Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[Fabulous]

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/qfY58nletpMcVNOrCQg95T3kUwh.jpg

[Deschain]

CHILD'S PLAY 2
(1990, Lafia)

https://i.imgur.com/riZn2f8.png




Child's Play 2 follows Chucky's rampage as the doll is reassembled and brought back to life at the Good Guy doll factory, not knowing that it is still possessed by the soul of killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif). After making his way out of the factory, Chucky once again sets his sight on poor, little Andy (Alex Vincent).

Is it "silly"? Yes, but that doesn't make it inherently bad. I think the film is the right amount of silly with the right amount of creepy. Director John Lafia does a great job in making you feel the dread and threat of a little doll running through the room to get you. However, I think the main success of the film is in putting likable characters like Andy and his new foster sister, Kyle (Christine Elise) in the front. Both performances are pretty solid and easy to root for.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2463344#post2463344)

My favorite of the series, mostly thanks to the third act.

[Thief]

My favorite of the series, mostly thanks to the third act.

Yep. From my full review on my own thread...


Finally, the film offers a pretty fun last act, set at the Good Guy factory, which serves as a neat bookend to the opening act. Having our good guys chased by the bad "Good Guy" doll in the Good Guy factory, as they run through conveyor belts, doll boxes, and vats of plastic does have echoes of Terminator, but it also stands on its own as a really creative setpiece and closing to a really creative and weirdly fun franchise.

[PHOENIX74]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjNiMWVhNjAtMzgyYS00NzRhLWJmNGUtNzdiOGFhMmY5NDUwL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1 _.jpg


4th rewatch...Fans of films like Caddyshack and Revenge of the Nerds will enjoy this goofy and slightly smarmy comedy about a group of misfits who have enrolled in a Florida police academy and how the staff is trying to get them quit the program before completion, centered around one rogue candidate named Cary Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg) who has been court ordered into the Academy and must complete the program but is trying everything he can think of to get kicked out. This 1984 comedy still has plenty of laugh out loud scenes, more than I remembered. Guttenberg is a charmer and GW Bailey and George Gaynes also get their share of laughs as Captain Harris and Commandant Lassard, respectively. This film was such a smash it that it actually inspired six sequels, none of which I've seen. If memory serves, Guttenberg is only in the first four, but this one stll makes me laugh. 3.5

I'm sure you've probably heard, but the sequels were all terrible, despite the fact that Bobcat Goldthwait is in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th film - and yeah, Guttenberg bailed after the 4th. For some strange reason, I've seen them all. The comedy gets so bad, and you feel so embarrassed for the actors, that they become like horror movies as you squirm in your seat.

Regarding the first film though - what we didn't see coming was how huge Kim Cattrall was going to become, especially considering the rest of the cast (bar Guttenberg to an extent) faded away to nothing.

[Allaby]

Hair (1979) Watched on Tubi. A groovy musical with good performances and enjoyable songs. Will it make the upcoming musical countdown? I think so. 4

[Gideon58]

Hair (1979) Watched on Tubi. A groovy musical with good performances and enjoyable songs. Will it make the upcoming musical countdown? I think so. 4

Love this movie...a link to my review:


https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/948491-hair.html

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWJmZTExZTYtZjg1Mi00ZDFmLTk3MTYtZTUwYzkzODA2M2ZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjk1Njg5NTA@._V1_.jpg


5th Rewatch...This is another one of those movies that gets a little dumber and a little harder to believe with each rewatch. Adam Sandler stars as Sonny Colfax, an irresponsible daydreamer who is living off the $250.000 settlement he received when a cab ran over his foot. Sonny's comfortable existence is forever changed when he finds a five year old boy delivered to his doorstep, who it turns out is the result of a one night stand between his roommate (Jon Stewart), who has just left the country for an extended business trip, and a woman who lives in Montreal. Sonny doesn't want to see the boy put into the system so he decides to pretend to be his roommate and raise the boy himself. The by-the-number-hijinks that arise from such a premise are predictable and there are laughs here, but the truth is, in real life, this boy would have been taken from Sonny long before he is and Sonny probably would have ended up in jail, but it's an Adam Sandler movie so we know that's not going to happen The standard Sandler insanity abounds, making the film longer than it needs to be and the climactic trial where Sonny is being charged with fraud, is just stupid. Steve Buscemi is very funny as a homeless guy and the late Joseph Bologna does a classy cameo as Sonny's dad and the boy is played by twins Cole and Dylan Sprouse, who also played Ross' son, Ben on Friends. This film also raises the eternal question..."Whatever happened to Joey Lauren Adams?" 3

[Stirchley]

http://www.impawards.com/2024/posters/young_woman_and_the_sea.jpg

Young Woman and the Sea
5

Young Woman and the Sea is the sort of thrilling, old-fashioned entertainment the Hollywood studios very rarely make anymore.


Looks good. Put it in my watchlist.

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/A_Woman_Under_the_Influence_%281974_poster_-_retouched%29.jpg



2nd Rewatch...An extraordinary performance by Gena Rowlands that won her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination and the uncompromising direction of her late husband, John Cassavetes anchor this powerhouse motion picture experience that, even on a 3rd watch, had my stomach in knots and me talking back to the screen. Rowlands plays Mabel, a disturbed housewife who has some serious mental health issues that both she and her blue collar worker husband, Nick (Peter Falk) are in denial about. This story is so disturbing because most movie characters with mental health issues have already been diagnosed, but Mabel has no idea what's wrong with her. The fact that this film appears to be unscripted (I have been unable to confirm this one way or the other) only adds to the gritty realism of what we're watching. If nothing else, the scene near the beginning of the film where Nick brings home his co-workers and Mabel throws together a spaghetti dinner for them, comes off as totally unscripted, whether it was or not. Other scenes that destroy me are the scenes where Mabel actually gets committed and when she comes home from the hospital and Nick suddenly realizes that the surprise party he has planned for her was a huge mistake, not to mention that family dinner where Mabel asks everyone to go home and they refuse, linger with me. The saddest thing about this movie is that when Mabel gets home from the hospital, she doesn't seem to be any better. Even on a third watch, this movie leaves me limp. 4.5

[Thief]

THREE ON A MATCH
(1932, LeRoy)

https://i.imgur.com/3fhaPRX.jpg


"Look forward and not back, look out and not in, look up and not down, and lend a hand."



Three on a Match follows three girl friends from elementary school into adulthood. There's Mary (Joan Blondell), the "popular" girl that became a showgirl; Ruth (Bette Davis), the class valedictorian working as a stenographer; and Vivian (Ann Dvorak), the "class beauty" now married to a successful lawyer.

This is yet another iconic example of what Pre-Code brought to the table. The depictions here of alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, and child neglect are quite powerful for the time. Dvorak does a great job of showing all the layers in Vivian's character, as she goes from "class beauty" and rich girl to drunken party girl and drug addicted hostage. The film also features an early role of Humphrey Bogart as a gangster thug and he's so good in it.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2463482#post2463482)

[Stirchley]

99005

Shades of Jeanne Dielman. Slow burner, but the lead actor made the movie. I enjoyed it.

[Marco]

The First Omen (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/The_First_Omen_poster.jpg
I thought I'd like this but to be honest I thought it was a bit tepid due to a meandering script although the the performances are ok despite that. A couple of jumps due to the perceived mental instability of the young nun are quite effective but the overall story is hokey I think. Having seen the preceding movies this probably fits in somewhere content-wise between the threatening Omen 2 and the frankly hilarious Omen 3.
2.5

[Marco]

The First Omen (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/The_First_Omen_poster.jpg
I thought I'd like this but to be honest I thought it was a bit tepid due to a meandering script although the the performances are ok despite that. A couple of jumps due to the perceived mental instability of the young nun are quite effective but the overall story is hokey I think. Having seen the preceding movies this probably fits in somewhere content-wise between the threatening Omen 2 and the frankly hilarious Omen 3.
2.5
Oh, and wasn't Damien's mother a jackal? Did they bother watching the first 3 movies?

[FilmBuff]

Oh, and wasn't Damien's mother a jackal?

No.

Damien's mother is the lady who is the star of the prequel. Someone subsequently planted the jackal's body in what was supposed to be her grave.

[matt72582]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/A_Woman_Under_the_Influence_%281974_poster_-_retouched%29.jpg



2nd Rewatch...An extraordinary performance by Gena Rowlands that won her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination and the uncompromising direction of her late husband, John Cassavetes anchor this powerhouse motion picture experience that, even on a 3rd watch, had my stomach in knots and me talking back to the screen. Rowlands plays Mabel, a disturbed housewife who has some serious mental health issues that both she and her blue collar worker husband, Nick (Peter Falk) are in denial about. This story is so disturbing because most movie characters with mental health issues have already been diagnosed, but Mabel has no idea what's wrong with her. The fact that this film appears to be unscripted (I have been unable to confirm this one way or the other) only adds to the gritty realism of what we're watching. If nothing else, the scene near the beginning of the film where Nick brings home his co-workers and Mabel throws together a spaghetti dinner for them, comes off as totally unscripted, whether it was or not. Other scenes that destroy me are the scenes where Mabel actually gets committed and when she comes home from the hospital and Nick suddenly realizes that the surprise party he has planned for her was a huge mistake, not to mention that family dinner where Mabel asks everyone to go home and they refuse, linger with me. The saddest thing about this movie is that when Mabel gets home from the hospital, she doesn't seem to be any better. Even on a third watch, this movie leaves me limp. rating_4_5


I also like Cassavetes' movies with subsequent viewings, because I notice something I didn't notice before -- never spoon-feeding the audience, which I respect. I've read dozens of interviews, a few books, etc., and he has said outside of "Shadows" the script is not improvised at all, but he added that he doesn't tell the actors how to say their lines, or their body language.



I didn't see anything major wrong with Mabel, and saw Nick has having more problems, but he's very conscientious of optics, but he's also unsure. It takes his mother (who finally shows empathy for her daughter-in-law) when she tells him this party is not a good idea, and "Why shouldn't she see her kids?"



There's a handful of times Nick says he's going to kill her and the children. In the beginning, she is let down when he can't make it. And then there's a ton of things that just happen with bad timing or perception. Nick walks home at a party with some man in their room. He is reticent leaving his kids with her, but if she's guilty of anything, it's that she's her own person. I love the scene where she's going to pick up her kids, and she asks for the time, and women with watches just ignore her, despite her reasons. But if everyone else has the problem, the "human" is going to be the outcast of society. Speaking of the party, when the grandma sees the girl naked, she doesn't say a word, but nods when the grandma implies and then asks, "Did mommy do this?" when in fact she just told the kids to change for some swan play. I think it's one of a few times Nick slaps/knocks her out, too.. She does drink and probably explains that first night. When she doesn't recognize Nick, I took it as a message to the viewer how she doesn't recognize her own husband because she never sees him, since he's constantly overworked and then comes home and sleeps during the day while she tries to handle the kids. And then the horrible doctor doesn't seem to help the situation at all, but when Mabel is out-numbered by Nick and his mother, she senses it and becomes defensive. When she does her swan dance, the square doctor thinks, "Oh, she must be the problem". It would be no different if the police would have been called by the neighbor and because of timing sees Nick punch her out, he'd have been the one to go, maybe. The first night he has to watch the kids, he gives them beer so they can sleep like rocks.



Cassavetes wrote this as a play, but Gena told him there was no way she could do this every night and would have died.



You might enjoy this
https://youtu.be/opwB2gVRuEs

[Marco]

No.

Damien's mother is the lady who is the star of the prequel. Someone subsequently planted the jackal's body in what was supposed to be her grave.

I think it made fairly categorical that he has the blood type of a jackal?

[FilmBuff]

I think it made fairly categorical that he has the blood type of a jackal?

That's because the jackal was actually the father IIRC

[Marco]

That's because the jackal was actually the father IIRC

I realise I'm going down a foxhole here but why put a jackal in the mothers tomb then? The mother is human and the dad is the lord of flies.

[FilmBuff]

I realise I'm going down a foxhole here but why put a jackal in the mothers tomb then?

Look, if you want a definitive answer you're going to have to watch the movie. I watched it on opening day and haven't seen it again so I don't remember every single detail.

But to address your larger point, yes, the filmmakers were 100% aware of what happens in the earlier movies. Everything is addressed directly or indirectly. At worst you could say it's a bit of a recon because we find out the biological mother of Damien didn't actually die, she escaped and went into hiding.

[Marco]

Look, if you want a definitive answer you're going to have to watch the movie. I watched it on opening day and haven't seen it again so I don't remember every single detail.

But to address your larger point, yes, the filmmakers were 100% aware of what happens in the earlier movies. Everything is addressed directly or indirectly. At worst you could say it's a bit of a recon because we find out the biological mother of Damien didn't actually die, she escaped and went into hiding.
Fair enough, didn't mean any hassle.

[mrblond]

Dune: part two (2024)

One more luna park movie to amuse the masses. Mediocre screenplay and directing, attractively filmed thanks to the fat budget.
Many superb actors within the ensemble: Chalamet, Bardem, Brolin, Walken, Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling ... so what? At least, they earned good amount of money.
2
40/100
99008

[FilmBuff]

https://flxt.tmsimg.com/assets/p29252_p_v10_ad.jpg

Italiensk for begyndere (Italian for Beginners)
3

My biggest quibble about this title is that it is not currently available in any HD format, at least in North America; given that it was filmed in video, perhaps this shouldn't be surprising.

Having said that, the version that is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel looks a little worse than a DVD from 20 years ago, so that may put some viewers off.

Aside from that, this is a gem of a movie, probably one of the most delightful films to come out of the so-called Dogme movement that thankfully seems to have been forgotten by now.


https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOGQ2M2FkNzQtMmU4Ny00NzAzLTk4NGQtZmJhMzg1MDhhMjliXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDkzNTM2ODg@._V1_.jpg

Chameleon Street
2.5

Whatever became of Wendell B. Harris Jr.?

As the actor-writer-director of this quirky 1989 movie, he would have seemed to be headed for even bigger and better projects... yet he has not directed anything since, and has only appeared briefly on a couple of other movies.

Harris plays the protagonist, a con man reportedly based on real-life Detroit con artist and high-school drop-out William Douglas Street Jr., who successfully impersonated professional reporters, lawyers, athletes, extortionists, and surgeons, and even performed some hysterectomies despite having no medical education.

There is a slightly episodic nature to the movie that works against it, especially since it is constantly trying to regain momentum - but the best moments are like literally no other movie ever. Worth catching, for sure.

[Thief]

AINBO
SPIRIT OF THE AMAZON
(2021, Claus & Zelada)

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


"If I tell you everything and show you everything then what will you learn for yourself?"
"I'll learn how to save the village?"
"But it is you who has to save the village, not them"



Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon follows the titular character, a 13-year old girl, as she sets out to save her village in the Amazon from an evil, cursed presence called Yacuruna. However, she must also deal with her own confidence as well as the ghosts of her past after the apparent death of her parents. Ainbo is joined by her two spirit guides, Vaca and Dillo, and her best friend Zumi, who is set to become the new leader of the village.

This is an international animated production that popped up on streaming last month, so my wife decided to put it for the kids and I joined. I'll start by saying that, despite whatever flaws the film might have, I think it had some things on its favor. First, the animation was pretty clean and well done. I also don't think the film was ever boring. The kids had fun and the film was mostly inoffensive and engaging.

Grade: 2


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2463591#post2463591)

[Thief]

CHILD'S PLAY 3
(1991, Bender)

https://i.imgur.com/5ycAcHb.jpg


"You know what they say. You just can't keep a Good Guy down."



That's how Chucky (Brad Dourif) announces his return to his "old friend" Andy (Justin Whalin) in Child's Play 3. Studio surely didn't want to keep this Good Guy down with this installment being released just 9 months after the second one. This one follows a now teenage Andy, as he is enrolled in a military school as Chucky comes back to haunt him again.

This is a film I remember seeing in theaters back in the day, thinking it was OK but never seeing it again. Rewatching it now, I understand why, and it's not necessarily because the film is bad. The film does feel like its trying to be more serious and "mature" (perhaps as a nod to Andy maturing himself?), but it results in it being probably the dullest of the franchise, with a mostly flat execution.

Grade: 2


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2463597#post2463597)

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/6295e0091882922cf2d709c2cadfc060/b0971aac78a0a5fd-c6/s640x960/5b751b3cc4776a9a6f38b740268677c42d7f1901.gifv
https://64.media.tumblr.com/e556317c59029ce182f856a88b37d8e1/b0971aac78a0a5fd-26/s640x960/0480bab1df489df1ce637d201963f346c9aaebf2.gifv

Frankenstein - The original from 1931 and directed by James Whale. It's funny that someone can be convinced that they watched an entire movie when in reality they only watched the last act or so. I thought this was going to be a rewatch but then didn't remember any of the opening scenes. Turns out I must have started it when the monster shows up at Henry and Elizabeth's wedding festivities. They make you think he's killed Elizabeth but she's only fainted. After that it's time for the Bürgermeister to assemble the requisite raging mob with flaming torches.It's a concise 70 minutes long so there isn't a lot of setup and the film opens with Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) surreptitiously crashing a funeral and digging up the freshly laid-to-rest corpse. They then visit a gallows (it's inexplicably outdoors in a random, remote spot) where they cut down the body of a condemned thief. Henry's fiancee Elizabeth (Mae Clarke) his best friend Victor Moritz (John Boles) and his father Baron Frankenstein (Frederick Kerr) are worried about Henry's questionable behavior and approach his old University professor, Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). He has a vague idea as to what Henry is really up to at an abandoned watchtower in a remote part of the Bavarian Alps.

This was actually quite successful at the box office having cost 250,000 to make and after several re-releases ultimately earning 12 million dollars. I don't think it would have enjoyed any of the success it did if it wasn't for Karloff's lofty and visceral performance as the monster. He was only onscreen for a few scenes but he left an indelible impression. And despite his cabalistic origins the creature's end was unexpectedly but also meaningfully tragic. This has earned it's reputation as an enduring classic.

85/100

[GulfportDoc]

THREE ON A MATCH
(1932, LeRoy)

https://i.imgur.com/3fhaPRX.jpg




Three on a Match follows three girl friends from elementary school into adulthood. There's Mary (Joan Blondell), the "popular" girl that became a showgirl; Ruth (Bette Davis), the class valedictorian working as a stenographer; and Vivian (Ann Dvorak), the "class beauty" now married to a successful lawyer.

This is yet another iconic example of what Pre-Code brought to the table. The depictions here of alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, and child neglect are quite powerful for the time. Dvorak does a great job of showing all the layers in Vivian's character, as she goes from "class beauty" and rich girl to drunken party girl and drug addicted hostage. The film also features an early role of Humphrey Bogart as a gangster thug and he's so good in it.

Grade: rating_4

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2463482#post2463482)
Wow, they're all so young, and with their hands in front of their faces it's hard to tell who is who. My guess is that L ro R it's Davis, Blondell, and Dvorak. What do you think?

[Thief]

Wow, they're all so young, and with their hands in front of their faces it's hard to tell who is who. My guess is that L ro R it's Davis, Blondell, and Dvorak. What do you think?

Yep. You got it!

[SpelingError]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/6295e0091882922cf2d709c2cadfc060/b0971aac78a0a5fd-c6/s640x960/5b751b3cc4776a9a6f38b740268677c42d7f1901.gifv
https://64.media.tumblr.com/e556317c59029ce182f856a88b37d8e1/b0971aac78a0a5fd-26/s640x960/0480bab1df489df1ce637d201963f346c9aaebf2.gifv

Frankenstein - The original from 1931 and directed by James Whale. It's funny that someone can be convinced that they watched an entire movie when in reality they only watched the last act or so. I thought this was going to be a rewatch but then didn't remember any of the opening scenes. Turns out I must have started it when the monster shows up at Henry and Elizabeth's wedding festivities. They make you think he's killed Elizabeth but she's only fainted. After that it's time for the Bürgermeister to assemble the requisite raging mob with flaming torches.It's a concise 70 minutes long so there isn't a lot of setup and the film opens with Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) surreptitiously crashing a funeral and digging up the freshly laid-to-rest corpse. They then visit a gallows (it's inexplicably outdoors in a random, remote spot) where they cut down the body of a condemned thief. Henry's fiancee Elizabeth (Mae Clarke) his best friend Victor Moritz (John Boles) and his father Baron Frankenstein (Frederick Kerr) are worried about Henry's questionable behavior and approach his old University professor, Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). He has a vague idea as to what Henry is really up to at an abandoned watchtower in a remote part of the Bavarian Alps.

This was actually quite successful at the box office having cost 250,000 to make and after several re-releases ultimately earning 12 million dollars. I don't think it would have enjoyed any of the success it did if it wasn't for Karloff's lofty and visceral performance as the monster. He was only onscreen for a few scenes but he left an indelible impression. And despite his cabalistic origins the creature's end was unexpectedly but also meaningfully tragic. This has earned it's reputation as an enduring classic.

85/100

Yeah, that one's really good. I prefer Bride of Frankenstein though.

[Fabulous]

Youth in Revolt (2009)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/gcRl1gl8EOEoniQWgz6LPwwlmrD.jpg

[WHITBISSELL!]

