Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[MovieBuffering]

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Tom still doing crazy sh*t in his 60s. Gotta give the man his props...he doesn't half ass it. This film however is the weakest of the new batch since he rebooted the franchise in 2011. It felt bloated and clunky imo. Too many characters a bunch felt useless. Cartoonish plot line imo. If I had to hear "the key" one more time. Listen it's entertaining enough to give it a watch but this one felt a bit silly and arduous to get through at points. Maybe it will come together in the next one but I can't say I am going be jumping at the bit to see a part 2 of this one. I just thought this was a bit of a messy miss.

2

https://images.wallpapersden.com/image/wxl-official-4k-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-poster_90902.jpg

[I_Wear_Pants]

I finally got around to finishing Big Clock. I found it to be a great film from top to bottom. I wouldn't say any part stood out as excellent although I wouldn't say any part was at all bad. I thought it was really well done with a satisfactory, albeit a little short, ending. It's a solid film noir, and I'm glad I took the time to watch it.

[Fabulous]

Grand Illusion (1937)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/gTNiTdgVnacIDQ3LWmf7OwbzOJM.jpg

[Captain Quint]

Finished up with Maxxine and it's about the same as the other two in the series. I'm not really into 'stabby stabby' stuff, but I do enjoy crime stories, so that quality was a draw. Good work from Goth and Kevin Bacon. 3 out of 5

Before that... The Long Darkness (1972) Directed by Kei Kumai - some fantastic camera work, nice visuals - I really liked the heartfelt story, though it piles on the misery, and that wore me down after a spell (I get it, these are the damned).

Though set over several days and months, it's kind of like a depressed Before Sunrise, where you watch this couple talk and walk and get to know one another. I do hope they can break the family cycle of unrelenting sorrow, but probably not, ♫ life's a piece of sh--- when you look at it. ♫ But maybe they'll find some joy, too. 4 out of 5

[LChimp]

https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:nvmkr4arrn7vvgmfkw24mn3x/bafkreid5c6csxlvoxmwgj7uocef3lt546yswabuhqoydu336vinf4pfpxe@jpeg

El Hoyo 2 - (2024)

Terrible. 2/10

[chawhee]

Inside Out 2 (2024)
https://pixarpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Inside-Out-2-Anxiety.jpg
4.5
Rewatch, and its still probably my favorite animated movie of the year over Wild Robot...probably.

[Allaby]

A Real Young Girl (1976) Watched on Criterion Channel. Catherine Breillat directs this frank coming of age drama about a 14 year old girl exploring her body and fantasies. This is very much a Catherine Breillat film. It's weird, icky, and pervy. It's also beautiful, provocative, compelling, and features a fantastic and fierce performance from Charlotte Alexandra. Like most Breillat films, this is not for everyone, but if you appreciate her vision and themes, this is a must see for Breillat films. 4

[batmanforever1best]

Under Siege, 1992


As a batman forever fan and tommy lee jones fan---this film sticks out to me because of TLJ's (villain) character. His character in this film feels like a two face without the makeup. Of course this movie comes before batman forever but i feel like im watching a backstory of how harvey became who he was in an alternate timeline if you will. Tommey lee Jones acting in under siege is amazing, you can see how bad he is and everytime i watch Batman forever after siege plays i feel their connected yet their nothing alike and they aren't related. 5 stars for story and development of the good and bad guys all around.

[FilmBuff]

https://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Emilia-Perez-Poster-2.jpg

Emilia Pérez (2nd viewing)


Ok, decided to take a 2nd look at the movie, still came away with the same concerns as I had before.

Before going into that, I do want to reiterate that Jacques Audiard really does seem to be trying to address important social issues, happening in Mexico right now, mostly the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of people due to widespread violence.

I can heartily commend the film for its good intentions while still maintaining some reservations about the ways in which he has gone about doing that; even in Mexico, some people have become irritated by what they see as "cultural colonialism" - a French director taking his personal concerns and using Mexico as the backdrop for expressing them.

Whether or not one feels that is a valid criticism, the fact is that the movie still remains very much one that feels more like an international co-production than anything else; outside of a few establishing shots, it feels like very little of it was actually shot in Mexico. Most of the movie looks like it could have been shot on a small soundstage pretty much anywhere in the world (some online research suggests most of the movie was filmed in France).

Having said that, the performances from all three leads remain pretty powerful, and the movie as a whole tends to be a mostly positive experience. The chances remain pretty high that it will win at least the Best International Feature Oscar, as well as one or more acting awards.

If you plan on watching the movie, do bear in mind that the overall causes it champions are definitely very real, while the overall story and plot developments still remain more like something out of a telenovela; the characters as written like much psychological depth, and yet the performances themselves are really quite good.

[Robert the List]

Late Spring (1949) 9.75
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2503904#post2503904

[Torgo]

Damsel - 2

This is a subpar fantasy flick that may satisfy your craving for the genre in the short term but will leave you hungry for something better. Millie Bobby Brown is quite good as Princess Elodie, always giving you the impression she is trying to elevate the material. The same goes for director Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) for how he similarly tries to turn this into a work of art despite of Netflix's demands to stick to the algorithm. The visuals are cheesy on the whole, especially the dragon's, but my overall impression is positive thanks to the much less cheesy-looking magical glow worms taking up residence in the dragon’s lair and Portugal's natural beauty. Unfortunately, the positives are marred by the movie being too predictable and for insulting your intelligence too much. If you have any familiarity with this genre, whether via movies or video games, your early guesses as to where it will go will likely be right. On top of that, it gets there in a way that hopes you're looking at your phone most of the time because characters repeatedly make uncharacteristically dumb decisions. Elodie knows what will put her in the dragon's crosshairs, but she does it anyway, while the dragon has multiple opportunities to turn her into ashes but conveniently does not take them, for instance. Also, the supporting cast of Ray Winstone, Angela Bassett and Robin Wright may have also enticed you, but I ended up feeling embarrassed for all of them.

If this writeup seems generic - well, moreso - it's because the movie does too, both as a member of its genre and in general. I can't help but think Netflix produced it solely so there would be an option if you filter on “fantasy” while browsing their catalog. Its aesthetics are the best thing going for it, so if you're also a fan of them and more willing to stomach all of the above, it may be worth your time. However, you would be better off queuing up an Enya playlist and browsing a Frank Frazetta coffee table book for the same length of time instead.

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/34/Furiosa_A_Mad_Max_Saga.jpg/220px-Furiosa_A_Mad_Max_Saga.jpg

3.5

SF = Z

Viewed: Blu-ray


[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

[cricket]

Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

3.5

https://media0.giphy.com/media/wwmGVPBIZmOLY6Uz9T/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952sgmefamzb5qx5nrkwcw6ngnqq0oiln1c4zu8c7om&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

Just saw this mentioned on the forum last week and thought it sounded great. It's definitely my kind of film and I was constantly engaged. Very good performances and it's a pleasure visually. Although it tries, I thought it was missing that wow factor, and this is the type of film that needs that. Therefore I don't think it'll be extremely memorable. I thought there was a homage to the opening Pulp fiction diner scene, and another to a scene from Goodfellas, but I read some reviews afterwards and I didn't see anything mentioned. Maybe it was just me? Wifey also enjoyed it but also thought it fell short of being great.

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Double Indemnity (1944, Billy Wilder) - A+

[iluv2viddyfilms]

The Man I Love (1947, Raoul Walsh) - B

[FilmBuff]

https://www.fanbolt.com/main/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/10/Juror-2.jpg.webp

Juror #2
2

Important ethical issues are raised in a perfunctory manner and a talented cast is mostly wasted in Clint Eastwood's Juror #2, one of the most tedious movies he has made in his long career as a filmmaker.

First of all, if you haven't heard of this movie, that may be largely due to the fact that Eastwood's long-time studio, WB, pretty much dumped this in a handful of theaters over the weekend, with little or no publicity, and has no plans to expand the movie to more theaters.

Curiously, it is the 2nd movie in a row for WB that features the number "2" in its title and involves a lot of tedious courtroom drama; both movies also happen to have been financial disasters for the studio.

The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Zoey Deutch, Toni Collette, Chris Messina, J. K. Simmons, and Kiefer Sutherland, with very good supporting roles for actors that I have long admired, namely Leslie Bibb as a jury foreperson and Amy Aquino as the judge in the case.

How could such a great cast be so incredibly wasted?

It would be impossible to discuss at length all of the screenplay's weak spots and the numerous plot holes or implausibilities, without also going into some serious spoilers (I didn't watch the trailer before watching the movie so I can't say how much it spoils).

I'll just say that people in real life do not sound or behave like some of the characters in the movie. And there's a heck of a lot of holes in the arguments of the prosecutor that even a hack lawyer would have examined a heck of a lot more assiduously than what you get in the movie.

In some ways, it almost plays like a movie that could have been made in the 1940s, except it doesn't have the cynicism of some of the best 40s movies. The mind boggles at the amazing things that someone like Billy Wilder or Fred Zinnemann could have done with this material.

As the case proceeds in a series of interminable courtroom scenes, it becomes clear that this movie isn't even remotely connected to anything that could happen in real life, especially in this day and age. The actors try their level best, but they can't sell a story as phony and unconvincing as this one.

In the case of Juror #2, the verdict is unavoidable: this movie deserves a life sentence as streaming content, without the possibility of awards consideration.

[FilmBuff]

https://images.fandango.com/ImageRenderer/820/0/redesign/static/img/default_poster.png/0/images/masterrepository/fandango/238365/musicbyjohnwilliams-posterart.jpg

Music by John Williams
5


Anyone who has been watching movies in the last couple of decades already knows how great John Williams is.

This documentary serves as a very appropriate tribute to the great Maestro, who has been making great music for great movies for longer than some of us have been alive.

The documentary features a who's-who of interviewees, starting of course with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, for whose movies Williams wrote and directed some of his most famous movie themes.

But the documentary also goes into great depth on many other of Williams's lesser-known work, including the many movies and TV series in which he worked during the 60s, before he became so well-known as a film composer.

As much as we already know he's done some amazing work as a composer - and as the conductor of the Boston Pops, among other symphonies - it's still a great delight to watch clips from so many tremendous accomplishments.

[Captain Quint]

102226

Happy Godzilla Day everyone!

While I'm waiting for the new short to show up online, I watched one of the old ones I've not seen yet. Godzilla Fest 3: Gigan Attacks (2022) - Just a good old-fashioned battle, but great fun. 4-stars

Oh, and Toho has greenlit the next Godzilla feature, which is to be directed by the same guy who did Minus One.

[Fabulous]

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/7DcV3VY683ubqOP3KnCDLtxIy7g.jpg

[Daltonio]

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

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

[*Sky*]

Pane e tulipani (2000) - Silvio Soldini: 3/10

[Captain Quint]

Oh Susanna (1936) - I like westerns, and this was on a BFI list, but yeesh, this might be the dumbest thing I've ever seen. A criminal steals Gene Autry's identify, and, I know they didn't have the internet, and it's going for comedy, but seriously, no one recognizes Gene Autry, a star of stage and screen and recordings, they think he's some mad killer, and the real mad killer is actually Gene... who goes around shooting old friends? Somehow it manages to be lightly entertaining, and you have some good music. But how to rate such silliness? 2.5 out of 5, is my 'neither here nor their' grade, so I'll go with that.

