Rate The Last Movie You Saw [Archive] - Page 330

iluv2viddyfilms

06-14-24, 04:21 PM

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

I went and got myself two classics here!

So, soooo much to respond here. I'll gather my thoughts as I want to respond since you took the time and thought for that great write-up. Thank you so much! Any love westerns and the genre can get and analysis of the deep themes within them, are always welcome.

Just a few quick reactions here. Red River is my all time favorite film and yes Rio Bravo is also great, but I give the slight edge to Red River because largely Wayne's character has a bit more depth and plays off of Clift so well. More on that later.

I also do adore My Darling Clementine and it too is a great and amazing film... on of John Ford's highest accomplishments. Both are A+ films for me... easily masterpieces of not only westerns, but just of cinema.

I will add however, that My Darling Clementine is a loose remake of an earlier film from the greatest year of 1939, Frontier Marshal with Randolph Scott (Wyatt Earp) and Cesar Romero (Doc Holliday). I have a soft spot for Frontier Marshal and while, from an objective point of view My Darling Clementine IS the better film, I think I prefer Frontier Marshal as it's more bizarre, carnivalesque, and raw than the polished and well crafted My Darling Clementine. Also, while Henry Ford and Victor Mature are spectacular... I just have a soft spot and a weakness for Randolph Scott and Cesar Romeo in the same roles. In fact one of my all time favorite moments in film is in Frontier Marshal when Cesar Romeo in a drunk and self-loathing rage at the bar, pulls out his gun and shoots his image in the mirror. It's one of the more powerful and interesting moments and shots in a western that I've seen.

So yeah, My Darling Clementine is the better film, but man oh man, something about Frontier Marshal just gets at me and I'm torn between Jason Robards in Hour of the Gun and Cesar Romeo as my all time favorite portrayal of Doc Holliday in film. As Wayne says in Rio Bravo, "I wouldn't want to have to live on the difference."

Frontier Marshal is available on youtube too in its entirety:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFVzqeI0yp4

iluv2viddyfilms

06-14-24, 04:30 PM

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Red River (Howard Hawks / 1948)

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: ;)

By the way, since you were keen enough to bring up one of the absolute best scenes and pieces of dialogue in Red River... which is saying a lot for an entire film that is great dialogue and just one great scene right after another, you highlighted what is an example that I often give for anyone who says John Wayne can't act.

And here's the thing... he's playing that part of the film against/with Monty Clift who just "stole" his cattle heard. Wayne's character hasn't slept in days at that point, he's been shot, he's "lost" his life's work, he's been on the trail for weeks... months, has been through a stampede at that point and long term he saw his "cattle kingdom" lose value due to the Civil War... he's a completely broken man at that point in the film, and for a "tough guy" he's rarely been more vulnerable and weak on screen.

WHY it's a great, great, GREAT performance is that he's under Hawk's direction AND Wayne knows how to react to other actors and knows how to play a scene. He's a frickin' artist and an actor who isn't an artist would have played that scene completely wrong. He would have stood up, raised his voice, yelled, got in Clift's face, towered over him and used intimidation and physicality, wild-eyed threatrics.

Wayne doesn't do that. Wayne speaks quietly, looks off in the distance, is clearly in physical and emotional pain, can barely stay awake, and is weakly leaning against the horse as he can barely stand up, let alone walk or get in a fight... and even in that completely weak state... makes a threat... nay a regretful and tragically sad promise. It's not a man who is posturing, showing off, or mugging to the camera. This is a man who is making a promise and means what he says. He's not even "happy" about having to do that. He's doing it relunctantly and doesn't want to kill Clift's character, but he's stuck to his solem sense of honor and his code. It's not a thing he wants to do, but rather in that moment he sees it as his duty, "I'm gonna kill ya, Matt." Moreover after words, the moment of silence minus the Dimitri Tiomkin score, where Wayne watches him walk and ride away with his herd, is great non-verbal acting.

It's an amazing piece of acting, writing, directing, and Clift plays off of it so perfect. Anyone who could watch that scene or entire film and tell me Wayne can't act, knows nothing about film or the art of acting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjc5NqqF-1o

Citizen Rules

06-14-24, 04:37 PM

Red River...Anyone who could watch that scene or entire film and tell me Wayne can't act, knows nothing about film or the art of acting.Count me as a fan of Red River...Wayne is great in that one. He was often at his best when he wasn't in westerns. I think he was excellent in: The Shepherd of the Hills, Wake of the Red Witch, Without Reservations...just to name a few of his lesser known films.

Fabulous

06-14-24, 06:50 PM

Billy Elliot (2000)

3

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GulfportDoc

06-14-24, 08:34 PM

Count me as a fan of Red River...Wayne is great in that one. He was often at his best when he wasn't in westerns. I think he was excellent in: The Shepherd of the Hills, Wake of the Red Witch, Without Reservations...just to name a few of his lesser known films.
Wayne was actually a very good actor. The Hippies made fun of him due to his macho patriotism.

The Quiet Man (1952) is one of my favorite of Wayne's. It's a great appealing comedy with a phenomenal cast and director, which I've watched 10 times. I also like Operation Pacific (1951), but it may be because he and Patrica O'Neal sizzled...:cool:

FilmBuff

06-14-24, 11:31 PM

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Tuesday (2024)
2.5

Tuesday is an odd bird of a movie.

Vaguely reminiscent of both Death Takes a Holiday and The Seventh Seal, it is about the human obsession with cheating death - sort of.

Without giving too much away (the less you know the more you'll enjoy this), the movie starts out as a kind of dark fable with some very black humor and a touch of magical realism. However, the more the movie goes on, the more mawkish and blatantly manipulative it becomes.

Julia Louis Dreyfus is committed to her part, but seems badly miscast as a mother who is almost literally worried sick; Lola Petticrew is very appealing as her ailing daughter.

Croatian helmer Daina O. Pusić has made an intriguing feature directing debut, and while she doesn't quite know how to pull it off, it does suggest a strikingly original vision. One can only hope her future efforts might be better written.

Nausicaä

06-15-24, 02:21 AM

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2

SF = Z

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[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

06-15-24, 02:41 AM

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Ultraman Rising
2

This is a great weekend for animation buffs, with the new Pixar easily commanding the box-office worldwide and Ultraman Rising streaming on Netflix and playing in a handful of theaters.

Unfortunately, the Ultraman movie is the one that comes off as the weakest, by far, and decidedly not nearly as fun as the recent Shin Ultraman (which was live-action).

The idea of Ultraman having to take care of a kanji baby isn't at all bad, but the execution is.

There's hardly a moment in the whole movie when you don't see what's coming a few miles away; the story beats here feel so ancient, they belong in a museum. Even younger viewers may find the movie overly predictable.

The pacing during non-action scenes is also way off. It's a movie that could have been a snappy 90 minutes, but is unnecessarily padded into a 2-hour movie.

Still, there's some pretty good animation here by Industrial Light & Magic; it's just a shame that the story isn't nearly as good as the animation.

P.S. Make sure you don't miss the mid-credits scene.

Tramuzgan

06-15-24, 01:36 PM

A Matter of Life and Death (1946) - 8/10. Closer to a 7 than a 9, but still an 8.

I really, really appreciate the fanciful tone this movie presents. It makes good use of the core love story and elevates it to a consistently interesting story with inventive stakes and imagery that stimulates the imagination. It's even got a good sense of humour, provided by the foppish french messenger who always seems like he's having so much fun.

The one major flaw is a courtroom scene near the end where out of nowhere, they start comparing America to England in ways that have absolutely nothing to do with the movie or its story. At least the dialogue was well-written and the actor who played the american prosecutor was excellent - he says every line with full conviction - but still, it's like the movie paused for 10 straight minutes.

FilmBuff

06-15-24, 01:43 PM

Flaw??

Objection!!

Allaby

06-15-24, 02:08 PM

Inside Out 2 (2024) This is the best film of the year (so far). The animation is fantastic and the performances are wonderful. The screenplay is excellent. Inside Out 2 is a beautiful, intelligent, heartfelt film. It's not quite as terrific as the first one, but this is a joyful and hopeful film that resonates with viewers, young and old. 4.5

FilmBuff

06-15-24, 08:51 PM

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Inside Out 2 (Dolby Cinema)
5

I enjoyed this one so much the first time around, I just had to watch it again, ASAP - only this time in Dolby Cinema instead of IMAX.

Both versions are outstanding; Pixar is truly at the top of their game with breathtakingly detailed animation and an eye for detail that can't be matched by their competitors.

While the whole voice cast is awesome, I still can't believe how good Maya Hawke (as anxiety) and Adèle Exarchopoulos (as Ennui) are here; they are some of the most memorable animated characters of the last decade.

It's also striking how well teenage girls are responding to the movie, judging from the audience reaction at both of the showings I've attended - not that the adults aren't enjoying it quite a bit, too.

In any case, it's great to see a summer movie finally drawing large crowds again, after the lackluster start of the summer season films that came before it.

Marco

06-15-24, 09:04 PM

Dead Mans Shoes (2004)
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This is a really good film, shot on a budget Shane Meadows style. After hearing the director (and Paddy Considines) narration through the film it was clear that they wanted to shine a light on small communities and how desperation can force some folk into drugs. Taking and dealing. For the money there are really good scenes and and memorable sets. The overall narrative backs that up. Besides the violent nature of the film there is a heart to it and lot's of regret. Shout too to Gary Stretch as Sonny who is imposing and not an actor but is clearly malevolent. Love a revenger but this makes it visceral.
4

Nausicaä

06-16-24, 02:35 AM

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3.5

SF = Z

Trailer:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TzAAtZx6xzk

[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

iluv2viddyfilms

06-16-24, 03:15 AM

Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011, Shinkai) - C+
The Garden of Words (2013, Shinkai) - B-

LChimp

06-16-24, 10:17 AM

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Viral - (2016)

7/10

chawhee

06-16-24, 11:18 AM

Inside Out 2 (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f7/Inside_Out_2_poster.jpg
5
Nothing much to add on the reviews above...brilliant movie all around.

iluv2viddyfilms

06-16-24, 11:32 AM

Affliction (1997, Paul Schrader) - A

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Torgo

06-16-24, 01:34 PM

The Quiet Earth - 4

A movie that deserves to be called that other Twilight Zone movie from the 1980s, it's a prime example of nailing a first attempt with it being New Zealand's entry into sci-fi. It owes a lot to Omega Man, I Am Legend, etc., but I think it surpasses those movies, mainly for why I bring up The Twilight Zone: it has a more satisfying mystery and it is more thoughtful, especially in terms of its spirituality. I can't say anything about Vincent Price in The Last Man on Earth because I haven't seen it, but Bruno Lawrence surpasses Heston and Will Smith as this movie's last man. Besides how well he expresses Zac Hobson's guilt over possibly being responsibile for his unfortunate situation, he's more convincing when it comes to how that much loneliness would impact one's sanity. I don't want to reveal how bonkers the height of his solitude gets, but I'll at least give you a hint: a nightie is involved. Even though New Zealand was obviously not as involved in the Cold War as the U.S. was, the way the movie uses it as a backdrop deserves credit; besides, it's nice to see the conflict from a relative outsider's perspective for a change. The movie also matches its more popular and larger budgeted brothers not only for how empty its world seems, but also for going big whenever Zac makes it a toddler's playground, if you will. Also, it only has a few special effects, but the ones it does have are delightfully trippy and hold up despite the movie's age.

This advice may be impossible to follow, but I would encourage you to not look at a poster or the DVD cover of this movie because it spoils the ending. Without hopefully spoiling it even further, I'll just say that it may be on par with 2001: A Space Odyssey's for how it is bound to stay with you and for how well it encourages discussion. It ends up being "where is everybody" sci-fi that deserves to be mentioned alongside the other movies I've mentioned and the best TV episodes in this sub-genre. Oh, and it manages to do this without the use of vampires or mutants, believe it or not.

WHITBISSELL!

06-16-24, 03:00 PM

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Swamp Water - Ran across this 1941 drama on youtube and, despite never having heard of it, took a chance based on the strength of the cast. Dana Andrews, Walter Brennan, Anne Baxter, John Carradine, Ward Bond and Walter Huston among others. But what really made up my mind was Jean Renoir directing his first American production. When it first started I had misgivings about the setting. I figured it would be the usual bunch of Hollywood actors awkwardly attempting Southern accents and painfully failing. But it surprised me. Nobody would mistake it for cinema verite but it didn't come off as pandering either. Maybe it was Renoir's influence or the writing or the talent of the assembled cast but any misgivings are set aside and the story allowed to take center stage.

This takes place in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia and Dana Andrews is the actual star despite only having been given fourth billing. He plays Ben Ragan, son of strong willed Thursday Ragan (Walter Huston). Widower Thursday has remarried the much younger Hannah (Mary Howard). That dynamic works itself into the plot as well but strictly as one of those peripheral issues that turns out to have a direct bearing on the denouement. Ben constantly chafes at Thursday's attempts at controlling his life and his trip into the swamp to search for his lost dog is the impetus for the the rest of the story. Despite having been warned by his father about staying out of the swamp Ben runs into trouble but finds an unexpected presence. There's also a mystery of sorts and villainous rivals and a femme fatale.

You''ll find yourself drawn in to the narrative. You might be fully cognizant of it being a conventional setup but the bad guys are so hissable and the protagonists understated that you're comfortable buying into it. Renoir reportedly clashed with executive producer Darryl F. Zanuck throughout the production and was so angered with the changes Zanuck made after filming that he terminated his contract with Twentieth Century Fox. I don't know what that film would have looked like but I'd love to have checked it out. As it stands though, this wasn't a waste of time. A decent enough offering.

75/100

FilmBuff

06-16-24, 03:22 PM

Based on Torgo's rec, I will be watching The Quiet Earth

Torgo

06-16-24, 03:47 PM

Credit goes to SpelingError for making me aware of it. :up:

SpelingError

06-16-24, 06:34 PM

Torgo

06-16-24, 06:58 PM

Glad you really enjoyed it! I was really taken in by the ambiguity surrounding everything which was going on. The questions left open really linger with you. I also think it accurately portrays the ways an apocalypse could alter someone's personality and cause personal conflicts to radically shift in an instant once other threats are introduced.Your take on the ending?

I like the idea that Zac is in Purgatory. He took part in a pretty grave sin - destroying human civilization - and he redeemed himself by sacrificing his life to destroy the cause of it. It's not a sacrifice that got him into heaven, but it sent him to the next best place.

SpelingError

06-16-24, 07:06 PM

Your take on the ending?

I like tbe idea that Zac's in Purgatory. He took part in a pretty grave sin - destroying human civilization - and he redeemed himself by sacrificing his life to destroy the cause of it. It's not a sacrifice that got him into heaven, but it sent him to the next best place.
That's an interesting take.

From what I remember, the second effect was triggered right as the explosives went off, so since it was already established that the three characters were spared from the first effect since they were going to die anyways just as it happened, another interpretation is that the other two characters were killed and that Zac was spared. Whether the plan to stop the calamity (in this case, a future third effect) worked is unclear, but what's important is that the logistics of Earth were permanently altered.

Fabulous

06-16-24, 08:17 PM

The Chalk Garden (1964)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/dD5wfAzLs3TKiN85x0YtTI9zSeO.jpg

Marco

06-16-24, 09:51 PM

Gone baby gone (2007)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fd/Gone_Baby_Gone_poster.png
Good film with interesting questions about nature or nurture. Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan do a fine job as the private detectives asked to find a missing child. The offshoots of the story actually bolster the main plot. It's great direction from Ben Affleck as you can see the human toll but also the WGAF in a situation depicted.
4

FilmBuff

06-16-24, 10:22 PM

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Firebrand
4.5

I knew next to nothing about Catherine Parr before watching Firebrand - and the movie has done nothing but stroke my curiosity in the most intense way imaginable.

Some folks have dismissed the movie as historical speculation. It appears to be true that there is no documentation that could prove or disprove some of the things depicted in the movie, but that doesn't make it any less thrilling.

To be perfectly blunt, I don't know that everything we're shown in the movie actually happened, but I also don't have any reason to think that it mightn't have happened.

Alicia Vikander is terrific (in a very subdued way) as Parr, and Jude Law is positively staggering as King Henry VIII. In all fairness, it should be pointed out that there's at least a couple of shots of certain parts of the king's anatomy that some people might find kind of gross - and that's kind of the point.

At this point in his life, Henry VIII was a positively disgusting and paranoid man, consumed by his conflicts with the church and obsessed about his successors.

Firebrand is the English-language directing debut of Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz and it's based on the novel Queen's Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle. (The movie isn't called Queen's Gambit to avoid confusion with the Netflix series).

If you want an absolutely fantastic movie about what may have happened during the waning days of Henry VIII's reign, this movie is absolutely right for you. If you want to know more about what the historical record says may have actually happened, then check out this guide. (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-story-behind-firebrand-and-henry-viiis-tumultuous-relationship-with-his-sixth-wife-catherine-parr-180984527/)

The fabulous cast also includes Eddie Marsan as Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, Junia Rees as Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth I), and Simon Russell Beale as the Bishop of Winchester.

PHOENIX74

06-16-24, 11:21 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Philadelphia_imp.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://www.impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8005206

Philadelphia - (1993)

1993 was a pretty good year for mainstream cinema, and this heavyweight had great impact - watching it last night I felt that it was better than I remembered it being. Tom Hanks had moved away from comedy somewhat with the likes of Sleepless in Seattle and the disaster that was Bonfire of the Vanities, but it was with this that he became a full-fledged, respected and acknowledged dramatic actor. For his role as Andrew Beckett he won his first Oscar. It surprised me somewhat to see the name "Ann Dowd" in the opening credits. I wondered if I'd recognize her, and I did as Andrew's sister - she was slimmer and had blonde hair, but her face is immediately recognizable. As far as attitudes to gay people and AIDS at the time go, this came at the crux of a change in values for society. I remember growing up in the 70s and 80s, when it was pretty much okay to be openly hostile to gay people - especially in Australia. Any term for homosexuality was considered a terrible insult. We've come along away, and for anyone who has had a family member die of AIDS (even a cousin), this epidemic has left a lasting, tragic impression. Marvelous movie from Jonathan Demme.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/58/Emily_the_Criminal.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2022/posters/emily_the_criminal_xxlg.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71241976

Emily the Criminal - (2022)

This has a great screenplay and is paced with precision - a film about one person's gift for criminality, and how debt mixed with economic reality can be a trigger to unleash it. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2466791#post2466791), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/82/Elmer_Gantry_poster.jpg
By http://www.movieposterdb.com/e0f59e2a, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19614505

Elmer Gantry - (1960)

Directed at evangelists, this doesn't pack as much of a wallop as it did back in it's day, but it's a worthy watch to see Burt Lancaster tear up the screen as the titular con-man and rascal. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2466883#post2466883), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

iluv2viddyfilms

06-17-24, 02:06 AM

A Dog's Life(1918, Charlie Chaplin) - A-

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Nausicaä

06-17-24, 02:46 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/58/Emily_the_Criminal.jpg/220px-Emily_the_Criminal.jpg

3

SF = Z

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

Marco

06-17-24, 10:39 AM

Marco

06-17-24, 10:45 AM

Henry Fool (1998)

This was a complete waste of time. Poor acting, no discernible plot and paper thin cynical characters. Absolute emperors clothes trying to be "deep"....
No rating, it's shite.

FilmBuff

06-17-24, 10:47 AM

Henry Fool (1998)

This was a complete waste of time.

Are there any Hal Hartley films you do like?

LChimp

06-17-24, 10:58 AM

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Under Paris - (2024)

Now I know why french scientists are upset about this movie. Avoid at all costs.

matt72582

06-17-24, 11:24 AM

Central Station - 7.5/10
This was just on TCM. The lead actress, Fernanda Montenegro (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernanda_Montenegro), was real good, and I generally cared about all the characters.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Central-do-brasil-poster04.jpg

matt72582

06-17-24, 11:25 AM

By May be found at the following website: http://www.impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8005206

Elmer Gantry - (1960)

Directed at evangelists, this doesn't pack as much of a wallop as it did back in it's day, but it's a worthy watch to see Burt Lancaster tear up the screen as the titular con-man and rascal. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2466883#post2466883), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

I loved this movie and concluded out of all the stars, Burt Lancaster picked the best movies (The Swimmer, The Professionals, Birdman of Alcatraz, Come Back Little Sheba)

Stirchley

06-17-24, 12:36 PM

99124

Yes, I cried. Based extremely loosely on a true story, Mark Wahlberg gave his all (like he always does) to this fairly good movie.

