster.jpg
By Impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22898972

My Sister's Keeper - (2009)

One positive I take from My Sister's Keeper is Abigail Breslin's performance, which is great. The rest is a mixed bag really - based on a novel by Jodi Picoult, the movie should have stuck more with the interesting case of a sister created to be a donor to the one with acute promyelocytic leukemia, and her legal battle to have control over her body. It's a messed up situation, ethically and morally - with no clear winner. You want to help your sister - but being forced to donate parts of your body feels like a gross intrusion, especially if that sister is going to die regardless. The film leaves this topic for long stretches though, and becomes a regular 'kid with cancer' drama. Not only that, but it radically changes the ending to Picoult's book, which annoyed her. There's nothing really interesting or unique about the way it's been made, but the drama, acting and overall presentation is decent enough.

6/10

[LChimp]

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/pD4QpqWjsC4LrfB5BkNAFLPajxv.jpg

Yep, still good. There are a few hiccups here and there, but still very enjoyable.

[algold]

I watched Lou on Netflix last night. It wasn't anything too special but I didn't regret the 1.5 hours invested in it. 6/10

[Thief]

OKJA
(2017, Bong)

https://i.imgur.com/Cs7vsCb.jpg


"Shoulder blade! Loin! Spare rib! Hock! Got it? This is what will happen to her. This is Okja's fate!"



The film follows the titular "super-pig", one of many that was genetically modified and bred with one goal in mind: to become shoulder blade, loin, spare rib, hock! That is Okja's fate, according to Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) and the people at Mirando Corporation. But Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun), the young girl that has been taking care of Okja for ten years, sees beyond the superficial purpose of her "super-pig".

Like most of Bong's films, Okja walks a fine line between drama and humor. Most of the characters are larger-than-life caricatures, sometimes in both ends of the spectrum. From the emotionally detached corporate executives to the emotionally invested environmentalists. Most of these, work pretty well within the film. However, I think Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as a wacky zoologist and TV host was a bit too far. It's maybe the only character that felt out of place for me.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381697#post2381697)

[Thief]

DO THE RIGHT THING
(1989, Lee)

https://i.imgur.com/8yi1nlU.jpg


"Let me tell you the story of Right Hand, Left Hand. It's a tale of good and evil. Hate: it was with this hand that Cain iced his brother. Love: these five fingers, they go straight to the soul of man. The right hand: the hand of love. The story of life is this: static. One hand is always fighting the other hand, and the left hand is kicking much ass."



Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing gives us a microcosm of that in one little street. Set during a hot summer day in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, the film is mostly focused on the interactions of Mookie (Lee), a pizza delivery boy, with the residents of this street personifying that microcosm. We have the Italian-owned pizzeria and the Korean-owned convenience store anchored in a predominantly black neighborhood, with some Puerto Ricans sprinkled around.

This is the second time I see this film, with the first time being probably more than 20-25 years ago. Needless to say, my appreciation and perception of the film now was way deeper than it was back then, when I was 17 or 18 years old. It is amazing the way that Lee challenges the audience through a carefully crafted script that is not designed for us to root for anyone, but rather to show us the way things are, and maybe make us wonder what can we do for things to change.

Grade: 4.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381708#post2381708)

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNWI3ZjczNmEtZGI2Yy00ODUxLWI4N2UtZjUwNzAwZjVjY2RhL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjI4MjA5MzA@._V1 _.jpg


3.5

[Fabulous]

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/tMlLu6JOV2qmDfufbqSHIRVqzfG.jpg

[chawhee]

Super Mario Bros (2023)
https://thestreamable.com/media/pages/news/is-new-super-mario-bros-movie-streaming-now-when-will-it-come-to-peacock-netflix/87cfeab667-1680621671/super-mario-bros-960x540-crop.jpg
3.5
If it weren't for the nostalgia, I would probably have this a little lower. As it stands, its pretty funny and enjoyable, but it feels a small step below what it could have been in terms of storyline.

[GulfportDoc]

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
(2022, Daniels)
...

I commend the Daniels for staying true to their quirky ideas, but to be honest, I think that the emotional weight of the film was sometimes drowned by all the things that they throw at the audience screaming for our attention. Now that they won every single Oscar, I suppose they'll swing even harder, but I think a bit of restraint wouldn't have been a bad thing here. Even though I was never fully there, I cherished those specks of time where something, anything, made any sense for me.

Grade: rating_3_5

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381397#post2381397)
Even taking into account the W/SJ/PC proclivities of the Academy, I was shocked when this flick won for Best Picture, let along all the awards it did win.

The viewer would benefit from having 6-8 cups of strong coffee, or perhaps some amphetamines to follow along with what would be stretching it to call a story. Half the time the picture was incoherent.

I suppose it did play into the fast switching, short attention span, scramble-headed nature of some of today's youth. But I think technical awards would have been enough for this film. Evidently this year Asians were "in".

[GulfportDoc]

THE BLOB
directed by: Irvin S. Yeaworth, Jr.
screenplay by: Kay Linaker and Theodore Simonson / based on a story by Irving H. Millgate
starring: Steve McQueen, Aneta Corseaut, Earl Rowe, Olin Howland, Stephen Chase

Well, here's a really fun blast from my past! I just purchased the Criterion Collection Blu-ray edition of this low-budget sci-fi/horror classic which introduced Steve McQueen to the moviegoing public at large. I remember my parents having recorded this one from TV on a VHS cassette, which I would watch frequently. And watching the Blu-ray last night, everything pretty much came flooding back to me and I started to remember all the great lines of dialogue and everything. Although made for very little money, the primitive FX work is admittedly pretty cool just because it's so primitve, with that raspberry-colored ooze just pouring through the windows and under the doors of what are actually models. Incredibly simple, but very effective, and I think it still holds up.

In 1988, this movie was remade by director Chuck Russell, in a film which stars Kevin Dillon playing a slightly more juvenile delinquent version of the Steve McQueen role. (In a way, Kevin was sort of taking up the sort of role that his older, more famous brother Matt had previously played in movies like 1979's Over the Edge and 1983's The Outsiders and Rumble Fish, but had kind of left behind at that point.) That movie was the third in a kind of informal trilogy of '80s remakes of '50s horror classics, the other two being John Carpenter's classic 1982 remake of the Howard Hawks production of The Thing from 1951 and David Cronenberg's brilliant 1986 re-working of the 1958 The Fly. Unlike those other two remakes, I don't necessarily think that Chuck Russell's The Blob quite surpasses Irvin Yeaworth's original, even though it's a decent film in its own right, with more gruesome FX which allows you to actually see the title creature's digestive process at work. (Yum, yum!)

Overall, I'd have to rate the original The Blob a 4/5. (And for the record, I think the '88 remake is also a 4/5, but only the minutest smidgen behind the '58 classic.)
I agree completely. We saw it in the theater when it came out in '58, and were genuinely scared. We couldn't figure out HOW that ooze could ever be stopped.

McQueen was great in the film. You could see how he would become a top actor.

As you say, along with Them! and The Thing From Another World, The Blob was right up there as one of the very best done "monster" movies of the 1950s.

[GulfportDoc]

...

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri follows the efforts of Mildred to spark Willoughby and the local police into action in order to bring justice, but also for her to have some sort of closure. Her strategy is to rent three billboards on an isolated road in town asking the sheriff for results. Unfortunately, this puts her at odds not only with many supporters of the sheriff, but especially with Dixon (Sam Rockwell), a loyal but racist deputy that's determined to stop Mildred.

This was the second McDonagh film I saw in the month. It's interesting to see the parallels in terms of tone as the writer and director skillfully juggles both tragedy and comedy. It kinda reminds me of Bong Joon-ho, who does so in the middle of serious dramatic films about murder, serial killers, or classism. McDonagh's script is clever enough to weave in and out of these tragic situations with effective humor, but without losing the dramatic weight of what has happened or what will happen.

Grade: rating_4

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2381645#post2381645)
To my taste, I was surprised that this picture got so much love. I'm wondering if it's because McDormand was at the time the unofficial Queen of Hollywood?..:)

Here is my commentary from 2018, if I've URL'd it right...
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=52674&highlight=BILLBOARDS+EBBING%2C+MISSOURI

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/All_the_Beauty_and_the_Bloodshed_2022_film_poster.png
By https://neonrated.com/films/allthebeauty, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72088798

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed - (2022)

Documentary which follows two subjects - the life and career of photographer and activist Nan Goldin, and the campaign by a group called P.A.I.N. to draw attention to and educate people about the opioid crisis. P.A.I.N. also focuses on the Sadler family, who grew rich while promoting the likes of OxyContin, which their family developed. Lies were told in the initial stages of bringing the drug to market, and people were told that they weren't addictive. Goldin herself is especially hopeful that the Sadler name will be stricken from the various galleries and museums which feature it. I hear about the opioid crisis, but I didn't know much about it until seeing this, and had never heard of Goldin before - so it did what a good documentary will do and educated me. It's a lengthy documentary, but there's a good selection of music and Goldin's photography work is used to great effect.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/EvilDead2013Poster.jpg
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37698622

Evil Dead - (2013)

During the absolute deluge of horror remakes we endured during this time, Evil Dead was one of the few that wasn't absolutely terrible and immediately forgotten by me. The Evil Dead (1981) is one of my all-time favourite films, so this one was always set to disappoint, but despite not being as good as the original, it's turned out to be a film I've watched numerous times. One of the best horror entries of the 2010s. There's a misstep here and there, and the ending is a little anti-climactic, but it at least tries to match the original's anarchy and no-holds-barred over-the-top sensibilities. It has a pretty good score and cinematography, and kind of stands alone and forges it's own path - I respect that. Heroine Mia (Jane Levy) is fighting drug addiction and has a problematic relationship with brother David (Shiloh Fernandez), which also gives the film thematic weight. Doing that to an Evil Dead movie could have had me rolling my eyes, but it's done well enough to actually add to the film. After all this time, I still really like Evil Dead.

7.5/10

[SpelingError]

Secret Beyond the Door (1947) - 3.5

The mysterious elements of Mark, the possibilities of what his motives were, and the implications of his past were what resonated with me the most. And what's a better way of building tension for those elements than the macabre design of Mark's house? Whether you're referring to the decorative skulls, the various rooms which replicate notorious murders throughout history, or the mysterious room he keeps locked, his disquieting interest in death seems to exist all throughout it, and this motif does all the necessary legwork at building tension. While watching this film, I considered giving it an average rating, but by the time I finished it, I somewhat warmed up to it and a lot of this is owed to how well Lang maintains an atmosphere of dread. This helped me to (partly) overlook the film's similarities to Rebecca (I've also seen some people reference Spellbound, but I haven't watched it yet) and enjoy it for what it was. Its ending, aside from the aforementioned pastiche elements being the most glaringly noticeable throughout it, could also be criticized as being too pat, but though the final scene could've used some more breathing room, I found it more oblique than some others have presented due to the revelations about Mark in the penultimate scene and the uncertainty of the closing lines. In spite of all the craft, the film didn't get its hooks in me fully until the drama moved to Mark's estate, which isn't necessarily a bad thing per se. The unnerving swells of the soundtrack during the first act, however, didn't match up with what was being presented onscreen, as if the film was pretending to be more atmospheric than it actually was. Fortunately, the subtle air of suspense is enough to make up for these flaws and, though I'd rank it in the lower tier of what I've currently seen from Lang, it's still pretty good.

[Iroquois]

Bullet Train - 0.5

Starting to think David Leitch might be one of the worst directors working today.

[Mr Minio]

I commend the Daniels for staying true to their quirky ideas, but to be honest, I think that the emotional weight of the film was sometimes drowned by all the things that they throw at the audience screaming for our attention. Not sometimes, but always, utterly, disastrously drowned.
Now that they won every single Oscar, I suppose they'll swing even harder, but I think a bit of restraint wouldn't have been a bad thing here. They're clearly the the-more-the-better kinda directors, which is not bad in itself but can turn sour really fast if you aren't super talented at making entertainment. And I don't see any talent there.

[Stirchley]

To my taste, I was surprised that this picture got so much love. I'm wondering if it's because McDormand was at the time the unofficial Queen of Hollywood?..:)

Here is my commentary from 2018, if I've URL'd it right...
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=52674&highlight=BILLBOARDS+EBBING%2C+MISSOURI

I bailed out the first time around. Returned to it this year & I enjoyed it very much.

[Stirchley]

92318

A bit of a hot mess though the lead actress was very good. Strange weird movie.

One annoying thing (which I haven’t encountered before) is that the English translation on the screen was about a nanosecond behind the spoken French words. So someone in the movie would speak, but nothing immediately appears on the screen. Never realized how much we depend on simultaneous translation until we don’t have it.


92319

Pleasantly surprised by how good this story is about a somewhat dysfunctional couple riding out the coronavirus pandemic in England. Only two actors + a few minor scenes with a child. Filmed in 10 days with a limited number of cuts.

[Fabulous]

Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/6N61qD16XwP4k3y1dW3DcLH9PSU.jpg

[mrblond]

Inside (2023)

Directed by Vasilis Katsoupis
Starring Willem Dafoe

92323

Happy to reach this brand new movie.
What a delight is to watch high level cinema. A real art film in all dimensions.
Unique, well designed and toned one-man show, a memorable work of this new decade.
4.5 (87/100)

[SpelingError]

Louisiana Story (1948) - 3

The opening scenes paint an idyllic picture of nature as well as the relationship it shares with people. With vegetation reflected off the surfaces of ponds, animals roaming about, and the sounds of nature in the background, the bayou feels like a slice of heaven. Even the people who occupy this land don't disrupt the environment since they appear to be one with nature. This is until we're introduced to the threat of industrialization. It starts with the boy (he's referred to as Alexander in the opening, but he's credited as "The Boy" in the film) being knocked into the water due to the wake of a motorboat. We then see an oil tower poking through some trees in the background. The interference of industrialization keeps spiraling until we're introduced to an oil well. With smog being released from its exhaust pipes and the sounds of its machinery being audible throughout much of the bayou, it seems out of place and sacrilegious.

The more one watches the film though, it becomes readily apparent that we're watching a glorification of the oil industry since the film refuses to properly acknowledge the problems it causes to the bayou. You're clearly asked to support the oil well, but given the glaring issues it causes (in addition to the real-world negative effects oil drilling has on the environment), this puts the film at odds with itself. Coming mainly from the perspectives of the working man and those impacted by the oil well, the potential for a great critique on industrialization is there, but we're instead left with an incongruity between the depiction and the endorsement of the industry. Flaherty was commissioned by Standard Oil to make the film though, so it's no surprise that it's propaganda.

The best parts of the film concern the boy's trials within the bayou. As idyllically shot as the bayou is, we're constantly reminded of the danger some of the wildlife poses, specifically in regards to an alligator which recurs throughout the film. Its scenes are memorable, with the standout being a middle scene where the boy attempts to catch it. That scene is tense, but Flaherty was undoubtedly a madman when shooting it. Boudreaux's and the alligator's scenes weren't recorded separately or anything. Rather, they were in fairly close proximity to each other, thus putting Boudreaux in actual danger when that scene was shot. As a result, the suspense in that sequence concerns worrying about real-life harm coming to the actor. To be clear, I don't approve of this as it's clearly child endangerment, but on a gut level, it made for a certain kind of thrill which left a visceral impact on me.

Overall, it's fairly interesting and I enjoyed it in some respects, but the propagandistic elements made it feel like a missed opportunity.

[Jean]

First entry...