Yeah, that one's really good. I prefer Bride of Frankenstein though.Yep, I think I'm with you on that one.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/Facing_Ali_DVD_cover.jpg
By It is believed that the cover art can or could be obtained from the publisher or studio., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26480566

Facing Ali - (2009)

We hear from the various fighters who faced up to Muhammad Ali in the ring during his famous career, and they talk about their experiences while we watch replays of what they're describing. Most of them have some difficulty talking, which is a sad reflection on what a career as a heavyweight champion boxer does to a person's brain. They don't get too technical, which is what I was worried about, and instead reflect on their thoughts and feelings - then and now. We hear from Sonny Liston (who died in 1970) through archival footage. I've never been a huge Ali fan, but there's something interesting about listening to his opponents and their experiences. None of them have a bad word to say about Ali himself, and most of them believe that the Parkinson's he suffers from is partially derived from the repeated heavy blows he took to the back of the neck and head.

7/10

https://i.postimg.cc/W1kqnhN8/be.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26480566

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché - (2018)

The story of film pioneer and first woman director/producer Alice Guy - if you're a cinephile, then this is fascinating stuff - and it provides a lot of context if you're a fan of her films. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2463404#post2463404) in my watchlist thread.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/39/Spiderbabyposter.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17682370

Spider Baby: or, the Maddest Story Ever Told - (1967)

A low budget ride that's crazy and a whole lot of fun - with real tarantulas (the remake uses CGI ones), and Sid Haig. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2463664#post2463664), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

[Jeff]

Oh my goodness i've finished disc one of the Edison Invention of the Movies set, and the major one there was The Great Train Robbery from 1903, 12 minutes of pure cinematic bliss 5/5 lovely color tinting too.

https://silentlondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/great-train-robbery.jpg?w=1200

[xSookieStackhouse]

5
https://www.comingsoon.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/12/Furiosa-poster.jpeg
4.5
https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/images/au_movies_20cs_kingdomoftheplanetoftheapes_teaser_poste_004c88bf.jpeg

[stillmellow]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/6295e0091882922cf2d709c2cadfc060/b0971aac78a0a5fd-c6/s640x960/5b751b3cc4776a9a6f38b740268677c42d7f1901.gifv
https://64.media.tumblr.com/e556317c59029ce182f856a88b37d8e1/b0971aac78a0a5fd-26/s640x960/0480bab1df489df1ce637d201963f346c9aaebf2.gifv

Frankenstein - The original from 1931 and directed by James Whale. It's funny that someone can be convinced that they watched an entire movie when in reality they only watched the last act or so. I thought this was going to be a rewatch but then didn't remember any of the opening scenes. Turns out I must have started it when the monster shows up at Henry and Elizabeth's wedding festivities. They make you think he's killed Elizabeth but she's only fainted. After that it's time for the Bürgermeister to assemble the requisite raging mob with flaming torches.It's a concise 70 minutes long so there isn't a lot of setup and the film opens with Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) surreptitiously crashing a funeral and digging up the freshly laid-to-rest corpse. They then visit a gallows (it's inexplicably outdoors in a random, remote spot) where they cut down the body of a condemned thief. Henry's fiancee Elizabeth (Mae Clarke) his best friend Victor Moritz (John Boles) and his father Baron Frankenstein (Frederick Kerr) are worried about Henry's questionable behavior and approach his old University professor, Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). He has a vague idea as to what Henry is really up to at an abandoned watchtower in a remote part of the Bavarian Alps.

This was actually quite successful at the box office having cost 250,000 to make and after several re-releases ultimately earning 12 million dollars. I don't think it would have enjoyed any of the success it did if it wasn't for Karloff's lofty and visceral performance as the monster. He was only onscreen for a few scenes but he left an indelible impression. And despite his cabalistic origins the creature's end was unexpectedly but also meaningfully tragic. This has earned it's reputation as an enduring classic.

85/100



I was surprised the ending just lets our mad scientist protagonist off the hook.

[stillmellow]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDdlNTIwNjYtNzVhNS00MGVmLTk1ZGYtZmZiMjhiMmQ1ZjkwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY3ODkyNDkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg



That's not Garfield. He's nice to Jon and Odie. And Odie isn't stupid. Jon isn't a complete weirdo. It feels like everyone was replaced with dopplegangers.


It's all food and fat jokes now. He's basically Po from Kung Fu Panda. The plot feels like something taken from the cutting room floor of the Secret Life of Pets.


One good laugh and a few chuckles keep it from being completely worthless.


"D"

[WHITBISSELL!]

I was surprised the ending just lets our mad scientist protagonist off the hook.The original ending had Henry dying at the windmill but the studio changed it.

[Allaby]

Evergreen (1934) Watched this British musical on the Criterion Channel. I liked the costumes, sets and cinematography. Performances are fine and there is some good dancing. I didn't find the story very interesting though. 3

[Thief]

BRIDE OF CHUCKY
(1998, Yu)

https://i.imgur.com/9ZBU6HG.jpg


Tiffany: "Have you got a rubber?"
Chucky: "Have I got a rubber? Tiff, look at me. I'm ALL rubber."



Bride of Chucky was released 7 years after Child's Play 3, at a time when horror films were becoming more comedic, self-aware, and parodic. The above quote should give you an idea of what to expect, but the film basically follows Chucky (Brad Dourif), who is brought back to life by his former lover and accomplice Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly). One thing led to another, and Tiffany also ends up with her soul transferred into a doll.

I think the most important thing in order to enjoy this film is not to expect the "horror" of the previous three films, but rather to get on its humorous wavelength. The notion of two murderous plastic dolls falling in love and having sex is inherently silly, but if you're willing to accept that, the film has some fun and laughs to offer. Most of that comes from the interactions between Chucky and Tiffany. Tilly certainly adds a special energy and spice to the film that's mostly unrivaled.

Grade: 2.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2463755#post2463755)

[Thief]

SEED OF CHUCKY
(2004, Mancini)

https://i.imgur.com/EpB6Q2Z.png


"Look around you, Tiff! This is nuts! And I have a very high tolerance for nuts."



Seed of Chucky picks up some time after the events of Bride, as Glen (Billy Boyd) discovers he is the son of Chucky and Tiffany (Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly), and resurrects them sparking more chaos and mayhem. That is the gist of it, without getting much into how nuts it is, which means I'm leaving out pretty much 75% of the film.

How nuts it is, you say? The film opens with "doll sperm" traveling through a "doll uterus" (cue first reference, Look Who's Talking), Jennifer Tilly playing a fictionalized version of herself, who is willing to sleep her way into the lead role of the Virgin Mary in a film directed by Redman (yes, that Redman). Plus, you get a supporting role from John Waters as a peeping tom reporter, a gender-fluid doll, and countless more references to films that go from Psycho and The Shining to Rebel without a Cause and even Naked Gun.

Grade: 2


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2463767#post2463767)

[GulfportDoc]

99014
In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023)

Despite its overblown title, the picture allows for a satisfying return of Liam Neeson to a believable role following last year’s dreadful Marlowe. With some familiarity Neeson plays a wearying Irish contract killer named Finbar Murphy, who performs work for a presumably Loyalist crime boss in County Donegal, Robert (Colm Meaney). Finbar is also friends with the local policeman, Vinnie (Claran Hinds), who is unaware of Finbar’s occupation.

Finbar is drawn into conflict with a group of 4 IRA terrorists, led by Doireann (Kerry Condon), who fled to Finbar’s hometown after a car bombing in Belfast. One of the four, Curtis, takes up residence with his sister-in-law, who is the local pub keeper. When Finbar learns that Curtis physically abuses the pub keeper’s daughter, Finbar kills Curtis with the help of an up-and-coming young contract killer, Kevin (Jack Gleeson).

Cuttis is also Doireann’s brother, so when he comes up missing, Dioreann threatens Finbar’s employer Robert until he tells them that Finbar killed Curtis. After she shoots Robert they all start looking for Finbar, wanting to kill him as well. The story winds in and out from there, leading to an expected final confrontation.

The plot is just busy enough to keep the viewer interested, but the best features of the film are the fine acting by the leads, and also the lovely scenery in County Donegal in far northwest Republic of Ireland. DP Tom Stern definitely has a superb eye for settings. Both he and director Robert Lorenz previously worked together on several Clint Eastwood films, like Mystic River and Gran Torino. Lorenz also directed a previous Neeson film, The Marksman. So most everyone involved in the production were experienced veterans.

This is hardly new territory for Liam Neeson, but the story and fine production, along with taking place in Neeson’s home country, making it one of his more compelling movies in the past few years.

Doc’s rating: 7/10

[stillmellow]

The original ending had Henry dying at the windmill but the studio changed it.


Feels like they could've met in the middle somewhere. Send him to jail or something.


Things did not go quite as well for him in Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

[Darth Pazuzu]

SEED OF CHUCKY
(2004, Mancini)

https://i.imgur.com/EpB6Q2Z.png




Seed of Chucky picks up some time after the events of Bride, as Glen (Billy Boyd) discovers he is the son of Chucky and Tiffany (Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly), and resurrects them sparking more chaos and mayhem. That is the gist of it, without getting much into how nuts it is, which means I'm leaving out pretty much 75% of the film.

How nuts it is, you say? The film opens with "doll sperm" traveling through a "doll uterus" (cue first reference, Look Who's Talking), Jennifer Tilly playing a fictionalized version of herself, who is willing to sleep her way into the lead role of the Virgin Mary in a film directed by Redman (yes, that Redman). Plus, you get a supporting role from John Waters as a peeping tom reporter, a gender-fluid doll, and countless more references to films that go from Psycho and The Shining to Rebel without a Cause and even Naked Gun.

Grade: 2


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2463767#post2463767)

To this day, I'm not really quite sure what to make of this one! :lol: Any movie in which John Waters getting killed by having a jar of acid fall on top of his head - and then being made to pose in a family portrait - is actually one of its most conventional occurrences, is definitely one for the books! :up:

[Thief]

To this day, I'm not really quite sure what to make of this one! :lol: Any movie in which John Waters getting killed by having a jar of acid fall on top of his head - and then being made to pose in a family portrait - is actually one of its most conventional occurrences, is definitely one for the books! :up:

Yeah, I agree. This is one that could go either way, depending on your "tolerance for nuts", like I said :laugh:

[Fabulous]

The Burmese Harp (1956)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/AsqrcBBBXFpmPNkSrbKRYHz2nMo.jpg

[Miss Vicky]

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/NewMFPics/bodyguard.gif

The Bodyguard
(Mick Jackson, 1992)

I loved this movie when I was a kid. I thought it was so romantic and that Kevin Costner was such a badass in it. Now that I’m an adult, I think the movie is stupid. Whitney Houston‘s character is such a bitch that it’s hard to buy that someone would fall in love with her. And Costner’s attempts at badassery just come off as amusing in the wrong way. Yet somehow I still love this movie. I will always love this movie…. stupid though it may be.

4

[Jeff]

5/5
https://hollywoodrevue.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/asphalt.jpg?w=144

[Mr Minio]

The Burmese Harp (1956)

4 You dropped one bag of popcorn. Tssk, tssk, maybe you just ate it.

[Torgo]

Beauty and the Beast (1978) - 4

No matter how familiar I am with a fairy tale, I will watch a Czech or Slovak adaptation of one. Each one I have seen so far provides a fresh coat of paint and makes me think about it differently, with this one being no exception. It's certainly the darkest adaptation I've seen, the others being the Cocteau adaptation and the two Disney ones. While that does not mean it's my new favorite, mind you - that would still be Cocteau's - I enjoyed it a lot and credit it for indeed making me think differently about the tale for how it expounds on the darker aspects of the story.

So, just how dark is it? For one, the hometown of our beauty, Julia, (Studenkova) is definitely not the quaint Disney one. If the graphic animal slaughter in its butcher shops somehow doesn't get to you, the avarice of her betrothed sisters, each of whom only care about their dowries, surely will. If you're guessing the darkness extends to the beast's world, you are correct, whether it's his ruined castle or the surrounding woods that make the gloomy ones in The Neverending Story and The Princess Bride seem like, well, Disney attractions. As for the beast, he's much harder to like in this one at first, which I think is a good thing, and not just because of his chimera-like and not at all kid-friendly appearance. Speaking of, the movie wisely takes its time before revealing him and leaves how he became a beast up to your imagination. Luckily, all this doom and gloom pays off for how it makes Studenkova's very charming beauty a beacon in the darkness and the "moment of transition" feel all the more earned.

Not only is this the darkest adaptation I've seen, but it's also the shortest, which has its drawbacks. While the source is not exactly of epic length, there is Flanderization in nearly all the characters as a result. In other words, you will miss the rich characterizations in the 1991 Disney one. With that said, even if you have seen even more Beauty and the Beast adaptations than I have, watching this one will not be a redundant experience. This is especially true if you're a horror lover for it made me realize - and that Disney made us forget - that it is where the original story should be filed.

[FilmBuff]

http://fr.web.img2.acsta.net/pictures/17/11/24/10/27/3973154.jpg

Abracadabra
5

Before directing the Oscar-nominated Robot Dreams, Pablo Berger helmed this live-action masterpiece combining black comedy with heartfelt drama, and yet another marvelous performance from Maribel Verdú.

Verdú plays an ordinary Spanish housewife whose cousin performs a wedding-day trick on her husband that involves a combination of hypnosis and assorted hocus-pocus. The consequences are dramatic, involving the invocation of a dead murderer. Chaos - and sometimes hilarity - ensues.


https://images.justwatch.com/poster/315784487/s718/moviepass-moviecrash.jpg



MoviePass, MovieCrash
3

Even if you followed the disastrous saga of MoviePass back when it soared and then crashed, this documentary is still a fairly entertaining and illuminating narrative that takes an incisive look at all of the bad practices that led to the demise of the popular subscription service.

Heck, I thought I knew most of what had happened behind the scenes, but I definitely didn't know all of the details.

As entertaining as any documentary about a doomed subscription service has ever been.

[Stirchley]

99019

A classic of British cinema. Nobody was as beautiful as Julie Christie.

99020

Really enjoyed this extremely strange movie.

[Allaby]

Calamity Jane (1953) I have had this on dvd as part of a 4 disc Doris Day collection, but had never watched it for some reason. I watched it today and enjoyed it. Doris Day is wonderful in this fun and entertaining musical western. Hope it makes the musical countdown. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDExMGMyN2QtYjRkZC00Yzk1LTkzMDktMTliZTI5NjQ0NTNkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMjM2NDc2._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


2.5

[Jeff]

Anthony Asquith's 1928 Shooting Stars is a most welcome view, in progress as i pause it and gather my wits, it's like that silent movie their watching in every movie and show from the 90's. So dreamy and jazz age cool as i'm tripping out in a stormy afternoon silvery glow in the living room, some incredible short silent films are being seen too through the 3 new collections in my ever growing collection.

[Allaby]

Junior Prom (1946) Watched this musical comedy on Tubi. It's only an hour and 9 minutes. There's a few laughs here and I liked the songs. If you enjoy good natured, old fashioned silliness, then you might think this movie is pretty swell. 3.5

[FilmBuff]

https://static1.moviewebimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/in-a-violent-nature-poster.jpg

In a Violent Nature
2.5

This attempt to re-invent the horror genre is, not surprisingly, less than the sum of its parts (and there are quite a few body parts to choose from!).

Basically, it's filmed from the killer's POV, almost like if a documentary crew was following him along as he chops and maims anyone he comes across (this filming style has been called "borderline Malickian" in some reviews, and they're not wrong).

There is a curious lack of conventional "excitement" in the movie - it moves along leisurely, taking a long time just to follow the killer as he walks around in the forest, and as far as I can remember there isn't a soundtrack like in conventional horror movies. No jump scares, or build-up, either. Just slash, walk, slash, walk, and slash some more.

The film is also reminiscent of Saw in its extreme gore and of Blair Witch Project in its attempt at documentary-like naturalism, and this keeps it from feeling as fresh as the filmmakers might have intended it to.

Most strikingly, the movie has been filmed in 4:3 ratio, which makes it feel, oddly enough, like less of a theatrical experience than you might want it to be (don't ask me why, but some movies are able to pull it off).

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/AnimationCountdown/Gifs/37thelittlemermaid.gif

The Little Mermaid
(Ron Clements and John Musker, 1989)

I shouldn't like this movie. A musical about a mermaid princess sure as shit should not appeal to me (and holy crap do they sing A LOT in this movie), but I was eight years old when it was released so it's got nostalgia on its side. It also benefits from my love of animation and the fact that at only 83 minutes, it doesn't last long enough to annoy me too much. I do have to admit it has a certain charm. Even with the nostalgia factor though, this has never really been a favorite. Eight year old me wasn't a fan of princesses or mermaids or musicals either, so this has always sort of existed as a movie that I kind of like.

Given my general opinion of musicals though, "kind of like" will probably be enough to secure it a spot on my ballot.

3

[FilmBuff]

https://static1.moviewebimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/in-a-violent-nature-poster.jpg

In a Violent Nature
2.5

This attempt to re-invent the horror genre is, not surprisingly, less than the sum of its parts (and there are quite a few body parts to choose from!).

Basically, it's filmed from the killer's POV, almost like if a documentary crew was following him along as he chops and maims anyone he comes across (this filming style has been called "borderline Malickian" in some reviews, and they're not wrong).

There is a curious lack of conventional "excitement" in the movie - it moves along leisurely, taking a long time just to follow the killer as he walks around in the forest, and as far as I can remember there isn't a soundtrack like in conventional horror movies. No jump scares, or build-up, either. Just slash, walk, slash, walk, and slash some more.

The film is also reminiscent of Saw in its extreme gore and of Blair Witch Project in its attempt at documentary-like naturalism, and this keeps it from feeling as fresh as the filmmakers might have intended it to.

Most strikingly, the movie has been filmed in 4:3 ratio, which makes it feel, oddly enough, like less of a theatrical experience than you might want it to be (don't ask me why, but some movies are able to pull it off).

Interestingly, this is one of those films which is doing WAAAY better with critics than with moviegoers!

https://i.postimg.cc/BvsdRHMd/IMG-1217.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/Daddy_Long_Legs_film_poster.jpg
By www.moviegoods.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21559772

Daddy Long Legs - (1955)

Jervis Pendleton III, if he's as old as the guy playing him (Fred Astaire), is approaching 60. The precocious Julie André (Leslie Caron) is fresh faced and she's just turned 18. I don't particularly like it, but this is the romance we have in Daddy Long Legs - which piles on the pain by having the word "Daddy" in it's title. You see, Pendleton is wowed by Julie when he spots her during a diplomatic trip, and he plans to get into her pants by becoming her secret benefactor, paying for her college education in the United States. Julie goes mad trying to find out who her saviour is, and little does she know it's her room-mate's uncle, who has been sweeping her off her feet regardless. The age issue does come up, and is the dividing wedge between them - but too late. With as much charm and riches Pendleton has, of course Julie is completely dazzled. The sickliness of all this is a shame, because this movie is simply so damned good. I was praying the two wouldn't kiss, and the movie almost apologetically only has them peck, despite them being engaged to marry each other. Pairing an ageing Astaire with a teenager (Caron was 22/23 while this was being filmed - the character is in her teens) is just more of the same I often see in these mid-20th Century musicals. I must say though, that the singing and dancing, production design, music, art direction and general dazzling brilliance confounds my senses. One of the best godawful movies I've ever seen.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/Hell2010Poster.jpg
By MoviePosterDB.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34473909

El Infierno - (2010)

From the maker of Herod's Law, this surprisingly humorous movie, and story about one man's descent into crime, looks at the hell modern Mexico has become. It's long, but strikes a good balance between mirth and horror. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2463852#post2463852), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Beau_Travail_poster.jpg
By Derived from a digital capture (photo/scan) of the Film Poster/DVD Cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party). Copyright held by the film company or the artist. Claimed as fair use regardless., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37443437

Beau Travail - (1999)

This poetic film about the male form and masculinity uses rhythmic motion, dance and shots of men training to entrance us while a narrated tale of jealousy, envy and repressed desire unfolds - which is spellbinding, and lyrical. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2464101#post2464101), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

[Fabulous]

He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/p7pJeF0O24AqOR27dndljBZvCft.jpg

[LChimp]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/dB6Krk806zeqd0YNp2ngQ9zXteH.jpg

Killers of The Flower Moon - (Scorcese, 2023)

Interesting story, but the movie is waaaay longer than it should be.

[Fabulous]

1408 (2007)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/1dsH3AP4s8JESO0SqAHGPpxuWsm.jpg

[Raven73]

Old
6.5/10
They don't age gracefully. I don't think this movie will age well, either.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Old_%28film%29_poster.jpg

[Miss Vicky]

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/NewMFPics/cry-baby.gif

Cry-Baby
(John Waters, 1990)

I have a rocky history with this movie and with John Waters movies in general. I liked Serial Mom a lot when I was a kid, but didn't care for it at all the last time I watched it. I thought Pecker was just okay and that Pink Flamingoes was absolute dog shit. As for Cry-Baby? I saw it a few times growing up and kind of liked it, but I hated it the last time I watched it (around 15 years ago).

It's been in my DVD collection for probably 20 years now so I figured I had nothing to lose by giving it another shot and... well, I guess I'm back to kind of liking it? As is typical of Waters, the movie is weird and stupid and trashy, but that weird, stupid trashiness has its charm and Johnny Depp looks pretty damn good in it so I was amused enough to not get too annoyed by the songs... this time, at least.

That said, I probably won't watch it again anytime in the next decade or so - but it just might sneak onto my ballot.