At the least I get to mark it off the list.

[LChimp]

https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/3/spaceballs-poster-joshua-williams.jpg

Spaceballs - (Mel Brooks, 1987)

2nd re-watch, this time with my 16yo. I don't think he enjoyed it that much, I was laughing throughout the whole movie.

10/10

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Abfmwo3EL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



6th Rewatch...In terms of pure entertainment, I now prefer Casino, but this is definitely Scorsese's masterpiece that was robbed of the Best Picture Oscar. Scorsese was robbed of Best Director as well for this bloody and brilliant fact-based mob drama that, unlike any other mob movie, including The Godfather, made being a mobster look undeniably glamorous. It's the true story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) who grew up around mobsters and eventually become one of them, but eventually screwed it up and ended up in the Witness Protection program until his death in 2012. The late Ray Liotta's star-making performance is the heart of this film and Joe Pesci's Oscar-winning performance as Tommy DeVito commands the screen as well. If you want to make a gangster epic, this is the textbook. 4.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81NFGZa9ZyL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg


3rd Rewatch...John Candy and John Hughes teamed up again for this slightly raunchy but very funny comedy which finds Hughes playing the title character, a lazy unemployed chronic gambler who is asked by his brother to watch his three kids while he and his wife go out of town. The surprise in this story is that despite some initial screw-ups, Buck actually steps up and takes care of these kids. Candy lights up the screen here playing one of his most likable characters and mention should be made of Laurie Metcalf as an amorous neighbor and Macauley Culkin as his young nephew. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/lnH_jY4rnsck51NQiN4J84Lo3v5yyj1KCxSsnlR_P_8kWjOGJhG6e_lS26FOM9kc0hQ=w240-h480-rw



Umpteenth Rewatch....Tim Burton knocks it out of the park here. This is the movie that made me officially fall in love with Johnny Depp. Depp plays the creation of a mad scientist (Vincent Price, in his final film role) who died before he could give Edward real hands and left his creation with large scissors for hands, who now finds himself smack in the middle of suburbia, thanks to a kindly Avon Lady (Oscar winner Dianne Wiest). The film features extraordinary production values and Depp gives the performance of his career. 4

[Stirchley]

https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/lnH_jY4rnsck51NQiN4J84Lo3v5yyj1KCxSsnlR_P_8kWjOGJhG6e_lS26FOM9kc0hQ=w240-h480-rw



Umpteenth Rewatch....Tim Burton knocks it out of the park here. This is the movie that made me officially fall in love with Johnny Depp. Depp plays the creation of a mad scientist (Vincent Price, in his final film role) who died before he could give Edward real hands and left his creation with large scissors for hands, who now finds himself smack in the middle of suburbia, thanks to a kindly Avon Lady (Oscar winner Dianne Wiest). The film features extraordinary production values and Depp gives the performance of his career. 4

Never seen this movie.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91Tg0bMaZYL.jpg



Umpteenth Rewatch...This feel-good sports comedy is one of my guilty pleasures that I will always watch if I run into it. When the fictional pro football team the Washington Sentinels go on strike, former pro coach Jimmy McGinty (Oscar winner Gene Hackman) is drafted to put together a scab team to finish out the season, including a washed up quarterback named Shane Falco (Keanu Reeves), who is only remembered for a disastrous Sugar Bowl many years ago. Hackman gives this film an element of class it really doesn't deserve and Reeves' sex on legs =performance is a lot of fun as are Jon Favreau, Orlando Jones, Rhys Ifans, and Jack Warden in supporting roles. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzQwNjhjNTUtNDA3MS00MmI3LTgyMDgtNGE1ODA4YmNiZGQ3XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg


Umpteenth Rewatch....My favorite Adam Sandler movie. This remake of the Gary Cooper classic Mr. Deeds Goes to Town finds Sandler playing Longfellow Deeds, a pizza delivery man who writes greeting cards who learns he is the only living relative of a media mogul named Preston Blake and he is about to inherit $40 billion dollars from him unless Blake's acting CEO (Peter Gallagher) can wrest power from Deeds. This film is silly fun with a terrific supporting cast including Winona Ryder, Conchatta Ferrell, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Jared Harris and a funny cameo from John McEnroe. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Nq77y9zgL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg



2nd Rewatch...Will Ferrell had one of his biggest hits with this lavish fantasy about a human being named Buddy who was raised as one of Santa's elves. As the film begins, Buddy learns from Papa Elf (the late Bob Newhart) the name of his real father, Walter Hobbs (the late James Caan) and travels from the North Pole to Manhattan to meet him. There's a lot of silly stuff going on here, but the charismatic turn by Ferrell in the starring role and the beautifully understated performance from Caan make this movie worth watching. Mention should also be made of Mary Steenburgen, Zoey Deschenal, and the brilliant Peter Dinklage who make every moment they have onscreen. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Ray_poster.jpg



4th Rewatch...Despite his accustomed over indulgent direction from Taylor Hackford, Jamie Foxx's Oscar-winning performance as legendary musician Ray Charles keep this film totally watchable. The screenplay is a little overprotective of Charles and I think that was because at the time of filming, Charles was still alive. The screenplay also spends a little too much time on Charles' childhood, where the point is driven with a sledgehammer that Charles learned how to be independent because of his mother. Foxx is extraordinary and there are two performances that should have received Best Supporting Actress nominations...Regina King as Ray's mistress, Marjorie and Sharon Warren as Ray's mother during the flashbacks. 4

[Fabulous]

Rome, Open City (1945)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/49KJs2jPEhHdk2zWgzVUsTx1q5G.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/89/Jersey_Boys_Poster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42521155

Jersey Boys - (2014)

You know that director Clint Eastwood isn't going to be learning new tricks in his mid-80s, so when you take on Jersey Boys it's with the knowledge that this is going to be a mid-1990s biographical movie released in 2014 about a mid-1960s singer and band and an adaptation of a mid-2000s Broadway musical. It's the stiffness that hurts it the most - as if what we're watching isn't supposed to line up with real life exactly, but instead a kind of stylized, slick satire of Italian-Americans and more specifically Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The songs, sung by the actors themselves, I'm sorry to say sound awful. I'm sorry but if this is how these guys would have really sounded they wouldn't have become famous and their songs wouldn't have been hits. It doesn't work at all - the extreme high and low pitch is way off. The way the band kind of bumps into what to sing about every time they write a new hit song comes straight from Walk Hard : The Dewey Cox Story. With those problems the narrative itself simply had to be fantastic to try and compensate - and while it was the movie's best feature it couldn't turn this into a repeat viewer for me - I'll only watch Jersey Boys this once unless forced to see it again.

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/Believerposter.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16683394

The Believer - (2001)

Watching this film right now, at this point in world history, and more specifically American history, is far, far more frightening than it might have been watching this movie in 2001. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2504492#post2504492), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

[Robert the List]

Double Indemnity (1944, Billy Wilder) - A+
Can I ask, why??!!
I know this is MoFo's nr 1 noir, but I just don't get it!!

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Can I ask, why??!!
I know this is MoFo's nr 1 noir, but I just don't get it!!

Well the story is incredibly tight and the wordplay by Billy Wilder and long time collaborator Raymond Chandler is so clever and full of innuendo and indirect implications to sneak past the censors. Some of the things implied are spot on and also Billy Wilder is perhaps with Howard Hawks, William Wyler, and John Ford, one of the greatest and most intelligent storytellers in that he respects his audiences and isn't about to bore people with needless exposition. For example though out the film Edward G. Robinson's character never carries matches or a lighter and completely depends on MacMurray's character having a match. This changes at the very end as MacMurray is dying waiting for the police and medics to arrive. Just that very last scene alone as Robinson hears MacMurray recording his confession on the audio recorder and how he reacts to the whole thing is good writing. Instead of it being written and played as a "Gotcha! You thought you were clever, but you didn't get away with it! I'm glad your shot and are going down!" type of thing, it's incredibly remorseful as his long time co-worker and friend of 11 years feels nothing but remorse and loss mixed in with a sense of pointless betrayal. That whole relationship is the stronger in the film and one of the strongest in all of cinema and Billy Wilder expands it so much beyond cliche.

And the Barbara Stanwyck character is pure evil and how the audience is put in the position of possibly pulling for both her and MacMurray to "get away with it" because her husband is such an ass, really hits home as we too realized we've been duped just like MacMurray's character. The narration and flashback frame structure is pitch perfect and while I think Billy Wilder went on to even greater heights in what I consider his "masterpiece" in Sunset Blvd, what he did with structure and how the film plays with time... real time in which you're watching the film vs how time transpires in the film, is just spectacular. The fact that the film also includes a heavy... very heavy amount of insurance domain specific dialogue or jargon and weaves it into the story and characters so that any person can understood is also groundbreaking and fairly risky too. But yeah the audience is brought along as witness and conspirator and cheerleader for MacMurray's character, and even though he's a cad and scoundrel, he does have likeable qualities unlike the complete prick with zero redeemability that he played in his next pairing with Billy Wilder, 16 years later in The Apartment. But it so much more than just a thriller or noir as it transcends the genre and unlike a lot of films where the audience is kept in waiting with a lot of close calls, whodunnits, and will he get away with its, Double Indemnity holds up so well on repeat viewings because it's not really about the plot, it's about the subtext.

It was number five on my noir ballot and only four films in order placed higher than Double Indemnity:

1. In a Lonely Place
2. A Touch of Evil
3. The Big Sleep
4. Sunset Blvd
5. Double Indemnity

[Robert the List]

Well the story is incredibly tight and the wordplay by Billy Wilder and long time collaborator Raymond Chandler is so clever and full of innuendo and indirect implications to sneak past the censors. Some of the things implied are spot on and also Billy Wilder is perhaps with Howard Hawks, William Wyler, and John Ford, one of the greatest and most intelligent storytellers in that he respects his audiences and isn't about to bore people with needless exposition. For example though out the film Edward G. Robinson's character never carries matches or a lighter and completely depends on MacMurray's character having a match. This changes at the very end as MacMurray is dying waiting for the police and medics to arrive. Just that very last scene alone as Robinson hears MacMurray recording his confession on the audio recorder and how he reacts to the whole thing is good writing. Instead of it being written and played as a "Gotcha! You thought you were clever, but you didn't get away with it! I'm glad your shot and are going down!" type of thing, it's incredibly remorseful as his long time co-worker and friend of 11 years feels nothing but remorse and loss mixed in with a sense of pointless betrayal. That whole relationship is the stronger in the film and one of the strongest in all of cinema and Billy Wilder expands it so much beyond cliche.