I admire reviewers who can write greatly and extensively. Me, I feel a nobody who tries to make a short blurb (which already takes me too long), more a mix of "notes to self" and some hints I hope can be useful to someone. I try to rate "the pro way" — my actual first reaction or gut feeling rating tends to be higher; maybe 1 point on average.

Kalinka (Au Nom de Ma Fille) (2016) [FR] [Vincent Garenq] 1h27

"Based on the story of André Bamberski, who fought to bring his daughter's presumed murderer to justice for 27 years."

Sad and fairly gripping account, thanks to the never-ending efforts of the obsessed father, magnificently played by Daniel Auteuil, schooling other actors how to do a credible emo scene. Also "too credible" is the main supporting cast. Luckily, its 1h20 felt a good deal longer, as I wished it would not end. If you feel the same, there's also a documentary I haven't yet watched: My Daughter's Killer (2022). Writing this blurb, I'm crying again… 7.6/10

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Smoke_%28movie_poster%29.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Miramax., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29313432

Smoke - (1995)

I have a time of day when I put movies on that I think won't matter all that much to me, but sometimes I make a big mistake and discover some gem that I never knew was out there. Smoke is one of those gems - the result of a collaboration between Joy Luck Club director Wayne Wang and writer Paul Auster. It features finely crafted performances from William Hurt, Harvey Keitel, Stockard Channing, Harold Perrineau Jr. and Forest Whitaker. Why didn't I know that this film was out there? It's based on one of Auster's short stories, which was expanded to include the world the story happened in, surrounding a tobacco shop that a certain Auggie Wren (Keitel) presides over - and it grows through the tenuous links between characters living in Brooklyn. Writer Paul Benjamin (Hurt) buys his cigars at the shop, and his life is saved by Tom Cole (Perrineau) who is estranged from father Cyrus (Whitaker) - in the meantime Ruby (Channing), Auggie's eyepatch-wearing girlfriend from 18 years ago, shows up with serious problems to do with a daughter he never knew he had. Friendship develops between all of these characters - but the film's real power is it's final scene, where in a 5 minute monologue Auggie tells Paul about what happened to him one Christmas when he went to return a wallet from a customer who stole from him. The rest of the excellence is in individual scenes which are so clever and full of meaning that they're each worthy of discussion, if anyone was willing to dissect them - and as I said, the great depth all of the actors add to proceedings. Turns out writer and director also received a lot of advice from Robert Altman, who Auster knew. A real surprise. There was a follow-up made and released the same year called Blue in the Face, made in an Altman-esque fashion.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/A_Single_Man.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25089757

A Single Man - (2009)

The only thing I remembered about the first time I saw A Single Man was that I'd liked it a lot, and indeed, this felt like a first viewing all over again. A real tour de force from Colin Firth, and indeed he was nominated for an Oscar as I was supposing before I looked - but I'm surprised that this was the only nomination A Single Man got in 2010 - the year Jeff Bridges won for his performance in Crazy Heart. It's somewhat like a male version of The Hours, with Firth suicidal over the death of his male lover of 16 years - and it's this focus on suicide, death, being gay and grief that gave the film that same feeling. It's a powerful movie in which Firth gives one of his greatest ever acting efforts. He'd win an Oscar the very next year for his role in The King's Speech.

8/10

[matt72582]

Kings Row - 7/10
Freudian movie. Mental illness, breakdown, roots, understanding one's own mind, being able to handle life, etc.. Pretty daring situations for 1942. President Ronald Reagan is in it, and I'm retroactively engaged, seeing him before he knew he'd be President. It was just on TCM, so it's probably still available.



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/83/Kingsrow_movieposter.jpg

[LChimp]

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/9Ts7Vc4wLlpI9oox9mkVUE1tBHy.jpg

Nice movie, I wish there was more Octavia Spencer, she's awesome

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Smoke_%28movie_poster%29.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Miramax., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29313432

A Single Man - (2009)

The only thing I remembered about the first time I saw A Single Man was that I'd liked it a lot, and indeed, this felt like a first viewing all over again. A real tour de force from Colin Firth, and indeed he was nominated for an Oscar as I was supposing before I looked - but I'm surprised that this was the only nomination A Single Man got in 2010 - the year Jeff Bridges won for his performance in Crazy Heart. It's somewhat like a male version of The Hours, with Firth suicidal over the death of his male lover of 16 years - and it's this focus on suicide, death, being gay and grief that gave the film that same feeling. It's a powerful movie in which Firth gives one of his greatest ever acting efforts. He'd win an Oscar the very next year for his role in The King's Speech.

8/10

Loved this movie..Firth and Moore were both fantastic

[GulfportDoc]

Secret Beyond the Door (1947) - rating_3_5

The mysterious elements of Mark, the possibilities of what his motives were, and the implications of his past were what resonated with me the most. And what's a better way of building tension for those elements than the macabre design of Mark's house? Whether you're referring to the decorative skulls, the various rooms which replicate notorious murders throughout history, or the mysterious room he keeps locked, his disquieting interest in death seems to exist all throughout it, and this motif does all the necessary legwork at building tension. While watching this film, I considered giving it an average rating, but by the time I finished it, I somewhat warmed up to it and a lot of this is owed to how well Lang maintains an atmosphere of dread. This helped me to (partly) overlook the film's similarities to Rebecca (I've also seen some people reference Spellbound, but I haven't watched it yet) and enjoy it for what it was. Its ending, aside from the aforementioned pastiche elements being the most glaringly noticeable throughout it, could also be criticized as being too pat, but though the final scene could've used some more breathing room, I found it more oblique than some others have presented due to the revelations about Mark in the penultimate scene and the uncertainty of the closing lines. In spite of all the craft, the film didn't get its hooks in me fully until the drama moved to Mark's estate, which isn't necessarily a bad thing per se. The unnerving swells of the soundtrack during the first act, however, didn't match up with what was being presented onscreen, as if the film was pretending to be more atmospheric than it actually was. Fortunately, the subtle air of suspense is enough to make up for these flaws and, though I'd rank it in the lower tier of what I've currently seen from Lang, it's still pretty good.
Nice commentary. Although advertised in modern times as a noir, I think it's more of a suspense/horror picture. A good film though-- a little like Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder, or even Rebecca.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODAwZDQ5ZjEtZDI1My00MTFiLTg0ZjUtOGE2YTBkOTdjODFhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODE5NzE3OTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg



3

[Thief]

IKIRU
(1952, Kurosawa)

https://i.imgur.com/L9bab2z.jpg


"We only realize how beautiful life is when we face death. And even then, few of us realize it. The worst among us know nothing of life until they die."



Ikiru follows Kanji Watanabe (Takashi Shimura), a man that is stuck in that cycle. After 30 years working a monotonous, bureaucratic job, he gets diagnosed with cancer, which prompts him to start making some changes in his life. He goes from a night of drinking with a novelist he meets at a bar, to spending whole days with a former co-worker half his age because he says he's "jealous" of her energy.

This is the first non-period film from Kurosawa that I see and you can notice a bit of a shift to a more "personal" approach to his direction, especially when compared to epics like Ran or Seven Samurai. There are a lot of close-ups, especially of Watanabe's face, where you can literally see his despair and anguish as he tries to figure out what to do with what's left of his life. His exchanges with the novelist (Yūnosuke Itō) and the female co-worker (Miki Odagiri) are two effective ways in which the film anchors the first two acts of the film.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382008#post2382008)

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/44/Kick-Ass_2_International_Poster.jpg
By Universal Pictures - https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/kick-ass-2-2013/photos/kick-ass-2-movie-stills-slideshow/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39720591

Kick-Ass 2 - (2013)

As reviews rolled in for Kick-Ass 2 after it's release, I decided I didn't really need to see it - people hated this movie, and after one of it's own stars blasted it I decided I had better things to do with my time and other movies to watch. I was always going to get around to it though, to see for myself. I didn't hate Kick-Ass 2 like most people did - parts of it were a lot of fun, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse brings as much energy and humour to his role as he did in the first film. I also liked how it explored a similar kind of theme that Nolan's Batman films did - that super heroes breed super villains to match them - almost like the universe keeping everything balanced. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, in the lead role, lacks a little charisma, and the film isn't as funny as the first one (by a long shot) - but aside from those two glaring deficiencies, I was entertained and as such can't complain. It's inferior to the original, but at the same time not as godawful as some people make it out to be - a reaction due to the fact that they absolutely loved the first film and this one couldn't match it.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/39/A_Star_is_Born.png
By CineMaterial, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57620360

A Star is Born - (2018)

Although I still rate the 1954 version as the best, the music in this film and the performances to match gave it enough credibility to be viewed as deserving of some respect. I have to admit that Lady Gaga is full of surprises - something I first noticed in the Hotel season of American Horror Story. I didn't immediately gravitate towards this film, but I was bound to come across it eventually and enjoyed my first viewing much more than I thought I would. It holds up on a second.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/Bad_Boys_for_Life_poster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMPawards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61946279

Bad Boys for Life - (2020)

Remakes in this contemporary era of movie-making are mostly all awful, but some sequels that trade on nostalgia, such as Top Gun : Maverick, have done quite well for themselves. It was with that in mind that I hoped this third iteration of the Bad Boys film series would outdo it's predecessor - the explosion-laden Bad Boys II. It didn't. Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah along with a bevy of screenwriters depend on action staples that are tired and worn out, and moments of levity are spaced out to the point where it was lacking in this department as well. You can see plot twists coming from the very start of the film, and overall this Bad Boys is kind of bad - doing just enough to not be a complete turkey, but offering nothing to distinguish it from the pack. Martin Lawrence is really funny though - and I'd have preferred two hours of his comic relief.

5/10

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/21/Operation_Fortune.jpg/220px-Operation_Fortune.jpg

3

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

[Fabulous]

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/dsrHhe5Ljve2WKwDUHJPIfyG3f1.jpg

[cricket]

Beasts of No Nation (2015)

3.5

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/12/09/arts/belowtheline-fukunaga3/belowtheline-fukunaga3-superJumbo.jpg

This is a very well made film with fine performances. It's a powerful look at some of the atrocities and disregard for human life that happens in parts of the world every day. This particular story focuses on a fictional civil war and a basically orphaned boy who is forced to take up arms and join a crew to survive. It looked like it was headed in a stereotypical direction, with the commander taking the boy under his wing, but then the boy is the victim of the ultimate betrayal. This added layer made the film a bit uneven for me but there's still plenty to appreciate here.

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjUyNTA3MTAyM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTEyMTkyMjE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg

Not really for me. Same with the Hunger Games movies.

[Fabulous]

Boys' Night Out (1962)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/4HfyCj3YSv0Wkst1CfUlKnGbfHB.jpg

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a8/Chupa_movie_poster.jpg/220px-Chupa_movie_poster.jpg

2.5

SF = Z


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

[Thief]

SCREAM
(2022, Bettinelli-Olpin & Gillett)

https://i.imgur.com/R198drg.jpg


"You can't just do a straight sequel, either. You need to build something new. But not too new or the Internet goes bug-f-ucking-nuts."



This time, we're following estranged sisters: Tara and Sam (Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera). When Tara is attacked by Ghostface and left in the hospital, Sam returns to Woodsboro with her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) where she reunites with Tara, and meets her circle of friends, most of which will probably die soon. Of course, as is the case with the franchise, one (or two?) of them are likely the ones doing the murdering. But who?

But like I said above, the beauty of the franchise is in two things: its clever meta-commentary and how well it manages to handle the "whodunit" aspect. I felt it succeeded for the most part in both. Although the commentary on sequels/prequels/reboots and the rise of so-called "elevated horror" was sometimes a bit too "in your face", I still felt it was funny and witty. Meanwhile, the intrigue about who the killer (or killers?) is was well executed. I could say there's some predictability to it, but that's the thing with these films; we're always looking and guessing, so it's hard not to put our money and guesses on the right one(s).

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382117#post2382117)

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2d/A_Monster_Calls_poster.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Focus Features., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50140054

A Monster Calls - (2016)

British author Siobhan Dowd conceived a story while she was terminally ill, and died before she could write it - Patrick Ness ended up authoring A Monster Calls, about a boy struggling to come to terms with his mother's illness, whereupon he's visited by a monster during the night who tells him stories. Ness also adapted his novel into a screenplay, and this 2016 film version was directed by J. A. Bayona. It's a film for kids really, but one adults can get into themselves - in this metaphors loom as large as the Liam Neeson-voiced monster and are unmissable. In fact, much of what would ordinarily be inferred is explained to us outright. I'm not complaining about that - younger audience members will want to get what the film is about, and it's a good introduction to meaning in film. Conor O'Malley (Lewis MacDougall) battles grief and guilt, while all the while the tree monster is impressively rendered with CGI animation. Sigourney Weaver plays grandmother Clayton - once again making me feel oh so old.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/The_Stickup.jpg
By https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTM3Njg1MTMzN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDQ4OTQyMQ@@._V1_.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53768080

The Stickup - (2002)

ALL RIGHT EVERYBODY DOWN ON THE GROUND THIS IS A ROBBERY!! The best thing about being an outlaw is having the opportunity to yell that and mean it. This virtually-straight-to-DVD release from Roadhouse director Rowdy Herrington is good for what it is, but it's definitely straight-to-DVD stuff. James Spader adds the spark needed to at least stop me from turning it off and throwing it away - and it has numerous good reviews on various websites. Bank robbing intrigue and well-paced action and suspense - it's not worth seeking out, unless perhaps you're a huge Spader fan.

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fa/The_Big_Year_Poster.jpg
By The cover art can or could be obtained from IMP Awards., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33008030

The Big Year - (2011)

I'm sorry, was this meant to be a comedy? There's not much funny about The Big Year. Remember the Steve Martin of old? This Steve Martin is simply old - but you wouldn't know it the way his skin has been stretched burn-victim-and-skin-grafted tight by plastic surgeons, making the septuagenarian look like a walking waxed corpse. I'm sorry - it just got to me, and I was wishing Martin looked his age and had of kept his sense of humour. In any case, neither Jack Black nor Owen Wilson gets much to work with here, and The Big Year is only for those film-lovers who like their movies to be full of niceness - it's so saccharine that the sickly sweet feeling still hasn't left me. Nothing funny happens - and writer Howard Franklin along with David Frankel missed that. They sure researched their birds though - and The Big Year is stuffed with bird references. So, if you're a bird-lover, you can't miss this. Everyone else can though.

3/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/Resident_evil_ver4.jpg
By Constantin Film / Pathé Distribution, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10658100

Resident Evil - (2002)

Resident Evil is a pretty bad horror/action film jumbled together by someone high on drugs by the looks of it. Paul W. S. Anderson may have written and directed it, but it feels like a film made by a committee that kept on changing it's mind. The tagline on the film's poster says "Survive the Horror" - and I think perhaps they mean "survive the horror that watching this film puts you through" - and there aren't many moments that I can say "showed us what this film could have been". Terrible CGI, inane screenwriting, baffling editing, and only Michelle Rodriguez can hold her head up high and say she bought in. From start to finish, Resident Evil fails to give us any indication that this would be a long-running film series.