3

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/Inn_Of_Sixth_Happiness_02%281958%29.jpeg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from 20th Century Fox., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8214548

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness - (1958)

I ought to do an essay on the seven mid-20th Century Hollywood sins. Yesterday it was pairing a 60-year-old Fred Astaire with Leslie Caron, who was barely out of her teens (and whose character was 18-years-old.) With The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, we have Curt Jurgens and Robert Donat playing Chinese characters. I do understand, though, the financial implications of having/losing their star power (if only Donat didn't speak with a broad English accent, and Jurgens his Austrian one!) To be doubly fair, Captain Lin Nan (Jurgens) is half Dutch. The person this is all about however, is Gladys Aylward, who was an evangelical Christian missionary who went to China and devoted every ounce of her being towards doing good. Playing her is Ingrid Bergman (I've heard comment that the energetic Katherine Hepburn would have been a better fit.) This is a bit of a slog, at 158 minutes, but it's not all that bad. The screenplay gives Aylward an inner moral compass that works naturally, and she isn't dogmatic or overly focused on religion - just right and wrong. Her faith is important to her, but there's a balance that I think they got just right. Be warned - although this is based on a real person, the white saviour trope is really pushed to it's limits here - she has to teach the backward Chinese population everything it seems, and tell the what to do in every situation - lest they run around screaming or accidentally walk into walls. Thus, the film was banned in China, who convinced Indonesia to ban it as well. Some nice cinematography and committed performances make it a film I don't regret sitting through from start to finish despite the areas it falls down in a little.

6/10

[PHOENIX74]

I will always love this movie….


https://media1.giphy.com/media/9rI3eNjyRcYh2/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952o32u9uhlp4tzcqfa6sllhyndwyfsr1kbafi7xc0s&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

I really liked that song. Until my girlfriend and I broke up, then I hated it.

[Fabulous]

The Notorious Landlady (1962)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/e0yaTDxhKYOzM0ktqFSCoO7DO1r.jpg

[stillmellow]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzg1ZWQ4NTgtNWI3Ni00OWNkLWIyOGUtY2IwNjYyN2ZlMjFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzY1NTQ1OTY@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg



Chompy and the Girls



A much better movie than I expected, thanks to some strong performances from the main cast. The Chompy effect is indeed ridiculous, but as bizarre horror-comedy, it works.


👍

[Dead2009]

Slotherhouse 10/10

[Allaby]

Carefree (1938) Rewatched on dvd. This is a fun and entertaining musical comedy starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. 4

[Torgo]

The Cremator - 5

As dark as a dark comedy can be, this Czech masterpiece is deserving of an equally dark compliment and descriptor: it does for the Holocaust what American Psycho does for '80s yuppie culture. Did this movie inspire that one? I don't know, but it also belongs on the shortlist of the best movies that juxtapose mental and societal collapse. Rudolph Hrusinky gives an all-time great performance as crematorium director Kopfrkingl, a man who makes you constantly question if everything about his sanity and perfect family life is all presentation. His espousal of the Buddhist philosophy that true peace and happiness come with being reduced to ashes is convincing enough, but the movie is full of other equally funny and cringeworthy things that make you go "hmm," a highlight being his compulsion to hide every bare space on his home's walls with beautiful artwork. There is violence in the movie - the details of which I won't discuss for fear of spoiling it and turning you away - but it's a nice change of pace to see a movie where Nazi occupation occurs without marching armies, flags fluttering in the breeze, etc., but through conversation instead. Besides getting to witness how the typical family in one of their annexed countries could have reacted, it's a worthy reminder that telling can be just as effective - and chilling - as showing. Luckily, the Nazis' gradual encroachment concords with how the movie reveals the implications and consequences of Kopfrkingl's peculiar philosophy, not to mention the unraveling of his supposed sanity. Again, hopefully not to spoil the end result, but it is bound to recall equally funny and disturbing moments from a similar, umm...combative classic from American Psycho's era that I also wouldn't be surprised this one influenced.

This is one of the highest-rated Czech movies and rightly so. It's deserving not just for its distinct take on the Nazi occupation, but also for how it proves that the people we should worry about the most are those who claim to know what is best for everyone. It goes without saying that there are several movies about Europe during WW2 and there are bound to be more. I thought I had seen every kind under the sun, but I assure you that I have seen any like this one. However, if you are still not convinced, it's worth checking out for also being one of the best dark comedy/psychological thrillers I've seen.

[Marco]

The Fall Guy (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/The_Fall_Guy_%282024%29_poster.jpg
This was braindead stuff, I didn't really go in with many expectations and it pretty much delivered them. The "knowing" Colt Seavers narration really doesn't work but queues up a few good laughs I guess. I thought it flat overall but then I'm a child of the 80s and the TV series did have a certain swagger. Wonder when Gosling will get back to acting. Keenly awaiting the "Highway to Heaven" reboot starring Jason Momoa.

This is total fluff
1.5

[Mr Minio]

The Cremator is also worth seeing for the excellent cinematography with many creative angles and use of lens.

[Torgo]

The Cremator is also worth seeing for the excellent cinematography with many creative angles and use of lens.There are some unusual shots, like these:

https://i.postimg.cc/rFqH1FJN/merlin-158936181-f048b31f-4702-4104-afcf-55d82718e7c7-super-Jumbo.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/G2Vyc2pw/Clean-Your-Glasses-3.jpg

Juraj Herz also directed that Beauty and the Beast movie I reaally liked. Surprised I had not heard of him until recently.

[Wyldesyde19]

In A Violent Nature

I’m usually on the lookout for films playing near me that have limited release windows. In the last few years, I’ve favored them over larger blockbuster type movies, with a few exceptions. So when a Canadian slasher film about a killer back from the dead stalking teenagers, mostly told from his pov, appeared at my local Regal Cinema that was described as part slow cinema? I was obviously intrigued.

We follow the killer from behind, the camera fixed at a point where we see his back, but not his face. That comes later. He’s obviously cut from the Jason Voorhees mold. Inspired really. He silently stalks his prey in search of a necklace, which is really a mcguffin.

Most of the film is spent following him as he walks seemingly aimlessly through the woods. 15 minutes into the film, one couple left. 45 minutes into it, a lone guy some seats to me left also got up to leave. That left 3 of us, me and one couple a few rows behind me. I could hear her loudly complaining about the film. It’s different, and as such it isn’t something they could appreciate.
Most people are programmed to expect something like Friday the 13th, Halloween and or Scream. We barely get to know the victims, and maybe 10 minutes is spent on them. It isn’t like those films I mentioned previously because most of their discoveries of the bodies or clues are done off screen. It the killer doesn’t witness it, neither do we.

That’s not to say we don’t understand what’s going on, of the killer’s motivations. There are explanations and a backstory given by the victims at a campfire (because it always is to be told at a campfire). The killer watches and listens. Does he recognize his own story?

I have reason to believe he does, as he has brief flashes of his past life. A memory here. A moment where he stop to look at a keychain as if it reminds him of something. Something from his youth perhaps? There is little explanation to it. We’re meant to ponder these moments for ourselves.

And the death scenes? Perhaps a few over the top, but of course it would have to be. He is angry. He is relentless. He is without mercy. There is 2 particular deaths that stood out and I’m sure you’ll appreciate them as I did.

4/5 stars.
Recommend

[Mr Minio]

Juraj Herz also directed that Beauty and the Beast movie I reaally liked. Surprised I had not heard of him until recently. Morgiana
is a must-see, too.

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e0/Godzilla_Minus_One_Poster.jpeg/220px-Godzilla_Minus_One_Poster.jpeg
Godzilla Minus One


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

[Fabulous]

Wild Rovers (1971)

3

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

[GulfportDoc]

The Fall Guy (2024)

This was braindead stuff, I didn't really go in with many expectations and it pretty much delivered them. The "knowing" Colt Seavers narration really doesn't work but queues up a few good laughs I guess. I thought it flat overall but then I'm a child of the 80s and the TV series did have a certain swagger. Wonder when Gosling will get back to acting. Keenly awaiting the "Highway to Heaven" reboot starring Jason Momoa.

This is total fluff
rating_1_5
Agreed. I made it to the end, but I wish I hadn't. The acting and the story were idiotic and superfluous. It was nice to see what I presume were actual live stunts. But even those got banal. I think Gosling should take your advice...;)

[WorldFilmGeek]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzRhODI3ZDAtMTViZi00NDY4LTk2NDQtOWIxMDMwOGFjYTViXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzAzMDgwNjk@._V1_.jpg
4.0

A passion project that pays homage to 1980s and 1990s martial arts tournament films. Great cast, led by German martial artist and actor Mathis Landwehr, who is forced to enter a Kumite in Eastern Europe, when the organizers kidnap his daughter. The film builds up as he befriends two other fighters, Damon Spears (No Retreat, No Surrender's Kurt McKinney) and Lea Martin (stunt performer Mounia Moula), whose wife and sister are kidnapped and also forced to fight.

The film also has martial arts film icons Billy Blanks and Cynthia Rothrock as Michael's trainers, the former looking for revenge against the organizer and the latter, the former sensei of the current Kumite champ, Dracko, played by German wrestling champion Mike Derudder. There's also Michel Qissi from Kickboxer 1 and 2 and the organizer's henchman Wolf and Matthias Hues as the organizer himself.

Connecting to Bloodsport is the appearance of Bolo Yeung's son David as a fighter named Yulong and YouTuber David Kurzhal, aka Viking Samurai, who plays a kick-ass fighter named Marcus. The Kumite fights are somewhat short compared to what we are used to today, but have that 80s flavor thanks to the choreography of Mike Moller (who also plays a trainee for Michael named Lightning).

If you like Bloodsport, Kickboxer, other tournament films, then you might enjoy this one. Speaking of the aforementioned films, Paul Hertzog scored the film and Stan Bush has 2 new songs on the soundtrack he wrote just for the film, "No Surrender" and "Running the Gauntlet".

[Fabulous]

She's Out of My League (2010)

3

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

[Miss Vicky]

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/NewMFPics/oliver.gif

Oliver & Company
(George Scribner, 1988)

I haven't seen this movie in a very long time, but I vaguely remembered liking it and I vaguely remembered it being a musical. After rewatching it this evening, I think it's fine. It's innocuous. The animals are cute. But it's not particularly memorable in its story or its characters. I didn't really feel anything for any of them, but I also was never bored.

As to the musical aspect, I just finished watching it and I'd already forgotten some of the songs even happened. I only remembered three songs in the whole thing (and really it's two songs because one is sung twice). It's only when I Googled the songs in the movie that I realized there were more - but really only a handful in total. Why the hell did Disney hire Billy Joel and Bette Midler if they're barely gonna sing? Also I can't believe I'm complaining about the lack of singing in a musical. :laugh:

Whatever. I didn't hate it but I'm probably not going to vote for it.

2.5

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/Shooter2007Poster.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from IMP Awards., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29276772

Shooter - (2007)

If you're conspiratorially-minded, then Shooter gives you a modern-day Lee Harvey Oswald in Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), a man conned by some miscreants in the United States government into planning a presidential assassination - ostensibly to prevent one happening. Swagger is one of the best crack shots in the world, a USMC Force Recon Marine Corps sniper, and holds a grudge against shady spooks and corrupt senators - but patriotism still abounds and he unknowingly agrees to be a patsy. Before you know it there's been an assassination, with Swagger named as the prime suspect. After being shot twice by Officer Stanley Timmons (Alan C. Peterson) Swagger has to rely on his dead partner's widow Sarah Fenn (Kate Mara), and an FBI Agent who suspects something is wrong here, Special Agent Nick Memphis (Michael Peña) if he's to turn the tables and prove his innocence. Against him is an evil cabal that consists of Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover), sadist Jack Payne (Elias Koteas), ace sharpshooter Mikhayo Sczerbiak (Rade Šerbedžija) and crooked Senator Charles F. Meachum (Ned Beatty). There's much competent action here, and Wahlberg is very believable as a super-soldier Marine marksman, but two things marred this entertaining thriller : 1 - The movie wants to have it's cake and eat it too by basically showing us that the United States is a stinkhole with crooked politicians, wicked senators, evil spooks and a White House filled with goons, but then leaving us with a patriotic, God Bless America land of the free we kill and bomb all of our problems expertly flourish. 2 - None of these movies will ever break that taboo and show us an actual 'the president is dead' assassination, instead having the shooter kill an Archbishop speaking with him, for trivial reasons. If they'd killed the president, then Shooter would have serious gravity - attempted simply doesn't cut it. As it is, it's another thriller - superior to a lot of the schlock out there (and you have to love Glover) but not hitting that target dead center.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/S%26Man.jpg
By http://www.dreadcentral.com/img/news/nov09/s&manpostcard.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32713660

S&man - (2006)

If you're into modern, extreme, torture porn found footage snuff film horror, and find the prospect of a documentary that mixes a fictional narrative into it's formula interesting, then there's an outside chance you might like S&man. I thought it was poorly executed, not well edited, and a little wanting. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2464468#post2464468).

4/10

[Jeff]

I will be in the practice of using this thread for everything i at least start, On the Silver Globe is so far at 59 minutes an interesting visually stimulating experience, but i was not prepared for how much it would be actors performing for the camera, the camera plays an active role in it, and all the funky get ups they're wearing!!! My choice of just seeing it and not reading the subtitles is for sure giving me a superficial view of it, but i just want to see it, however when i get back to it, i may need to know what they're saying. A rating will accompany my entries here only when i feel i've properly seen it. But as it is it's earned 3 gold coins out of 5. It could be Zulawski's masterpiece.

[Fabulous]

Super (2010)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/y4rU4ETaaPi2Uk0g8Tsn9cVpPiZ.jpg

[WHITBISSELL!]

Shooter - (2007)

2 - None of these movies will ever break that taboo and show us an actual 'the president is dead' assassination, instead having the shooter kill an Archbishop speaking with him, for trivial reasons. If they'd killed the president, then Shooter would have serious gravity - attempted simply doesn't cut it. As it is, it's another thriller - superior to a lot of the schlock out there (and you have to love Glover) but not hitting that target dead center.

6/10It followed the plot of the novel, Stephen Hunter's Point of Impact which I really liked. So much so that I read all of Hunter's books. Until I found out he was one of those wackjob right wingers in real life. Then I lost interest. It's a shame though. No one writes a propulsive thriller like Hunter.

[MovieBuffering]

Well I've seen 2 movies since last I've been on here. One new one. One classic.

Godzilla Minus One - 2023
Well this movie rips. I was amped to finally see it when it jumped on Netflix this weekend, surprisingly, because of the glowing word of mouth. I wanted to check it out in theaters after the glowing reactions but it didn't really play anywhere close for me. I was kinda over Godzilla movies after I saw the Cranston one what like a decade ago now? They are whatever, entertaining enough popcorn flicks but it's all the same formula. Well after watching America cinema fumble Godzilla since the 90s Japan wanted to show Hollywood how to make a proper Godzilla flick...after all it is their baby.

They use Godzilla perfectly. He isn't some anti-hero. He is there to wreck havoc for the sake of havoc. Every time he is on screen he is extremely effective. There is a chase scene in the water that is one of the best scenes I've seen in awhile. Jaws comparisons are inevitable. However of course Japan would nail the Godzilla scenes. What really separates this thing from anything America has sh*t out with Godzilla is the human element is actually riveting and I gotta imagine personal to Japan. Man it hits. I was welling up with tears at the end. You actually root for Godzilla to lose. Imagine that. This film kicks ass. Congrats Japan. And for 15 million dollar budget. Hilarious.

4

https://cdn.movieguide.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/godzilla_minus_one.jpg

2nd one was...

Lawerence Of Arabia - 1962

Saw this one like a month ago not quite as fresh. It's a beast to get through. Nearly 4 hours. Had to separate it into 2 days...thankful for the intermission lol. Man is it ever beautifully shot film. It's quite the ride. After first watching it I knew I had experienced a classic but it really sits with you for awhile after. Peter O'Toole's performance was every bit as hail as it should be...it took me like 45 minutes into the flick to get it though. It comes off almost feminine and passive but I think playing him like that made him more memorable further you get into it. Shows he is kind of an odd ball and you sort of have to be an odd ball to want to even go into the desert like he does with delusions of grandeur. He is a complex layered character. Fantastic. So many memorable shots. Will a rush back to rewatch it? No. But I might down the road. I enjoyed it alot but it's a long one. The story can be can of convoluted for a simpleton like me and with no reference for middle east history during that time.

What is fascinating is I did a little research after. Apparently T.E. Lawrence wrote about his experiences in a book which the movie adapted. However I guess it was a big inspiration to Frank Herbert in writing Dune, you can see it. So this T.E. Lawrence dude didn't know it but when he wrote his book/memoirs that he would set into motion events that would heavily influence cinema for like 100 years. He inspires Lawerence of Arabia one of the greatest achievements in cinema. Which inspires Spielberg. His memoirs inspire Herbert to write Dune. Which George Lucas reads gets inspired (or lift;)) to do Star Wars. Then Dune gets an 84 movie then the present adaptation which are killer flicks. Bet when Lawerence died in 1935 he didn't realize what an important figure he would be in this new median film lol.

3.5

https://www.cliohistory.org/fileadmin/_processed_/6/3/csm_6-Movie_18b7eb6da6.jpg

[chawhee]

Silent Hill (2006)
https://moviehooker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/silent-hill-commentary.jpeg
3.5
This game scared me too much to play as a kid, so I'm sure I'm missing some of the notable references in the movie. However, I enjoyed this at face value, though it certainly fell victim to the "dumb characters doing dumb things" trope that happens in horror movies. Acting was average, but the storytelling and scares were pretty effective.

[Gideon58]

She's Out of My League (2010)

3

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

This movie was a pleasant surprise...a lot better than I thought it was going to be...a link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2443532-shes_out_of_my_league.html

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91JSYZJINvL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg


3rd Rewatch...The Oscar-winning performance by Rami Malek anchors this flashy and imaginative look at the iconic rock group Queen and its charismatic front man Freddie Mercury. The screenplay is by the numbers, but the presentation of the story is what makes it work. Especially loved the scenes where we see Freddie constructing the recording of the title tune and how the group created "We Will Rock You." 4

[Marco]

Blue Remembered Hills (1979)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Blue_Remembered_Hills.gif
Engrossing Dennis Potter drama where adults play the part of children on a day in the Forest of Dean in England. Beside the playfulness there is an underlying malevolence that ultimately leads to disaster. Weird seeing Michael Elphick and Helen Mirren playing kids but it works in the context of the story where petty squabbles and become magnified and lead to tragedy. Part of the BBCs "Play for Today" series.
3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81wQy33CD3L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


2nd Rewatch...Adam Sandler was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his explosive performance in this spine-tingling drama from the Safdie brothers. Sandler plays the owner of a jewelry store who has just acquired a rare opal from Ethiopia that he thinks could be his ticket out of his massive gambling debts, but as he starts borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. the character's life becomes a giant pressure cooker from which there seems to be no escape. Howard Ratner's journey through this film is something no one wants to go through and the Safdie brothers make this story leap off the screen thanks to riveting and dangerous characters, incredible editing (a staple of the Safdies), and an ingenious use of set pieces, particularly doors to the store that only open by buttons on the inside. An often frightening cinematic journey with the performance of Sandler's career at the center of it. 4.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91w8chgkk9L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


1st Rewatch...a richly entertaining show biz comedy featuring a winning cast that nobody saw. The film stars Billy Crystal (who also co- wrote the screenplay) as a slick talking movie studio PR exec who, in order to save his job, must find a way to get Hollywood's hottest acting duo and real life couple (John Cusack, Catherine Zeta Jones), to attend the press junket for their latest film, despite the fact that they divorced during production of their latest film. Crystal's screenplay is smart, though it does get a little slap sticky at times, but the winning cast makes it easy to overlook the short comings. Cusack and Zeta Jones create mad chemistry as the feuding couple and Hank Azaria is very funny as Zeta Jones' new boyfriend. Julia Roberts is miscast as Zeta Jones' plain Jane sister and assistant who has been harboring a crush on Cusack forever. We also get Stanley Tucci as the studio head, Christopher Walken as the film's slightly crazed director, Alan Arkin as Cusack's shrink, and Seth Green as Crystal's toadie. Will never understand why this film died at the box office, I think it's really funny. 3.5

[Gideon58]

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



Umpteenth Rewatch...What can I say? Arguably, John Hughes' masterpiece, the quintessential 80's teen comedy that hasn't aged a bit in 30 years. 4

[Allaby]

Curly Top (1935) Rewatched this today. I think this is my favourite Shirley Temple film. She's wonderful and delightful here and the rest of the cast are good too. I enjoyed the songs, especially Animal Crackers in My Soup and When I Grow Up. This is a really cute and fun musical. I hope it makes the musical countdown. 4.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDlhZDQ5NDUtNDcwMi00MTQ5LTk1Y2UtYjNmMjgzNzNhNzU3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODE5NzE3OTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


1st Rewatch...This over the top, big budget action comedy features an overly complicated plot but big laughs are still provided thanks to the impossible to explain chemistry between Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. They play cops who are restricted to the desk for very different reasons until the death of two cocky super cops plunges them in the middle of a case involving a shady billionaire (Steve Coogan), whose plan has something to do with controlling the lottery and the NYPD pension. Don't really get what this guy's plan was, though he starts off as mad genius and by the halfway point of the film, is turned into a blithering idiot who owes money to people all over the world. Did love the running joke about Ferrell having a smoking hot wife (Eva Mendes) and Wahlberg not being able to understand it. Michael Keaton steals every scene he's in as their boss, who works part time at Bed Bath and Beyond and is obsessed with the group TLC. Dwayne Jackson and Samuel L Jackson are also a lot of fun in their cameos as the super cops whose deaths kick off the story. Don't really understand everything that happens here, but there are definite laughs along the way. 3

[Gideon58]

Agreed. I made it to the end, but I wish I hadn't. The acting and the story were idiotic and superfluous. It was nice to see what I presume were actual live stunts. But even those got banal. I think Gosling should take your advice...;)

I liked it a little more than you did, but glad to see that I'm not the only one who was disappointed with this one.