99125

Possibly the best movie I’ve seen all year. So brilliant. How the Italian director kept track of all the extras in the most difficult circumstances is beyond me. Lead actor very good. I was thinking he should be a model and, it turns out, others thought so too so now he is. :)

FilmBuff

06-17-24, 01:13 PM

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

East Bay
2

The constant drive to be a "perfect" Asian-American in modern-day America can be a crushing burden, and a good excuse for a forgettable stream-of-consciousness movie like East Bay.

The movie was written and directed by Daniel Yoon, whose only previous directing experience was a short film from, like, 20 years ago.

Maybe that is why the movie is full of ideas but also comes up short in execution. Having said that, Constance Wu is very good in this, despite an underwritten role.

Gideon58

06-17-24, 02:03 PM

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1st Rewatch...The Oscar winning screenplay is the anchor of this 2023 black comedy about a brilliant black writer (Oscar nominee Jeffrey Wright) who can't sell his own work as a writer, but when he writes a book utilizing a lot of :"Negro-speak" and pretending that he is a fugitive on the run writing under a pen name, this book becomes a runaway bestseller. This movie is way too smart for its intended demographic and it makes all of the white characters in the movie look like blithering idiots. 4.5

Gideon58

06-17-24, 02:06 PM

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6th Rewatch... Milos Foreman's imaginative direction, wonderful performances, and some dazzling musical sequences make this 1979 film version of the 60's Broadway show appointment viewing. John Savage and Treat Williams light up the screen as Claude and Berger, respectively and Twyla Tharp redefines ,movie choreography. 4

Stirchley

06-17-24, 02:07 PM

Gideon58

06-17-24, 02:15 PM

Allaby

06-17-24, 02:18 PM

The Lorax (2012) Zac Efron is miscast and his character doesn't act or sound like a 12 year old. The story is alright, but they could have done more with it. I liked the colourful animation and some of the cute characters. The songs were hit and miss with Let It Grow being the best one. 3

Gideon58

06-17-24, 02:24 PM

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Umpteenth Rewatch...Joyous and emotionally charged rendering of the 1964 Broadway musical about a milkman with five daughters who finds his life and faith challenged at every turn thanks to the realities of life around him and the realities of his daughters quietly becoming women without him noticing. Probably in my top five of best Broadway musical transfers to the big screen, this big screen adaptation spares no expense in bringing this story to the screen, minimal tampering with the classic score by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock, and a breathtaking performance by Topol as Tevye, that earned the film one of its eight Oscar nominations. And you can't beat that score..."If I Were a Rich Man", "Tradition", "Matchmaker, Matchmaker", "Sunrise Sunset", "Do You Love Me", and "To Life". This film somehow improves just a bit with each viewing. 4.5

kgaard

06-17-24, 02:55 PM

Hard to believe Topol was 36 when they made Fiddler. 36!

Gideon58

06-17-24, 03:07 PM

That is amazing, because he doesn't look a year under 60 in the film. It's such an amazing performance.

Galactic Traveler

06-17-24, 05:31 PM

Last thing I watched was a nine part documentary I just started to view again for the umpteenth time: The Civil War by Ken Burns. Easily one of the 5 greatest docs I've ever seen. Ken Burns is a master of the documentary drama and this one leaves you breathless.

Fabulous

06-17-24, 06:28 PM

Gambit (1966)

3

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Marco

06-17-24, 11:14 PM

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2nd Rewatch...Quentin Tarantino hits the bullseye with this frighteningly on-target recreation of Hollywood in the late 60's centered around a television actor named Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is panicked because he thinks his career is circling and the drain, and his BFF and stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), who is a lot more accepting of his fading career, not to mention Rick's fascination with his new neighbors, Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. This is a pretty seamless blend of fact and fiction from the 60's that collide abruptly and are unapologetic in the way the constantly dodge each other. DiCaprio has rarely been better and Pitt's breezy performance as Cliff won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Also loved Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, Timothy Olyphant as James Stace, Emile Hirsch as Jay Sebring, Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen, Kurt Russell as Randy Miller, and Michael Moh as Bruce Lee. 4

I really liked this flik too. There are some really brilliant one-liners "don't cry in front of the Mexicans Rick". It captured the zeitgeist well. Thought Brad Pitt was excellent as the jaded, laid back former stunt man. His performance as easy go lucky Cliff was a good counterpoise to Leo's neurotic Rick. Margot Robbie is utterly charming in this too. A good part for Emile Hircsh too, wish he'd get these roles more often as Alpha Dog and Into the Wild clearly show he is a very talented actor.

WHITBISSELL!

06-18-24, 12:52 AM

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The Crawling Hand - 1963 scifi/horror directed by Herbert L. Strock (I Was a Teenage Frankenstein) and starring Peter Breck, Rod Lauren and Alan Hale Jr. An astronaut, believed dead after running out of oxygen, contacts ground control and rants about something having taken over his body. This is indicated by a wicked case of raccoon eyes. He convinces ground control to blow up his capsule but his arm somehow ends up on a California beach where it's discovered by a teenage couple.

I watched this like a week ago and I'm having trouble remembering all but the basic story outline. It's egregiously low budget of course and the hand being a rambling kind of appendage does the hand version of tiptoeing around while looking for it's next victim. It's preferred method of killing being strangulation it has to wait for the exact moment when a throat presents itself. There's a surprising number of these moments. Carpe Diem? More like Carpe Faucium. Anyway, the teenage guy who secretly took the hand home to his rooming house finally realizes that it's much too dangerous to have around so he attempts to destroy it.

The cast is earnest in their efforts so that's worth some points. There's an open ended closing shot which threatens a sequel but it's been over 60 years and counting so I don't think it's happening. There's no shame in watching this just to be able to say you did. People do it all the time, especially when engaging in movie related discussions.

50/100

chawhee

06-18-24, 08:40 AM

1917 (2019)
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4
First time rewatching this, and I was a little surprised I remembered barely anything from seeing it originally. I think that speaks to my original opinion (same score of 4), in that its a good war movie but not a great one.

Gideon58

06-18-24, 09:32 AM

I really liked this flik too. There are some really brilliant one-liners "don't cry in front of the Mexicans Rick". It captured the zeitgeist well. Thought Brad Pitt was excellent as the jaded, laid back former stunt man. His performance as easy go lucky Cliff was a good counterpoise to Leo's neurotic Rick. Margot Robbie is utterly charming in this too. A good part for Emile Hircsh too, wish he'd get these roles more often as Alpha Dog and Into the Wild clearly show he is a very talented actor.

Wow can’t believe you mentioned Alpha Dog because I thought Hirsch was the weakest part of that movie

Gideon58

06-18-24, 01:12 PM

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1st Rewatch...This goofy distaff variation on The Hangover definitely provides laughs though it never quite comes together as a complete movie experience. Kristen Wiig plays Annie, a romance-challenged woman who is thrilled when her BFF Lillian (Maya Rudolph) becomes engaged and asks Annie to be her maid of honor, but things get complicated when Annie thinks she is getting competition for the maid of honor position from a bitchy new friend of Lillian's named Helen (Rose Byrne). There's a lot to enjoy here. Wiig is very funny as Annie, displaying Lucille Ball-calibre skill at physical comedy and Byrne is a surprisingly effective comic villain. Most of the laughs though come from Melissa McCarthy as Lillian's sister-in-law-to-be, whose fall on the floor funny performance actually earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. The subplot of Annie's romance with a sweet and silly cop (Chris O'Dowd) really slows things down, but the scenes with Annie and her scummy ex (Jon Hamm) are gold. 3.5

Gideon58

06-18-24, 01:17 PM

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1st Rewatch....This film was a box office smash in 1983 and after this second watch, I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out why. The film stars Jennifer Beals as a girl named Alex, who works as a welder during the day and dances at a nightclub at night, who gets involved with her boss (Michael Nouri) where she welds. Alex's real passion is to get into a prestigious ballet company, but she is too scared to audition and refuses to take any ballet classes, yet gets furious when her boss steps into give her a hand. Adrian Lyne's stylish direction and the song score are definite plusses here, but this film's popularity is still a mystery to me. I think I'm troubled by the lifeless performance from Beals and the fact that she doesn't really do much of the dancing on display here. 3

Gideon58

06-18-24, 01:21 PM

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Umpteenth Rewatch... I don't know what else can be said about the definitive MGM musical. Even people who don't like musicals like this movie. The two things that keep me coming back to it are the fun of watching the contrasting dance styles of Kelly and O'Connor and the brilliant comic turn by Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont, that should have won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress of 1952. 5

GulfportDoc

06-18-24, 05:45 PM

99134

Heat (1995)

What an enjoyable film! It’s a personal first re-watch since it came out, and it holds up every bit as well as on first viewing. Michael Mann is one of the best action crime drama directors ever, and this is one of his best. Boasting a dream cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, and Ted Levine, there are simply no weaknesses in the acting.

The story itself is not complicated. It’s basically a triple heist film, with sub stories about the main character’s personal relationships with their wives, along with some very clever plotting and character interactions.

But it is the underlying authenticity and believability of all the action that separates this picture from others of its style. Everything was shot on location. Not a single frame was done on a soundstage, nor was any CGI used. The action sequences are superb, and have a perfectly live feel to them.

The shoot out in downtown L.A. is one of the best on film. Taking place at Flower and 5th streets, as De Niro’s heist crew exits a successful large bank theft, Pacino’s police are heading to the scene, having been tipped off. What ensues is a powerful battle between the thieves and the cops, with the thieves having the upper hand using automatic weapons-- the cops armed only with semiautomatic rifles.

The scene lasts a full 10 minutes, and is galvanizing from start to finish. The actors were all firing live weapons (with blanks of course), and they’d all been given extensive training in firing and handling those types of automatic rifles. Consequently the viewer is convinced they’re watching a real live gun battle. The filming of this 10 minute sequence took 6 full weekends in downtown L.A.

That robbery and shootout was so impressive that it inspired a number of real crimes in several locations around the world with similar action. Most notable was the 1997 robbery and shoot out of the North Hollywood Bank of America, in which two heavily armed men with automatic weapons, and protected by military grade flak vests and helmets, engaged a large contingent of LAPD officers for 44 minutes in a continuous battle resulting in the deaths of both robbers. It is the longest police shoot out in American history.

The movie never really lags, but at 2 hours and 50 minutes, 15 minutes or so could have been cut with no loss to the film. Some of Pacino’s interactions with his wife were dramatically interesting, but unnecessary. But if you haven’t seen this great picture, treat yourself to a masterpiece of the style.

Doc’s rating: 9/10

FilmBuff

06-18-24, 05:49 PM

Siddon

06-18-24, 06:12 PM

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The Bikeriders 4

beelzebubble

06-18-24, 08:28 PM

Tell Them You Love Me (2024)
This is a fascinating documentary of a female Rutgers professor, who is convicted of raping a non-verbal man with cerebral palsy and mental retardation. One of the doctoral candidates in her class, sees a film about a controversial method for communicating with non-verbal people called facilitated communication. His brother is non-verbal and the professor agrees to use this method of communication with the brother.
The man with CP is named Derek. He is a beloved son and brother and his family has done everything they can to facilitate his development. They even got him to the point where he can walk with assistance. His mother and brother are excited by this opportunity to look into the mind of Derek.
He begins working with the professor. Lo and behold, he seems quite intelligent according to the transcript of his facilitated communication. Then things get weird.
It is an interesting film about the intersection between race, disability and delusion. Derek is black and the professor is white. The family believes that the professor is presumptuous with regard to their boundaries because she is white. I am not sure. She just seems like a delusional, middle class woman to me. Though I am sure her presumption about the family’s class is based on race.
The part of the film that really stick with me is when the professor changes the station on Derek’s mother’s car while Derek’s mom is driving. I’m like, oh no you didn’t! This is the beginning of the family realizing that may have held a viper to their collective bosoms.
Anyway, it’s very interesting and on Netflix. I would love to hear other people’s take on this story.

FilmBuff

06-18-24, 08:50 PM

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The Bikeriders
4.5

Had it not been for the 2023 strikes in Hollywood, The Bikeriders would have opened in theaters last December.

The 6-month delay was excruciating for those of us who had been eagerly anticipating Jeff Nichols' latest film, but thank goodness, the movie is finally being released, and it was definitely worth the wait.

A somewhat fictionalized depiction of a late-60s motorcycle club in the Midwest, the movie does a wonderful job of exploring various facets of American manhood, and the extent that some men go through to try to conceal their feelings.

Jodie Comer is absolutely fantastic as the much put-upon wife of one of the most rebellious bikers in the club (Austin Butler). Tom Hardy is in top form as the soft-spoken leader of the club, who is at times at a loss about how to pass on the club's leadership to a younger man.

(Comer, famously good at doing accents, has said in interviews she took pains to study the accent of the real-life woman her character is based on, because it was like no accent she'd ever heard).

In the very simplest way, it could be seen as an old-fashioned "girl gets boy, girl loses boy, girl gets boy back" narrative - and it works surprisingly well as far as that goes. But what it has to say about masculinity in America in the late 60s and early 70s is also surprisingly robust.

Mike Faist and Michael Shannon round up the cast, as an intrepid journalist trying to learn more about the bikers; and as one of the older and more roughed-up bikers, respectively.

The movie boasts a fantastic sense of period detail and a great soundtrack.

The start of the movie moves a little faster than the rest of it, and it might at first give the impression that this is going to be the Goodfellas of biker movies - but to Nichols' credit, he is trying for something different here, the film shifts gears when you might least expect it, and the result is far more elegiac and mournful than you might anticipate.

This is without a doubt one of the best movies of the year; one can only hope the movie will not have been forgotten come awards season.

Marco

06-18-24, 09:02 PM

Wow can’t believe you mentioned Alpha Dog because I thought Hirsch was the weakest part of that movie
I thought he played the part of (let's face it) Jesse James Hollywood well Gideon, narcissistic, entitled headbanger. Ben Foster stole the picture for me though.

Fabulous

06-18-24, 11:11 PM

Central Station (1998)

3.5

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Gideon58

06-18-24, 11:44 PM

I thought he played the part of (let's face it) Jesse James Hollywood well Gideon, narcissistic, entitled headbanger. Ben Foster stole the picture for me though.

Ben Foster did steal the movie

Fabulous

06-19-24, 02:17 AM

Call Northside 777 (1948)

3.5

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Miss Vicky

06-19-24, 04:12 AM

99135
Inside Out 2

I liked it quite a bit, and thought it was better than a lot of Pixar's recent features, but it didn't quite have the magic that I was hoping for. There were definitely some amusing parts and it made me cry, but it pales in comparison to the first.

Also very disappointed that we were not given a short film before the movie.

3.5

Louis126

06-19-24, 08:20 AM

The Silence of the Lambs.

I think I saw this once before many many years ago. But I didn’t remember most of it when I watched it again last night. So this time was kind of like seeing it for the first time.

I am honestly disappointed. I really wanted to like this movie. I was convinced that it was going to be on my favorites list prior to watching it last night. But I honestly didn’t really like it as much as I hoped that I would. I’d probably give it a 7.5 out of 10.

It seems to be lacking something. I’m just not sure what that is. The fact that Hannibal Lectre was able to free himself during mealtime actually adds to my dismay. I can’t believe they didn’t do more to prevent that nonsense. They should have seen it coming. They should have only been able to feed the bastard via the same type of drawer system that had been used previously (during the first part of the film).

And so when the film ended, this guy was still on the loose. This tidbit did not help me appreciate or like the movie very much at all. I don’t like cliffhangers like this. They usually only exist in horror movies. And I can’t stand horror movies. So I avoid them at all costs.

BTW, does anyone happen to know if there was ever a sequel to this?

LChimp

06-19-24, 11:08 AM

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Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes - (2020)

Excellent short movie, about an owner of a cafe in Japan, that discovers his TV can see two minutes into the future. Only two minutes. The attention to detail is extreme, the acting is really good and the story, the characters are all very interesting. 10/10

Torgo

06-19-24, 11:18 AM

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Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes - (2020)

Excellent short movie, about an owner of a cafe in Japan, that discover his TV can see two minutes into the future. Only two minutes. The attention to the detail is extreme, the acting is really good and the story, the characters is all very interesting. 10/10I really like it as well. The director made a movie with a similar concept last year called River that's just as good. I haven't seen it yet.

Gideon58

06-19-24, 12:21 PM

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Umpteenth Rewatch...It's been at least a decade since my last viewing of this film and I was dumbfounded as to how well it holds up. Tom Hanks received his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his performance in this warm and goofy comic fantasy about a 12 year old boy named Josh Baskin who makes a wish on a Zoltar machine at a carnival and wakes up the next morning to find he is a 30 year old man. Under the thoughtful and structured direction by Penny Marshall, Hanks is altogether winning in making us believe that this character still has the soul of a 12 year old boy. There are minor logistic and continuity issues that fall to the wayside thanks to Marshall and Hanks. 4

Deschain

06-19-24, 12:23 PM

Gideon58

06-19-24, 12:28 PM

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1st Rewatch... Crisp direction by Ang Lee and a spectacular ensemble cast make this stylish and sexy look at suburban dysfunction sizzle. The still ever-changing sexual mores of the country are the canvas for this look behind the closed doors of multiple families in a small Connecticut suburb. The envelope-pushing screenplay takes this story to some unsettling places but never fails to rivet the viewer. There are solid performances from Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Christina Ricci, Jamey Sheridan, Allison Janney, Elijah Wood, and Tobey Maguire, but it's three-time Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver who dominates the proceedings as a sexual pariah named Janey. Fans of American Beauty will have a head start here. 4

Gideon58

06-19-24, 12:59 PM

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4

Gideon58

06-19-24, 01:14 PM

Hannibal is a direct sequel and Red Dragon is a prequel, both based on books of the same name. There’s also Manhunter from the ‘80s based on the Red Dragon book, an NBC show called Hannibal, and an original story movie called Hannibal Rising.

So glad to see someone else not completely bowled over by The Silence of the Lambs, which I believe is one of the most overrated films of all time.

LChimp

06-19-24, 01:35 PM

I really like it as well. The director made a movie with a similar concept last year called River that's just as good. I haven't seen it yet.
I heard about it too, it's definitely on my list.

Deschain

06-19-24, 01:40 PM

So glad to see someone else not completely bowled over by The Silence of the Lambs, which I believe is one of the most overrated films of all time.

Don’t quote me when saying that sir. It’s one of my favorite movies. I believe Louis126 was the one a little underwhelmed by it. :D

FilmBuff

06-19-24, 01:42 PM

So glad to see someone else not completely bowled over by The Silence of the Lambs, which I believe is one of the most overrated films of all time.

I don't know if it's overrated or not, but watching it in a packed cinema back in 1991 (especially in a THX-equipped auditorium) was definitely a very intense experience!

I can't imagine the movie having the same impact when you watch at home, it must really diminish the effect.

Gideon58

06-19-24, 03:32 PM

https://static.filmbuzi.hu/wp-content/uploads//2024/04/if_poszterek3.jpg

2.5

Fabulous

06-19-24, 04:41 PM

The Midnight Sky (2020)

3.5

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Stirchley

06-19-24, 06:33 PM

So glad to see someone else not completely bowled over by The Silence of the Lambs, which I believe is one of the most overrated films of all time.

I thought it so-so.

Darth Pazuzu

06-19-24, 06:34 PM

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June 18, 2024

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE (Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah / 2024)

Just... wow. I mean, like... what the heck did I just see? :eek:

I'm asking this in all seriousness, people! Along with the recent Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, this is a prime example of why I'm periodically compelled to skip my $7 Tuesday appointments at the local movie theater. This recent installment in the Will Smith / Martin Lawrence buddy-cop franchise is, to be brutally frank, waaaaaaayyy beyond my ability (or inclination) to analyze or unpack in any sort of informative or productive way (assuming that was even possible).

Okay, okay... Let me just sift through what I remember... In no particular order, we have: One character's wedding... another character's heart attack... delusions of immortality... a politician being eaten by a gator... posthumously recorded videos from beyond the grave... a hijacked helicopter... a shoot-the-hostage scenario... stolen clothing... affairs, betrayals and frame-ups... chases and shootouts that blur the line between live action and game animation... And those are just the things which come to mind immediately! All in all, it has the feel of the filmmakers (and I'm using that word generously) just throwing stuff at the wall on the off chance something will stick. And evidently a lot of it does: The audience I saw this movie with was obviously having a good time, laughing loudly at the funny wisecracks. I certainly can't deny the entertainment value of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, nor am I inclined to rain on audiences' parade or adopt a superior attitude. But even though this movie is in theory a buddy-cop action comedy, it feels more like a gimmicky sensory assault with a pathological fear of boring the audience. This is an example of the sort of big-budget Hollywood filmmaking which has mutated into something that is far beyond the pale of my own aesthetic values. I can't tell if it's an evolution, a de-evolution, or whether I'm just simply getting old.