And the Barbara Stanwyck character is pure evil and how the audience is put in the position of possibly pulling for both her and MacMurray to "get away with it" because her husband is such an ass, really hits home as we too realized we've been duped just like MacMurray's character. The narration and flashback frame structure is pitch perfect and while I think Billy Wilder went on to even greater heights in what I consider his "masterpiece" in Sunset Blvd, what he did with structure and how the film plays with time... real time in which you're watching the film vs how time transpires in the film, is just spectacular. The fact that the film also includes a heavy... very heavy amount of insurance domain specific dialogue or jargon and weaves it into the story and characters so that any person can understood is also groundbreaking and fairly risky too. But yeah the audience is brought along as witness and conspirator and cheerleader for MacMurray's character, and even though he's a cad and scoundrel, he does have likeable qualities unlike the complete prick with zero redeemability that he played in his next pairing with Billy Wilder, 16 years later in The Apartment. But it so much more than just a thriller or noir as it transcends the genre and unlike a lot of films where the audience is kept in waiting with a lot of close calls, whodunnits, and will he get away with its, Double Indemnity holds up so well on repeat viewings because it's not really about the plot, it's about the subtext.

It was number five on my noir ballot and only four films in order placed higher than Double Indemnity:

1. In a Lonely Place
2. A Touch of Evil
3. The Big Sleep
4. Sunset Blvd
5. Double Indemnity
wow, great answer!!!!!

maybe I should give it another try!

[iluv2viddyfilms]

wow, great answer!!!!!

maybe I should give it another try!

Yeah, if you get time, I would. Do you have Criterion Channel? It's streaming right now both the film version and the audio commentary version.


One thing I would recommend with the first, second, and even third viewing of a film like Double Indemnity or Hawk's The Big Sleep, and this is so alien to modern films and audiences, is to not even pay attention to the plot and trying to piece together the clues in your mind as its happening. In a lot of films clues will be dropped, names of places and people, and you'll be wondering why such and such a character is at such and such location performing such and such action.

Who gives a damn. Hell in The Big Sleep, even Hawks as the director and Bogart as the lead actor didn't know what the Hell was going on half the time... it's more about being immersed in that world and universe and soaking in the brilliance of the dialogue, enjoying the banter between the characters, "living" in that tone and atmosphere of the world with its lighting and framing. It's just like a neo-noir film such as David Lynch's Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive which both owe A TON of debt to Double Indemnity and Sunset Blvd... heck, just check out Patricia Arquette's outfits and wigs in Lost Highway and see how impacted Lynch was on a film like Double Indemnity... just enjoy the ride and don't bother about trying to figure out the plot and everything else. These are pieces of art and tone poems.

https://www.slashfilm.com/img/gallery/the-one-thing-billy-wilder-regrets-the-most-about-double-indemnity/intro-1655776619.jpg

https://44.media.tumblr.com/721994046fd7e91017f3c99bcca7d2e1/tumblr_pr1quev2bw1s2lfoto3_540.gif

[Robert the List]

A Moment of Innocence (1996) 9-9.25
-my favourite Iranian film (or maybe 2nd to The Runner, not decided yet)
-off the top of my head, probably in my top 3 comedies
-off the top of my head, probably in my top 10 independent films
-contender for top 50 overall

Very funny, with several lol moments.
Really nicely constructed, snappy comedy drama.
Superb performance from the lead actor, and all very good performances.

102255

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Veradrakeposter.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2004/posters/vera_drake.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17181015

Vera Drake - (2004)

You'll walk away with a heavy heart after watching Vera Drake - a great Mike Leigh film that I'd never seen before now. All this time, I always thought the Vera Drake in his film was some famous real-life figure who either performed or advocated for abortions, but it seems it's a fictional character that just wanted to help out desperate women using a method that seems unorthodox if not dangerous. These women would otherwise find someone else who would do it, and Vera does this (risking her freedom if caught) out of kindness, receiving no remuneration (instead, the woman organising the visits secretly forces the ladies to pay.) So many Mike Leigh favourites with roles in this : Imelda Staunton as Vera Drake of course, Eddie Marsan, Sally Hawkins, Ruth Sheen, Jim Broadbent and Lesley Manville - many of them playing against type and proving the great range they have. The movie doesn't take a stance on abortion, but rather looks at a place and time when discussion about these issues never even occurred, but were instead hidden away as taboo topics. Most of the journeys these characters take are heartbreaking and sad, but it's another brilliant film by a British master.

9/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/The_Eternal_Daughter.jpeg
By [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72398820

The Eternal Daughter - (2022)

Joanna Hogg uses sound in very ingenious ways to unnerve us when we sense some kind of paranormal entity lurks the halls, and makes us search in the darkness for spectral whisps - but in the end it's a much more internal haunting that's happening in The Eternal Daughter. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2504687#post2504687) in my watchlist thread.

8/10

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/8/1/9/3/2/0/819320-venom-the-last-dance-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=6a049e8f65
HOW MANY SEQUELS UNTIL VENOM GETS EDDIE PREGNANT???
rating_3

[Stirchley]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Veradrakeposter.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2004/posters/vera_drake.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17181015

Vera Drake - (2004)

You'll walk away with a heavy heart after watching Vera Drake - a great Mike Leigh film that I'd never seen before now. All this time, I always thought the Vera Drake in his film was some famous real-life figure who either performed or advocated for abortions, but it seems it's a fictional character that just wanted to help out desperate women using a method that seems unorthodox if not dangerous. These women would otherwise find someone else who would do it, and Vera does this (risking her freedom if caught) out of kindness, receiving no remuneration (instead, the woman organising the visits secretly forces the ladies to pay.) So many Mike Leigh favourites with roles in this : Imelda Staunton as Vera Drake of course, Eddie Marsan, Sally Hawkins, Ruth Sheen, Jim Broadbent and Lesley Manville - many of them playing against type and proving the great range they have. The movie doesn't take a stance on abortion, but rather looks at a place and time when discussion about these issues never even occurred, but were instead hidden away as taboo topics. Most of the journeys these characters take are heartbreaking and sad, but it's another brilliant film by a British master.

9/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/The_Eternal_Daughter.jpeg
By [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72398820

The Eternal Daughter - (2022)

Joanna Hogg uses sound in very ingenious ways to unnerve us when we sense some kind of paranormal entity lurks the halls, and makes us search in the darkness for spectral whisps - but in the end it's a much more internal haunting that's happening in The Eternal Daughter. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2504687#post2504687) in my watchlist thread.

8/10

Both very good movies.

[Stirchley]

102262

Interesting very well-done movie.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+XiWL4QhL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



2.5

[Marco]

The Outrun (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/68/The_Outrun_poster.jpg
Drama starring Saoirse Ronan as a student in Biology in London that spirals into alcoholism. This causes her to alienate her partner to the extent he leaves and also put herself in dangerous positions with strangers. All the time she is failing at her PhD studies by making excuses for her non-attendance and lack of work. She moves back to the Orkney Islands where her (now separated) mother and father live on and spends time between them. Her father has bipolar issues and her mother has taken to the bible. She get's a job with the RSPB and still likes listening to club music. It's a slow tale told in in a on-linear way and Ronan playing the determined but flawed Rona is the centrepiece.
3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91pvafw44bL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


1st Rewatch...This surprise 2009 box office smash made such a strong impression it actually inspired two sequels. Doug (Justin Bartha) is getting married and his BBF's Phil (Bradley Cooper) Stu (Ed Helms), and his future brother in law, Alan (Zach Galifianakis) take him to Vegas for a bachelor party. The film skips over the party itself and the next morning as we enter the hotel suite, we see Stu passed out with a tooth missing and a chicken crawling over his head, a woman sneaking out of the suite, Phil passed out with a hospital bracelet on his wrist, a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the closet, and Doug is nowhere to be found. That's all you need to know, just strap in for one of the raunchiest and funniest comedies which actually finds Stu, Phil, and Alan working like private detectives to figure out exactly what happened at this party. Helms and Galifianakis almost steal the show and make sure you stay tuned through the closing credits. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDgxYzI2YWItNmUyNS00ZWE4LWEzZDctYTk1M2VkYjhkOWVmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg


4th Rewatch...My second favorite of the four films which feature Chevy Chase as the hapless Clark Griswold. In this one, the Griswolds decide to stay home for Christmas but are bombarded by all their relatives while struggling with all the little annoyances we all deal with at Christmas time. I especially love Clark's battle with the Christmas lights and when he gets trapped in the attic. Chase also shows some real acting chops in that scene where he receives his Christmas bonus. This film marked the final feature film appearance of Mae Questel, who appears as the dotty Aunt Brittany. 3.5

[Allaby]

The Apprentice (2024) A good biopic, elevated by excellent performances, especially by Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. I think Stan will get an Oscar nomination for his fantastic performance as future movie star Donald Trump (the guy from Home Alone 2). Now available to rend on demand. 4

[Stirchley]

The Apprentice (2024) A good biopic, elevated by excellent performances, especially by Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. I think Stan will get an Oscar nomination for his fantastic performance as future movie star Donald Trump (the guy from Home Alone 2). Now available to rend on demand. 4

It’s in my watchlist.

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/dadb1280751c7073e4ad863b32cfd806/tumblr_pn9w7qY0j21s05hv8o9_540.gifv
https://64.media.tumblr.com/8e569d97705e9ac39a583cc5e8c96ad2/tumblr_pn9w7qY0j21s05hv8o2_540.gifv

The Highwaymen - This is a respectable enough effort in the dramatized history genre mostly thanks to the efforts of stars Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson. They play retired Texas Rangers Frank Hamer and Maney Gault. It's 1934 and Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow have been eluding capture for two years despite the efforts of a federal task force headed by J. Edgar Hoover. Texas Department of Corrections Chief Lee Hamilton (John Carroll Lynch) persuades Governor "Ma" Ferguson (Kathy Bates) to unofficially hire the two manhunters or "highwaymen".

Unlike the 1967 film directed by Arthur Penn, this is told strictly from the law enforcement perspective with Parker and Barrow not actually being seen up close till the final moments. Costner and Harrelson play well off each other and the budget is such that the look and feel of 1930's rural America is convincingly presented. This is worth watching if you're any kind of history buff. It's not 100% accurate of course but a sincere effort appears to have been made in bringing it to the screen.

75/100

[Fabulous]

A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/uOLcJJYZ3hbFSrKQPDaLhrYnjUv.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/50q3ct4W/days-of-being-wild.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28342588

Days of Being Wild - (1990)

One final fling before we hit big-time Wong Kar-wai with Days of Being Wild - and this was going great before a smudge on the Blu-Ray I was watching had the action skipping a second constantly near the end - right where I thought the story was losing a bit of it's focus. Still, there's nothing quite like this elsewhere out there, because did this movie ever have a focus? It was more an indistinct, sumptuous daydream about romance seen through a jade curtain in a dark room, and so specific to this one filmmaker's style. It's various characters are always searching - but never for each other, despite the fact that one may be searching for someone in this film. Cinematographer Christopher Doyle is as loose with his craft as Wong Kar-wai is with the narrative fluidity. As it was, I reserve the right to increase my rating at a later date when I get to see this again, without having to interrupt proceedings to take the Blu-Ray out, put it back in, take it out again, and wipe away a smudge. (Then put it back in again and press play along with "yes" when asked "start from where you left off?" Then rewind a little while thinking "the mood has been totally spoiled.")