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mfPM9fbcL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg

Infinity Pool - (2023)

07/10

[Thief]

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
(2011, Wyatt)

https://i.imgur.com/X3faDJc.png


"Some things aren't meant to be changed. You need to accept that."



Set in current times, Rise of the Planet of the Apes follows Caesar (Andy Serkis), a highly intelligent chimpanzee that starts an ape rebellion against humans. The source of his intelligence was a series of experiments performed by Will Rodman (James Franco), who was trying to find a cure for Alzheimer by experimenting on animals. When one of the experiments went awry, he ended up raising Caesar, along with his ill father (John Lithgow).

This is probably the fourth time I've seen this film and, although I wasn't that crazy about it at first, I've grown to appreciate it more every time I see it again. I do think the execution feels a bit flat and there are some things that don't work as well, but there is a good core story there in the relationship between Will and Caesar, but also Will and his father. On the other hand, I don't care a lot about the romantic relationship with Caroline (Freida Pinto) nor do I think it's necessary.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2464588#post2464588)

[cricket]

Meet the Feebles (1989)

3

https://www.horreur.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/pictures/moviesimgs/559-art4.jpg?itok=4OiMSco2

Started my musical watchlist with sex, violence, drugs, vomit, and puppets. Directed by Peter Jackson back when he was good and making films like Bad Taste. The last song was probably my favorite with lyrics like-"Sodomy! You must think it very odd of me, but I enjoy the act of sodomy." If there's any other musicals like this then please let me know.

[Allaby]

Meet the Feebles (1989)

3

https://www.horreur.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/pictures/moviesimgs/559-art4.jpg?itok=4OiMSco2

Started my musical watchlist with sex, violence, drugs, vomit, and puppets. Directed by Peter Jackson back when he was good and making films like Bad Taste. The last song was probably my favorite with lyrics like-"Sodomy! You must think it very odd of me, but I enjoy the act of sodomy." If there's any other musicals like this then please let me know.

Have you seen Forbidden Zone (1980)? It's a weird musical with sex and nudity. Also check out The First Nudie Musical (1976) for an unusual adult musical.

[cricket]

Have you seen Forbidden Zone (1980)? It's a weird musical with sex and nudity. Also check out The First Nudie Musical (1976) for an unusual adult musical.

Nothing with vomit?

[Allaby]

Nothing with vomit?

Not that I can think of. I try to avoid icky, gross out films. :eek:

[FilmBuff]

I haven't watched Meet the Feebles since college, I think. Should really revisit it at some point.

You could kind of say that Mr Jackson has gone on to somewhat bigger things.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWU2NjczNzgtOThhZS00NjI1LWE2MjgtYTU4YzBlMmE5NWI3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjk1Njg5NTA@._V1_.jpg



1.5

[Stirchley]

99031

Low-key amusing movie from Finland.

[FilmBuff]

99031

Low-key amusing movie from Finland.

Was this your first Kaurismäki?

[Stirchley]

Was this your first Kaurismäki?

Nope, but don’t ask me the titles.

[Stirchley]

99019

A classic of British cinema. Nobody was as beautiful as Julie Christie.

Forgot to mention: stuntman couldn’t make it so Sutherland did his own stunts, which is amazing. He damn near killed himself.

99020

Really enjoyed this extremely strange movie.

AgrippinaX, have you seen this? You might enjoy it.

[Thief]

CURSE OF CHUCKY
(2013, Mancini)

https://i.imgur.com/KvlIMU8.jpg


"Look, I know that this sounds nuts, but that doll- I think that there's something in it!"



Curse of Chucky follows Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif), a young woman whose family starts being haunted by Chucky (Brad Dourif). Released 9 years after the batshit craziness of Seed of Chucky, the film brings the franchise back into the horror basics of the original with a mostly dark and somber tone. As much as I enjoyed the silly shenanigans of Bride and Seed, this is a change I really appreciated.

Aside from the tone, the film has a very patient pace. Mancini really takes his time to build up suspense and create a sense of dread. It even makes you wonder if this is a Child's Play film at all, cause Chucky doesn't really reveal himself until almost the halfway mark. Although that might seem like a bad thing, I really enjoyed the tension and fear that oozes through that first half of the film.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2464670#post2464670)

[Thief]

I haven't watched Meet the Feebles since college, I think. Should really revisit it at some point.

You could kind of say that Mr Jackson has gone on to somewhat bigger things.

I think it's the only pre-LOTR Jackson film I haven't seen, but a lot of online friends speak highly of it.

[Jeff]

The Ace of Hearts -- 1921 -- a little on the odd side, and that's a good thing. 4/5

Laugh Clown Laugh -- 1928 -- challenging to get through, but a 5/5

[xSookieStackhouse]

5 i really enjoyed it , it made me cry twice :( and gosh loved the top cast in this movie.
https://imgix.hoyts.com.au/mx/posters/au/if-8c11f4c6.jpg

[Thief]

HOST
(2020, Savage)

https://i.imgur.com/3lU7rN1.jpg


"So because we're doing this over Zoom, what it does mean is that we're slightly less protected than we might've been, so it's very important that you respect the spirits, and you respect each other."



Host follows a group of friends that, for some reason, decide to perform an online séance. However, most of them are taking things lightly, not "respecting the spirits", until things start to go awry and weird stuff starts happening around them. Since each of them is in separate locations, it makes it harder both to know what's happening on the other side, but also harder to help.

Those gimmicks might lend themselves for some cheap execution, but here it works. There were a couple of times where I literally jumped off my seat, which is what we want from a horror film. Host has a lot of things on its favor. The premise is uniquely executed, the performances are solid, the sense of dread is genuine, the jump scares feel earned and organic, but most importantly, with a runtime of just an hour, it doesn't overstay its welcome.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2464804#post2464804)

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71vbeKLn9pL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


1st Rewatxch...Despite Ricky Gervais being the creative force behind this darkly spirited satire, this film just doesn't work for me. The film takes place in an alternate universe where everyone tells the truth and the concept of lying doesn't exist. Gervais plays an unemployed screenwriter who, in an effort to prevent being evicted from his apartment, tells the first lie ever and decides that this is the way to improve his life. Unfortunately, some parting words to his dying mother are overheard and challenged making him an international celebrity for all the wrong reasons. That first lie he tells should not have worked making the rest of the film difficult to invest in. The premise here is clever, but Gervais' screenplay doesn’t commit completely to the premise and sends some very disturbing mixed messages. I also don't like the way the woman Gervais' character loves (Jennifer Garner) uses and manipulates him the way Jenny used Forrest in Forrest Gump. There is an impressive supporting cast including Louis CK, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jason Bateman, but this film is just too all over the place to provide solid entertainment. 2

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjIxODY2OTg2N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODAyODg5Nw@@._V1_.jpg



1st Rewatch...I think I enjoyed this more than I did the first time I watched it. Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones play Kay and Arnold, a couple who have been married for 31 years, but the romance is gone from their marriage and now sleep in separate beds. Desperate to bring romance and intimacy back to her marriage, Kay signs up Arnold and herself for a week long couple counseling in a cozy New England hamlet run by a renowned therapist and author (Steve Carell). David Frankel, who directed Streep in The Devil Wears Prada brings a delicate and nuanced feel to the story. So much of the story is told through the characters' body language. Watch Streep and Jones' physicality when Carelll brings up certain topics. One thing I really loved was when Arnold told Kay he didn't want to do this, she says she's still going whether he comes or not. The journey that Kay and Arnold make in this film is a joy to watch and we're given a false start near the end that makes us want to scream at the screen that I didn't see coming. Carell, Jones, and especially Streep light up the screen here. Make sure you stay tuned through the closing credits. 3.5

[Thief]

WEST OF ZANZIBAR
(1928, Browning)

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


"You're a puzzle, Dead-Legs. One minute you're a fiend and the next... you're almost human."



Early in the month, I had the chance to watch a 1932 Pre-Code film called Kongo. Well, West of Zanzibar is an earlier silent adaptation of the same material. Starring Lon Chaney as Phroso, the film follows his journey to the depths of the African jungle in his attempt to seek revenge against the man that left him paralyzed.

West of Zanzibar is actually very similar to Kongo. Obviously, they're based on the same story, but the whole script, look and feel of the film is very much the same. So having seen Kongo first, I have to admit there was a sense of "been there, done that" to it. This film follows pretty much the same beats so there were no surprises in it, and I think the more raw, "Pre-Code" approach from the other film benefitted the story.

Grade: 2.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2464832#post2464832)

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTA1Y2Q0N2QtNjU2Yi00MTMxLWI4NmUtMWFjNzRkNzU1ODRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY3ODkyNDkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


4

[Thief]

THE MONSTER
(1925, West)
A film with Lon Chaney

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


"You must be mad!"
"Don't you dare call ME mad!"



That's the offended response from Dr, Ziska (Lon Chaney) after being called "mad". But then again, that's what you get when you perform mad experiments on unsuspecting people. He is "the monster" in the title. The film, however, focuses primarily on Johnny Goodlittle (Johnny Arthur), a meek but determined amateur detective, who sets out to investigate the numerous kidnappings happening in the countryside.

Johnny's investigation takes him right into the abandoned sanitorium where Ziska performs his experiments. Considered as one of the first films within the "old dark house" sub-genre, the film does make good use of the setting with our hero trapped in the house, along with his love interest Betty (Gertrude Olmstead) and his rival (Amos Rugg). There are some pretty cool setpieces and well shot sequences, especially in the last act, that I'm sure were probably really scary back in the day.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2464886#post2464886)

[Marco]

Murder in a Teacup (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6d/Graham_Young.jpg
A documentary film about a serial killer that used his self-taught skills on pharmacology and toxicology to attack friends and family. Then after serving time in a mental hospital, his colleagues at his new place of employment. It's jaw-dropping how, even in the latter case it was put down to water faults or even a localised virus in the workplace. Fortunately this Nazi worshipping headbanger left a full diary under his bed where the only code was using his victims initials instead of their full name. Hardly the Enigma code huh? Truly shocking in suburban Bovingdon in the 70s.
3.5

[Marco]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTA1Y2Q0N2QtNjU2Yi00MTMxLWI4NmUtMWFjNzRkNzU1ODRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY3ODkyNDkz._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


4

Oooof, I was way below you on this one Gideon, didn't get on with it at all, maybe a rewatch.

[Fabulous]

The Iron Claw (2023)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/lz18EwYiEP69qeAdrRx26WREsh1.jpg

[stillmellow]

HOST
(2020, Savage)

https://i.imgur.com/3lU7rN1.jpg




Host follows a group of friends that, for some reason, decide to perform an online séance. However, most of them are taking things lightly, not "respecting the spirits", until things start to go awry and weird stuff starts happening around them. Since each of them is in separate locations, it makes it harder both to know what's happening on the other side, but also harder to help.

Those gimmicks might lend themselves for some cheap execution, but here it works. There were a couple of times where I literally jumped off my seat, which is what we want from a horror film. Host has a lot of things on its favor. The premise is uniquely executed, the performances are solid, the sense of dread is genuine, the jump scares feel earned and organic, but most importantly, with a runtime of just an hour, it doesn't overstay its welcome.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2464804#post2464804)




I love that movie! It was a great decision to leave the film at a sleek 60 minutes rather than try to pad it out to 90. It's also one of the first movies to reference covid.

[stillmellow]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA5ZjA3ZjMtMzg2ZC00ZDc4LTk3MTctYTE1ZTUzZDIzMjQyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTM1NjM2ODg1._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg



I'm upset that this movie isn't connecting with the zeitgeist as well as it should. It's a perfect blend of action, comedy, and romance. They probably didn't need to go so over the top with the special effects, as it's best features are the dialog and performances. It works as a straight action flick and a story about love getting a second chance.


👍

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/ba/ThePurplePlain.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32932235

The Purple Plain - (1954)

A very British war/survival/love film featuring the very American Gregory Peck as Canadian Squadron Leader Bill Forrester, one of the most unpleasant, uncaring people you could ever care to meet - but that's only because his wife died in the Blitz. Forrester goes into missions with an almost suicidal lack of care for dying (and that actually makes him a dangerous enemy), but when he meets Anna (Win Min Than), a beautiful Burmese woman who manages to reach him with her soft humility and simplicity, he mellows (a bit.) When Forrester's plane crashes in the middle of nowhere during a mission, Forrester, Flying Officer Carrington (Lyndon Brook) and Flight Lieutenant Blore (Maurice Denham) must work out how to survive and make it back to civilization with limited water, steaming hot weather and no food - a task made more difficult because of the fact that Carrington was badly burned and injured in the crash. So, you get a bit of everything with this (along with M himself, Bernard Lee as a doctor on the base.) I think it strikes a good balance between character-building, adventure and romance, but Peck is left to really carry the film by himself. Nice cinematography.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/The_House_on_Telegraph_Hill_Poster.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23479156

The House on Telegraph Hill - (1951)

Holocaust survivor Viktoria Kowalska (Valentina Cortese) steals the identity of the departed Karin Dernakova (Natasha Lytess), but complications arise when she takes up her place at that house on Telegraph Hill in this moody dark thriller which blends mystery with suspense. I didn't think it was brilliant, but it'll stick around a while in my mind. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2464781#post2464781), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/79/WomanintheWindow.jpg
By Source: http://posters.motechnet.com/title/tt0037469/ - Derived from a digital capture (photo/scan) of the Film Poster, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1613868

The Woman in the Window - (1944)

The woman in the window, Alice Reed (Joan Bennett) lures Professor Richard Wanley where he's forced to kill her jealous boyfriend in self defense in this very taut, tense and thrilling film noir classic that kept me on the edge of my seat. A real shame about that ending though. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2464923#post2464923), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

[Fabulous]

The Foreigner (2017)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/wzsqypqWaKoK4sTTz3RudYJNQtM.jpg

[ActionRocks]

I'm upset



In character for your profile picture!

[Stirchley]

99045
99046

Both good movies. Loads of full frontal female nudity in the first movie. Shades of Lena Dunham.

[LChimp]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5d/31/1b/5d311b26213cdaaa2877e5158547ae46.jpg

Inside Man - (Spike Lee, 2006)

First rewatch in ages, still very good.

[Torgo]

Trancers - 3

To say that The Terminator is influential is the kind of general statement about movies few will disagree with. However, if you still need hard evidence, consider how many B-movies cribbed from it, some of which even came out in the same year. One such movie - and one of the better ones - is Trancers, which has enough things guaranteeing it as such right off the bat that are just as valuable, if not more, as Rotten Tomatoes' "Certified Fresh" seal. Charles Band is at the helm, it's a Full Moon, ahem...Empire production, and not only is Tim Thomerson in the lead, but he also does what he does best: play a futuristic "Dirty Harry" type. While the plot isn't that different from The Terminator's in abstract, it does enough clever things to distinguish itself. One is its time travel method, which is sort of a combination of the ones in La Jetee/Twelve Monkeys and Quantum Leap. On top of that, the notion of using the technology to wipe out entire generations is pretty darn scary. This combined with Michael Stefani's sly, snakelike villain gives Thomerson's Jack Deth and Helen Hunt's punk-rocking companion Leena, who also hope to protect the future council's ancestors, please on both action and mystery fronts. It's also a joy to get a grand tour of '80s L.A. from its shopping malls to its tanning salons as well as to see how Helen Hunt kicked off her career.

While I had a good time with this, it's more of a supplement to The Terminator than a substitute. There are a lot of bells and whistles in the story and concept, but compared to Cameron's movie, there's not nearly as much elegance or cohesion. We're also given little explanation as to why Leela is so willing to be Jack's companion other than him being such a tough, manly dude, especially since he's not the kindest person to her at first. Granted, the ancestor who Jack supplanted when he went back in time and Leena have a history, but it doesn't seem to be a long or pleasant one. Despite these flaws, when it comes to an easy recommendation for someone who is hungry for more of something like The Terminator, but with extra cheese, it's an easy go-to. I mean, it even has zombies for some reason!

[Jeff]

A 1927 double feature
The Jazz Singer -- 3/5, i get why people may not like this, but it wasn't a very good film, very important technically though.
The Unknown -- 4/5 -- great performance by Lon Chaney, his character here like Laugh Clown Laugh have questionable methods on courtship.
Michael -- 1924 -- 5/5 -- wonderful
Marketa Lazarova -- 1967 -- during the act of watching this i had to call 911 for my dad, but this film is a masterpiece, a great re-watch despite the circumstances.

[GulfportDoc]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/79/WomanintheWindow.jpg
By Source: http://posters.motechnet.com/title/tt0037469/ - Derived from a digital capture (photo/scan) of the Film Poster, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1613868

The Woman in the Window - (1944)

The woman in the window, Alice Reed (Joan Bennett) lures Professor Richard Wanley where he's forced to kill her jealous boyfriend in self defense in this very taut, tense and thrilling film noir classic that kept me on the edge of my seat. A real shame about that ending though. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2464923#post2464923), in my watchlist thread.

7/10
Both thumbs up for this one! Personally I loved the ending, which IMO made it a superior picture to Scarlett Street (1945). The acting was much more controlled, and Lang didn't allow the actors to go over the top as they did in SS.

[matt72582]

Ennio
Ennio Morrico. This was just on TCM so it's probably still On-Demand. It's almost 3 hours long, and I wish I didn't have to split it up in many viewings over the last couple days, but life's been crazy, but it was still good.



https://youtu.be/HdhiDjF_uSQ

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/29/All_Hallows%27_Eve_2013_film_poster.jpg
By It is believed that the cover art can or could be obtained from the publisher or studio., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42952655

All Hallow's Eve - (2013)

Okay, so now I find out 2/3rds of Damien Leone's feature debut, an anthology film, is simply made up of 2 of his previous short films. Way to make a cheap feature bro. I guess that explains why Art the Clown looks so different in the first and last segments, as well as the wrap-around story. This is cheap Halloween stuff - a woman kidnapped by Art at a train station finds herself in a basement being tortured by deformed demons, another woman finds herself being chased around her own house by an alien (major shades of No One Will Save You in this original segment - nice alien), and Art the Clown terrorizes a woman on the road while wreaking havoc everywhere. Bargain basement movie-making which has it's moments, but for the most part lacks polish. It improves after the first segment (Leone's first filmmaking effort) - but you'll get that unevenness if you're going to tack early film projects to your full-length movie.

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/76/The_Taking_of_Deborah_Logan.png
By Millennium Pictures - Dread Central, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44260852

The Taking of Deborah Logan - (2014)

Pretty good found footage movie about a film crew making a documentary based on Deborah Logan's (Jill Logan) battle with Alzheimer’s, which suddenly transforms when it becomes evident that Deborah has been possessed by some kind of evil entity. I've seen a lot worse. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2465107#post2465107), in my watchlist thread.

6.5/10

[Fabulous]

Freeway (1996)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/dSknz4ONodKoz5p228bXjSweecr.jpg

[Gideon58]

The Iron Claw (2023)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/lz18EwYiEP69qeAdrRx26WREsh1.jpg

Liked this one a lot more than you did

[Allaby]

The Frog Prince (1986) Watched on Tubi. Aileen Quinn is wonderful in this charming musical fairy tale. 3.5

[Thief]

A PANICKY PICNIC
(1909, De Chomón & De Morlhon)

https://i.imgur.com/XkICG6x.jpg


"The dream you’d have if you gorged yourself on lukewarm sushi."