3/10

[Fabulous]

Still Time (2022)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/zeFuYhy71VbP5Zxe3fktjZsEguY.jpg

[LChimp]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2e/a0/7c/2ea07c71570417c9ba7512e2ba0cb515.jpg

Remember dudes and dudettes, never go on a trip with Tom Hanks. Or maybe go, he'll find a way to get everyone safe again, if something bad happens,

[Marco]

The Big Man (1990)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/The_Big_Man_poster.jpg/330px-The_Big_Man_poster.jpg
A film of a novel by Scottish writer William McIlvanney.. Danny is a father that has spent time in clink and subsequently cannot get gainful employment because his crime was to wallop a copper during the miners strike. He puts his principles aside and agrees to take part in a bare-knuckle fight to pay for his family's future. Liam Neeson is really good as the titular character. Lots of Scottish actors popping up and a very young Hugh Grant too....it's not perfect but it has a strong message. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer is a bit of a low point as she's not believable and really can't act.

3.5

[Torgo]

Devil in a Blue Dress - 4

Easy (Denzel Washington), a WWII veteran and out-of-work machinist, moonlights as a P.I. out of desperation in this solid mystery. His assignment: scour the underground of the black section of L.A. for Daphne (Jennifer Beals), the romantic partner of a mayoral candidate. As it goes in the best mysteries, Early becomes just as suspicious about his employer (Tom Sizemore) and friends who suggested him for the job as he is about the circumstances of Daphne's disappearance. He also learns that the war liberated many kinds of people, but not exactly his own.

This movie exemplifies the importance of casting better than any movie I've seen in recent memory. You don't get much more reliable than Denzel when it comes to leading men, especially for how he expresses his ambivalence about taking abuse both and verbal and physical on this job and being offered money under undignified circumstances with having to pay the bills. I won't be too specific with my compliments for the rest of the cast for fear of spoiling it, so I'll just say that each supporting player was well chosen since each one does what they do best. I'll at least say it was nice to see a young Don Cheadle as Early's old war buddy who...let's just say Early should be more thankful that he's on his side. Everyone who gave the movie its cool, jazzy vibe of late '40s L.A. also deserves credit, especially the production designers and composer Elmer Bernstein. It relies on voiceover narration, and while it's better than average, it gives away too much here and there for my liking. Except for that, it's a very satisfying period mystery for how it expresses the frustrations of the post-WWII black community, particularly for how it seems that the white one only helped them out when doing so also helped themselves. It's a shame the movie didn't do better at the box office because it would have kickstarted a heck of a series.

[algold]

Shazam 2 (out local cinema is only just ahead of streaming). Fun, goofy entertainment.

[Stirchley]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2e/a0/7c/2ea07c71570417c9ba7512e2ba0cb515.jpg

Remember dudes and dudettes, never go on a trip with Tom Hanks. Or maybe go, he'll find a way to get everyone safe again, if something bad happens,

Terrific movie.

[SpelingError]

The Horse Thief (1986) - 4.5

I knew almost nothing about this film or its director upon going it, but by the end, I was blown away. After about 20 minutes, I stopped paying attention to the story and focused instead on the mysticism of the whole affair. Zhuangzhuang crafts so many memorable scenes of religious and cultural rituals, including sacrifices and funerals, and these scenes are directed in the most mysterious way possible. Whether you're referring to the layered sound design which is full of haunting drones, mantras, and music choices, the visually striking cinematography which has a handful of striking set pieces, contrasts vibrant colors against endless grass hills, or pares cross-dissolves with the photography, this film is so aesthetically in my wheelhouse I just have to love it. Even the more grounded scenes are shot and framed very well and make for a nice bridge in between the mystical scenes. With that being said, I'm surprised I ultimately decided not to give this film a perfect rating. I think this was due to a slight disconnect I began to feel towards the end since the film was counting on me being more invested in the characters than I actually was. Which isn't to say I didn't care about the characters at all, but focusing most of my attention on the stylistic elements didn't exactly do the ending much favors. Still though, it's a great film and I'll definitely keep an eye out for Zhuangzhuang's other films.

[Stirchley]

Three excellent re-watches.

92336
92337
92338

[Stirchley]

92340

French movie. Interesting story.

92341

Irish indie movie. Lead actress Ann Skelly very good.

92342

Aubrey Plaza very good as she always is, but no clue what this movie was about.

[WHITBISSELL!]

Devil in a Blue Dress - rating_4 ... It's a shame the movie didn't do better at the box office because it would have kickstarted a heck of a series.Having read all of Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins novels I was (and am still) mystified why they haven't been widely adapted. Mosley has shepherded the character all the way into the late 1960's and it's still one of the best written and nuanced noir-ish franchises ever.

[Torgo]

Having read all of Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins novels I was (and am still) mystified why they haven't been widely adapted. Mosley has shepherded the character all the way into the late 1960's and it's still one of the best written and nuanced noir-ish franchises ever.It is too bad. I guess Jonathan Demme, who produced, didn't make more adaptations simply because this one didn't earn enough. It looks like they tried to continue the series on TV in 1998, but nothing came of it.

There is another, non-Easy Rawlins Mosley adaptation, The Man in My Basement, in the works, but Jonathan Majors is attached, so its fate could be up in the air.

[Fabulous]

Oh, God! (1977)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/8slb6g36eKuMWl2jbLQJjSoqTE7.jpg

[WHITBISSELL!]

It is too bad. I guess Jonathan Demme, who produced, didn't make more adaptations simply because this one didn't earn enough. It looks like they tried to continue the series on TV in 1998, but nothing came of it.

There is another, non-Easy Rawlins Mosley adaptation, The Man in My Basement, in the works, but Jonathan Majors is attached, so its fate could be up in the air.Mosley is prolific as all get out. He's also written several novels featuring Fearless Jones, Leonid McGill and Socrates Fortlow, three Crosstown to Oblivion dual novellas and two graphic novels. He's a sci-fi geek and apparently a Fantastic Four fan.

But it turns out I inadvertently lied. The last Easy Rawlins I read was Charcoal Joe from 2016. Mosley wrote another, Blood Grove, in 2021 which I haven't read yet. I'll check that one out right after I'm through with Cormac McCarthy's The Passenger. Then after that I hope to move on to Stella Maris.

[Thief]

AVATAR
(2005, Quílez)

https://i.imgur.com/c5CsPNJ.png


"Every time you hold out longer."



Avatar is a short film from Spanish filmmaker Lluis Quilez that presents us a couple in that situation. It follows a wheelchair-bound husband (Sebastián Haro) as he is subjected to a tense bath from his wife (Rosana Pastor). From the get-go, you can see there's distance between the two, and this is proven as the short progresses. Evidently, the "worse" and the "sickness" came, and there was no room to love and cherish.

From a technical standpoint, the short is great. Direction, cinematography, editing, everything is in the right place. But what makes it for me is the performances from Haro and Pastor, both of which make so much with just facial expressions and looks. There's hardly any dialogue and yet you get all you need to know from their body language, and it's impressive.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382243#post2382243)

[Thief]

NEXT FLOOR
(2008, Villeneuve)

https://i.imgur.com/gw0YBv2.png


"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground."



Next Floor follows a group of guests being offered an opulent banquet of various foods: from beef, sausages, chicken, fish and oysters, to antelope or rhinoceros. All being constantly carted into the table as the guests chow down relentlessly and voraciously. The contrast between the elegance of the setting and the grotesque of the menu, as well as their behavior, is evident.

The short film is fairly enigmatic and surreal, as we see the crowded table, guests and all, plummet down onto the "next floor". Something that doesn't seem to faze the guests that much. Even though it keeps on happening, they just keep on eating and eating, as the caravan of waiters follow them down the stairs.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382247#post2382247)

[Thief]

FLOOR 9.5
(2017, Meakins)

https://i.imgur.com/hKaZF2q.png


"Please... you gotta turn around."



Floor 9.5 is a 2-minute short film that follows a young woman (Georgina Campbell) trapped in a mysterious "floor" in an office building. Will she follow the plea for help of whatever she finds on that floor?

This is yet another short film recommended by Tim Egan. It is one of those examples where a simple premise can get you far enough, as long as it's well executed. With such a small runtime, there isn't much to say about it, but it does have some eerie visuals and a creepy twist that might still catch you by surprise.

Grade: 3.5

[CharlesAoup]

NEXT FLOOR
(2008, Villeneuve)

https://i.imgur.com/gw0YBv2.png




Next Floor follows a group of guests being offered an opulent banquet of various foods: from beef, sausages, chicken, fish and oysters, to antelope or rhinoceros. All being constantly carted into the table as the guests chow down relentlessly and voraciously. The contrast between the elegance of the setting and the grotesque of the menu, as well as their behavior, is evident.

The short film is fairly enigmatic and surreal, as we see the crowded table, guests and all, plummet down onto the "next floor". Something that doesn't seem to faze the guests that much. Even though it keeps on happening, they just keep on eating and eating, as the caravan of waiters follow them down the stairs.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382247#post2382247)

I liked that one. The whimsical angle with the grotesque subject matter was neat. It's also very French in having the fat, decadent rich be

[Thief]

AUDIO GUIDE
(2019, Elena)

https://i.imgur.com/1HikcnC.png


"You are now listening to the Belle Epoque art gallery audio guide series..."



Audio Guide follows Audrey Walker (Emma Wright), a young and aspiring artist that upon a visit to the Belle Epoque art gallery finds out that the audio guide system not only works to offer further insight into the existing works of art exhibited there, but also from anyone around her. Initially she finds it intriguing and amusing, until the audio guide system starts revealing more intimate and troubling information about those around her, including herself.

This is yet another short film recommended by Tim Egan. It is certainly an interesting premise that is very well executed by director Chris Elena and writer Lee Zachariah. Wright is also great as her character goes through a rollercoaster of emotions as she keeps on discovering new things.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382258#post2382258)

[algold]

Split 10/10
Without a doubt the greatest ending to a movie I've ever seen. I knew something was coming but I would never have predicted that. I had to pick my jaw off the floor before leaving the cinema.

[ScarletLion]

92338

I wanted to love this but I didn't. The last 30 minutes is too puzzling. I like puzzling. I like ambiguity but this one just went straight over my head. Can you shed any light on what I am missing?

[ScarletLion]

'Law of Tehran' / 'Just 6.5' (2019)

https://magazineclonerepub.azureedge.net/mcepub/427/245071/image/2cc29422-9f02-4ce4-a100-03c0d6164b94.jpg

Tense Iranian crime thriller. The first chase sequence is gripping.

Payman Maadi (A Separation, About Elly) is convincing as the lead detective trying to catch a drug baron flooding the streets of Tehran with crack and opium. But the standout is Navid Mohammadzadeh who delivers a beast of a performance here, shockingly good.

The film feels a little overlong at the 2 hour mark and gets very shouty in the middle, But it's well crafted and another of those morality tales from Iranian cinema.

7.7/10

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTJkMDFkYzgtMTFkYS00MDFhLTljNzEtNTAzN2Y2ZjBkYTE1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


4

[Fabulous]

Ben-Hur (1959)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/sU3gFo7Gn67zjtKXIvzJ4omcUbH.jpg

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjI3ODkzNDk5MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTEyNjY2NDM@._V1_.jpg

[Torgo]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjI3ODkzNDk5MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTEyNjY2NDM@._V1_.jpgLoved this. Jesse Plemons is hilarious in it.

[matt72582]

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - 10/10
Re-watch. But it was just on TCM, so I was fortunate enough to have a kid explain the movie to me!


P.S. Just like the false (Sally Fields) "You really really like me", no one in this movie ever says, "We don't need no stinkin' badges" (the actual line is "We don't have to show you no stinkin' badges")



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/The_Treasure_of_the_Sierra_Madre_%281947_poster%29.jpg

[GulfportDoc]

I agree. "Treasure" is a near perfect film. Everyone in the production knocked it out of the park. John Huston was really gettin' on a roll, and I loved his cameos near the beginning of the picture. It's impossible to watch the scene where Walter Huston does a little jig while laughing when most of their gold dust is lost, without laughing along with him. Great picture.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/Dolemite_is_My_Name_poster.jpg
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - Can be obtained from film's distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61501519

Dolemite is My Name - (2019)

I'd never even heard of this before I went scrolling through the 2019 MoFo film awards and came across it. Dolemite is My Name is a fun, lighthearted look at the life of Rudy Ray Moore. Rudy has seen his chance for fame and fortune come and go after recording music and trying a miserable stand-up act at a local club - but after hearing a bum who constantly talks in a funny rhyming fashion he models his act after him, and this leads to remarkable success. Despite doing quite well with a series of comedy albums, Rudy isn't satisfied and next sets his sights on moviemaking. The film then spends a good deal of time showing us the troubled production of Dolemite - and the content and style immediately remind me of The Disaster Artist, which is a good thing, especially since Murphy and the rest of the cast are at their best. The low budget film turns into a fiasco, but it has so much charm that people flock to see it anyway - especially amongst fans of this particular man's brand of humour and "give anything a go" style. I was thrilled to see Eddie Murphy doing something good for a change, and Rudy Ray Moore is a wonderful subject to bring to life - down to earth, kind and desperate to succeed to the extent that he's never really sure how well he's doing. An everyday man trying to live his wildest dreams and fantasies in a crazy way. It gave me a great deal of pleasure and was heaps of fun.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/The_Motorcycle_Diaries.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=992722

The Motorcycle Diaries - (2004)

The young Ernesto Guevara (future Che Guevara) once went on an epic motorcycle trip across the continent of South America with a friend of his, biochemist Alberto Granado. Guevara (Gael García Bernal) was only 23-years-old, close to completing his medical degree, and before his trip ignorant to the plight of the everyday, lower class workers across the different countries he'd travel. The two Argentinians have various adventures, help various people with their knowledge of medicine, and con a lot of people into buying them food and giving them shelter. The more the latter half of the trip progresses, the more Guevara sees how unfairly people are being treated - and the more his mind turns to revolution. The film provides us with insights into different cultures and the changing landscape is often wonderful to behold - it's well written and scored, with Gael García Bernal solid as always. Educational, and well worth watching.

7/10

[ScannerDarkly]

7.5/10


https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TPSR24ePJno/WIi-BukPeZI/AAAAAAAAPjk/bM0hYrmw2c0pHMKXZ6zXV86O16Ly_dWNwCLcB/s1600/StrawberryBlonde.jpg

[John-Connor]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Smoke_%28movie_poster%29.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Miramax., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29313432

Smoke - (1995)

I have a time of day when I put movies on that I think won't matter all that much to me, but sometimes I make a big mistake and discover some gem that I never knew was out there. Smoke is one of those gems - the result of a collaboration between Joy Luck Club director Wayne Wang and writer Paul Auster. It features finely crafted performances from William Hurt, Harvey Keitel, Stockard Channing, Harold Perrineau Jr. and Forest Whitaker. Why didn't I know that this film was out there? It's based on one of Auster's short stories, which was expanded to include the world the story happened in, surrounding a tobacco shop that a certain Auggie Wren (Keitel) presides over - and it grows through the tenuous links between characters living in Brooklyn. Writer Paul Benjamin (Hurt) buys his cigars at the shop, and his life is saved by Tom Cole (Perrineau) who is estranged from father Cyrus (Whitaker) - in the meantime Ruby (Channing), Auggie's eyepatch-wearing girlfriend from 18 years ago, shows up with serious problems to do with a daughter he never knew he had. Friendship develops between all of these characters - but the film's real power is it's final scene, where in a 5 minute monologue Auggie tells Paul about what happened to him one Christmas when he went to return a wallet from a customer who stole from him. The rest of the excellence is in individual scenes which are so clever and full of meaning that they're each worthy of discussion, if anyone was willing to dissect them - and as I said, the great depth all of the actors add to proceedings. Turns out writer and director also received a lot of advice from Robert Altman, who Auster knew. A real surprise. There was a follow-up made and released the same year called Blue in the Face, made in an Altman-esque fashion.