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/Holy_Spider.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/intl/misc/2022/holy_spider.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70852156

Holy Spider - (2022)

I remember reading a review by Takoma here a year or two ago about this film. At the time I reckoned that it would make me so mad that on balance it might be best I don't see it - but it sounded far too interesting so I relented. A serial killer in Iran is killing prostitutes - but while this would be viewed a certain way in Britain (Peter Sutcliffe) or the United States (The Green River Killer) in Iran the killer, Saeed Azimi (Mehdi Bajestani) is basically hailed a hero because prostitutes are looked down upon to such a great degree. Life there as a woman is hard enough, but when you're a woman and take up that profession or have other lifestyle aberrations not amenable to Middle Eastern culture then your life doesn't hold much value. Journalist Arezoo Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) is a women, and thus subject to this scandalous lack of respect as even the cops sexually harass her (it's okay for them to do it), but her determination to see this guy caught, and then punished instead of being allowed to get away with it, drives Holy Spider to a gripping, head-pounding conclusion. And by head-pounding I mean through a mix of seething anger and anxiety.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/16/Ego_The_Michael_Gudinski_Story.png
By Mushroom Productions - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27765806/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73882724

Ego : The Michael Gudinski Story - (2023)

Michael Gudinski was a fellow growing up in 1960s Australia that liked the music scene so much be became a concert organiser and founded a record label that helped many of our early acts to flourish - later going on to be the Australian impresario who became good friends with many of the biggest stars around the world. Interviewed in this documentary are Kylie Minogue, Dave Grohl, Sting, Shirley Manson, Jimmy Barnes, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. He passed away in 2021 and I never really knew who he was until this documentary was made. Hey - if you have the confidence, energy, charisma and talent - but I don't have any of those qualities in large enough quantities to be such a brightly shining entity.

7/10

[I_Wear_Pants]

I watched Orson Welles' Confidential Report tonight. It's yet another awesome Welles noir. He really is one of my favorite filmmakers. Welles makes such exciting films with only one I'd call a clunker. I loved this film. I wasn't sure why a billionaire would want someone to dig up dirt on himself, and then one line made me realize it, and shortly after that, about ten minutes of film time later, Guy figured it out too.

My one complaint is the remaster had some editing issues or something because sometimes the dialogue didn't match the lips. Amazon's subtitles were garbage too. I use them because I have a hard time picking up on information I only hear, so I like being able to read lines too because that helps me keep track of what's been said.

Anyway yeah I found it awesome.

[Fabulous]

Champion (1949)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/5tl6cv6AU44WcvMbzD1x0OGjqu0.jpg

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/5/1/8/8/6/51886-back-to-the-future-part-ii-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=85bd0a310a
a considerably less good movie than the first but i like it more because it doesn't make me feel unpleasantly anxious
3

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

Tense opener: Brad Pitt is leading a team into a Chinese prison ... for what? It turns out to be a jailbreak ... that goes wrong.

Next morning, veteran CIA operative Robert Redford, on his last day at the agency in Langley, Virginia, learns his protege has been captured. But the briefing he's summoned begins to feel like his colleagues are looking for a way to bury Pitt, not save him.

What a joy to watch Robert Redford so effortlessly play the role of the master strategist who is staying one move ahead of the colleagues who are trying so hard to keep him contained. We see the chess pieces he’s arrayed, but not always how they’re working together, and it’s thrilling to watch as Muir outmaneuvers everyone and delivers a checkmate no one saw coming … at least not his colleagues.

Brad Pitt is a perfect foil for Redford, playing the young, skeptical, conflicted sniper-turned-CIA-assassin against Redford’s self-assured mentor. Pitt keeps you guessing at key junctures when you see his better intentions fighting against the orders he’s obligated to dispassionately execute.

4/5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/68/Spy_Game_poster.jpg

[Gideon58]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/5/1/8/8/6/51886-back-to-the-future-part-ii-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=85bd0a310a
a considerably less good movie than the first but i like it more because it doesn't make me feel unpleasantly anxious
3

Why does the first movie make you feel unpleasantly anxious? Whatever that means.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81gJzLs5XfL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg


1st Rewatch...Marilyn sets the screen on fire in this steamy melodrama about a cheating wife and her much older husband (Joseph Cotten) at a hotel near the falls who become involved with a young honeymooning couple (Jean Peters, Max Showalter) who begin to regret getting involved with this enigmatic couple. Marilyn shows some acting chops and some undeniable sex appeal in this one...that famous walk in the tight black skirt and red blouse is something that is etched in my memory forever. I don't know why, but when ui watch this movie, I keep thinking how much more interesting it would have been if Hitchcock directed, though Henry Hathaway's work behind the camera is more than competenet. 3.5

[ueno_station54]

Why does the first movie make you feel unpleasantly anxious? Whatever that means.
i don't do well with awkward social situations and that's like the whole movie. perfect film that is also my kryptonite.

[I_Wear_Pants]

On a whim I watched Eden Lake from 2008 on Freevee. Eh I didn't like it though. The premise was interesting enough although I'm not a fan of the execution, please pardon the pun, nor the ending. Is it okay if I post negative feedback in this thread? It only asks we rate the last movie we saw, and not to gush about all of them. I didn't hate Eden Lake though I definitely didn't like it. At least now I know not to watch it again.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTRlNmU1NzEtODNkNC00ZGM3LWFmNzQtMjBlMWRiYTcyMGRhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg



2

[Marco]

Wonderland (2003)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Wonderland_%282003_film%29.jpg
John C Holmes has chucked porn but still lies a life of excess with his much younger girlfriend. In his drug circles he meets some deeply unsavoury characters including the Wonderland gang (small time addicts/dealers themselves) and Eddie Nash (much higher level scumbag). They both like Holmes around because of his affability and minor porn cache. It all ends very messilly. Although the performances in this are good, the story does too much hippity-hopping around. Also, there's no real build up to John's present messy situation, just snapshots. Still, a good watch with good performances and great music. The Gordon Lightfoot track at the end is class.
3

[Marco]

On a whim I watched Eden Lake from 2008 on Freevee. Eh I didn't like it though. The premise was interesting enough although I'm not a fan of the execution, please pardon the pun, nor the ending. Is it okay if I post negative feedback in this thread? It only asks we rate the last movie we saw, and not to gush about all of them. I didn't hate Eden Lake though I definitely didn't like it. At least now I know not to watch it again.
Jeez, I've slaughtered many a film in here so I wouldn't worry about that!:) FWIW I liked Eden Lake.

[I_Wear_Pants]

Jeez, I've slaughtered many a film in here so I wouldn't worry about that!:) FWIW I liked Eden Lake.

I don't want to step on anyone's toes. I'm used to getting scorn for saying something negative. Yeah that's fine. I don't mind. It wasn't for me is all.

[MovieGal]

I don't want to step on anyone's toes. I'm used to getting scorn for saying something negative. Yeah that's fine. I don't mind. It wasn't for me is all.

This is a place to give your opinions, good or bad. What matters is how far you take any argument.

I loved Eden Lake. It was brutal, which is my type of film.

[I_Wear_Pants]

This is a place to give your opinions, good or bad. What matters is how far you take any argument.

I loved Eden Lake. It was brutal, which is my type of film.

Brutal is fine. This one didn't click with me. I watch Japanese and Korean action films, which can get pretty brutal, so that wasn't what turned me away. I think it was the set up and the non-antagonist characters. In effect, the support who turned a blind eye and thought the couple were just twerps and their kids were fine. I don't like seeing kids getting away with horrible behavior so I guess this rubbed me the wrong way. Hm dunno... I've seen a lot of sides of that type of thing. I got in trouble as a teen, and my parents were pissed. Then my ex's oldest got in trouble as a teen, and my ex vehemently denied everything and was ultra sensitive throughout his ordeal because of it, even though it was obvious he did it. Then in this movie it was more of the latter, which seems indicative of abuse, both to child and to self.

[MovieGal]

Brutal is fine. This one didn't click with me. I watch Japanese and Korean action films, which can get pretty brutal, so that wasn't what turned me away. I think it was the set up and the non-antagonist characters. In effect, the support who turned a blind eye and thought the couple were just twerps and their kids were fine. I don't like seeing kids getting away with horrible behavior so I guess this rubbed me the wrong way. Hm dunno... I've seen a lot of sides of that type of thing. I got in trouble as a teen, and my parents were pissed. Then my ex's oldest got in trouble as a teen, and my ex vehemently denied everything and was ultra sensitive throughout his ordeal because of it, even though it was obvious he did it. Then in this movie it was more of the latter, which seems indicative of abuse, both to child and to self.

I think the children in it, learned their behavior from their parents. This is why the parents reacted the way they did.

[I_Wear_Pants]

I think the children in it, learned their behavior from their parents. This is why the parents reacted the way they did.

Yeah that's most likely. There's the scene where Steve is in Brett's dad's house, and the dad is freaking out and sets his bag of beer bottles down and there's the hole in the door and he's yelling. It feels very inferred that there's some abuse, and like you postulated it trickled down to the child. I know that's assuming a few things but it's easy to make the connection. It's a film so the symbols are there to show us the events without telling us. Uh that's my interpretation at least.

Another problem there is I've seen a lot of households like that where the parents are lousy people, the kids learned their parents' behavior, and then the parents don't think their kids can be anything but perfect little angels that would never do anything to anyone. I lived in an apartment complex where some of the kids would pick on my kids ad nauseam, and I was tired of it, and one of the parents confronted me and said my kids shouldn't be liars and make up shit. We had quite the argument.

I hope you don't think I feel negatively we disagree on the film. I'm perfectly contented you liked the film despite my disliking of it.

[MovieGal]

Yeah that's most likely. There's the scene where Steve is in Brett's dad's house, and the dad is freaking out and sets his bag of beer bottles down and there's the hole in the door and he's yelling. It feels very inferred that there's some abuse, and like you postulated it trickled down to the child. I know that's assuming a few things but it's easy to make the connection. It's a film so the symbols are there to show us the events without telling us. Uh that's my interpretation at least.

Another problem there is I've seen a lot of households like that where the parents are lousy people, the kids learned their parents' behavior, and then the parents don't think their kids can be anything but perfect little angels that would never do anything to anyone. I lived in an apartment complex where some of the kids would pick on my kids ad nauseam, and I was tired of it, and one of the parents confronted me and said my kids shouldn't be liars and make up shit. We had quite the argument.

I hope you don't think I feel negatively we disagree on the film. I'm perfectly contented you liked the film despite my disliking of it.

I'm not upset with the fact we disagree. It's a good healthy thing.