That is how an online film critic describes (https://silentology.wordpress.com/2016/06/05/segundo-de-chomon-the-man-you-think-is-melies/) the experience of watching A Panicky Picnic; and although I've never gorged myself on lukewarm sushi, I'm mostly inclined to agree. Made in 1909, it follows a family's attempt to have a picnic in the countryside, only to be disturbed by numerous weird and bizarre occurrences. Co-directed by Segundo de Chomón, along with Camille de Morlhon, the film is yet another showcase of De Chomon's skills and talents during the early years of cinema.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2465194#post2465194)

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzNkMTA5ZTYtOGEzOC00MmJiLTgxMWYtM2JlZjhlZDVkYWE0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTczMjkzNDY@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg

When Evil Lurks - (2023)

It had potencial, but it fell short pretty quickly. 5/10

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjM4ZGIyODQtNjEyZS00ODgzLWJhNGQtODlmMzRkZDg0OTE1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA4NjE0NjEy._V1_.jpg


1st Rewatch...A wonderfully unhinged performance by Jake Gyllenhaal makes this movie seem a lot better than it is. Jake plays an investment banker who gets into a car accident with his wife. He comes out of it without a scratch, but his wife dies. The guy is unsuccessful in finding a way to express his grief and finally finds an outlet that works for him...destruction of property. He also finds said outlet challenged by an attractive single mom (Naomi Watts) with a young son. I love the way the screenplay presents the backstory through a complaint letter he is writing to a vending machine company that reaches Watts' desk. Also loved Chris Cooper as Jake's father-in-law and the surprising plot twists that come in the final act. Gyllenhaal's performance really raises the bar on this one. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/810AheWkZXL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg

1st Rewatch...A charming black comedy that could have become very maudlin considering the subject matter. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, a 27 year old radio executive who learns he has contracted a rare form of cancer. Love the moment he first hears the word "cancer" and just stops listening to the rest of his insensitive doctor is telling him. I think the screenplay mines for enough humor in this situation that it never becomes sad or depressing. Gordon-Levitt is charming in the starring role, but the scene stealers here are Oscar winner Anjelica Huston as Adam's mother, Bryce Dallas Howard as Adam's flighty and selfish girlfriend, and especially Seth Rogen as Kyle, Adam's BFF and the only character in the movie who doesn't trip him any differently after learning of Adam's diagnosis. My heart was full as the credits rolled. Loved the layer of hope that is underneath this whole story. Upping my original rating. 4

[Thief]

DEATH WHISPERER
(2023, Wantha)

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


"This spirit is a master manipulator. An untrained mind will be easily swayed. Even a strong mind will turn violent."



Set in 1972 Thailand, Death Whisperer follows a rural family that is suddenly threatened by an evil presence that is haunting one of the daughters. This forces the entire family to mend their differences to stick together and try to overcome this presence. It is the older son, Yak (Nadech Kugimiya), who has just returned from military service who takes the lead against the threat.

I saw this film being recommended by someone on Twitter and it looked interesting, so I decided to give it a try. I thought it was very nicely shot and directed film, with some pretty good blocking. I also thought the whole atmosphere of dread was effectively conveyed, and the many ways that this evil presence manifests itself really worked, with some icky moments without necessarily resorting to full gore.

Grade: 3.5


Full review in my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2465210#post2465210)

[Darth Pazuzu]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91GRe0ynOjL._AC_UY218_.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51PaD-UVRjL._AC_UY218_.jpg
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/711kZucW7AL._AC_UY218_.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71PIgltsPsL._AC_UY218_.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81n4bvhwsXL._AC_UY218_.jpg

The Ox-Bow Incident (William A. Wellman / 1943)
Yellow Sky (William A. Wellman / 1948)
Day of the Outlaw (Andre de Toth / 1959)
Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks / 1974)
Young Guns II (Geoff Murphy / 1990)

Another great big stack of Westerns! I'm really on a roll now, and there are no signs of stopping yet...

The Ox-Bow Incident - One of two films here directed by William A. Wellman. Definitely an early example of what many people would call a "revisionist" Western, or perhaps a "social drama" kind of Western. In its sobriety of tone and level of social insight, it's definitely a precursor to Western dramas like The Gunfighter (1950) and High Noon (1952), which would come later. This is a tale of what used to be euphemistically referred to as "frontier justice." When a group of angry citizens in a small town learns about the apparent shooting death of a local rancher and the theft of his cattle, they decide to take the law into their own hands - on the flimsiest of legal pretexts - and attempt to track down and lynch the ones supposedly responsible. Henry Fonda plays one of a small group of conscientious objectors who insist on turning the men in and letting the law take its course, but they're greatly outnumbered by a mob who are out for blood. I learned about this movie when I read a book about Clint Eastwood. Apparently, when Clint got the script for Hang 'Em High in 1968 (his first American starring role upon returning from Italy and working with Sergio Leone), it strongly reminded him of this classic Wellman film. It's obviously one of Eastwood's favorites, and I'd imagine it ranks with quite a lot of other people's favorites. Not a big hit at the time, being a very downbeat social drama released during World War II, but its reputation quickly grew over the years and it's now acknowledged as a classic. It's extremely short at a mere 75 minutes, but quite a lot is packed into those 75 minutes.

Yellow Sky - Yet another Wellman film. This one stars Gregory Peck as the leader of a gang of outlaws who attempt to escape pursuing soldiers after a bank robbery. They make a decision to head for the salt flats, and the army elects not to pursue, feeling that the men will not survive the trek. But survive they do, eventually arriving parched and thirsty at a dilapidated ghost town named Yellow Sky, deserted except for a tough and capable young woman (Anne Baxter) and her grandfather (James Barton). The other members of Peck's group, including Richard Widmark at his most callous, are convinced the woman and her grandfather are sitting on a literal goldmine nearby, and after a standoff between the two parties, a tentative agreement is made to split the gold 50/50. Things are further complicated by the fact that by the fact that the grandfather is friends with a local group of Apaches, and has the ability to persuade them to wipe out the whole gang. Also not helping matters is that the Widmark character and several of the others are less than amenable toward the idea of an even split!

One amusing thing this movie shares in common with The Ox-Bow Incident is an early scene in a saloon where there is a large painting over the bar which grabs the attention of one of the characters. (In the case of The Ox-Bow Incident, the painting is of sleeping woman in the foreground with an eager-faced man in the background peering at her through curtains, at which Fonda's character irately observes, "That guy's awful slow getting there... I got a feeling she could do better!" In the case of Yellow Sky, the painting is of a scantily-clad woman strapped to the back of horse, and the gang member portrayed by John Russell lewdly observes, "I wonder if she's got any plans after she gets through riding that horse?" And you know something? I'll be damned if that isn't the exact same saloon set in both films! :lol: BTW, I've developed quite an affection for Westerns where the cowboys and outlaws show an appreciation for beautiful paintings. David Miller's Lonely Are the Brave (1962) and Massimo Dallamano's Bandidos (1967) are two of my other favorite examples. In the latter, a dying baddie gets a very deadly notion from Eugène Delacroix's The Death of Sardanapalus, thankfully perishing from hero Terry Jenkins' gunshot before he has a chance to act upon it! :D

Day of the Outlaw - This is the godfather of all other "snowbound Westerns" that would follow years later, including Sergio Corbucci's The Great Silence (1968) and Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight (2015). The action is set in the small town of Bitters, Wyoming during a very bleak and snowy winter. Robert Ryan portrays a cattleman whose feud with a local homesteader (Alan Marshal) is reaching a boiling point, the situation strongly exacerbated by the fact that Ryan has had an affair with the homesteader's wife (Tina Louise). But before these two men can settle their differences in a duel, a group of dangerous rogue cavalrymen led by Burl Ives bursts into the saloon and takes everyone hostage. The Ives character has been badly wounded and it is discovered that he is dying. But this fact is not revealed to his men, whose appetites for liquor and lustful eyes for the local townswomen are barely kept in check by Ives' leadership, which would only be further undermined by knowledge of his impending death. This is a truly great, underrated classic Western with two very complex character portrayals from Ryan and Ives. Both men are not completely good, and not completely evil. The hostage situation thrust upon Ryan's cattleman forces him to confront certain dark elements of his own personality, and Ives is revealed as being a man of some conscience and a sense of fair play.

Blazing Saddles - This is not exactly my favorite Western comedy, and I don't like it quite as much as George Marshall's Destry Rides Again (1939), which is to some extent its role model. (Madeline Kahn's saloon singer character is of course a parody of Marlene Dietrich.) But I've still got a soft spot for this Mel Brooks classic, and it's certainly got its share of belly laughs. Harvey Korman is particularly hysterical is the villain Hedley (not Hedy!) Lamarr, and Slim Pickens definitely proves that his comedic turn in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) was no fluke. ("What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports is a-goin' on around here?!" :lol:) Okay, I think the fourth wall breaking toward the end is perhaps a tad over-indulgent, but I'm kind of stuck for any other idea on how they could possibly have wrapped up a plot this bonkers! Politically incorrect in all the best possible ways, and ultimately big-hearted to boot.

Young Guns II - As I've stated before in my comments about the original 1988 Young Guns, while James Coburn may have been the definitive Pat Garrett in Sam Peckinpah's masterpiece Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), I think the definitive Billy the Kid is Emilio Estevez! (Of course, I'm also of the generation who thinks of Kurt Russell - or Kevin Costner - when the name Wyatt Earp is mentioned, notwithstanding Henry Fonda's great performance as the famous lawman in John Ford's My Darling Clementine from 1946). Oddly enough, this sequel is to some extent a kind of de facto remake of the Peckinpah film. The two movies share quite a few scenes in common, including Billy's Lincoln County jailbreak and the killing of deputies Ollinger and Bell. (In fact, Estevez's quip after slaying Bob Ollinger with the deputy's own rifle - loaded up with eighteen thin dimes - "Best dollar eighty I ever spent!" is almost up there with Kris Kristofferson's deadpan "Keep the change, Bob!") And this point is emphasized even further with the casting of James Coburn in the role of cattle baron John Chisum, who's actually just as good in his brief role here as we was playing Garrett for Peckinpah. He even gets to re-purpose one of his most quotable lines from the 1973 film. When Billy tells Chisum that he is owed $500, Coburn's Chisum fires back with "Well, you can take those figures and shove 'em up your arrogant little a** and set fire to 'em. I don't owe you a damn thing!" Young Guns II is certainly not a masterpiece on par with Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (BTW, looking forward to the Criterion Collection Blu-ray/4K set for that next month!), but I actually think it's a slightly superior film to the 1988 original. There is definitely a fatalistic sense of doom hanging over the proceedings as events progress and Billy's gang are gradually whittled down (the death of the teenage Balthazar Getty's character being particularly startling). I also think the Little Big Man (1970)-style wraparound story (with Estevez in old-age makeup as "Brushy Bill" Roberts) is very cool.

[Darth Pazuzu]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a7/IF_%28film%29_poster_2.jpg/220px-IF_%28film%29_poster_2.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/34/Furiosa_A_Mad_Max_Saga.jpg/220px-Furiosa_A_Mad_Max_Saga.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/91/The_Garfield_Movie_2024_poster.jpg/220px-The_Garfield_Movie_2024_poster.jpg

May 28, 2024
IF (John Krasinski / 2004)
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (George Miller / 2024)

June 4, 2024
THE GARFIELD MOVIE (Mark Dindal / 2024)

A very interesting cinematic viewing experience these past two weeks: One high-octane, blood-soaked post-apocalyptic desert action thriller flanked by two children's films! An intriguingly mind-bending combination, to be sure... ;)

I don't really have a lot to say in depth about any of these, but I'll just offer up a few minor observations.

IF - This actually has a good deal of heart to it, dealing as it does with growing up, the power of imagination, mortality and the death (or possible death) of one's parents. Cailey Fleming turns in an exceptional and affecting performance as the young heroine Bea, who has the power to see not only her imaginary friend but other people's, as well. (I must say I completely failed to recognize her from her role as the young Rey in the flashback scenes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.) The digital effects for the imaginary friends are certainly cute, and because they're products of the characters' imaginations, one doesn't hold them to the most exacting standard of realism! I don't know if it's a deliberate twist, or if I was just not paying enough attention (I was sort of tired at the time and had to keep from nodding out - rough day, not the movie's fault), but I had actually assumed that it was Ryan Reynolds playing the girl's father throughout before the final scene. I think I would definitely recommend this.

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA - I don't know if I feel qualified enough to comment on this one, seeing as how I've actually never seen any of the other Mad Max films. (Yes! Believe it or not, it's true. Such people do exist in this world! :lol:) I was definitely riveted to my seat by the high-octane action, and wonderfully unsettled by the cruelty and casual violence of the characters in this post-apocalyptic world, and just as magnetized by the intensity in Anya Taylor-Joy's eyes. Chris Hemsworth was equal parts threatening and amusing in the role of Dementus, who's a ridiculously inflated and comically self-important monster, but a convincing monster regardless. The final confrontation between Furiosa and Dementus was quite deftly handled, as well. One wouldn't have wanted that guy getting off too easy, right...? ;) Again, I couldn't tell you how this compares with Fury Road or the original Mel Gibson trilogy, not having seen any of them yet, but I thought this particular universe was pretty impressive. It's really quite interesting, the gaps in different people's cinematic education, isn't it? Well, I'll definitely fill that void at some future date, don't you worry.

THE GARFIELD MOVIE - Hey, who doesn't love the fat cat, right? I had a lot of fun at this one. (But once again, I was a tad wiped out and had to struggle to stay awake. Tuesday may be $7 at Marcus Theaters, but it also happens to be one of my two plasma donation days of the week. Kind of wipes you out!) Anyway, the plot is completely bonkers, something to do with Garfield's ne'er-do-well father Vic supposedly abandoning him as a kitten, discovering Jon Arbuckle eating at an Italian restaurant and developing his yen for pizza, getting kidnapped along with Odie by two other dogs working for father Vic's vengeful Persian ex-girlfriend Jinx, and getting involved in a plot to pull off a milk heist at Lactose Farms, where they meet the farm's former mascot, a bull named Otto, who wants to get reunited with his girlfriend, a cow named Ethel... Hey, is your head spinning yet, or is it just mine! :lol: Chris Pratt is pretty good as the voice of Garfield, although for me he can never replace the great Lorenzo Music in the role. I thought Ving Rhames' take on the bull Otto was very amusing, sort of struggling to keep his patience with all the other characters who can't measure up to his exacting training standards. Samuel L. Jackson was fine, too, as Vic. (I haven't yet seen the other two Garfield movies from the 2000's, but I find it wonderfully amusing that both Garfield and Dr. Peter Venkman from Ghostbusters were both played by Bill Murray and Lorenzo Music. You've got to admit, there is a certain similar sensibility between those two characters.) :D

[beelzebubble]

Corridor of Mirrors (1948) is a decent gothic thriller starring two people I had never heard of before. The male lead, Paul Mangan, a mysterious man about town who owns a ridiculously large house in London, was played by Eric Portman, an attractive man with a wonderful voice. Think Claude Rains or George Sanders. Portman had quite the career on the English Stage and in film, but this is the first I’ve seen of him. The female lead, Mifanwy, a privileged, single, young woman attracts the attention of Mangan. Mifanwy is played by Edan Romney, a South African actress/writer who later marries a film producer, John Woolf and moves to California.
Mangan intrigues her and he invites her to his home where she finds a corridor of mirrors. Dun dun! There are costumes from 15th century Venice worn by a manakin with hair in a similar style and color to Mifanwy’s. Dun dun! Things get weird between them and the other people in Paul Mangan’s life. Paul supposedly recreates Venice including canals in his home for a party. The set for this part is fabulous and moodily lit. The film is beautifully shot. The story is okay. The actors are good. It was fun for me to see something from my favorite period of film that I hadn’t seen before and enjoyed. It is available on Tubi in the USA right now.
https://search.app.goo.gl/vMLVotF

[FilmBuff]

Corridor of Mirrors (1948) is a decent gothic thriller starring two people I had never heard of before.

I thought it was first-rate!

[FilmBuff]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/57yov1Boc2I0VJ753DnoAHnaiXG.jpg

Bad Boys: Ride or Die
1.5

The 4th installment of Bad Boys is truly a slap in the face.
Look, Adil & Bilall are a pretty talented directing duo, and one can't help but wish they'd stop wasting their time with these Bad Boys movies and get down to something really interesting or thought-provoking.
As anyone who has watched the trailer knows, the plot for this one is the old standby, "the corruption that goes all the way to the top". The problem is that it has been done to death in several other series, including Fast & Furious and the Marvel Universe.
And because the plot outline is so overdone now, the whole movie becomes a tedious exercise in checking all the boxes for the plot to be executed, right down to Ioan Gruffudd in what could be called the Timothy Olyphant role.
The flashy camerawork and spicy soundtrack (by Lorne Balfe, who also deserves to be working on better material) don't distract from the rote story beats.
And the last two installments in the franchise suffer, most catastrophically, from the fact that Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are too old to be playing carefree cops who don't mind risking their lives (the movie goes above and beyond to try to give Lawrence an excuse to feel invulnerable).
Because they are older, they also have families to look after and every problem they get into also eventually will involve their families. That makes the latest two movies seem more and more like Lethal Weapon (with a lot less edge); you practically expect Lawrence to resort to the old "I'm too old for this ****!" routine.
While the 4th installment may be just good enough for the most undemanding viewers out there, anyone expecting something better than "same old" is likely to be deeply disappointed.
With their Batgirl movie having been permanently shelved, it's time for Adil & Bilall to move on; I sincerely hope their next movie will not be a part of any major IP, something completely original would probably suit their talents best.

[mrblond]

Fracture (2007)

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, Rosamund Pike

I came across this on TV yesterday. It turned to be a good thriller. Obviously, Anthony Hopkins was commissioned to repeat his type of character from Hannibal and Silence of the Lambs and he did it very well as always. Thus, the producers promote the youngsters Gosling and Pike. Very clear show business idea.
4-
78/100
99057

[Fabulous]

They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/av2wp3R978lp1ZyCOHDHOh4FINM.jpg

[Thief]

HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS
(2022, Cheslik)

https://i.imgur.com/nP5SVbp.png


"---"



That's more or less the extent of dialogue you will get from Hundreds of Beavers, but also my speechless, baffled reaction as I saw it. The film is a low budget curiosity directed by Mike Cheslik and written by Cheslik and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, who also stars in the lead role. He plays Jean Kayak, an applejack salesman whose farm is destroyed by a group of beavers, leaving him homeless in the cold of winter. So he does what every sane applejack salesman who has been shafted by beavers would do, which is to set out to get rid of them; all hundreds of them, while also trying to win the hand of a storeowner's daughter... Yeah.

This film came to my attention thanks to the glory of social media "marketing". Not necessarily the official marketing, but the word of mouth on Twitter was all over, so I decided to give it a shot. The film is described as a slapstick comedy, but in reality, it's more of a crazy mixture of classic silent film and Looney Tunes slapstick, with a dose of video game mechanics. All in all, a zany and funny hodgepodge of comedy with a unique and clear style, but the best thing is that it works!

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2465347#post2465347)

[Stirchley]

99059

Very good movie once I’d figured out what the heck was going on. A Turkish movie with the attendant Lost in Translation going on. Enjoyed it.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Yezg3SEtL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



Umpteenth Rewatch...Love this breezy rom-com about a carpenter (Kurt Russell) who is hired by a snooty heiress (Goldie Hawn) to re-do the closets on her yacht. She's not happy with the job and refuses to pay him. That night, the heiress falls off her yacht and is recovered by a garbage scow and, upon learning she has lost her memory, take her to mental hospital. The carpenter sees the story on TV and decides to pick her up at the hospital, claiming that she's wife, and takes her home to cook and clean for himself and his four unruly children. Read a scathing review of this movie recently, but I don't care. I think this movie is all kinds of fun and the chemistry between real life lovers Kurt and Goldie is off the charts, making just about anything wrong with the movie forgivable. 3.5

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.JZbpA-NaBgHy9ZODVb09IQHaEK%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=68f854e22fe2f3e3672319d7c9549adb7d30a920f8208c2ab5de46093358d908&ipo=images


The Pajama Game (1957)...Loved it! rating_4_5
My full review here:https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2465354#post2465354

[Gideon58]

https://resizing.flixster.com/TK5WOxtD8WKRZxbd16PIXJhBW7E=/ems.cHJkLWVtcy1hc3NldHMvbW92aWVzLzRkMTA0NDE3LTM2MGEtNDAyYi05MTNjLTI2NTc5MTJkMjg2NC5qcGc=


1st Rewatch...Despite a leaning toward melodrama, this testosterone-charged look at the first family of professional wrestling, the Von Erich family, is pretty riveting entertainment for the most part. Since my first watch, I have learned that the film plays a little fast and loose with facts, including the reveal that one of the movie's best scenes is something that never happened, but it doesn't do too much damage to the film's power, which lies in the look at the tyrannical and manipulative treatment of the Von Erich brothers by their cold and power hungry father. Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White are quite good as Kevin and Kerry Von Erich, respectively, but this film remains on sizzle thanks to the bone-chilling performance by Holt McCallany as Fritz Von Erich. 4

[FilmBuff]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Yezg3SEtL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


Still way better than the remake!

[Gideon58]

I can't bring myself to watch the remake.-

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjIzNzYwMzk1OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjgzNjIxMzE@._V1_.jpg


1

[Thief]

IVAN'S CHILDHOOD
(1962, Tarkovsky)

https://i.imgur.com/nahO46v.jpg


"A war's no place for children."



Set during World War II, Ivan's Childhood follows the titular child (Nikolai Burlyayev), a young orphan who is left wandering around his war-torn country after losing his parents. Fueled by revenge, he insists in working with the military, whether it is as a scout, an informant, or a bona fide soldier. Meanwhile, several officers try to figure out what to do with the child as they can't deny he's useful, while also acknowledging that "war's no place for children".

The first thing that hit me was how well shot the film is. This is something that I had already witnessed in Stalker, but that you can see Tarkovsky was already on top of here. The camera movement, blocking, and framing is excellent making you feel the isolation of the character in the midst of war, as well as his entrapment as a result of the conflict, heightened by his desire to do "something" against the enemy, but also to just be a child.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2465438#post2465438)

[FilmBuff]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/5hcqbpvZOzpQQua2miPprnWzmEz.jpg

The Watchers
3

The Watchers is, well, watchable. :D

I had set my expectations fairly low, given the barrage of rather negative reviews. And, honestly, I don't know if people are being extra hard on the movie because the director, Ishana Night Shyamalan, happens to be the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan.

