Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Young_adult_ver2.jpg
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33761096

Young Adult - (2011)

I often hear people say they didn't like this or that film because the protagonist was completely unlikeable - but now and then a film comes along that can both give us a thoroughly horrible main character, but at the same time be absolutely brilliant. Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a writer of young adult fiction, and although she's very successful, her career is slowly grinding to a halt. She's in a complete funk that's bordering on depression, but one day she receives an email from her high school sweetheart, Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) showing off the baby he's just had with his wife Beth (Elizabeth Reaser). After dwelling on this, she decides to head back to her home town (which she hates with a passion) to inadvisably try and win him back, despite the fact that he's happily married and has a new daughter. When she gets there, she meets Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt), who went to school with Mavis and is now disabled after being the victim of a brutal beating back in those days. Matt becomes Mavis Gary's buddy and confidante, but tries desperately to dissuade her from what she's doing. This film strikes a fine balance between darkness and humour, casting an unflattering eye on Mavis and her alcoholism while still having a load of fun with the awful situation she's putting herself in. She's trying to relive her glory days, but in reality it's just an attempt to break out of the vicious cycle her depressed state has her locked into. Her lack of compassion and empathy is brutal, but her deadpan manner is hilarious and Charlize Theron is phenomenal in this lead role. I chose this to watch at random last night, and was surprised by the result - despite the fact that it's from the dependable directing/writing team of Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody. Something I missed when it was released all those years ago.

8/10

[WHITBISSELL!]

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I Was a Teenage Frankenstein - This 1957 American International Pictures horror entry was released less than five months after the resounding success of I Was a Teenage Werewolf. The print I found was the British version with the working title Teenage Frankenstein. Whit Bissell again stars as the mad scientist, a direct descendant of the original Frankenstein. He's in the States on a work visa and his theories on building an entirely new life out of spare parts are roundly derided. He decides to show everyone and "shock the scientific world" by doing just that. But first he has to cajole and ultimately blackmail his colleague Dr. Karlton (Robert Burton) into helping him do some light grave robbing.

Suspension of disbelief is a given with this type of shlocky scifi but at the exact moment the two men are having this conversation there's the sound of a loud impact outside Frankenstein's home. Two carloads of teenagers have run head-on into each other, providing the gleeful doctor with an ideal specimen and starter kit. As time goes by the pair also harvest body parts from a plane crash carrying a high school athletic team. Professor Frankenstein's former secretary and now fiancée Margaret (Phyllis Coates) is in the picture but she's written as a dangerously clueless foil for his nefarious plans. There's all manner of red flags for the hapless Margaret to pick up on including domestic abuse but she blithely ignores them. Bissell was a full blown sociopath in I Was a Teenage Werewolf but he plays a real scumbag in this one. There's not one redeeming quality in the character outside of a thin veneer of urbanity.

It's a quick 74 minutes long and when the end comes it comes quickly. I didn't think it was as good as IWaTW but Bissell is dialed in on his performance and delivers his lines like he was starring in a much more expensive and legitimate production. Thumbs up to you Whitner Nutting Bissell.

60/100

[Stirchley]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Young_adult_ver2.jpg
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33761096

Young Adult - (2011)

I often hear people say they didn't like this or that film because the protagonist was completely unlikeable - but now and then a film comes along that can both give us a thoroughly horrible main character, but at the same time be absolutely brilliant. Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a writer of young adult fiction, and although she's very successful, her career is slowly grinding to a halt. She's in a complete funk that's bordering on depression, but one day she receives an email from her high school sweetheart, Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) showing off the baby he's just had with his wife Beth (Elizabeth Reaser). After dwelling on this, she decides to head back to her home town (which she hates with a passion) to inadvisably try and win him back, despite the fact that he's happily married and has a new daughter. When she gets there, she meets Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt), who went to school with Mavis and is now disabled after being the victim of a brutal beating back in those days. Matt becomes Mavis Gary's buddy and confidante, but tries desperately to dissuade her from what she's doing. This film strikes a fine balance between darkness and humour, casting an unflattering eye on Mavis and her alcoholism while still having a load of fun with the awful situation she's putting herself in. She's trying to relive her glory days, but in reality it's just an attempt to break out of the vicious cycle her depressed state has her locked into. Her lack of compassion and empathy is brutal, but her deadpan manner is hilarious and Charlize Theron is phenomenal in this lead role. I chose this to watch at random last night, and was surprised by the result - despite the fact that it's from the dependable directing/writing team of Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody. Something I missed when it was released all those years ago.

8/10

Don’t remember a single scene, but I do recall enjoying this movie.

[Gideon58]

Don’t remember a single scene, but I do recall enjoying this movie.

LOVED this movie...preferred a lot more to her Oscar winning performance in Monster

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71D3pdsr5aL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


1st Rewatch...This one didn't hold up well upon rewatch, and I think a lot of it had to do with a hard to swallow story. Jennifer Lopez plays a pop singing sensation who is about to marry her boyfriend, also a singer, on TV when an internet tweets during a concert they're giving that announces that the boyfriend has cheated on her. Trying to completely lose face in front millions, Lopez picks a rando out of the audience named Charlie, a socially inept widower and math teacher with a preteen daughter ,and marries him instead. Jennifer Lopez is an a tailor made role as Kat, the singer and there is some chemistry between her and Owen Wilson, who plays Charlie but I just buy an international singing star marrying a math teacher to save face, not to mention the fact that Lopez never totally convinces me that she loves this guy. Another misstep in meh film career of Jennifer Lopez. 2.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81UVXiAmvYL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg

There is a school of thought out there that is the ultimate "date movie", but not for me. Julia Roberts plays a movie star Anna Scott who is in London making movie and falls for a charming bookstore owner named William Thacker (Hugh Grant). My primary problem with this movie is that it features what is probably the most unlikable character Roberts has ever played. This girl really makes Grant's character jump through some humps. She politely accepts his offer for a first date and tells him where to meet her and it turns out to be a press junket for the movie. The scene where she meets Thacker's family is OK until they play "the Last Brownie" game and Anna actually tries to compete with the rest of the family by telling how sad her life is. Please. I really don't like the Anna Scott character and it makes really hard to completely invest in this movie; Unfortunately, I am of the belief that Anna Scott is the closest thing onscreen we will ever see to the real Julia Roberts. 3

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Etl286tbL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


3rd Rewatch. It was a box office smash, but for me this one is a big swing and a mess from the Ferrelly Brothers. Ben Stiller plays a guy still crushing on the girl he almost went to prom with (Cameron Diaz)and asks a detective (Matt Dillon) to find her for him, which he does, but decides he wants Mary for himself. This simple plot is blown into a lot of unnecessary directions that provide the kind of toilet bowl humor we're accustomed to from The Ferrelly Brothers, resulting in the accustomed overlength though. Diaz is charming though and is the one thing worth watching here. 3

[AngeliqueDeWill]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91sXULL6GmL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg
Underrated movie! 7/10

[Darth Pazuzu]

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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.

Well... obviously you can tell from my own review that I disagree with your overall assessment quite vehemently! :lol: However... I would like to address one or two fairly good points you've raised.

That part about the TV miniseries invading theaters I think does hold some water. As I pointed out in my own review, the lines of separation between different forms of entertainment media are getting rather blurry these days. I already commented on how serialization has become a much greater phenomenon in the cinema for the past twenty years. We've always had sequels and film series, of course, but in the past they were designed to be fairly self-contained individual entities. Nowadays, of course, there is little to nothing holding back filmmakers and producers from making one great big 5-hour epic and slicing it down the middle into two separate entities which ultimately need each other for proper dramatic context. I'm not sure that works of cinema really benefit from this on an artistic level. And I think perhaps this may encourage writers to indulge themselves and be less inclined to tell stories in a disciplined, concise manner. However... as many reservations as I have about the serialization phenomenon, I'm also very tolerant and indulgent when there are genuinely talented people whom I admire involved.

Also, I agree with what you said about the aspect ratio. I noticed right away that it was 1.85:1, and I couldn't help but feel as if a big opportunity had been lost. If ever there was a film that could have benefited quite strongly from 2.40:1, it's Horizon. And I agree with you that this was probably done with television in mind. Don't get me wrong, I didn't exactly find that a terminal distraction. I still think that what we see on the screen is pretty impressive - as well as genuinely cinematic - in its own right, but I couldn't help but feel that the whole widescreen theater image should have been filled out in its entirety, from end to end. Oh well...

But I disagree with what you said about the character parts being underwritten, and the actors being wasted. First of all, I think that's a highly premature judgment, seeing as how we've only just been introduced to the characters, and as of right now we're only partway into their dramatic arcs. I personally think the actors did very well in the roles, in particular Sienna Miller as Frances Kittredge. And I also loved Jamie Campbell Bower as Caleb Sykes. Right from the first trailer - and especially in the second - he made a strong impression and I felt that whoever Costner's character was, Bower would make a formidable adversary. Which he certainly was... for about five minutes! :lol: I'm actually kind of sorry that Bower's character got knocked out of the running so early, because he was so good. But judging from the whole preview montage at the end, it appears Hayes Ellison is going to have quite a few other members of the Sykes brood to deal with!

I think the difference between our respective takes on Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 - and by extension all of the people who love it or hate it - primarily has to do with whether or not one believes that a single isolated fragment of a story can make a valid work of cinema in its own right, unto itself. As for myself, I knew beforehand that this was only the first chapter, and having accepted that as part of the bargain, I'm inclined to be tolerant of its "unfinished" nature. As I've stated in my own review, Chapter 1 is tasked with setting things up and making introductions, not with making satisfying conclusions, and so this may indeed end up being the least impressive individual entry in the series. Come August 16th, I look forward to getting into the real meat of the story, and I'm fully confident that Costner and his collaborators will come through with flying colors. If, on the other hand, Chapter 2 fails to make significant advances in terms of story and character, then perhaps the critics' knives would be justified in coming out. But I have faith, and I have patience. If others don't, then I guess there's nothing I can possibly add to what I've said already...

[FilmBuff]

....

I will be replying to this in the Horizon thread, I feel this could lead to a lengthy discussion and I wouldn't want it to derail this thread. ;)

[MovieGal]

99325
In A Violent Nature
(2024)
3.5/5

This film was a bit of a let down. As many people who know me, know I love horror and extreme violence. This film had very little, not enough for my taste. A few of the kills you didn't even see. My friends who saw it in the theatre bragged about it and said it was my type of film. I have witnessed far worse in foreign cinema.

I just wish it was more brutal and not as much walking and talking. :(

[Galactic Traveler]

Personally I thought the kill scenes were extremely brutal and violent. I enjoyed this film a lot. Definitely one of the better slasher films I've seen.

99325
In A Violent Nature
(2024)
3.5/5

This film was a bit of a let down. As many people who know me, know I love horror and extreme violence. This film had very little, not enough for my taste. A few of the kills you didn't even see. My friends who saw it in the theatre bragged about it and said it was my type of film. I have witnessed far worse in foreign cinema.

I just wish it was more brutal and not as much walking and talking. :(

[MovieGal]

Personally I thought the kill scenes were extremely brutal and violent. I enjoyed this film a lot. Definitely one of the better slasher films I've seen.

There was only one killing in it I had not seen in any film. The rest I have seen over and over. Nothing really new in this film.

Please don't try to understand me because only a small few do.

[pahaK]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=99325
In A Violent Nature
(2024)
3.5/5

This film was a bit of a let down. As many people who know me, know I love horror and extreme violence. This film had very little, not enough for my taste. A few of the kills you didn't even see. My friends who saw it in the theatre bragged about it and said it was my type of film. I have witnessed far worse in foreign cinema.

I just wish it was more brutal and not as much walking and talking. :(

I was much, much more disappointed than you. I don't know what others see in this one, but I thought it was bad. I don't think it's even an exaggeration to say that half of the film was watching the killer stomp through the woods. It's rather bad even for a slasher. I gave it only 1.5/5.

[MovieGal]

I was much, much more disappointed than you. I don't know what others see in this one, but I thought it was bad. I don't think it's even an exaggeration to say that half of the film was watching the killer stomp through the woods. It's rather bad even for a slasher. I gave it only 1.5/5.

Yeah, the only killing I thought was fun was

the rock on the head. The hook killing I had never seen in a film but the rock on the head I have seen many times. I think the basketball to the head in Deadly Friend was still more brutal.

[skizzerflake]

I'm not quite clear on the relation of all these "Quiet Place" movies, but the latest iteration is pretty good. As you probably would expect, there are the monsters (large, fast moving, merciless, 4-legged bugs, eating everything in sight) and the humans, not surprisingly in New York, running, screaming, being skewered, eaten or crushed, while a crew tries to find a solution. The main characters, played by Lupita Nyong'o, John Krazinski and Joseph Quinn, run, scream and somehow survive with the best of them. It doesn't add much to its long-lived, crowded genre (monster-big-bug movies), but it moves fast, is engaging and is fun. Not bad at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPY7J-flzE8

[MovieGal]

I'm not quite clear on the relation of all these "Quiet Place" movies, but the latest iteration is pretty good. As you probably would expect, there are the monsters (large, fast moving, merciless, 4-legged bugs, eating everything in sight) and the humans, not surprisingly in New York, running, screaming, being skewered, eaten or crushed, while a crew tries to find a solution. The main characters, played by Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn, run, scream and somehow survive with the best of them. It doesn't add much to its long-lived, crowded genre (monster-big-bug movies), but it moves fast, is engaging and is fun. Not bad at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPY7J-flzE8

I have no desire to see the newest movie. The first one was good and second one was decent.

Plus I have been more sensitive lately on any harm to an animal, referring to the cat in the film. I am a cat child owner. I must be watching too many PBS documentaries based on the way animals and the environment are being treated I guess, mainly Baleen whales.

[Siddon]

I was much, much more disappointed than you. I don't know what others see in this one, but I thought it was bad. I don't think it's even an exaggeration to say that half of the film was watching the killer stomp through the woods. It's rather bad even for a slasher. I gave it only 1.5/5.


Yeah I loved the movie, it was less about the kills for me it was more about the way the film built up it's mythology in a different manner. I loved how the film was shot with the long shots of the quiet forrest and you just hear his footsteps, and I adored how they made a tonal shift for the last 10 minutes which really built the tension for me.

[Fabulous]

The Bad Batch (2016)

3

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[AngeliqueDeWill]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/5AzKshuLWCdVHYSSR5IWpaKxjsv.jpg

5/10

[WHITBISSELL!]

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The Creeping Terror - This was bad. Bad in just about every way a movie can be bad. The plot, the directing, the acting, the dialogue and of course the monster. That's your first inkling that this will be a stinker for the ages. Actually the first warning sign is that footage of the alien spaceship landing is a rocket launch running in reverse. But then the alien will be the make or break for anyone watching. If you can get past your first sight of the parade float gone horribly wrong you might be able to stick it out. It reminded me of the Bob's Burgers Halloween episode where Bob and Linda try to throw together a last minute costume for the kids. The actual onscreen Creeping Terror looks exactly like what it is, fabric and carpet remnants mixed with a fatalistic, take it or leave it attitude.

There's even been a docudrama made in 2014 titled The Creep Behind the Camera where reenactments are interspersed with interviews of actual players that took part in the cinematic debacle. Director Vic Savage also stars as Martin Gordon and it's his backstory that takes this from just another crappy movie project to hall of fame cult status. He had started out as Arthur Nelson White and by all accounts was a bit of a psychopath and all around con artist. According to a behind the scenes story the producers had constructed a much more impressive monster which was stolen the day before shooting was to begin. But in reality the disgruntled special effects creator had finally had enough of Savage's repeated promises of payment and took back possession.

There's also a baffling amount of narration in lieu of any dialogue. I figured there was either a problem with the audio portion of the film or that Savage and the actors were simply so inept that they chose to go the voiceover route. But the truth was that facing numerous lawsuits Savage had fled California for Florida where he was promptly arrested on a variety of charges. The supposedly finished film lost to the ages. When costar and financial backer William Thourlby (Dr. Bradford) went looking for Savage he found an abandoned home and a work crew repossessing the furniture. On a hunch he looked in the garage and found numerous film reels in a box but no audio track. In order to recoup his losses he took the rough cut to friends in the business and managed to assemble the amateurish diversion that people now know as The Creeping Terror.

This is a well rounded fiasco with so many instances of unintended hilarity that it's hard to list them all. The monster is well named because it does actually creep along at a snail's pace compelling it's countless victims to go deaf and blind and invariably freeze in terror so it can get close enough to devour them. And even then they have to obligingly crawl in it's mouth. This mostly takes place in broad daylight but for some reason no one is working. There are countless couples making out in the woods, at a Lover's Lane and even a group inexplicably having a hootenanny. But the crowning achievement is a large gathering at a Community Dance Hall. I don't know what they were getting paid but they certainly earned it. After an interminable amount of time where the creature slowly crawls toward the hall it finally busts in and the crowd thoughtfully crowds into a corner where the Terror can sup at his leisure. A brawl also breaks out at another exit for no apparent reason. This is something that no description can accurately capture. You have to experience it for yourself. Then maybe see if you can find The Creep Behind the Camera and also the MST3K episode.

30/100

[Allaby]

Before I Change My Mind (2022) A Canadian coming of age comedy/drama about a new student, whose gender is ambiguous and undefined and their relationships with classmates. I liked this, for the most part. Non-binary actor Vaughan Murrae anchors the film with a compelling performance and the rest of the young cast are likeable and effective in their roles. It's an interesting film with some strong moments, but some character choices late in the film didn't completely work for me. The ending wasn't completely satisfactory and felt too abrupt. Even with those flaws, this is still a worthwhile and mostly entertaining film. 3.5

[Fabulous]

I Love You Philip Morris (2009)

3

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[heineken]

House of Games (1987)

Con artist thriller full of plot holes. Not good. Despite the noir vibes. Lots of style, atmosphere and unfulfilled potential. The dialogue is very unnatural. Main character is particularly awkward.

Feels like an idea that would have benefited greatly from being fully developed before it was made into a movie.

35/100

[MovieGal]

99333
Vittra
Rewatch
3/5

Not a great movie but filled with gore. Nothing but gore.

[FilmBuff]

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하이재킹
5

하이재킹 (being released stateside as Hijack 1971) is one hell of a ride.

In many ways, the less you know about the real-life 1971 hijacking of the Korean Airlines flight on which the movie is based, the more you'll probably enjoy it.

The mere fact that it is based on an actual incident makes it feel all the more remarkable, because, honestly, any fictional screenplay that presented these events would probably strain credulity for at least some moviegoers.

Ha Jung-woo really shines as the film's protagonist, a battle-weary pilot who's discharged from the Korean Air Force for refusing orders to bring down a hijacked plane (don't worry, that's hardly a spoiler in this movie).

Yeo Jin-goo is likewise absolutely brilliant as the deranged hijacker whose back story actually kind of makes you feel bad for him.

This Korean film was released domestically last month and it is now being distributed in the U.S. by Sony - making it by far the best movie that Sony has released domestically this year.

[MovieGal]

99335
Amelia's Children
(2023)
3.5/5

A Portuguese horror film. It wasn't terrible but a bit odd. Nothing I haven't seen before. Simon Abrams on Roger Ebert's site compared some aspects to Barbarian, which was great..

They say it's a comedy but I didn't find it to be.

I would recommend but don't expect over the top weird.

[Allaby]

The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed (2023) Joanna Arnow writes, directs and stars in this comedy about a woman's relationships, job and family. I loved this. Arnow is fantastic in a beautiful, bold, and brave performance. The screenplay is smart and engaging. The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed is a really entertaining and underrated film. Highly recommended. 4.5

[FilmBuff]

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Gothic
2

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Salome's Last Dance
1

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The Rainbow
2.5

Ken Russell's late-80s output is such a mixed bag, that honestly it's almost hard to believe all of these movies came from the same director.