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/5/1/8/5/6/51856-back-to-the-future-part-iii-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=fdbcbb74cb
definitely my favourite one doc and clara are so cute together
3.5

[Captain Quint]

102287
Chess of the Wind (1976)
Lost Iranian film, recently found and restored - Impressively constructed, distinct - the look is a little Barry Lyndon, some Visconte, the story gave me Poe vibes, the sound of it, the score, was foreboding; there's a political allegory woven throughout -- it was Shohreh Aghdashloo's film debut, and she's quietly the strength of the entire picture. Rating? I'm torn between a 4 or 4.5

The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Gorgeous animation, a winning score, motherhood, creativity, and acts of selflessness are addressed - I thought I'd like even more on a second go round as there were a lot of moving pieces, a lot to take in on a first viewing, and I did. A triumphant return for Miyazaki. 4.5

[I_Wear_Pants]

I'm in the first act of Blizzard of Souls, a Latvian World War I picture, and it's fairly good. So far they're doing basic training. One thing I think is cool is how the camera is almost like an external pair of eyes for the main character Arturs. It follows him every which way, and if he doesn't see something, neither does the camera, or at least it sees it from his perspective. It's not first-person like we're in his head. It just is almost attached to his hip. I thought that was cool. Will update later. I may not finish it tonight vis I'm tired and it's late. We'll see. If not, I'll finish it tomorrow morning.

Addendum; I finished Blizzard of Souls this afternoon. It's a good film. I can't say I loved it though. The idea is fine and the action is well done. The film just doesn't have any shiny spots. Something was missing, although I'm not sure what. Would I recommend it? Eh not with much rigor. While far from terrible, it's also far from excellent. I am disappointed overall. I think my expectations were too high.

[Fabulous]

Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/hHXjkHsOME8qPJWxO34aVQ8XCVb.jpg

[FilmBuff]

https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/heretic-2024-official-poster.jpg

Heretic
5

Heretic is diabolically clever and Hugh Grant is clearly having a devilishly good time in a movie that has more cerebral thrills than conventional horror scares (but it has quite a few of those, too).

Indeed, a good chunk of the film is devoted to some wide-ranging philosophizing about theological matters, in ways that movies these days seldom bother to even attempt.

Because so much in the movie depends on knowing as little as possible before going in, I'll avoid giving away any plot points.

Grant gives one of the best performances of his career as the kind of guy you'd like to be able to trust - but who somehow doesn't seem quite like the kind of person who may have your best interests at heart... or does he?

I really can't wait to watch the movie again, because so much of it feels fresh and Grant is, frankly, quite unhinged in this one, but in the best possible way (in a way, his performance here is almost diametrically opposite Nicolas Cage in Longlegs).

[Torgo]

Short Term 12 - 4

I've always loved Roger Ebert's description of movies as "empathy machines." If you are not sure what that means, this is as good a place as any to start. It's just the kind of movie someone needed to make about foster programs, and in turn, trauma recovery. It's easy to see why this movie gave a boost to Brie Larson's career. In a performance that will make you question the Academy's rules, she totally convinces as someone whose wounds have reopened and who is struggling to keep their personal and professional lives intact as a result. While she and most of the cast had careers already, it's not hard to think of this movie as an incubator of sorts for how many other current household names leave an impression. Highlights are Kaitilin Dever's heartbreaking turn as Jayden, the new resident who set Larson's Grace on her dark path and LaKeith Stanfield as Marcus, who is arguably the most troubled resident. As for Rami Malek's new employee, he is mostly in the margins, but he has a vital role as an audience surrogate who like many of us wants to help but has no idea what he has signed up for. Luckily - and reassuringly - not every moment spent at Short Term 12 is miserable, and when the tone shifts between light-hearted and serious, it is never jarring. If it's not Mason's (Gallagher) stories, it's Sammy's (Calloway) ill-fated attempts at escaping that best provide the much-needed relief.

As the moments with Grace, Jayden and Marcus that are not for the squeamish indicate, the impulse to self-harm after trauma occurs is strong and the act does provide relief. This movie reminds us that the relief is not only temporary, but also that building instead of destroying is the better option, especially since destruction was involved in the first place. My only major complaint about this movie is that I wish it were more about the young people. In other words, I got to know Grace's entire story, and even though I left satisfied with Marcus and Jayden's arcs, I wish I got to know them just as well. Other than that, this is as a must-see for anyone, but especially to anyone who is or has ever been in charge of someone else's well-being.

[matt72582]

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes

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

[Gideon58]

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes

https://youtu.be/dCyYJVTODXg (https://youtu.be/Ta72TFncATo)

Loved this...a link to my review:


https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2502578-elizabeth_taylor_the_lost_tapes.html

[Marco]

The Falling (2014)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/09/TheFalling2014Poster.jpg/330px-TheFalling2014Poster.jpg
Weird one with coming of age and sexual themes. After her friend dies the main (very annoying) character starts fainting in an attention seeking way that gets her just that. Her classmates/friends soon start to "suffer" the same ailment to the extent that the school is shut down and a psychologist called in to interview the girls. There's no subtlety about this like Picnic at Hanging Rock and the mass squirming is hardly the nuns in The Devils (not that I wanted schoolgirls acting like that but they deal with the same themes of collective/induced mental conditions). Just a bit dull and the happy ending doesn't help it at all. That could be the worst bit.
2

[I_Wear_Pants]

I have a bad habit of occasionally not finishing a movie when I first sit down to watch it. I don't mean never finishing it else watching it in spurts. I started Alligator this evening and stopped for dinner, so it wasn't because I was bored or anything; it was meal time. Anyway the movie is all right. It's nothing too grand, although I have liked it well enough.

One thing I wanted to post before I forget is how, when seeing the alligator's eye early in the film when it's in the sewer (is it a spoiler when that's the whole premise?), the start of the music at that bit is almost identical to Jaws. Admittedly I chuckled. I found it amusing. Then the alligator attacked someone in a shot that reminded me of Jaws. I swear the movie Alligator is a homage to Jaws, which if you're going to make a "rogue animal" film, you may as well imitate the best.

Really though Alligator is good. I've liked it. The science is farfetched, which is fine. I didn't expect a realistic movie when I started it. Okay I'm going to resume it now. Yeah it's on Freeve, in case you were curious. It still is if you aren't curious.

I finished Alligator. I really liked it. It's far from perfect with some questionable dialogue and some weird continuity and flow. Overall it's highly entertaining. Watching an unrealistically large alligator eat people for 75 minutes, the first ten being setup and the last five of the 90 minutes being credits, is an enjoyable way to pass the time. It's kind of a low budget Jaws.

[Allaby]

Meet Me Next Christmas (2024) Watched on Netflix. A woman tries to get tickets to a sold out Christmas concert in hopes of reuniting with a man she met the previous Christmas. I enjoyed this. It was cute and sweet. 3.5

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/Dumbanddumber.jpg
By May be found at the following website: IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17213577

Dumb and Dumber - (1994)

I guess you have to give a movie a few points if it brings the laughs - and Dumb and Dumber certainly does, thanks mainly to a surprise chemistry Jeff Daniels shares with Jim Carrey - the latter of whom I may have expected to have wanted to dominate proceedings and nudge the former to the sidelines. Daniels has a shaggy dog goofy, cuddly kind of cuteness that does a lot to endear us to his character (Harry) and every time his child-like laugh comes into play I smile. Making a movie with two characters who are drop-dead stupid has the risk of alienating us from it's protagonists, but when they make us laugh as often as they do there's no problem. This is all packaged in a familiar way, but the Farrelly brothers (with Peter directing) were pushing boundaries already, and a few experiments produce the unexpected - everyone else plays dead straight, so the source of all the fun and mischief are our two memorable characters. There's not much more you can say about Dumb and Dumber - it's not a cinematic masterpiece or brain-teaser, just a collection of jokes regarding misinterpretation, mistaken analysis, fouled up computation and cerebral discombobulation. Funny enough to have been a massive hit - and enough to be quite watchable every once in a while.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/Idiot_Box_FilmPoster.jpeg
By The cover art can be obtained from Movieposterdb.com., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33850436

Idiot Box - (1996)

This one was interesting - an Australian movie that brings a lot of punk/grunge energy and nihilistic intensity to a story involving two "Beavis and Butthead" type hopeless young adults that decide to rob a bank on a whim. It's loud, crass, moronic and quite deliberately so - with it's saving grace probably it's soundtrack. Nice vehicle for Ben Mendelsohn, but it didn't quite crack the million mark at the box office and I suspect that not a lot of people outside of Australia have seen it. We were on the verge of a string of such films here, but Idiot Box is the formula in it's most raw, basic form and as such is probably worth a look for those who like the sound of it.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/de/The_First_Graderfilm.jpg
By National Geographic Entertainment - impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48843232

The First Grader - (2011)

What a great true story to tell - about an 84-year-old Kenyan former freedom fighter going to school for the first time in his life, amongst small children who are getting the ability for a free education in a developing nation for the first time. And what a great place to shoot some visually breathtaking shots - Kenya. A shame then that this is absolutely safe by-the-book filmmaking and a pretty much standard Western film made by white people - an art-free, invention-free and risk-free zone which is in no way a chore to watch or bad in any way but at the same time failed to move me as much as it should. There's so much that could have been done with this story other than turning it into soulless corporate product. Sad to see it didn't get much notice, but perhaps it should have done more to stand out.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/Starbuck.jpg
By http://www.movieposterdb.com/poster/846b7a04, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32749429

Starbuck - (2011)

If you like really sweet films and you're not averse to finding out that the main character in Starbuck, despite the way he's introduced (as a complete screw-up who has donated so much sperm to his local sperm bank that he's accidentally fathered over 500 kids), has an absolute heart of 24 karat gold and is a beautiful person, then you might like this movie. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2505134#post2505134), in my watchlist thread.

6/10

[Fabulous]

Topaz (1969)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/3NSwwxsu8YXIqnGOrfREEsXWkT7.jpg

[FilmBuff]

https://dvvy6louqcr7j.cloudfront.net/vista/HO00015233/heroPoster/memoir-of-a-snail.png

Memoir of a Snail
4.5

Memoir of a Snail is without question the best stop-motion animated movie released this year, and one of the best animated movies of the year, period.

The film is reportedly loosely based on director Adam Elliot's own life - whether or not it really involved as many snails as he shows us here, I really don't know.

But in any case, it is a charming, bittersweet movie full of unforgettable moments that I just can't wait to watch again.

The very talented voice cast is headed by Sarah Snook, who plays the protagonist of the film, a young lady growing up in an Australian farm in the 1970s who was born with a cleft lip.

If you have young kids, remember that this is an R-rated movie!

[FilmBuff]

https://mediaproxy.tvtropes.org/width/1200/https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blitz2024.png

Blitz
4


Steve McQueen doesn't quite reinvent the WW2 genre with Blitz, but he certainly gives it a very timely update for the 21st century.

It's kind of a shame that Apple bought the movie, because it is receiving a minimal theatrical release ahead of its streaming debut later this month; like Wolfs, it is a movie that definitely needs to be watched on the biggest screen possible.

George is an 8-year-old living in London with his mother during the early years of the war, who decides he doesn't want to be sent away "for his safety" and bravely decides to head back to London to be with his family again.

McQueen uses little George's adventure to show just how much prejudice existed internally in Britain even as the country entered into one of its toughest wars ever to fight Nazi Germany.