BTW, this is the first Bad Boys movie I've seen. OMG! I can hear you thinking. First Mad Max and now this! Man, this guy's got a lot of gaps in his cinematic knowledge! Yeah, yeah, yeah, guilty as charged. I'll just get into things on my own schedule, thank you very much... :lol:

Louis126

06-19-24, 06:45 PM

Don’t quote me when saying that sir. It’s one of my favorite movies. I believe Louis126 was the one a little underwhelmed by it. :D

Yes, correct that was me 🤣😹🤣

Gideon58

06-19-24, 07:11 PM

Fabulous

06-20-24, 03:41 AM

Car Wash (1976)

3

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PHOENIX74

06-20-24, 04:17 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/da/Capote_Poster.jpg
By www.impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17873516

Capote - (2005)

I completely missed the complexity we get from Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of Truman Capote when Capote first came out - I wasn't a big fan of the film, but another look all these years later had me seeing a lot more in it. The author at first fawns over killer Perry Smith as he gets to know him, but when Smith becomes difficult, it's Capote's reputation and artistic ability he holds more sacred - and in the end the author becomes more and more hopeful that Smith will be executed to give Truman the best possible ending to his novel. He's willing to cast aside any friendship if it interferes with his ego, and in the end proves himself a capricious, selfish and self-centered man. Still - he knew he was on the verge of writing a novel that would go down in history, and being on the verge of creating something like that will no doubt play on a person's mind. I thought Hoffman was incredible in this, and I no longer resent him snatching a coveted Oscar from Heath Ledger, who would win one but never know what it feels like to win one. Can you believe that in a category that had Capote, Good Night, and Good Luck, Brokeback Mountain and Munich in it, Paul Haggis film Crash won? Perhaps all of the other films were so good they competed too strongly with each other, letting the absolute outsider take the prize.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Kelly%27s_Heroes_film_poster.jpg
By Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) - IMPawards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38329896

Kelly's Heroes - (1970)

This cynical war film - part comedy - had American (and in the end German) soldiers in it for themselves rather than freedom or their country. I really like Kelly's Heroes - but the battle scenes feel so incongruent with the lark the rest of this film is. Everyone is so well cast here - even the small roles have been carefully appointed to just the right character actors. Donald Sutherland's "Oddball" is perhaps the very first hippie, and somehow the fact that he commands a tank crew doesn't feel wrong. A very different take on World War II narratives.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/Things_%281989%29_DVD_cover.jpg
By https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183881/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74162458

Things - (1989)

Yes, Things is worse than Manos, the Hands of Fate - and must be seen to be believed. A great contender for the "best worst movie ever" title. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2467197#post2467197), in my watchlist thread.

0.5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Great_debaters_post.jpg
By Metro Goldwyn Mayer - Impawards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34213723

The Great Debaters - (2007)

This true story about a group of African American college students who swept all before them in debating competitions during the great depression is good - but the four young actors at it core are overshadowed a little by the titans that are Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker. An early directorial effort from Washington himself. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2467372#post2467372), in my watchlist thread.

6/10

Torgo

06-20-24, 12:23 PM

Le Havre - 5

Jordan Belfort once stated that there is no nobility in poverty. What this movie presupposes is...maybe there is? Charming, funny and heartwarming in equal measure, it demonstrates that a community, even a small one, can make a difference. Are proud shoe shiner Marcel Marx (Wilms) and devoted wife Arletty (Outinen) modeled after Fargo's Marge and Norm Gunderson? I'm not sure, but they remind me of the couple in many ways. Marcel, like Marge, may never be rich, but he enjoys his job and he is good at it. Plus, his reason for enjoying it is adorable: in short, it's one of the few that lets him be close to people. As for his illegal immigrant ward, the fact that he's a child who just wants to make it across the English Channel so he can be with his mother should be enough, but the movie is still bound to penetrate the heart of even the most ardent immigration opponent. It's no coincidence that Idrissa (Miguel) is Gabonese, not to mention that Marcel's co-worker, Chang (not his real name), is Vietnamese, for starters. As of writing this, I have only seen a few of Kaurismaki's movies, but I've seen enough to say that it continues his tradition of showing the world from the perspective of the bakers, shopkeepers, barkeepers, etc., each of whom constitute Marcel's adorably merry band. They work together to hide and protect Idrissa in continuously amusing ways from police inspector Monet (Daroussin). A lesser movie would portray Monet as a moustache-twirling villain, but it even has the heart to make him just as human as those who he investigates. I also like how the movie manages to write a love letter to its titular city at the same time. Local blues legend Little Bob not only shows up to this party, but also performs, for instance.

This is the kind of movie that makes you smile a little wider and that makes the sun seem brighter after watching it. Again, it not only makes you believe that even a small band of friends of moderate means working towards a common cause can not only do some actual good, but also might perform a miracle. It will also give you hope that our impulse to help those in need no matter where they come from will remain intact. This is a sequel of sorts to La Vie en Boheme, which also features the Marcel character, but it's not necessary to watch it first, especially since Marcel summarizes who he was in that movie. Oh, and speaking of Little Bob, keep your eyes open and you may spot another legendary French entertainer.

matt72582

06-20-24, 03:47 PM

Le Havre - rating_5

Jordan Belfort once stated that there is no nobility in poverty. What this movie presupposes is...maybe there is? Charming, funny and heartwarming in equal measure, it demonstrates that a community, even a small one, can make a difference. Are proud shoe shiner Marcel Marx (Wilms) and devoted wife Arletty (Outinen) modeled after Fargo's Marge and Norm Gunderson? I'm not sure, but they remind me of the couple in many ways. Marcel, like Marge, may never be rich, but he enjoys his job and he is good at it. Plus, his reason for enjoying it is adorable: in short, it's one of the few that lets him be close to people. As for his illegal immigrant ward, the fact that he's a child who just wants to make it across the English Channel so he can be with his mother should be enough, but the movie is still bound to penetrate the heart of even the most ardent immigration opponent. It's no coincidence that Idrissa (Miguel) is Gabonese, not to mention that Marcel's co-worker, Chang (not his real name), is Vietnamese, for starters. As of writing this, I have only seen a few of Kaurismaki's movies, but I've seen enough to say that it continues his tradition of showing the world from the perspective of the bakers, shopkeepers, barkeepers, etc., each of whom constitute Marcel's adorably merry band. They work together to hide and protect Idrissa in continuously amusing ways from police inspector Monet (Daroussin). A lesser movie would portray Monet as a moustache-twirling villain, but it even has the heart to make him just as human as those who he investigates. I also like how the movie manages to write a love letter to its titular city at the same time. Local blues legend Little Bob not only shows up to this party, but also performs, for instance.

This is the kind of movie that makes you smile a little wider and that makes the sun seem brighter after watching it. Again, it not only makes you believe that even a small band of friends of moderate means working towards a common cause can not only do some actual good, but also might perform a miracle. It will also give you hope that our impulse to help those in need no matter where they come from will remain intact. This is a sequel of sorts to La Vie en Boheme, which also features the Marcel character, but it's not necessary to watch it first, especially since Marcel summarizes who he was in that movie. Oh, and speaking of Little Bob, keep your eyes open and you may spot another legendary French entertainer.

Good movie.. Kaurismaki is my favorite living director. I highly recommend checking out all the movies he made with Matti Pellonpää. Have you seen "Shadows In Paradise"?

Torgo

06-20-24, 04:16 PM

Good movie.. Kaurismaki is my favorite living director. I highly recommend checking out all the movies he made with Matti Pellonpää. Have you seen "Shadows In Paradise"?Not yet, I've only seen The Man Without a Past and Fallen Leaves in addition to this one. I'll look for that one next. It looks similar to Fallen Leaves and has Kati Outinen, so I'm pretty sure I'll like it.

LOL, there's an action movie with Mark Dacascos, Armand Assante and Tom Sizemore with the same title. I wonder if that caused any hilarious mix-ups at video stores.

FilmBuff

06-20-24, 04:49 PM

Not yet, I've only seen The Man Without a Past and Fallen Leaves in addition to this one. I'll look for that one next. It looks similar to Fallen Leaves and has Kati Outinen, so I'm pretty sure I'll like it.

You should also check out Kaurismäki's Ariel and Leningrad Cowboys Go America.

You can thank me later.

TDH1878

06-20-24, 04:57 PM

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
3.5

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSt1e3M-dgVSQHc2hoZQfFi4XkkaS_Aprc7EGmSv4hzH5AfqC1fNB-oIpDBKoorwG-meA5mkGNULJPiq8ZKDH4Qj01wJ-9B99XzgMV4VGztd9CoLmpQIp9EXHI7g-PkWUlsYFjC8G2sKU__AzYX_Wfz9gUxe9m5TusbJcBoPmusZn51IuWiYYORbfXJkaS

GulfportDoc

06-20-24, 07:56 PM

...
BTW, this is the first Bad Boys movie I've seen. OMG! I can hear you thinking. First Mad Max and now this! Man, this guy's got a lot of gaps in his cinematic knowledge! Yeah, yeah, yeah, guilty as charged. I'll just get into things on my own schedule, thank you very much... :lol:
Does Will Smith get to slap Martin Lawrence??..:rolleyes:

PHOENIX74

06-21-24, 05:28 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Invention_of_lying_ver2.jpg
By http://impawards.com/2009/invention_of_lying_ver2.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24198626

The Invention of Lying - (2009)

Ricky Gervais was the golden one at this high point in his career, and his directorial debut attracted some far-out stars like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill etc. etc., but the end product feels a little too neatly packaged despite some great ideas nearly blossoming into something. Gervais has an undeniably great comedic talent - even genius - but he's simply not a great filmmaker. People just assume that if you're that funny you can make a really outstanding comedic feature - but you still need to have skills in different areas if that kind of transition is going to come off. It's still a lot of fun though, to see one megastar after another show up for a moment or two of silliness in this forgettable disappointment. It's a shame because it starts to explore the invention of religion and how it's related to the invention of lying - and seeing that amazing moment of possibility fumbled, dropped and squandered really hurts. Also - where are all the damn laughs?

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Copie-conforme-poster.png
By [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27150847

Certified Copy - (2010)

An examination of perception and how valuable it is when defining something as original or not - via two intelligent, vibrant people played by Juliette Binoche and opera singer William Shimell walking around Tuscany. Another amazing film from Abbas Kiarostami. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2467737#post2467737), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

matt72582

06-21-24, 09:47 AM

The Structure of Crystals - 6/10
If you're going to invite me for a meal, don't serve me bones.

And I don't give a shit about crystals. Science is boring. Especially a lecture.

It's too bad, because he's made some good movies. "The Constant Factor" being the first one that comes to mind.

https://youtu.be/lTNt8GEiJ4c

Stirchley

06-21-24, 12:39 PM

Yes, I couldn’t wait & forked over $20 to watch this.

LOVED IT! I knew Marisa Abela would shine in this (she’s great in Industry). As the movie progresses, she became even more like Amy. Couple of times Amy was singing but turned out it was Marisa (even though she had never sung before). She so looked like her too.

So frickin sad Amy died so young. Such a waste. :mad:

99156

Gideon58

06-21-24, 01:09 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81399q3JS4L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg

2nd Rewatch...Pleasant remake of the 1950 Spencer Tracy classic which finds Steve Martin stepping into Tracy's shoes as the aggravated title character who is not so much upset about the expense and headaches involved in putting this wedding together as he is at the thought of losing his little girl. Martin is charming here and Diane Keaton brings a richness to the mother of the bride that was absent from the original. Martin Short is a little much as the wedding planner, but a small misstep in a solid remake. 3.5

Gideon58

06-21-24, 01:16 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTc5NTk2OTU1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDc3NjAwMg@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg

5th Rewatch...This film has endless rewatch appeal for me and has become the film with my favorite Clint Eastwood performance (and his diection is nothing to sneeze at either). He plays a recently widowed war veteran who is one of the few caucasian residents in a racially charged Asian neighborhood who gets involved with a pair of Korean siblings and some dangerous Korean gangs. That scene at the neighbors' house where Walt is with a houseful of Koreans who don't speak English never gets old and the ending destroys me. 4

Stirchley

06-21-24, 01:22 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTc5NTk2OTU1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDc3NjAwMg@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg

5th Rewatch...This film has endless rewatch appeal for me and has become the filmn with my favorite Clint Eastwood performance (and his diection is nothing to sneeze at either). H eplays a recentl;y widowed war veteran who is one of the few caucasian residents in a racially charged Asian neighborhood who gets involved with a pair of Korean siblings and some dangerous Korean gangs. That scene at the neighbors house where Walt is with a houseful of Koreans who don't speak English never gets old and the ending destroys me. 4

I should take another look at this.

Gideon58

06-21-24, 01:22 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTZiYjEzY2UtMzA2OC00NjM1LWFlMjItMzg4MTAwOTU2YzYxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg

1st Rewatch...I don't know, Eddie must have really needed the money. Eddie, Regina King, Anjelica Huston and Steve Zahn deserve better than this. 2

Galactic Traveler

06-21-24, 07:31 PM

Bad Boys - Ride or Die

2.5

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

xSookieStackhouse

06-22-24, 01:33 AM

5 i really loved it and its soo funny and loved the ending :P
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/aun2IpLDx2E08hYj8xnAEUEFLlo.jpg

iluv2viddyfilms

06-22-24, 03:26 AM

Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words (2020, Michael Pack)

https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/styles/commentary_header_image_375_mobile_375x196/public/images/2019-12/GettyImages-2396988.jpg?h=0568e372&itok=iujFDQ7q https://twt-thumbs.washtimes.com/media/image/2020/01/28/1_282020_thomas8202_c0-381-2064-1584_s885x516.jpg?7214f5fa5776acca1a339769059f6c86de86572a

Solid, but not perfect, documentary about the life of perhaps the greatest and most tenured current United States supreme court justice. Aptly named, the documentary uses justice Thomas himself to narrative and explain and tell stories from moments in his life as well as digging into the foundations of his jurisprudence. The film spends a decent portion - the first half going through his childhood in fatherless home deep in poverty, to living with his grandparents, and then going onto college where he wrestled with far left radicalism before being taken up by libertarian Ayn Rand leanings until he finally settle into Reagan conservativism. What works is the thematic core and center of the film as each of the stories he relates gives insight into how his mind and decision making works and how despite being a victim of racism, he refused to be confined by it.

The second half largely focuses around his senate nomination hearing in 1991 and digs into the details and recounts the "high tech lynching" he had to endure during the process. Some great archival footage, as well as footage from films like The Fountainhead and To Kill a Mockingbird, where he saw comparisons between his own treatment to that of Tom Robinson in the novel and film.

I remember seeing this documentary show up on youtube and watched a few minutes of it a year or so ago, but never went back to watch the entire piece. Thomas has been in the news today quite a bit as a sole dissenter in a 2nd amendment case and seeing him be slandered in the media made think back to this documentary and piqued my interest and memory that I needed to watch the entire thing.

Now, whether a person loves or hates Clarence Thomas is beyond the point. The fact is, he is a man of convictions...again whether or not you agree with those convictions, there's no doubt he has them. There's also no doubt that Clarence Thomas will go down in the history books as one of the all time most prominent judges, so to hear such an individual outline their jurisprudence and allow their "mind to be picked" in documentary form is always welcome. The narrative is tight and the musical choices and reprisal of the "Moon River" score is delightful. How the documentary interviews Thomas to distill his values of family, his country, and God and connects it to his jurisprudence is well done.

The only real weakness of the documentary is that is does seem to exist in a very closed-off or contained form... he's interviewed, his wife is interviewed... but that's about it. I know the title says "In His Own Words," but I do wonder how much of this could have been improved by intermingling his words with those of his colleagues, legal minds, historians, etc. Also at times it does feel a bit rushed. For instance he mentions two individuals he had conversations with and acted as teachers and mentors to him early in the Reagan administration where he really began to dig deep into the founding documents and their meaning. Also for a documentary that does a sound job of exploring why he believes the way he does, it only very briefly skims over what he believes. Yes it mentions originalism, but it hardly goes deep into what originalist interpretation of the Constitution is and perhaps other historical justices that have also subscribed to it. This would have given the documentary more perspective into his jurisprudence. The ending does seem abrupt and rushes through the last 5-10 minutes once it is done covering the confirmation hearing and the Anita Hill debacle. The ending feels like it's missing something, and while it does a great job of tethering it all to the influence and teachings of his illiterate grandfather, it just fills like it is void of going back to the founding principles of the nation or the historical connection. If any film could benefit from discussion of the writings of Jefferson, Thomas Paine, John Locke, or Tocqueville, this would be it, but it is void of such things sadly. Still, a wonderful, though flawed documentary about a great man.

Grade: B

PHOENIX74

06-22-24, 04:05 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/Saints_and_soldiers.jpg
By impawards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10400679

Saints and Soldiers - (2003)

What this film does well is imbue each character with a layered personality, and develop relationships between them - so when this or that soldier dies in an horrific fashion, some emotions stir. It's amazing how many films fail at that. Other that that big critical plus this is a fairly middling World War II story set during the Ardennes offensive (The Battle of the Bulge) during the latter stages of the conflict. Five combatants (4 Americans and one British pilot) find themselves behind enemy lines, and must deliver some critical intelligence before the Germans capture one of the largest ammo dumps in the Western theater of operations. The cast are all unknowns (and the production company helmed by Mormons), but overall it's not a terrible war picture. I like that there's more drama than shooting and wanton destruction, but moments of tension and action do regularly heighten whatever is going on between these guys at any given time. There are plenty of big budget features that could learn a lesson or two from this more modest effort.

6/10

Fabulous

06-22-24, 05:22 AM

Paradise (2023)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/hroz2j7v0D2nlDdC6ZodFDteMyQ.jpg

stillmellow

06-22-24, 09:02 AM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTc1MDQ3NjAtOWEzMi00YzE1LWI2OWUtNjQ0OWJkMzI3MDhmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg

Inside Out 2

We all know Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. Now meet the new emotions:

Fear
Sadness
Joy (but selfish)
And a third Fear

As my icon may tell you, I absolutely adore the original, but this one feels like a cash grab, with a direct to streaming level plot.

That said, the visuals are absolutely amazing. The amount of detail they put into the real world segments is some of the best CGI I've ever seen. I love the small details, like giving the teenagers small amounts of acne. Riley even has some faded acne scars on her cheek.

The plot does pick up a bit in the third act, and it still tugs at a few heartstrings, but it's an unnecessary rehash of the original, with "new emotions" that are really just slight variations of the originals.

"C+"

LChimp

06-22-24, 10:44 AM

https://posterspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Civil-War-Kirsten.jpg

Civil War - (Alex Garland, 2024)

8.5/10. Jesse Plemons is everywhere it seems.... which is great, love this guy. Nick Offerman should have more screen time.

Dead2009

06-22-24, 11:22 AM

The Exorcism - 5/10.

Slow burn that kinda fails at the end. I prefer Crowe in Popes Exorcist over this.

Gideon58

06-22-24, 02:40 PM

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2nd Rewatch...Director Ron Howard's masterpiece, this 1995 Best Picture nominee is an often heart stopping docudrama about the doomed space flight that implies that it might have been doomed before it even happened. Howard tells this epic story from all viewpoints, not just inside that doomed capsule. It's still mind-blowing to me that the film received a Best Picture nomination and the director didn't even get a nomination. Howard also assembled one of the most perfect acting ensembles to serve this story. Ed Harris and Kathleen Quinlan received supporting nominations, but the entire cast works at the same level with one purpose...to serve this spellbinding story. This movie gets better with each viewing. 5

Gideon58

06-22-24, 02:50 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTk5ODk1NDkxMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTA5OTY0OQ@@._V1_.jpg

1st Rewatch---Didn't play as well as it did the first time. I really liked the intimacy of this re-telling of the comic book legend that initially focuses on Cal-el's issues dealing with who he is once it is revealed as well as the fact that, in this story, Lois Lane meets Superman before she meets Clark Kent, but a couple of plot points nagged at me throughout this viewing. I didn't really understand why it was so secretive about Jorel's plan to turn earth into another Krypton. And if Krypton was such a superior race of people, why did General Zod have to wait for Superman to reveal himself? As such an allegedly superior race, shouldn't they have been able to find him with minimum difficulty? The final pissing contest between Superman and Zod, which happens after Manhattan (Metropolis) is destroyed went on way too long and the final slap in the face to the viewer is in the final scene where we learn that, once again, Lois Lane is fooled by a pair of glasses. The film features first rate production values though. Henry Cavill is properly chiseled as the title character and the perfect marriage of actor and character is created with Michael Shannon and General Zod. Kudos as well to Russell Crowe as Jorel and Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Jonathan and Martha Kent. The re-thinking of the legacy works, but it takes way too long to get where it goes. 3.5

WHITBISSELL!