I have a theory that Gothic might play a lot better if one were completely drunk while watching, but I have absolutely no interest in testing that theory. I'm sure the real-life conversations of the famous people being depicted here would have been more interesting (and made a lot more sense) than what Russell has them doing.

Salome's Last Dance makes Wilde seem a crushing bore, despite some game performances that somehow register among all the wretched, mind-boggling Russell excess.

And finally, The Rainbow is a sort of adequate prequel to Russell's earlier Women in Love, although it seems quite unfocused and wastes the talents of so many actors that, honestly, the whole thing should have been declared a disaster zone by the United Nations. (It's kind of cool, though, to see Kenneth Colley sans Imperial uniform).

Altogether, these movies seem to mark a low point for the filmmaker responsible for The Devils, The Boyfriend, and Tommy. But I think he would go on to reach an even lower point with 1991's Whore.

[PHOENIX74]

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By Impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19362926

Role Models - (2008)

While I was left wishing this was just a little bit more funny, Role Models is a perfectly serviceable comedy with a bevy of supporting characters who ably assist Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott in their roles as Danny and Wheeler - two energy drink promoters who get themselves in a load of trouble and end up court ordered to a mentoring program. There they're assigned two kids, Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson) - and all movie-watchers will know how this plays out. Stealing every scene she's in is Jane Lynch as mentoring program manager Gayle - an ex-con, ex-drug addict whose lingo and drug-based metaphors are absolutely hilarious. For me, she shone brightest in Role Models and every scene she was in I found very amusing. A lot of the film is based around a fantasy role-playing game Augie is a part of, and a lot of that stuff is fun as well. I chose this film last night because it was late, and it had the shortest running time out of those I was choosing between - it was okay, but I think the supporting players (such as Ken Jeong as "King Argotron") were a lot more funny than the two leads.

6/10

[MovieGal]

99337
Armomurhaaja
(2017)
4/5
Rewatch

First off, I love most Finnish films I have seen, especially this one.

There are some no so politically correct things about this and some animal cruelty but you do not see it happen. By the end of the film, you are relieved about what happens to the bad guys.

[Fabulous]

New York, New York (1977)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/9lOh8t4qPBfqIcKNW0HT0VdMgEi.jpg

[pahaK]

But I think he would go on to reach an even lower point with 1991's Whore.

I really need to rewatch this one. I remember liking it as a teen but haven't seen it since.

[skizzerflake]

I have no desire to see the newest movie. The first one was good and second one was decent.

Plus I have been more sensitive lately on any harm to an animal, referring to the cat in the film. I am a cat child owner. I must be watching too many PBS documentaries based on the way animals and the environment are being treated I guess, mainly Baleen whales.

For whatever it's worth, speaking as an animal lover too, the cat seemed to get out better than most of the humans. I did observe that the cat looked unruffled and quite clean even when things were really grim. In recent years, there's been a lot of careful production going on about the animals in movies, quite different from the "bad old days".

[Fabulous]

The Out of Towners (1970)

3

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[Marco]

Longing (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Longing_2024_poster.jpg
A remake of a drama by Israeli by Savi Gabizon. Richard Gere is a wealthy businessman who learns that he sired a boy 19 years ago and the lad has recently died. So does around in the boys locality trying to find out more about the son he never knew's loves hopes and fears. As it sounds, this is somewhat of a melodrama but Gere is ok in it . Perfect Sunday afternoon watching if your brain is running on 1/2 throttle.
2.5

[FilmBuff]

https://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Posters/S/Poster%20-%20Sleeping%20City,%20The_01.jpg

The Sleeping City
2.5

The Sleeping City won't quite put you to sleep, but you might start feeling a bit sleepy the more it goes on.
The film was reportedly quite controversial in its day, but today it seems more like a weak imitation of other filmed-in-actual-locations noirs like The Naked City.
Richard Conte plays an undercover detective posing as a medical intern at NYC's Bellevue Hospital, investigating the recent murder of another intern.
If the whole thing doesn't exactly sound like a crackling mystery, it's because it isn't. Would it surprise you that narcotics are involved?
The mayor of NYC was reportedly so miffed by the whole thing that he insisted Conte film a disclaimer to be played before the movie, stating in no unambiguous terms that the story was completely made up and that nothing like that could possibly happen at a city-run hospital.

[AngeliqueDeWill]

http://https://www.comicarthouse.com/images/art/1058_010722134616KUJRkc0QlE.jpg

6/10
I watched it long ago, and don't remember much about the movie! I mostly remember the effects of the water and aliens.
The story is actually lame, and the whole movie lying on the ''accompanying'' visual effects!

___________
I wonder why the last few days, every picture I tried to upload breaks... ?

[Allaby]

Thelma the Unicorn (2024) Watched on Netflix. An animated musical about a singing pony who pretends to be a unicorn. I enjoyed this. The characters are cute and I liked the animation. The songs are pretty good too and it has a sweet and positive message about being true to yourself. 4

[Marco]

The Bridge (2006)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/da/Thebridge-poster.jpg
A documentary about a years filming the Golden Gate bridge and the inordinate amount of people who choose to end their lives by jumping from it to their demise. Apparently controversial in its time but this, to me, is not exploitative as it provides selected reasons as to why folk went to such extreme measures.

4

[matt72582]

Kvarteret Korpen - 7.5/10


https://youtu.be/AOWT10tzFWM

[MovieGal]

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Mandragora
(1997)
3.5/5

Marek is a troubled teen who runs away from his hometown to Prague. He is coerced into prostitution to survive. He is abused by his clients, forced into using drugs and steals to make it day by day.

This film would be a hard watch for many people. I saw it over 10 years ago for the first time.

It is a good troubled teen film and would visit again in the future.

[chawhee]

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/hfZQilZXgESkS88MvSoGN4ttNau.jpg
3
I try not to watch courtroom fictions because of how the framing and direction can push you to one side and then the other so frenetically. This one won some awards, so I decided to see if it did anything different in that regard. It didn't...

The movie gave us many reasons to believe Sandra was a guilty party here throughout the trial, and then the kid comes in with a curveball story at the end to seal it for the defense. It was the easiest thing to see coming from my perspective.
Nevertheless, it is an interesting story and the acting was good.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTM4NTFiZGMtNjljZi00MDIzLWJkNTctMzA0NWViNjYxMDY1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTU3NDU4MDg2._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg


5th Rewatch...An extraordinary and often deeply moving love story where the lovers just happen to be male. Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal were robbed of Oscars but Ang Lee was honored for his sensitive directorial hand. 4.5

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/West_Side_Story_1961_film_poster.jpg



Umpteenth Rewatch....As many times as I have watched this movie, this was my first viewing since watching Spielberg's remake, which I can't deny took some of the luster off of this film, but there's one element of this film that Spielberg's version doesn't even come close to touching. There's no way Justin Peck could come close to matching the breathtaking choreography by Jerome Robbins, which is still the main selling point of this movie and keeps it watchable. How can you ever get tired of the opening scene, the dance at the gym, "America", and especially "Cool", a number that gets better every time I watch it. Spielberg did a lot of right with the piece, but it didn't make this one un-watchable. 4

[FilmBuff]

https://static.cinemagia.ro/img/db/movie/19/85/043/yolanda-and-the-thief-265838l.jpg

Yolanda and the Thief
4

Yolanda and the Thief is not quite the best Fred Astaire musical ever, but it might be (by far!) his most underrated one.
Coming out at the end of 1945, it received the usual splashy release fitting a major MGM Technicolor musical, complete with a premiere at NYC's Capitol Theater (the flagship for MGM parent company Loew's Theatres, a stunning movie palace with over 5,000 seats).
But for some reason, the film didn't quite connect with audiences and it more or less ended the career of Astaire's co-star, Lucille Bremer, who plays the title character.
Bremer had become known for playing Judy Garland's older sister in Meet Me in St. Louis, and was subsequently paired with Fred Astaire for a sequence in Ziegfeld Follies (which was filmed before Yolanda but released a year later).
Seen from a broader historical perspective, this Vincente Minnelli musical can definitely be seen for the innovative marvel that it actually is, foreshadowing the kind of abstract, dreamlike number that would be used again - to even better effect - in An American in Paris (that one did turn out to be a hit).
With its exotic setting (a fictional country named Patria), extravagant imagery and flamboyant costumes, Yolanda and the Thief is definitely a gem worth seeking out. It may not feature any particularly memorable songs, but it definitely shows off some of the major strengths that MGM had as the predominant Hollywood studio of the 40s.
It also features an absolutely marvelous supporting cast, with Frank Morgan, Mildred Natwick, and Leon Ames at their absolute best.
This isn't a musical that's easy to find, but it is definitely worth seeking out!

[Gideon58]

https://boredanddangerousblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/giant-belgianposter-tn.jpg?w=640


2nd Rewatch...George Stevens won the Best Direction Oscar for this sweeping epic that many believe was the inspiration for, among other things, the CBS drama Dallas. This story of romance, passion, oil, bigotry, and chauvinism stars Rock Hudson as Bick Benedict, a bigoted, chauvinistic cattle rancher who marries an intelligent beauty named Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor), but is shocked when she refuses to be the obedient little hausfrau that Bick wants. Throw into the mix Jett Rink (James Dean), a ranch hand who hates Bick and is attracted to Leslie and gets his own shot at wealth when he is left a small parcel of land in the will of Bick's sister, Luz (Mercedes Macambridge). I was absolutely amazed how well this movie holds up after all these years. There's one memorable scene after another here. Love when Bick gets upset when he asks Leslie leave the room so that the men can discuss politics or when Bick puts his son on a horse for the first time and the child is terrified, or when Jett invites Leslie into his modest cabin for a cup of tea. I was a little disappointed when research revealed that Jett's speech in the empty banquet room was actually performed by Nick Adams because it was film after Dean had already expired in a car crash. Hudson and Dean both received Best Actor nominations and Taylor should have been nominated for one of her most explosive peformances. Macambridge also received a Best Supporting Actress nomination. The movie runs over three hours, but I hardly felt it. They don't make 'em like this anymore. 4.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91u5L3n7YxL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



1st Rewatch...An overlong and hard to swallow action comedy that somehow merited a 7.1 rating on the IMDB. Jason Sudeikis plays a small time drug dealer who, in order to pay off a debt, agrees to deliver a large shipment of marijuana to a dealer in Mexico. He's traveling in a Winnebago, and a single man traveling in a vehicle that size would raise suspicion with Mexican authorities, so Sudeikis hires a stripper(Jennifer Aniston), a teenager who lives in his building (Will Poulter) and a homeless girl (Emma Roberts) to pose as his wife and his kids pretending they're on a family vacation. This completely unbelievable story finds the fake family getting out of one impossible situation after another that they really shouldn't have. Aniston does have one memorable striptease scene, but if the truth is, this film is handily stolen by Poulter as young Kenny. 2.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjJkMDZhYzItZTFhMi00ZGI4LThlNTAtZDNlYmEwNjFkNDYzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUzOTY1NTc@._V1_.jpg


1st Rewatch...the moody direction by Roman Polanski, the richly crafted screenplay by the recently deceased Robert Towne, and the two flawless starring performances make this loving homage to 1940's film noir sizzle from start to finish. Jack Nicholson lights up the screen bringing an appropriate light underlayer to JJ Gittes and Faye Dunaway turns in the performance of her career as the ultimate femme fatale, Evelyn Mulwray who should have had a sign hanging around her neck saying, "Don't believe anything I say." The film was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture, but only won for Towne's screenplay. There is a school of thought that Dunaway's Oscar she won for Network two years later, was a consolation prize for not winning for her performance here. It's Dunaway's finest work. Actually, everything works here. 5

[Gideon58]

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


1st Rewatch...Despite an impressive all-star cast, this grade C Ocean's Eleven rip-off never really works because it takes too long to get going and even longer to wrap things up, not to mention too many false starts for a movie of this size and length to maintain viewer interest for its entirety. Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Tea Leoni, Michael Pena, and especially Alan Alda, sinking his teeth into another post-MASH villain, really seem to be enjoying themselves, but this one just seems to go on forever leading to a silly finale. 2.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81B7zO+TAfL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


2nd Rewatch...This 1997 Best Picture nominee, written and directed by James L Brooks, who won twin Oscars for writing and directing Terms of Endearment, is one of the few films that came out that year that didn't get completely dwarfed by Titanic, Jack Nicholson won his third Oscar for playing a homophobic, germophobic, sexist writer and social hermit who finds his life intertwined with a waitress (Helen Hunt) with a sickly son and a gay artist (Greg Kinnear) who lives in his building who gets beat up. This one takes a minute to get going, but it's ultimately a rewarding journey. Helen Hunt also won the Best Actress Oscar for her work here, though sometime I don't know if she was really Oscar worthy, but Kinnear was totally robbed of the Best Supporting Actor oscar for his tragic Simon, but Nicholson makes this one worth checking out all by himself. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/516629M5V1L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


1st Rewatch...One of director Ron Howard's most underrated and nearly forgotten works. This look at a large and loving, if sometimes dysfunctional family centers around Gil Buchman (Steve Martin) who still resents the way his father (Jason Robards) neglected him growing up and is determined not to do the same thing to his kids. The film also features Mary Steenburgen as Gil's wife, Tom Hulce as his black sheep brother, and Dianne Wiest as his sister, who has lost complete control of her children (Martha Plimpton, Joaquin Phoenix) since her divorce. Rick Moranis is also cast seriously against type as Martin's brother-in-law, who tutors his five year old daughter like she's in graduate school. Wiest received a supporting actress nomination but the entire cast works at the same level. The film even inspired a television series. 4

[Gideon58]

https://static.cinemagia.ro/img/db/movie/19/85/043/yolanda-and-the-thief-265838l.jpg

Yolanda and the Thief
4

Yolanda and the Thief is not quite the best Fred Astaire musical ever, but it might be (by far!) his most underrated one.
Coming out at the end of 1945, it received the usual splashy release fitting a major MGM Technicolor musical, complete with a premiere at NYC's Capitol Theater (the flagship for MGM parent company Loew's Theatres, a stunning movie palace with over 5,000 seats).
But for some reason, the film didn't quite connect with audiences and it more or less ended the career of Astaire's co-star, Lucille Bremer, who plays the title character.
Bremer had become known for playing Judy Garland's older sister in Meet Me in St. Louis, and was subsequently paired with Fred Astaire for a sequence in Ziegfeld Follies (which was filmed before Yolanda but released a year later).
Seen from a broader historical perspective, this Vincente Minnelli musical can definitely be seen for the innovative marvel that it actually is, foreshadowing the kind of abstract, dreamlike number that would be used again - to even better effect - in An American in Paris (that one did turn out to be a hit).
With its exotic setting (a fictional country named Patria), extravagant imagery and flamboyant costumes, Yolanda and the Thief is definitely a gem worth seeking out. It may not feature any particularly memorable songs, but it definitely shows off some of the major strengths that MGM had as the predominant Hollywood studio of the 40s.
It also features an absolutely marvelous supporting cast, with Frank Morgan, Mildred Natwick, and Leon Ames at their absolute best.
This isn't a musical that's easy to find, but it is definitely worth seeking out!

Love Fred Astaire, but I had my problems with this one...a link to my review:


https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2386451-yolanda_and_the_thief.html

[FilmBuff]

Love Fred Astaire, but I had my problems with this one...


It seems like the kind of movie folks either really like or really don't like, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones for having enjoyed it so much! :D

[Gideon58]

I didn't hate it. but I didn't go nuts over it like I usually did with Astaire. My main problem I guess was Lucille Bremer. She was terrible.

[FilmBuff]

I didn't hate it. but I didn't go nuts over it like I usually did with Astaire. My main problem I guess was Lucille Bremer.

She's such a gorgeous screen presence imho - especially in Technicolor! She absolutely had that je ne sais quoi that was just perfect for the dreamy Yolanda. It's a shame she only made two movies with Fred Astaire.

[Marco]

Cat People (1982)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Cat_People_1982_movie.jpg
Seriously, WTF was going on here? Decent storyline but the lack of acting ability by Nastassja Kinski kills any hopes this had. Apparently most of the crew, actors and director were off their **** on white during production. It shows. Rather than being seductive and sensual it is risible.
1.5

[Robert the List]

Un homme et une femme (1966)

A story about love, and a taste of France and the 1960s.
Some really gorgeous photography in places, which at times makes the screen look 50% larger than it is.
At times I felt like it was a Godard shandy. Half a Godard, and half a lemonade.
A very funny brief gigolo/pimp scene!!
I think the different tints may have influenced Tarkovsky for The Mirror.
The music definitely influenced BBC Newsnight.


I'll give it an 8+

My 2nd favourite film of Anouk Aimee after Lola, and my 2nd favourite film of 1966 after Antonioni's Blow-Up*.

*actually, third because Closely Watched Trains

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[matt72582]

Love 65 - 6.5/10


https://youtu.be/dfOVKIk0Y6A

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bfi.org.uk%2Fsites%2Fbfi.org.uk%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Ffull%2Fpublic%2Fimage%2Fdogm an-2018-002-dog-at-vets-ORIGINAL.jpg%3Fitok%3DuFOHzuTv&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1ff850b1612993aab1d48f94936e43d04ceb9d83b2605b49cd03394957d07628&ipo=images

Dogman, 2018

Marcello (Marcello Fonte) is a mild-mannered dog groomer who supplements his income with some low-level drug dealing on the side. Unfortunately, he gets tangled up with one of his customers, Simone (Edoardo Pesce), who draws Marcello into more and more dangerous criminal acts. When Simone forces Marcello to help him victimize people in their own community, it pushes Marcello to a breaking point.

This is a bleak examination of how far a person can be pushed before taking a stand.

3.5

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2470997#post2470997)

[Allaby]

Maxxxine (2024) Although it isn’t as good as X and Pearl, it’s still pretty entertaining with some fun moments. Goth is great here and I enjoyed Kevin Bacon’s performance too. 4

[mrblond]

The Guard (2011)

Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh
Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle and Mark Strong

Following the Brendan Gleeson's filmography, I came across this very nice cop black comedy movie. Pretty enjoyable!
4
80/100
99470

[Fabulous]

Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/8HSISF4JRtD6oQ6lUWuHrG4AEqz.jpg

[GulfportDoc]

[Chinatown]
1st Rewatch...the moody direction by Roman Polanski, the richly crafted screenplay by the recently deceased Robert Towne, and the two flawless starring performances make this loving homage to 1940's film noir sizzle from start to finish. Jack Nicholson lights up the screen bringing an appropriate light underlayer to JJ Gittes and Faye Dunaway turns in the performance of her career as the ultimate femme fatale, Evelyn Mulwray who should have had a sign hanging around her neck saying, "Don't believe anything I say." The film was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture, but only won for Towne's screenplay. There is a school of thought that Dunaway's Oscar she won for Network two years later, was a consolation prize for not winning for her performance here. It's Dunaway's finest work. Actually, everything works here. rating_5
Agree 100% Chinatown is probably the best neo-noir ever made. In fact it's one of the best noirs ever made. There were simply no weaknesses in it. Some quibble about the ending, but I think it made sense.

The years later follow-up, The Two Jakes (1990), didn't get a lot of love, but I thought it was a damn good picture --especially given all the strife during it's tumultuous history. But of course it's not as great as it's predecessor. I wish to hell they'd have followed through with the third in the trilogy. The money people got cold feet.

[GulfportDoc]

Cat People (1982)

Seriously, WTF was going on here? Decent storyline but the lack of acting ability by Nastassja Kinski kills any hopes this had. Apparently most of the crew, actors and director were off their **** on white during production. It shows. Rather than being seductive and sensual it is risible.
rating_1_5
I don't know if you've seen the 1942 Cat People, wonderfully directed by Jacques Tourneur, and produced by the redoubtable Val Lewton. It has probably the first jump scare in modern movies, called "the Lewton Bus".