Has the anti-nepo baby fervor in pop culture contributed to that? Very possibly.

So, given that she's the daughter of an established director, I'll start out by saying that this isn't a terrible first effort, but it does make it seem that Ms Shyamalan is rather intent on copying the style of her father's films.

This puts her in a somewhat different category from other "nepo baby" directors, like Sofia Coppola, who has quite clearly set out to make a very different kind of film than those of her father.

At any rate, with somewhat lowered expectations, this movie is somewhat entertaining, although it probably isn't as scary as the marketing might be trying to make you believe.

I have no idea how faithful it is to the source material, a homonymous novel by A. M. Shine.

Taken on its own terms, the movie offers an interesting and utterly fantastical premise, and follows through with it.

(Yes, there is of course a twist late in the movie).

Whether you enjoy this movie or not, the younger Shyamalan's effort is somewhat promising, but one can only hope that in the future she will try to find a more personal kind of filmmaking that doesn't simply feel like a carbon copy of her father's movies.

(I have said as little as possible about the story because I think it's best enjoyed knowing as little as possible before going in - I don't even remember how much the trailers gave away, but the less you know, the better).

[Marco]

Clockers (1995)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Clockers_film_poster.jpg
Urban NY story of drug dealers (clockers) in constant battles with the cops - who are the only ones going to win. It's a rich palette delivered by Spike Lee with a fairly original soundtrack that really enhances the atmosphere rather than the action. The murder investigation doesn't impinge but enhances the story. When the central character finds "it's hard to be a saint in the city" because of pressure from the police but also from his own "side" it's a story as old as the hills but played very well by the charismatic Mekhi Phifer. Scorsese was originally lined up to direct but I doubt he would have done a better job than Lee.
Strong 3.5

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f7/The_One_That_Got_Away_film_poster.jpg
By Derived from a digital capture (photo/scan) of the Film Poster/ VHS or DVD Cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party). Copyright held by the film company or the artist. Claimed as fair use regardless., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35741411

The One That Got Away - (1957)

One of those weird movies where we're kind of meant to be cheering for the guy fighting for Nazi Germany - The One That Got Away advertises that fact that flying ace Franz von Werra (Hardy Krüger) was the only German POW to escape and make his way back to Germany. His Wikipedia page qualifies that in a couple of ways though - it says that he was the only German POW to escape from Canadian custody, and then it adds "apart from a U-boat seaman, Walter Kurt Reich" - take everything with a grain of salt. There are some striking parallels in this film to The Great Escape (an American production - this is British), such as when a choir of Germans strike up to cover the noise of Werra tunnelling under the barbed wire fence of his camp. It's a pretty exciting movie, if it wasn't for the fact that the main goal of our protagonist is to get back to Nazi Germany so he can resume fighting for Hitler I'd have been cheering all the way through. In doing this he nearly kills himself a couple of times, and although the film tries to twist things our way by British intelligence figuring out that "he's not one of those fanatics - he doesn't believe in all the Nazi gobbledygook", you have to be something of a fanatic to go through what he does just to get back to that nightmare place to go on killing. Despite all of that, this is a very well made movie, with an expertly fashioned screenplay and magnificent locations used with no expense spared.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/Bluecollarposter.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://shop.com.edgesuite.net/ccimg.shop.com/220000/227900/227949/products/lg_91138199.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18089722

Blue Collar - (1978)

Paul Schrader's directorial debut vent's it's furious anger at unions, bosses, corporations, racial profiling, the government - everyone but the blue collar worker, who slaves away but still always finds him or herself under pressure and in debt. It's a brilliant film, and the casting of Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto works to perfection. I loved it. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2465311#post2465311), in my watchlist thread.

9/10

[pahaK]

DEATH WHISPERER
(2023, Wantha)

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




Set in 1972 Thailand, Death Whisperer follows a rural family that is suddenly threatened by an evil presence that is haunting one of the daughters. This forces the entire family to mend their differences to stick together and try to overcome this presence. It is the older son, Yak (Nadech Kugimiya), who has just returned from military service who takes the lead against the threat.

I saw this film being recommended by someone on Twitter and it looked interesting, so I decided to give it a try. I thought it was very nicely shot and directed film, with some pretty good blocking. I also thought the whole atmosphere of dread was effectively conveyed, and the many ways that this evil presence manifests itself really worked, with some icky moments without necessarily resorting to full gore.

Grade: rating_3_5


Full review in my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2465210#post2465210)

I have a habit of watching the majority of Asian horror films that appear on Netflix. This one had been on my watchlist since it came there, and I decided to watch it after your review. I ended up giving it the same rating as you did, and it's one of the better new horrors found on the streaming service. Surprisingly good special effects and plenty of nods toward Evil Dead without being just a tribute.

[Gideon58]

They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/av2wp3R978lp1ZyCOHDHOh4FINM.jpg

Very strange movie…rated it slightly lower than you did

[Miss Vicky]

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/NewMFPics/lala.gif

La La Land
(Damien Chazelle, 2016)

I hate musicals. Because I hate musicals, I didn't vote for musicals in the poll for the next countdown. Because I hate musicals, I told myself I wasn't going to do any first time watches in preparation for the musicals countdown. Because I hate musicals, I've intentionally avoided this movie for eight years. Yet somehow, against my better judgement and fully expecting to outright hate it, I watched La La Land today.

And having seen it, I can actually say that I didn't hate it. Not quite, but I definitely didn't like it either. The one thing that I ask of any movie is that it makes me give a shit and, until about the final quarter or so of its runtime, La La Land utterly failed to do that. I didn't find either Mia or Sebastian to be particularly likable or unlikable, they just kind of existed to me and anytime they broke out in song and dance I went from not caring to being annoyed. I don't know why the hell I even finished it since I wasn't under any obligation to, but I did eventually start to care towards the end of the movie. Though that tiny flicker of giving a shit was nearly extinguished by that final dance number and so here we are. I've seen the movie. It was okay-ish. But not okay enough to have any chance at my ballot.

2

[Thief]

I have a habit of watching the majority of Asian horror films that appear on Netflix. This one had been on my watchlist since it came there, and I decided to watch it after your review. I ended up giving it the same rating as you did, and it's one of the better new horrors found on the streaming service. Surprisingly good special effects and plenty of nods toward Evil Dead without being just a tribute.

There really seems to be a boom in the region. Feel free to recommend any good stuff.

[Fabulous]

Unpregnant (2020)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/7QaItfwAzp0jY0gFgPSzpY8ZrBv.jpg

[matt72582]

Talking Heads - 7/10
15-minute short movie.

https://youtu.be/bMcGVupgtJM

[pahaK]

There really seems to be a boom in the region. Feel free to recommend any good stuff.

Out of the newer ones, I'd say In My Mother's Skin and Susuk are easily worth watching. The first one is a harrowing Philippine fairy tale and the second is an Indonesian curse / demonic possession thing (I strongly suggest Googling the term susuk before watching the film unless you happen to know already what it means).

At least here in Finland In My Mother's Skin is on Amazon Prime and Susuk on Netflix.

[FilmBuff]

https://media.senscritique.com/media/000008303156/source_big/La_Famille_Belier.jpg

La Famille Belier
4.5

Mon dieu! Has it been 10 years already since La Famille Belier was released?

Yes, it has. And imho it is still a much, much better film in just about any regard than the U.S. remake.

This movie sadly did not get a theatrical release in the U.S., not even following Coda's Oscar win.

At least now it is easily available for streaming, you can catch it on Kanopy and a few other streamers.


https://beam-images.warnermediacdn.com/BEAM_LWM_DELIVERABLES/ac037e4c-0b87-4865-9235-c86b98f806c2/01b67f10-112b-4117-9a39-4f7f6ad2c272?host=wbd-images.prod-vod.h264.io&partner=beamcom

Am I OK?
3

Am I OK? is, well... just OK.

The film premiered at Sundance in 2022, and it's taken it this long to get a streaming premiere via Max.

Maybe part of the reason is that a movie like this would have seemed pretty edgy in the 1990s, but in 2024 it just feels like... "been there, done that!".

Still, I am a huge fan of Dakota Johnson and it's fun to see her constantly trying to get better in the less commercial efforts she occasionally makes (Daddio will be out this summer).

Sonoya Mizuno, who was born in Tokyo and raised in London, is extremely appealing as Johnson's BFF. She definitely deserves better parts.

[Thief]

Out of the newer ones, I'd say In My Mother's Skin and Susuk are easily worth watching. The first one is a harrowing Philippine fairy tale and the second is an Indonesian curse / demonic possession thing (I strongly suggest Googling the term susuk before watching the film unless you happen to know already what it means).

At least here in Finland In My Mother's Skin is on Amazon Prime and Susuk on Netflix.

Ok, I just googled what "susuk" means, and yeah, I'll approach that one with discretion :D

And since you mentioned Finland, I think it might have come up in another conversation here, but have you seen Kyrsyä: Tuftland? It's a sorta occult thriller/horror film from there. It's very low budget and amateurish, and far from great, but I still think they had something going on there. It kinda stuck with me for various reasons.

[matt72582]

Spokoj - 7.5/10
Fine acting. Natural. Like many European movies, they're about people, and their relationships with each other, themselves, the external world. Not crossing a finish line or making the kill shot, robbing a bank.

https://youtu.be/IOBko5Q1WVQ

[pahaK]

Ok, I just googled what "susuk" means, and yeah, I'll approach that one with discretion :D

I didn't mean it as a content warning, but understanding the concept makes (or so I would assume) the film easier to follow and more sensible. My brother watched it without any prior knowledge and afterward, he wished he'd Googled it before watching, not after.

And since you mentioned Finland, I think it might have come up in another conversation here, but have you seen Kyrsyä: Tuftland? It's a sorta occult thriller/horror film from there. It's very low budget and amateurish, and far from great, but I still think they had something going on there. It kinda stuck with me for various reasons.

I rarely watch Finnish movies. As a general rule, if the film is Finnish it's most likely bad. There are exceptions, of course, but they're rare (the first that comes to mind is Talvisota - Winter War which is among the best war movies ever made).

[Jeff]

A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More -- both 4/5's, trilogy really does get better, and i wasted my time and didn't get the 3rd watched while it was still dark. But i will be spending a lot more time with this famed trilogy, for it is the gold standard of the sub-genre that has become a focus, along with the Golden Age of Animation, and silent cinema.

[Thief]

A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More -- both 4/5's, trilogy really does get better, and i wasted my time and didn't get the 3rd watched while it was still dark. But i will be spending a lot more time with this famed trilogy, for it is the gold standard of the sub-genre that has become a focus, along with the Golden Age of Animation, and silent cinema.

All three are great, but For a Few Dollars More is my favorite.

[matt72582]

You rarely Finnish movies that are Finnish... Then watch movies directed by Aki Kaurismaki

[Allaby]

Roman Scandals (1933) Watched on Tubi. Eddie Cantor stars as a man who suddenly and unexpectedly finds himself in ancient Rome. Wacky shenanigans and musical numbers ensue. Some fun moments and clever dialogue make this an entertaining musical comedy. While not everything works and some parts are a little too dated (there is a "blackface" number), it is still an enjoyable time.3.5

[mrblond]

The Promised Land (2023)

Starring Mads Mikkelsen

Good period drama movie. It is perfectly set for the main actor - the outstanding Mikkelsen.
Well, some of the other characters and events are a bit overstated which smells like intervention by the nowadays regime, which is usual for the cinema as a whole.
4-
78/100
99070

[GulfportDoc]

Clockers (1995)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Clockers_film_poster.jpg
...
They stole that poster design from Anatomy of a Murder. At least they aimed high...:D https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy_of_a_Murder

[pahaK]

You rarely Finnish movies that are Finnish... Then watch movies directed by Aki Kaurismaki

I've meant to for a long time but always find something more interesting. I have a somewhat negative preconception of them (I vaguely remember seeing one or two long ago).

[Wyldesyde19]

All three are great, but For a Few Dollars More is my favorite.
Of his Spaghetti Westerns, I prefer Once Upon a Time in the West and Duck, You Sucker! Over the Man with No Name Trilogy. They are, however, still decent films.
I think Once Upon a Time in America is his best, however.

[matt72582]

I've meant to for a long time but always find something more interesting. I have a somewhat negative preconception of them (I vaguely remember seeing one or two long ago).


May I recommend one of my favorite movies, "Shadows in Paradise". It's very short, 80 minutes, and great.

[FilmBuff]

https://cloud.filmfed.com/movies/posters/l_67bc0aff-cce7-4ebc-8c00-eb9f714de704.jpg

颐和园
3.5

颐和园 is a soap opera with full-frontal nudity (both male and female) and serious geopolitical concerns.

If that sounds like a heady mix, that's because it is - and watching this in 2024 is a powerful reminder of all of the things the CCP doesn't allow in Chinese films.

At its heart, 颐和园 is a fairly simple story: it's your typical girl-meets-boy, girl-loses-boy, girl-gets-boy-back - with a twist. If the same story was told with any other country as its setting, it might be criticized for its soapy nature.

But much of the movie's edge comes from how it plays out against world events, most notably Tiananmen Square, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China.

There's a real sense of a rapidly changing world with seismic shifts unfolding even as the focus of the movie remains on a young woman from Tumen moving to the big city to attend college (a thinly-disguised version of Peking University).

After director Lou Ye submitted the film to the Cannes Film Festival without approval from state censors, the movie was summarily banned in China, while Lou and his producers were banned from filmmaking for 5 years.

颐和园 was one of the 20 films in competition for the Palme d'Or in 2006; the prize ultimately went to The Wind That Shakes the Barley.

颐和园 would have been a better choice.

[Thief]

Of his Spaghetti Westerns, I prefer Once Upon a Time in the West and Duck, You Sucker! Over the Man with No Name Trilogy. They are, however, still decent films.
I think Once Upon a Time in America is his best, however.

Oh yeah, I would put Once Upon a Time in the West above the Man with No Name Trilogy as well. Haven't seen Duck, You Sucker!, though.

[Marco]

The Return (2003)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8c/Vozvrashcheniye_movie.jpg
Russian film in which a father returns after 12 years away (never explained) to take his two sons on a fishing trip. The mother is edgy but doesn't resist and then the real questions start. Is his gruff and sometimes violent manner (the father) a way of toughening the 2 lads up for life after a life in a matriarchal environment in his absence, or is he just an abusive influence full stop. The 2 lads differing attitudes to him provide an extra angle of tension. It's wonderfully shot and (I believe) full of allegory. I just took it that he didn't know how to be a father until the boys eventually stood up to him, even then they didn't know who/what he was. Almost mystical but a fantastic, if downbeat. watch. Doesn't surprise that the same director made " Leviathan" some years later.
4

[Allaby]

Dead Shack (2017) Lame comedy horror. Characters are unlikable and not believable. The acting and writing are mediocre. They needed to do something more with the material. 2.5

[pahaK]

Of his Spaghetti Westerns, I prefer Once Upon a Time in the West and Duck, You Sucker! Over the Man with No Name Trilogy. They are, however, still decent films.

OUATINTW > Trilogy >>> Duck

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Theatrical_poster_of_film%2C_The_Ultimate_Gift%2C_2007.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40577186

The Ultimate Gift - (2006)

7.3/10 on the IMDb - that's a headscratcher, and brings to an end my faith in being able to screen which films I watch to catch turkeys before I take a wrong step. I'm not saying that The Ultimate Gift is a turkey, but look, some people have the ability to ignore their inner cynic and find stories about wholesome goodness uplifting and enjoyable - no matter how trite they are. Good for them - I'd rather feel good than bad, but unfortunately I can't help but feel I'm being duped if the story I'm trying to enjoy lacks originality, and has it's message delivered in hammer blows rather than being cleverly embroidered into each chapter. In this adaptation of a novel that was somehow a best-seller, Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) - a brat devoid of a soul - must perform a dozen or so tasks if he's to inherit any money from his $2 billion rich grandfather, Howard "Red" Stevens (James Garner). These tasks he calls "gifts" - there's the "gift of work", where he forces Jason to do backbreaking labor on a farm, and the "gift of learning" where he forces Jason to go to a library in Ecuador to study (there's a whole subplot about how Jason's father died helping his granddad in Ecuador). Spoiler alert - Jason basically becomes Jesus himself by the time he's finished, and gives his entire $100 million inheritance away to build a children's hospital. Then he gets the whole $2 billion, because the $100 million was just a test. It's all sugary sweet and a little too much. Jason was a little too awful at the start, and ends up being a little too good at the end for me to buy in to this at all. Along the way he crosses paths with the likes of Brian Dennehy and Abigail Breslin - both of whom I like, but not here. Now - I'm not evil, and I believe in work, friendship, learning, kindness etc - to the hilt. It's just this movie sells it's message so roughly, with so little art, that it actually made me a little angry.

3/10

[MovieBuffering]

Slap Shot - 1977

Paul Newman is just a damn movie star. I'm not much a hockey and it's a bit dated. Had some laugh and story was cool. Was enjoyable enough but if I grew up in the 70s I think it would have been right up my alley. Worth a watch for Newman alone but probably won't revisit.

2.5

https://www.1stsummitarena.com/wp-content/uploads/history/slap-shot-bench.png

[ActionRocks]

LazyTown's New Superhero
Part One (21m)
So while this was a part ONE to the episode, not much sweet events happened. This is kind of a stepping stone to the action, and it’s a pretty good one. But I wish it was a BIT longer.

8/10

[ActionRocks]

Lazytown's New Superhero: Part Two
That episode was totally awesome. 10/10. Nothing more said.

[Miss Vicky]

99073

Follow That Bird
(Ken Kwapis, 1985)

As a 43 year old child-free woman who hates musicals, did I just watch a musical made for pre-schoolers? Why, yes. Yes I did. And tonight wasn't even my first time watching it as an adult. I picked it up from the local library on a whim back in 2015. I'd grown up watching it, but had forgotten about it by then and - as someone who is most definitely no longer in the target audience - I fully expected to hate it. But I didn't hate it. Not even close. I thought it was fun. It made me laugh. I even got a little misty-eyed a time or two. And most shocking of all was that I actually enjoyed the songs - most especially Oscar's "Grouch Anthem," which opens the movie.

So when this countdown was announced I decided it needed another viewing and I ordered it on DVD. Having just watched it again, nine years further into my adulthood, I liked it just as much if not more than I did last time. Except for a couple of scenes where it got a little sad, I watched it with a big grin on my face because sometimes I just need a little silliness and tonight was one of those nights.

Now, do I think this has any chance of making the countdown proper? Not at all, but that won't stop me from putting it on my ballot and probably somewhere in my top ten. Now that it's in my collection, I'll also be sure to revisit it again in the not too distant future. In the meantime, that "Grouch Anthem" is probably gonna be stuck in my head for awhile.

Grouches of the world unite!
Stand up for your grouchly rights!
Don't let the sunshine spoil the rain
Just stand up and complain
Let this be the grouches' cause:
Point out everybody's flaws!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u2KSBq7y-o

4

[Marco]

Themroc (1973)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e8/Themroc_%28movie_poster%29.jpg
I recall seeing this as the opener in Channel 4 UK's "red triangle" season of films. A film with no discernible dialogue is likely to not age too much and this hasn't. Worker rebels against society as a whole and takes up living as a modern caveman (including incest and cannibalism). As an absurdist piece of cinema it's great and there are a few intentional and I'm not-so-sure intentional laughs along the way. I'd like any similar film recommendations as all the ones linked to it don't seem to be as hatstand but I still may give them a go.
3.5

[Allaby]

Shake, Rattle & Rock! (1956) If you don't like this movie, you are an old square! All us young hip cats dig it. There is some groovy music here that we get down to that you old timers wouldn't understand. Sure, the story isn't all that swell, but this is still pretty neato. 3

[Miss Vicky]

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/NewMFPics/sweeney.gif

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
(Tim Burton, 2007)

I've been on the fence about rewatching this one. I'd seen it once back when it was new and I strongly remember absolutely hating the songs. But I do love Johnny Depp and that Tim Burton aesthetic so I thought... maybe it'll grow on me?

And I have to say that it did grow on me. I loved the look of the film. The costumes and sets are absolutely gorgeous. I also thought the casting and performances were really strong and the story kept me engaged. I have to admit that I actually genuinely enjoyed myself. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it and that's kind of a hard thing for me to admit about a musical.

However, I still really hated those damn songs. Which then begs the question: Is it wrong to vote for a movie for a best musicals countdown if you hated the thing that makes it a musical? Probably, but I'm gonna do it anyway.

3.5

[Allaby]

The Watchers (2024) Ishana Shyamalan directs this horror/mystery starring Dakota Fanning. I went and saw it today. I thought this was a mostly effective and engaging atmospheric film. The performances were good and I found the story interesting. 3.5

[Gideon58]

Slap Shot - 1977

Paul Newman is just a damn movie star. I'm not much a hockey and it's a bit dated. Had some laugh and story was cool. Was enjoyable enough but if I grew up in the 70s I think it would have been right up my alley. Worth a watch for Newman alone but probably won't revisit.