8/10
Nice write-up and cool little movie, it was actually #250 from my Top 250 from 4 years ago.
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2025895#post2025895

[Torgo]

Ernest & Celestine - 4

In a world where mice and bears live side by side, but don't exactly comingle, our musician and artist heroes try to bridge the gap in this movie that's as short and sweet as it is charming and adorable. Like a certain elfin, North Pole-based toymaker, both Ernest the bear and Celestine the mouse feel like outcasts in their communities for not enjoying the roles their forebears (no pun intended) foisted upon them, the former expected to be a judge and the latter, believe it or not, a dentist. They cross paths - and more - while Celestine is trying to complete an assignment in her dental training she can only do on the left-hand path.

Since most of the animated movies I've seen lately are computer animated, taking in this one's distinctive watercolor style was a breath of fresh air. I especially like the animation during the action scenes, which recalls Bill Plympton's work for how chaotic and funny they are, especially when the crowds of authorities pursuing our heroes becomes so huge, it turns into a cloud of brown paint blotched with dozens of pointy ears. I listened to the English audio track, and all the performances are spot-on, my favorite being the barely recognizable Forest Whitaker as the starving and justifiably angry Ernest. As for the relationship between these two very different species, their uneasy upstairs/downstairs relationship provides good food for thought like the one in Zootopia does, which it might as well have inspired. The result is a sweet, thoughtful and most importantly fun story about how misery loves company and that features the kind of unlikely friendship recalling the best ones Shane Black came up with (but PG, of course). Oh, and if you also listen to the English audio track, keep your ears open for a certain married couple of comedy legends.

[Thief]

A BETTER TOMORROW
(1986, Woo)

https://i.imgur.com/9sIPBdt.jpg


"I'm the cop, he's the thief. In the eyes of the law, we're on different paths."



A Better Tomorrow follows two brothers – Ho (Ti Lung) and Kit (Leslie Cheung) – that have followed "different paths". Kit aims to join the police, while Ho is one of the top members of a powerful Hong Kong triad, along with Mark Lee (Chow Yun-fat). Ho is planning to leave his life of crime, but he ends up being set up and sent to prison, while Mark ends up injured in a shootout which leaves him disabled and disgraced.

This is my first venture into John Woo's Hong Kong filmography, and it was quite a thing. Before this, my experience was limited to most of his 90's American efforts which I wasn't that crazy about, other than Face/Off. A Better Tomorrow feels like the birth of that, as he gives us lead characters with conflicts between them trying to get through them via over-stylized ultra-violence (and I mean that in a good way).

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382504#post2382504)

[ApexPredator]

The Man with the Golden Arm (1955; Preminger)

In a world different than our own, Frank Sinatra doesn't do the Rat Pack/lounge singer thing instead concentrating on a successful acting career where he could end up as the Daniel Day-Lewis of his day.

As Frankie Machine (heh), Sinatra plays a guy who just got out of rehab who heads back to his life in the South side of Chicago where he runs into trouble. Perhaps it's the illegal gambling boss who needs him (the title refers to his skills as a card dealer) or maybe the drug dealer who sees money walking back in through the door. Or maybe it's his wheelchair bound wife who blames him for the car accident that left her like this; although she also would rather die than have him leave her side again. But he finds old habits are hard to break and finds himself tempted with easy fixes again as he tries to make a future for himself as a drummer.

Sinatra earns his second Oscar nomination here (the scene where he tries to go cold turkey is nomination worthy by itself). And Kim Novak as a former flame who is keeping an eye out for him now also does fine enough work.

But the film feels like it's as subtle as a "Say no to drugs" pamphlet. As his wife, Eleanor Parker is more often than not grating. And the film itself looks like it was a play filmed for TV.

I wanted to like this more, but I guess the flaws pushed it down a notch or two.

3

[matt72582]

Scandal: The trial of Mary Astor

https://youtu.be/d9ckggXeyrQ

[GulfportDoc]

The Man with the Golden Arm (1955; Preminger)

In a world different than our own, Frank Sinatra doesn't do the Rat Pack/lounge singer thing instead concentrating on a successful acting career where he could end up as the Daniel Day-Lewis of his day.

As Frankie Machine (heh), Sinatra plays a guy who just got out of rehab who heads back to his life in the South side of Chicago where he runs into trouble. Perhaps it's the illegal gambling boss who needs him (the title refers to his skills as a card dealer) or maybe the drug dealer who sees money walking back in through the door. Or maybe it's his wheelchair bound wife who blames him for the car accident that left her like this; although she also would rather die than have him leave her side again. But he finds old habits are hard to break and finds himself tempted with easy fixes again as he tries to make a future for himself as a drummer.

Sinatra earns his second Oscar nomination here (the scene where he tries to go cold turkey is nomination worthy by itself). And Kim Novak as a former flame who is keeping an eye out for him now also does fine enough work.

But the film feels like it's as subtle as a "Say no to drugs" pamphlet. As his wife, Eleanor Parker is more often than not grating. And the film itself looks like it was a play filmed for TV.

I wanted to like this more, but I guess the flaws pushed it down a notch or two.

rating_3
It's a good movie, and was absolutely stunning in its day. One of the first times heroin addiction was portrayed that well. In '55 I saw it in the theater at 11 years old. The guy that used to babysit me took me. We thought we were being "adult", but although I kind of understood what was going on, the story was not for a kid...:D I loved the theme song, and still hum it to this day.

[Gideon58]

Loved this. Jesse Plemons is hilarious in it.


I loved it too, but I thought Billy Magnussen stole the show.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cc/Beavis_And_Butthead_Do_America.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3784590

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America - (1996)

Watching Beavis and Butt-Head Do America after being introduced to the pair with Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe showed me just how consistent things had been kept, despite the two movies being released nearly three decades apart. Their ignorance and immature nature is like a kind of innocence, and prevents me from disliking the pair - they always come out of outrageous situations unscathed, yet ultimately unrewarded with what they want most. When it's not TV or heavy metal (or, for Beavis, fire) it's "scoring" which they seem fated never to succeed at. There was some great animation during the psychedelic scene, and oodles of comical misunderstandings (a Beavis and Butt-Head staple.) Loved the scene where they come across a pair who are obviously their fathers - and how they never connect the dots, even though the dots spell it all out. I'm getting more and more into the Beavis and Butt-Head groove - and looks like I'll be getting more out of my Paramount+ subscription. I've always liked the Red Hot Chili Pepper's cover of Love Rollercoaster.

7.5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/45/Life-as-a-house.jpg
By Poster found at http://www.impawards.com/2001/life_as_a_house_ver1.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4226334

Life as a House - (2001)

This one has stuck with me - I liked it. Kevin Kline is always great. Hayden Christiensen shows us where he developed his whole whiny, pouty, spoiled teenager schtick for his Anakin Skywalker ("It's not fair!!" - "I won't do it!!") and we get to see plenty of Mary Steenburgen. The story surrounding the performances is a little trite though. Cancer dad wants to spend his last few months with his recalcitrant son, and he forces said son to build a house with him. Strangely erotic, with solid performances.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/94/Jim_%26_Andy_-_The_Great_Beyond.png
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55829540

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton - (2017)

When Jim Carrey decided to play his idol, comedy legend Andy Kaufman, he became the man he was portraying so completely the cast and crew working on the film went through an extraordinary experience. The biggest experience to be had, however, was in Carrey's mind. This is a pretty fascinating look behind the scenes of Man on the Moon, and I really need to see more of Andy Kaufman's various "happenings" and stuff because everything I've seen has either fascinated me or made me laugh. A very enjoyable and enlightening documentary.

8/10

[beelzebubble]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cc/Beavis_And_Butthead_Do_America.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3784590

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America - (1996)

Watching Beavis and Butt-Head Do America after being introduced to the pair with Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe showed me just how consistent things had been kept, despite the two movies being released nearly three decades apart. (Holy shizz, I am old!)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/94/Jim_%26_Andy_-_The_Great_Beyond.png
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55829540

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton - (2017)

When Jim Carrey decided to play his idol, comedy legend Andy Kaufman, he became the man he was portraying so completely the cast and crew working on the film went through an extraordinary experience. The biggest experience to be had, however, was in Carrey's mind. This is a pretty fascinating look behind the scenes of Man on the Moon, and I really need to see more of Andy Kaufman's various "happenings" and stuff because everything I've seen has either fascinated me or made me laugh. A very enjoyable and enlightening documentary.

8/10
I have to say I liked Jim Carrey's Andy Kaufman better than the real Andy. The real experience could be extremely uncomfortable for his audience. Andy is certainly the precursor to Sacha Baron Cohen. But Cohen is trying to make people think about their reactions to others and he is doing it at a remove. His real audience are the people in the theater or watching TV. Andy seemed to be putting on a show exclusively for Andy.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81KC3HLAi-L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


2

[Thief]

BRIDESMAIDS
(2011, Feig)

https://i.imgur.com/6Ut0Cco.png


"You got to stop feeling sorry for yourself, cause I do not associate with people that blame the world for their problems. cause you're your problem, Annie, and you're also your solution."



They say that when it rains, it pours. A saying that highlights how when something bad happens, it is usually followed by more bad things. That is the situation in which Annie (Kristen Wiig) finds herself in this comedy. Bridesmaids follows Annie, as she prepares to fulfill her duties as one of the bridesmaids for her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph). But jealousy and chaos strikes when she meets Lillian's new "best friend" Helen (Rose Byrne).

I had heard some good things about this comedy, so while looking for something light to watch yesterday, I thought why not? The film follows a relatively predictable storyline. I mean, you can probably guess where things will go 10-20 minutes before they happen, but I appreciate the cast's chemistry and commitment. For the most part, those interactions work; especially with McCarthy, who is easily the most colorful of the characters.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382626#post2382626)

[Thief]

THE AMAZING BULK
(2012, Schoenbraun)

https://i.imgur.com/pCnFr6p.png


"No more failures!!"



The Amazing Bulk follows Howard's attempts to create this serum under orders of his girlfriend's father, General Darwin (Terence Lording), all while trying to keep his relationship with Hannah (Shevaun Kastl) afloat. But when he tries the serum on himself, he becomes "The Amazing Bulk", a super-strong purple creature that wreaks havoc on the city.

There's a mixture of incredulity and joy in witnessing something as ineptly made as this still make it through to the masses. The Amazing Bulk was filmed entirely in a green-screen stage with the director, Lewis Schoenbraun, substituting the background with stock images (some of which inexplicably include leprechauns). The performances are downright awful, and the overall story makes no sense.

Grade: 1


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382630#post2382630)

[Guaporense]

Godfather II
https://wallpapercave.com/wp/wp4119161.jpg

Ire-watched this movie about a week after the first. It had been 15 years since I watched these movies and now I can appreciate them from a more mature perspective.

One of the few times in history where a sequel is as good as the first movie. Well, its part 2 of an adaptation rather than a sequel made to grab money. Overall, like the first one, its one of the best-executed movies ever. Together, the two godfathers remain the standard of 20th-century Hollywood filmmaking; they are unsurpassed monuments in what they want to be.

10/10 - absolutely nothing is wrong with this movie, like the 1st, they are like Miyazaki level of execution. :D I don't care much about gangster movies, but this one transcends the genre.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/Mother_and_child_poster.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2010/mother_and_child_ver4.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26647948

Mother and Child - (2009)

You ever been watching a movie alone and wished there were friends there so you could discuss a certain scene or two? In Mother and Child Elizabeth Joyce (Naomi Watts) invites her elderly boss, Paul (Samuel L. Jackson) to her home for drinks, and gets him into bed before their drinks are even finished. She broke the age barrier, the race barrier and the boss/employee barrier all in one go - and the next morning, she flashes her neighbour from the balcony, and does him as soon as Paul leaves. All of this has nothing to do with what Mother and Child is about, but it gives some insight as to how interesting the characters in it are. Karen (Annette Bening) is "difficult" - an extraordinarily abrasive lady that Paco (Jimmy Smits) must tread lightly around at first (at one stage he explodes, calling her a "weirdo") - she loses her mother, who treated her nurse like her daughter, and her daughter like a stranger. In the meantime Lucy (Kerry Washington) longs to be a mother, and is at the front of the queue for adoption. All of these characters have to deal with the trauma that can sometimes be unleashed by a difficult adoption process - with mothers and daughters yearning for lost connections, and unsure over the painful process of giving their babies away. How that all unfolds is better seen by letting the plot unfold without having seen it, or knowing what happens - this film was good, and is certainly elevated by it's cast.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0e/Hook_poster_transparent.png
By IMDb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34936133

Hook - (1991)

I'd have liked Hook a lot more if it wasn't for Robin Williams and his worn out adult-hyperactive-child schtick. Williams was, admittedly, born for this very role - but that's why I think Spielberg should have got someone else. When his Peter Pan remembers his past and reverts back to never-get-old Pan, it comes as no surprise, as we all knew where the actor would take his performance. What if it had of been Al Pacino? Jeremy Irons? Anybody from whom this act would have been novel and surprising? Another complaint of mine is that Hook reeks of art-by-focus group. "Kids love skateboards. They love basketball. Make sure to put both in the film." The more touching moments are overshadowed by sequences awkwardly inserted to pander to these non-story elements. Production design and art direction? Wow. Beautiful, and wonderful. Dustin Hoffman's Captain Hook is delightful, as is Bob Hoskins' performance. The overall tone though, feels gooey and insincere - pushed too far, and not grounded - exactly the same as what happened to Spielberg's 1941, where he'd let his creative juices overdo everything. Hook needed to be dialed back, and less frenzied. More wonder and magic, and less schmaltz.

4/10

[Fabulous]

The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/9Nl6rdopLxaYlSfn2B19oz1tXLx.jpg

[Stirchley]

I wanted to love this but I didn't. The last 30 minutes is too puzzling. I like puzzling. I like ambiguity but this one just went straight over my head. Can you shed any light on what I am missing?

I didn’t see ambiguity in the ending so you might have to explain some more what you think you’re missing.

He moved into her apartment. His daughter is in college & she has met his younger daughter. We last see them on the sidewalk waiting for movers to move his humongous speakers into her apartment. If you recall, her couch almost didn’t make it. So he drives away to take his daughter someplace & she is left watching one of the speakers swing back & forth in the breeze as they need to be hoisted aloft & moved in via the windows.

I took the speakers to be a metaphor for him. Will he be able to move into her life fully & seamlessly or will their relationship swing aimlessly in the breeze?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

[Stirchley]

92375

More of a Lifetime tv movie I would say. Not really my cuppa, but the 3 kids are wonderful actors & very believable especially the 2 girls.

The donkeys were super cute. :)

[Fabulous]

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/pL29MjwKFghdSFen5YvHoH57Fyl.jpg

[Guaporense]

Call Me Chihiro (2023)

https://thecinemaholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/TERIM-632.jpg

Its a quite mediocre slice-of-life Japanese movie based on a manga that depicts a retired hooker, age 29, who is trying to live a more typical life. Its slice of life all right, which means there is no real plot, but since I didn't find the characters interesting, then there was little interesting going on this movie. Still, it had quite good cinematography.

[WHITBISSELL!]

You can retire from hooking at 29? I can't believe I frittered away my prime earning years. :( :frustrated:

[Corax]

You can retire from hooking at 29? I can't believe I frittered away my prime earning years. :( :frustrated:


And you've been missed at the old truckstop.