Good part for Simone Simon.

[MovieBuffering]

The Great Escape - 1963

Fun flick. It took a bit to get adjusted to the film because it didn't feel like they were in a Germany WWII prison. Once I got adjusted it was actually a pretty fun little film. Think it was my first Steve Mcqueen movie. They did make it feel a lot more light hearted then the actually setting probably was. It was just a fun little film about a prison escape in WWII.

3.5

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/0aa5c4b58d6108748c57d117217a193a?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&cropH=1070&cropW=1899&xPos=21&yPos=5&width=862&height=485

[Dead2009]

Open Water (2003) 4/10

[Thief]

CULT OF CHUCKY
(2017, Mancini)

https://i.imgur.com/Ujs6t0B.jpg


"A few years ago, I came across this groovy new spell on VoodooForDummies.com that changed everything. Now, I can be me."
"And me."
"And me."
"...and theoretically, anyone or any thing with two legs and a hand for stabbing."



Cult of Chucky follows the events of Curse of Chucky as Nica (Fiona Dourif), now committed to a psychiatric hospital for the murders of the previous film, still has to deal with her own mental state, but also the inevitable return of Chucky (Brad Dourif). The killer doll has also learned a few tricks himself, which add some spice to the film. To make things more interesting, the film also brings Andy (Alex Vincent), the main character of the first three films, back into the mix as he is also coping with the trauma of his encounters with Chucky.

This one, like its predecessor, features a darker and somber tone. Granted, there is a lot of humor in it, which you can infer from the above quote, but it never reaches the levels of Bride or Seed. My main issue with this one is that it feels and looks cheap as hell. Chucky effects aside, most of the set design and production values are distractingly poor, plus the way that we see the psychiatric hospital and its staff operate lets you know that they were all working on a limited budget.

Grade: 2.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471188#post2471188)

[FilmBuff]

https://www.ewbankauctions.co.uk/catalog_images/auction/xlarge/nr002339-9_1.jpg

The Day the Earth Caught Fire
4

Possibly the granddaddy of post-apocalyptic movies, The Day the Earth Caught Fire retains much of its potency, and is still a pretty good watch today.

When a series of nuclear bomb tests unleashes bizarre meteorological events, it's up to an intrepid team of British journalists to piece together what has happened and alert the world of the impending disaster!

Although it was almost definitely not intended to portray climate change catastrophes, it's hard not to look at the movie from that perspective when watching it today.

There's a very sweet and endearing performance here by Janet Munro, who sadly would go on to die just 9 years later at the age of 38.

Also of note: one of Michael Caine's early film appearances, as a constable directing traffic (he does not even receive screen credit!).

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzAxNDE2OGEtNjljZS00OGJjLWI3YWUtMmEzZDNhZDg5OWY1XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg

The Colors of Evil - Red - (2024)

Don't know why, but this movie is kinda of a hit here in Brazil, it was Netflix's number 1 for a while. I thought it was pretty average, nothing we haven't seen before. 5/10

[Allaby]

Saving Flora (2018) Watched on Youtube. Jenna Ortega stars in this family drama about a circus owner's daughter who wants to save an elephant. The story is only moderately interesting, but Jenna Ortega elevates the film with her wonderful performance. She is so pretty and charming in this. 3.5

[Allaby]

Wyrm (2019) Watched on Youtube. Directed by Christopher Winterbauer and starring
Theo Taplitz, Azure Brandi, Lulu Wilson, and Sosie Bacon. This is quirky and awkward (like me). I dug it. The characters are weirdly compelling and I liked the performances and the unusual writing. I watched it because Jenna Ortega is in it, but her role was pretty small. I wish she had more screen time, but she was cute for the brief time she was in it. 4

[FilmBuff]

https://www.chisholm-poster.com/large/CL64675.jpg

Trotacalles
3.5


Czechoslovak-Mexican bombshell Miroslava gives arguably her greatest performance in this Matilde Landeta noir, which is also one of the most memorable films from Mexico's Golden Age (Landeta was reportedly the first woman in Mexico to work as a screenwriter and movie director).
Had the movie been made in Hollywood, it would probably have starred Barbara Stanwyck and Clark Gable or Cary Grant, and been directed by Douglas Sirk.
If there's a near-fatal flaw in the film, is that Ernesto Alonso, who was a closeted gay actor, can't help but give very noticeable queer vibes even while playing a consummate lothario - a man's man who is supposed to be the ultimate Don Juan. It's possible that this may have gone entirely over most people's heads when the film opened in 1951, but seen today, it's really strikingly clear.
That reservation aside, the film really hasn't aged badly, and despite a storyline that borders on soap territory, still feels pretty compelling today.

https://media-cache.cinematerial.com/p/500x/kkhnytxy/whore-french-movie-poster.jpg?v=1632210364

Whore
1

Coming after a series of very disappointing films in the late 1980s, Ken Russell seems to have hit rock bottom with this amateurish 1991 film which generated controversy mostly on account of its title (when it came to its home video release, an alternate version for major video chains carried the title If You Can't Say It, Just See It).
If this movie had been made by a 20-year-old filmmaker just starting out, you would probably excuse how amateurish it is in almost every regard; coming from a relatively respected (if somewhat on the wild side) director like Russell, one wonders why anyone agreed to finance it.
Theresa Russell (no relation) gives it her all but even she can't save it.

[Thief]

MIRROR OF HOLLAND
(1950, Haanstra)

https://i.imgur.com/X3dqKFm.jpg


"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." --Henry David Thoreau



Mirror of Holland is a 9 minute short comprised of a collection of images from the city. The catch is that director Bert Haanstra filmed it all using the reflections in the water. It has no dialogue, and it's only accompanied by a score from Max Vredenburg. It sounds like a simple concept and, technically, it is; but much like its blurred and rippled images, it can lend itself to many interpretations.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471297#post2471297)

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BNmZkM2Y1NGQtNTc0Mi00MmU0LWFmMWEtMzUzNWEwYzEzYWI5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzQwMT Y2Nzk%40._V1_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=04d57df02349303156d9abff00b143898c34cc9597ba7883ceea34e242cc27b3&ipo=images

Fear the Night, 2023

Tess (Maggie Q) is an Iraqi war veteran who has a tense relationship with her sister, Beth (Kat Foster). The two come to a truce to attend the bachelorette party of their youngest sister, Rose (Highdee Kuan), but things soon spiral out of control when the house comes under siege from a gang of men. Struggling to stay alive and figure out why they are being attacked, Tess must use her military skills to survive.

My bar for these kinds of films is really low, and yet this one managed to slip below it!

2

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471304#post2471304)

[Marco]

I don't know if you've seen the 1942 Cat People, wonderfully directed by Jacques Tourneur, and produced by the redoubtable Val Lewton. It has probably the first jump scare in modern movies, called "the Lewton Bus".

Good part for Simone Simon.

I'll have a look for this Doc;) I just found this version laughable, McDowell in full Caligula over the top mode etc.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ef/Deep_End_movie_poster.jpg
By https://www.rarefilmfinder.com/covers/big/31297.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7191391

Deep End - (1970)

An emotionally involving and very fine British film about a 15-year-old boy, Mike (John Moulder-Brown), who falls for his older co-worker and begins to obsess over the sexually liberated, much more mature woman - sending him off the deep end. Great film, recommended. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2470352#post2470352), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e6/Badlands_movie_poster.jpg
By [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5829563

Badlands - (1973)

Before Natural Born Killers and True Romance was Terrence Malick cracking debut, Badlands, which is more pared down to the absolute essentials, with Martin Sheen giving the performance of his career as the charismatic, murderous Kit, and Sissy Spacek equally as good as his 15-year-old girlfriend Holly. Based on a true story, and as visually captivating as most Malick films are. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2470825#post2470825), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/58/A_Royal_Affair.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://www.movieposterdb.com/poster/5dab7a93, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34829004

A Royal Affair - (2012)

If you like historical period films, you might want to check out this true story about the mad King Christian VII (Mikkel Følsgaard), his wife Caroline Matilda (Alicia Vikander) and his doctor, most trusted advisor and friend Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen) - who sleeps with the Queen and risks the reforms he's helped make possible in Denmark and his own life. Love is love, but try not to do it with the one person you could literally lose your head over. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2471358#post2471358), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

[Deschain]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BNmZkM2Y1NGQtNTc0Mi00MmU0LWFmMWEtMzUzNWEwYzEzYWI5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzQwMT Y2Nzk%40._V1_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=04d57df02349303156d9abff00b143898c34cc9597ba7883ceea34e242cc27b3&ipo=images

Fear the Night, 2023

Tess (Maggie Q) is an Iraqi war veteran who has a tense relationship with her sister, Beth (Kat Foster). The two come to a truce to attend the bachelorette party of their youngest sister, Rose (Highdee Kuan), but things soon spiral out of control when the house comes under siege from a gang of men. Struggling to stay alive and figure out why they are being attacked, Tess must use her military skills to survive.

My bar for these kinds of films is really low, and yet this one managed to slip below it!

2

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471304#post2471304)
Damn I haven’t seen Maggie Q in anything in forever and this seems like it’d be right up my alley. Bummer it’s a disappointment.

[Fabulous]

Ballad of a Soldier (1959)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/1y04NW115qLjuuLd7OUJViG2GHN.jpg

[Takoma11]

Damn I haven’t seen Maggie Q in anything in forever and this seems like it’d be right up my alley. Bummer it’s a disappointment.

If you're a fan of hers, you can give it a spin. It's not unwatchable. But it is very, very stupid and the end makes no sense. But there's one good fight scene and a handful of okay ones.

[Thief]

HAIR-RAISING HARE
(1946, Jones)

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


"Just a minute, I have another little friend who'd like to eat... uh, uh, meet you."



Hair-Raising Hare follows Bugs Bunny, as he is lured into the lair of an evil scientist. His goal? To feed Bugs to his hairy, red monster. Of course, when Bugs Bunny realizes what's up, he tries to flee while also doing his best to get the upper hand against the two baddies.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471433#post2471433)

[Thief]

THE GOLDEN LOUIS
(1909, Griffith)

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


"A subject showing the fallacy of good intentions."



That's how H.A. Downey described this short back in 1909, and he's not wrong. Directed by D.W. Griffith, The Golden Louie follows a "well-intentioned" gambler (Charles Inslee) that takes a coin from a beggar child (Adele DeGarde). His plan is to use the coin for a "sure bet" and to return the money after he wins. Unfortunately, things don't work the way he planned.

Grade: 2


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471440#post2471440)

[Stirchley]

Re-watched so many times. Brilliant movie. Steve McQueen was lovely.

99569

[Marco]

The Bikeriders (2023)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/The_BikeRiders_Poster.jpg
This was a bit boring, even the action was rather restrained. Story about the formation of a biker "club". It tries to be an epic but is really short on story for it's length even though from a novel. The narration was annoying the music intrusive and the ending a real anticlimax. I was hoping for a Hunter S Thompson expose styled film a la the book "Hells Angels" but this just a bit like a modern "The Wild One".
2

[WHITBISSELL!]

HAIR-RAISING HARE
(1946, Jones)

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




Hair-Raising Hare follows Bugs Bunny, as he is lured into the lair of an evil scientist. His goal? To feed Bugs to his hairy, red monster. Of course, when Bugs Bunny realizes what's up, he tries to flee while also doing his best to get the upper hand against the two baddies.

Grade: rating_3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471433#post2471433)Weirdest thing. I usually check this thread starting at the most recent post and working my way up the page. I read your quick review of The Golden Louis and thought, "Thief always watches the most interesting stuff" and then immediately thought of that exact Bugs Bunny short. I was going to find a gif with Bugs posing as a manicurist and schmoozing with the monster. "My, I'll bet you monsters lead interesting lives." And then I scroll up and there's that exact same short.

[Thief]

LOL, serendipity :laugh:

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fernbyfilms.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F11%2F1938-You-Cant-Take-It-With-You-07-768x432.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=d20c6e4cbb2e257befb95d4a33ab4169cc1e3243f093f07e2077bbfbce34bbe2&ipo=images

You Can’t Take it With You, 1938

Alice (Jean Arthur) is a stenographer who is in love with businessman Tony (Jimmy Stewart). Unfortunately, Alice’s eccentric family----ruled over by gentle contrarian Martin (Lionel Barrymore)---is not a good fit for Tony’s more uptight, wealthy parents (Edward Arnold and Mary Forbes). Worse still, Tony’s father is attempting to buy out an entire neighborhood just to spite a rival.

This is a gentle, endearing screwball comedy.

4

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471497#post2471497)

[Thief]

PARENT TEACHER
(2018, Cummings & Hahn)

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


"Hi! My name is Mr. Zahn, and my job is to make this work. And you're job – apparently – is to *not* make this work."



Parent Teacher is a 17 minute short from Jim Cummings and Dustin Hahn. It follows a parent/teacher meeting at a school classroom led by Mr. Zahn (Hahn). As he tries to go through the different topics of the meeting, he realizes that the parents aren't really much different than their kids.

Cummings and Hahn do a great job transmitting the seriousness of the situation in a way that feels real, without losing the funny edge. But as great as the dialogue, script, and performances are, the quality of the short is elevated by their decision of doing it all in one continuous shot, something that has become some sort of a trademark from Cummings. 18 takes, Cummings told me via Twitter. It is quite an impressive feat.

Grade: 4.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471506#post2471506)

[Allaby]

Ziegfeld Follies (1945) This may be the most uneven film I have ever seen. There are some wonderful musical numbers and the costumes and sets look fantastic. The comedy bits are not funny and drag the film down. It's worth watching for the cast and the good (ie. musical) parts. 3

[FilmBuff]

Ziegfeld Follies (1945) This may be the most uneven film I have ever seen. There are some wonderful musical numbers and the costumes and sets look fantastic. The comedy bits are not funny and drag the film down. It's worth watching for the cast and the good (ie. musical) parts. 3

You're not putting enough effort! Yes, any movie becomes a masterpiece if you just put in enough effort. ;) :p

[FilmBuff]

https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f-film-poster.jpg

Beverly Hills Cop - Axel F
1.5

Sure, the Axel F theme is still as peppy as ever, but almost everything else in this movie feels like it belongs in a museum.
One can only imagine what this movie must feel like to any youngster who never watched any other entry in the series... I mean, would they be wondering "what's supposed to be funny about this?" Maybe.
It's hard to remember Eddie Murphy was once one of the funniest, most quick-witted comedians in show business.
Even worse, aside from Murphy himself there's a few other actors who look like they ought to be enjoying retirement (good thing they couldn't pull Renny Cox into this mess).
The one redeeming note is Taylour Paige, who does all she can with a badly underwritten character. Can't help but hoping she won't be stuck doing a whole bunch more of these.
Unlike the previous movies in the series, which were all directed by seasoned pros, this incoherent mess of a film with terrible action scenes and even worse "comedy" was handed off to a first-time director, who will now have to wear this as a badge of shame.

https://img.moviesrankings.com/t/p/w1280/8BaiASRfmUAMu1IQiU5saaKqWkr.jpg

Beverly Hills Cop III
1

As terrible as the 4th entry in the series is, at least it doesn't have the distinction of being the absolute worst of all of them.
Made after Murphy's career had slowed considerably after a string of terrible movies and box-office failures, the movie didn't really do a lot to revive his career, becoming yet another badly-reviewed underperformer.
What little fun there is may come down to all of the celebrity cameos director John Landis was able to get here: look fast for George Lucas, Martha Coolidge, Robert B. Sherman, Arthur Hiller, John Singleton, Joe Dante, Barbet Schroeder, Peter Medak, and special effects legend Ray Harryhausen.

[LChimp]

https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/beverly-hills-cop-axel-f-film-poster.jpg

Beverly Hills Cop - Axel F - (2024)

I had a bit more fun than my friend up here, but I agree with most of what he said.

[Fabulous]

Sapphire (1959)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/mg8tliggxppaLZSbKFwEr3ervCW.jpg

[beelzebubble]

The Bikeriders (2023)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/The_BikeRiders_Poster.jpg
This was a bit boring, even the action was rather restrained. Story about the formation of a biker "club". It tries to be an epic but is really short on story for it's length even though from a novel. The narration was annoying the music intrusive and the ending a real anticlimax. I was hoping for a Hunter S Thompson expose styled film a la the book "Hells Angels" but this just a bit like a modern "The Wild One".
2
My sister saw this. She said it was based on a photography book with comments from the subjects not a novel and that the movie emulated the actual shots from the book and the narration was based on the comments.

[FilmBuff]

My sister saw this. She said it was based on a photography book with comments from the subjects not a novel and that the movie emulated the actual shots from the book and the narration was based on the comments.

That's right, the movie is based on a photo-book by Danny Lyon (he's portrayed by Mike Faist in the movie).

Also, it's a shame that so many people apparently weren't ready for a grownup movie clearly aimed at grownups. There's nothing gimmicky about the story or the cinematic construction of the movie - that's what's so special about it. Movies like these - honest, hard looks at the way ordinary American lived their lives - used to be common, now they're a rarity.

[TheDeadRaven]

8.5/10
4.5

Witness Furiosa, The Angel That Can't Be Sent To The Valhalla

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDRkNGNjNzMtYzE3MS00OWQyLTkzZGUtNWIyMmYwMjY3YzYxXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UY711_.jpg

"Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" (2024) is a prequel to the movie "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015). It is directed by George Miller and produced by Doug Mitchell. The intention behind this film is to portray how young Furiosa came to be what she is today. To dive deeper into the film, I am dividing the film into four topics: the sound design, the performance of the actors, the director's approach, and the viewer's perspective.

It needs to be said that the review is a little biased as Anya is the protagonist. I have been crushing on her since "The Queen's Gambit". Consequently, whatever she does is the best to my standards.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjAwZDg0NmEtM2E5ZC00NjM1LWExODQtYzgzODEzZDEwZDFmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_FMjpg_UX1280_.j pg

In this day and age, a movie would be boring without sounds. a great sound design is the key to making a great movie. Tom Holkernborg aka Junkie XL was in charge of the sound designs. The music was sufficiently suspenseful and was in sync with Mad Max: Fury Road (as one would expect it to be), but I wouldn't say it is Junkie XL's (Tom Holkenborg) best work. I am unfamiliar with his work other than Mad Max: Fury Road. But sufficient to say expectations were met. There was no dull moment. Specifically, the crucifixion scene will stick with me for some time. The scene was good as it is, the sounds hit me twice as hard. No doubt great sound design is in place, it is up to the actors to bring the story in front of our eyes.

Let's talk about background actors, to begin with. The background actors from time to time went overboard. Maybe it's just me. The exemplary comparison I am making for this decision is when Dementus (Chris) stood in the middle of The Citadel, negotiating with Immortant Joe. A negotiation of this severity in "Mad Max: Fury Road" would include chaos as if hell was let loose; whereas, it was rather quiet. Especially, in front of a crowd of civilians and kamikazes waiting to be witnessed before departing to Valhalla. But to make up for it, Thor came to the rescue.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2QxY2NkOTAtZDMwMi00OTExLThmMWYtYWU1YzQyZGVkZmIyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1800_.j pg

Chris Hemsworth, who was cast as Dementus, blew my mind. Considering his best is Thor and his worst is "Poman Dao" (Extraction 2), I would say it's 4.5/5. He portrays himself as a greedy leader who would do anything to get what he wants. The Chris who played Thor was not present in him. I believe this is what actors call getting into the character. He did a bloody good job at that. There is another antagonist in this movie, which is Immortan Joe. He is present in the movie "Mad Max: Fury Road". So I will not talk about him here. But I will, however, talk about the other side of the coin. This coin has Dementus, Immortan Joe as its tail. You guessed it right— it's Furiosa, the one and only Furiosa.