2.5

https://www.1stsummitarena.com/wp-content/uploads/history/slap-shot-bench.png

LOVED this movie

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Sahara (1943, Zoltan Korda) - B+

[LChimp]

https://cdn.sortiraparis.com/images/80/69688/1076250-baki-hanma-vs-kengan-ashura-le-crossover-explosif-d-arts-martiaux-arrive-sur-netflix.jpg

Baki Hanmai Vs. Kengan Ashura - (2024)

Yes, it's as ridiculous as it looks... and it's awesome! I wish it was longer too, but I bet they'll make a sequel.

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Aquaman_and_the_Lost_Kingdom_poster.jpg/220px-Aquaman_and_the_Lost_Kingdom_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

[FilmBuff]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTNhYzJmOTEtMzQ1OC00YTk0LTgzY2MtYjRmYjcyNTczMDE0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDExNzA5NA@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg

Håndtering av udøde
3

"My mother died, and then came back"
"Mine died also, but she didn't come back. Luckily..."
(That's an actual exchange from the movie)

Håndtering av udøde (Handling the Undead) is possibly the most Scandinavian zombie movie ever; think of what you'd have expected if Ingmar Bergman ever made a zombie film, and you probably won't be very far off.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, although my guess is that this might be pretty far from what fans of mainstream horror films want to watch. More than a few people have complained online that it is one of the slowest movies they've ever watched.

I am going to be generous and assume that maybe the director wanted the film to evoke a certain kind of timelessness that comes from being dead - if you're dead already, then time sorta kinda ceases to have any meaning.

The pacing of the movie isn't its main flaw - it's that while it unfolds in a very leisurely way, it also seems kind of predictable. Norwegian zombies may not appear at first to be like the zombies from all the other movies, but you just gotta give it a bit longer.

P.S. Trigger warning: there is a scene showing an animal being killed; the end credits assure us that no animals were actually hurt in the making of the movie.


https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTk1ZWVjOWYtYTczOS00MTNlLWJiM2MtM2EzYThmOGZhOTZmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjg1NDcxNDE@._V1_.jpg

Raymond & Ray
1

Rodrigo Garcia isn't really a hack; or at least he hasn't been for most of his career.

That's why this movie about two middle-aged guys returning home to bury their father is such a disappointment. It's the movie that they should have buried - but unfortunately it got picked up by Apple TV+, which didn't even bother showing it in theaters.

While the film appears at first to be kind of an elegant (if slightly offbeat) look at the bereavement process, before you know it you're watching Ewan McGregor's character emptying a revolver on the corpse of his dead father, lying naked and face down on a plain wooden box that barely deserves to be called a coffin.

If you really need to know the particulars of what leads to that embarrassing scene, then perhaps this movie is for you.

For everyone else, this is just a waste of everyone's time, including sadly McGregor, Ethan Hawke and the phenomenal Maribel Verdú.

[FilmBuff]

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/jeanne_du_barry-449972562-large.jpg

Jeanne du Barry
2

Pretty but pointless, the new Jeanne du Barry boasts handsome production values, and not much more.

Directed by and starring Maïwenn in the title role, it the film offers no new insight into the life of the mistress of King Louis XV, played for no good reason I can think of by Johnny Depp, looking here a bit puffy and bloated.

Depp struggles to sound like a Frenchman, let alone a French king, and this kind of stunt casting is a feat that could probably only be topped by having Gerard Depardieu play Benjamin Franklin.

[Fabulous]

Dual (2022)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/fRxwYPJhOYkv7iV6YFtgwyyW6PM.jpg

[Jeff]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- 5/5 -- marvelous experience. Dad's back from the hospital, and we watched some Looney Tunes and Gunsmoke, then i watched this most classic western alone in 6 sessions. The most beautiful looking western i can think of, there's many to see in the future, and some like The Searchers would be much needed upgrades. Future purchases will for sure be Western dominant, with only Tom and Jerry, and 2 silents i need the most -- The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Thief of Baghdad.

[Mr Minio]

Funny Face (1957)

https://i.imgur.com/I92fzNQl.png

I found another Donen film better than The Pajama Game.

https://i.imgur.com/KQmVe1al.png
https://i.imgur.com/p3ISkzSl.png
https://i.imgur.com/AmNqNeml.png

Too much yacking, of course, but Donen's interest in the characters moving within (as well as in and out) the frame coupled with popping colors is interesting to analyze in the context of cinema seen as people and the space in between them. This is something modern cinema rarely employs with such verve anymore, although some modern examples come to mind like Johnnie To's Brechtian musical Office which does exactly this: Characters occupy the frame and move freely within it, and when needed, the camera readjusts its vigilant eye without making a cut or diverting the eye from the center.

There's a wonderful sense of freedom in Funny Face. A crane shot can portray the whole room way from above and then zoom in on Hepburn as she continues her song. The cut comes only after she nears a mirror, for the camera to zoom out again, barring the whole set. This doesn't try to hide but rather emphasizes the artificiality of this musical - something a lot of contemporary cinema is dramatically afraid of. The camera movements in Funny Face create a slow, pulsating cadence that keeps the rhythm throughout the whole thing.

https://i.imgur.com/OJbWLk8l.png
https://i.imgur.com/WzvFE63l.png
https://i.imgur.com/qEu0DKSl.png

The dark room sequence, with the entire frame bathed in red, might be something Argento watched before making Suspiria. Lots of interesting tricks follow. A three-way split screen, the art of dissolve, a shot with the camera following people walking like in a Japanese film, crane shots, the camera reaffirming its position as the observer, moving a little every time Astaire moves around the still Hepburn.

While this isn't a masterpiece of cinema, there's so much to talk about here in terms of pure cinematic - something we should be talking more about when discussing films, both old and new. Too many conversations about films concern the story or even worse, not even the specific story, but the quote-unquote message, and modern filmmakers continuously think it'd suffice to make a film on an important topic that would start a conversation. Well, it can start a conversation, alright, just like a tweet or a filmboard post can. But why not talk about the art of filmmaking behind such films? It's mostly non-existent - that's why. All the more wonderful to see an old film (a "blockbuster" at that!) that uses simple components of traditional filmmaking so nicely.

https://i.imgur.com/DV0iRn8l.png
https://i.imgur.com/9KFPN51l.png
https://i.imgur.com/TDKGWs5l.png

Funny Face is a film that feels consciously directed and looks good aesthetically. It would be godly to see (proto-)Jancsian few-minute long takes here so that the camera could join the choreography of the movement of the actors even more than it already does but this is of course impossible as Donen isn't Jancso, not even Ophuls.

On the downside, there's no denying the whole thing feels exceptionally temporal and its last third isn't quite as strong as the rest. But that's a fun musical for ya, eh?

[Gideon58]

Funny Face (1957)

https://i.imgur.com/I92fzNQl.png

I found another Donen film better than The Pajama Game.

https://i.imgur.com/KQmVe1al.png
https://i.imgur.com/p3ISkzSl.png
https://i.imgur.com/AmNqNeml.png

Too much yacking, of course, but Donen's interest in the characters moving within (as well as in and out) the frame coupled with popping colors is interesting to analyze in the context of cinema seen as people and the space in between them. This is something modern cinema rarely employs with such verve anymore, although some modern examples come to mind like Johnnie To's Brechtian musical Office which does exactly this: Characters occupy the frame and move freely within it, and when needed, the camera readjusts its vigilant eye without making a cut or diverting the eye from the center.

There's a wonderful sense of freedom in Funny Face. A crane shot can portray the whole room way from above and then zoom in on Hepburn as she continues her song. The cut comes only after she nears a mirror, for the camera to zoom out again, barring the whole set. This doesn't try to hide but rather emphasizes the artificiality of this musical - something a lot of contemporary cinema is dramatically afraid of. The camera movements in Funny Face create a slow, pulsating cadence that keeps the rhythm throughout the whole thing.

https://i.imgur.com/OJbWLk8l.png
https://i.imgur.com/WzvFE63l.png
https://i.imgur.com/qEu0DKSl.png

The dark room sequence, with the entire frame bathed in red, might be something Argento watched before making Suspiria. Lots of interesting tricks follow. A three-way split screen, the art of dissolve, a shot with the camera following people walking like in a Japanese film, crane shots, the camera reaffirming its position as the observer, moving a little every time Astaire moves around the still Hepburn.

While this isn't a masterpiece of cinema, there's so much to talk about here in terms of pure cinematic - something we should be talking more about when discussing films, both old and new. Too many conversations about films concern the story or even worse, not even the specific story, but the quote-unquote message, and modern filmmakers continuously think it'd suffice to make a film on an important topic that would start a conversation. Well, it can start a conversation, alright, just like a tweet or a filmboard post can. But why not talk about the art of filmmaking behind such films? It's mostly non-existent - that's why. All the more wonderful to see an old film (a "blockbuster" at that!) that uses simple components of traditional filmmaking so nicely.

https://i.imgur.com/DV0iRn8l.png
https://i.imgur.com/9KFPN51l.png
https://i.imgur.com/TDKGWs5l.png

Funny Face is a film that feels consciously directed and looks good aesthetically. It would be godly to see (proto-)Jancsian few-minute long takes here so that the camera could join the choreography of the movement of the actors even more than it already does but this is of course impossible as Donen isn't Jancso, not even Ophuls.

On the downside, there's no denying the whole thing feels exceptionally temporal and its last third isn't quite as strong as the rest. But that's a fun musical for ya, eh?

Love Funny Face...Kay Thompson is brilliant.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81tFwn4I2-L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



1st Rewatch...Separating the artist from his personal life, James Franco scored a bullseye as the director and star of this cringy black comedy/biopic that looks at the enigmatic filmmaker Tommy Wiseau, who put himself on the cinematic map with a single directorial effort called The Room. The film follows the relationship between Wiseau and fellow acting student Greg Sestero (Franco's brother, Dave) who after years of rejection as actors, decide to make their own film. We then watch Tommy pour over $5,000,000 into the making of the film without ever learning where the money came from. We also never learn how old Tommy is or where he's from. He speaks with this weird mittle-European accent and claims he's from New Orleans. The mystery surrounding Wiseau's history and his tyrannical behavior during the filming of The Room keep this film a disturbing yet riveting experience. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/612Y7yLcMSL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


3rd Rewatch... The 1996 horror masterpiece that was the springboard of a movie franchise that refuses to die. This story of a serial killer in a ghost mask terrorizing a small town works due to a screenplay that breaks all the rules of scary movies. The move to kill of the film's biggest star (Drew Barrymore) in the opening scene, which perfectly sets the mood for what's to come, was absolute genius. Kevin Williamson's superb tongue in cheek screenplay that explains the rules of scary movies before breaking them is nothing short of brilliant, working in perfect tandem with Wes Craven's masterful direction, which features some splendid camerawork. Love the camera that follows the principal (Henry Winkler) around. There are a pair of mesmerizing performances from Matthew Lilliard and Skeet Ulrich and the chemistry between Courtney Cox and David Arquette is off the charts. And the image of Rose McGowan hanging in that garage door never gets old. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTY1NjAyMTUzMl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTM4NzQ4MTE@._V1_.jpg


1st Rewatch...Despite the splendid performance by the late Chadwick Boseman playing the Godfather of Soul James Brown, this biopic suffers from a bloated screenplay and cliched dialogue, jarring moves from Brown's past to present, scenes that either go on too long or not enough, and melodramatic direction. 2

[Gideon58]

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


1st Rewartch...Like The Disaster Artist, another cringe-worthy film experience that doesn't allow you to take your eyes off the screen. Mounted in the style of a mockumentary like This is Spinal Tap, this is a chronicle of Rev, Lee-Curtis Childs and his wife, Trinitie, who had to close their mega church, which boasted $26.000 congregants, when Rev. Childs was exposed in a sexual misconduct schedule. The Rev. and his wife are now trying to reopen their Church, but the Reverend's behavior may have burned too many bridges for him to get his followers back, not to mention competition from a similar church who want to open the same day. It seems the Reverend has somehow managed to worm his way out of these charges, but as the film progresses, it is clear that the damage that this scandal has done to his marriage might be irreparable. This film goes some really dark places that don't even pretend to promise us a satisfying conclusion. Emmy winner Sterling K Brown and Regina Hall are dazzling as Rev. and Mrs. Childs. 4

[Gideon58]

https://spoilerfreereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/lilly.jpeg


4.5

[Stirchley]

Three excellent movies.

99077
99078
99079

[Allaby]

The Goldwyn Follies (1938) The story is fairly thin and is really just a way to connect musical and comedy bits. Some of them are amusing, some of them are not. I liked the dummy and the here pussy song with the cats. The costumes and cinematography were good too. A mixed bag, but might be worth a look if you like dummies and songs about pussy (cats). 3

[Marco]

The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/MasqueOfTheRedDeath%281964film%29.jpg
Campy Roger Corman horror that still has lots of interesting points. Prince Prospero (Vincent Price) and his satanism are very engrossing and the sets are lush and very colourful. The story itself is interesting too with the Prince trying to ultimately win over the affections and beliefs of the most pious person that he has met. This is after the Red MAsque has appeared in a village nearby that he rules. He shows real disdain for his acolytes around him that have turned to the "Lord of the Flies" far too easily for drink and debauchery. Great pay-off scene too. Nic Roeg cinematographer on this one!
3

[cricket]

Footlight Parade (1933)

3+

https://cometoverhollywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/footlight-12.jpg?w=584&h=420

#100 on the 30's list, and I enjoyed this classic musical more than most, probably due to James Cagney. He was a really talented guy, not just another face in early crime films. The ending music number was on the long side but very impressive.

[Fabulous]

The Signal (2014)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/oxZh9qhkxfOczKmTang0j9a06Bx.jpg

[iluv2viddyfilms]

The Devil's Eye (1960, Ingmar Bergman) - A-

[FilmBuff]

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/voyage_of_time_the_imax_experience-687757923-large.jpg

Voyage of Time: An IMAX Documentary
3

Possibly the most unique and least watched film Terrence Malick has ever directed.

I'm not sure "documentary" is even quite the best word to describe it, since so much of it consists of VFX shots and a lot of CG graphics have been necessary to show the beginning of the universe (as everyone knows, there were no IMAX cameras back then).

But, in any case, it is still a pretty entrancing experience and a worthy mediation on the origin of the universe and the origins of life, as well as everything else that has happened in our universe in the last few billions of years.

But someone should let Malick know that "love" isn't responsible for humans reproducing all of these thousands of years, that would be sex drive that he's thinking of.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Remains_of_the_day.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/1993/remains_of_the_day.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6745078

The Remains of the Day - (1993)

I've been meaning to watch this movie for well over a decade methinks, so it's good to finally sit down (or recline so far back it's more accurate to say "lay down") and take it in. Wistfully sad, it mainly focuses on butler James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins), who is so dedicated to his profession that he loses all sense of the world around him, including a possible love affair with housekeeper Sarah Kenton (Emma Thompson). Talking about the world around him, his boss, the Earl of Darlington (James Fox) ends up something of a Nazi sympathiser before the start of the Second World War, not due to any preconceived notions of right-wing politics, but simply because he's so easily taken in by German diplomats. In the film it's he who advises appeasement with the Germans over their territorial demands, and ends up a villain to his fellow countrymen. Congressman Jack Lewis (Christopher Reeve) stands in for the more pragmatic Americans, who have their finger on the pulse concerning the sea change in 20th Century political reality - realpolitik. Today it would be a three-hour plus movie, but The Remains of the Day runs a stately 134 minutes, making it a long, but not overlong, movie. I thought it's emphasis on Stevens' lost possibilities, and aimless life, gives it an emotional core that I wasn't expecting. I really liked it.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/Marketa_Lazarova_film_poster_1967_Czech_film.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42000066

Marketa Lazarová - (1967)

Stunning Czech film that looks and sounds so beautiful it's breathtaking - but it's the 14th Century narrative concerning Christianity and paganism that really adds weight to what it shows. Brilliant filmmaking. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2465785#post2465785), in my watchlist thread.

10/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/36/Revenge_2017_poster.png
By Club V.O., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57558070

Revenge - (2017)

A revenge thriller from woman director Coralie Fargeat, which adds a new perspective to the glorious gore and buckets of blood that are provided. Surprisingly good - reminded me of an early Peter Jackson movie in some instances. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2465957#post2465957), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

[Louis126]

Mulholland Drive


2001

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-c0SQGAisQpw%2FXME8g7rg2hI%2FAAAAAAAAbM0%2F3afZ8cnBTB04jMy4SvSMA4gbzlXWfrfGQCLcBGAs%2Fs1600%2FMulholl and%252BDrive%252B1.png&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f0206fcda8119423655438de7ebbb21bc331aa0a4b74455cc2e8b7aec4ec2b61&ipo=images


1 out of 5

[Deschain]

Revenge - (2017)

A revenge thriller from woman director Coralie Fargeat, which adds a new perspective to the glorious gore and buckets of blood that are provided. Surprisingly good - reminded me of an early Peter Jackson movie in some instances. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2465957#post2465957), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

I caught this randomly browsing Shudder a couple years ago. Surprised how good and memorable it was considering the generic title and premise. I hope more people check it out.

[Fabulous]

ARQ (2016)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/76RGYmhjCOdX8LMVRox7hObYe3p.jpg

[Jeff]

He Who Gets Slapped -- 4/5 -- a definitive sad clown pic
Diary of a Lost Girl - 5/5 -- this has been on my to watch list like forever, boarding school never looked so bleak, part of me wants to watch the killer santa movie, but will probably just get cheered up by Ren & Stimpy.

[Allaby]

Barney's Great Adventure (1998) I probably shouldn't admit to watching this, but I actually kind of liked it. Barney is a fun character and I thought this movie had some charm to it. The acting works for what it is and the story is sufficiently silly to keep viewers engaged. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-9cfb4d77b29f177a0e901504e6639fb9-lq



6th Rewatch...One of my guilty pleasures is this breezy actioner about a group of tornado chasers led by a now divorced couple. The special effects are decent and the supporting cast is pretty likable but what keeps bringing me back to this film is the undeniable chemistry between the late Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt as Bill and Jo. RIP, Mr. Paxton. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81ZRJ31dyWL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg



1st Rewatch...This movie is the primary reason Hollywood needs to stop trying to bring jukebox Broadway musicals to the screen. This is the story of Donna (Meryl Streep), the fun-loving proprietress of a run down hotel in the Greek Islands who is preparing for the wedding of her daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). We learn that Sophie that Sophie has located her mother's diary and gleaned from it that there are three possible men from Donna's past that could be her father, so she invites all three men (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgaard) to her wedding without telling her mother. The stage musical (which I've never seen) is a salute to 80's music group ABBA, but trying to make the music fit this story isn't always successful. With such thin material to work with, director Phyllidia Lloyd should have come out with a more efficient musical arsenal...first of all, why hire three actors to play the fathers who can't sing? Brosnan is an especially hideous vocalist. SOme of the choreography is strong, but the songs just don't fit the story. Seyfried is a little sugary for my tastes, but you know what? Streep is SO wonderful as Donna, the movie is still worth a look if you're a Streep fan and love musicals. Her rendition of "The Winner Takes it All" is a bullseye. This movie must have made some money, because they actually made a sequel, a rarity for musicals, that only features Streep in a cameo. Personally, th only film version of a jukebox musical that worked for me was Jersey Boys. 3

[Stirchley]

99095

Very amusing entertaining movie. Adèle Exarchopoulos really made this movie.

Movie ran out of steam towards the end, but the rest of it was great.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61vEGfaJn8L._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg



4.5

[Stirchley]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61vEGfaJn8L._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg



4.5

I should rewatch this. It’s been a while.

[matt72582]

Coup de Grace - 7/10


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/Coup_de_Grace_DVD.jpg

[Marco]

Stroszek (1977)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/Stroszek_poster.JPG
A weird counter-clockwise watch for me as I had watched "Control" following the life of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis and this was the last film he watched. I've seen lots of Herzog with varying degrees of enjoyment. This story about a hopeless alcoholic Bruno who moves from the hassles of Berlin to the promised land of the good ole USA. Predictably things don't go too well with his prostitute girlfriend and rather whacky neighbour (studying human magnetism) when they arrive. This is a strange film in that it melds comedy, farce and deeply touching moments as we see our hero continually disgraced and have to ask, it is his fault or those around him? The ending is finger-lickin' chickin.
3.5

[Fabulous]

The Luzhin Defence (2000)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/aTQQZCBNbJofoOu4TT26BUTUt1M.jpg

[Gideon58]

[QUOTE=PHOENIX74;2466168]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Remains_of_the_day.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/1993/remains_of_the_day.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6745078

The Remains of the Day - (1993)

I've been meaning to watch this movie for well over a decade methinks, so it's good to finally sit down (or recline so far back it's more accurate to say "lay down") and take it in. Wistfully sad, it mainly focuses on butler James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins), who is so dedicated to his profession that he loses all sense of the world around him, including a possible love affair with housekeeper Sarah Kenton (Emma Thompson). Talking about the world around him, his boss, the Earl of Darlington (James Fox) ends up something of a Nazi sympathiser before the start of the Second World War, not due to any preconceived notions of right-wing politics, but simply because he's so easily taken in by German diplomats. In the film it's he who advises appeasement with the Germans over their territorial demands, and ends up a villain to his fellow countrymen. Congressman Jack Lewis (Christopher Reeve) stands in for the more pragmatic Americans, who have their finger on the pulse concerning the sea change in 20th Century political reality - realpolitik. Today it would be a three-hour plus movie, but The Remains of the Day runs a stately 134 minutes, making it a long, but not overlong, movie. I thought it's emphasis on Stevens' lost possibilities, and aimless life, gives it an emotional core that I wasn't expecting. I really liked it.