[SpelingError]

Sherman's March (1986) - 4.5

With maybe the exception of American Movie, this is my favorite documentary about the act of making a film. To say that Ross McElwee is unfocused though would be an understatement. Though he intended for the film to be about Sherman's March to the Sea, the historical events of Sherman comprise so little of the film. What we mainly get are his failed romances with various women he encounters while filming. Every time he's able to record some footage relevant to Sherman, life gets in his way and disrupts his plans time and time again. As a result, the repetition of the film's narrative structure recalls La Dolce Vita. Like Marcello, Ross seems trapped in a never ending cycle of forming relationships, but with so many of them turning out short-lived and unsuccessful, he keeps coming out of them unfulfilled and back at square one. The more one watches the film, the less it seems like he's enjoying himself so much as it feels like he's trapped in a prolonged mid-life crisis. One which is exacerbated by the constant urges of his friends and family members to help him get married. Though he can get obsessive from time to time, his rising desperation seems to stem from his endless stream of misfortunes and, regardless of how much you vibe with his behavior, it's hard not to feel at least a bit of sympathy for him. This all culminates in what may be the most laughably pathetic and painful ending I've ever seen in a film. In spite of the intensity of emotion I felt from it though, a slight undercurrent of hope still bubbled underneath the surface which I've been unable to shake since watching the film.

[CharlesAoup]

F9: The Fast Saga (B)

Our heroes are brought into some espionage shenanigans by John Cena and Charlize Theron, along with some eccentric rich European. Things are somewhat muddy there.

As we can expect from this franchise, the action sets are ballin' and one-up each other for ridiculousness. Loved them all. So much magnet action as well. Great.

The problems here are mostly about Vin Diesel and John Cena. The two characters are their own thing, largely because Vin Diesel is his own thing and John Cena is his brother. Vin Diesel barely mingles with the group, but everything about him is a power fantasy. The car stuff has been ridiculous since the 5th one or so, but Vinny is now a low-tier superhero. He can ram people through walls, he can fight off 9 guys, he can pull down concrete structures by pulling on chains, one in each arm, and survive whatever happened afterwards. He's just so far removed from everything it's no longer funny. You can smell him looking over the scriptwriters' shoulders to make sure he's the awesomest thing in the movie.

The best characters here are Nathalie Emmanuel, Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson. They have great chemistry, great moments, great comedic timing, everything. It's a shame that Walker is no longer here to balance with the other remaining original main character. Anyway, these three are great.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cd/Trumanshow.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Paramount Pictures., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20131284

The Truman Show - (1998)

It's been 25 years since The Truman Show was released - it still looks great today, and now we are well used to Jim Carrey taking on dramatic roles, although he still kept a vestige of his comedic persona in this. Great idea for a film at the time, and I like the way we stick with Truman's world for a good amount of runtime before the curtain is pulled back and we see what's going on behind the scenes, with Christof (Ed Harris) maintaining a God-like position in Truman's world (Dennis Hopper was originally going to play the role - he left during filming.) I hadn't seen the movie in ages, so it was really great to catch up with it again - I love the moments when Truman is on the very verge of discovering what's going on, but still not quite sure what it is. We're behind him every step of the way - and some of the methods used to keep him in his home town allow levity into the film, which is nice. Paul Giamatti was yet to really make it big - so his part is way smaller than what we're used to now, and nice seeing Philip Baker Hall in there. Great movie.

8/10

[Thief]

THE KILLER
(1989, Woo)

https://i.imgur.com/62B5NDa.png


"At least we have one thing in common. We both use guns in our jobs. We just have different reasons."



The Killer follows Ah Jong (Chow Yun-fat), a hitman that decides to perform one last job in order to pay for the surgery of a singer he accidentally blinded during a previous shoot-out. As a result, he ends up relentlessly pursued by the triad members that double-cross him, as well as Li (Danny Lee), a cop that might be just as determined as him.

But beside the performances, the main attraction of this film is the action setpieces and choreographies. There is an almost operatic fluidness to the way Woo films these stand-offs and shoot-outs that you can't help but be amazed by how gorgeous and cool it looks. There is such a nice mixture between the excesses of violence and the dance-like movements that you can't help but be amazed by it.

Grade: 4.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2382740#post2382740)

[LChimp]

https://assets.cinebelasartes.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/poster-os-banshees-de-inisherin-min.jpeg

Amazing. And bizarre.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTg1NzI0MDI0MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjA1NDUxNQ@@._V1_.jpg


4

[Mr Minio]

THE KILLER
(1989, Woo)
I've been known for tearing up a bit when listening to Sally Yeh's main theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EfStVCU01A

[crumbsroom]

https://assets.cinebelasartes.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/poster-os-banshees-de-inisherin-min.jpeg

Amazing. And bizarre.


Just like I did with In Bruges, and Three Billboards, I assumed I knew what this movie would be going in and had no interest in what I imagined. And just like In Bruges and Three Billboards, it impressed me. I really liked this, even more than the other two, which I also really liked.


I need to stop underestimating this guy.

[crumbsroom]

Sherman's March (1986) - rating_4_5

With maybe the exception of American Movie, this is my favorite documentary about the act of making a film. To say that Ross McElwee is unfocused though would be an understatement. Though he intended for the film to be about Sherman's March to the Sea, the historical events of Sherman comprise so little of the film. What we mainly get are his failed romances with various women he encounters while filming. Every time he's able to record some footage relevant to Sherman, life gets in his way and disrupts his plans time and time again. As a result, the repetition of the film's narrative structure recalls La Dolce Vita. Like Marcello, Ross seems trapped in a never ending cycle of forming relationships, but with so many of them turning out short-lived and unsuccessful, he keeps coming out of them unfulfilled and back at square one. The more one watches the film, the less it seems like he's enjoying himself so much as it feels like he's trapped in a prolonged mid-life crisis. One which is exacerbated by the constant urges of his friends and family members to help him get married. Though he can get obsessive from time to time, his rising desperation seems to stem from his endless stream of misfortunes and, regardless of how much you vibe with his behavior, it's hard not to feel at least a bit of sympathy for him. This all culminates in what may be the most laughably pathetic and painful ending I've ever seen in a film. In spite of the intensity of emotion I felt from it though, a slight undercurrent of hope still bubbled underneath the surface which I've been unable to shake since watching the film.


I love this movie. More people need to see it.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Just like I did with In Bruges, and Three Billboards, I assumed I knew what this movie would be going in and had no interest in what I imagined. And just like In Bruges and Three Billboards, it impressed me. I really liked this, even more than the other two, which I also really liked.


I need to stop underestimating this guy.
His brother’s movies, except for War On Everyone, are similarly good. Calvary is especially great and would serve as a great companion to Banshees.

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/24/Wendell_%26_Wild_poster.jpg/220px-Wendell_%26_Wild_poster.jpg

3.5

SF = Z


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

[Thief]

His brother’s movies, except for War On Everyone, are similarly good. Calvary is especially great and would serve as a great companion to Banshees.

I've heard great things about Calvary. I think it was Takoma11 or Sylvie on Twitter that mentioned it to me a couple of times

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzZkZTFkZWQtYjU4YS00MmE1LThhN2EtYWNhMjUzZDAyNzFkL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA0MjU0Ng@@._V1 _FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg


2

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/Phantom_of_the_Paradise_movie_poster.jpg
By https://www.movieposters.com/products/phantom-of-the-paradise-mpw-107238, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5811937

Phantom of the Paradise - (1974)

Phantom of the Paradise is one of the greatest films ever made - I won't accept any other assessment as valid, and my love for the film was reaffirmed last night after watching it yet again. I was put in the mood by a couple of reviewers who forewent their usual topic once the film came up in a previous discussion, and decided to talk about it*. One hadn't seen it, and was instantly won over - so their discussion of it's greatness had me watching it again. It's an early Brian De Palma film, with hundreds of little touches paying tributes to all the other films that mean something to the director. It's also a rock musical, with music composed and sometimes sung by Paul Williams, although Jessica Harper and others contribute to it's richly varied sound. It's a bizarre comedy, based on Faust and Phantom of the Opera, featuring William Finley as a composer whose music is stolen by a man who has made a bargain with the devil - this composer, Winslow Leach, is framed, sent to jail, mutilated once before and once after he escapes, and haunts a music palace run by Swan (Paul Williams) - the man under contract to Satan, and the man who will fool Winslow's Phantom into signing a contract as well.

This is a wonderfully strange film, with absolutely great music, inspired cinematography which references such films as Touch of Evil and Psycho, perfect casting and a very unique feel to it. Gerrit Graham appears as a glam rock caricature with an interesting off-stage persona, and is a lot of fun. There's a very sharp edge to it, which gives a heavy, sometimes sad, feel to the film as a whole. It's in a similar category to films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and a cult classic that grows more in stature as the decades pass. A festival known as "Phantompalooza" sprung up in Winnipeg to celebrate it - and next year is it's 50th Anniversary. Shortly before passing away, my brother got me into this film by recording it for me late at night - and I never looked back. I love Phantom of the Paradise and it easily slots into my top 50 Best Films of All Time.

10/10

*Two guys talk about how great Phantom of the Paradise is. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNjM1wXTYbQ)

[SpelingError]

I love this movie. More people need to see it.

I wasn't sure what to expect upon going into it (it's also one of the films I've seen that I haven't been able to find for free online), but I'm glad I was able to check it out.

[Chypmunk]

Recent watches:
The Terror 1963 2.5
Somers Town 2008 2.5
Game Show Dynamos 2015 2.5
The Duke Of Burgundy 2014 3+
Maid Of Honor (La Madrina) 2017 3
The Dynamiters (aka The Gelignite Gang) 1955 3
Wings Of Desire 1987 4
Pixie 2020 2.5
We Summon The Darkness 2019 2+
Crime Cameo: The Grayson Case 1955 2
The Stable Door 1966 2.5
The Gentle Trap 1960 3
Bull 2021 2.5+
Battles Without Honour And Humanity 1973 3.5+
Second Acts 2019 2.5+
Cigüeñas (Storks) 2018 3
When A Dream Comes True 2022 2.5+
Girl 2018 4
Asleep 2017 3
Sauvage 2018 3+
Fanny Lye Deliver'd 2019 3
31 Hours 2021 3
Game Night 2018 3
Ready Or Not 2019 3+
Blockers 2018 2+
The Wrong Box 1966 3
Beowulf 2007 3
The Oak Room 2020 2.5+
Titus And Mirabella 2020 1.5+
The Jesus Rolls 2019 2
The Bed (Le Lit) 2014 3
Peter Rabbit 2018 3+
Amores Perros 2000 4
Shadow 2018 3.5
The Lane 2018 2.5
All The King's Men 1949 3+
Mourning After 2017 1.5
Hawaii 2019 3
Last Action Hero 1993 3+
Listen 2014 3.5
Songs For While I'm Away 2020 3.5
Three Hours To Kill 1954 3
Area 51 2015 1.5+
The Vigil 2019 2.5+
Misbehaviour 2020 3+
The Waiting 2019 2.5+
The Wackiest Ship In The Army 1960 3
24 Hours To Live 2017 2+
Cover Girl 1944 3+
Memento Mori 2019 2.5+
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 2015 3
Dreamland 2019 3
Only Water In The Sea 2020 3
Bombshell 2019 3
Savage 2018 3
The Man Outside 1933 2+
Servants 2020 3+
Death And The Knight 2020 2.5+
Lapsis 2020 3+
The Dawn Rider (aka Cold Vengeance) 1935 2.5
Footsteps In The Fog 1955 3+
Winds Of The Wasteland (aka Stagecoach Run) 1936 2+
An Unsuitable Job For A Woman 1982 2.5
Torpedo Run 1958 3+
Ninjababy 2021 3
AI: Artificial Intelligence 2001 3
Paradise Canyon (aka Guns Along The Trail) 1935 2
Blue Steel (aka Stolen Goods) 1934 2
The Girl And The Spider 2021 3
Sagebrush Trail (aka An Innocent Man) 1933 2.5
Yakuza Graveyard 1976 3+
Being Keegan 2017 3
Body Brokers 2021 3.5
Journey's End 2017 3
Fire Down Below 1957 3
Young Winston 1972 3
Dancehall Queen 1997 2+
The Lonely Man 1957 3
When Bob Marley Came To Britain 2020 3
The Last Challenge 1967 3+
4 months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days 2007 3.5+
Chuka 1967 3
The Tailor (Il Sarto dei Tedeschi) 2015 3.5
Edith 2016 3+
The Untouchables 1987 3.5+
The Hanging Tree 1959 3+
Ransom 1996 3+
Run Silent, Run Deep 1958 3.5
Gunfight At The O.K. Corral 1957 3.5+

[honeykid]

Recent? I think that's more films than I've watched in the last 10 years, Chypmunk :D

[Mr Minio]

Recent? I think that's more films than I've watched in the last 10 years, Chypmunk :D

That's because you rewatch Charlie's Angels and Young Guns every week

[Fabulous]

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/uE0JxB9pdxNtxFymNg6cImZBY5Z.jpg

[Steve Freeling]

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/2eduSyP8CWRMx4TRcnHdNyel8Ac.jpg
Suzume (2022) rating_5
So Makoto Shinkai's winning streak continues. His latest film doesn't disappoint. Suzume can easily hold its head up high beside Your Name and Weathering with You. Shinkai has proven himself a worthy filmmaker and storyteller, and Suzume continues that trend. The story is compelling, with plenty of surprises along the way, and as a result, Suzume moves briskly despite clocking in at 122 minutes as Shinkai's longest film to date. As you'd expect from Shinkai by now, the animation is stunning, especially in a theatrical context. The incredible musical score by RADWIMPS and Kazuma Jinnouchi dramatically enhances the experience, while RADWIMPS lead singer Yojiro Noda's Kanata Haluka and Toaka's Suzume close the film flawlessly. The English dub, a collab between Crunchyroll and Bang Zoom! Entertainment, is also excellent. Nichole Sakura is pitch-perfect as 17-year-old Suzume Iwato, a schoolgirl living an ordinary life in Kyushu until she encounters a mysterious young man searching for ruins and ends up having to close some doors, which takes her on a road trip across a sizable stretch of Japan. Josh Keaton is equally impressive as the young man in question, Sōta Munakata, a "closer" who closes doors that shouldn't be open, always found in ruins. Sōta unwillingly transforms into a chair for much of the film, hence why Suzume has to close the doors in his place. Jennifer Sun Bell is rock-solid as Tamaki Iwato, Suzume's aunt who took her in after her sister, Suzume's mother, lost her life in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and eventually ends up joining Suzume on the road trip. Joe Zieja also impresses as Tomoya Serizawa, Sōta's friend who has good taste in music—watch out for a theme song from a Miyazaki classic when he accompanies Suzume and Tamaki on the road trip. Also, watch out for Shotaro Kaneda himself Cam Clarke as Hitsujirō Munakata, Sōta's ill grandfather, Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter herself Amanda C. Miller as Rumi Ninomiya, a bar owner who gives Suzume a ride to Kobe, Rosalie Chiang, who made a name for herself with last year's Turning Red, as Chika Amabe, a delivery driver about the same age as Suzume, and Lena Josephine Marano as Daijin, a cat/keystone who put a curse on Sōta, which is why he's a chair for the bulk of the film. The rest of the cast is also up to par, and the dub script is completely natural. Overall, Shinkai's latest is worth the watch. Suzume is fun, exciting, uplifting, poignant, and emotionally satisfying, and I'm glad I got to see it on the largest screen possible. I'm definitely buying it on Blu-ray and/or UHD down the road.