The protagonist of this movie, Furiosa, is played by Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy. She is the perfect fit for the role. I would argue that there would have been better options to fit the younger Furiosa with the older one, but it is pretty negligible. Her adaptation to the role was seamless. Her facial expressions were fantastic. her actions were crazy good. I also get a female-empowerment vibe when she enters the screen. She upholds what I would imagine Furiosa to be. I wonder if Brian Stableford (the writer of the novels) would agree. But what I know for sure is George Miller agrees.

https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/furiosa-anya-taylor-joy.jpg?w=1000&h=667&crop=1

Since the sequel was directed by George Miller, he is the right guy to direct this movie.
Both movies are in the same universe. Hats off to George Miller for the graceful incorporation. The perspectives were a bit vague when Furiosa was taken as a slave. But he ended strong. There was a subtle hint in the middle too. I wasn't too sure if it was Max, but after the climax, I was sure. Overall, he did a splendid work of portraying the story. However, casting the same actress may have worked better since Immortan Joe is the same, and so is Max (at least his figure is similar to Tom Hardy). But casting Anya was a great decision too. It adds a new spice to the dish. Sometimes small changes can bring up a huge difference. In this case, it was all for the good.

Lastly, the film was very entertaining. It managed to give a smooth sailing through the whole movie. It's packed with action, sentiments, and thrill. Moments like Furiosa Hanging over a single chain gave me chills running down my spine. It didn't stop there. It kept giving me emotional rides like the separation of a mother and daughter, her sacrifice, Furiosa's ripping her limb to escape, losing her mentor etc. I said it before and I will say it again— Never a dull moment.

Some topics weren't considered such as the post-production and VFX, colour theory, previous Mad Max movies (from the 80s) etc. since I do not have enough information and/or knowledge to comment on them.

[Marco]

My sister saw this. She said it was based on a photography book with comments from the subjects not a novel and that the movie emulated the actual shots from the book and the narration was based on the comments.

Yes, Beelzebubble. There are pics in the close that bear that out. I realise a novel is fictional, bad choice of term on my part. TBH doesn't seem like a photography publication I'd be interested in anyway, so I might just be the wrong audience.

[Takoma11]

Parent Teacher is a 17 minute short from Jim Cummings and Dustin Hahn. It follows a parent/teacher meeting at a school classroom led by Mr. Zahn (Hahn). As he tries to go through the different topics of the meeting, he realizes that the parents aren't really much different than their kids.

Cummings and Hahn do a great job transmitting the seriousness of the situation in a way that feels real, without losing the funny edge. But as great as the dialogue, script, and performances are, the quality of the short is elevated by their decision of doing it all in one continuous shot, something that has become some sort of a trademark from Cummings. 18 takes, Cummings told me via Twitter. It is quite an impressive feat.

Grade: 4.5

You know my feelings about Jim Cummings. The parent-teacher conversation in Thunder Road is probably one of my favorite things he's put on screen.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftrailersfromhell.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F10%2F6359topFace.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=831a522d39ebb886fc9e7822cde1d86131d3a08090dfd7f09a73c3a50784c86e&ipo=images

The Face at the Window, 1939

A town is experiencing a series of murders in which people are terrified by a gruesome face that appears at their window before they are brutally stabbed to death. When the mysterious monster attacks a bank and kills a worker there, banker Brisson (Aubrey Mallalieu) must turn to the wealthy del Gardo (Tod Slaughter) to save the bank with a large deposit. But the lecherous del Gardo has his eye on Brisson’s daughter, Cecile (Marjorie Taylor), who herself is already in love with the dashing Lucien (John Warwick). Del Gardo will stop at nothing to implicate Lucien in the killings and take Cecile for himself.

Benefitting strongly from a scenery-chewing central performance, this film doesn’t quite have the pace or overt weirdness to be a winning so-bad-it’s-good film.

3

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471590#post2471590)

[Thief]

You know my feelings about Jim Cummings. The parent-teacher conversation in Thunder Road is probably one of my favorite things he's put on screen.

For a moment I had forgotten about that scene, but yeah! Such a good moment, and now I wonder if this short was the reason why he included it.

[Fabulous]

Saw (2004)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/wkTEdiZFa8wmZsRUxunHKsrA9r9.jpg

[Torgo]

Running Out of Time - 4

https://i.postimg.cc/7PMcd43k/running-time-2.jpg

Check out my review and more in my Hong Kong thread. (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=65747&nocache=30631720703485)

[Thief]

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA
(1986, Carpenter)

https://i.imgur.com/f4shNMV.png


"I'm a reasonable guy. But, I've just experienced some very unreasonable things."



Big Trouble in Little China follows trucker Jack Burton (Jack Russell) as he tries to help his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) rescue his fiancée from an underworld gang led by an evil sorcerer named Lo Pan (James Hong). Joining them in this journey full of unreasonable things is an assorted group of allies, which include Wang's businessman friend, a friend of Wang's fiancée, and an old magician.

This is a film I'm pretty sure I saw a couple of times when I was a teen. However, for some reason, it had been easily 25-30 years since I last saw it; which is a shame cause the film is a ton of fun. Even if things doesn't make much sense and seem "unreasonable", like Lo Pan himself said, we are "not brought upon this world to get it!". Especially since the film is carried by Russell's charisma and the great chemistry between the cast, as well as the fantastic setpieces and colorful villains.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471639#post2471639)

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYmI0Mjg2MzctMjk4Ni00MTUzLWI0NzktNmI0MmJmMmQyZDEyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUzOTY1NTc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.j pg



5th Rewatch...This lavishly prodfuced but long and lumbering musical was definitely a departure for director Martm Scorses that, for the most part, audiences stayed away from in droves, but for hardcore Minnelli and DeNiro fans, there is a lot to like here. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Three_Men_and_a_Baby.png

1st Rewatch...The stars are charming but this movie is so predictable and unimaginative. 3

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mubicdn.net%2Fimages%2Ffilm%2F77140%2Fcache-154940-1466415778%2Fimage-w1280.jpg%3Fsize%3D800x&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=10bc8fd150e7ede051f47e6e5b34a8c5de3dffeaa4e6fd130cb41f23ba2105b8&ipo=images

Oh, Susanna, 1936

While on a train, Gene Autry (as himself) is accosted by the villainous Wolf Benson (Boothe Howard), who trades outfits with the singing cowboy and throws him off of the train. Arrested as Wolf, Autry must find a way to escape the hangman’s rope, with the help of friends Frog (Smiley Burnette) and Ezeckial (Earle Hodgins).

The substance of the film is pretty much all in the musical numbers, which are all perfectly fine, and in the case of the bicycle number pretty funny. This is nothing grand, but it’s sweet and unpretentious.

3

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471648#post2471648)

[Marco]

Invincible (2001)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ec/Invincible_VideoCover.png
Semi-factual drama by Werner Herzog (though the timelines are well off), of Zishe Breitbart, a Polish Jewish strongman. He goes to Berlin and is manipulated by the con-man Hanussen to first start out as an Aryan spectacle of strength in his mystical cabaret show (best scenes of the film) and then as "Samson" when he announces his Judaism. This is entertaining and both (separate) stories of the protagonists are just as interesting in real life. I can forgive Herzog because he melds both stories together and never claimed it was the truth (the wily old fox).
3

[FilmBuff]

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LvvkuZ19zbA/VU98VF9KnII/AAAAAAAAQL4/wneDciS-WBo/s1600/Robot%2BMonster2.jpg

Robot Monster
1.5

There's not a lot that can be said for a sci-fi movie where the main monster is a gorilla with a diving helmet!
A real curio from the 1950s, it deserves to be seen in 3D, even if the 3D really isn't all that great (and of course there's no 3D effects at all in the dinosaur footage borrowed from some other movie).



https://hollywoodposters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ManWasntOS.jpg

The Man Who Wasn't There (1983)
1

Somebody should have told the producers the only thing that's invisible in this comedy is... the comedy.
This Steve Guttenberg vehicle is definitely among the very worst of the early-80s 3D fad, and perhaps the quality of some of these 3D efforts is part of the reason it was such a short-lived fad.
And obviously the 3D effects in this one aren't anything to write home about, either - especially the very fake-looking ones of people falling from a great height.
One is almost sorry for Lisa Langlois, who was asked to take her clothes off for this movie several times, for no good reason. Guttenberg, on the other hand, definitely should have stayed fully clothed throughout.
Look quickly for Miguel Ferrer in one of his earliest film appearances (he plays a waiter).

[Mr Minio]

Robot Monster
1.5
2deep4u

[Deschain]

The Wolf's Call

99609
99610

A really dope little French submarine thriller. Great use of visual storytelling and creating tension and action without relying on typical hero/villain tropes. I was very impressed, especially since I never heard of it except for a quick mention on the Blank Check podcast. It's on Amazon Prime.

[Allaby]

Follow That Bird (1985) This was fun. I love the characters and the songs are good too. 4

[Allaby]

Branching Out (2024) A Hallmark tv movie about a single mom who tracks down her daughter's biological father. This was cute and sweet, one of the better Hallmark films. 4

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDM2MDYxODE2Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjcxMjc3MTE@._V1_.jpg

Wer - (2013)

The ending was kinda meh, but overall, a solid spin on the werewolf trope. 7/10

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BN2IyYzY2YmEtMzJlMi00YjM4LWEyNTYtMjY0ZWUyMGRjMTM1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzk3NT UwOQ%40%40._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=0ec86aa9f20cb38d4c2e92653d6ef8e9df6f1b1015329d4e8263006b6bba1b88&ipo=images

The Merry Widow, 1934

Madame Sonia (Jeanette MacDonald) is a wealthy widow who owns a large portion of the kingdom of Marshovia. When she decides to leave the country for Paris, the panicked King Achmet (George Barbier) and Ambassador Popoff (Edward Horton) order ladies man Danilo (Maurice Chevalier) to woo her so that she will return.

Charming and cheeky, just like its main characters.

3.5

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2471793#post2471793)

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/11/Aftersun.jpg/220px-Aftersun.jpg

3.5

SF = Zzz

Viewed: BBC iPlayer.


https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExYnlhZjA0MDJvZzg1anZpNnV0bHB4Z3Fvbmk4cmNqa29maDZndmFzNiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfY nlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/XnNXdodbNmfbYfIB3e/giphy.gif

The music... :eek:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lwXoi5sTPqI&pp=ygUOYWZ0ZXJzdW4gbXVzaWM%3D



[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

[TheUsualSuspect]

Longlegs

https://mediafiles.cineplex.com/Central/Film/Posters/36250_768_1024.jpg

4


"Today I wore my long legs..." shudder.

Longlegs is the creepy brother to Zodiac and Silence of the Lambs. On the surface it looks like any other crime thriller procedural involving a young detective trying to identify a serial killer, but early on you get this uneasy sense of dread...and it never lets up the entire film.

Perkins' direction is extremely confident with how he frames his shots, I found myself scanning the background of dozens of scenes just waiting for something to appear in a doorframe or hallway. How he lingers on things, slow zooms, aspect ratio changes, everything is crafted to make you squirm just a bit.

I don't even know how to describe Nic Cage's character. Just when you think the man couldn't be anymore unhinged, he goes and does something like this. Perkins' is smart enough to not let Cage take over the film, his scenes are restrained in terms of screentime and he cuts away from revealing too much of his face for a good amount as well. That act of cutting away everytime we're about to see him also gives you this uneasy feeling. The man looked unrecognizable to me and I was onboard with his performances from the get-go. Maika Monroe is again, a star waiting to really explode onto the scene. She has carved out great performances in genre films and this is one of her best.

Don't let the hype ruin this movie for you. It's not the scariest thing put to celluoid. Some directions in the story might take some people out of the experience, but overall, this is a great horror film that knows exactly what tone is wants.

More like this please.

[Fabulous]

All Fall Down (1962)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/pHS5wdluuvUsxOyeERQ58r3Z8C1.jpg

[Swan]

Longlegs (Oz Perkins, 2024)

For as creepy and well-made as this film is (and I think it's both), I am hoping the hype train doesn't kill it, simply because too often a movie deserving of love can be tainted by hyperbole. Fortunately, because this is a movie that works due to the subtlety and nuance in its craft and horror, I do think it'll have staying power. I hope it does. Everything about it works, including the humor that *should* feel out of place but doesn't. Cage delivers here, with a theatrical and chilling performance, and although my appreciation for his bewildering character is growing, I still think I actually liked everything surrounding his creepy killer (one whose presence is always felt, if not always seen) more than the killer himself - from Monroe's different but possibly superior performance, to the excellent revelation/explanation at the end that was compelling and vague enough to not feel cheesy or contrived, like I was worried about, and was instead extremely captivating and creative. Moreover, Perkins shines here as writer/director, never falling into cliche, and it's time people pay attention to him if they aren't already.

[honeykid]

When people like Swan and TheUsualSuspect talk about a horror film that well, I take notice. I don't have netflix but I'll keep an eye out.


The Eyes Of Laura Mars - 3+ It wasn't well liked at the time and it's not well remembered, but there's something about this that I like. In part it's nostalgia, but it has the feeling of a low key Giallo but it's very much if its time and culture. There's nothing great or showy about it, but it has a strong cast, a decent director and John Carpenter was one of the writers and feels very evocative of its time.

Food Of The Gods 2.5+ It is what it is, a 70's humans are ****ing up the world and nature will fight back genre with some wonderfully 'outsized' animals but also some effects which are genuinely good (the way the animals look as if they actually have been shot is very effective) which does help put it a little above the people being attacked by obviously friendly or disinterested animals films of this type. A definite alcohol/snacks/friends movie but if you like the genre there's probably enough for you here to enjoy.

[LChimp]

https://www.clickpb.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Furiosa-Uma-Saga-Mad-Max.jpg

Furiosa A Mad Max Saga - (George Miller, 2024)

9/10

[FilmBuff]

https://www.comingsoon.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/longlegs-teaser.jpg

LONGLEGS
2.5


LONGLEGS is a shaggy-dog story with a Razzie-level performance and a perfunctory screenplay.

Having said that, tech credits are particularly strong, none so more than the exquisite, nimble cinematography by Andrés Arochi, making his feature debut after working on short films and music videos. He's definitely a talent worth keeping an eye out for.

https://assets-prd.ignimgs.com/2024/07/11/bts1-longlegs-osgoodperkins-dpandresarochi-courtesyofneon-1720740810005.jpg
Arochi and director Oz Perkins.

Arochi's lensing makes the most of the movie's Pacific Northwest locations, which are one of the film's chief assets (British Columbia, as usual, dubs for the Oregon locations).

The movie's visual beauty helps to make up for what's missing in the story department, as writer-director Oz Perkins's story is really rather predictable all the way through, with a hearty dose of hocus pocus and an even bigger ration of plot holes.

As the FBI agent who becomes central to the pursuit of the chief suspect here, Maika Monroe does the best she can with a part that, as written, can't help but come off as a pale imitation of Clarice Starling, complete with a lot of childhood baggage.

I enjoyed LONGLEGS mostly on a purely visual level - tech credits are all uniformly strong, even if the story and the performances are decidedly a mixed bag (some critics have called it "a grueling collage of far better films").

The comparisons with The Silence of the Lambs may be a bit unfair, as Jonathan Demme's Oscar-winner was a real tour de force in every single regard that pushed the envelope way further than anyone back then thought it could be pushed.

Oh well. At least I know I can definitely look forward to Arochi's next film as DP.

[Allaby]

Fun and Fancy Free (1947) I liked the animation and the bears in the first segment are cute, but the two stories are pretty mediocre. The parts with the little girls and the dummies felt odd and out of place. Why is this little girl hanging out by herself with a man and his dummies? If it is a party, shouldn't there be other children there? Where are the girl's parents? The structure of this doesn't work, but there are some amusing moments. 3

[Allaby]

Longlegs (2024) I liked Nicolas Cage's performance here, but felt he was underused. I wanted more Cage! Maika Monroe felt a little too reserved and almost wooden at times, but I think that was intentional for the character. I didn't find it scary, but it is creepy and atmospheric and I was engaged to see where they were going with it. The story didn't completely work for me, as there are things that were not explained and didn't really make sense. The actions of various characters stretched believability in some instances. There are some entertaining elements to the film, but for me it doesn't make my list of the best films of the year. 3.5

[FilmBuff]

I wanted more Cage!

This performance would have worn thin if given too much screen time imho

[Allaby]

This performance would have worn thin if given too much screen time imho

That is a possible risk, but I still wanted a little more of Cage.

[Darth Pazuzu]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ed/Despicable_Me_4_Theatrical_Release_Poster.jpeg/220px-Despicable_Me_4_Theatrical_Release_Poster.jpeg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f7/Inside_Out_2_poster.jpg/220px-Inside_Out_2_poster.jpg

July 9, 2024

DESPICABLE ME 4 (Chris Renaud / 2024)
INSIDE OUT 2 (Kelsey Mann / 2024)

Well, I just thought I'd take a break from live action for just one week and check out what all the younglings are into these days. I find animated features to be a lot of fun sometimes... in measured doses! While I don't really want to go full-on in-depth on the two that I saw last Tuesday, I will once again say that this is my first viewing experience of either of these franchises. (And anyone who's familiar with my posts will find that a very familiar refrain by now! :lol:)

Despicable Me 4 is the further adventures of Anti-Villain League agent Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) and his family. This time around Gru and his ever-present Minions are up against Maxime Le Mal (voiced by an almost unrecognizable Will Farrell), an old school rival who has made himself into a human cockroach and aims to kidnap Gru's infant son Gru Jr.

While all that was good fun, it was Inside Out 2 that really jumped out at me. I really enjoyed this one a lot. I thought it was rather sophisticated in its portrayal of the turbulent adolescent emotions of Riley Anderson, who's just turned 13. If you've seen the original 2015 film - and I haven't yet - you'll know that this movie deals with the personified emotions Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger who have to work together inside the 11-year-old Riley Anderson's mind. This time around, however, the onset of puberty has triggered the arrival of five new emotions: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, Ennui and Nostalgia. And all this while Riley has gone to an ice hockey camp with her old friends and is desperately trying to fit in with new friends and create a good impression on the coach. What could go wrong, you ask? Much hilarity, poignancy, invention and outright suspense ensues, resulting in a surprisingly affecting film. I would heartily recommend this. :D

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BNGY4MzM3MmEtMDdlYy00MWQ3LTg3OWItYjYzZTZkYzBiMzJiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTg3Nz A4ODI%40._V1_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=34c3d19b3c02929e3353b8c622c9d109a18d422da919b716ea04492ce1910f1a&ipo=images

The Death Kiss, 1932

On a film set overseen by studio manager Joseph (Bela Lugosi), an actor is killed during the filming of a scene. While the studio wants to bury the incident as an accident and keep filming, screenwriter Franklyn (David Manners) finds evidence that the killing was intentional. With the assistance of studio security man Gulliver (Vince Barnett), Franklyn follows a series of tangled curls to find the killer.

This is a brisk, old-school murder mystery.

3.5

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472048#post2472048)

[beelzebubble]

Yes, Beelzebubble. There are pics in the close that bear that out. I realise a novel is fictional, bad choice of term on my part. TBH doesn't seem like a photography publication I'd be interested in anyway, so I might just be the wrong audience.
I’ve seen a number of reviews that make the same criticisms that you do concerning The Bikeriders. I thought may be the reason for the lack of plot might be because it keeps too close to the source material.

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Haven't had a lot of time to post in the past week or so, but...