8/10

Loved The Remains of the Day....A link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2097324-the_remains_of_the_day.html

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71oNk-hTaaL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


1st Rewatch...This overblown and confusing sequel to the surprise 1996 hit starring Michael Jordan stars Lebron James as another basketball player who has to play a basketball game with the Looney Tunes, this time in order to save his son. The technical wizardry involved in mounting this film is impressive, but the story is confusing and Lebron is a little abrasive and doesn't have presence that Michael Jordan did in the first film. Don Cheadle's performance as Al G Rhythm is also worth a look, but this film is the ultimate example of "Sequel-itis" and feels about seven hours long. 3

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91GmJUBQKcS._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg

1st Rewatch...Disney scored a bullseye with this live action prequel centered on one of their most memorable animated movie villains. This lavishly produced look at Cruella Deville's rise from petty thief to the top of the design world, where she becomes engaged with an evil fashion empress takes a minute to get going, but once it does, this one fires on all cylinders. It's a visual feast (robbed of a Best Costumes Oscar) and anchored by charismatic, scenery chewing performances from two time Oscar winners Emma Stone in the title role and Emma Thompson as the Baroness. 4.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81r8N46OhiL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



Umpteenth Rewatch...For my money, Blake Edwards' masterpiece and his most underrated film. Edwards wrote and directed this scorching cinematic middle finger to the way the Hollywood studios treated him and wife Julie Andrews after their big bomb Darling Lili. The film stars the late Richard Mulligan, as a fictionalized Edwards named Felix Farmer, whose latest film with wife, Sally Miles (Andrews) bombs at the box office. After nearly losing his mind and attempting suicide, Felix comes up with a plan to save the film by re-shooting as sexual extravaganza, climaxing with Sally baring her breasts onscreen for the first time. Edwards' take no prisoners screenplay fills the screen with a bunch of manipulative and duplicitous Hollywood movers and shakers who all have their own agendas and don't care who they have to run over to achieve them. Mulligan and Andrews are backed by a spectacular cast (a lot of whom are no longer with us) includes Robert Webber, Robert Preston, William Holden (his last film), Shelley Winters. Robert Vaughn, Marisa Berensen, Loretta Swit, Roseanna Arquette, Craig Stevens, Larry Hagman, and Stuart Margolin. This film just gets better with age and Andrews has never looked more beautiful onscreen. 4

[matt72582]

The Lost Honor of Katharine Blum - 6/10
Like the movie's theme of media noise, this movie was a lot of noise. A lot of redundancy and no real time to develop characters or relationships. Even tying a loose end felt forced.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/Katharinablum.jpg

[matt72582]

Stroszek (1977)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/Stroszek_poster.JPG
A weird counter-clockwise watch for me as I had watched "Control" following the life of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis and this was the last film he watched. I've seen lots of Herzog with varying degrees of enjoyment. This story about a hopeless alcoholic Bruno who moves from the hassles of Berlin to the promised land of the good ole USA. Predictably things don't go too well with his prostitute girlfriend and rather whacky neighbour (studying human magnetism) when they arrive. This is a strange film in that it melds comedy, farce and deeply touching moments as we see our hero continually disgraced and have to ask, it is his fault or those around him? The ending is finger-lickin' chickin.
rating_3_5


A very good movie.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWQ4M2ZmODItNzZhYi00MzY1LTk2ZmItYTUwODI2NzJmN2JiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg



2.5

[Darth Pazuzu]

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

June 11, 2024

THE WATCHERS (Ishana Night Shyamalan / 2024)

I must say that I was impressed! The daughter of M. Night Shyamalan does a very good job with this horror thriller. For better or for worse, she's a chip off the ol' block, because while she shares many of her father's stylistic traits and genre sensibilities, she also shares with him a slightly off-kilter eccentricity that I could never ever really nail down, but which makes her father's cinematic body of work something of a mixed bag. I wish I could be more specific than that, but the Shyamalan sensibility is something that I've never really gotten a grip on, even though I've admired many of M. Night's films in the past. (In particular, I always thought 2004's The Village was very underrated, and found 2016's Split to be very thought-provoking. I never really could figure out what he was up to with 2006's Lady in the Water or 2008's The Happening, though...)

The Watchers is primarily a horror film about supernatural folklore, specifically of the Celtic variety. Dakota Fanning plays an American girl named Mina, who lives and works in a pet store in Ireland. It's hinted early on that she's estranged from her family and has a tragic history. When her car breaks down in a forest while en route to deliver a parrot (a very charismatic little bird, BTW :D), she finds herself lost and trapped. She follows a mysterious woman named Madeline (Olwen Fouéré) to a bunker-like building in which Madeline, Ciara (Georgina Campbell) and Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) reside. It turns out they are trapped by a dangerous race of metamorphic creatures referred to as Watchers, who observe the group's activities through the one-way mirror window of the building. We later find out that these creatures are a debased version of a type of mythical fairy creature that once co-existed side by side with humans and even mated with them.

One of the things that I always have trouble getting a foothold on with Shyamalan films (father's or daughter's) is just precisely what the movie is all about... or rather what the theme is. And in many cases, I feel like the film is deliberately toying with me and misdirecting me down a blind alley. In the case of this film, we're given a rather blatant hint at allegory when we're shown the characters watching DVD's of some reality TV show in the bunker. Yes, we're invited to draw a comparison between the voyeurism of our popular culture and the voyeurism of the creatures. But to what end, ultimately? This particular thematic thread is dropped almost as soon as it's raised. Like I said, a bit of a misdirect. This proves, however, to be merely a minor distraction. Ishana's The Watchers is, for the most part, relatively straightforward and, unlike M. Night's work, there's no real serious hint of anything deep or probing. (Like I said before, sometimes the elder Shyamalan achieves that greater depth, sometimes not.) However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Ishana's not bad for a first-timer, and she's got a real flair for the genre.

Not to indulge in too many spoilers, but if you're asking whether or not our characters manage to escape the forest and the clutches of the Watchers... well, I won't say either way, but the story continues for a while beyond the point at which we find out. Also, due to the fact that the story deals with beings who are shapeshifters, the whole issue dealt with in John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) once again comes up here. Namely, how good are they at changing their shape and appearance? Also, to paraphrase Courtney Love, if they can "fake it so real that they're beyond fake," then that raises the issue of infiltration - and ultimately, of trust. As I've stated, the movie goes on for quite some time after audiences might think it's over, and there is a bit of a drag towards the end. The ending is effective, though, and we get a hint of the possibility of rapprochement.

Granted, it's not a great movie, but The Watchers is distinctive and different enough - and (always attractive to me) intelligent enough - to stand out from the rest of the horror pack. I eagerly look forward to what young Ishana comes up with next! :)

[Darth Pazuzu]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81WCtlTszqL._AC_UY218_.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81PwVfzDeCL._AC_UY218_.jpg

My Darling Clementine (John Ford / 1946)
Red River (Howard Hawks / 1948)

I went and got myself two classics here!

The first one, John Ford's My Darling Clementine stars Henry Fonda in the role of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp and Victor Mature in the role of John "Doc" Holliday. While it's not my particular favorite among the many film versions of the Earp / Holliday / Tombstone / O.K. Corral legend (that would be a tie between the two rivalling 1993-1994 films with Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner), it's a movie I've got a lot of admiration and respect for. It has a wistful and melancholic air about it, and its pacing is extremely unhurried. If Quentin Tarantino is right and 1959's Rio Bravo is Howard Hawks' "hangout movie," then I would submit that My Darling Clementine is Ford's. As the movie starts off, the Earp brothers are portrayed this time as cattlemen driving their herd along to the little town of Tombstone, Arizona. After their cattle are stolen and youngest brother James is killed in cold blood by the rustlers, Wyatt takes on the job of town marshal and vows to bring the culprits to justice. And it looks like the culprits are Pa Clanton and his son, Pa being brilliantly played by Walter Brennan at his most venomously sinister. (Apparently Brennan didn't get along with John Ford, and channeled that hostility toward his director into the role of Pa Clanton.) However... Having established the key players and their situation, a confident Ford is in no hurry to advance the confrontation. He knows the drama will come to a head eventually. Victor Mature portrays Doc Holliday in this film, and while at first this might come across as strange counter-typecasting, Mature is quite convincing in the role. I particularly love the scene in the saloon where he's reciting the famous soliloquy from Shakespeare's Hamlet, taking over from Shakespearian actor Granville Thorndyke (Alan Mowbray) after the drunken thespian forgets his lines.

Also featuring the talents of Walter Brennan - and also dealing with cattle - is Howard Hawks' Red River, the director's very first Western and his first collaboration with leading man John Wayne. The Duke portrays cattleman Thomas Dunson, who with his older sidekick (Brennan, playing O.G. - the Original Groot! :lol:) and his adopted son Matthew Garth (Montgomery Clift), undertakes the ambitious project of driving a herd of ten thousand cattle over a distance of almost a thousand miles from Texas to Missouri, with many obstacles and difficulties en route. The role of Tom Dunson is one of Wayne's greatest performances - possibly the greatest alongside Ethan Edwards in John Ford's The Searchers (1956). What both of these Wayne performances share is a sense of danger, of volatility, the sense of someone not to be crossed or trifled with. In both films, Wayne channels a more monstrous and darker energy, a real Captain Ahab / Captain Bligh sort of obsession that the younger characters (Clift as Matthew in the first film, Jeffrey Hunter as Martin Pawley in the later film) must eventually deal with and confront. Personally, I find that the more monstrous Wayne's character, the more sympathetic I ultimately find him. That's definitely paradoxical, I know, but I find Wayne's screen persona more involving and affecting the more extreme his character and his circumstances. Remember that famous scene from The Searchers after Ethan finds the body of Lucy? "What do you want me to do, spell it out? Draw you a picture?! Don't ever ask me! As long as you live, don't ever ask me again!" You know it's all Ethan can do at that moment to just hold it together and not burst out screaming, and you're very moved by that. Wayne absolutely excels in these sorts of moments. Getting back to the Hawks film... While I don't love this quite as much as Hawks' other classic Western, Rio Bravo, I definitely find a lot to love with Red River.

BTW, Red River is based on a story by the writer Borden Chase, who also worked on the screenplay. Chase also did the screenplays for the first three Anthony Mann / James Stewart Westerns, including 1952's Bend of the River. I swear to God, no one can write a threat like Borden Chase. Here's John Wayne to Montgomery Clift in the Hawks film: "Cherry was right. You're soft, you should have let 'em kill me, 'cause I'm gonna kill you. I'll catch up with ya. I don't know when, but I'll catch up. Every time you turn around, expect to see me, 'cause one time you'll turn around and I'll be there. I'm gonna kill ya, Matt." And here's James Stewart to Arthur Kennedy in Mann's film: "You'll be seeing me. You'll be seeing me. Every time you bed down for the night, you'll look back to the darkness and wonder if I'm there. And some night, I will be. You'll be seeing me!" Gives you goosebumps, right? :eek: ;)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81QpbFCIB6L._AC_UY218_.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81R0+XuLRoL._AC_UY218_.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81PvraGRaFL._AC_UY218_.jpg

In addition to those two, I bought myself some upgrades to a few films I had already (a triple double-dip!). I got the 4K versions of Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven (1992), as well as the recent Kino Lorber edition of Don Siegel's The Beguiled.

[Marco]

Umpteenth Rewatch...For my money, Blake Edwards' masterpiece and his most underrated film. Edwards wrote and directed this scorching cinematic middle finger to the way the Hollywood studios treated him and wife Julie Andrews after their big bomb Darling Lili. The film stars the late Richard Mulligan, as a fictionalized Edwards named Felix Farmer, whose latest film with wife, Sally Miles (Andrews) bombs at the box office. After nearly losing his mind and attempting suicide, Felix comes up with a plan to save the film by re-shooting as sexual extravaganza, climaxing with Sally baring her breasts onscreen for the first time. Edwards' take no prisoners screenplay fills the screen with a bunch of manipulative and duplicitous Hollywood movers and shakers who all have their own agendas and don't care who they have to run over to achieve them. Mulligan and Andrews are backed by a spectacular cast (a lot of whom are no longer with us) includes Robert Webber, Robert Preston, William Holden (his last film), Shelley Winters. Robert Vaughn, Marisa Berensen, Loretta Swit, Roseanna Arquette, Craig Stevens, Larry Hagman, and Stuart Margolin. This film just gets better with age and Andrews has never looked more beautiful onscreen. 4[/QUOTE]
Not seen for years but I remember thinking that it was very bold when I did so. The leading up to the you-know-what scene with the demonic seducer dancer is quite hard to forget.

[Fabulous]

Stowaway (2021)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/4FPP2n1uazvlWvzIqn8ysaOpEID.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/Where_Eagles_Dare_poster.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10358717

Where Eagles Dare - (1968)

I've seen this playing on television and the like what feels like a hundred times during my life, but I'd never stopped to actually watch it. Seems like it had the potential to be a great film, leaning heavily into espionage and running a lofty 155 minutes - which is what always put me off. Well, I felt like giving it a go and I was surprised by how many twists there are and how much they change the overall complexion of the movie. Richard Burton seems made to play a gruff, emotionless agent pretending to be a gruff, emotionless German officer - and his presence makes Clint Eastwood feel a little out of place. I'm not all that familiar with Mary Ure. The location work in Austria and at the Festung Hohenwerfen, in Werfen is out of this world, and adds so much atmosphere to proceedings. I'm proud to say that I wasn't confused at all by the plot - and I only dare to mention that because 9 times out of 10 I will be. There's some fine edge-of-your-seat action on a cable car leading to the castle on the mountain, and I'm surprised they didn't squeeze a little mountain climbing into the movie ala The Guns of Navarone. In any case, I'm amazed that these guys are shot at by the entire German army it seems, and every shot out of about a million misses these guys, but when they shoot they mow down German soldiers by the dozen. Looks like German soldiers never got enough practice time out on the firing ranges! A second watch would be interesting, knowing all the twists in advance - but for now I have to rate this somewhat highly.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/Bliss_2019_poster.jpg
By https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9026524/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62726153

Bliss - (2019)

Fascinatingly dark and bloody horror film that dissolves the similarity between vampirism and drug addiction into an hallucinogenic cocktail that involves both. I found it delivered on most fronts. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2466456#post2466456), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

[FilmBuff]

https://ik.imagekit.io/9ifn2ouyo26/movies/inside-out-2/inside-out-2-poster.jpg

Inside Out 2 (IMAX)
5

Inside Out 2 is The Empire Strikes Back of the Pixar filmography.

It feels like a natural continuation from the first film, and it also both assumes that you've definitely seen it and that you enjoyed it enough to want watching more of Riley's emotions play out.

Maya Hawke as Riley's Anxiety and Adèle Exarchopoulos as her Ennui are the standouts among newcomers to the voice cast.

It's safe to assume that in exploring Riley's brand-new emotions once she hits puberty the movie will seem spot-on to teenagers, while for those of us past our teenage years, the movie definitely brings back some bittersweet memories.

It's also worth checking out in IMAX; although it doesn't have an expanded AR, the gorgeous animation and music are definitely worth checking out in the largest and loudest screen possible.

And don't forget to stay all the way through the end credits for a good laugh.

[stillmellow]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Bad_Boys_Ride_or_Die_%282024%29_poster.jpg/220px-Bad_Boys_Ride_or_Die_%282024%29_poster.jpg



Bad Boys 4 is a lot of fun. No, it doesn't add much we didn't see in the last two movies, but it's still a ton of fun, and gives us a good wrap-up of the series (as with every IP, until the inevitable reboot).


👍

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Watched two films this evening, both of which are currently on Criterion Channel:

The Rules of the Game (1939, Renoir) - B

https://deepfocusreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/rulesofthegame5.jpg

I enjoyed many of the innovative technical details and I appreciated what it was going for, but the satire and dialogue left me a bit cold and the characters seemed more archetypes and too indistinguishable from each other to really hit home for me. The rabbit hunt scene was truly great and something entirely unique in film, especially during 1939 or up until that point. After awhile I just got confused on who was married to whom and then having an affair with whom and then who was in love and pursuing whom. It's a great film to be sure from a technical point of view and its ambition in providing a satire on a France on the verge of existential crisis and war with the Nazis at their doorstep, but as far as Renoir goes, I think Grand Illusion and The River are far, far better because I don't think this film or Renoir has as tight of a command on an ensemble piece as opposed to a film that is more central character focused. I probably do need to return to it at some point for a second watch.

-----

Come Back, Africa (1959, Lionel Rogosin) - A+

https://dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/images/4420c.jpg

This film made me absolutely ill. It's a masterpiece. Plain and simple. It's an interesting narrative documentary filmed in South Africa's Johannesburg and is focused on a main character Zachariah and his family and struggles to find work and fight against poverty and apartheid during this time period. It's plays out like a documentary, but there are characters and a clear and cohesive story. I love how real this seemed and how truly spontaneous and random, just as life plays out, and I think its amazing how music was so pivotal to the story here and some of the musical interludes and moments were just spectacular. Again, I'm floored by this film and still processing at the time of this writing. I do appreciate the discussions on race in this film, but I think all to often, our society has a tendency to attribute to race what is more accurately explained and examined through poverty. Without going to far into my conservative lens here, there isn't a single racial or ethnic group in the world that hasn't at some point in time or place on the globe been subjected to cruel racism and discrimination, yet not every group has been subsequently proportionately affected by poverty as a consequence of that racial targeting and hate. As such to label racism as "the greatest evil" is too simple of a villain to exclusively target and can act as an easy scapegoat instead of examining issues such as poverty and hopelessness with more of a deep dive.

While it seems like, from what little I've read, many critics and historians see Come Back, Africa as a condemnation of segregation - and yes, it is certainly that, I however see it more as an objective look at how cold and unyieldingly cruel poverty can be. In fact this film ranks up there as one of the all time most harrowing when it does come to the issue of poverty right along side King of the Hill, Umberto D, The Bicycle Thieves, Germany Year Zero, Midnight Cowboy, Angela's Ashes, City Lights, and a handful of others. It is all of those films equals in how it tackles the subject, but Come Back, Africa may be the most bleak of them all. One thing I think it does get right about poverty that many films miss... is the emotional toll and the sense of hopelessness and the void of feeling there is no escape. Many films portray poverty as something of a hardship, an unwanted adventure, a thing to overcome and to conquer. Many lesser films focus on the tangible things such as being too cold or too hot, being hungry, living in dirty, cramped, and disgusting tiny spaces and the shame of having to beg, steal, or borrow. Come Back, Africa is one of the few films that actually hits the nail on the head in showing how people in the deepest rungs of poverty suffer perhaps the most in the sense of being "below institutions" or being less than human and a sense that they could exist or not exist because they are simply invisible and nothing with no one coming to save them or even knowing that they need saved in the first place or even caring.

This is a film that really seems to nail down the psychological and spiritual and emotional devastation of poverty and how it can absolutely destroy the soul and human dignity and faith in humanity, which is far more disastrous than an empty belly. The film gets darker, and darker as it goes on too. The last five minutes of this film are about as dark and tragic as cinema can get.

It's a masterpiece in the most unsettling of ways.

[honeykid]

Knives Out 3 - I liked this and it kept my attention throughout. I wonder if I'm being a little harsh and/or whether this would've hit better had I not already seen Season 1 of Poker Face? Unlike the rest of the world I didn't fall in love with Daniel Craig as Benoit. He didn't really entertain me and I felt he was just perfunctory to do what the character did i.e. be the detective. Maybe it was that I kept picturing Tommy Lee Jones in the role because the voice reminded me of him as Clay in J.F.K. or whether it's because I'm not used to that voice coming from him? It doesn't usually bother me, so it probably isn't that. But something didn't work for me. I'd much rather have had a sequel about Marta but, of course, that wouldn't have been a murder/mystery. At least, you'd hope it wasn't.

[Miss Vicky]

Knives Out 3 - I liked this and it kept my attention throughout. I wonder if I'm being a little harsh and/or whether this would've hit better had I not already seen Season 1 of Poker Face? Unlike the rest of the world I didn't fall in love with Daniel Craig as Benoit. He didn't really entertain me and I felt he was just perfunctory to do what the character did i.e. be the detective. Maybe it was that I kept picturing Tommy Lee Jones in the role because the voice reminded me of him as Clay in J.F.K. or whether it's because I'm not used to that voice coming from him? It doesn't usually bother me, so it probably isn't that. But something didn't work for me. I'd much rather have had a sequel about Marta but, of course, that wouldn't have been a murder/mystery. At least, you'd hope it wasn't.

I didn’t like this movie, but thumbs up because I’m surprised to see you watch and review anything.

[Ultraviolence]

Rewatch
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Filarge.lisimg.com%2Fimage%2F182786%2F856full-the-last-samurai-poster.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ba4a8d1eb0c463f59ae10f2c820f201f8b5c27eef300248dd484e8c211e91295&ipo=images
3
Good movie.

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61kYCx1gD5L.jpg

Needle in a Timestack - (2021)

Interesting movie about love in a reality where time travel is a common thing... for those who can afford it. A bit on the slow side, but still entertaining.

[Stirchley]

99112

A very very modest little indie movie set in Oregon. Nothing much happened, but I rather enjoyed it.