06-22-24, 03:39 PM

https://resizing.flixster.com/CdWdz6PvDd81kplEPbESXaVe55Q=/fit-in/705x460/v2/https://resizing.flixster.com/-XZAfHZM39UwaGJIFWKAE8fS0ak=/v3/t/assets/p61738_i_h9_ac.jpg

Giant from the Unknown - 1958 scifi/horror featuring a number of familiar character actors including well traveled Western star Bob Steele and scifi veteran Morris Ankrum. The film opens in the mountain town of Pine Ridge, California where the locals are up in arms over cattle being found mutilated. A local rancher is the latest victim and there's talk of the deaths at Devil's Crag being supernatural in nature. The town's Sheriff Parker (Steele) orders everyone to stay away but suspects that geologist Wayne Brooks (Ed Kemmer) had something to do with the ranchers death. Archaeologist Dr. Frederick Cleveland (Ankrum) and his daughter Janet (Sally Fraser) show up in town to research a theory he has about a Spanish expedition that had traveled into Devil's Crag 500 years before.

A group called the Diablo Brigade had mutinied and split off from the main expeditionary force in search of gold and were led by a man named Vargas, AKA "The Diablo Giant". Brooks tells Dr. Cleveland about some Indian artifacts he found in the same area along with a lizard long thought extinct. It had been sealed up inside a rock and Brooks theorizes that it had been in suspended animation. That's the main hurdle the audience is expected to get past in order to buy into the movie. Once you're there the Diablo Giant is introduced and he's played by Buddy Baer, the brother of former heavyweight boxing champion Max Baer. To Star Trek fans he'll bear a passing resemblance to Lt. Worf. It's an interesting enough take on the typical monster-menacing-the-townsfolk trope but not enough to make for wall-to-wall thrills. Still though it wasn't completely inept. Having seen more than my share of ineffectual sci/horror entries I thought this was passable entertainment.

65/100

GulfportDoc

06-22-24, 07:58 PM

Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words (2020, Michael Pack)
...
Very thoughtful review! Cheers!

Fabulous

06-22-24, 08:33 PM

Love and Monsters (2020)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/5EDZbNC4pmlywU8Bc9wKpyh3EmN.jpg

Miss Vicky

06-22-24, 09:17 PM

99163

The Exorcism
(Joshua John Miller, 2024)

Not sure why this is getting such terrible ratings. I thought it was pretty average for an exorcism movie and Russell Crowe was good in it so I was happy.

I did prefer last year's The Pope's Exorcist over this one, if only because Crowe played a more likable character in it.

3

iluv2viddyfilms

06-22-24, 09:52 PM

Furiosa (2024, George Miller) - A-

Marco

06-22-24, 09:57 PM

Ronin (1998)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/Ronin_movie_1998.jpg
1st rewatch. This is a good film and interesting. All the part players are good (especially De Niro and Reno). In my eyes it falls between a "Hard boiler" and out and out action film. Definately better on my second watch. With such an ensemble cast I think Frankenheimer tried to cram too much into it's running time.
3.5

Marco

06-22-24, 10:52 PM

iluv2viddyfilms

06-23-24, 01:45 AM

The General (1926, Buster Keaton) - A+

And yes, Furiosa brought me there to revisit the classic silent picture that has been endlessly influential and the blue print for the action genre.

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2014/1/23/1390484340635/The-General---Buster-Keat-009.jpg?width=465&dpr=1&s=none

WHITBISSELL!

06-23-24, 02:29 AM

https://s6.dpic.me/02512/r07bx3iflhuc_o/house.of.the.damned.jpg

House of the Damned - I'll be honest and admit that I tried out this 1963 ‘Old Dark House’ horror thriller based mostly on the title. Architect Scott Campbell (Ron Foster) is hired by estate attorney Joseph Schiller (Richard Crane) to survey a secluded old mansion. He takes along his wife Nancy (Merry Anders) and when they stop at a local realtor to pick up a spare set of keys he informs them that the previous tenant reportedly disappeared without a trace. Schiller's wife Loy (Erika Peters) also eventually shows up followed by Schiller himself.

Even with a compact 62 minute running time the script still labors to have anything of great import transpire. There's the usual things going bump in the night, another disappearance (which is met by a perplexing lack of concern by just about everyone) and a sprinkling of arresting images but it fails to build up much suspense. You might also pass the time looking for a young, lank haired Richard Kiel. The black and white cinematography is clean and the interiors of the mansion stately but the acting, especially by Erika Peters, doesn't really add to the proceedings. The biggest problem you might have with this is the denouement which just sort of reveals itself in an anticlimactic way with no buildup or setup. Maybe this film's vitality was left on the cutting room floor, which would, of course, explain the running time.

40/100

Fabulous

06-23-24, 10:03 AM

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/kyVtVCs493JAL3lxfSC8UrGbrwS.jpg

Torgo

06-23-24, 05:01 PM

Boiling Point (2021) - 4

This is an excellent "anxiety movie" in the same vein as Uncut Gems that occurs in a place where it is never in short supply: a restaurant kitchen. What’s more, there's tension in every facet imaginable, and thankfully, none of it seems contrived. Where to begin: the health score just got downgraded, the manager is more interested in the restaurant's social media presence than her employees' needs, a dishwasher is two hours late, a customer is berating the wait staff, a celebrity chef (Flemyng) with whom head chef Andy (Graham) has a strained relationship is not only there, but also with a food critic, one of the chefs is still learning English, etc. Oh, and it's the holidays. As the running time indicates, it's a lean and mean movie, but it manages to make time to humanize the key players without diluting the momentum. It's smart enough to do this right away with Andy failing to call his son - likely something that happens frequently - as well as in a wrenching closed-door scene where the manager breaks down and reveals her cluelessness after the staff berates her. The movie is filmed in one take, a technique that often calls too much attention to itself, but director Barantini and company put it to good use here. The action is perhaps too involving to ever remove you from it anyway, but I credit the movie for how elegantly it passes the baton, if you will, between each character of focus. As for the performances, this may prove the statement that the best acting occurs in close quarters, with Graham's sometimes Gordon Ramsay, sometimes Paul Hollywood and always on the verge of breaking down head chef being the standout. I was also impressed by Panthaki and Robinson, who play the most vocal and rightfully frustrated chefs.

The service industry is hell - especially when you add social media to the mix - which this movie ably reinforces. Filmed during the pandemic, Barantini and crew likely had the same kind of problems as the restaurant staff it depicts, especially since it prevented them from getting every take they wanted. While this chaos enhances the movie’s, it is rough around the edges here and there as a result. Other than that, it is a more than welcome addition to this subgenre the Safdies gifted us with, the impact on our blood pressure notwithstanding. Thankfully, now that the pandemic is over, it's nice that restaurant workers can breathe sighs of relief now (just kidding).

cricket

06-23-24, 06:12 PM

Chicago (2002)

3-

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Smaller in scale than I expected and not too long. I liked the cast and style, music was ok. I have a connection to the city having been born there so that's a plus. Having a crime element is good. The girl's skimpy costumes made the difference between a passing and a failing grade.

mrblond

06-23-24, 06:22 PM

A Man and a Woman Trilogy

Directed by Claude Lelouch
Starring Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant

A Man and a Woman (1966) 4.5 90/100 (second view)
A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later (1986) 3.5- 68/100
The Best Years of a Life (2019) 3.5+ 73/100

In memoriam of just passed Anouk Aimée, I rewatched the masterpice of the sixties A Man and a Woman and decided that it is the moment to cover the whole Trilogy.
Considering the high level placed by the original film, naturally there are some issues with the next films, mostly with the second one, probably caused by the interfere of the American distributors (collaborators and hidden co-authors). I guess, that's why, in the third movie, the filmmakers don't count the events of the previous instalment.
Anyway, this trilogy is a must for the lovers of the art of cinema.

That was an absolute luck for all admirers that all the three personalities - Lelouch, Trintignant and Aimée - had so long lifetime to create this 50-years long project.
I wonder if The Before Trilogy was inspired by this one...

99167

Zotis

06-23-24, 06:24 PM

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Black Angel (1980)

Genres: Medieval, Fantasy, Short

While visually astonishing, the short film spent a lot of it's time slowly panning the beautiful scenery stripping the story and plot so bare that it felt like a 4-7 minute film stretched with slow camera pans to 20 minutes. The result was very pleasing on the eyes, and atmospheric, but left me wishing there had been a little more substance and a little less slow panning. I think with a film of this length you have to be extremely selective about each individual shot, and this felt like it took it's time where it should have added more substance to its scenes besides a lone knight wandering through the mystical wilderness. He's on his way to somewhere, and when he gets there he'll be on his way to somewhere else. Still, it's a nice gem, definitely worth watching. Some may even consider it an essential piece of cinema, especially for it's time and how influential it was.

Rating: rating_3

Gideon58

06-23-24, 06:37 PM

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Umpteenth Rewatch...The most underrated Jack Lemmon/Neil Simon collaboration. Lemmon takes over a role that was originated on Broadway by Peter Falk playing a stressed out NYC executive who loses his job, then his apartment is robbed, his ever patient wife (Anne Bancrost) decides to get a job but she, too, gets fired in a couple of months while Lemmon is quietly having a nervous breakdown. It's the performances by Lemmon and Bancroft that raise the bar on this one. And if you don't blink you'll catch quick appearances from F Murray Abraham as a cabbie, M Emmett Walsh as a doorman, Ivor Francis as a shrink, and Sylvester Stallone as an alleged pickpocket. 3.5

Gideon58

06-23-24, 06:43 PM

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1st Rewatch...If you can accept the basic premise of this fact-based drama then the rest of the movie should be quite digestable. Kevin Hart plays a recently released from jail parolee who is hired by a quadraplegic millionaire (Bryan Cranston) to be his caregiver. As interesting as this fact-based movie might be, I still find it hard to believe that a wheelchair bound millionaire would trust his care to a black manfresh out of jail, but that's just me. On the other hand, it was kind of aggravating watcing this con being so unappreciative of the opportunity that has fallen into his lap. If you can get behind the unlikely story, true as it might be, the performances by Cranston and Hart do help. 3.5

Takoma11

06-23-24, 06:55 PM

1st Rewatch...If you can accept the basic premise of this fact-based drama then the rest of the movie should be quite digestable. Kevin Hart plays a recently released from jail parolee who is hired by a quadraplegic millionaire (Bryan Cranston) to be his caregiver. As interesting as this fact-based movie might be, I still find it hard to believe that a wheelchair bound millionaire would trust his care to a black manfresh out of jail, but that's just me. On the other hand, it was kind of aggravating watcing this con being so unappreciative of the opportunity that has fallen into his lap. If you can get behind the unlikely story, true as it might be, the performances by Cranston and Hart do help. 3.5

Have you seen the original film, The Intouchables?

I sort of liked it, but there was one scene I had a really hard time getting over, where (mild spoilers) the caretaker pours boiling water on the man's leg to "test" that he can't feel his legs. I mean . . . . that is horrifying and in reality would cause an injury that could be life-threatening to someone in that position..

I don't know if that scene is in the American remake, but I really couldn't get past it.

Gideon58

06-23-24, 07:07 PM

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2nd Rewatch...Maybe the last source material that I ever thought could be turned into a musical, this exuberant film version of the 2005 Broadway musical based on the 1985 Steven Spielberg film based on the Alice Walker novel blazes across the screen, retaining the novel's original often ugly and unsettling subject matter is still center stage with musical numbers that somehow come from a believable place. Especially enjoyed "Hell No", "Shug Avery's Coming to Town" and "What About Love". The performances are on target, espcially Fantasia Barrino as Celie and Danielle Brooks' powerhouse turn as Sophia that earned her an Oscar nomination. Gorgeous photography and dazzling choreography are icing on the cake. 4

Gideon58

06-23-24, 07:17 PM

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3rd Rewatch...Michael Keaton's remarkable work brining four different characters to the screen still keeps this comedy watchable. Keaton plays an overworked contractor who decides the solution to freeing up some time for himself is to have himself cloned, causing a lot of confusion for his wife (Andie McDowell), boss, co-workers and clients. It starts to run out of gas once the third clone is created, but Keaton and director Harold Ramis keep the film watchable. 3.5

Gideon58

06-23-24, 07:23 PM

Have you seen the original film, The Intouchables?

I sort of liked it, but there was one scene I had a really hard time getting over, where (mild spoilers) the caretaker pours boiling water on the man's leg to "test" that he can't feel his legs. I mean . . . . that is horrifying and in reality would cause an injury that could be life-threatening to someone in that position..

I don't know if that scene is in the American remake, but I really couldn't get past it.

I have not seen The Intouchables and there is a scene in this movie where Cranston gets hot coffee spilled on him.

Takoma11

06-23-24, 07:36 PM

FilmBuff

06-23-24, 08:20 PM

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Thelma
4.5

Thelma is a joyful ride.

Starring nonagenarian June Squibb (who is also on the cast of Inside Out 2), the movie revolves around the title character after she's swindled out of $10,000 by a phone scammer (Malcolm McDowell).

Together with her close pal (a posthumous performance by Richard Roundtree), Thelma decides she's going to get her money back, at any cost.

The film's gifted cast also includes Parker Posey and Clark Gregg.

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

The Exorcism
1

We're a still a long way from awards season, but it's hard to imagine The Exorcism having any serious competition when the nominations are announced next year.

That is, the nominations for next year's Razzies.

This is a movie that should have been marketed as the cure for insomnia.

Gideon58

06-24-24, 12:56 AM

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3

Stirchley

06-24-24, 12:51 PM

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99175
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Three excellent movies.

WHITBISSELL!

06-24-24, 03:12 PM

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She-Wolf of London - 1946 mystery/horror of sorts. It's appropriate to avoid a precise classification because it's not the type of movie you would expect going strictly by the title. Set in fogbound London in the early 1900's - or maybe late 1800's - since there are no cars to be seen. It opens at Scotland Yard with Inspector Pierce (Dennis Hoey) and Detective Latham (Lloyd Corrigan) discussing a spate of murders at a local park.

Meanwhile Phyllis Allenby (June Lockhart) and her fiancé Barry Lanfield (Don Porter) discuss wedding plans. She lives at the Allenby mansion with her only surviving relatives, her aunt Martha Winthrop (Sara Haden) and cousin Carol (Jan Wiley), along with housekeeper Hannah (Eily Malyon). Phyllis becomes convinced that she had a hand in the murders where the victims are said to have been "ripped to pieces". She has come to believe in the legend of the Allenby Curse which hints at her family line being tainted by werewolf blood.

It'll be up to you to decide if the payoff justifies the buildup. The cast is certainly up to the task and the sets and cinematography are on point. This might not qualify as must see but it's not a waste of time either.

60/100

Fabulous

06-24-24, 07:53 PM

The Mexican (2001)

2.5

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LChimp

06-24-24, 08:27 PM

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The Fall Guy - (David Leitch, 2024)

It's been a while since I saw a braindead, pure fun/action movie. I had a blast watching it. 8/10

Marco

06-24-24, 09:08 PM

Midsommar (2019)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/Midsommar_%282019_film_poster%29.png
This had a good few points between the mysticism of the Swedish "tribe" and also has a satisfying end to it. The path to that end is patchy though, the good is the burgeoning mistrust between the students and the bad is their seemingly blase attitude to the death of their friends. It's a good, if rather flimsy tale. Florence Pugh is breathtakingly shot in this. Jack Reynor is great too as the opportunistic Christian.
3

PHOENIX74

06-24-24, 11:57 PM

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By The poster art can or could be obtained from Paramount Pictures., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48305018

Daddy's Home - (2015)

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg had great chemistry in The Other Guys, and that's why I was enthusiastic about watching Daddy's Home - but any chemistry they might have was let down by a flaccid screenplay, and seemingly little room for the two to improvise. It's second-stringers like Thomas Haden Church and the wonderfully droll Hannibal Buress that make this endurable. I think there's a better vibe when the two main stars play characters that are friends - and that's probably why I'm so interested in seeing Daddy's Home 2 despite not liking this one all that much. (I know, I know - the reviews were scathing.) Ferrell is phoning it in here as Step-Dad Brad, having to compete with wife Sara's (Linda Cardellini) muscle bound ex Dusty (Wahlberg) arriving on the scene - more capable at everything (except making us laugh.) Instantly forgettable.

5/10

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By May be found at the following website: http://medias.unifrance.org/medias/0/135/100096/format_page/media.pngGotten from Unifrance: http://medias.unifrance.org/medias/0/135/100096/format_page/media.png, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47270405

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles - (1975)

Remarkable (and very long) film that showcases how obsessive, compulsive housework (perfected to a ritualistic art by Jeanne - played by Delphine Seyrig) is often used to repress desires and needs. A very avant-garde, arthouse film which is nonetheless impeccable and brilliantly filmed. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2468162#post2468162), in my watchlist thread.

9/10

Fabulous

06-25-24, 06:15 AM

Unfrosted (2024)

2.5

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Gideon58

06-25-24, 03:26 PM

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2.5

PHOENIX74

06-25-24, 11:08 PM

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By https://www.movieposterdb.com/fanny-i54866/2c9ea6c0, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24234124

Fanny - (1961)

I felt quite foolish when Fanny turned out not to be a musical - I'd thought it was for the longest time, but in the end it's straight-narrative style served the story better. No breaking out in song for these young lovers and elderly curmudgeons and eccentrics. The lovely Leslie Caron was now 29 years-old, but she can pull off 18 easily. I've seen her in An American in Paris, GiGi, Daddy Long Legs and she's also in Chocolat. It's a story of love torn asunder by one young man's desire to be free and explore the world despite having to leave the love of his life behind (she insists he go, for she fears he'll eventually hate her for tying him down to Marseille.) This guy, Marius, is played by German actor Horst Buchholz, who'd just scored a good role in The Magnificent Seven. Fanny was nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Picture. It was probably the least likely out of a crowd that included The Hustler, West Side Story (the eventual winner), Judgment at Nuremberg and The Guns of Navarone. That means I've not seen all of the Best Picture nominees for 1962. I thought Fanny was okay. It looks really nice, all of the performers give their best, and it has a really nice score. Most importantly though, the two young leads have definite chemistry. The director wanted to call this film Joshua Logan's Fanny until it was explained to him why that wasn't a good idea.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e3/Bye_Bye_Birdie_Film_Poster.jpg
By www.moviegoods.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16358487

Bye Bye Birdie - (1963)

There are some great songs in Bye Bye Birdie - "One Last Kiss" is a real standout. The movie itself is broadly comedic, with loads of slapstick. It's a fictional narrative based on the hoopla surrounding the conscription of Elvis into the army, except here it's "Conrad Birdie" (Jesse Pearson), who is basically a glammed-up version of Elvis who sounds just like the King of Rock and Roll. I think the humour dates it quite a lot - especially considering this is making fun of the teen idol culture which was new at the time. Did you know that Dick Van Dyke is still alive? (Maybe not if you've stumbled upon this at a later date) He's 98 years-old. I tell you what I liked in this though - all those pastel colours. Did people really dress like that in the 60s? I have no idea.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ac/Rescuersposter.jpg
By IMP Awards (cropped), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3892063

The Rescuers - (1977)

This brought back childhood memories I didn't know I still had. Really amazing that - I mean, those memories have been dormant for so long, but they were all rekindled as I recognized each segment of this film. I had the storybook (with added vinyl record) to help imprint this film into my young brain - and it did the trick. A classic. Imaginative illustration at it's old-time best.

8/10

Siddon

06-25-24, 11:32 PM

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Ghostlight (2024)

rating_5

MovieBuffering

06-26-24, 12:09 AM

Last Samuri - 2003

This one just slipped past me growing up. Right in my sweet spot was in high school when it came out. Never got around to it. It was entertaining enough. Cruise was great per usual. I thought they laid Watanabe's and Cruise relationship on pretty damn thick. You could feel the beats of a story like this they were filling in as they go, which is where I think the thickness feel came in. Only reason it semi works is because Watanabe and Cruise are charming. Like I thought the ending was silly and hammed up a bit. Cruise and Watanabe did their best but I laughed honestly.

My favorite part of the movie was actually Cruise's romantic interest. A.) She is one of the most beautiful actresses I've ever seen B.) Their relationship is actually super interesting. I could have done the whole movie with them honestly haha. It might have ruined how much I dug their relationship if they focused the whole movie on it but I really was invested in their relationship. Thought it was the best part of the flick. The very end of the movie I liked it's just the minutes leading up to it is kinda ridiculous to me. Anyways glad it's under my belt. Give it a flimsy 3.