Pretty Poison (1968, Noel Black) - A-
The Honey Pot (1967, Joseph Mankiewicz) - C+
The More the Merrier (1943, George Stevens) - A-
It Should Happen to You (1954, George Cukor) - C

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Furiosa A Mad Max Saga - (George Miller, 2024)

9/10

I loved it and gave it a same rating of an A- or 9/10. I gave Fury Road and A+ and it was one of my top 15 of the decade (2010-2019). Furiosa should have made waaaaayyyy more money than what it did, but you know people are stupid these days and only Marvel super hero movies make any money.

The 20-30 minute or so sequence in the middle of the film when Furiosa's identity is revealed when she teams up with Jack to defend the war rig is pure brilliance of action, storytelling, and character reveal. Also unlike, so many action films these days, George Miller knows how to frame movement so the screen doesn't look like a bunch of jagged and random images flashing at the audience and Miller knows how to pace and have sequences shot and edited so we know exactly where the characters are, objects, spatial relationships, and forward movement. That sequence is a masterpiece and done with minimal and non-intrusive CGI. Most of the big budget action films these days, which tend to be the dime a dozen super hero movies, play out more like a video game cut scene and are beyond boring and numbing. Oh and listen to the soundtrack too during that sequence with the droning score and onward pushing drumbeats that never become overbearing, but act as subtext to heightening the action and intensity that the action has earned. This is very much UNLIKE a Christopher Nolan film where he tries to compensate for erratic action and annoying framing and camera movement and a real sense of urgency with load and obnoxious musical scores. Of course George Miller is twice the director that Chris Nolan is... or at least a post Batman Begins Chris Nolan I should say. His first three films were wonderful.

[FilmBuff]

This time around, however, the onset of puberty has triggered the arrival of five new emotions: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, Ennui and Nostalgia.

Yeah, but Nostalgia isn't really supposed to be there yet. :p

[honeykid]

Yeah, but Nostalgia isn't really supposed to be there yet. :p

I don't know, I remember my niece when she was 9 saying, back in the day. :eek: I told her, you haven't had a day yet. :D

[FilmBuff]

I don't know, I remember my niece when she was 9 saying, back in the day. :eek: I told her, you haven't had a day yet. :D

No, in the movie, Nostalgia is told that she's not supposed to be there yet.

[TDH1878]

Bad Boys (1995)
3

https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/Bad_Boys_026.jpg?bwg=1569331582

[TDH1878]

Bad Boys II (2003)
2.5

https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/Bad_Boys_II_009.jpg?bwg=1569331823

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTU2OTQzOTc1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDM5MDE4Mg@@._V1_.jpg

The Invention of Lying - (2009)

I enjoyed it quite a bit, reminded me of Yesterday (2019), kinda the same vibe here, although this is a lot more funny... Rick Gervais funny, if you don't like it, avoid it.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.HKQ-mamNmhabc3aDl5SjZAHaE1%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=ea64f29f9119998ef81008c8af49841b8363658b44d38a4b7dbc12d84d71343b&ipo=images

When a very lost movie agent ends up in Kermit the Frog’s swamp, Kermit is convinced to pursue a career in Hollywood. Traveling across the country, he is soon joined by companions Fozzy the Bear, Gonzo, and Miss Piggy. But unfortunately for Kermit, Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) and his reluctant assistant Max (Austin Pendleton) will stop at nothing to force Kermit to become the face of Hopper’s frog leg food chain.

A very funny and hopeful film full of great songs and some wonderful/terrible puns. (Myth! Myth! Yeth?).

4

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472218#post2472218)

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fprod-images.tcm.com%2Fv5cache%2FTCM%2FImages%2FDynamic%2Fi207%2Fsolongatthefair1950_1024x767_042620130426 18.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=eacd8ccfc82b5dfb129879d3eea227727436cf63dbf79fb6cb25e96106311236&ipo=images

So Long at the Fair, 1950

Vicky (Jean Simmons) arrives in Paris with her brother, Johnny (David Tomlinson), to enjoy the World’s Fair. After a day of adventuring they retire to their rooms . . . and when Vicky wakes up in the morning, her brother is gone. Not only that, but his room at the hotel no longer exists. The woman who runs the hotel, Madame Herve (Cathleen Nesbitt), further insists that Vicky came to the hotel alone. As even those who are sympathetic to her story---the police, the man at the British consulate---also seem to think she’s just mentally ill, Vicky finally stumbles on someone who does believe her: a painter named George (Dick Bogarde). Together they try to piece together what happened to Johnny.

This thriller has a fantastic premise, though it never quite hits the pulpy excesses that might have pushed it into more memorable territory.

4

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472225#post2472225)

[MovieGal]

99703
The Riddle of the Sands
(1979)
3/5

Not really my type of film. It's a British spy thriller. It was decent but I have little knowledge of pre WW1 history as far as between Britain and Germany.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BYzFmN2E1YWQtNTkzNy00YzY3LWFhYjYtMGQxZTRkMTlhY2IyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTM5OD A3MjU1._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=fd300297b2d9d2d82587dcfd3508fbfdc6269e8359c9ef4baa68688e6a606095&ipo=images

Crawlspace, 2022

Robert (Henry Thomas) is an out--of-work plumber who is called out to do a job on a remote home in the woods. Needing the money, Robert agrees and heads out to the isolated house. But while Robert is in the crawlspace under the house, he witnesses the homeowner being murdered by Sterling (Bradley Stryker) and Dooley (C. Ernst Hath) and realizes that a duffel bag full of cash in the crawlspace is what they are after.

This is a mediocre action-thriller, albeit one with a game cast.

2.5

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472233#post2472233)

[Fabulous]

Villains (2019)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/z9Ipktaq5ZF4WAPFkQqnmPugd3I.jpg

[MovieGal]

99708
The Omega Code
(1999)
3/5

I first saw this at the cinema when it came out. It's an Antichrist film without having the horror aspect to it. It was just ok.

[MovieGal]

99711
Logan's Run
(1976)
3.75/5

This is the first science fiction movie I can remember seeing. My parents took my young sister and I to see it at the Drive-in theatre when it was first released. I was 9 yrs old at the time and I remember certain aspects were frightening. I have seen it several times over the years but only remember bits and pieces. Now at the age of 57 yrs old, I'm glad I chose to rewatch. I liked it more now than previously.

Is it a great film? No its not, it's entertaining and the cinematography fits for the time period in which it was created. Will I see the remake? It depends on several things including the actors.

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/c4pwJc6S/hand.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52048902

The Handmaiden - (2016)

This twist-laden, erotic, blast of a film exemplifies all of the great qualities South Korean cinema offers these days. Wonderful story, and a very interesting take on British crime novel 'Fingersmith'. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2471605#post2471605), in my watchlist thread.

9/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1a/Overlordposter.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17825200

Overlord - (1975)

Winning portrait of a very young man, Thomas Beddows (Brian Stirner), as he's conscripted into the army to fight the Nazis in World War 2. What follows is a mix of real-life footage with his story, seamlessly amalgamated and blended into a great perspective of human worth set against a gigantic, industrial, military machine. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2471803#post2471803), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/43/Gifted_poster.jpeg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Fox Searchlight Pictures., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64749697

Gifted - (2017)

Good film boosted by an unforgettable child performance from young Mckenna Grace as 7-year-old maths prodigy Mary. I think it would have been better if a more vulnerable, flawed person were fighting for custody - her uncle Frank is played by Chris Evans, and as a superhuman, handsome, stoic, strong-willed and perfect protagonist I never really found my way past the actor in that case. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2472074#post2472074), in my watchlist thread.

6/10

https://i.postimg.cc/XYcwryTD/turin.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://www.movieposterdb.com/poster/dcbbe13f, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32461936

The Turin Horse - (2011)

Profoundly disturbing and brooding film about an old man and his daughter living their lives in a desolate place where the world is seemingly coming to it's end as basic elements are stripped away from them, and their horse refuses to eat, drink or move. Amazing long takes make up this absolute stunner of an artistic achievement. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2472253#post2472253), in my watchlist thread.

10/10

[matt72582]

The Tinder Swindler
By accident, I hit the Netflix button on my remote, and it worked (this time... even Prime had some similar glitch).. I searched, knowing if I exited, I might not ever use it again. Not a big deal, because it's not worth a penny a month, but I don't have cable, and I was tired of the Trump assassination stuff everywhere, so this was a distraction.. I've never used any of this bullshit. I don't have a "smart" phone and after seeing this, I really don't ever want to see anything current but I'm obsessed with "free" stuff that cost me a lot now that I think of it. This guy from israel just ponzi schemed women, one who falls in love, but no one is likable. Tossing 100k like it's nothing so they can take photos of caviar.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNO4X__dagA

[Fabulous]

Eight Men Out (1988)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/6v594uUI5VOBjdlxiV0d6EOjvW.jpg

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fd1nslcd7m2225b.cloudfront.net%2FPictures%2F1024x536%2F7%2F4%2F2%2F1107742_New_York_ I_Love_You_1.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=db27883b316b07e97f65d3821e58c628128c3b0c59f0eb99754e882a7fa62a35&ipo=images

New York, I Love You, 2008

In this anthology film, various characters meet and interact in a series of stories all set in New York City.

I strongly disliked watching this film, and the few bright moments were not worth the slog. Given some of the people they had in the cast, the only word I can use is “unacceptable.”

2.5

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472370#post2472370)

[chawhee]

The Founder (2017)
https://media-cache.cinematerial.com/p/500x/ylc7ltic/the-founder-movie-poster.jpg?v=1481312755
3.5
A really interesting movie, but the embellishment seemed to come through a bit heavy at times (though I'm not precisely familiar with the actual true story). More big names here than I would expect in a movie like this.

[iluv2viddyfilms]

I'm still processing the tragic events and am deeply saddened by evil we saw yesterday, so I treated myself to a trio of films today...each of which are wonderful films, all currently on Amazon Prime (which does have a good handful of classic films in their library)... two silly and fun satirical Marx Brothers films, and then a serious film... Humphrey Bogart's last film, which oddly enough I've only seen bits and pieces of, but never have sat down to watch it in its entirety. It's a dark and powerful piece of social commentary, and sadly there are so many people in the world... back then and today, just like the Rod Steiger character... but I know there are also people out there in the real world like the character Bogart plays too, which is silver lining and gives us hope.

The only complaint I have and it's nitpicky is that a person could have 25 thrown fights on their way to a heavyweight championship bout. That part of the story felt far fetched, but because of how the end of the film was handled, I was able to overlook that a bit and drop the suspension of disbelief. Bogart is probably our greatest movie star of all time... OK, not probably... IS. In terms of how active he was and how many great films he was in... he's tops, even edging out John Wayne for me. Sure I think there are better actors than Bogart, but he's our greatest Hollywood icon and representative of the medium of film as pure art and storytelling. Rod Steiger is so perfect too and the different styles play off perfectly on one another in The Harder They Fall. It would make a great double bill with On the Waterfront by the way, and I really do enjoy Bogart's last several years of films where he went more into social commentary and in more dynamic stories that what he did with the gangster films of the 1930s and the film noir/romantic leading man years of the early 1940s into the mid 40s... really possibly beginning with The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and then making great pictures like In a Lonely Place, The Harder They Fall, The Caine Mutiny, etc.

Oh and not to spoil the ending of a 70 year old film, but that very last sequence of shots where Bogart stands up to Steiger and announces his intentions to tell the world the truth... the way the camera lingered and how that was edited... I swear was to create tension that Bogart's character might be actually killed there in front of his wife or shortly after. I have a sneaking suspicion that it was deliberately written, directed, and edited in such a way that the audience knows that Bogart will never publish a single word and will be murdered after the credits role and maybe something like that couldn't be deliberately shown because of the MPAA Hayes code and audience expectation or something. Can anyone confirm or talk to this point? Did you get that impression too regarding the end of The Harder They Fall? I know there's a handful of die hard Bogart and classic Hollywood film fans here.

Duck Soup - A+
Horse Feathers - A
The Harder They Fall - A

https://debbimacktoo.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/hardertheyfall3.jpg?w=640&h=360

[xSookieStackhouse]

Bad Boys II (2003)
2.5

https://film-grab.com/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/Bad_Boys_II_009.jpg?bwg=1569331823

first one always my favorite, make sure to watch other 2

[Fabulous]

The Long Game (2023)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/yFTTF7Ozk01BNfI38KL0NTUr3RD.jpg

[Gideon58]

Eight Men Out (1988)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/6v594uUI5VOBjdlxiV0d6EOjvW.jpg

Loved this movie, rated it a little higher than you did

[Gideon58]

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


2nd Rewatch...This 1967 Best Picture nominee was star Warren Beatty's first venture as
a producer and no doubt director Arthur Penn's masterpiece. This look at the legendary bank robbing couple might not be completely factual but is gloriously entertaining thanks to a literate and adult screenplay that addresses issues we don't see coming, including Clyde Barrow's impotence, the violence is unapologetically bloody and the performances are nothing short of spectacular. Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Michael J Pollard, and Estelle Parsons earned five of the ten Oscar nominations that the film earned and Parsons won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Love that first getaway scene with a hysterical Blanche running around screaming and when the gang take the Texas Ranger (Denver Pyle) hostage and pose him for pictures. This film also marked the film debut of Dunaway (who is superb) and a young actor by the name of Gene Wilder. 4.5

[Gideon58]

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Umpteenth Rewatch...Have loved this movie ever since I was a kid. Oscar winners Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis star in this Neil Simon comedy about a married couple named George and Gwen Kellerman who fly to New York for an important job interview for George where everything that can possibly go wrong for them does go wrong. It stretches credibility a bit, but it's still very funny, with a masterful comic turn from Lemmon and a lot of familiar faces popping up along he way like Anthony Holland, Ann Prentiss, Graham Jarvis, Dolph Sweet, Paul Dooley, and Billy Dee Williams. The film was remade in 1999 with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, but it's not nearly as funny. 3.5

[Gideon58]

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1st Rewatch... This is another one of those movies that can't decide if it's a sequel or a remake. Ed Helms plays a grown up Rusty Griswold. Chevy Chase's son in the original franchise, who has bored his own family to death with his own family vacations, so he decides to revive dad's legacy and take his family to Walley World. It's basically a rehash of the first film and not a very funny one. 2.5

[Gideon58]

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Umpteenth Rewatch...This 1966 Best Picture nominee that put director Mike Nichols on the map is my 2nde favorite movie of all time that I first saw when I was in high school. This story of two very dysfunctional marriages that clash on one drunken night is just as powerful now as it was upon release. Nichols and all four leads were nominated for Oscars and Taylor and Dennis won. This once in a lifetime theatrical experience based on an Edward Albee play has to be seen to be believed. ..4.5.

[Tugg]

Hit Man (2023-2024) 4
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Civil War (2024) 3
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The Last Stop in Yuma County (2023-2024) 3.5
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[Stirchley]

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Umpteenth Rewatch...This 1966 Best Picture nominee that put director Mike Nichols on the map is my 2nde favorite movie of all time that I first saw when I was in high school. This story of two very dysfunctional marriages that clash on one drunken night is just as powerful now as it was upon release. Nichols and all four leads were nominated for Oscars and Taylor and Dennis won. This once in a lifetime theatrical experience based on an Edward Albee play has to be seen to be believed. ..4.5.

Brilliant movie. Seen it many times.

https://i.postimg.cc/c4pwJc6S/hand.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52048902

The Handmaiden - (2016)

This twist-laden, erotic, blast of a film exemplifies all of the great qualities South Korean cinema offers these days. Wonderful story, and a very interesting take on British crime novel 'Fingersmith'. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2471605#post2471605), in my watchlist thread.

I have to watch this again. I don’t think I made it all the way through.

The Tinder Swindler
By accident, I hit the Netflix button on my remote, and it worked (this time... even Prime had some similar glitch).. I searched, knowing if I exited, I might not ever use it again. Not a big deal, because it's not worth a penny a month, but I don't have cable, and I was tired of the Trump assassination stuff everywhere, so this was a distraction.. I've never used any of this bullshit. I don't have a "smart" phone and after seeing this, I really don't ever want to see anything current but I'm obsessed with "free" stuff that cost me a lot now that I think of it. This guy from israel just ponzi schemed women, one who falls in love, but no one is likable. Tossing 100k like it's nothing so they can take photos of caviar.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNO4X__dagA

Terrific documentary. These Scandinavian women (was one of them Dutch?) were beyond gullible. I wouldn’t loan this jerk $5 let alone $50,000.

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2nd Rewatch...This 1967 Best Picture nominee was star Warren Beatty's first venture as
a producer and no doubt director Arthur Penn's masterpiece. This look at the legendary bank robbing couple might not be completely factual but is gloriously entertaining thanks to a literate and adult screenplay that addresses issues we don't see coming, including Clyde Barrow's impotence, the violence is unapologetically bloody and the performances are nothing short of spectacular. Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Michael J Pollard, and Estelle Parsons earned five of the ten Oscar nominations that the film earned and Parsons won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Love that first getaway scene with a hysterical Blanche running around screaming and when the gang take the Texas Ranger (Denver Pyle) hostage and pose him for pictures. This film also marked the film debut of Dunaway (who is superb) and a young actor by the name of Gene Wilder. 4.5

A classic of American cinema.

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Umpteenth Rewatch...Have loved this movie ever since I was a kid. Oscar winners Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis star in this Neil Simon comedy about a married couple named George and Gwen Kellerman who fly to New York for an important job interview for George where everything that can possibly go wrong for them does go wrong. It stretches credibility a bit, but it's still very funny, with a masterful comic turn from Lemmon and a lot of familiar faces popping up along he way like Anthony Holland, Ann Prentiss, Graham Jarvis, Dolph Sweet, Paul Dooley, and Billy Dee Williams. The film was remade in 1999 with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, but it's not nearly as funny. 3.5

Very good movie. Seen it a few times.

[LChimp]

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5th time watching, everytime this is on cable, I stop to watch it. Love it

[WrinkledMind]

The Boy & The Heron
Beautiful, intriguing & overall a fascinating watch.
Not at the same level as Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, but a lovely movie nevertheless.

[Stirchley]

The Boy & The Heron
Beautiful, intriguing & overall a fascinating watch.
Not at the same level as Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, but a lovely movie nevertheless.

Looking forward to this.

[FilmBuff]

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Zielona granica
5

Agnieszka Holland's Zielona granica is an absolute masterpiece.

While there's been other recent movies about the European asylee crisis (Io Capitano quickly comes to mind), no other contemporary movie I can think of combines the raw power, fierce determination and tour-de-force filmmaking that this movie does.

There's simply no easy way to convey everything that Holland has accomplished here. The movie feels almost like a documentary, one that appeals to the intellect as well as the heart. Multiple points of view are presented that combine into a very coherent whole, and the technical aspects of the film are absolutely superb.

While I don't pretend to be an expert on the European asylee crises - and there's almost certainly a bit of nuance that may have been lost to US audiences - the film does an admirable job of explaining the dangerous choices that must be made by the courageous Polish civilians who are trying to help scores of desperate asylum-seekers.

Most strikingly, the film depicts Polish armed forces - soldiers and policemen alike - as being just as brutal and heartless when confronting asylum-seekers from distant lands as they are with their own countrymen who are trying to provide life-saving assistance to those desperate souls who somehow make it across the Polish border.

The movie does not pretend that there are any simple solutions; it is a movie that is as full of heart-wrenching sights as it is of valiant hope.

A coda that contrasts the treatment of Ukranian refugees upon the beginning of the Russian invasion with those from the Middle East is absolutely devastating.

Zielona granica has received a very limited release here in the US; if you have a chance to watch it on the big screen, you should definitely take it.

[FilmBuff]

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Snerting
3

Why would an Icelandic widower be in a rush to fly to London, then Japan during the early days of the pandemic?