[Fabulous]

Marie Antoinette (1938)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/u3IsKWC05Cuz8gh4dWR7RGVXxtG.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5d/The_Central_Park_Five_poster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://www.impawards.com/2012/central_park_five.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37439616

The Central Park Five - (2012)

It's become a familiar story by now. A police department is under pressure to solve a crime that's getting a lot of attention, so they coerce the first people they manage to lay their hands on to confess - with little investigative work or consideration over whether they have the right people. New York vented their fury at the Central Park Five, as did their fellow prison inmates - but as it turned out they were just 5 ordinary kids who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It should have been noticed by the jury in each of the trials - all the confessions were wildly different from each other, and there was no other evidence. It just so happens that people trust the police and prosecutors that they are doing their jobs in the correct manner. That they wouldn't be doing what they're doing unless they're sure they have the right people in custody. If you don't know what the whole "Central Park Five" case was about, this is a pretty good documentary to fill you in. Netflix released the dramatization, When They See Us, in 2019.

7/10

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6e/The_Banshees_of_Inisherin.jpg/220px-The_Banshees_of_Inisherin.jpg

3

SF = Zzzz



[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

[ScarletLion]

'Godland' (2023)

Directed by Hyldur Pálmason

https://bestsimilar.com/img/movie/thumb/2b/78868.jpg

Hlynur Pálmason's follow up to the excellent 'A White, white day' is Part Bergman, part Dreyer, part Scorsese's Silence, part Icelandic landscape documentary, part The Piano, with the eerie tone of the lighthouse and the visuals of a Mark Jenkin film.

It follows a Danish priest (Elliott Crosset Hove) who is sent to Iceland to set up a church. The journey is extremely tough, and with the help of his guide (the excellent Ingvar Sigurdsson) they try and traverse the harsh Icelandic terrain. The film is presented on a vignette style almost 4:3 aspect ratio which gives it an otherworldly feel, especially when coupled with the beautiful sparse Icelandic vistas. The subplot is that the priest is a keen photographer eager to capture his experiences and those of the people he meets – which is director Pálmason’s idea for the inspiration behind the film. He creates a false narrative that photographs were found that were purportedly taken by the Priest.

The journey descends into chaos, details of which are best left unspoilt in a review, but it’s safe to say the film is one of the best of the year so far.

8.7/10

4.5

[Marco]

A Good Person (2023)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b8/A_Good_Person_poster.jpg
This is OK, a bit of a potboiler about addiction. Florence Pugh plays a lady caught up in opioid addiction after after a car crash that was fatal for her passengers. Not awful but quite soapy.
2.5

[Torgo]

Dark Star - 3

Peter Gibbons said it best: "human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day." Based on this movie, they also weren't meant to be stuck in tiny spaceships for dozens of years. That's the situation of Doolittle, Boiler, Talby and Pinback in this odd and silly sci-fi comedy that marks John Carpenter's directorial debut. Their mission: destroy unstable planets that put colonizable ones at risk. Besides having to do this on a spaceship that makes Apollo 13 seem roomy, the crew have to contend with a naughty alien, various deadly astrological phenomena, too smart for its own good AI and crushing boredom.

This movie is also notable for being the feature screenwriting debut of Dan O'Bannon (Alien). The moments that have his distinctive stamp on it are its brightest spots, especially when Pinback, the most anxious of the four (who O'Bannon plays) contends with the beach ball with chicken legs that is their stowaway. As that description implies, this is essentially a student film, but there's ingenuity to be found, whether it's the graphics in the space storm and the computer readouts or the use of ordinary objects like muffin trays and model kits as ship components. Most importantly, though, due to O'Bannon's flustered performance - it's too bad he didn't act more - and his wry dialogue, the movie is quite funny. With that said, this still isn't the easiest movie to watch. The close-quartered camerawork, while effective at conveying how cramped the ship is, is a bit on the ordinary side, so much so that the tedium the crew experiences became my own and not in a good way. Also, as wrong as it seems to criticize the performances in a student film, I wish the rest of the cast showed up like O'Bannon did. I still had a pretty good time overall, especially for the experience of getting to see how two of the late 20th century's best entertainers started out. Oh, and if it succeeds at anything, it's at conveying what Alien and Office Space also prove: work sucks.

[honeykid]

That's because you rewatch Charlie's Angels and Young Guns every week
I'm not 50% Rodent, y'know.: D

[Mr Minio]

I'm not 50% Rodent, y'know.: D Both parts of Charlie's Angels, then.

[Stirchley]

Powerful movie. I enjoyed it very much. Nobody would guess that Andrea Riseborough is British. She never once lost the Texas accent in the movie. She’s really terrific in this movie.

92396

92397

Powerful dark movie about the grooming of a 17 year old girl by a 34 year old man. Lily McInerny is the girl & she is such a good actress who has only been in two things so far: this movie & a tv series (Tell Me Lies) in which she was equally good. She’s definitely someone to watch for the future. She’s 24, but looks, well, 17.

[WHITBISSELL!]

Dark Star - rating_3

Peter Gibbons said it best: "human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day." Based on this movie, they also weren't meant to be stuck in tiny spaceships for dozens of years. That's the situation of Doolittle, Boiler, Talby and Pinback in this odd and silly sci-fi comedy that marks John Carpenter's directorial debut. Their mission: destroy unstable planets that put colonizable ones at risk. Besides having to do this on a spaceship that makes Apollo 13 seem roomy, the crew have to contend with a naughty alien, various deadly astrological phenomena, too smart for its own good AI and crushing boredom.

This movie is also notable for being the feature screenwriting debut of Dan O'Bannon (Alien). The moments that have his distinctive stamp on it are its brightest spots, especially when Pinback, the most anxious of the four (who O'Bannon plays) contends with the beach ball with chicken legs that is their stowaway. As that description implies, this is essentially a student film, but there's ingenuity to be found, whether it's the graphics in the space storm and the computer readouts or the use of ordinary objects like muffin trays and model kits as ship components. Most importantly, though, due to O'Bannon's flustered performance - it's too bad he didn't act more - and his wry dialogue, the movie is quite funny. With that said, this still isn't the easiest movie to watch. The close-quartered camerawork, while effective at conveying how cramped the ship is, is a bit on the ordinary side, so much so that the tedium the crew experiences became my own and not in a good way. Also, as wrong as it seems to criticize the performances in a student film, I wish the rest of the cast showed up like O'Bannon did. I still had a pretty good time overall, especially for the experience of getting to see how two of the late 20th century's best entertainers started out. Oh, and if it succeeds at anything, it's at conveying what Alien and Office Space also prove: work sucks.I haven't seen this since I first watched it in a theater on it's opening weekend. Back then, more often than not, you went in to most movies not knowing much of anything about them. You should have seen me trying to figure out what the hell I was watching when I bought a ticket for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

[Torgo]

You should have seen me trying to figure out what the hell I was watching when I bought a ticket for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.Did you go in with no knowledge of Monty Python and expecting something like Excalibur? That would be pretty funny.

[Corax]

Did you go in with no knowledge of Monty Python and expecting something like Excalibur? That would be pretty funny.
I had no idea what I'd gotten myself into the first time I saw it, but I still fell out of my chair laughing. Still one of my top 5 comedies. Hell, it might be #1.



I will say that some of the best film experiences I've had have been movies I went into "cold" - no idea what I was going to see. There is something to be said to being forced to watch something you wouldn't normally watch. And even if you would, there is still something to be said for being thrown in without mental preparation. The purpose of film is to overwhelm us. Big screen. Big sound. Immersion. You're somewhere else. The rational mind submits to a different order of reality and you're through the looking glass. Outside of music, storytelling is as close to magic as we've ever come as a species.

[CharlesAoup]

The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (A)


Classic story of a guy being sent to Japan after getting into trouble with the law in, presumably, Texas.


It's interesting to watch this after the nonsense of F9. There's some ridiculous stuff here, but it's really what Fast and Furious used to be all about. People angry about things and fighting each other in car races. Similar to how Yugioh has people settling high stakes issues with cards.


Outside of the comparison, this is a good, low stakes story of a cowboy in Japan getting it on with some yakuza lady and exploring the world of drifting. The car chases scenes are good and the wheels stay on the ground for the most part.


There's a kinetic feeling here, as there is in many early/mid 2000s movies that you don't see now. You feel the impacts. The cars get damaged. People get injured. It's all those elements that feel real that really add weight to the action. Honestly, watching this again made me not want to watch whatever happens next in the franchise. Absolute banger soundtrack as well. My Life Be Like and the eponymous theme get all the attention, but the opening hooks you in from the first minutes.

[WHITBISSELL!]

Did you go in with no knowledge of Monty Python and expecting something like Excalibur? That would be pretty funny.I'm not sure. I used to smoke a lot of the wacky terbacky back then. But it was a life altering experience with or without the herbal supplement. Kind of like the first time I listened to a Richard Pryor album.

[Fabulous]

Ziegfeld Girl (1941)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/eHv14CWLRavWYNMQjnX6CqF7Rk4.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/de/AirFilmPoster.png
By Amazon Studios - IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72988220

Air - (2023)

I didn't like the look of this when I first heard about it, but it turns out that Air is remarkably solid and entertaining for a film all about closing on one particularly monumental business deal. Enjoying it fully might depend on where you stand as far as Ben Affleck/Matt Damon films go, but if you're open to the experience I really recommend it. In 1984, at the start of the film, Nike is the underdog amongst sporting shoe conglomerates - hardly competing with the likes of Adidas and other big brands. Robby Strasser (Jason Bateman) asks his team to pick three second-tier basketballers to offer shoe endorsements to, but Sonny Vaccaro, a gambler, wants to bet everything on a teenager by the name of Michael Jordan. What follows builds such momentum that everyone's career begins to depend on him saying yes to Nike, despite being offered even more to go with his favourite brand. Loved Chris Tucker in this, and Affleck was really solid too - but the film depends on Damon, and he doesn't let us down. The nerve-filled and very awkward conference held with Michael Jordan's family (including Viola Davis as Deloris, his mother) was a big highlight. Best 2023 film I've seen so far (I've only seen two.)

7.5/10

[ArloKeyd]

Collateral Beauty 9/10

[Daniel M]

Naked Lunch (David Cronenberg, 1991) 4.5

https://lwlies.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/naked-lunch-1991-film-1108x0-c-default.jpg

Continuing my Cronenberg kick with this fantastic film. I didn't know much about Burroughs but found myself reading up about him afterward. Great mix of style and content, up there with Cronenberg's best for me with Videodrome and eXistenZ.

[WhizzAlii]

Movie: 65
Rating: 7/10

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjBkMTRkMWQtNzAwYS00MmE2LWI5YzktNDU5OGY2NjIzMzNjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMxOTE0ODA@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


Wow, this was really bad.

[Fabulous]

Royal Wedding (1951)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/2RRjl6Wv1f7F7m20EIfDQXn1gtA.jpg

[beelzebubble]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjBkMTRkMWQtNzAwYS00MmE2LWI5YzktNDU5OGY2NjIzMzNjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMxOTE0ODA@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


Wow, this was really bad.
If Frank Grillo is the lead they probably could not afford the best. I like Frank though. He is hot.

[beelzebubble]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/de/AirFilmPoster.png
By Amazon Studios - IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72988220

Air - (2023)

I didn't like the look of this when I first heard about it, but it turns out that Air is remarkably solid and entertaining for a film all about closing on one particularly monumental business deal. Enjoying it fully might depend on where you stand as far as Ben Affleck/Matt Damon films go, but if you're open to the experience I really recommend it. In 1984, at the start of the film, Nike is the underdog amongst sporting shoe conglomerates - hardly competing with the likes of Adidas and other big brands. Robby Strasser (Jason Bateman) asks his team to pick three second-tier basketballers to offer shoe endorsements to, but Sonny Vaccaro, a gambler, wants to bet everything on a teenager by the name of Michael Jordan. What follows builds such momentum that everyone's career begins to depend on him saying yes to Nike, despite being offered even more to go with his favourite brand. Loved Chris Tucker in this, and Affleck was really solid too - but the film depends on Damon, and he doesn't let us down. The nerve-filled and very awkward conference held with Michael Jordan's family (including Viola Davis as Deloris, his mother) was a big highlight. Best 2023 film I've seen so far (I've only seen two.)

7.5/10
Nice to hear Chris Tucker is getting parts.

[Corax]

Nice to hear Chris Tucker is getting parts.
Yeah, he kind of fell off?

[Fabulous]

For Me and My Gal (1942)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/qA7WdA6FWOVeS6xSZEcXwsNNyje.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2a/Walk_on_the_Wild_Side_poster.jpg
By http://www.movieposterdb.com/posters/06_04/1962/0056671/l_106767_0056671_8658dc73.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26018624

Walk on the Wild Side - (1962)

Interesting that this was made while the Hayes Code was still in effect - much of the action takes place in a Louisiana brothel, and involves characters that are gay, so there is much tip-toeing around those subject matters. Dove Linkhorn (Laurence Harvey) chose his dying father over the love of his life, but once his pa is dead he goes looking for her, and when he finds her he's unaware of her secret - that she's been a prostitute since the two broke up. Not only that, but the madam of the brothel she works at, Jo (Barbara Stanwyck) has a "special relationship" with her, and will stop at nothing to see she stays right where she is. This film also features a young Jane Fonda as a girl Linkhorn finds and befriends on the way to Louisiana, only to find out how rotten she is - the two depart acrimoniously, but seem to be fated to meet again. A pretty interesting movie considering some of the performers involved (Capucine plays Linkhorn's girl, Hallie, and Anne Baxter has a role as a latino café owner that falls for Linkhorn) - despite production troubles it turns out okay, although the film's last scene feels missing, and the film ends with the front page of a newspaper hurriedly wrapping up loose ends.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Julie_and_julia.jpg
By Impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22373224

Julie and Julia - (2009)

It took me a while, but I eventually figured out that I'd seen Julie and Julia before - what would have been over 10 years and around 8000 movies ago. Sometimes what I've seen gets hazy, especially if a film wasn't good (or bad) enough to really stick in my memory. This film follows two plot threads - Julia Child (Meryl Streep) learning to cook in Paris during the 1950s, and Julie Powell (Amy Adams) challenging herself to cook 524 Julia Child recipes in one year, while blogging about it on a daily basis. Turns out the blog was a sensation, and lead to a book - but unfortunately the two characters never meet up. While the movie kept things real, a meeting between the two would have really been a satisfying way to end things. Streep is once again incredibly great - a modern acting marvel.