3

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stillmellow

06-26-24, 12:13 AM

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The Watchers

I forget who said it first, but "the parts that are good aren't original, and the parts that are original aren't good". The good movie they're ripping off is The Ritual. Everything else is pretty bad.

"D"

MovieBuffering

06-26-24, 12:16 AM

Unfrosted (2024)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/binFFC69yKeabOl1ZRWsqfPj1Ks.jpg

I think I watched almost half of it and fell asleep. It was ok I guess but Jerry might have leaned to hard into the silliness tone. Almost felt like a kid's movie. Not sure if I really have an appetite to go back and finish it.

MovieBuffering

06-26-24, 12:25 AM

Hit Man - 2023

This one is worth a gander. I enjoyed it. Powell is awesome in it. It starts a bit slow but once it gets to the end you are along for the ride. The ending is some of the darkest humor I've seen in awhile. You'll know the scene when you see it, it's a thoroughly entertaining scene. Feels like a movie Hollywood just doesn't make anymore. I don't know how feasible everything is because it's based on a true story, I have to imagine they took a lot of liberties with it...I guess Powell wrote it with Linklater. It sort of has an Out Of Sight vibe to it if I had to compare it to a movie and I f*cking love that movie. Don't think it quite rises to that flick but it's damn entertaining. Could be Powell's jumping off pad like that movie was for Clooney. The lead actresses is also very charming and easy on the eyes lol

3.5

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WHITBISSELL!

06-26-24, 02:52 AM

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The Brain from Planet Arous - 1957 scifi offering starring John Agar as scientist Steve March. When it opens he and his colleague and fellow scientist Dan Murphy (Robert Fuller) are trying to figure out the source of a radioactive anomaly. They trace it to ... wait for it ... Mystery Canyon! There they find a cave that neither of them remember ever having been there. Long story short a giant floating brain with eyeballs kills Dan and possesses Steve. It's kind of an a-hole giant floating brain with eyeballs named Gor (voiced by scifi mainstay Morris Ankrum) and it's bent on world domination. It can cause immense damage with a thought, vaporizing airplanes out of the sky and leveling buildings and wiping out army troops. It does this to demonstrate it's power to assembled scientists, military brass and world representatives.

In the meantime Steve's fiancée Sally Fallon (Joyce Meadows) is worried about him because whenever Steve is alone with her he gets a little ... I don't know ... date rapey? You might have thought that was an unfortunate choice for a movie title but it's actually kind of fitting since the aforementioned brain comes off like a drunken frat boy. In their defense they do pronounce it planet A-russ as opposed to arouse. But in reality it turns out to be a lowlife criminal from the planet Arous when yet another giant floating brain with eyeballs named Vol makes it's presence known to Sally and her father. He's here to take Gor into custody and back to their planet.Agar gets plenty of chances to chew the scenery before the credits roll. The film wraps up with Steve blithely dismissing Sally's explanations as female hysterics and picking up where the horndog alien left off. If you can overlook these peculiarities you might find it cheesy enough to qualify as good fun.

45/100

Fabulous

06-26-24, 04:42 AM

Kate (2021)

3

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Allaby

06-26-24, 12:16 PM

Pajama Party (1964) A Martian comes to Earth and meets a cute girl in this entertaining musical comedy. This is silly fun and recommended if you like Martians and dancing girls in bikinis. 3.5

FilmBuff

06-26-24, 12:21 PM

Allaby

06-26-24, 12:27 PM

What about people who like Martian dancing girls in bikinis? :p

I assume they would also enjoy it. You should watch it and report back what you think.

Citizen Rules

06-26-24, 12:46 PM

Pajama Party (1964) A Martian comes to Earth and meets a cute girl in this entertaining musical comedy. This is silly fun and recommended if you like Martians and dancing girls in bikinis. rating_3_5Martians are OK but I'm weird enough to like dancing girls in bikinis.:D I seen Pajama Party a few weeks ago, I liked it. I'm watching in order all of the AIP Beach movies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_party_film#The_complete_AIP_series).

Allaby

06-26-24, 12:49 PM

Martians are OK but I'm weird enough to like dancing girls in bikinis.:D I seen Pajama Party a few weeks ago, I liked it. I'm watching in order all of the API Beach movies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_party_film#The_complete_AIP_series).

Which is your favourite of the beach movies?

Citizen Rules

06-26-24, 12:57 PM

Which is your favourite of the beach movies?I haven't seen all of them yet, I'm working on it. Of the AIP beach movies I've seen, the first one Beach Party was a favorite as it was rawer like someone went to a CA beach and filmed teens hanging out. I liked Pajama Party and Ski Party too.

Stirchley

06-26-24, 01:04 PM

Three terrific movies.

99185
99186
99187

Gideon58

06-26-24, 01:14 PM

Three terrific movies.

99185
99186
99187

Moneyball was spectacular...here's my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2466265-moneyball.html

Loved Demolition too...here's my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1601774-demolition.html

Haven't seen the other one.

Gideon58

06-26-24, 01:20 PM

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2bd Rewatch...One of the stronger entries from the Ferrelly Brothers that grows on me with each viewing. Woody Harrelson is a former pro bowler who coaches an Amish guy (Randy Quaid) who has bowling talent, but his Amish heritage is in direct conflict with everything that Harrelson is trying to teach him. The first time I watched this, I thought Harrelson and Quaid should have switched roles, but I now like them in the roles they play here now. Of course, Bill Murray steals every scene he is in as the smarmy Ernie McCracken. I also love that this film is lighter on the bathroom humor that we're accustomed to from the Ferrelly brothers. 3.5

Gideon58

06-26-24, 01:29 PM

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1st Rewatch...This movie is a lot better than I remembered, second only to Ferris Bueller as my favorite John Hughes film. Hughes took a break from the teen comedy route to bring us this rich comedy about a marketing executive named Neal Page (Steve Martin) whose flight home for Thanksgiving is cancelled and through some very bizarre circumstances, finds himself linked to a traveling salesman named Del Griffith (the late John Candy) in his efforts to get home. At first glance this film comes off as something Martin and Lewis might have done back in the day, but Hughes' very clever screenplay has a lot more meat than expected. Steve Martin provides a seamless combination of straight man and comic in his performance and this just might be my favorite John Candy performance where he proves to be more than just a movie clown. Watch that scene where Martin is yelling at him in the hotel room and the camera keeps going back to Candy, who beautifully conveys that Neal is hurting his feelings...Candy nails that scene, like nothing I have ever seen. Of course, the slapstick that we expect from Martin and Candy is here, but we get flawed, three-dimensional characters from the stars that raise the bar on this comedy, with a strong assist from Hughes. Upping my original rating. 4

LChimp

06-26-24, 02:37 PM

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Boy Kills World - (2023)

Fun ride, even if it was a bit predictable. 7/10

Gideon58

06-26-24, 04:32 PM

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3.5

stillmellow

06-26-24, 11:17 PM

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Late Night with the Devil

Despite some pacing issues, this was quite interesting and enjoyable. A lot of the 'possession' movies have become extremely similar, and although at first I thought it was going that way, it managed to surprise me with quite a few unique moments, and a very interesting ending. There were a lot of great performances too, especially by David Dastmalchian. Very solid and unique movie. There are a few hiccups here and there, with parts that are too slow, and a Climax that feels a little rushed, but overall it's still quite positive.

👍 (4/5)

SpelingError

06-27-24, 12:29 AM

Oh! Uomo (2004) ‐ 4

I've met a handful of war veterans throughout my life and, though none of them (to my knowledge) sustained permanent injuries in combat, I've heard about plenty of other soldiers they fought with who weren't as fortunate. Even after a war ends, its impact on those who survived it will still be felt for years to come. And for the soldiers depicted in this film, throughout the remainder of their lives. Throughout the film, we see numerous soldiers with missing limbs, missing eyeballs, and deformed facial features. Though it's not an easy watch, my main takeaway was how it found poetry amidst the grotesqueness. While the footage of the soldiers and children is obviously far from uplifting, Gianikian and Ricci Lucchi illustrate the ways those people can go through surgery to either reconstruct or replace what they lost and make the best with what body parts they have left, even if they can't be made whole again. One particularly powerful sequence was a montage of close‐ups of various soldier's deformed faces. This sequence really tested my endurance as, not only were the deformities quite graphic to look at, but each face was focused on for an uncomfortably long time. The film followed up on this though with various close‐ups of soldiers who presumably went through facial reconstruction surgery as they hold up a plaster of what they originally looked like. Their scars are still visible if you look closely, but given the prior montage, this one comes as a relief. Other powerful sequences included characters performing everyday tasks, like a farmer tending to his crops with a robotic arm, while another powerful sequence showed a close‐up of a man having a fake eye put in place of a disfigured eye. After his procedure, I honestly couldn't tell the difference between his real and fake eye at all. I finished the film over an hour ago, yet I'm still trying to make sense of the emotions it made me feel. In spite of the constant barrage of graphic injuries onscreen, it strangely felt hopeful. The people onscreen lost so much in the war, yet the worst is over for them and things will start to look up. If I had to nitpick something, this might've been better had Stan Brakhage directed it as some of the music choices were jarring and unnecessary. This is the kind of film where the emotional resonance of the imagery speaks for itself, so the soundtrack felt like dead weight. Aside from this, however, I quite enjoyed this film and may return to it sometime in the future.

WHITBISSELL!

06-27-24, 01:55 AM

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The Cosmic Man - 1959 formulaic scifi directed in a nondescript way by Herbert S. Greene who only did this and one other film. It quite openly poaches from the far superior The Day the Earth Stood Still, even going so far as to lift an entire scene where the benevolent alien solves a physics problem that has stumped the local boys. Bruce Bennett gets second billing as astrophysicist Dr. Karl Sorenson even though he's in most of the scenes. John Carradine is listed as lead playing the titular character. I'm assuming because of name recognition.

An unidentified flying object is picked up on Air Force radar traveling at nearly the speed of light. It sets down in Stone Canyon outside of Oak Ridge, California. Sorenson and Air Force Col. Matthews (Paul Langton) are both called to the scene where they proceed to immediately butt heads. War widow Kathy Grant (Angela Greene) and her terminally ill son Ken (Scotty Morrow) show up. She runs a tourist lodge near the canyon and their characters are mostly there to advance the paper thin plot.

It's distressingly slow moving and talky with the only detail worth remembering being the alien's ship, a sphere that floats a few feet above the ground and cannot be moved. Carradine's portrayal of the otherworldly visitor is also passable when measured by the meager yardstick of it's surroundings. I have to confess that I have access to a youtube account and I've been watching whatever cheesy looking scifi or horror that pops up on my feed. The problem being that the last few have been colorized. And not a good kind of colorized. The kind where colors bleed into one another and things like the alien's white spherical ship is instead a bright yellow that makes it look like a giant golf ball. I doubt if the original B&W is any better though.

I can't think of any legit reason as to why I would recommend it. A nice thunderstorm moved though my area near the end of this so I paused it and went in my garage and watched the rain fall. I did eventually come in and finish it. Thumbs up to the weather. This gets a ...

25/100

Mr Minio

06-27-24, 02:48 AM

Oh! Uomo (2004) ‐ 4
Karagoez catalogo 9,5 is their best, so watch it if you haven't.

Fabulous

06-27-24, 04:15 AM

The Polka King (2017)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/lsXUgHQ4ByMjH6esGNTtFFMYDR1.jpg

Tramuzgan

06-27-24, 04:45 AM

Fight Club - 8/10 (9 if we're being kind)

Rewatched it for the first time in years, and yeah, it holds up very well. The angst that the movie is known for is very well-handled. The plot gives you time to marinate in it and avoids barking therapy-talk at you, it's brought over by the set design and the music as much as everything else, and provides enough humour and energy to complement it. I appreciate it that someone tried to make a film of this sort fun, and did it tastefully. The actors did a great job at it, and the choice of them is spot-on. Everyone's face seems tailor-made for the character.

The visual directing deserves special praise. Every take informs you of something about thr given scene, including a sense of space and multiple characters' points of view. There are instances where it cuts every two seconds, but none of them are disorienting because it sticks to what it wants to tell you, and only moves on when the point has been made.

LChimp

06-27-24, 10:00 AM

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Metalocalypse - Army of The Doomstar - (2023)

I loved the show, but didn't get to watch it all, I think I got till the 3rd season... maybe 4th. The movie is more serious than I remember the show to be, maybe it was like this in the last seasons. I'd give it a 6/10

Gideon58

06-27-24, 12:26 PM

SpelingError

06-27-24, 02:18 PM

Karagoez catalogo 9,5 is their best, so watch it if you haven't.
I'll keep an eye out for it.

Darth Pazuzu

06-27-24, 07:31 PM

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June 25, 2024

THE BIKERIDERS (Jeff Nichols / 2023)

I've got to admit: That title had me worried! :p But it turns out I had absolutely no cause for worry, because this definitely belongs among my favorite movies (so far) of 2024! You know... going to the movies at my local theater once a week has become a bit of a rollercoaster experience for me... and not necessarily in a positive way. Whenever I experience a junk-food sensory assault like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire or Bad Boys: Ride or Die, I really start questioning whether it's at all worth it. But then every once in a while, I experience something like Jeff Nichols' The Bikeriders and I'm reminded of why it's important for movie lovers to keep the faith.

For me, this movie has kind of a classic Martin Scorsese feel to it, in the sense that it's about struggling working-class people who get involved in something that provides a sense of belonging and/or upward mobility, but then starts to become dangerous and threatens to consume their lives. In the case of this particular story, it's about the people involved in a Chicago motorcycle club called the Vandals during the mid-'60s. The story is told in a series of flashbacks, framed by an interview format where Kathy Bauer (Jodie Comer) is talking about her boyfriend Benny Cross (Austin Butler), a member of the Vandals with more heart than brains, a "rebel without a clue" for whom riding is his life. He's apparently also very accident-prone, and his physical well-being is not helped by the fact that when certain people try to make him remove his gang jacket in bars, he point-blank refuses and ends up getting the you-know-what beaten out of him. The leader of the gang is Johnny Davis (Tom Hardy), an amiably good-natured if taciturn fellow who starts the club with no agenda beyond the fact that he caught The Wild One with Marlon Brando on TV once and thought that would be a good way to spend time and hang out and ride with his friends. The trouble starts, however, when new chapters gradually start forming across the Midwest and the biker gang phenomenon starts to take on a life of his own. Johnny becomes gradually unsettled by the fact that his gang's behavior starts to inspire fear in other people in the neighborhood, and he finds this sudden taste of power unnerving. But that's nothing in comparison with the increasingly violent behavior - and appetite for drugs - of the younger guys who start to join up. Some of the newcomers to the Vandals' ranks include a pleasantly (relatively) laid-back Californian named Funny Sonny (Norman Reedus), but also a young borderline psychopath identified only as The Kid (Toby Wallace), whom we first see in a violent altercation with his family during a domestic dispute. By the year 1973, tragedy will have struck - No spoilers! :D - and any survivors with any good sense will have moved on with their lives to other occupations. By the movie's end, you definitely have a sense that the surviving characters are better off having gotten out of the Vandals alive, but as the film ends you definitely get this wistful sense of regret, a sense of now being - to paraphrase Ray Liotta as Henry Hill in Scorsese's GoodFellas - "average nobodies living the rest of their lives like schnooks." And this happens to include the one character whom you'd thought would rather die than compromise.

I enjoyed this film immensely. Tom Hardy's performance as the Vandals' leader Johnny is particularly good. He's really getting his inner Brando or De Niro on here, really getting into the skin of this working-class Joe who you feel may not be especially intellectual or articulate, but whom you definitely get a sense of hidden depths and an inner life. And as the rebellious Benny, Austin Butler is equally strong. With few words, Butler gives his character a sense of troubled melancholy even before things really start to go wrong. Especially impressive is the very English Jodie Comer, who admittedly comes down a little hard on the Chicago accent in a way that perhaps might bring to mind Frances McDormand's Minnesotan in the Coen Brothers' Fargo (1996), but provides a strongly matter-of-fact sense of clear-headed objectivity about the events her character witnesses.

I admit I have never seen any of Jeff Nichols' previous films, but I was impressed by his talent and his approach to the story. Like I said, he's kind of working in a vintage Scorsese groove here, and does so in a way that doesn't really feel derivative. And lest we forget, I have to say that I love the soundtrack, which like the music of Scorsese's films, firmly grounds us in the milieu and the time period being shown and gives a sense of historical context. I think it's more or less a perfect summation of the story's arc that we go from the pop romance of the Shangri-Las' Out In The Streets to the grungy malevolence of Iggy Pop and the Stooges' Down On The Street! And along the way, we take in the strains of Muddy Waters' Mannish Boy, Bill Justis' Raunchy, Muddy Waters' Mannish Boy, Cream's I Feel Free and the Fleetwoods' Come Softly To Me... to name only just a few of the numbers.

Heartily recommended! :up:

GulfportDoc

06-27-24, 07:32 PM

[Unfrosted] I think I watched almost half of it and fell asleep. It was ok I guess but Jerry might have leaned to hard into the silliness tone. Almost felt like a kid's movie. Not sure if I really have an appetite to go back and finish it.
I was shocked at how unfunny and sophomoric this picture is. I'm a big fan of the Seinfeld series, and also Seinfeld's standup, but this effort was semi-embarrassing. I believe I made it to 30 minutes.

Marco

06-27-24, 08:57 PM

Open Range (2003)
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This was a really enjoyable western about "open-rangers" on a mission to avenge persecution against wealthy landowners and corrupt authority. Directed by Kevin Costner who does a great job but in this instance I'd say he should have stayed behind the camera (not a criticism of Costner who I like) but some lines don't ring true. Luckily he has cast Robert Duvall as "boss" and provides a great sagacity and makes even the little lulls in dialogue even out . Never even heard of this! Impressed. Great cast.
4

Gideon58

06-27-24, 11:10 PM

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Umpteenth Rewatch...This stylish and melodramatic soap opera i one of two movies in cinema history to receive eleven Oscar nominations and not win a single award (the other was The Color Purple). Oscars wnners Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine are at the top of their games playing Emma and Deedee respectively, estranged BFF's who were in the same dance coompany together many years ago. Deedee gave up ballet and now teaches ballet, is happily married to former dancer, Wayne (Tom Skerritt) and has three children, the oldest, Amelia is on the verge of becoming a prima ballerina. Emma spent the same time onstage dancing every great ballet there is, but she has nothing to go home to at night but her two dogs. When Emma and Deedee are reunited when Emma and the company come to Deedee's hometown, old resentments and jealousy bubbles to the surface between these two regarding the choices they made that makes for grand, soap opera style entertainment. But if nothing else, I will always be grateful to director Herbert Ross for preserving the dancing of Mikhail Baryshnikov on celluloid forever. I think this is the only movie I've ever seen where the dancing makes me cry. 4

PHOENIX74

06-27-24, 11:19 PM

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Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17902336

Righteous Kill - (2008)

I knew that Righteous Kill wasn't considered a very good movie, but I'd picked up a really nice Collector's Edition for $1 and felt I needed to see this oft-derided collaboration between heavyweight actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. They've both said publicly that they're not proud of the movie, and felt bad about the fact that fans were probably expecting something better. I tell you, when I guess the big twist at the very beginning of the movie, I'm guessing most others will. The big hint is in one of the first scenes, where a character is playing chess and absolutely slaughtering his opponent - film-speak for "thinks many moves ahead" and "carefully plans things". It's still a blast to see these two share so much screen time, but the narrative itself is nothing special - it hovers around "TV series" quality writing, and the pacing is way off. We're meant to think one character is doing all the extraneous killing, but the killer is carefully concealed, so we know for sure it's not him. We're not babies - we can see what's going on. And please - no more sex scenes featuring old De Niro. Like I read somewhere - it's like watching your dad have sex. Not a great movie - but it's always a pleasure watching De Niro and Pacino, even when they're phoning it in.

4/10

FilmBuff

06-28-24, 12:04 AM

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A Quiet Place: Day One (IMAX)
1.5

I'm a pretty big fan of Lupita Nyong'o, an actor whose talent has frequently been wasted on big-budget movies, which is why I was particularly disappointed in the disaster that A Quiet Place: Day One turns out to be.

That's right, it's not a disaster movie, it's a disaster of a movie.

Some critics have said it is more like a Hallmark movie than a monster movie - I don't disagree with that, or with the fact that it's a remarkably sappy movie in places. But it is also unrelentingly bleak in a way the previous two movies in the series absolutely weren't.

It is also a frustratingly myopic film: when disaster strikes a metropolitan area that is home to several million people, it remains firmly focused on just 2 persons (and one cat). If you expected to see all the widespread destruction caused by the monsters in the movie, you've probably already seen all there is - in the trailers.