The answer to that question is this lovely and very old-fashioned film by Baltasar Kormákur, based on a novel by Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson,

About half of Snerting takes place roughly 50 years ago, and the movie ping-pongs back and forth with the present in a way that might sound confusing as described, but is always perfectly clear as the film unfolds.

The romantic mystery at the heart of the film takes a while to unfold, and may initially appear to be somewhat predictable, but when the answer finally arrives, it is not quite what one might have expected - and it is totally devastating.

You won't find a better romantic drama this summer.


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National Anthem
3

This cool and easygoing indie film about a young construction worker in New Mexico who joins a community of ranchers and rodeo performers is an absolute delight.

The ranch in question is one that resolutely flies the rainbow flag, and much of the movie's pleasures are in its deconstruction of what typical "rodeo culture" is all about.

In addition to all of the human stars, you'll also see quite a few equine supporting players, who definitely get more screen time than in almost any movie since Barbenheimer a year ago.

This is sometimes a bit of a wild ride, but always a very pleasant one.

[FilmBuff]

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The Greatest Hits
3

I simply adore time-travel movies, and found this one to be an absolute charmer.

Lucy Boynton (last seen playing Proust Barbie in last year's biggest box-office hit) plays a young woman experiencing more than the usual grief following the death of her boyfriend (future Superman David Corenswet).

The twist is that every time she hears a song she heard when they were together, she's immediately transported back to that time and place where they originally heard it. And, somehow, she gets it into her head that if she's able to find the right point in time, she may even keep him from dying.

Doesn't that sound romantic? If it does, then this movie will be music to your ears.

[Darth Pazuzu]

Last week was the perfect convergence of fortunate circumstances. First of all, I got my property tax refund back and became several hundred dollars richer. That same day, I got my paycheck! And then, after paying for my bus fare for the next six months and paying the first half of next month's rent, I took advantage of Barnes & Noble's 50% sale on all of their Criterion DVD's, Blu-rays and 4k UHD's, and I got myself a stack of movies that have been on my wish list for quite some time. Some of them are Westerns, very much in keeping with my more recent viewing habits. A few of them deal with of Western themes and motifs, and a couple of them are from other genres completely. (And a couple of them aren't Criterion releases. The recent Arrow Video remastered release of Don Siegel's The Shootist is really quite the beautiful package, as well as a great film.)

Here are the ones that are completely new to my collection:

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The Furies (Anthony Mann / 1950)
Last Train from Gun Hill (John Sturges / 1959)
The Shootist (Don Siegel / 1976)
Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick / 1978)
Lone Star (John Sayles / 1996)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Terry Gilliam / 1998)
Ride with the Devil (Ang Lee / 1999)
The Power of the Dog (John Campion / 2021)

And here are my "double-dips," including one that I've been waiting for a long time since it was first announced. I am referring of course to the Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray set of Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid! Believe me, it's totally worth the price, because it's got the original theatrical edition (106 minutes), the final preview edition (122 minutes), and the brand-new 50th Anniversary edition (117 minutes), as well as a commentary track and a few extras.

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Peeping Tom (Michael Powell / 1960)
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (Sam Peckinpah / 1973)
Bound (The Wachowskis / 1996)
Moonage Daydream (Brett Morgen / 2022)

I'll just comment on a few of these, briefly:

The Furies - Tough, powerful and dramatic Western, set in the 1870's, directed by Anthony Mann. It's his first, in fact! Floridly performed with broad strokes, but just avoiding full-on melodramatic excess. Walter Huston, in his swan song, plays tough rancher T.C. Jeffords, owner of the ranch that gives the film its title, while lead Barbara Stanwyck plays his greedy and ruthless daughter Vance, who hopes to inherit the Furies someday but is at the same time utterly devoted to old T.C. It's a real genuine love/hate sort of thing, you understand...

Last Train from Gun Hill - Very much in the classic Hollywood mainstream of '50s Westerns, a visually splendid VistaVision production from Paramount, directed by the underrated John Sturges. However, it's also very tough and gritty and deals with unusually mature themes for its day, and it has a fairly tragic and downbeat ending. Kirk Douglas plays U.S. Marshal Matt Morgan, whose Native American wife has been raped and murdered by a pair of drunken cowboys. The wife had lashed one of her assailants with a horsewhip, leaving an identifying scar. And that rapist/murderer is none other than the son of one of Morgan's best friends, a powerful rancher named Craig Belden (Anthony Quinn), who virtually owns the town of Gun Hill. Morgan arrives at Gun Hill to confront Belden and take his son into custody, but Belden won't let it happen without a fight. Somewhat influenced by Delmer Daves' 3:10 to Yuma from two years earlier, but this movie is still quite unique and special.

Peeping Tom - Michael Powell's controversial 1960 horror thriller, not only controversial in its day but nigh-on scandalous. It's the tale of a shy, awkward serial killer named Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm), a man who is obsessed with photographing beautiful women with a camera, one of whose tripod legs is a sharp spear he uses to kill them, the better to capture their dying expressions of terror on film. Things get complicated when he falls in love with a beautiful woman named Helen Stephens (the great Anna Massey), who lives in the same apartment building with her blind mother. The mother (Maxine Audley) is blind, but she starts to perceive something very troubling about this young man her daughter his taken to...

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - Sam Peckinpah's flawed but brilliant masterwork, an elegy for the old West (like most of the best Westerns are). James Coburn portrays Sheriff Pat Garrett and Kris Kristofferson plays notorious outlaw William Bonney, a.k.a. Billy the Kid. They had been friends once before, but times have changed. Basically it's the story of a pursued outlaw who isn't especially in a hurry to run, and a lawman who isn't particularly keen on catching him. But Fate has its own plans, and the two cannot escape their destiny, or their own myth. Bob Dylan composed the score, including the immortal classic Knockin' on Heaven's Door, and also portrays the character of Alias.

The Shootist - Another Western elegy, the swan song of John Wayne, who performs the lawman-turned-gunfighter John Bernard Books, who is dying of cancer and wants to spend his last few days in a boarding house in Carson City, Nevada, owned by Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) whose son Gillom (Ron Howard) utterly worships and idolizes Books. The movie is ably directed by Don Siegel, who lets the story's pathos speak for itself without indulging in sentimentality or pity. The score by Elmer Bernstein is similarly discreet in this regard. J.B. Books wouldn't have had it any other way, and neither would Wayne.

Days of Heaven - Directed by Terrence Malick, this one is really quite gorgeous and affecting, a true visual feast. At the same time it's rather hard to put one's finger on in terms of its effect. The year is 1916, and young Chicago couple Bill (Richard Gere) and Abby (Brooke Adams) travel to Texas in search of work and a fresh start, accompanied by Bill's little sister Linda (Linda Manz). They find work as seasonal workers on a farm whose owner (Sam Shepard making his film debut) is dying of an unspecified illness. Bill persuades Abby to marry the farmer in order to inherit his money, but things don't really go quite as planned.

Lone Star - A very intricate slice-of-life neo-Western murder mystery from John Sayles, set in a South Texas border town with a history of racial strife and tensions between whites, blacks and Mexicans, this is extremely intelligent and engrossing viewing. Human remains are discovered in the present day, along with a Masonic ring and a sheriff's badge, and they would appear to be those of former sheriff Charlie Wade, who mysteriously disappeared in 1957. A brutal, corrupt and despised lawman back in the day (played by Kris Kristofferson with atypically malevolent relish in skillfully interwoven flashback sequences), Wade's disappearance was considered a blessing. Chris Cooper plays the present-day sheriff, Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper), the son of a legendary sheriff who was one of Wade's deputies back in the day (also played in flashbacks by Matthew McConaughey). Other important characters include a widowed schoolteacher named Pilar (Elizabeth Peña), Otis Payne, the black owner of a local saloon (Ron Canada) and his estranged son Delmore (Joe Morton), who is now a colonel stationed at a local army base. Mind you, these are only some of the characters! It's a very intricate and involved storyline, but all the characters' lives and story threads converge at some point. Very well-written and thought-provoking in the way it deals with the issue of race relations, and certainly not preachy at all.

Bound - The sexy crime thriller that put the Wachowski siblings on the map three years before The Matrix! Starring Gina Gershon as tough ex-con Corky, who gets romantically involved with Violet (Jennifer Tilly), the wife of local gangster Caesar (Joe Pantoliano). The two women hatch an intricate scheme to steal $2 million from the mob and run away together, but things don't go quite so smoothly. Also features an early role for future Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Christopher Meloni, portraying ill-tempered gangster Johnnie Marzzone, who delivers the funniest death-by-gunshot performance of all time. No lie!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Terry Gilliam's blackly comic adaptation of Hunter Thompson's 1971 novel, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. I've seen it once or twice many years ago, but I have yet to pop this new Criterion 4K edition into my player. I do remember liking it a lot, in particular an early "lizard hallucination" sequence!

Ride with the Devil - A very unconventional Civil War drama directed by Ang Lee and starring Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jewel and Jeffrey Wright. This is the story of a group of Missouri Irregulars known as the Bushwhackers, who fought as guerrilla fighters against the Kansas Jayhawkers during the Civil War. (If you remember the 1976 Clint Eastwood movie The Outlaw Josey Wales, you'll remember that the title character fought with the Bushwhackers in order to avenge his family's brutal murder at the hands of the Jayhawks.) Very affecting and very violent at times, particularly the raid on the town of Lawrence, Kansas, less the typical sacking of a Western town than like the destruction of a village during the Vietnam War. Jeffrey Wright is a true standout in the role of Daniel Holt, a freed black man who is fighting alongside the Confederates. Like I said, a very unorthodox and distinctive take on familiar subject matter.

The Power of the Dog - A very unsettling and unnerving psychological drama in Western garb, directed by Jane Campion, based on a 1967 novel by Thomas Savage. The story centers around two cattle ranch-owning brothers named Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Burbank (Jesse Plemons). George meets a widow and inn owner named Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst) as well as her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who aspires to go to medical school. He falls in love with Rose and decides to marry her, but once she moves into the ranch house, Phil starts to make things unpleasant for Rose as well as Peter, whom the macho Phil mocks as being effeminate. In actuality, Phil's mockery conceals a secret, closeted inner life rooted in his relationship with his dead mentor and role model Bronco Henry. Eventually, Rose turns to drink and becomes emotionally unstable, to her son's distress. In an unexpected twist, Phil decides to befriend young Peter and become a mentor just as Bronco Henry was his, but the medically-minded Peter has secret plans of his own. Truly an incredible film, and deeply challenging to viewer stereotypes concerning masculinity and male sexuality.

Moonage Daydream - Perhaps one of the greatest documentary films made about any popular musician, but it's much more than a documentary. It really takes you into the mind and music and philosophy of David Bowie, taking the viewer on a kind of grand tour of his life and career. It uses Bowie's music, audio extracts from interviews, performance footage as well as specially-created animation to create an insightful, enlightening overview of the man's artistic contributions to our culture. David Robert Jones may no longer be with us in the flesh, but Bowie lives on, particularly vividly in this movie. :)

[Marco]

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

2/5

[GulfportDoc]

[Bonnie and Clyde]
2nd Rewatch...This 1967 Best Picture nominee was star Warren Beatty's first venture as
a producer and no doubt director Arthur Penn's masterpiece. This look at the legendary bank robbing couple might not be completely factual but is gloriously entertaining thanks to a literate and adult screenplay that addresses issues we don't see coming, including Clyde Barrow's impotence, the violence is unapologetically bloody and the performances are nothing short of spectacular. Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Michael J Pollard, and Estelle Parsons earned five of the ten Oscar nominations that the film earned and Parsons won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Love that first getaway scene with a hysterical Blanche running around screaming and when the gang take the Texas Ranger (Denver Pyle) hostage and pose him for pictures. This film also marked the film debut of Dunaway (who is superb) and a young actor by the name of Gene Wilder. rating_4_5
I loved this picture. In '67 my wife and I lived in NYC. A good friend had seen the movie and invited us to go along with him on his nickel to see it again.

It's a landmark film. There had never been anything quite like it: the music, the story, the acting. To me it was really two stories, what with the first part being a riotous comedy, and the second part being a shocking tragedy. Despite its filming method, I think it still holds up well today.

[Wyldesyde19]

I loved this picture. In '67 my wife and I lived in NYC. A good friend had seen the movie and invited us to go along with him on his nickel to see it again.

It's a landmark film. There had never been anything quite like it: the music, the story, the acting. To me it was really two stories, what with the first part being a riotous comedy, and the second part being a shocking tragedy. Despite its filming method, I think it still holds up well today.
France, and to a maybe slightly lesser extent Japan, were doing similar things in the 60’s. While I love B&C, French crime films seemed to influence it.

I also wouldn’t call it’s ending tragic, as I doubt many people were sad or depressed to see B&C die, even if their deaths were graphic and perhaps avoidable had they been given a chance to surrender.

[xSookieStackhouse]

5 i loved it and really enjoyed it and amazing cast and amazing soundtrack , loved the casting
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[Darth Pazuzu]

^^^^^
Finished up my previous post! ;)

However... there is yet a further development. Just recently ordered on Amazon and received in the mail today is:

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Day of Anger (Tonino Valerii / 1967)

A very entertaining Italian Western teaming up the great Lee Van Cleef with Giuliano Gemma (star of Duccio Tessari's Ringo diptych). And it's really quite the "worm turns" sort of tale! Gemma portrays an outcast and menial laborer named Scott Mary in the town of Clifton, Arizona, persecuted and picked on by the unpleasant townsfolk. He meets with a sinister gunfighter named Frank Talby (played by Van Cleef) who has his own particular bone to pick with certain powerful individuals in the town. Talby becomes a mentor and teaches Scott the ways of the gun, schooling him with a set of rules to live by. Scott eventually becomes Talby's junior partner when the older gunman skillfully takes over the town of Clifton, but he finds he may end up having to confront Talby himself and perhaps do a bit of schooling of his own.

It actually sort of reminds me of Fight Club in a bizarre way. Talby's set of rules very much reminds one of the eight rules of Fight Club. In addition, the story premises of both movies seem strongly influenced by the whole Buddhist philosophy related to the necessity of metaphorically "killing" one's mentors and teachers and parent figures in order to evolve into a fully integrated human being. (Listen to one of the commentary tracks of the Fight Club Blu-ray disc for further details.) The main difference, of course, is that Scott and Frank are discrete and separate characters. :lol:

[PHOENIX74]

Moonage Daydream - Perhaps one of the greatest documentary films made about any popular musician, but it's much more than a documentary. It really takes you into the mind and music and philosophy of David Bowie, taking the viewer on a kind of grand tour of his life and career. It uses Bowie's music, audio extracts from interviews, performance footage as well as specially-created animation to create an insightful, enlightening overview of the man's artistic contributions to our culture. David Robert Jones may no longer be with us in the flesh, but Bowie lives on, particularly vividly in this movie. :)

I had a great time seeing this in a cinema when it was first released - been a Bowie fan for many, many, many years.

[Tycoon]

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It was poor honestly... despite the fact that I like the work of Lanthimos, I couldn't find the characters enjoyable and I don't know if there was any moral in the 3 distinct stories but I didn't get it.

5/10 because actors are fine.

[Ezzat]

5/10 – “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” – Just watched it last night and honestly, it was pretty average. The storyline felt kind of predictable, and I wasn’t super impressed with the acting. If you’re just looking for something to pass the time, it’s fine, but I wouldn’t rush to see it again.

[FilmBuff]

I don't know if there was any moral in the 3 distinct stories but I didn't get it.

It's an examination of human submissiveness, obviously.

[Allaby]

The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024) This film doesn't know what it wants to be. Not whimsical or magical enough to work as a fun fantasy, but not as edgy or smart enough to pull off the attempts at satire or social commentary. It isn't very funny and only mildly romantic, so it is at best a mediocre romantic comedy. The film makes some major generalizations and assumptions, but doesn't back them up and loses the audience along the way. Justice Smith does a decent job with the role, but the writing really hinders me and the rest of the cast. With better writing and clearer, sharper direction, this could have been good. As is, it is a bit of a muddle, unfunny mess. 2.5

[FilmBuff]

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Sing Sing
3

Sing Sing definitely isn't Jailhouse Rock - but it's still uplifting.

Colman Domingo might as well start rehearsing an acceptance speech, as he's all but certain to get plenty of nominations come awards season. But the supporting cast - many of whom are actual former inmates - also does a really good job.

The film takes a look at the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, specifically at a group of inmates putting together stage productions.

Putting on a show helps the prisoners relieve the boredom and tedium of their everyday routine, and they are willing to do anything from Shakespeare to time-travel adventures. Maybe even a combination of all of that!

You can bet there will be nominations come award season.

[Tycoon]

It's an examination of human submissiveness, obviously.

Ok but really annoying though, and still didn't like characters.

[FilmBuff]

Ok but really annoying though, and still didn't like characters.

I don't know why this movie has proven so challenging for some folks. I liked it quite a bit and have actually watched it twice (so far!).

[LChimp]

https://br.web.img3.acsta.net/pictures/16/07/06/15/32/525602.jpg

Time Lapse - (2014)

8/10

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzdjZDYwM2QtMGNlZS00MGQzLTlhMjctYTU4NWI5MWJlYmQwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTAwMzUyOTc@._V1_.jpg


2nd Rewatch....This is sort of distaff re-imagining of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest that takes place in the female wing of a mental institution during the 1960's. Based on a book by the real life central character, Winona Ryder plays Susanna Kaysen, a recent high school graduate and aspiring writer who gets committed to an institution after a suicide attempt (which she vehemently denies was a suicide attempt). This blistering drama rivets as it shows the varied masks of mental illness, not to mention those who don't know they have a problem and those who think they are cured but they're not. It's been a good decade since I've watched this film, but it still had my stomach in knots. Ryder delivers one of her best performances and has excellent support from Clea Duvall, the late Brittany Murphy (superb), Elisabeth Moss, Whoopi Goldberg, Jared Leto, and an explosive and frightening performance from Angelina Jolie that won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Doesn't answer all the questions it poses, but it manipulates the hell out of the viewer. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91CvWA7oreL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg

1st Rewatch...This black comedy starts off very innocently but goes some directions we really don't see coming, but the performances keep us invested in what's going on. John C Reilly plays a sweet-natured divorced guy who thinks he's hit the jackpot when he meets a vivacious woman (Marisa Tomei) at a party and falls in love with her instantly. A couple of days after their meeting, Reilly meets Tomei's 21 year old son (Jonah Hill), who lives with Mom and who doesn't take too long to let Reilly know that he is going to make sure nothing will ever happen between him and his mother. This movie frustrates because of the way Hill's character manipulates Reilly and the whole story makes Tomei's character look like a moron, but the performances are so good, especially Hill, that we just have to see how this going to play out. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81v061NRopL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



1st Rewatch...From the "Valley of the Dolls" school of filmmaking comes one of the funniest dramas ever made anchored by what I believe to be is the worst performance in the history of cinema that actually won an Oscar. This film is based on a John O'Hara novel and the only reason Elizabeth Taylor agreed to do it was get out of her contract with MGM so that she could play Cleopatra at 20th Century Fox. Taylor plays Gloria Wandrous, a fashion model who lives with her mother and thinks she has found the love of her life in a wealthy businessman (Laurence Harvey), who sets Gloria off on a tangent when after they spend an evening together, he leaves he $250.00 and she retaliates by stealing his wife's mink coat. This overheated melodrama provides pretty consistent laughs throughout even though that wasn't the intention. Taylor's husband at the time, Eddie Fisher, once again gets to prove that he was a terrible actor, though Dina Merrill and Susan Oliver manage to maintain their dignity. The only reason Taylor won the Oscar for this film was because she had a serious illness a couple of months before the ceremony requiring an emergency tracheotomy and everyone thought she was going to die. This has to be seen to be believed, but hardcore Taylor fans will love it. 2

[Gideon58]

https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2241/2241117_so.jpg



5th Rewatch...I love this enchanting rom com about a 30 year old woman of Greek ancestry who is tired of the trap being Greek has created for her life, or lack thereof, and decides to get a career for herself and, in the process, falls in love with a charming, non-Greek teacher (John Corbett). It's a little on the predictable side, but the look at Greek culture is often so funny. Love when Tula is walking down the aisle and the guests are spitting on her wedding veil. Nia Vardolos gives a star making performance as Tula and John Corbett brings the same breezy sexiness to Ian as he did to Aiden on Sex and the City. And you can't help but love Lainie Kazan and Michael Constantine as Tula's parents. There have been two sequels but I'm afraid to watch of them out of fear of them ruining my love for this film. 3.5

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BYWE2NmUzYWQtMzhmMy00Yjk0LWE3ZmItZDcxMTIzMTdhMGUwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjIxOT c3NjQ%40._V1_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f80ea761590d0429ad23dc7744b083e2ea158c8d614a166131ffa759029859c1&ipo=images

Bog, 1979

A poacher using dynamite for illegal fishing disturbs a monster in the lake, which not only kills the poacher but goes on to kill the wives of two couples out for a weekend vacation. Local biologist Ginny (Gloria DeHaven) is called in and soon deduces that the creature is something insect-like, but also capable of draining the blood out of a body. Ginny teams up with police officer Neal (Aldo Ray)---both professionally and romantically---to get to the bottom of things before the creature’s killing spree gets completely out of hand.