6/10

[shahatboy]

Final Destination 2000
very entertaining .Loved it
rating_3

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/Final_Destination_movie.jpg

Final Destination 2

good, I will watch the whole franchise .

rating_3

https://movieposters2.com/images/656581-b.jpg


Changeling 2008
rating_4_5


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/43/Changeling_poster.jpg?20171215224317

The Myth of Fingerprints 1997

rating_3_5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/54/Poster_of_the_movie_The_Myth_of_Fingerprints.jpg

Aliens 1986

rating_3

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/Aliens_poster.jpg

Aliens 3 (1992)

rating_2

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Alien3_poster.jpg

It MUst Be Heaven 2019
rating_4

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/it_must_be_heaven-928635305-large.jpg


A River Runs Through It 1992

rating_4_5

what a beautiful film

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6c/A_river_runs_through_it_poster.jpg/220px-A_river_runs_through_it_poster.jpg

Serial Mom 1994
rating_3
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/Serial_mom.jpg

The Man Without a Face 1993

the kids actors were good
rating_2

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7a/Man_without_a_face_movie_poster.jpg/220px-Man_without_a_face_movie_poster.jpg

Anywhere but Here 1999
rating_3_5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e8/Anywhere-but-here-movie-poster-1999-1020272455.jpg/220px-Anywhere-but-here-movie-poster-1999-1020272455.jpg

Foxfire 1996

rating_3

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWNmOTViOTgtYjY1My00M2Y5LWIwYzAtNGFiMGU1NGNiN2M3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc3MjQzNTI@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg

what I liked aout the movie :the atomsphere of this movie,the soundtrack, the bonding between the characters and how beautiful angelina Jolie is in this movie.

what I didnt like: The opening shot of the movie is of a man's butt :nope:

Stand by Me 1986
rating_3

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/Stand_By_Me_1986_American_Theatrical_Release_Poster.jpg

Witness for the Prosecution 1957
rating_3_5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ad/Movie_poster_for_%22Witness_for_the_Prosecution%22.jpg

The Rules of Attraction (2002)
rating_3_5

https://canvas.tubitv.com/3f26ef51-7d03-4a3f-94f1-774f4f3f3398/keJFGs?w=408&h=583

The Ice Storm 1997
rating_3_5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/The_Ice_Storm_%28film%29.png

[Raven73]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor among thieves
8/10.
I had not planned on seeing it, but I'd read 3 good reviews on YouTube and so I thought I'd give it a shot. The movie is very entertaining. It reminds me of the old Ray Harryhausen Sinbad the Sailor movies (it even has a battle between two monsters at the end).
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjAyMGMwYTEtNDk4ZS00YmY0LThhZjUtOWI4ZjFmZmU4N2I3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyNzQ1MTk0._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg

[Stirchley]

92409

Sweet sad movie from Mexico. How to keep the cartels & soldiers from abducting very young girls. One way that’s used is to keep the girls’ hair very short & hopefully they pass as male. Very well-acted.


92410

Can’t believe I actually got through this movie. Never seen it before, never heard of it & this is Scorsese? Lead actor Griffin Dunne had a very annoying unibrow, which I hate. So distracting.

[aetherpirate]

https://godzilla.fandom.com/wiki/Godzilla_(Shin_Godzilla_continuity)?file=Shin_Godzilla_%25282016_film%2529_-_00017.png

Shin Godzilla.

If you are watching a Godzilla Movie.. you know what you are in for. And this one was hilarious. I never recovered from seeing this version of him as he evolved. A fun movie all around, with many pokes at Japanese bureaucrats.

[Fabulous]

Lady Jane (1986)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/eQXfxfizrcOFCZQCcsFV8zueNaG.jpg

[Stirchley]

Lady Jane (1986)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/eQXfxfizrcOFCZQCcsFV8zueNaG.jpg

Is that Helena Bonham Carter?

[Fabulous]

Is that Helena Bonham Carter?

Yes. Her first theatrical film.

[Daniel M]

Dredd (Pete Travis, 2012) 3

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjE3NDUwNDgxOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDkwODA1OA@@._V1_.jpg

Pretty good, solid action fun. I didn't expect to like this but found it decent. Better than The Raid, I felt more invested in the characters, especially Olivia Thilby who is great.

[Guaporense]

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion (2019)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/Arrow_of_the_Orion_poster.jpg

Its a spin-off movie from a franchise, so one should be more familiar with it than I was. I just had read some of the manga adaptation of the story (there is the original novels, the manga adaptation, and the anime TV show adaptation), but I didn't remember much of it. Yet, the movie was a self contained story so it was ok to watch it as a standalone movie.

Still, this movie was pretty decently animated, but the rest of it was of poor quality. I guess I am getting too old to enjoy these generic isekai anime titles.

[GulfportDoc]

Walk on the Wild Side - (1962)

Interesting that this was made while the Hayes Code was still in effect - much of the action takes place in a Louisiana brothel, and involves characters that are gay, so there is much tip-toeing around those subject matters. Dove Linkhorn (Laurence Harvey) chose his dying father over the love of his life, but once his pa is dead he goes looking for her, and when he finds her he's unaware of her secret - that she's been a prostitute since the two broke up. Not only that, but the madam of the brothel she works at, Jo (Barbara Stanwyck) has a "special relationship" with her, and will stop at nothing to see she stays right where she is. This film also features a young Jane Fonda as a girl Linkhorn finds and befriends on the way to Louisiana, only to find out how rotten she is - the two depart acrimoniously, but seem to be fated to meet again. A pretty interesting movie considering some of the performers involved (Capucine plays Linkhorn's girl, Hallie, and Anne Baxter has a role as a latino café owner that falls for Linkhorn) - despite production troubles it turns out okay, although the film's last scene feels missing, and the film ends with the front page of a newspaper hurriedly wrapping up loose ends. 6/10
...
It's funny. At the time, I couldn't wait to see this movie because I was completely knocked out by Jimmy Smith's Hammond organ jazz version of "Walk on the Wild Side", which got a lot of radio play despite it being jazz and no lyrics.

So the movie ended up being a let down for me. It had all the right elements in a way, but it simply didn't hang together for me. Perhaps they were trying too hard.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bc/Wall_Street_film.jpg
By http://impawards.com/1987/wall_street.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16069040

Wall Street - (1987)

My - this was really good! I'd never really gotten into Wall Street before. It came out around the time when my young instinct leaned more towards the likes of Predator and Die Hard, and as such was always smeared with the "about money? Oh! how boring!" brush. Following it properly last night, I found that it was about a subject I now care deeply about - the way the ultra-rich make their money, and how it's rarely in a strictly legal sense, and how they all assume that's how you play the game - you break as many rules and laws as you have to and simply don't get caught. Seeing Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) get caught up in this world - one where he takes all the risks and where his mentor then screws him over for a better deal - was interesting, and before he got caught up in a really wild lifestyle, the younger Sheen could really act. Michael Douglas is also at his best here. I'm not a big fan of Oliver Stone as a person - but during the 80s and early 90s he was making some great movies. This is even more relevant today than it was back then.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d1/It-started-with-eve-1941.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28993791

It Started With Eve - (1941)

I'm kind of not being fair to It Started With Eve, because I watched it late last night and during the second half my eyes kept closing for longer and longer rests - not the best way to be when you're trying to enjoy a comedy. The film manages to get the greatest benefit from the wonderful Charles Laughton, as the old Jonathan Reynolds - a man on his death bed. His son Johnny Jnr. (Robert Cummings) can't find his fiancé in time so his father can meet her, so he grabs a random woman off the street and brings her to his bedside - and before you know it Reynolds is recovering - so the subterfuge has to continue and continue...meanwhile, the two are falling in love. This seems to have been what was a typical Cary Grant/Katherine Hepburn type of deal - and for me Robert Cummings simply didn't have the comedic strength to carry the film when it wasn't focused on Laughton, who is always the greatest thing in any movie he's in. I was tired though - Oh so tired, so perhaps I should watch this again one day.

6/10

[LChimp]

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/The_Whale-232222804-large.jpg

Loved this, probably my second favorite Aronofsky flick. The first one is Mother!.

[Iroquois]

Evil Dead Rise - 2

not groovy

[ArloKeyd]

Dredd (Pete Travis, 2012) 3

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjE3NDUwNDgxOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDkwODA1OA@@._V1_.jpg

Pretty good, solid action fun. I didn't expect to like this but found it decent. Better than The Raid, I felt more invested in the characters, especially Olivia Thilby who is great.

I really liked it too. Especially the acting

[Fabulous]

The Big House (1930)

4

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/4lRe6MUBc6NW3HRxLYjtEnwdju5.jpg

[Corax]

Dredd (Pete Travis, 2012) rating_3

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjE3NDUwNDgxOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDkwODA1OA@@._V1_.jpg

Pretty good, solid action fun. I didn't expect to like this but found it decent. Better than The Raid, I felt more invested in the characters, especially Olivia Thilby who is great.


A film that deserved a sequel, but it may be better that we didn't see it drag on so long as to become tiresome.

[beelzebubble]

I'm sure it was lame because I can't remember it.

[Thief]

THE EYES OF MY MOTHER
(2016, Pesce)

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


"Loneliness can do strange things to the mind."



Set in an isolated farm, The Eyes of My Mother follows Francisca (Kika Magalhães), a young woman that finds herself immersed in loneliness. The remoteness of her life, only accompanied by her father and mother, is hit by tragedy which only drives her further into stranger and darker things.

This film came highly recommended by ThatDarnMKS, and it really didn't disappoint. Being the debut from director/writer Nicolas Pesce only made it more impressive. He has a way to patiently set the mood and create simple but disturbing images, but not necessarily with what he shows but rather what he implies. There really isn't much gore, but the implication of the things that happen is way worse.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2383462#post2383462)

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzJlMTE3ODEtODRjOS00Zjg4LWE0ZTYtODAwMWMwNjFmZmQyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


3

[PHOENIX74]

Evil Dead Rise - 2

not groovy

I'm dreading the godawful letdown this looks like being...

[Jackie Daytona]

Oh wow, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls has one of the grooviest soundtracks I've ever heard.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/Original_movie_poster_for_the_film_Paint_Your_Wagon.jpg
By http://www.moviegoods.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10359012

Paint Your Wagon - (1969)

No expense was spared making Paint Your Wagon, but oh boy, they could have spared us by making it an hour or so shorter. The fact that it was a musical that ran on Broadway and the West End before this adaptation spared Paramount a "What were they thinking??" but still. What were they thinking?? I don't mind watching this occasionally though - call it a guilty pleasure. Lee Marvin's version of "Wand'rin' Star" was actually a big hit here in Australia, and it hit No 1 in the U.K. - it is by far the best song in the film, though I might have liked "Gold Fever" a lot more if it wasn't being sung by Clint Eastwood - man, he mangles it so bad. I don't know why they just didn't dub him and be done with it. This Musical Western is crazy enough to be entertaining, with it's polygamy, hard drinkin', carousing, homoerotic moments and attempts at big showtunes. I'm giving it a score I think it deserves - but that doesn't mean I don't kind of love the thing. I also really dig that moment in the Simpsons where Homer rents it on VHS thinking it's a straight cowboy picture - only to see Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef (who wasn't in this) and Lee Marvin break out into song.

5/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W_g7_KJP_o

[Deschain]

I'm dreading the godawful letdown this looks like being...

I saw it tonight and liked it a lot.

[PHOENIX74]

I saw it tonight and liked it a lot.

That gives me some hope at least - I'm going to go see it on Tuesday, and I'm a huge fan of the franchise.

[ScarletLion]

'A Thousand and One' (2023)

Directed by A.V. Rockwell.

https://cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/headlines/2023/02/teyana-taylor-stars-in-athousand-and-one-trailer.jpg

Very watchable drama focused on Inez (Teyana Taylor) who kidnaps her son from the foster care system. A.V. Rockwell wrote and directed it and does an extremely good job - considering I think it's her first feature. But Teyana Taylor is the stand out - she gives a mesmerizing performance as a mum on the edge who will 'go to war' for her son, Terry.

The story begins in 1994 in New York and the city becomes this sort of sprawling malignant background character as we shift into 2001 then 2005, and with it, we see the changes and struggles that Inez has to overcome just to stay on an even keel and try to make sure Terry doesn't make the same mistakes she did. Some scenes are incredibly moving, mostly down to the superb work of Teyana Taylor.

The film is not without flaws, but for such an ambitious film early in Rockwell's career, she pulls it off well.

4

[Torgo]

The Mission (1999) - 4

You can read the full review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383533#post2383533) and many others in my Hong Kong thread (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=65747).

[Thief]

JACK-JACK ATTACK
(2005, Bird)

https://i.imgur.com/FHC6SYk.jpg


"Mrs. Parr, I can totally handle *anything* this baby can dish out."



This short film was filmed at the same time as The Incredibles, and the basic idea of it was supposed to be included in the film. However, it was eventually cut and expanded into a short film that was included in the DVD. It takes place within the same timeline of the climax of the film as Kari takes care of Jack-Jack while the Parr's are fighting Syndrome and his robot.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2383545#post2383545)

[Stirchley]

Excellent movie. The original was good too. Jake G. is exceptionally good.

92423


Very good movie. Just wish the writer & director Paul Schrader had given at least some credit to Ingmar Bergman for lifting several plot points from his movie Winter Light.

92424

[Mike MIller]

Saw Babylon last night, I will give it a 8/10 it has all the elements you want in a thriller.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTc4MzU1OTAtZTdmYS00OGFlLWI4OGYtOWRmZDc3MjdiYWVhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTY4NjI2OTA@._V1_.jpg


4

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/Original_movie_poster_for_the_film_Paint_Your_Wagon.jpg
By http://www.moviegoods.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10359012

Paint Your Wagon - (1969)

No expense was spared making Paint Your Wagon, but oh boy, they could have spared us by making it an hour or so shorter. The fact that it was a musical that ran on Broadway and the West End before this adaptation spared Paramount a "What were they thinking??" but still. What were they thinking?? I don't mind watching this occasionally though - call it a guilty pleasure. Lee Marvin's version of "Wand'rin' Star" was actually a big hit here in Australia, and it hit No 1 in the U.K. - it is by far the best song in the film, though I might have liked "Gold Fever" a lot more if it wasn't being sung by Clint Eastwood - man, he mangles it so bad. I don't know why they just didn't dub him and be done with it. This Musical Western is crazy enough to be entertaining, with it's polygamy, hard drinkin', carousing, homoerotic moments and attempts at big showtunes. I'm giving it a score I think it deserves - but that doesn't mean I don't kind of love the thing. I also really dig that moment in the Simpsons where Homer rents it on VHS thinking it's a straight cowboy picture - only to see Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef (who wasn't in this) and Lee Marvin break out into song.

5/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W_g7_KJP_o

I love musicals but I have tried at least half a dozen times to watch this movie from beginning to end and always end up falling asleep.

[Fabulous]

Born Free (1966)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/h6IZ6PyjcFAsPyS1fOz0oi49Nqg.jpg

[Thief]

WIND
(2019, Chang)

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


"If everyone reaches far enough in their history, there’s one person that propelled the family forward and gave up a lot of their own opportunities. I hope people remember that person, because that gives you introspection about what you’re doing for the next generation."



Set in a weird gravity-challenged chasm, Wind follows a kid and his grandmother as they both try to use the few resources they have at hand to escape. The short is part of Pixar's SparkShorts initiative to encourage young animators and storytellers to tell personal stories through animation.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2383605#post2383605)

[LChimp]

https://amc-theatres-res.cloudinary.com/v1679573486/amc-cdn/production/2/movies/66700/66661/Poster/Primary_BoxCover_HD_800_1200.jpg

Exactly what you would expect, no more, no less.

[PHOENIX74]

I love musicals but I have tried at least half a dozen times to watch this movie from beginning to end and always end up falling asleep.

Yeah, it's way too long (about an hour too long) and there's nothing really there to necessitate such epic length.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/39/Russians_are_coming.jpg
By Impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21650122

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming - (1966)

Does everyone here remember Steven Spielberg's 1941? The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (the mid-60s was really a time for wacky film titles) is a gargantuan comedic production along the lines of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, with a plot reminiscent of 1941. A Russian submarine runs aground off the coast of the U.S. island of Gloucester, and as such a select band of Russian naval personnel scour the island for a boat to help tow their stricken craft. The more islanders they come across, the more panic spreads as the population takes their presence as the start of a Russian invasion of the U.S. Madcap hijinks ensue. Alan Arkin, in his first big starring role, is the real standout here as Russian Rozanov, and the cast includes Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint. My biggest gripe with it is the fact that this is a 1-joke movie. The only aspect played for laughs is the panic that sweeps the island. I did enjoy the fact that both Americans and Russians in this are treated equally, and the film really inspires a sense of equality and comradeship - with Russians and Americans joining together to save a small boy, and realising they both have the same human impulses and shouldn't be so wary of each other.