The effects by ILM aren't bad, but the movie just lacks scope. And for some strange reason, it was all filmed in the UK, which perhaps helps explain why pretty much none of the movie has any real NYC flavor.

Gideon58

06-28-24, 01:53 AM

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1st Rewatch...This steamy southern soap olpera has a lot going for it, primarily the first screen teaming of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, whose chemistry burns a hole through the screen. It also features a deliciously hammy Orson Welles as the manipulative patriarch of the Varner family, Tony Franciosa as his wimpy son, Lee Remick as his trampy daughter-in-law, and Angela Lansbury as Welles' mistress who really wants to be his wife. They don't make 'em like this anymore. 4

WHITBISSELL!

06-28-24, 02:07 AM

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Dillinger - 1973 biographical crime drama with John Milius directing and Warren Oates starring as Depression era bank robber, folk hero and cause célèbre John Dillinger. Both men, the unapologetically macho Milius and the taciturn Oates, seemingly born to fill these respective roles. It also boasts a cast of heavyweight talent with Harry Dean Stanton and Geoffrey Lewis as the two longest serving members of Dillinger's heist crew, Homer Van Meter and Harry Pierpont. Michelle Williams also stars as Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette and Ben Johnson as the FBI agent tasked with bringing the crew to justice, Melvin Purvis. Rounding out the cast are Steve Kanaly as Pretty Boy Floyd and Richard Dreyfus as Machine Gun Kelly. Cloris Leachman shows up at the end as "The Lady in Red" Chicago madam Anna Sage.

It's by no means a documentary but it gets enough of the details right to allow you to sit back and enjoy the storytelling without casting a jaundiced eye every few minutes. It's got a relatively brief runtime of 104 minutes so it mostly hits the high points but you don't end up feeling cheated. Mostly because it's an American International production and that usually means quick and dirty. Oates carries the picture across the finish line and Ben Johnson matches him note for note. These are two super charismatic performances with Harry Dean Stanton providing several moments of much needed comedic relief. If you haven't seen it consider it recommended.

85/100

MovieBuffering

06-28-24, 02:28 AM

I was shocked at how unfunny and sophomoric this picture is. I'm a big fan of the Seinfeld series, and also Seinfeld's standup, but this effort was semi-embarrassing. I believe I made it to 30 minutes.

Jerry is obviously a talented stand up....but the further you get away from it the more you see the success was probably more Larry David then Jerry. Curb is kinda proof.

Gideon58

06-28-24, 06:24 AM

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3.5

Stirchley

06-28-24, 12:26 PM

Re-watch. Love this movie. Who would think Wahlberg could pull off a rôle as an associate professor of English? He could & he did.

99210

skizzerflake

06-29-24, 12:39 AM

Kinds of Kindness - Saw this tonight. Too long, makes little sense, nothing engaging, no characters I liked or cared about. Wikipedia says "Absurdist Black Comedy". I'm good with the absurd part. 3 plot lines intersect, the same actors are in all three, there's no obvious connection and no reason why I was in THAT theater tonight. Watch it if you dare. It was that moment when I wanted to ask the theater for my money back, but I resisted making a scene.

Minus :popcorn::popcorn:

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

FilmBuff

06-29-24, 01:40 AM

there's no obvious connection

There are two very obvious connections. One is that every story features the same character and his name is in the name of each segment. (The stories are titled "The Death of RMF," "RMF is Flying" and "RMF eats a sandwich").

The other connection is that each segment examines different aspects of submissive behavior - who are we submissive to, and why? When do we stop being submissive, and what comes of it?

skizzerflake

06-29-24, 02:04 AM

There are two very obvious connections. One is that every story features the same character and his name is in the name of each segment. (The stories are titled "The Death of RMF," "RMF is Flying" and "RMF eats a sandwich").

The other connection is that each segment examines different aspects of submissive behavior - who are we submissive to, and why? When do we stop being submissive, and what comes of it?

I got that, but, all things considered, it just was not a movie that worked for me. It was too much of a puzzle and I spent too much time trying to figure out what was going on and which subplot I was seeing. Having the same actors in the different segments didn't help at all.

skizzerflake

06-29-24, 02:06 AM

My late night move - Night of the Demon, from 1957. It's the more graphic, British version of the movie released in the US, Curse of the Demon. It enjoys some notoriety for not just its depiction of demonology but for the use of Stonehenge as a prop. In it's own way, it's really pretty good, lots of drama, FX only used to the extent that they were believable. The actual demon scared the heck out me when I was 7, and yes, there really IS a demon. American actor Dana Andrews stars, a guy whose career never got very far after his divorce from Shirley Temple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rwfiJpyFrI

stillmellow

06-29-24, 07:10 AM

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Tommy

Well that was utterly bizarre on all levels. Which of course means I liked it. At its core it's about a man's search for enlightenment and meaning. But when it's found, everyone else is only interested in using it for selfish reasons, or taking it for themselves.

It's an interesting twist of the Messiah story, as instead of the Messiah dying, everything he built is torn down instead. But it's still an upbeat ending, because he discovers he didn't need any of it. The enlightenment was always meant for himself alone. It's not about winning, but about letting go.

A-

Gideon58

06-29-24, 11:48 AM

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1st Rewatch...Disney scored with this imaginative animated action adventure about the title character (brilliantly voiced by John C Reilly) who is the villain in a video game called Fix It Felix, who is tired of being a villain and learns the only way to become a good guy is to earn a medal in a game called Hero's Duty, but after he wins the medal, it's stolen by a racer car driver from Kandy Crush (voiced by Sarah Silverman). The film takes a slightly overlong journey to provide a couple of simple life lessons but the journey is a fun one for the most part. there is also exceptional voice work from Jack McBrayer as Fix it Felix, Jane Lynch as Calhoun, Mindy Kaling as Taffeyta, and Alan Tudyk as King Kandy, whose character druums up images of movie legend Ed Wynn. 4

Gideon58

06-29-24, 11:54 AM

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1st Rewatch....Conjuring up memories of John Landis' classic Animal House, this film stars Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as a couple who find their lives turned upside down when a college fraternity actually moves into the house next door to them. They attempt to co-exist until one night they call the police, initiating a full fledged war between them, initiated by the frat's leader (Zac Efron). It's a fun idea and the actors seem to be enjoying themselves but the ridiculously over the top finale hurts it. Rogen is funny, as always, and it is interesting seeing Efron's first attempt to bury his High School Musical image. 3

Gideon58

06-29-24, 11:57 AM

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2nd Rewatch...Mad genius Bo Burnham knocks it out of the park here with the story of Kayla, a slightly plump and pimply faced teenager struggling to fit in during her final year in middle school who sees some light at the end of the tunnel when she participates in a mentoring program that pairs her with a vivacious high school student who takes her under her wing. This movie is a dead on look at how miserable life can be for a 14 year old, just about everything works here. Elsie Fisher is a revelation in the starring role. 4

Gideon58

06-29-24, 12:01 PM

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2nd Rewatch...This slightly overblown comedy about a newly married young couple on their honeymoon in Italy who are actually trailed there by the bride's psychotic ex would have worked a lot better if it had concentrated a little more on the relationship between the couple and less on a lot of forced slapstick comedy. It is worth a look though for the enchanting performance by the late Brittany Murphy as Sarah. 2.5

Gideon58

06-29-24, 12:05 PM

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3rd Rewatch...Director and screenwriter Elaine May strips away the glamour of most mob dramas with this seedy drama about a former mobster (John Cassavetes) on the run from mob bosses who seeks help from his BFF (Peter Falk) but fights his assistance every step of the way. This gritty and uncompromising drama alternately aggravates and fascinates and though we sort of see where it's going, there are couple of well-played plot surprises that keep us completely engaged in this often ugly story. Cassavetes has never been better. 4

iluv2viddyfilms

06-29-24, 01:47 PM

The Comfort of Strangers (1990, Paul Schrader) - A-

Gideon58

06-29-24, 03:07 PM

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3

WHITBISSELL!

06-29-24, 03:32 PM

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War of the Satellites - 1958 low budget scifi produced and directed by Roger Corman. It's another of those "Earth has started farting around in space and has drawn the attention of an advanced alien species" features. This time they are the self-described "Masters of the Spiral Nebula Ghana". They've put up a barrier in space that's been destroying manned satellites. The aliens consider humankind a disease and have decided to quarantine us. This doesn't sit well with the folks at Project Sigma which must be why they've kept sending manned missions even though everyone onboard the satellites keep dying. (I thought satellites were by definition unmanned but you can't quibble while watching a Corman movie. It's just not done)

Richard Devon plays Dr. Pol Van Ponder, the head of Project Sigma and the aliens target him after repeated warnings and widespread natural disasters fail to dissuade him from continuing. It mostly plays out as you'd expect with the bright spot being a very young Dick Miller as the designated hero, astronomer Dave Boyer. I thought he was mostly known for his small supporting roles in movies like Gremlins I & II, Little Shop of Horrors and The Howling but he actually costars in this along with Devon and Susan Cabot as his love interest, researcher Sybil Carrington.

This was thrown together to exploit the hubbub surrounding the launch of the Russian satellite Sputnik, the first of it's kind. From the time of Corman first pitching the idea to Allied Artists to release in theaters took only a matter of a few months including a 10 day shooting schedule. Nobody was more adept at doing more with less than Corman. The spaceship sets are spartan and the mise-en-scène consists mostly of parts of a WWII B-17 bomber and two expensive chaise lounges. There's intrigue mixed in with the unidentified aliens replicating personnel and infiltrating Project Sigma and there's also lots and lots of shots of the cast running down the same hallway and hanging a left. But Corman somehow makes it work to the point where it isn't patently obvious. As someone who has always enjoyed Roger Corman productions I thought it was cheesy, good-natured fun.

70/100

Allaby

06-29-24, 04:57 PM

Wonka (2023) Timothée Chalamet is delightful in this sweet musical fantasy adventure. The rest of the cast is good too and I liked the songs. Cinematography, costumes, and sets are well done. 4

Death Proof

06-29-24, 05:42 PM

Ocean's 8 (2018)

Doesn't quite grab the audience like the other modern Oceans movies but still entertaining. Mostly just an excuse to put Cate Blanchett in some dope outfits.

rating_3

stillmellow

06-29-24, 06:19 PM

Thinking on it, the downsides of Tommy (1975) are that it's homophobic, and although I wouldn't exacyly call it misogynistic, the only strong female character is a drug dealer. This probably has more to do with the time it was made in, rather than offensive beliefs (I hope).

The other problem is Tommy's mom is an extremely chaotic and bizarre character, and not in a fun way. I can't really grasp her character at all. She's all over the map. Depending on the point of the movie, she's either:

1. Incredibly protective and loving towards Tommy.

2. Selfish, drunk, and nihilistic.

3. Hyper sexualized.

4. Debased to the point her character is rolling in a room full of baked beans, like a pig in swill.

It feels like she was based on multiple people, or at some point in the writing of it, was two separate characters. One the mom, and the other a lover/wife.

But I do think it's still an A-. It has great star power, brilliant performances, and full commitment to its artistic vision. It's rare to find a movie this surreal and filled with messages/imagery that's this watchable.

Gideon58

06-29-24, 08:50 PM

Ocean's 8 (2018)

Doesn't quite grab the audience like the other modern Oceans movies but still entertaining. Mostly just an excuse to put Cate Blanchett in some dope outfits.

rating_3

Liked this movie more than you did and no argument that Cate. Blanchett looked amazing

stillmellow

06-29-24, 09:23 PM

<b>Ocean's 8 (2018)

Doesn't quite grab the audience like the other modern Oceans movies but still entertaining. Mostly just an excuse to put Cate Blanchett in some dope outfits.
rating_3

I thought it was a fun time, despite being only slightly better than Ocean's 12 (11 is best, 13 is second).

Everyone looks amazing in this movie, but indeed, only Cate Blanchett looks amazing in every single scene she's in.

I give it an additional half star, but you're not wrong.

Marco

06-29-24, 09:36 PM

The Comfort of Strangers (1990, Paul Schrader) - A-
Don't know if it's just me but I found this absolutely hilarious. Pinter out-Pintering himself with the script. Immensely watchable, but maybe not for the reasons originally intended. Walken does do a good psychopath.

Fabulous

06-29-24, 10:50 PM

The Shout (1978)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/vImleBhNfUQXxmWXivZsA2Bc4Lb.jpg

PHOENIX74

06-29-24, 10:57 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/TheHomeSongStoriesPoster.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Dendy Films., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13788356

The Home Song Stories - (2007)

This was a rather remarkable Australian (true) story written and directed by Tony Ayres - about his childhood and more specifically his mother, Rose (Joan Chen). Tony's mother was born in Shanghai, and as we learn throughout the film is a deeply troubled, emotionally unstable woman. To be fair she's that way probably because of her early life - which we learn about later. Susceptible to cheating on her husband, flying into paranoid temper tantrums, and abusing alcohol, she makes life hard for her kids Tom (Joel Lok) and May (Irene Chen) - but it's her suicide attempts that are the most shocking, especially considering she's got two adorable kids who depend on her, and the fact that these suicide attempts concern her chaotic love life. They're enough to turn Tom against his mother, but as much of a horrible person Rose is, you can still have some sympathy for her. There's a deep well of trauma bubbling away in this lady, and every time she reconnects with husband Bill (Steven Vidler), he's off again on active service, leaving her alone. Rose is a person who should never be left to her own devices - she needs support. This was an interesting mix of cultures, and a really dramatic, well-acted rollercoaster ride with a family constantly on the edge of obliteration. I enjoyed it thoroughly and think it's well worth a look if you're interested.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d1/O_Auto_da_Compadecida.jpg
By Globo Filmes and Lereby Produções - Omelete, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42117120

O Auto da Compadecida (A Dog's Will) - (2000)

A relentlessly silly, energetic Brazilian comedy that gets a little too slapstick and clownish for me but still has a great overall message and feel to it. Going by internet ratings, it's one of the greatest films ever made. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2468782#post2468782), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/Cameraperson_poster.jpg
By https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5375040/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54058125

Cameraperson - (2016)

Fantastic autobiographic collage of outtakes from the movies filmed and/or directed by Kirsten Johnson, which show that a filmmaker immersing themselves in a subject and becoming part of the story can elicit more truth than one who puts up walls between themselves and what they're filming. Full of evocative moments that will linger a long time in my memory. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2469163#post2469163) in my watchlist thread.

8/10

iluv2viddyfilms

06-29-24, 11:28 PM

Don't know if it's just me but I found this absolutely hilarious. Pinter out-Pintering himself with the script. Immensely watchable, but maybe not for the reasons originally intended. Walken does do a good psychopath.

I know what you mean about the hilarity of the material. For example, there's a scene toward the beginning of the film when Natasha Richardson's character comments about a particular Venice landmark and calls it beautiful or something like that, which the boyfriend points out how she said that the last time they were there. This creates a little bickering moment where he has to back out of the comment. It was unintentionally funny because it mirrored how couples can get into stupid arguments over the most frivolous and nonconsequential items.

I'm still perplexed on the ending. Walken and Mirren are both great in the film and yeah there was that slow build up where we knew something was off, but just wasn't quite sure what and by the end of the film, we still don't know all the details or what the grand scheme was or even the three times repeated mustache story. Paul Schrader has a way of letting scenes just sit and simmer and build tension and awkward dread.

Gideon58

06-30-24, 12:40 AM

Love and Monsters (2020)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/5EDZbNC4pmlywU8Bc9wKpyh3EmN.jpg

I really liked this movie, what didn't you like about it?

iluv2viddyfilms

06-30-24, 02:53 AM

Hardcore (1979, Paul Schrader) - B+

Fabulous

06-30-24, 04:18 AM

The Land of Steady Habits (2018)

3

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Gideon58

06-30-24, 05:13 AM

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Umpteenth Rewatch...This film vesion of Neil Simon's play The Gingerbread Lady stars Marsha Mason as Georgia Hines, an actress fresh out of rehab, who is trying to stay sober, resurrect her career, and take care of her teenage daughter (Kristy McNichol) and havng trouble with all of it. The Simon one-liners come fast and furious and are well-handled, especially by the late James CoCo and Joan Hackett as Georgia's best friends. Mason, CoCo, and Hackett all receieved Oscar nominations for their performances. It's not top tier Simon, but it's warm and fuzzy entertainment. 3.5

Marco

06-30-24, 08:58 AM

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/34/Furiosa_A_Mad_Max_Saga.jpg
I thought this was pretty good. Decent story and characters. Some of the action is spot on but sometimes OTT (everything exploding when it hits something, like spears for instance). Not as OTT as Hemsworth's "Dementus" :) As a stand-alone film film it is interesting but I think 1 and 2 were great Aussie cinema. Fury Road was OK.

3

Torgo

06-30-24, 10:34 AM

Smoking Causes Coughing - 4

Short review:

https://i.postimg.cc/NFqjgM7d/krusty-the-clown-what-the-hell.gif

Slightly longer review:

This movie begins as a subversive take on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, The Avengers...well, any team of superheroes. It ends up in a very different and strange place. I do not want to say anything about the path from point A to point B, but I'll at least say that this is a must-see for Adult Swim fans, comic book fans and even those who would like to burn Marvel Studios to the ground. I'll also mention that it will remind you that we're all slowly killing ourselves while putting our fate in the hands of machines that don't bloody work half the time.

LChimp

06-30-24, 07:53 PM

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River - (2023)

Not nearly as good as Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes, but still entertaining in its own way. 6/10

Thief

06-30-24, 08:09 PM

Thief

06-30-24, 08:10 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/Cameraperson_poster.jpg
By https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5375040/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54058125

Cameraperson - (2016)

Fantastic autobiographic collage of outtakes from the movies filmed and/or directed by Kirsten Johnson, which show that a filmmaker immersing themselves in a subject and becoming part of the story can elicit more truth than one who puts up walls between themselves and what they're filming. Full of evocative moments that will linger a long time in my memory. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2469163#post2469163) in my watchlist thread.

8/10

I'm a big fan of this one. Glad you liked it.

Galactic Traveler

06-30-24, 08:44 PM

Well after much negotiating I talked my wife into watching 'In A Violent Nature.' If you're into horror films, particularly the slasher genre, you will certainly enjoy this. It received largely positive reviews according to Wiki. It's also known for being unique in that almost the entire movie is shot from the killer's perspective. I enjoyed this one a lot. Can't say the same for my wife, though, lol.

3.5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/In_a_Violent_Nature_%282024%29_poster.jpg

Fabulous

06-30-24, 11:34 PM

Tallulah (2016)

2.5

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MovieBuffering

07-01-24, 03:11 AM

Blue Velvet - 1986

Was apprehensive about it going in. Not much of a Lynch guy. Didn't much care for Mulholland Drive when I saw it. Got to say this is more of the same for me. I think I liked it a little bit more. It's an interesting flick. Movie just gets too weird and interpretative like Mulholland Drive. I can see why people really enjoy his films and this one with a different personality than me. I just need something to hold onto and grab. Just feels a bit out of my grasp. Characters make decisions that are bizarre, and I just didn't buy Dern and MacLachlan's romance/relationship. Hopper was incredible even if his character was just kind of a psychopath to be one I guess. I don't know I am glad I watched it, made me feel somethings, but just not really up my alley.

2

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True Romance - 1993

This one was a big gaping hole in my filmography I hadn't seen. Unlike Blue Velvet, which was made a year before I was born, this film was hitting it's cult classic status when I was coming of age for movies in the late 90s/2000s. (Ironically two Dennis Hopper movies) Just never watched it. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't say it shot up the charts to my favorites. You can feel Tarantino and Tony Scott movies colliding into one. It was a very cool premise but felt a bit ridiculous at times. It was funny to see Pitt and Gandolfini scene. In a less than a decade they became the biggest stars in the movie in small roles. Sameul L Jackson and Gary Oldman blew up shortly after as well. I thought the music they used was kinda goofy which I guess was appropriate because I think the main characters relationship was a little goofy ha. I don't know it was pretty damn entertaining but don't think I'll be thinking about this one long afterwards.