While it’s a bit too tepid to become a favorite, this was better than I expected and actually quite fun at times.

3.5

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472724#post2472724)

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA2NTI1Mzg3N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjYwNjAzMg@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg



3

[Allaby]

Hannah Berner: We Ride at Dawn (2024) Watched this comedy special on Netflix. I had never heard of Hannah Berner before, but she is pretty funny in this. I laughed a lot. 4

[this_is_the_ girl]

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiup1grkb1vlLJ19xVuFnNwQqNGVp-m12d8BgUPdJUJua3dM0NHjxKaA2btLnBZUDHgSPEAPPDsPNOhMv-_fEpEbsceWgpcDtvx7TiwZpHiykAwG8nVwz_CUHb5gIDM1BpF7Gh5t2G4gZA/s1600/The+Lady+Eve+2.jpg
The Lady Eve (1941, Preston Sturges)
3.5
Barbara Stanwyck is fantastic in this, Charles Coburn (Jean's dad) is wonderful as well, and the film in general is quite a bit of fun.. if you manage to suspend your disbelief when required. If you ask me, the annoying naiveté and gullibility of Henry Fonda's character went a stretch too far, to the point where I slightly struggled to stay fully invested in the film. Still enjoyed it overall.

[Takoma11]

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiup1grkb1vlLJ19xVuFnNwQqNGVp-m12d8BgUPdJUJua3dM0NHjxKaA2btLnBZUDHgSPEAPPDsPNOhMv-_fEpEbsceWgpcDtvx7TiwZpHiykAwG8nVwz_CUHb5gIDM1BpF7Gh5t2G4gZA/s1600/The+Lady+Eve+2.jpg
The Lady Eve (1941, Preston Sturges)
3.5
Barbara Stanwyck is fantastic in this, Charles Coburn (Jean's dad) is wonderful as well, and the film in general is quite a bit of fun.. if you manage to suspend your disbelief when required. If you ask me, the annoying naiveté and gullibility of Henry Fonda's character went a stretch too far, to the point where I slightly struggled to stay fully invested in the film. Still enjoyed it overall.

Agreed 100%. I gave it the same score and had exactly the same reaction, particularly to the character of Charles. Here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2183771-the_lady_eve.html) is what I wrote about it when I watched it.

[FilmBuff]

Barbara Stanwick was always fantastic in everything, period and end of discussion.

[this_is_the_ girl]

Agreed 100%. I gave it the same score and had exactly the same reaction, particularly to the character of Charles. Here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2183771-the_lady_eve.html) is what I wrote about it when I watched it.

Haha, yes, that was one of my favorite (and funniest) scenes :)
There is a standout sequence in which Jean, Charles, and the Colonel are playing a game of cards--the Colonel is using every slight-of-hand trick he knows to beat Charles, while Jean capably goes head-to-head with slight-of-hand of her own to ensure that Charles does not lose.

[Siddon]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Pn8HjOxLRvE/maxresdefault.jpg
Sing Sing (2024)

2

Yeah I almost walked out of this one. This was a screen unseen program with AMC. This was an utter bore and frankly pedantic...I didn't find a single thing in this film to be interesting.

[Siddon]

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5e95052cfabd4e155de8a3cf/65a8386526fa2c3ddf42181c_1.%20Robot%20Dreams.jpg

Robot Dreams (2023)


4


A little uneven with some pacing issues but it was heartfelt and imaginative

[Citizen Rules]

Barbara Stanwick was always fantastic in everything, period and end of discussion.Yup, you got that right! Though there's something ironic in your post;)...https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2472621#post2472621

[matt72582]

Peeping Tom - Michael Powell's controversial 1960 horror thriller, not only controversial in its day but nigh-on scandalous. It's the tale of a shy, awkward serial killer named Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm), a man who is obsessed with photographing beautiful women with a camera, one of whose tripod legs is a sharp spear he uses to kill them, the better to capture their dying expressions of terror on film. Things get complicated when he falls in love with a beautiful woman named Helen Stephens (the great Anna Massey), who lives in the same apartment building with her blind mother. The mother (Maxine Audley) is blind, but she starts to perceive something very troubling about this young man her daughter his taken to...
:)


Great movie, but no matter how much I look, I haven't found anything close to it (voyeurism)

[GulfportDoc]

France, and to a maybe slightly lesser extent Japan, were doing similar things in the 60’s. While I love B&C, French crime films seemed to influence it.

I also wouldn’t call it’s ending tragic, as I doubt many people were sad or depressed to see B&C die, even if their deaths were graphic and perhaps avoidable had they been given a chance to surrender.
In 1967 practically no one in the public knew anything about the real life Bonnie & Clyde. They were vaguely thought of as criminal legends much like Jesse James. Despite their heinous nature, people like these tended to be turned into folk heroes.

So when audiences of the day viewed the movie, as it was presented they tended to relate to the outlaws from the beginning. Therefore when the story turned from light to dark it seemed like a tragedy.

In real life B & C of course were psychopathic criminal killers, so they got what they deserved.

[GulfportDoc]

[Twisters]rating_5 i loved it and really enjoyed it and amazing cast and amazing soundtrack , loved the casting

Looks like a good one. I really enjoyed the '96 Twister, so will look forward to this movie.

[FilmBuff]

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

Dandelion
2.5

A collection of movie clichés told along with some pretty pictures, Dandelion is less than the sum of its parts.

KiKi Layne is very good in the title role, and she seems to have a nice singing voice (I'm being generous and assuming there wasn't a lot of electronic enhancements made to her singing).

But the whole story is one cliché after another about the life of an up-and-coming performer and the mistakes they make along the way - especially of the romantic variety.

The whole cast is very good, and they deserved a better movie.

[Fabulous]

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/xuNlGdXFJ0hOWLXBFYRauHwXqg2.jpg

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/Single_white_female_poster.jpg


1st Rewatch...Despite some logistical issues, this film is still worth watching for the thunderous performance by Jennifer Jason Leigh. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmY4ZGFjYTYtMDNmYi00ZDM4LWFjYTgtNmNlZjBmMzg0MzQ3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDk3NzU2MTQ@._V1_.jpg


2nd Rewatch...This nail biter about a divorced mom and her daughter being terrorized by three thugs as they lock themselves in their new panic room is well worth the time thanks to David Fincher's direction and the performances of Jodie Foster, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam. 4

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BNzQxYTc3N2UtY2NmZi00MTc2LTg1NDEtNWEyMDU0ZWQ0OTRlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTg1MD QzMDU%40._V1_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=86458b37a318ffe306e7839a36933e6fe9f127cf0ad3ee5b430ae06eb1496272&ipo=images

For Those in Peril, 2013

Aaron (George MacKay), is the only survivor of a disaster at sea that killed all of the rest of the crew of the boat he was on, including his older brother, Michael (Jordan Young). Living with his bereaved mother, Cathy (Kate Dickie), Aaron becomes obsessed with the idea that his brother and the other young men were taken by a sea monster from local folklore.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this movie. Between the performances and the way it unfolds its story, it had me fully engaged beginning to end.

4

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472921#post2472921)

[FilmBuff]

2nd Rewatch...This nail biter about a divorced mom and her daughter being terrorized by three thugs as they lock themselves in their new panic room is well worth the time thanks to David Fincher's direction and the performances of Jodie Foster, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam. 4

I cannot believe you didn't mention Kristen Stewart!!

[Stirchley]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BNzQxYTc3N2UtY2NmZi00MTc2LTg1NDEtNWEyMDU0ZWQ0OTRlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTg1MD QzMDU%40._V1_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=86458b37a318ffe306e7839a36933e6fe9f127cf0ad3ee5b430ae06eb1496272&ipo=images

For Those in Peril, 2013

Aaron (George MacKay), is the only survivor of a disaster at sea that killed all of the rest of the crew of the boat he was on, including his older brother, Michael (Jordan Young). Living with his bereaved mother, Cathy (Kate Dickie), Aaron becomes obsessed with the idea that his brother and the other young men were taken by a sea monster from local folklore.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this movie. Between the performances and the way it unfolds its story, it had me fully engaged beginning to end.

4

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472921#post2472921)

Never heard of it, but it’s in my watchlist now. I do recall singing For Those in Peril on the Sea in our English grade school.

[Thief]

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
(2014, Reeves)

https://i.imgur.com/Ujime37.jpg


Malcolm: "I've seen things. I've seen the way they are. They want what we want, to survive. They don't want a war."
Dreyfus: "They're animals! They attacked us!"



Dawn of the Planet of the Apes follows the growing tension between the surviving humans and the increasing and evolving ape community led by Caesar (Andy Serkis). Set 10 years after the events of Rise, it follows a new group of humans led by Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) and Malcolm (Jason Clarke), both of which have differing views about how to handle the apes pushing them to decide between conflict and war, or a tense truce with the "animals". Meanwhile, Caesar also has to deal with unrest within his own group.

This is probably the third or fourth time I watch this, and I've always held it up as the best of the trilogy. A recent rewatch of Rise closed the gap, but this one remains the superior one. Even though we have to acclimate ourselves to new human characters, Clarke, Keri Russell, and especially Oldman do a great job. However, it is the wonderful job of Serkis and the VFX team what keeps pushing that through line of apes being much more than "animals". The "humanity", for lack of a better word, with which they imbue these apes is stellar.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472944#post2472944)

[Takoma11]

Never heard of it, but it’s in my watchlist now. I do recall singing For Those in Peril on the Sea in our English grade school.

Between a recitation of "Do Not Stand by My Grave" and "For Those in Peril on the Sea", this movie had quality lyrical gravitas. And I respect that they included both pieces in full (I think) and not just the old "someone reads the two most famous lines and that's all the audience has patience for."

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemaclock.com%2Fimages%2F580x326%2F97%2Ft-i-m-20236637.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=19a2b4a938b36a8fed3e6e8944228623025e4cd46f1f908e2d590fffaf8d9b29&ipo=images

T.I.M., 2023

Abi (Georgina Campbell) is a prosthetics engineer who relocates to the countryside with her husband Paul (Mark Rowley) in order to work on a problem facing a tech company’s new android product, T.I.M. She and Paul, reeling from Paul’s recent infidelity, are given their own TIM (Eamon Farren) for routine tasks around the house. But before long, TIM seems to have formed an interest in Abi that’s far beyond his intended programming.

Predictable and frustrating, this is an underwhelming entry in the “technology run amok” horror subgenre.

2

FULL REVIEW (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2472999#post2472999)

[Fabulous]

South Pacific (1958)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/vtQxHqCjwZXxwdX3anosJlAdjAu.jpg

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxP65isXSXw

[Allaby]

My Spy: The Eternal City (2024) Watched on Prime. This isn't as good as the first one, but I still liked it. Chloe Coleman is quite charming and does a wonderful job here. She looks even prettier than ever. She has good chemistry with Dave Bautista, who is also effective. The rest of the cast is mixed, with a couple performances falling flat and others being decent. The story is the typical family friendly action comedy, not groundbreaking but still serviceable. There are a few laughs and a couple entertaining action sequences, as well as some sweet, heartfelt moments towards the end. I would be down for a third My Spy movie. 3.5

[matt72582]

Bay of Angels - 7/10
Good movie about addiction, but also how people use each other.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/BaiedesAngesPoster.jpg

[Allaby]

Stingray Sam (2009) I appreciate the creativity and ambition of this unusual film. Not everything works and sometimes it just feels weird for the sake of being weird. However, there are some delightfully quirky moments that are enjoyable. The songs are hit and miss for me. The performances are definitely interesting. Worth checking out for the oddness of it.
3.5

[Guaporense]

These days, I was watching some high-quality anime spinoff movies. ;)

Date A Live Mayuri Judgement (2015) 6/10

https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/media/anime/cover/large/bx20741-WdThAhseSo1y.jpg

A movie of the popular harem franchise, Date Alive, it is set between the 2nd and the 3rd season of the TV series. In this movie, they introduce a new character; however, she has almost no personality as she is basically a ghost who is supposedly the amalgam of the spirits of the other girls of the franchise. The art and animation were nice, and I really liked the visual style of Date Alive, but the execution was not very good.

Date A Bullet: Dead or Bullet & Nightmare or Queen (2020) 8/10
https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/media/anime/cover/large/bx111852-W3cRNx9CO7sJ.jpg

Now, this movie was so much better than the previous one. It's an original story that uses one character from the Date Alive franchise, Kurumi, who is the most interesting of all the girls in the franchise: she has a very cool personality and is a villain/anti-hero character in the original anime show. In this movie, they let her be the main character, and the quality of the art and animation has been upgraded greatly over the previous installments of Date Alive.

ARIA The BENEDIZIONE (2021) 7/10
https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/media/anime/cover/large/bx130558-8M8TeqrmQAbq.jpg

This is a very nice movie; despite being a spinoff story from the Aria franchise, it suffers from being highly derivative of the franchise. Yet, since Aria is among the greatest manga/anime franchises out there, with amazing world-building and characters, I would rate this movie 7/10, mainly because the TV anime is 10/10. However, this movie has superior art and animation, especially because it was made 15 years after the TV show and features better technology.

ARIA The CREPUSCOLO (2021) 8/10
https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/media/anime/cover/large/bx117556-SbGBjNw0MDp2.jpg

Released in the same year as BENEDIZIONE, CREPUSCOLO is another Aria movie directed by Junichi Satou (he directed most seasons of Sailor Moon back in the early 90s). I liked this movie even more than BENEDIZIONE, mainly because I like the characters this movie focuses on a bit more, as well as their own particular struggles. Although both Aria movies are too derivative of the TV show from the mid 2000s, they might serve as a good introduction to the franchise to people who do not have time to invest watching over 50 episodes of Aria.

Watching the latest anime reminds me that I prefer the art style of circa 2010 anime over the 2020s because the latest anime tends to have such a high level of detail that the characters look artificial, like porcelain dolls, instead of cartoons, which hurts my immersion. This problem was present in the two Aria movies, although I didn't have that problem in the Date A Bullet movie.

[Mr Minio]

harem Let's get the kink going! :cage:

[matt72582]

Motel
I like documentaries like this.. I've even stayed at a place like this for a while.



https://youtu.be/XT0VUPi4vus

[FilmBuff]

https://juksun.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Twisters-Movie-Poster-1.jpg

Twisters (IMAX)
4

Twisters is one heck of a wild ride.

Ingeniously retrofitted for the 2020s, the standalone sequel pretty much gets everything right, starting with the choice of director: Lee Isaac Chung, whose previous movie was the wonderful Minari.

It's also a movie that has been perfectly cast; Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell have charisma to spare and great chemistry. The great supporting cast also includes future Superman, David Corenswet, Katy O'Brian and Anthony Ramos.

But more importantly, the VFX are absolutely outstanding, and best enjoyed in a premium format like IMAX.

[Torgo]

The Last Stop in Yuma County - 4

This thrilling throwback neo-noir proves that Jim Cummings deserves to be a household name. I would go so far to say that his performance as an ordinary man in an extraordinary situation recalls how Henry Fonda and Humphrey Bogart played roles like this. It also proves that veteran character actor Richard Brake should be a household name if he is not one already. Besides making his bank robber look like one scary dude, I love how he makes every word send a chill down your spine and not just the profanity. Okay, enough about the acting, especially since the whole cast shines down to Barbara Crampton's witty police secretary.

If you also love this genre, you undoubtedly love the ones mostly set in one place. This one's sun-drenched, barely functional to the point of dangerous diner is one I'll always remember. To make its uncertainty all the better, it's more prison than eating establishment thanks to the gas station's pumps being empty and the fuel truck being late. Luckily, in addition to all this suspense and dread, there's just the right amount of quality comic relief. If it's not Nicholas Logan's hapless muscle to Richard Brake's brains, it's Crampton and the rest of the adorable police station that reminded me of the one from Twin Peaks.

This movie succeeds at doing what my favorite noirs and neo-noirs do: showing what happens when you do what the devil on your shoulder suggests. It's not perfect, but the few issues I have with the movie are nitpicks. Is period accuracy that important? Probably not, but it was still hard to determine if it takes place in the '60s or '70s despite a memorable movie name drop. Also, bad decisions are what this genre is all about, but a few of them are of the convenient variety. It still remains a likely candidate for my top ten of 2024. It's also one of the more impressive directorial debuts of this decade so far.

[Darth Pazuzu]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/60/Longlegs_film_poster.jpg/220px-Longlegs_film_poster.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/A_Quiet_Place_Day_One_%282024%29_poster.jpg/220px-A_Quiet_Place_Day_One_%282024%29_poster.jpg

July 16, 2024

LONGLEGS (Osgood Perkins / 2024)
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE (Michael Sarnoski / 2024)

Time for some scary ones! It's been a while since I've watched a good horror film in a local theater...

The first one, Longlegs, I find a trifle... perplexing! It's certainly a unique and different horror picture. It does owe a little something to the world of author Thomas Harris (author of Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs), seeing as how it deals with a family-slaying serial killer who calls himself Longlegs (Nicolas Cage) as well as a female FBI agent named Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) who's assigned to help catch him by her superior, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood). But only up to a point, however. Because this one really gets into the arena of supernatural and satanic ritual, admittedly not in any kind of schlocky low-budget '80s sort of way (a la Ghoulies from '84, although I do like that film), but in the sense of some intrusive warping of the fabric of everyday life and behavior that feels more unnervingly contemporary. Harker also apparently possesses some strange clairvoyant ability which is able to put her on Longlegs' trail. Inevitably, we come to the subject of Nicolas Cage in the title role. Okaaaaaaayyy... It might be an exaggeration to say that Cage's performance is ten times weirder than all of his other performances put together. That would be seriously bordering on hyperbole. But Cage's Longlegs does feel ten times weirder than his Peter Loew from Vampire's Kiss, without a doubt. With ghastly pale makeup, long stringy hair and shaven eyebrows, as well as a high-pitched and deranged speaking voice, it's the sort of performance that could quite easily have come off as a joke, but Cage knocks it out of the park with rather unsettling ease. It's also kind of cool to see Alicia Witt as the heroine's mother, seeing as how she played the young Alia Atreides in the original 1984 David Lynch film version of Dune. Overall, I found the movie compelling, but not necessarily satisfying. It is certainly an idiosyncratic and distinctive horror film, but one which I find difficult to get a "read" on. Is this movie doing a goof on the "satanic panic" of the '70s and '80s? Or is it meant to be taken seriously? And what was the point of dragging the good name of '70s glam-rock icon Marc Bolan into this? We open up with an onscreen quote from T. Rex's Get It On (Bang a Gong) - which actually does relate in a strange way to the character of Lee Harker and her mother - as well as quite a few T. Rex songs on the soundtrack. Given Longlegs' bizarre and menacingly androgynous appearance, as well as a slightly witchy manner which makes one think of Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz seriously tripping out on some psychedelic drug cocktail - or perhaps the lost bastard love child of Margaret Hamilton and Ted Levine's Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs - and the fact that he's got a poster of Bolan circa 1973's The Slider on the wall of his lair, I find myself compelled to ask what sort of correlation the film is making between satanism and androgyny. Or was writer/director Osgood Perkins even attempting to make any? I'm guessing probably not, but it makes for a very big question mark. For me, at least. Then again, maybe I'm reading too much into it. Oh, one more thing! This is also one of these horror movies in which dolls play a key role...