Despite being technically American, Saoirse Ronan does a superb job as George's determined mom, who desperately tries to find her son amidst the chaos of wartime London.

The period detail and some sprawling vistas are absolutely riveting, I don't believe any contemporary movie has done such a good job showing what London was like during the Blitz.

As a WW2 movie, Blitz definitely covers a lot of familiar ground, but it is never less than fascinating.

[Siddon]

https://media.glamour.com/photos/6719557af2ce0e9e692dbbda/16:9/w_1920,h_1080,c_limit/ANORA%20181024%204224_D001_26438Rv2.jpg

Anora (2024)

Sean Baker loves bringing humanity to sex workers. Anora is the story of a stripper who falls for an Oligarchs son in Brooklyn New York. It's stars Mikey Madison who you'll remember from her pivotal roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream 6. The stripper movie used to be a bigger thing in the 90's but they all kinda flopped critically and commercially.

Baker has finally figured out pacing in his films...I always feel like they drag but this one has three acts and they are all solid. The film also shifts from two male supporting performances Mark Edelstein who is in part one and Yuri Borosov who is in part two. You will never look at Russian thugs/goons again. Both characters are so good and play off Madison so well.

A lot is spoken about the anxiety of the film and Madison's physical athletic gifts are fully on display. Their is a scene in the middle of this movie in a room which is absolutely hilarious something out of a Cohen brothers classic. But the film also grounds itself...Madison's Anora isn't perfect but she's a lot more human than some of the other leads in Bakers films. She snarky but she also has a sweet side...it's a performance that lacks the vanity of previous strippers in these types of films. Because she acts more human and down to earth the events in the film hit much harder.

Visually it's not on the level of Bakers other films...its much more insular and doesn't have the tacky charms of Florida Project, Red Rocket, or Tangerines. Yet I think people will enjoy this one more for the character work.


rating_4_5

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

Wolfs (2024)
Apple Plus

4/5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Wolfs_%28film%29.jpg

We start in pitch black, and hysterical profanity: District Attorney Margaret (Amy Ryan) is in a panic. She’s in a swanky New York City hotel room with a guy who is very young, and very dead. She happens to have a number, given to her by a friend, for a fixer who specializes in making all traces of career-ending messes like this disappear. The fixer (George Clooney) shows up and begins his process. But then a second fixer (Brad Pitt) shows up.

Clooney is the older veteran, proud of his status as the only guy in town who can fix this type of situation. Pitt is the cooler, younger version who also thinks he’s the only guy in town in this business. Clooney thinks Pitt must be an untalented pretender. Pitt is skeptical of what he figures is Clooney’s outdated, old school methods. Oil and water. Night and day. Fire and ice. They don’t like each other, but both are too professional, and proud, to back down and leave it to the other guy.

As you can imagine, this is just the start of the obstacles they’ll need to hurdle on this cold, snowy New York City night. Clooney and Pitt become reluctant partners as they try to cover their tracks, sort out through the complications, and slowly peel back the clues that reveal how they have more in common than they’d have liked.

Pure fun. Clooney and Pitt are charming and likable, each in his own way. We root for them, even though they’re bad guys who, in a perfectly moral universe, we should not admire. They’re comfortable in their characters, each sublimely calibrated to his own scruffy persona. As they finally puzzle through what really brought them together, writer/director Jon Watts had the good sense not to destroy the vibe by turning this into a mushy, all-out buddy movie.

At the expense of spoiling what is actually not much of a surprise, mention must also be made of Austin Abrams as The Kid. Oh gosh, that scene where he explains how he got into that mess: just an amazing, breathless, full-throttle one-take. And then there’s all the running through hallways, a closed mall, and snowy NYC streets. In his undies.

Extra points if you get the homage in the final frame to an even more exuberant and unabashed buddy movie.

[FromBeyond]

The Tommyknockers


"The Tommyknockers, Tommyknocker, knocking at your door... or something"


I remembered this one as a child but it never really captured my imagination and I could only remember fragments of it.


Everything is on display here of why King is not scary a lot of the time from a homicidal drink dispenser to a mainacal typewriter that prints your thoughts


There is also the slooshiness and at times unreal dialogue and interactions that come with the king territory which is perfectly coupled with the less self aware tv film making sensibilities of the early 90s


I quite like it although it's not "Needful Things"

[Tugg]

Lee (2023-2024) 2.5
https://filmhounds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LEE-MAIN.jpg-fotor-20240909225518.jpg
Am I Racist? (2024) 3
https://popcorntheology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/p27926228_v_h8_ab.jpg?w=1100
My Old Ass (2024) 2.5
https://cdn.technadu.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/My-Old-Ass.jpg
The Outrun (2024) 3.5
First of all- subject of alcoholism is close to my heart. More importantly of all- the movie is made the way I like movies to be made. It is phenomenologically immersive, almost transcendental. It's non linear, just like thoughts and memories aren't linear.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gbuf31bXEA0mvE5.jpg
https://64.media.tumblr.com/4297688913d951ff72b09d549d35f920/37ee0ceef37c0700-12/s1280x1920/6eb68b8c49aeda78e02a69dfe73e0509b10f9eee.jpg

[iluv2viddyfilms]

High Sierra - A

[Siddon]

https://static1.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/cillian-murphy-small-things-like-these-coles.jpg

Small Things Like These (2024)

Really bummed they wouldn't play this film in the evening. I mean the options for me to watch this film week one are at 11 or 2 so you leave the theater and you are blasted with sunlight. Anyways this is what happens when studios pack and stack films in short periods of time. This is one of those films most people would skip I don't know if it's meant for a US release. This is an adaptation of an Irish novel from 1985 about an Irish father of five women is confronted by things in his town.

It's a dark film without being exploitative, most of the bad stuff happens in the perifphery. The subtly of the film hits you hard, it's also a very realistic view of 80's you hear the music but it's still a small Irish town. This is very much a catholic town that times forgotten. One of the more remarkable things about the film is how women are treated in this film.

Everything is just under the surface and open for interpretation with Murphy giving a powerhouse performance of subtle desperation. If you get the chance to catch this one go for it.

rating_4

[Gideon58]

https://i.discogs.com/i4lRHgEuF2KtCaYRAEYQ6OlC3QAbqxqoWlur8z64Uis/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:593/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0NzY4/MDYtMTM2MDIzODU1/MS03NTQ1LmpwZWc.jpeg


5th Rewatch...One of the top five worst translations of a Broadway musical to the screen. This black version of The Wizard of Oz suffers from overblown direction by Sidney Lumet (one of the few missteps in his distinguished career), the butchering of Charles Smalls wonderful score by the late Quincy Jones, and the dreadful performance by Diana Ross as Dorothy. This movie is just as terrible as I remembered. 1.5

[I_Wear_Pants]

https://i.discogs.com/i4lRHgEuF2KtCaYRAEYQ6OlC3QAbqxqoWlur8z64Uis/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:593/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0NzY4/MDYtMTM2MDIzODU1/MS03NTQ1LmpwZWc.jpeg


5th Rewatch...One of the top five worst translations of a Broadway musical to the screen. This black version of The Wizard of Oz suffers from overblown direction by Sidney Lumet (one of the few missteps in his distinguished career), the butchering of Charles Smalls wonderful score by the late Quincy Jones, and the dreadful performance by Diana Ross as Dorothy. This movie is just as terrible as I remembered. 1.5

I'm a mite confused. If you hate it, why do you keep watching it?

[Gideon58]

Just ran into it accidentally and wanted to see if I had been too hard on it

[I_Wear_Pants]

And you found out you were as hard on it as you figure you should be?

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71lssd2v3QL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


3rd Rwatch...One of Woody Allen's funniest and most unpredictable comedies that actually tells two stories at the same time without the viewer realizing it for a minute. Larry (Allen) and Carol (Diane Keaton) are a happily married couple who have just spent an evening being bored to death by their new elderly neighbors, Paul (Jerry Adler) and Lillian (Lynn Cohen). Larry and Carol learn 24 hours later that Lillian has dropped dead of a heart attack, but Carol finds herself obsessed as circumstntial evidence keeps popping up that implies Paul might have murdered Lillian and sets out to solve the mystery, dragging Larry kicking and screaming the whole way. Throw in the mix Ted (Alan Alda) Larry and Carol's recently divorced friend who has been crushing on Carol for years and Marcia (Anjelica Huston) a client of Larry's who makes no bones about her attraction to him and you have a dual story of an alleged murder mystery and some typical Allen dysfunctional relationships . The story takes several unexpected twists and turns along the way demands complete viewer attention which is definitely rewarded. Woody knocks it out the park here, a way better film than Annie Hall. Carol was originally going to be played by Mia Farrow but then the whole Soon-Yi thing came out, Farrow didn't want to work with Woody anymore and Woody's old pal Keaton stepped in. Love the scene with Woody and Diane stuck in the elevator and the multiple edited audio tapes they use to try and gaslight Paul. 4.5

[Marco]

Bad Blood (1981)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/Bad_Blood_Film_1981_Poster.jpg
New Zealand true story about a farmer that goes on a killing spree. Stanley Graham works on his own farm and lives in a self-built house with his waspish wife and 2 kids. Things start going wrong when they get into debt. Both are gun enthusiasts with a trenchant mentality against their neighbours and society as a whole. From feeling looked down upon to feeling downright victimised. All things come to a head when the local plod come to take Stanley's .303 rifle for "the war effort" and it is seen as a personal slight. Following that stand-offs ensue ending up in one final attempt to disarm him resulting in a killing spree. This is good, the acting is good and the scenery is great. Depicts the downbeat of the Graham's existence well.
3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81JFyq9rEmL.jpg



4th Rewatch...Believe it or not, this film features my favorite Meryl Streep performance. Robert Zemckis directed this deliciously black comedy which finds Streep playing an arrogant actress in a battle of wills and a search for eternal youth with her childhood BFF Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn) while battling over the same man, Dr Ernest Manville (Bruce Willis). Sparkling direction, a witty screenplay, stars at the top of their form, and Oscar-winning visual effects make this one a winner. 4

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/81/My_Old_Ass_film_poster.jpg/220px-My_Old_Ass_film_poster.jpg

3

SF = Zzz

Viewed: Amazon Prime



[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

[I_Wear_Pants]

I watched The Killers '46. I was disappointed. I'm not a big fan of flashback stories. It feels like a cheap way to write a plot. I want stories to go forward and not bounce back and forth in this vein. Sometimes it works based on how it's done, most often in TV shows when there's enough time to go over individual story-arcs and not get restricted to a single story that just jumps between itself.

I did enjoy the first ten minutes a lot, up to where Burt Lancaster is murdered. That's hardly a spoiler; the whole point of the film is finding out why he is murdered. The spoiler would be to explain the progression.