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming was nominated for 4 Oscars in 1967, including Best Picture! It was a critical darling of it's time, but has since been somewhat forgotten. It's the film that made Alan Arkin, and a special trailer was put together which features his character being interviewed. I'm kind of torn - I just didn't think it was that funny, and the joke of "Russian Attack Paranoia Panic" sure wore thin after the first hour and a half. Arkin was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar - and he's the saving grace here. I know some people here will have loved this film, and I have a slight affection for it, but it didn't work for me. Maybe you need to be in the midst of the Cold War to feel the right vibes.

5/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ACDoxjj9WQ

[Miss Vicky]

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoMovieGifs/popesexorcist.gif

The Pope's Exorcist (Julius Avery, 2023)

I made plans to go to the movies tonight with a friend. I thought we were seeing Beau Is Afraid. She thought we were seeing this and she was in charge of getting the tickets before we left, so this is what we saw. Fortunately I had wanted to see this too. What can I say? Despite garbage like The Man With the Iron Fists, Winter's Tale, and Unhinged, my love of Russell Crowe remains intact.

Although I probably would've been happier with the three hours of Joaquin Phoenix I was expecting when I left my house, I can't say I was truly disappointed with the hour and forty-seven minutes of Russell Crowe that I got.

Overall this movie was considerably better than I expected. Admittedly, what I expected was absolute garbage, but still, I genuinely enjoyed this. The possession scenes were laughably bad and this movie was not the least bit frightening, but it was entertaining even as the ending cranked the ridiculous factor up to eleven. I also thought Crowe was quite good. His character was likable and provided a surprising amount of intentional humor and, to my very ignorant American ears at least, he was quite convincing as an Italian-speaking priest. (Russell Crowe is the best damn Austral-Italian there ever was. Fight me.)

Not at all a bad way to waste some time. Will watch again.

3

[Thief]

BURROW
(2020, Sharafian)

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


"I saw that door of opportunity open a crack and it was time to throw my whole body through."



Burrow follows a friendly but shy rabbit that has a plan to build the burrow of her dreams. However, her creative process is affected as she finds "obstacles" in every hole that she opens. The "obstacles" are none other than fellow creatures and "neighbors" that inhabit the same space, but the rabbit is too shy to allow others to see her project, moreover ask for help.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2383683#post2383683)

[Fabulous]

That Uncertain Feeling (1941)

2.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/gOlcqmIn7NOKoDC5MMjvWkARmC7.jpg

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjViNGM0ODgtYzJjOC00MzExLTg4NGQtYjY0MDc0MDMyN2E3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTc4NDkxOA@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


2

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTA5YWZmNmYtMzJjNS00ZjE5LTk0OTEtNDliNjFlZjdlNWVkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDY2MTk1ODk@._V1_.jpg


3

[Thief]

KITBULL
(2019, Sullivan)

https://i.imgur.com/9gS2HJp.jpg


"I related to this kitten because it never really stepped out of its comfort zone to be vulnerable and make a connection."



Kitbull follows the unlikely bond formed between a stray cat and an abused pitbull. The third of Pixar's SparkShorts initiative that I saw this month, it was written and directed by Rosana Sullivan, a storyboard artist that has worked with Pixar since 2011. She described the experience of writing the short with the above quote.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2383735#post2383735)

[Jackie Daytona]

The Mission (1999) - rating_4

You can read the full review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383533#post2383533) and many others in my Hong Kong thread (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=65747).




Haha what a coincidence, this is on my to-watch list right now, I'm going through the movies of Johnnie To, including:


Election (parts 1 and 2)

For my money, Johnie To is the most underrated gangster/crime movie director out there. Election is an epic two-part story in the style of Scorsese that follows a traditional election among Hong Kong gang bosses to decide on the head boss of the entire syndicate. It's a tale of ancient triad traditions crumbling in the face of modernity and the fundamental absurdity of trying to impose norms on criminal gang bosses who are willing to engage in increasingly savage tactics to seize power.

Strong recommend if you like Goodfellas or Casino.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/Jane_eyre_ver1.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16189573

Jane Eyre - (1996)

It's been 12 years since the last adaptation of Jane Eyre was released, which means we're pretty much due for another one when you consider the time gap between adaptations. There were two made during the 90s, only 1 year apart, but generally it's a decade by decade prospect. Some time last year I decided I'd take on a little side project, and compare all the adaptations - my first experience was with the 2011 Mia Wasikowska/Michael Fassbender version. Last night I gave the 1996 Charlotte Gainsbourg/William Hurt version a go - produced and distributed by Miramax, so unfortunately it includes Harvey Weinstein's name prominently in the opening credits. Gainsbourg's name never came up as one of the ladies he abused, so hopefully she avoided the big-bodied producer in his bathrobe asking for a "massage". This adaptation was fine - everything you'd expect, and I really liked Gainsbourg in this. Although William Hurt came in for come criticism for being wrong for the part, I thought he acquitted himself well also. He's no Timothy Dalton or Michael Fassbender though. But, as Jane Eyre herself says, "Remember, the shadows are just as important as the light." This version makes itself unique in character by casting him.

7/10

[skizzerflake]

Interesting, sorta good, AIR. It's an odd movie, about Micheal Jordan and the development and release of the "Air Jordan", the shoe that saved the fortunes of Nike and is still made, sold on Amazon for like $500 as of tonight. I don't get it, but it is what it is. The movie catches Jordan as a rising star and the guys at Nike, recognizing his talent, manage to get a contract with Jordan to use his name, blindsiding everybody else who wants a piece of his image.

It was one of the first times that a sports figure got not just paid to license a name, but got a piece of every sale, so even now Jordan gets paid a piece of every shoe, a nice deal. Since that deal, all sports heroes need a shoe or a jersey or something sellable that people will buy.

The movie is fairly pedestrian, and, for reasons I don't quite understand, probably something about image licensing, "Jordan" (portrayed by an actor) appears in a bunch of scenes, but we never get a clear view. This is the way old movies portrayed Jesus. Often sports movies are lost on me. This one is no exception.

5/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euy4Yu6B3nU

[Captain Steel]

Moby Dick (1930)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGUzMzI5ZTAtZTY4My00Y2M2LWFlNjUtNzJjZTE4YzJmMjI3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzg1ODEwNQ@@._V1_.jpg

Not sure what to say about this early talkie starring John Barrymore as the famous "Captain Ahab".

I never read the book so I can't REALLY compare, but I have seen some of the other movie adaptations... and this is nothing like those.
I always thought "Ahab" was the captain's last name - but in this movie it's his first name (and he has a brother named Derek)!
I know the book starts out with the line "Call me Ishmael" - but there's no character called Ishmael in this movie (although there are a couple others from the book).

This movie might have been more appropriately titled "Ahab the Early Years" as much of the story focuses on his life as an acrobatic, anti-religion, devil-may-care sailor & drinker who falls for the same girl his brother is in love with (but the girl, who is the local Chaplin's daughter, doesn't love his brother, and instead falls for Ahab - why, I'm not sure; guess she's one of those women who want the bad boy even if he is a drunk),

Ahab does ultimately lose his leg to the white whale of the title (with some "special effects" that almost have to be seen to be believed... and by that I mean, they are not particularly good even for the era).

This one ends with Ahab killing the whale, returning home and getting the girl (which are another few reasons it's hard to believe they named this after the book)!

This movie comes off more like a romantic comedy than an adventure at sea (but while Barrymore doesn't drown, he does do a lot of scenery chewing throughout).

2

[WHITBISSELL!]

KITBULL
(2019, Sullivan)

https://i.imgur.com/9gS2HJp.jpg




Kitbull follows the unlikely bond formed between a stray cat and an abused pitbull. The third of Pixar's SparkShorts initiative that I saw this month, it was written and directed by Rosana Sullivan, a storyboard artist that has worked with Pixar since 2011. She described the experience of writing the short with the above quote.

Grade: rating_3_5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2383735#post2383735)I actually watched this somewhat recently. I don't remember the exact why of it since most of my short film watching experiences stem from reading your reviews. Maybe someone else here watched it and wrote it up. I did like it though.

[Captain Steel]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/39/Russians_are_coming.jpg
By Impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21650122

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming - (1966)

Does everyone here remember Steven Spielberg's 1941? The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (the mid-60s was really a time for wacky film titles) is a gargantuan comedic production along the lines of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, with a plot reminiscent of 1941. A Russian submarine runs aground off the coast of the U.S. island of Gloucester, and as such a select band of Russian naval personnel scour the island for a boat to help tow their stricken craft. The more islanders they come across, the more panic spreads as the population takes their presence as the start of a Russian invasion of the U.S. Madcap hijinks ensue. Alan Arkin, in his first big starring role, is the real standout here as Russian Rozanov, and the cast includes Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint. My biggest gripe with it is the fact that this is a 1-joke movie. The only aspect played for laughs is the panic that sweeps the island. I did enjoy the fact that both Americans and Russians in this are treated equally, and the film really inspires a sense of equality and comradeship - with Russians and Americans joining together to save a small boy, and realising they both have the same human impulses and shouldn't be so wary of each other.

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming was nominated for 4 Oscars in 1967, including Best Picture! It was a critical darling of it's time, but has since been somewhat forgotten. It's the film that made Alan Arkin, and a special trailer was put together which features his character being interviewed. I'm kind of torn - I just didn't think it was that funny, and the joke of "Russian Attack Paranoia Panic" sure wore thin after the first hour and a half. Arkin was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar - and he's the saving grace here. I know some people here will have loved this film, and I have a slight affection for it, but it didn't work for me. Maybe you need to be in the midst of the Cold War to feel the right vibes.

5/10

This was my mom's favorite movie! :)

[PHOENIX74]

This was my mom's favorite movie! :)

I'd never heard of it before, and it's such a huge movie. I loved Alan Arkin in it - he stood out from everyone else to a great degree. Had the markings of a future star.

[LChimp]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FhpQZKjXkAA9lWd.jpg:large

I liked this, but I liked X better. Let MaXXXine come

[Thief]

I actually watched this somewhat recently. I don't remember the exact why of it since most of my short film watching experiences stem from reading your reviews. Maybe someone else here watched it and wrote it up. I did like it though.

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, it's a simple but charming short.

[Captain Steel]

I'd never heard of it before, and it's such a huge movie. I loved Alan Arkin in it - he stood out from everyone else to a great degree. Had the markings of a future star.

So true. And this movie was very early in his career. It always seemed he should have been a much bigger star than he was, and his resume is relatively light during his prime. At least he's had something of a resurgence in his later years.

[Fabulous]

Tom Thumb (1958)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/w2FMqCR8eo1NWYIiLzKdzbfeBSX.jpg

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d2/BabylonOfficialTheatricalPoster2022.jpeg

2.5

SF = Zzzz



[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

[Fred2515]

RENFIELD (2023)
I watched it to the end without rewinding. For the role of Dracula, Cage in this film is ill-suited, and Leslie Nielsen, unfortunately, is all. In general, it turned out to be rubbish.

[Fabulous]

Finian's Rainbow (1968)

2.5

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

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/EvilDeadRiseTeaser.jpg
By New Line Cinema - IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72657374

Evil Dead Rise - (2023)

I'll definitely be seeing this again. I didn't like the very start, or the very end, but the body of the film was pretty much what I'd demand from an Evil Dead film, and it didn't hold back like I was afraid it might - especially considering it's the first of the franchise with kids at the center of what's going on. Lee Cronin couldn't top the way 2013's Evil Dead got things underway, and I was bracing for disappointment - but I was really pleasantly surprised by the off-putting make-up effects and sound. Moments such as the Shining elevator homage had me thinking I might be watching a classic - but overall, in the end, it was just very good. It could have been a touch freakier, but I can't complain - it did enough to satisfy me. It sure didn't hold back on the vomiting. I don't think the ending was that great - but I can't deny that I had a great time watching it, and felt that the film was capturing that Evil Dead atmosphere and spirit. Considering what I feared this film might be, that's a relief. Well done Lee. Happy to see this doing well.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/Children_of_men_ver4.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24105930

Children of Men - (2006)

Dystopian science fiction can get pretty depressing, but Children of Men is so well put together, and looks so perfect, that Alfonso Cuarón turns this into a cinematic triumph. The film feels even more timely now, with a pandemic that has disrupted the entire globe and the United States teetering on the edge of civil strife, an uncertain election the world is bracing for not far away. Refugee hate-mongering takes center stage in this, in a world where time is limited due to the fact that no new life is being produced - 100% infertility, and we're staring into the abyss. Through war and hate, a delicate newborn baby must make it's way - and I hold my breath the entire time. Initially, this film was too dark and full of despair for me to manage - but in the ensuing years I've been eager to see it again with an eye to how well made it is. It still surprises, and as I said - still seems ever so relevant.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3a/Jane_Eyre.jpeg
By Movie Poster Database, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7678285

Jane Eyre - (1943)

My third Jane Eyre, and my reaction to this one has me thinking I should space them out a little more - Orson Welles plays Edward Rochester in a curious manner. Gruffly masculine, which I guess is on the money, but still feels strange when it's coming from a peach-faced, smooth, Orson Welles - and it's the way his eyes seem to penetrate what they're looking at that captivates. This follows the usual story beats in a familiar pattern - the adaptations go back as far as 1910 (that version is lost however - a shame, I'd love to see how they squeeze everything onto one reel) and there followed one in 1921, and one in 1934, the latter of which goes only 62 minutes. I feel the need to read the novel starting to bother me...

6/10

[SpelingError]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/Children_of_men_ver4.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24105930

Children of Men - (2006)

Dystopian science fiction can get pretty depressing, but Children of Men is so well put together, and looks so perfect, that Alfonso Cuarón turns this into a cinematic triumph. The film feels even more timely now, with a pandemic that has disrupted the entire globe and the United States teetering on the edge of civil strife, an uncertain election the world is bracing for not far away. Refugee hate-mongering takes center stage in this, in a world where time is limited due to the fact that no new life is being produced - 100% infertility, and we're staring into the abyss. Through war and hate, a delicate newborn baby must make it's way - and I hold my breath the entire time. Initially, this film was too dark and full of despair for me to manage - but in the ensuing years I've been eager to see it again with an eye to how well made it is. It still surprises, and as I said - still seems ever so relevant.

8/10

Bump it up an extra star you coward!

[Thief]

LOOP
(2020, Milsom)

https://i.imgur.com/4EyOpzd.jpg


"Sorry. Anyways, I think I'm just gonna hang out and wait... till you tell me what you want."



Ever felt like you're trying to communicate with someone who just doesn't understand you, and you get stuck in a loop? That's the situation two young kids find themselves in this beautiful short from Pixar. Loop follows Renee and Marcus as they share a canoe trip at camp.

The thing is that Renee is a non-verbal autistic girl, while Marcus talks quite a bit. I don't have a lot of experience with non-verbal autistic people, but I feel like this short film does a great job of portraying their struggles at communicating. One of the most notable things is how Renee uses a sound app on her phone to transmit her various feelings.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2383983#post2383983)