I was sort of expecting to like Longlegs better than A Quiet Place: Day One. By which I mean I wasn't really expecting much from a horror movie prequel from a horror franchise that's now three films deep, and I expected to be more impressed by the strangely idiosyncratic and unsettling Longlegs. But interestingly enough, the reverse is true! I found A Quiet Place: Day One to be a very satisfying and emotionally involving post-apocalyptic horror film. I've actually never even seen the other two A Quiet Place films. (What?! Another franchise whose films Pazuzu hasn't seen yet??, I hear you cackling out there. :lol:) But I was impressed by what I saw in Day One. Actress Lupita Nyong'o gives a very affecting performance as a terminally ill cancer patient named Samira, who gets caught up in the invasion of New York City by the blind but all-hearing aliens which most audiences will recognize as the creatures from the first two films. As Samira, her support cat Frodo and other survivors try to find shelter, stay alive, and - even more importantly - stay quiet, she eventually meets up with a frightened English law student named Eric (Joseph Quinn). Joseph is discovered by the cat Frodo, who gives him a mysterious look which all but says out loud "Come with me if you want to live!" to him, and then leads him to where Samira is hiding. The rest of the movie deals with the attempts by the three survivors (including the cat) to find and join an evacuation out of the city - making a pit stop for pizza and beer at an abandoned jazz club en route - and avoid making any noise to attract the dangerous alien invaders. I guess the one thing I found rather incredible about the film is that the cat Frodo would manage to avoid making mewling and hissing noises that would attract the attention of the aliens. That strikes me as one very disciplined cat, perhaps too much so. Yeah, I get it, Frodo's a service animal and thus would be more disciplined, but it's still kind of a stretch. But the movie manages to build up so much audience goodwill that one is willing to forgive a minor lapse of credibility like that. There's also a rather tense sequence that has a whole crowd of people moving together as silently as possible, in a kind of reversal of a zombie apocalypse trope, but the collective sound of their shuffling feet manages to attract the attention of the aliens, who violently swoop in and scatter the survivors to the winds. I have to say that I liked this one a lot! So perhaps I'll check out the first two films at some later date... :D

[Fabulous]

Boxcar Bertha (1972)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/svUxQkk6koxF5DidzpTZOaNEEMV.jpg

[Galactic Traveler]

Was feeling nostalgic today so I watched the original Karate Kid. I was about 9 when this came out. I remember seeing it in the theaters. I immediately fell in love with it, particularly the bonding and chemistry Daniel and Mr. Miyagi had. The friendship they developed is one of the best in film. I was glad to see Pat Morita get a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He deserved it for his performance.

4

This scene always gets me emotional:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upvNcf2Vb-w

[Marco]

The Onion Field (1979)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e0/OnionFieldPoster.JPG
Good drama concerning the murder of a policeman by 2 chancers after a routine stop for a driving violation. The aftermath is the interesting thing with the cops partner (who escaped) being cold shouldered by his colleagues for not resisting and having to find a way to support his family. Meanwhile the "savvier" of the 2 felons uses every trick in the legal book not to face the gas chamber...to the exhaustion of the judiciary. James Woods is ice cold in this and it's good to see John Savage exercise his acting skills.
3.5

[Takoma11]

The Last Stop in Yuma County - 4

This thrilling throwback neo-noir proves that Jim Cummings deserves to be a household name. I would go so far to say that his performance as an ordinary man in an extraordinary situation recalls how Henry Fonda and Humphrey Bogart played roles like this. It also proves that veteran character actor Richard Brake should be a household name if he is not one already. Besides making his bank robber look like one scary dude, I love how he makes every word send a chill down your spine and not just the profanity. Okay, enough about the acting, especially since the whole cast shines down to Barbara Crampton's witty police secretary.

I am so excited to watch this movie.

[Torgo]

I am so excited to watch this movie.I think you'll like it and appreciate Jim as an actor even more. It's not quite like any role he's played before.

[Takoma11]

I think you'll like it and appreciate Jim as an actor even more. It's not quite like any role he's played before.

I'm obviously already a huge fan of his, but I read a review of the movie without realizing he was in it that also got me excited, so overall I'm pumped for it.

Have you seen The Beta Test?

[Torgo]

I'm obviously already a huge fan of his, but I read a review of the movie without realizing he was in it that also got me excited, so overall I'm pumped for it.

Have you seen The Beta Test?Yes, I watched it and The Wolf of Snow Hollow not long after seeing Thunder Road because I liked it so much. The guy is so funny in embarassing or awkward situations. He's good enough to headline a big-budget comedy if you ask me. I'm not that interested in the Halloween remakes, but I'd see Halloween Kills because he's in it.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cd/Annie-film.jpg
By Source: amazon.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18544406

Annie - (1982)

A little cruel and unusual for the Razzies to nominate 10-year-old Aileen Quinn for Worst Supporting Actress at only their 3rd Awards Ceremony, and the fact she "won" this non-coveted prize just rubs salt into the wound, along with the fact that she was also nominated for Worst New Star. I didn't find much objectionable about her, or the film (which was also nominated for Worst Picture,) but I never fancied this when it first came out. Watching it today (for the first time) I found certain elements to my liking - specifically performances from Carol Burnett (I love Carol Burnett), Tim Curry and Albert Finney, who go all-in and really believe in what they're doing. A lot of the songs are average, but "Hard Knock Life" and "Tomorrow" are absolute classics, and hearing Tim Curry sing in "Easy Street" brought back Rocky Horror Picture Show memories. If approached with the right, loving attitude it'll win you over as well I think, and the only shame is the fact that it didn't have more killer songs in it to really seal the deal and make this a modern Oliver Twist tale that didn't attract the scorn it did.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/34/TheVisitorPoster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21366629

The Visitor - (2007)

This grounded, life-like, post-9/11 film about an economics professor, Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins - in an Oscar-nominated role), just going through the motions after his wife dies, is believable enough to draw viewers in and have them really invested. Walter meets an illegal immigrant and his partner when they're conned into renting out his apartment, and from there his world opens up again - but tragic circumstances force him to fight, which is just as much a motivator as love, and music. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2472375#post2472375), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8f/The_Queen_of_Spades_FilmPoster.jpeg
By The cover art can be obtained from Movieposterdb.com., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34898762

The Queen of Spades - (1949)

This adaptation of a classic Alexander Pushkin short story is disquietingly haunting and a feverish character study in lost morals, desperation and the narcissist's need to "show everyone" - Captain Herman Suvorin (Anton Walbrook) would sell his soul if he knew he could always win playing the card game Faro, and when he gets the chance, he doesn't hesitate throwing innocent lives asunder. A first-rate introduction to an expertly told tale - full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2472830#post2472830), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Topper_poster.jpg/330px-Topper_poster.jpg
By MGM - source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58525070

Topper - (1937)

This was an hilarious screwball comedy with a surprise outstanding comedic performance from Roland Young (Oscar-nominated) as Cosmo Topper, a quiet, nervous, reserved, polite and punctual man who is about to be taught how to let loose and have fun by the ghosts of Marion (Constance Bennett) and George Kerby (Cary Grant) - those who see what happens are puzzled to say the least! Cosmo's tremulous, quavering style of speech is so wonderfully delivered by Young, and fits the situations this movie puts him in perfectly. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2473324#post2473324), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

[Fabulous]

Caged Heat (1974)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/8Eu9ntO1NauX9iFQZKfFSjx9k2C.jpg

[Takoma11]

Yes, I watched it and The Wolf of Snow Hollow not long after seeing Thunder Road because I liked it so much. The guy is so funny in embarassing or awkward situations.

I really enjoy him as an actor, but I also really appreciate basically everything he's said about movie-making. He just seems incredibly appreciative of the other people involved in making his films, and his advocacy for finding ways to just get started in making what you want to make is very refreshing.

[Yoda]

This thrilling throwback neo-noir proves that Jim Cummings deserves to be a household name.
Totally agree. Huge fan of his, and I watched The Last Stop in Yuma County entirely based on his involvement, even though it's not "his" film. I like the Henry Fonda comparison, that's very good.

Anyway, straightforward, simple movie, very enjoyable. I have some small critiques here and there (I'd like to have seen more foreshadowing of some of the things that happen, seemingly all at once, later on), but it's a lovely little film and a testament to how much you can do with relatively little.

Almost certainly going to go back and rewatch Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow now. Just finding everything this guy does delightful.

[Yoda]

I really enjoy him as an actor, but I also really appreciate basically everything he's said about movie-making. He just seems incredibly appreciative of the other people involved in making his films, and his advocacy for finding ways to just get started in making what you want to make is very refreshing.
The best celebrities are seemingly the ones that find success a little later in life and/or had to grind to get there. I remember thinking that's why Jon Hamm came off so well, explains why he says yes to every silly/fun idea people bring him and all that. Standard caveat about how we don't really know anybody, parasocial blah blah et cetera.

But yes, the stuff he says about moviemaking, demystifying the process and putting the emphasis on doing things and just getting into that feedback loop of improvement and work, it's all gold and more people need to hear it.

[FilmBuff]

I love that about Hamm

[MovieGal]

99866
Young Woman and the Sea
(2024)
4/5


What a great film!

[Allaby]

Find Me Falling (2024) New Netflix romantic comedy starring Harry Connick Jr. This was alright. It's a pretty standard and predictable romantic comedy. It's pleasant enough, but not really funny. 3

[Gideon58]

I love that about Hamm

Hamm is on of the industry's most versatile and underrated actors.

[Stirchley]

Hamm is on of the industry's most versatile and underrated actors.

He was very good in True Detective.

[Takoma11]

The best celebrities are seemingly the ones that find success a little later in life and/or had to grind to get there. I remember thinking that's why Jon Hamm came off so well, explains why he says yes to every silly/fun idea people bring him and all that. Standard caveat about how we don't really know anybody, parasocial blah blah et cetera.

Ha, my "relationship" to Jim Cummings is highly parasocial of course, and I would be devastated if it turned out he was actually a terrible person. But like you say, his willingness to engage with people on different levels is really great. I watched an incredibly charming interview on YouTube that he did with a Polish fan of his, which is where I learned about the film Corpus Christi, so everyone wins!

But yes, the stuff he says about moviemaking, demystifying the process and putting the emphasis on doing things and just getting into that feedback loop of improvement and work, it's all gold and more people need to hear it.

Something that jumped out to me in a behind-the-scenes thing about The Beta Test was where he's just editing the whole film on a computer in his garage. The message that you can---and maybe should---just start making what interests you is really neat, as is his frank discussion about doing so outside of traditional funding. And the way that he rigorously name-drops his collaborators warms my heart.

[Thief]

A MYSTERY ON THE CATTLE HILL EXPRESS
(2023, Ashurst)

https://i.imgur.com/jN4wMC9.jpg


"♪ Having such a wonderful time, when we're out solving crime ♫"



At least that's what this Norwegian animated film for kids promises to deliver. This is actually the third film in a series set in the titular town, featuring anthropomorphic farm animals, but the focus is mostly on Clara, a very resourceful calf. This one borrows some elements from Agatha Christie's novels as Clara and his friend Gavin set out to investigate the theft of a special "super-seed" that was supposed to help with their crops.

Obviously this was something I put up for the kids and just sat down to watch with them. They enjoyed it, although probably not as much as other films they've seen. It doesn't seem to be one of those that sticks with them, but it was good enough to pass the time for them. As for me, I would say it was mildly entertaining. The animation is good, and the whodunit angle is effective for most of the run.

Grade: 2


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2473462#post2473462)

[Thief]

In the topic of Jim Cummings, I've seen a bunch of his short films as well, and I would recommend them all.

The Chucko (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2343311-the_chucko.html) (2015)
Thunder Road (2016)
It's All Right, It's Ok (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2343319-its_all_right_its_ok.html) (2017)
Parent Teacher (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2471506-parent_teacher.html) (2018)
The Last Brunch (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2458253-the_last_brunch.html) (2024)

To be honest, I would probably bump the rating on It's All Right, It's Ok to a 4 or maybe even 4.5. I like his commitment and enthusiasm for the craft.

[Deschain]

I’ve become a fan of Jim Cummings after watching Wolf of Snow Hollow a couple years ago. Is there a place to watch all his shorts that’s free/easily accessible?

[Yoda]

I’ve become a fan of Jim Cummings after watching Wolf of Snow Hollow a couple years ago. Is there a place to watch all his shorts that’s free/easily accessible?
There's a couple of shorts on his YouTube page, though his best work is definitely in his feature length films.

[Yoda]

Something that jumped out to me in a behind-the-scenes thing about The Beta Test was where he's just editing the whole film on a computer in his garage. The message that you can---and maybe should---just start making what interests you is really neat, as is his frank discussion about doing so outside of traditional funding. And the way that he rigorously name-drops his collaborators warms my heart.
I'm glad someone else saw that! It was a cool little featurette, and refreshingly short/dense, almost all interesting stuff without a lot of fluff. And yeah, the stuff about the process, making use of what you have (editing in a closet at one point I believe?), all of it great.

I think my favorite part was watching all the takes of the envelope falling out of the mailbox. It didn't even occur to me when watching The Beta Test that they probably had to do that over and over to get the shot, but it seems obvious in retrospect.

[FilmBuff]

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/oddity-432439096-large.jpg

Oddity
4


One of the most unique horror titles of recent years, Oddity is a crackerjack movie that no genre fan should miss.

Irish writer-director Damian McCarthy has fashioned a top-notch piece of entertainment that provides plenty of suspense and manages to suggest something that Edgar Allan Poe might have written if he'd lived in the 21st century.

I'm hesitant to even try to say anything about the story, because there are so many twists and turns in the film, I'd hate to spoil anything for anybody. Let's just say there's a doctor working the night shift at a psychiatric hospital who somehow gets more than he bargained for when he welcomes the twin sister of his dead wife to his shadowy residence.

All of the performances are excellent but Carolyn Bracken is extraordinary in a double role that is the heart and soul of the film.

Oddity has already won a bunch of awards and will be in US theaters briefly before winding up on Shudder - you really should watch it in the cinema if you get a chance.

[Thief]

I’ve become a fan of Jim Cummings after watching Wolf of Snow Hollow a couple years ago. Is there a place to watch all his shorts that’s free/easily accessible?

His Vimeo page (https://vimeo.com/jimmycthatsme), and like Yoda said, his YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@coolandhappy/videos).

[Thief]

PIÑERO
(2001, Ichaso)

https://i.imgur.com/8IWpCbs.png


"Well, I never wanted to be anybody. But a guy once said to me, 'you can write, and writing will get you out of jail.' And it did and it didn't, 'cause I had to keep doing bad to keep the writing good, 'cause I sell trouble."



Piñero follows the life of Nuyorican playwright, poet, and actor Miguel Piñero (Benjamin Bratt). Piñero was a very controversial figure whose talent was rivaled by his own inner demons of addiction and criminal life. After a stint in Sing-Sing, he wrote a play called Short Eyes, which ended up being nominated for several Tony Awards and was eventually adapted into a film version.

This is a film that was introduced to me by my wife. Back when we started dating, she had a poster of this film in her room. At the time, I hadn't seen it, but saw it with her and, even though it has its flaws, it's still a pretty good biopic with a fiery performance from Bratt. It is the kind of story about a "tortured soul" that just can't help but do bad "to keep the writing good".

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2473500#post2473500)

[skizzerflake]

I had to see it....Twisters (note the plural). There's a lot of them, tornados all over Oklahoma. I loved the first one, Twister, but this one really is not a sequel...different cast, different plot and different twisters. I went in expecting exactly what I got, a cast of misfits, driving way too fast in pickups, chasing storms in Oklahoma. I didn't expect much in the way of science or meteorology, just wanted running, screaming, fast driving, flying trucks, flying buildings and wreckage. I got exactly that.

The cast is as good as they need to be, doing a lot of hootin' and hollerin'. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell are likable. Unfortunately the cast did miss Philip Seymour Hoffman as Dusty and Jamie Gertz as the completely out-of-place girlfriend. The twisters are scary and loud, buildings shred and fly, cars fly, cows fly, humans fly, there's even a fire-nado,and everybody feels appropriately bad over all of the human damage.

After a lot of movies that I walked out of and felt fair to middling, this one was fun. It gave me exactly what I wanted. High art, it ain't but thrills, and fast paced action it is.

Having been waaaayyyy too close to 3 tornados in my actual life, including actually being inside one (fortunately a F-0), I like tornados on screen a lot more than in person. These were fun. I didn't have to run, scream or die.

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn: (out of 5)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm27YjLnPHc

[Miss Vicky]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

Is this meant to be a 4 out of 5?

Here's how to do the popcorn box ratings the usual way, if you don't already know. (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=45798)

[skizzerflake]

Is this meant to be a 4 out of 5?

Here's how to do the popcorn box ratings the usual way, if you don't already know. (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=45798)

Sure. I resisted the temptation to make it an 8 popcorns.

[FilmBuff]

this one really is not a sequel...different cast, different plot and different twisters.


Dorothy would beg to differ :p

[Takoma11]

In the topic of Jim Cummings, I've seen a bunch of his short films as well, and I would recommend them all.

The Chucko (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2343311-the_chucko.html) (2015)
Thunder Road (2016)
It's All Right, It's Ok (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2343319-its_all_right_its_ok.html) (2017)
Parent Teacher (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2471506-parent_teacher.html) (2018)
The Last Brunch (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2458253-the_last_brunch.html) (2024)

To be honest, I would probably bump the rating on It's All Right, It's Ok to a 4 or maybe even 4.5. I like his commitment and enthusiasm for the craft.

I still need to see most of his shorts, but I thought The Robbery was hilarious.

I'm glad someone else saw that! It was a cool little featurette, and refreshingly short/dense, almost all interesting stuff without a lot of fluff. And yeah, the stuff about the process, making use of what you have (editing in a closet at one point I believe?), all of it great.

One of the things about the decline of DVD/physical media is the loss of an easy and obvious place to have behind-the-scenes and commentaries. The Criterion Channel has some commentaries, which I love, and I hope that these kinds of bonus features increasingly pop up on streaming.

I think my favorite part was watching all the takes of the envelope falling out of the mailbox. It didn't even occur to me when watching The Beta Test that they probably had to do that over and over to get the shot, but it seems obvious in retrospect.

Have you seen the Captain Disillusion video on trick shots?

[Thief]

I still need to see most of his shorts, but I thought The Robbery was hilarious.



Casually, I just put that one about an hour ago, sparked by this conversation. I totally agree. Loved it.

[Takoma11]

Casually, I just put that one about an hour ago, sparked by this conversation. I totally agree. Loved it.

I thought the lead actress was FANTASTIC. I think she had a better grasp on his writing than any other actor I've seen in his films.