[Fabulous]

Faster (2010)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/diFJevyi2jnvQDLp4jGRlmgh6d8.jpg

[Torgo]

The Hit (1984) - 4

If you also like philosophy in your crime movies, this one is for you. We're lucky enough to get a movie featuring just Terence Stamp, John Hurt or Tim Roth, but here, they're together figuratively and literally in that they spend most of the movie in the same car. Despite most of the runtime occurring in this car, it manages to be as complete an examination of our relationship with death I can remember seeing. Stamp's Willie Parker, who went into hiding in Spain after ratting out his cohorts, but who can hide no longer, is the portrait of acceptance. A scene where he explains his philosophy is so well-acted, he could sway you regardless of your belief system. On the other end of the spectrum is Roth's Myron, who believes he is impervious to death and who likely got into contract killing because he gets high on inflicting pain and causing destruction. Even though I wanted to punch him whenever he spoke, he gives my favorite performance. In between are Hurt's hardened veteran criminal - a type-defying role that scares like Kingsley's one in Sexy Beast does - and del Sol's hostage who, like we would in her shoes, tries every which way to get the heck out of there. On that note, this movie is definitely not just a series of ruminations. While I love movies like this that generate suspense via editing, camera trickery, special effects, etc., I approve of how director Frears does this via acting only and for how long he manages to prolong it. Mike Molloy's cinematography makes Spain out to be a sun-bleached and beautiful expanse, which contrasts well with the much less optimistic vibe in the automobile. Paco de Lucia guitar-laden score also adds just the right vibe of fatalism.

Like many other great movies in this genre, it has a simple and elegant story you could describe in two sentences yet manages to make every action speak volumes. While life and death are oft explored in all genres, there is something special about how it reminds you that we all end up in that car and for how it makes you wonder who you would be in it. I discovered this movie because it's in the Criterion Collection, and like my favorite ones in it, you start by wondering why - after all, it was not a great success - and end up understanding exactly why when it's over. Granted, Roth was a newcomer, but I know...a movie with Terence Stamp and John Hurt was not a great success? Get out of here!

[FilmBuff]

https://dx35vtwkllhj9.cloudfront.net/pathelive/le-lac-des-cygnes/images/regions/intl/onesheet.jpg

Swan Lake / Le Lac des cygnes (IMAX)
4.5


Le Lac des cygnes is the first ballet in the world to be filmed and shown in the IMAX format, and the experience is the next best thing to watching it live at the Opéra de Paris.

Probably not much needs to be said about the Tchaikovsky classic, being performed by world-class dancers with Nureyev’s 1986 choreography.

What is remarkable here is the ability of the IMAX version to really transport you to a live stage but with the added capability of those IMAX cameras to follow everything up close - including a few overhead shots that feel like a bit of a tribute to the great Busby Berkeley.

Sae Eun Park as Odette/Odile is easily the standout here, in a performance that absolutely deserved to be preserved in the world's biggest film format.

Despite a running time of approximately 138 minutes, the film practically flies by, leaving viewers enraptured by the intensity of the ballet.

[Captain Quint]

Hmm, I normally don't grade fragments - but of what I saw, a 3, maybe 3.5

102340
Fighting Friends (1929)
After whipping up a new signature, I began to wonder about directors with a lot of lost media, like Ozu or Mizoguchi; was I close to seeing all of their surviving work? With some study I was able to narrow it down, with Mizo there were 5, most of them fragmented, with Ozu, only 2 - I found both at YouTube and gave 'em a watch - the first, a complete, short doc (The Lion Dance (1936), a bit dry, call it a 2.5), and this one, where only 15 of 77 minutes survive.

I wonder what else there was of the story -what was in that other hour- because what we have is pretty self-contained, with a beginning, middle, and end (2 pals help a woman, and both fall for her - who will she choose... then a twistaroo). I mean there could be more set-up, more fleshing out of each character, and there had to be a few more little adventures for the trio, but that seems like a slight premise to hang a feature on. But hey, it's Ozu, even early in his career, making comedies, he was pretty good at his craft.

So, while I can't really grade it, what we have was pretty cute, amusing in spots. I enjoyed it.

And that's it, unless they find another somewhere, somehow (we can always hope), I've completed Yasujirō's filmography.

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://assets.tumblr.com/images/x.gifhttps://assets.tumblr.com/images/x.gif
https://media1.tenor.com/m/b0If9pgwTcIAAAAd/crying-joshua.gif

The Creator - This turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I can't pinpoint an exact reason but figure it was first and foremost the script. I also felt that John David Washington was miscast. Maybe that had more to do with the script as well but I can think of several other young-ish actors who could have gotten more mileage out of the character. The FX however were great, first rate.

The trailer was what had convinced me I was really going to dig this movie. I've always had a weakness for the battle-scarred-warrior-caring-for-a-young-child trope. And the young actress playing Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) contributed mightily to whatever good feelings this engendered. But then whatever positives were to be found were anchored to a weak story and muddled narrative. So that when it came time for the crescendo and coda I was left strangely unaffected.

And when you can't deliver on the payoff it's pretty much a lost cause.

65/100

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/24/Twisters_Official_US_Theatrical_Poster.jpg/220px-Twisters_Official_US_Theatrical_Poster.jpg

3

SF = Z

Viewed: Blu ray



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

[FilmBuff]

https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/the-best-christmas-pageant-ever-2024-poster.jpg

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
3.5

The latest adaptation of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is likely to be considered the definitive adaptation of the novel of the same name (I don't think I ever got to watch the 1983 made-for-TV version).

I almost always enjoy holiday-themed movies, and this one is definitely one of the better ones to get a theatrical release in recent years; it's hard to think of a better family movie playing in theaters right now.

There's plenty of winning child performances, which are probably better than you'd expect; and for the nostalgic among us, the period detail (it's never spelled out but it sure feels like it's set in the 1970s) feels just perfect.

[exiler96]

https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/mast_image_landscape/public/mastimages/1417475_myfavouritecake_709586.jpg?itok=K3LVdRni

My Favourite Cake (2024) - I have a soft spot for films that reflect on life, and this vulnerable, tender Persian gem does a lot of it during (mostly) the course of one day of it's story, in a familiar (if not cliche) manner of progression until it's heartbreaking end.

Lili Farhadpour and Esmaeel Mehrabi are adorable to watch and the direction is simple yet precise... says a lot about Iran too, along with aging and daring to embrace every remaining moment you got.

[MovieGal]

102351
102352
The Bunny Game
(2010)
3.5/5

I rarely write a review but really want to with this film. It is not for the light-hearted movie goer. This movie is on the extreme spectrum of films, in which I have seen several. It's been a long time since I first watched this, back in 2012/2013.

At the beginning, a prostitute, we shall call "Bunny", lives her life providing sexual pleasures for her next meal and her next fix of cocaine. She gets so wasted, she has no clue or care, that they abuse her and steal from her.

One day, she is picked up by a trucker and taken into the desert, where she is unconscious and he starts mildly abusing her. He slaps her around, runs a knife over her and finally chains her up. She finally wakes up and realized her dilemma, screaming and crying. He continues to torture her more aggressively. He leaves her with a tv showing his previous victim and what he is, more than likely, going to do similarly to her. Each moment, as he continues to torture her, you see she spiral further down. He smothers her continuely with a plastic bag. There is a madness to both, the trucker's mental state and Bunny's. He puts her on a leash and drags he through the desert. He takes her back to his truck and it continues, placing a bunny mask on her and a "Hog" mask on himself. Finally, he chases her, bound and masked, through the desert again, in a game of cat and mouse. Finally, branding her while she hangs in handcuffs from i side the truck. By the end of the film, you see her mental health has crumbled and she is delirious. A man, who is assisted by the trucker, in a white jacket and pants takes her away in a white van.

This film is beautifully shot in black and white. There are scenes that are grainy and quick flashes. They are visually extreme and at times, hard-core. It's an avant-garde experimental film, in the raw sense.

I put spoiler tags as not everyone may want to see or read.

[iluv2viddyfilms]

The Naked City (1948, Jules Dassin) - A+

Possibly the best police procedural film. Some great and moody on location filming and Barry Fitzgerald is charming and delightful as the Irish NYC police detective.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c0/Chungking_Express.jpg
By Derived from a digital capture (photo/scan) of the Film Poster/ VHS or DVD Cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party). Copyright held by the film company or the artist. Claimed as fair use regardless., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11277462

Chungking Express - (1994)

This obviously had a huge impact on me, and works even better when seen in conjunction with Fallen Angels, which continues the kind of 'short story' unrequited love make-up of this 1994 classic. Faye Wong and the second story kind of outweighs or dominates the opening, but everything is so good at the same time. Wong Kar-wai can express the mood love puts you in and he builds all kinds of slow-burn narratives around it that explore novel topics in original ways. Relationships with inanimate objects, relationships based on the sharing of a space instead of life, relationships expressed through the consumption of consumer goods - these themes don't sound like they'd add up to much, but when you see the way this has been filmed and follow the bittersweet narration it really makes one dizzy and had me in a very introspective and emotional mood. He uses music in such fantastic ways. His partnership with cinematographer Christopher Doyle should be legendary. Can't wait to see this again.

9/10

https://i.postimg.cc/CMBMtKtF/rapina.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24453621

Rapiña - (1975)

This was really good - another Carlos Enrique Taboada film that I got to see as part of the "Mexican Gothic" boxed set. What happens when a dirt-poor Mexican woodchopper stumbles upon a horrifying plane crash, and decides that looting is his ticket out of poverty? His mind is so focused on this because he overhears a local doctor refer to all the local villagers as "animals" and ignorant cretins, and wants better for his child who is yet to be born. Your stomach will turn as Porfirio (Ignacio López Tarso) and Evodio (Germán Robles) steal from and desecrate the dead for their own gain, but events further down the track are even more shocking as the unexpected windfall has unintended consequences. This is impactful and continually compelling stuff - a morality play that scorches from start to finish.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/Instinct_poster.jpg
By Impawards.com, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23265521

Instinct - (1999)

This movie cheats. At the start, we're given Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Ethan Powell, a man who has lived with gorillas for years and has apparently completely reverted to being one of them (and an aggressive one at that.) Of course, we're to learn more as the film progresses and Dr. Theo Caulder (Cuba Gooding Jr.) tries to reach him and try and connect with the person. It's later that we find out that Dr. Powell never really became a gorilla, he just likes them a lot. So why then, was he acting like a gorilla for so long? A practical joke? Some kind of tax avoidance scam? A bet he lost? Somebody dared him? In the end Powell's behaviour never really made sense to me. His story about living with the gorillas was genuinely touching though - I like that kind of stuff.

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/M%C3%A1s_negro_que_la_noche.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:External_editors, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24453621

Blacker Then Night - (1975)

Intelligent and well-shot, with superb production values and set design, this is a horror film with a really satisfying literary feel to it. Carlos Enrique Taboada put a lot of thought into the films he made. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2505773#post2505773), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

[I_Wear_Pants]

Tonight I watched Hideout. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10899402/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_Hideout)on Freeve. Overall it's all right. I could have done without the ending being like that. I hoped it'd end with

I don't know if the film is supposed to be an entry way for the cast and crew into the film industry or just what. It felt like budding amateurs determined to turn professional and wanted this to start that journey. I would say that, despite the ending, they did a fairly good job. Some of it wasn't that good, they didn't have a lot of time, and most of the people have very few IMDb credits so I can't imagine they have much experience with something like this.