3

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/True_Romance-729763502-large.jpg

Fabulous

07-01-24, 05:30 AM

The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)

2

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DopeyZeplin

07-01-24, 09:04 AM

Inside Out 2 (2024)

4

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Allaby

07-01-24, 11:35 AM

Gifted (2015) Watched on Prime because it is Canada Day. Directed by Scott A. Matthews and starring Georgia Rossi, Sydney Rossi, Sabrina Rossi, Russ Rossi, and Shannon Rossi. A Canadian family adventure comedy about three cute sisters who search for a legendary treasure. This was cute and fun. I loved all three girls in it. Fun fact: the one girl started her own bikini line under the name StrawberryMilkMob and all three girls are influencers and bikini models now! 4

Gideon58

07-01-24, 01:14 PM

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1st Rewatch...A nearly forgotten gem from Will Ferrell's resume that nobody talks about anymore. Ferrell and Jon Heder play Chaz Michaels and Jimmy McElroy, respectively, a pair of competitive male figure skaters who, after an ugly incident during an Olympic medal ceremony, get themselves banned from figure skating competitions permanently, Three years later, they figure out a way to get back on the ice by forming the first male/male figure skating pairs competitors. Needless to say there is a very funny air of homoeroticism around this whole movie that neither the screenwriters nor the cast shy away from. Love the purposely cheesy visual effects employed to demonstrate Chaz and Jimmy doing various lifts, spins, and throws on the ice. Will Arnett and Amy Poehler also garner major laughs as the brother and sister pair who are threatened by the pair (At the time, Arnett and Pohler were married IRL), as does Craig T Nelson as the guys' coach and Nicky Swardsen as a figure skating groupie obsessed with Jimmy. 3.5

Gideon58

07-01-24, 01:21 PM

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vyT2xHv0f0k/maxresdefault.jpg

2nd Rewatch...Elizabeth Taylor at her most alluring is the anchor of this romantic melodrama which finds Taylor and Van Johnson playing a self-absorbed party girl and a wartime journalist whose star-crossed romance is unable to sustain thanks to her flirting with anything in pants and his inability to get three novels published, which leads him to alcohol. Richard Brooks, who also directed Taylor four years later in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, shows solid skill with this lushly mounted drama. Solid support is also provided by Donna Reed as Taylor's terminally unhappy sister, Walter Piedgeon as Taylor and Reed's rakish father, Roger Moore as a tennis pro sniffing at Taylor and Eva Gabor as a party girl sniffing after Johnson. On my list of the top 20 Elizabeth Taylor performances, this one came in at #5. 3.5

Gideon58

07-01-24, 01:32 PM

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2nd Rewatch...This downer of a cinematic experience is becoming a little less enjoyable with each viewing. Nicolas Cage won his only Oscar to date for his performance in this dark and depressing tale of a former screenwriter who decides to move to Las Vegas so that he can drink himself to death and finds his mission impeded by a pretty hooker with a heart of gold (Elisabeth Shue) who thinks she loves the guy and thinks her love can save this man. Don't get me wrong, as a commercial for the dangerous consequences behind alcoholism, this movie hits a solid bullseye, but some of the behavior displayed by Cage's character just seems a little over the top to me, and this is coming from someone who has had addiction issues and now dealing with them one day at a time. That scene near the beginning of the film where he's in the bank and he can't sign his check because his hand is shaking so bad or that scene where he is actually drinking underwater in a swimming pool? And the story of hooker and her evil pimp, played by the late Julian Sands, often seems like another movie. But for Cage fans and anyone who has ever awakened with a hangover or not knowing where they are, this film is appointment viewing. 4

Gideon58

07-01-24, 01:34 PM

True Romance - 1993

This one was a big gaping hole in my filmography I hadn't seen. Unlike Blue Velvet, which was made a year before I was born, this film was hitting it's cult classic status when I was coming of age for movies in the late 90s/2000s. (Ironically two Dennis Hopper movies) Just never watched it. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't say it shot up the charts to my favorites. You can feel Tarantino and Tony Scott movies colliding into one. It was a very cool premise but felt a bit ridiculous at times. It was funny to see Pitt and Gandolfini scene. In a less than a decade they became the biggest stars in the movie in small roles. Sameul L Jackson and Gary Oldman blew up shortly after as well. I thought the music they used was kinda goofy which I guess was appropriate because I think the main characters relationship was a little goofy ha. I don't know it was pretty damn entertaining but don't think I'll be thinking about this one long afterwards.

3

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/True_Romance-729763502-large.jpg[/QUOTE]

LOVE True Romance...A link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1547222-true_romance.html

Allaby

07-01-24, 02:53 PM

Pup Star (2016) Yes, I really watched this. It's a Canadian film and today is Canada Day, so that makes it okay. This is a family comedy about a dog competing in a singing competition. In this universe, dogs can talk and sing! It was cute and fun. If you like singing doggies, then you would likely enjoy this. 4

Gideon58

07-01-24, 03:41 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51a4CWrvnmL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg

2.5

PHOENIX74

07-02-24, 12:02 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1d/The_Shining_%281980%29_U.K._release_poster_-_The_tide_of_terror_that_swept_America_IS_HERE.jpg
By Warner Bros. Inc. - https://imgur.com/a/5n4Ay3q, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62073409

The Shining - (1980)

I've seen The Shining so many times, but it's still a great movie to put on and watch closely (as well as listen to closely.) Jack Nicholson's facial expressions throughout are a constant delight, and despite being so very familiar with the movie, this was the first time I'd ever seen the American version. About 25 minutes had been cut from the European and Australian versions of The Shining, so it was a blast to see stuff I'd never seen before. My friend regaled me with a few Shining anecdotes I didn't know, and we had some interesting discussions about the film as we watched. I'm fascinated by the excised scrapbook plotline, of which we see nothing but the scrapbook itself at times, never remarked upon. I've seen the film too many times for it to be scary, but I was scared to death of this film when I saw it as a boy when it came out. I felt a little of that spookiness again last night, just because I was very focused on it, which really immersed me. I notice so many small details now, because of films like Room 237, various YouTube videos, stuff I've read, and conversations with friends. It's a perfect rating for this one - because how else could it have endured so long if it wasn't one of the most interesting, and fascinating, horror films ever made.

10/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c4/Caterpillar_film.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://www.movieposterdb.com/poster/26c39967, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28785184

Caterpillar - (2010)

Very grim film about a Japanese soldier returning from the Second Sino-Japanese War with no arms or legs, a complete loss of hearing, and a horribly scarred and deformed face. It questions the dubious honor of going overseas, committing horrible crimes, and then getting blown to bits. There's no honor, dignity, or sense to it at all. Worth a look, but just be warned that it's not cheery and includes many hard to stomach sex scenes. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2469408#post2469408) in my watchlist thread.

7/10

iluv2viddyfilms

07-02-24, 05:31 AM

Seberg (2019, Benedict Andrews) - B-

So it took me a bit to get around to watching this. As is no secret, I'm a huge unabashed Jean Seberg fan and also from her hometown (Marshalltown, Iowa) where, of course, she's something of a legend. Despite my politics and the real life Seberg's being very opposite, I find her story fascinating and deeply sympathetic and read her biography years ago which, like the film, details her life and involved in the Black National movement and Black Panthers in the late 1960's and the subsequent FBI wiring tapping, harassment, and smear campaign. Well, seeing how this film got negative reviews, I was a bit reluctant to watch it, but gave it a try on the strength of Kristen Stewart's ability as an actress.

And for the record, Stewart does a great job. Just a wonderful performance... subdued when called for, but really captures many of the mannerisms and some of Seberg's ticks and charms. She's done her homework definitely. The physicality of her performance is great and the only minor nitpick would be with some of the vocal delivery which comes off as a bit modern and 2000s. If you've ever seen a Seberg film or listened to any of her interviews... she has a very unique and distinctive voice... it has the flatness of being raised the Midwest, but there's a certain eloquence and precision to it (as though each word has deliberate meaning and effect and each syllable carefully articulated), with a hint of charm, no doubt from the French she picked up. Again, that's nitpicking.

The critics are wrong about how awful this movie is because, while there is room for criticism, which I'll get into in a minute, Seberg does one thing exactly right and it's that it is tightly focused and avoids so many of the biopic traps wherein a writer and filmmaker believes that a person's entire life can be condensed into a two or three hour film. Even the biopic obsession of last summer, Oppenheimer, suffered largely from trying to cover too many time periods and too many episodes of the subject's life. Great biopics like Lawrence of Arabia focus on singular episodes or many a handful of episodes, but string them together into a coherent narrative. Unfortunately most biopics feel like a game of "whack a mole" in trying to include a person's "greatest hits" of life. Where Seberg really shines is that it only covers the time period in her life from 1967-1970 and not only that but it largely focuses and maintains the "thesis statement" if you will of focusing on her being the target of FBI surveillance.

Where the film does falter, is really two fold. It fails to really capture the essence of why she would have been sympathetic to the Black National movement and doesn't really show how she either aligned politically or how they had a deep sense of trying to find meaning in life beyond her film career and her deep sense of wanting to help the underdog and do something that would outlive her and exist beyond her own self. How this aspect of her life played at odds with her attempt at a film career beyond just being big in France wasn't really explored. It does have a few scenes that allude to Paint Your Wagon and Airport, but nothing much. The actor who plays her often bewildered agent, does a great job, but is underused. The other big weakness in the film, and it's a HUGE weakness are the FBI agent portrayals by Vince Vaughn and Colm Meaney who are written and played almost as caricatures and are just one dimensional. It's too bad too because normally they are great, but here they just don't have good material. Jack O'Connell (an actor I'm unfamiliar with), however does a spectacular job of showing the subtle nuisances of a person torn between doing their job (in this case spying on Seberg) and the moral conflict that arises when they know what they are doing is unethical. There's also some interesting subtext too here of some Laura vibes going on simultaneous to him growing a conscience.

The music choices were solid too and very much of the period and the smooth jazz based soundtrack was the right choice. Good cinematography as the film looks good and there are several shots in this film that are just down right great and framed beautifully.

This film isn't nearly as bad as what the critics claim, BUT the script is weak, but sprinkled with moments of greatnes, but at times it feels rushed because it doesn't really explore who Seberg was nor does it seem to take the FBI spying in a serious fashion, but more like a made-for-TV movie and half the time I was thinking the Peter Gunn theme would play whenever Vince Vaughn's character shows up. There's a good film in here buried someplace, and it feels like it enjoyed a foundation... again covering her life from 1967-1970 is a good way to go, BUT within those confines it's a bit of a mess and could have been more. It is definitely worth seeing for fans of Seberg or Kristen Stewart... an actress who is quickly becoming one of my favorites of the last decade or so.

Romeo + Juliet (1996, Baz Luhrmann) - A+

This is a great Shakespeare adaptation... one of two that came out in 1996, with the other being the even more superior Hamlet. Say what you will, but the stylistic excesses work well with the tone and themes of the play being the frantic and emotion and hormone filled drives and impulsivity of youth and the mad, almost crippling effects of not having the tools or wisdom to moderate those turbulent imbalances, along with the arrogance and lack of compassion for adults, who SHOULD know better, to write stuff off as non-consequential on one extreme or to be a partner in crime on the other. This is a beautiful film, wonderful shot and while the editing is often breakneck, what is often neglected and overlooked is how there are multiple shots in the film that stay on the image to let its power set in for probably at least 30 seconds or more. The fish tank scene, Mercutio's body lying dead on the beach, and Romeo's face after the fury subsides leaving the aftermath of his murder of Tybalt. The pop music works wonderful and it's a beautiful collage of "in that moment in time" juxtaposed to a piece of literature that is eternal. Romeo and Juliet isn't one of my favorite plays, but this film is definite one of my absolute favorite adaptations.

matt72582

07-02-24, 09:35 AM

The Return of the Prodigal Son - 7.5/10
It's interesting... I use so many different sources to find movies. This site is one of a dozen. Yet, I never even heard of this movie until I looked up a movie I liked (I was searching yesterday) and then found the IMDB lists it's included in and stumbled upon this one. I'm sure the movie description got me interested.

For all my critique of this movie, part of me says, "Just be the way you are" (just don't be something else). Maybe I'm rating this higher than I normally would, but the handful of movies I tried before gave me no interest in proceeding past the 5-10 minute mark.. By the time the movie is over, my little questions about chronology didn't matter as much. I didn't like the main character at all, but I didn't really like anyone. At one point, the wife tells the psychiatrist, "I love him more than myself" and I immediately thought, "I don't believe you" and a second later, she also tells the psychiatrist, "You don't believe me?". The only person I did believe was the psychiatrist's wife, because it's very basic and obvious.

Unfortunately for me, I had been interrupted so many times, it's taken me almost 24 hours to finish this relatively short movie, since I like to rewind a bit to catch up.

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WHITBISSELL!

07-02-24, 03:07 PM

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Devil Girl from Mars - 1954 British scifi potboiler. I managed to find a B&W version plus the accents made it all the more palatable. Actually they were ostensibly Scottish accents since the film takes place at the remote Bonnie Charlie Inn deep in the moors of the Scottish Highlands. I counted the characters and there were nine people total at the inn when a strange craft passes overhead and lands nearby. It's white hot at first but it eventually cools off enough for a door to open, a ramp to lower and a figure emerge. It's a woman and she's sporting that 50's dominatrix-from-outer-space look with a shiny, skin tight vinyl outfit, boots, a cape and a Magneto helmet. She's a no nonsense type who introduces herself as Nyah and explains to the assorted guests and staff that she is here on earth because all the males on Mars are dying off and the birth rates are dropping precipitously. She was on her way to London to harvest some virile specimens when her ship was forced to land for repairs. Death by snu-snu!

The sexually potent pickings are slim at the Inn with escaped convict Robert Justin/Albert Simpson (Peter Reynolds) and journalist Michael Carter (Hugh McDermott) as the only viable candidates. The rest are past their prime like astrophysicist Professor Arnold Hennessey (Joseph Tomelty) and Mr. Jamieson (John Laurie) the owner of the Inn. Or they're physically challenged like David the handyman (James Edmonds) or too young like the Jamieson's nephew Tommy (Anthony Richmond). There's also barmaid Doris (Adrienne Corri) who's carrying a torch for the convicted murder/escaped convict Robert/Albert and fashion model Ellen Prestwick (Hazel Court). Rounding out the cast is Sophie Stewart as Mrs. Jamieson.

Patricia Laffan, the actress playing Nyah, the Devil Girl from Mars basically has one setting, which is haughty. She spends the majority of the film moseying back and forth between her ship and the inn presumably to check on the progress that her robotic companion Chani is making on the repairs. He's a big, slow moving refrigerator with two spindly arms. Nyah is also big on dramatic entrances and taunting, in that order.

Even though the third act bogs down in needless and labored ardor this still wasn't all that bad. Like I mentioned before, the accents help. They make even dumb stuff sound halfway intelligent. For all it's flamboyance and kitschy underpinnings it's a fun watch. Nyah is only guilty of looking for love in all the wrong places.

65/100

Gideon58

07-02-24, 04:05 PM

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1st Rewatch...The winner of five Oscars, including Best Picture, Norman Jewison directed this unflinching story of murder and redneck justice where a bigoted sheriff (Rod Steiger) must learn how to work with a black police detective from Philadelphia (Sidney Poitier) in order to solve a murder. The racial tension that crackles underneath this story stems from the sheriff's learning how to work with the last man in the world he would want to work with as it becomes clear the man knows exactly what he's doing. Rod Steiger won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance bringing this very complex Sheriff Gillespie to the screen and Poitier matches him note for note as Virgil Tibbs. This was one of three Oscar-worthy performances gave that year. The other two were in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and To Sir with Love and the academy didn't recognize him for any of them. Mention should also be made of Warren Oates as the bigoted deputy and Lee Grant as the widow of the victim. A spectacular drama that hasn't aged a bit. I still want to cover my eyes during that scene where those guys corner Tibbs in that barn with chains and pipes. 4.5

Gideon58

07-02-24, 04:19 PM

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Umpteenth Rewatch...Robbed of the Oscar for Best Picture of 1976, this film is the masterwork of both director Sidney Lumet and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. This scorching black comedy follows the adventures at a fictional low rated television station called UBS where we meet the long standing news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch) who has just been fired and feeling he has nothing else in his life but his job, goes on the air the next night and announces he's going to kill himself on the air next Tuesday. Instead of being declared insane, Beale becomes a media sensation and his news program is reformatted into a platform for him as a "mad prophet of the airwaves", which brings instant success to the network, but it begins to affect the bottom line of the company that has just purchased UBS and they aren't having that. I don't how it is, but this film just gets more and more timely as it ages, nothing feels dated or out of place or laughable. Chayefsky's ruthless screenplay won him an Oscar and on my list of my favorite screenplays, this one clocked in at #1. Peter Finch won the first posthumous Oscar for Best Actor for his flashy turn as Howard Beale, though personally I would have given the award to co-star William Holden in a beautifully understated performance as Max Showalter, Howard's boss and BFF. Faye Dunaway won the Best Actress for her ruthless Diana Christensen, though I think her award was a consolation prize for losing the previous year for Chinatown. Beatrice Straight won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for one five-minute scene and she's very good, but was she better than Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver? This is one of three films in Hollywood history that won three of the four acting Oscars (the other two were A Streetcar named Desire and Everything Everywhere all at Once. I think if Robert Duvall's Frank Hackett had been nominated for supporting actor instead of Ned Beatty's Jensen, this film would have been the first to win all four acting Oscars. 5

Gideon58

07-02-24, 04:28 PM

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2nd Rewatch...Another luminous performance by Soairse Ronan that earned her another Best Actress nomination is at the heart of this edgy and imaginative coming of age drama written and directed by Greta Gerwig (Barbie). Ronan plays the title character, whose real name is Christine, who is a high school senior at a fancy parochial school in Sacramento, who is looking forward to going to college as far away from Sacramento as possible, thanks primarily to her often toxic relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf). Ronan effortlessly lifts the narrative here above the normal teen drama, with effective assistance from Gerwig and Metcalf, who was robbed of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her work as Lady Bird's mother. Also loved Lucas Hedges and Timothee Chalamet as the two guys in Lady Bird's life. Mention should also be made of Beanie Feldstein as Lady Bird's BFF and Tracy Letts as her dad. 4

FilmBuff

07-02-24, 07:27 PM

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Fly Me to the Moon
4.5

Fly Me to the Moon might be Greg Berlanti's best film yet.

A large part of the credit goes to the great cast, toplined by Scarlett Johansson (in one of her bubbliest and most delightful performances of recent years) and Channing Tatum as her co-worker/love interest.

The supporting cast is great also - Jim Rash is a hoot as Scarlett's go-to director; Woody Harrelson has a lot of fun as a marvelously sinister government agent, and Ray Romano provides strong support as Tatum's wingman.

But this is above all, a smartly-written romantic comedy and the credit there goes entirely to Rose Gilroy (Rene Russo's daughter). She creates vivid characters and gives ScarJo one of the best parts of her career (and a chance to have a lot of fun with southern accents!)

And that black cat is adorable.

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Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
1

2024 might come to be known as the year that TV miniseries invaded theaters.

Had this Kevin Costner project debuted on TV, it might have been seen as a mediocre and not particularly original mini-series with some great locations and a decent cast.

It remains to be seen how many people will be willing to fork out however many tickets it will take to watch the whole thing on the big screen (the opening weekend numbers suggest there won't be that many).

The first chapter of a promised 4-movie series, Chapter 1 does little more than introduce the main characters and begin telling their story, unfolding across the American frontier circa 1859.

A good cast is criminally wasted, with Abby Lee managing to make a better impression than most of her co-stars as the Old West working girl with the heart of gold who becomes the object of Costner's interest.

Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Michael Rooker, Jeff Fahey, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Jena Malone and several others do the best they can with characters who are all badly underwritten.

Most disappointingly, the movie has been shot "flat" despite the obvious opportunity provided by all the far-flung locations on display, which would seem to have been ideal for a very widescreen movie. Obviously, this has been filmed with TV in mind, so there's that.

It is really a shame, since Costner's 1990 directorial debut was really one of the most cinematic westerns of that decade. Sadly, it seems that 34 years later, he still has a whole lot of Western stories to tell, just not in a particularly interesting way.

Allaby

07-03-24, 02:48 PM

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) On Netflix now. Eddie Murphy does a good job and the rest of the cast, old and new, are all fine too. There is some decent action and a couple chuckles and the film is well paced. It's not as good as the original, but it is still reasonably entertaining. Worth checking out. 3.5

Torgo

07-03-24, 03:59 PM

One from the Heart - 3

This notorious flop is the movie equivalent of Orlando, Florida's T-Rex Cafe. Everything in it that is not the visuals, sets, music and dancing, like the food and drinks at that theme park of a restaurant, might as well be afterthoughts. Coppola's recreation of Las Vegas is on par with Tati's Paris in Playtime for how it manages to be realistic and fantastical at the same time, not to mention for how complete it seems. Also, with its neon glow and glass tiles, the look and feel are pleasantly of their time. As for the draw of movies like this, the songs, they're atmospheric and mournful in the best ways, and with lyrics like "how long you been combing your hair with a wrench," pure Tom Waits. I just wish I could be as complementary towards the story and characters. While I do not expect complexity in a musical story, this one's is perhaps too simple, i.e., a template in a "how to write a romance novel" instruction booklet. I also found myself straining to truly care about our lovelorn heroes despite how well this legendary cast plays them. Frederic Forrest's Hank in particular may be a rube on purpose, but when you cringe at his behavior when you're supposed to and when you're not supposed to, there's a problem.

In all fairness, the story is not totally without food for thought. If anything, it reminds you that love and reason rarely mix. It's just too bad that getting enjoyment like that out of it takes much more effort - and not the good kind - than it does to enjoy everything else. It's still worth seeing, especially if you're fascinated with the career of one of the greatest directors of all time, and quite frankly, how could you not be? It also proves that not every flop is totally devoid of merit.

FilmBuff

07-03-24, 07:20 PM

One from the Heart - 3

Which version did you watch - theatrical cut or the "reprise" edition that came out this year? (The re-editing doesn't really change a lot).

FilmBuff

07-03-24, 07:29 PM

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Despicable Me 4 (Dolby Cinema)
1.5

The Despicable Me franchise seems to have hit rock bottom creatively with what is effectively its 6th entry (because two of them were prequels, this one is called 4).

The cheap-looking animation that we've come to expect from Illumination stands in particularly stark contrast next to the finely textured and exquisitely rendered animation from Pixar (and the difference is even more striking if you happen to have watched both movies in Dolby Cinema).

But, more than anything, there's a feeling of been there, done that that hangs over the entire running time of just about 90 minutes: another disposable antagonist for Gru, another baby to keep the family growing, and more Minions, of course.

The main antagonist in this latest installment is - I kid you not - a human cockroach voiced with a faux-French accent by Will Ferrell; other new supporting roles include Sofía Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Chloe Fineman and Joey King.

If you've got kids who are just the right age, they will no doubt enjoy this - and you may just find yourself staring blankly at the screen and waiting for the final credits.

Fabulous

07-04-24, 02:02 AM

Private Life (2018)

4

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PHOENIX74

07-04-24, 03:53 AM

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By from www.twitchfilm.net, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6160648

The Great Yokai War - (2005)

I can see fans of whatever this is enjoying the insane number of weird monsters, heroes, creatures and living oddities that come out of the woodwork in The Great Yokai War - not being a regular consumer of yōkai, it was all new to me. Takashi Miike's film has so many, you can see that some of the more peripheral ones have been given costumes and make-up effects that are a little cheap, but overall you can't complain because there's weirdness up the yazoo here - if that's what you're looking for and it's still not enough, there must be something wrong with you. The story is your usual fantasy adventure involving a young boy, Tadashi (Ryunosuke Kamiki) being anointed "Kirin Rider" at a local festival and heading into the mountains to battle some kind of Goblin King (not the Bowie kind) for a magic sword that will help him fight the latest evil megalomaniac bent on destroying the world - Yasunori Katō (Etsushi Toyokawa). He's the kind of kid picked on by his peers because he's pale, sickly looking, clumsy and a coward - but once he gets over his aversion to duck-faced turtle people and monsters in general he's a knight in shining armor. I thought this was a bit of fun, but it's not the kind of thing I can call myself a fan of.

6/10

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Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9764984

The Changeling - (1980)

Here's a ghost story that has at it's core an interesting mystery to be solved, and plenty of well thought-out drama to back it up. Also, George C. Scott gives a really terrific performance to help cement this as an excellent supernatural horror movie. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2469843#post2469843), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

MovieBuffering

07-04-24, 03:56 AM

Boyz n The Hood - 1991

Never got around to this one. I really dug it. I had the complete opposite upbringing of the characters in the film yet I could relate with them a lot. I got a bit emotional at the end even though I sort of knew where it was heading. I felt like I knew a lot of the film peripherally through pop culture and spoof movies. I think everyone knows "You want to see a dead body?" Amazing how many black actors went on to big careers from this movie. It never got preachy like a lot of black films or movies about minorities can get now a days minus one scene. That felt weird and out of place in the movie. I can forgive it because the rest of it was genuine and engrossing. If you've seen the movie you might know the scene I am referring too. I've seen Ice Cube's Friday a bunch. This movie felt like the serious drama prequel to Friday and Friday was it's comedy brother. Really glad I watched it.

3.5

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Fabulous

07-04-24, 05:18 AM

Closer (2004)

3.5

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FilmBuff

07-04-24, 10:48 AM

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MAXXXINE
3

There is a powerful and compelling reason to enjoy MAXXXINE - and it has nothing to do with its storyline, which is trite, clichéd and unconvincing.
The main reason to enjoy this movie is that it's obviously been made by someone who is madly in love with the filmmaking process itself.
Another reason, of course, is the amazing cast - Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin Bacon, Bobby Cannavale, Giancarlo Esposito, Halsey and Lili Collins.
But, really, the main attraction here has to be the love for filmmaking - and especially the kind of filmmaking that took place in the 80s, before the age of digital effects, where a considerable number of effects (especially for horror movies) had to be accomplished practically.
And also, there are any number of scenes taking place in those amazing backlots that I've walked around in; as well as a wonderful (if unlikely) scene involving one of the most iconic outdoor sets in the Universal backlot (the Master would have been amused).
It goes without saying you should revisit X and Pearl before watching the conclusion to this wonderfully loopy - and somewhat uneven - trilogy.

Allaby

07-04-24, 11:58 AM

Space Cadet (2024) Watched on Prime. Emma Roberts is enjoyable in this lighthearted and silly comedy. It's predictable and the storyline is ridiculous, but it is fun and entertaining. 3.5

mrblond

07-04-24, 02:02 PM

La Passion de Dodin Bouffant [The Taste of Things] (2023)

Starring: Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel

Nice French movie with a big "F". Kind of a self-propaganda but anyway it is tolerable. Absolute beautiful cinematography, a real art. If you are into the photography, this is for you. Romantic hard period drama.
This film is kind of a version of Phantom Thread (2017) but themed in the high-end of Cuisine maniacs instead of fashion design.

4
80/100
99303

Gideon58

07-04-24, 03:04 PM

Private Life (2018)

4

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LOVED this movie

Gideon58

07-04-24, 03:12 PM

Gideon58

07-04-24, 03:13 PM

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3.5

Allaby

07-04-24, 03:14 PM

I was wondering, I never saw Beverly Hills Cop 2 or 3, will that hinder my enjoyment of this film?

I don't think so. I don't remember the second or third at all, but I still enjoyed this.

WHITBISSELL!

07-04-24, 04:25 PM

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I Was a Teenage Werewolf - 1957 American International Pictures horror offering. It was shot in six days at a cost of 150,000 dollars and turned out to be one of AIP's most profitable films. A young Michael Landon plays troubled high school student Tony Rivers. It's safe to say he's has anger issues and is constantly getting into fights over the slightest provocation. Sympathetic cop Detective Sgt. Donovan (Barney Phillips) has mentioned the name of a local psychologist who might be able to help Tony. He at first balks at the idea but after beating up a good friend and knocking his steady girlfriend to the ground he realizes he needs professional help. Enter Dr. Alfred Brandon (Whit Bissell) who recommends using a combination of sedatives and hypnosis to help Tony get in touch with his inner demons.

But it's the usual mad scientist claptrap with Dr. Brandon actually looking to ultimately revert humanity back to what he feels is it's natural state of barbarity. Kind of a reset button in order to have civilization start over again. You could rightly take issue with his reasoning but hey it's American International and sound, scientific research doesn't fill theater seats. After numerous "treatments" Tony is, according to the good doctor, making progress. But then sudden, loud noises trigger a change and there are the expected casualties. So in this regard he isn't your typical full moon kind of lycanthrope.

Landon does a good job in his first starring role and Bissell turns in his usual solid supporting work as the sociopathic Dr. Brandon. Joseph Mell as Brandon's guilt ridden, reluctant assistant Dr. Hugo Wagner and Phillips as Detective Sgt. Donovan also ably pitch in to make this minor cult classic watchable.

75/100

Darth Pazuzu

07-04-24, 05:45 PM

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June 28, 2024
July 2, 2024 (Yes, again! :D)

HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA - CHAPTER 1 (Kevin Costner / 2024)

Well, my anticipation has been building for some time now, and now I've finally seen the first installment of Kevin Costner's new multi-part cinematic Western epic. The obvious and most immediate question is, Did I like it? My immediate answer is a qualified "Hell, yes!" First of all, I knew beforehand that Chapter 1 would be merely the introduction to the main characters and their respective story situations. I knew - or at any rate suspected - that we wouldn't necessarily get anything wrapped up in a bow with this first chapter, and that the movie's primary function would be as the setup. So many of the negative reviews I've seen and read criticize this movie on the grounds that nothing gets resolved and that it utterly fails as a self-contained story in its own right. Perhaps - in the narrowest sense - this assessment is absolutely correct. My question then becomes, Does it matter? I understand that this is only the first piece in a much larger, still evolving picture, and I fully accept the film on those grounds.

You know, when George Lucas first set about bringing his ideas for Star Wars to the big screen in the mid-'70s, he had much more story than he could possibly fit into a two-hour-plus movie. (And not all the story elements which would become the basis of later movies would be nailed down in the form we all know so well today.) So he opted to condense the basic story elements and make one self-contained film with a beginning, middle, and end. The same thing with the Wachowskis in the late-'90s, when they were trying to pitch their idea for The Matrix to the studios. Ultimately, they had too many ideas, and there was no guarantee that they would be able to bring all of them to the screen, so - as was the case with Lucas and the original Star Wars - they condensed the basic elements into one self-contained story which became The Matrix.

The reason I point out those particular examples is simply this: Back when Lucas and the Wachowskis were creating their masterpieces for the big screen, the long-term world-building which we take for granted in today's popular culture wasn't something which was done. You told a story with a beginning, middle and end, and it would hopefully not go too far over the two-hour mark. And if that idea caught fire at the box office and people flocked to it in droves, then you created the sequel. And assuming that there were enough legitimately good ideas left over from the conception of the original, hopefully it would be a good movie in its own right. But that was always a mere possibility, and it was never guaranteed. However, that's certainly changed over the years. Over the past two decades, we've had Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trillogy, Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill with its two discrete volumes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Andy Muschietti's two-part adaptation of Stephen King's It, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Denis Villeneuve's two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune (which actually foregoes conventional closure in order to presumably set up Dune Messiah as Part Three), Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning and the upcoming two-part adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. Let's face it, serialization is something we've all come to more or less take for granted within today's cinematic landscape. I think it largely has to do with the loosening of boundaries between the different forms of entertainment media in this day and age, making multi-part franchises into something resembling limited TV series. If I have any criticism of this phenomenon at all, it's that perhaps screenwriters are becoming too accustomed to such a luxurious sprawl, and that they've become less inclined to tell stories in a concise and direct manner.

Ultimately, however, that observation is neither here nor there. I have come to praise Horizon: An American Saga, not to bury it. True, once our Saga seriously starts to rev up in earnest, Chapter 1 might end up being the weakest individual entry. But ultimately, I'm positively thrilled to see a talented filmmaker completely going for broke and swinging for the fences. Costner is definitely playing a long game here, gambling that the moviegoing public will have the patience for it. (Normally, I avoid sports metaphors like the plague, but seeing as how this is Kevin Costner we're talking about, I think the baseball metaphor is highly appropriate!) I was absolutely riveted throughout, just letting the experience wash over me. I just let the story take its course and unfurl in its own good time. Granted, there were certain things I wasn't clear about the first time around, but that's what my second viewing experience was for! We're talking ambitious, grand-scale filmmaking here, of a sort that's perhaps a bit more traditional and old-fashioned than what audiences are used to (aside from the more contemporary serialized aspect of it). I do understand that its current box-office performance has been rather disappointing. But when I saw the film for a second time last Tuesday, I noticed that there was still a pretty fair amount of people in attendance, mainly older. I'm pretty sure that this thing is going to develop legs over time, and it's something that people are going to be talking about in the future, arguing and debating over its merits and about its proper place within the pantheon of that great cinematic institution, the American Western. Need I point out how the likes of John Carpenter's The Thing, Blade Runner and Fight Club were all box-office flops the first time around. Even acknowledged classics like Ford's The Searchers and Hitchcock's Vertigo were only "break-evens" in their original runs, hardly runaway box-office bonanzas.

I know I haven't said a thing so far about the storyline(s) yet. Suffice it to say that it's about a struggling group of settlers who have bought land in the San Pedro Valley, in Apache country. When they attempt to establish themselves, their settlement is attacked and razed to the ground by a band of Apaches lead by a xenophobic warrior named Pionsenay (Owen Crow Shoe), and a good many of the settlers are violently killed. (This is a major action set piece, incredibly emotional and intense, and perhaps the highlight of this first chapter). Pionsenay's attack meets with the disapproval of pacifist tribal elder Tuayeseh (Gregory Cruz), who warns that the whites will be sure to retaliate. Among the settlement's survivors are Frances Kitteridge (a wonderful Sienna Miller) and her daughter Elizabeth (Georgia MacPhail), who are rescued by a Union Army division led by 1st Lt. Trent Gephardt (Sam Worthington) and Sgt. Major Thomas Riordan (Michael Rooker). In the meantime, a group of scalp hunters has gone after the Apaches who had attacked the settlement, taking with them another survivor, a boy named Russell (Etienne Kellici). Meanwhile, in Montana, a woman named Lucy (Jena Malone) shoots her husband James Sykes (Charles Halford) and leaves him for dead, taking with her their infant son. The attempt ultimately fails, and James sends his sons Junior (Jon Beavers) and Caleb (Jamie Campbell Bower) to track Lucy down and retrieve the child. She eventually takes the name Ellen, moves to Wyoming and marries a man named Walter Childs (Michael Angarano), and they live with a prostitute named Marigold (Abbey Lee) who occasionally helps out with the rent. Eventually, a group of horse traders arrives in town, among them a man named Hayes Ellison (Kevin Costner) who is propositioned by Marigold who invites him up to the Childs residence. But also in town is Caleb Sykes, who meets and threateningly confronts Ellison, who is forced to kill Caleb in self-defense. Hayes and Marigold are forced to get out of town, taking Lucy's baby with them. Meanwhile, a wagon train is headed for Horizon along the Santa Fe trail, and they are led by a man named Matthew Van Weyden (Luke Wilson). And elsewhere, land speculator and businessman H. Silas Pickering (Giovanni Ribisi) is overseeing the printing of flyers promoting the town of Horizon. These flyers have been seen throughout the film, and they will appear later.

None of these particular story strands intersect within the main body of Chapter 1, so obviously narrative self-containment is not a priority for this particular film. But true to the showbiz maxim "Leave 'em wanting more", the viewer's appetite is whetted for whatever comes next! When will our different groups of characters meet up with each other? Will young survivor Russell completely throw in his lot with the bloodthirsty scalp hunters, or will his innate sense of humanity and compassion win the day? Will the separated Hayes and Marigold meet up again? Will wagon master Matthew be able to assert his authority over the more unruly of his employees? Will the younger Army soldiers return from fighting in the Civil War? Will the Sykes family catch up with Hayes Ellison? And what are the ultimate intentions of the mysterious H. Silas Pickering? The answers to at least some of these questions will presumably be forthcoming when we return to the theaters on August 16th for Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2.

I am truly loving this! :up:

Darth Pazuzu

07-04-24, 07:07 PM

Meanwhile, in another corner of the Wild West... :D

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3:10 to Yuma (Delmer Daves / 1957)
The Tin Star (Anthony Mann / 1957)
A Pistol for Ringo (Duccio Tessari / 1965)
The Return of Ringo (Duccio Tessari / 1965)
Straight to Hell (Alex Cox / 1987)
Brimstone (Martin Koolhoven / 2016)

More classic Westerns, including an Italian diptych, a crazily chaotic spaghetti homage with a punk-rock cast, and a very dark feminist tale about an evil preacher! :devil:

3:10 to Yuma has definitely joined the upper ranks of my all-time favorite Westerns. It's really a quite beautiful film. I'd even venture to say that the story is almost biblical. And by "biblical" I don't mean a Cecil B. DeMille-style epic spectacle. Just the opposite, in fact. The character of Dan Evans (Van Heflin) is something of a Job figure, a rancher struggling with drought conditions and hurting for money. When he takes on the job of escorting outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) to the town of Contention and watching over him until the train to Yuma Prison arrives, for a payday of $200, Wade becomes Evans' tempter, attempting to bribe him into letting him go. As Wade's blandishments become greater, the outlaw almost seems like a satanic figure, a serpent in the garden. But ultimately he's just a man, and he's simply playing the angles and doing what he can to regain his freedom. Based on a story by Elmore Leonard, this is almost a forerunner of Sam Peckinpah, in particular 1962's Ride the High Country, whose lead character Gil Westrum (Joel McCrea) is a similarly morally upright professional committed to his personal code and dedicated to finishing the job he started.

I really like The Tin Star a lot. I bought a copy of this at Barnes & Noble, because I'd read about this movie in books and I was intrigued by the descriptions. Henry Fonda plays a cynical bounty hunter named Morgan Hickman, who used to be a small-town sheriff. Anthony Perkins plays Ben Owens, who is struggling to learn the ropes as the new sheriff in the small town that Hickman rides into to collect his bounty. A friendship is struck between the younger man and the older man, and Hickman attempts to pass on his knowledge and skill to Owens. Note to horror movie fans: As if having the future Norman Bates as one of the leads wasn't enough, future Pamela Voorhees Betsy Palmer also has a major role in this movie as Fonda's love interest Nona Mayfield. It's a very good movie, but I have a hunch I'd like director Anthony Mann's other films starring James Stewart just a bit more, and I intend to add those to my collection at some future point. I'd also really love to see Man of the West.

The two films which comprise Duccio Tessari's Ringo diptych from 1965 are some of the earliest of the Italian "spaghetti Westerns" to emerge after the success of Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars in 1964. Giuliano Gemma portrays the gunslinging title character(s) in both films. (And carrying over the subject of future horror films raised in my comments on The Tin Star, Gemma would later play a detective in Dario Argento's 1982 giallo Tenebrae!) What's interesting, however, is that Gemma is not playing the same character in both fims. While the talent in front of and behind the camera is largely the same for both films, everybody's playing completely different characters in two completely different stories! Definitely one of the few times in movie history where a "sequel" was made to a successful film by the exact same people involved in the original film, but which is about completely different characters! In A Pistol for Ringo he plays a cheeky gunslinger who drinks milk instead of whiskey, plays hopscotch with the local kids, is an extremely accurate shot (like all Western heroes), and always talks about how everything is "a matter of principle"! The story takes place around Christmastime, so this is kind of / sort of the Die Hard of the Italian Western subgenre! :lol: In the follow-up The Return of Ringo, however, Gemma portrays a Civil War veteran (also named Ringo) who returns to his hometown only to find that a group of Mexican bandits has taken over his hometown and his wife has been married to another man. He disguises himself as a Mexican peasant in order to observe the goings-on unnoticed, and to plot his eventual return. Lesser known than Leone's Dollars / Man With No Name Trilogy or Sergio Corbucci's Django, these films are very important films within the Italian Western canon. However, the second one is my favorite by far, seeing as how it's moodier and a bit darker, whereas the first one has a slightly comedic tone to it (verging on, but not quite in the same category as, Destry Rides Again).

Well, frankly, I just don't know what to make of Alex Cox's Straight to Hell! It's certainly entertaining in a chaotic, scatterbrained sort of way. And punk rock / alternative rock fans should be interested in seeing Joe Strummer and Courtney Love in acting roles. Also featured in the movie are members of The Pogues, Elvis Costello, Dennis Hopper and Grace Jones. This is the tale of a group of hitmen who retreat south of the border to Mexico after a bank robbery, carrying their ill-gotten booty. Conceived rather spontaneously by Cox in between his films Sid & Nancy (1986) and Walker (1987), this is something of an homage to Cox's favorite films in the "spaghetti Western" subgenre, in particular Giulio Questi's Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! I'll probably have to see Straight to Hell again, because I was left rather befuddled the first time I watched it. But while I certainly have a great deal of respect for Cox, this will probably never be one of my favorites in his filmography.

Brimstone is the first English-language film by Dutch filmmaker Martin Koolhoven, and it's quite the doozy. A kind of revisionist psychological Western with feminist sympathies (and just a pinch of melodrama), this makes for very intense, gruesome and disturbing - but ultimately rewarding - viewing. Guy Pearce portrays the evil Preacher who torments young Liz Brundy (Dakota Fanning) and her children. I definitely get strong The Night of the Hunter vibes from the story, although I don't know if that 1955 classic was at all an influence on Koolhoven. Pearce's character also reminds me of Bob Dylan's song Man in the Long Black Coat ("Preacher was talking, there's a sermon he gave / He said every man's conscience is vile and depraved / You cannot depend on it to be your guide / When it's you who must keep it satisfied")