Some of the progression was weird and felt like they missed a few shots. It happens with shoe-string-budget films, although it was jarring. It could have been tighter overall. I will say I'm glad I watched Hideout. I hope they continue.

Oh and I thought their Kyle, played by Bryan Enright, did a really good job. He really capture insanity and panic and stressed really well. Kudos to him.

There was supposed to be a spoiler here but I don't see it in the post on the thread. I can see it in the editing screen on my end, but I don't see it on the page. I've never posted a spoiler so I don't know if that's normal.

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzYzI1MDAtYzVkOC00N2U1LThmNzYtNmYyNDg5MzQwYjEwXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg

The Host - (2006)

6/10

[Robert the List]

L'Eclisse (1962) Antonioni
You either have to mark it as 0 on account of 2 appalling racist comments which had no purpose in the film other than to seemingly announce that Antonioni was a dog whistling racist, or you have to give it at least 9.5 and recognise it as a (pointlessly flawed) masterpiece.

Visually/cinematographically, it has to be in the top 5 most beautiful films ever made. It is also a magnificent expose of seduction/courting, and emphasises it with repeated attention to the first kiss.
Also, important to remember that it was made at the height of the cold war, bearing in mind that the final shot makes reference to possible nuclear war. This film was Antonioni's advertisement for life.

Very slight deduction on account of the lack of chemistry between Delon and Vitti, who unlike Cardinale he just doesn't fancy. Superb acting nonetheless, especially from Vitti.
There are too many images to know where to possibly begin or end.

[chawhee]

Sideways (2004)
https://www.themoviebuff.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/large-sideways1-702x459.jpg
4
Finally found a way to watch this (Hulu), and I would say it met my expectations given its award history. The flawed characters definitely make you uncomfortable at various times, and there is much more talk about wine than I would ever care for. But the comedy, dialogue, and everything make for a great movie, even though I may never watch it again.

[Stirchley]

102351
102352
The Bunny Game
(2010)
3.5/5

I rarely write a review but really want to with this film. It is not for the light-hearted movie goer. This movie is on the extreme spectrum of films, in which I have seen several. It's been a long time since I first watched this, back in 2012/2013.

At the beginning, a prostitute, we shall call "Bunny", lives her life providing sexual pleasures for her next meal and her next fix of cocaine. She gets so wasted, she has no clue or care, that they abuse her and steal from her.

One day, she is picked up by a trucker and taken into the desert, where she is unconscious and he starts mildly abusing her. He slaps her around, runs a knife over her and finally chains her up. She finally wakes up and realized her dilemma, screaming and crying. He continues to torture her more aggressively. He leaves her with a tv showing his previous victim and what he is, more than likely, going to do similarly to her. Each moment, as he continues to torture her, you see she spiral further down. He smothers her continuely with a plastic bag. There is a madness to both, the trucker's mental state and Bunny's. He puts her on a leash and drags he through the desert. He takes her back to his truck and it continues, placing a bunny mask on her and a "Hog" mask on himself. Finally, he chases her, bound and masked, through the desert again, in a game of cat and mouse. Finally, branding her while she hangs in handcuffs from i side the truck. By the end of the film, you see her mental health has crumbled and she is delirious. A man, who is assisted by the trucker, in a white jacket and pants takes her away in a white van.

This film is beautifully shot in black and white. There are scenes that are grainy and quick flashes. They are visually extreme and at times, hard-core. It's an avant-garde experimental film, in the raw sense.

I put spoiler tags as not everyone may want to see or read.

I need to see this again. It’s been a long time.

[MovieGal]

I need to see this again. It’s been a long time.

Lol you shock me by saying you seen it before.

It just doesn't seem your type.

[Captain Quint]

Just chiming in to say I adore both The Host (#3 on my Joon-ho list) and Sideways (also third, but on the Payne list of course... it would be rather strange if I put it on Joon-hos. lol)

Me, I was trying to decide what I want to watch next, when it dawned on me that I need to get to Cabrini (2024) since it's due back at the library in a few days. Grade it when I see it, but man, looking at the popular reviews at Letterboxd and one person gave it a mere 2, the other the full 5. Hmm, well now they have me curious.

[Stirchley]

Lol you shock me by saying you seen it before.

It just doesn't seem your type.

Not sure I have a type. I will watch anything that entertains me.

Unsure of what you mean by “the file” in your comment.

[AgrippinaX]

102351
102352
The Bunny Game
(2010)
3.5/5

I rarely write a review but really want to with this film. It is not for the light-hearted movie goer. This movie is on the extreme spectrum of films, in which I have seen several. It's been a long time since I first watched this, back in 2012/2013.

At the beginning, a prostitute, we shall call "Bunny", lives her life providing sexual pleasures for her next meal and her next fix of cocaine. She gets so wasted, she has no clue or care, that they abuse her and steal from her.

One day, she is picked up by a trucker and taken into the desert, where she is unconscious and he starts mildly abusing her. He slaps her around, runs a knife over her and finally chains her up. She finally wakes up and realized her dilemma, screaming and crying. He continues to torture her more aggressively. He leaves her with a tv showing his previous victim and what he is, more than likely, going to do similarly to her. Each moment, as he continues to torture her, you see she spiral further down. He smothers her continuely with a plastic bag. There is a madness to both, the trucker's mental state and Bunny's. He puts her on a leash and drags he through the desert. He takes her back to his truck and it continues, placing a bunny mask on her and a "Hog" mask on himself. Finally, he chases her, bound and masked, through the desert again, in a game of cat and mouse. Finally, branding her while she hangs in handcuffs from i side the truck. By the end of the film, you see her mental health has crumbled and she is delirious. A man, who is assisted by the trucker, in a white jacket and pants takes her away in a white van.

This film is beautifully shot in black and white. There are scenes that are grainy and quick flashes. They are visually extreme and at times, hard-core. It's an avant-garde experimental film, in the raw sense.

I put spoiler tags as not everyone may want to see or read.

I have this on my list but haven’t got around to it yet. (My list is about 15 years old, I add to it but still have so much to catch up on). Does sound like something up my street though.

[Fabulous]

The Sugarland Express (1974)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/zJIg3sLPaMXQKJyZoQWDJ3EicjV.jpg

[*Sky*]

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) - Michael Curtiz, William Keighley: 5/10

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/Moonage_Daydream_%28film%29.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2022/posters/moonage_daydream_ver2_xxlg.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71505831

Moonage Daydream - (2022)

I'd bought this on Criterion a little while back, and thought last night that it was a pretty good time to watch it again after having seen it on it's original release. At the time I wrote on Letterboxd : "Moonage Daydream elevates the David Bowie mythology to almost God-like status, but grounds it by allowing us a sense of the human behind all of the masks. It does this with wonderful use of his catalogue of songs, and rarely makes the mistake of allowing itself to be too stereotypical or hackneyed. Brett Morgen has obviously spent time, and a great deal of care assembling footage from the man's life, interviews, concert footage, films, plays and television appearances - not to mention music videos. In between there's a sense of the cosmic, but it never becomes overly lost in it's own gaze. Our search for the meaning of life in what feels like the film's first few moments made me afraid this was some deification - but instead it turned into a full-on celebration of David Bowie's music, art and life. It was a visual wonderland, and a rock 'n' roll journey using the best music you'll hear blast you through an entire film." The film kind of represents a personal journey for me as well, from my early teenage years through early adulthood on to times both wonderful and troubled.

What I thought about most last night was my last year of high school, when I found a second-hand video of the concert film Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and like most things Bowie watched and rewatched it over and over again whenever I had the chance. In the pre-internet age, lacking the power to have images and video materialize at the push of a button meant you treasured what you could get your hands on. I wondered what I'd have made of Brett Morgen's Moonage Daydream back then - and how excited I would have been to get my hands on it and play it endlessly. Back in that era, the early 1990s, Bowie was at a particular low point as far as being cool was concerned, and I was definitely an oddball for being an ardent fan. My friends were into The Cure, Violent Femmes, Pixies, the Smiths etc - but I introduced as much Bowie into their music vocabulary as I possibly could. I got my first ever CD player around 1989 or 1990 and it was then that I bought all of Bowie's albums. So watching Moonage Daydream connects me to that era in my life, and all of the special things which were going on. I almost have an inner dialogue going on with my 17-year-old self, telling him "hey, watch this - it's pretty cool" - I could have only dreamed of it back then because those days nobody was talking about Bowie or making retrospective documentaries. This movie is my portal back in time - one which needs to be reevaluated as having a perfect score.

10/10

[Gideon58]

https://cdn.posteritati.com/posters/000/000/058/740/old-acquaintance-md-web.jpg



1st Rewatch....The performances by the leading ladies keep this delicious soap opera on sizzle. Bette Davis plays Kit Forrest, a novelist who is returning to her hometown after the publication of her first book to reunite with her childhood best friend Millie Drake (Miriam Hopkins), a self-absorbed housewife, expecting her first child, and so jealous of Kit's success she can't stand it. To say anymore would ruin this movie for those who have never seen it. Suffice it to say, that Hopkins almost steals the movie from Davis (not an easy feat) with her slightly over the top scenery chewing and Davis is cast against type as the good girl who knows how to push back when her back is against the wall. Classic melodrama fans will be in heaven here. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDQ0NWI1ZGEtY2NlMy00MWYyLTk4NGEtMTY5MmQ4YTcyY2E0XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg



2nd Rewatch...Some terrific performances keep this often hard to swallow comedy watchable. Jason Sudeikis plays a small time drug dealer who, in order to settle a debt to a big time dealer, agrees to drive to Mexico in a Winnebago to pick up a large shipment of marijuana. In order to make him less conspicuous, he pays a stripper (Jennifer Aniston), a latch key kid in his building (Will Poulter), and a homeless girl (Emma Roberts) to travel with him, posing as his wife and children. This story goes some outrageous places and is very protective of the main characters, but it stays fun thanks to this fake family at the forefront, with standout work from Sudeikis and Poulter. Also loved Ed Helms as Sudeikis' employer, Nick Offerman as a DEA agent, and Kathryn Hahn as his wife. This is a lot of funas long as you don't think about it too much. 3.5

[Gideon58]

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



1st Rewatch...This raucous and surprisingly funny comedy held up beautifully on rewatch. Jason Bateman and TJ Miller are running a tech company called Zenotech that Miller's sister (Jennifer Aniston) wants to shut down unless they can land an important client (Courtney B Vance). Bateman and Miller decide the way to do it is to throw the wildest office Christmas party they can come up that gets out of hand when the flakes in the snow machine get accidentally replaced with cocaine. It's not surprising that this comedy is from the folks responsible for The Hangover franchise. Bateman is a perfect straight man for the madness and Aniston makes a superb villain, but if the truth be told the film is easily stolen by Miller and Kate McKinnon as the uptight HR manager. Just put your brain in check and enjoy. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjZiODE3ZTUtYTA0Yi00YjVmLTlhYTEtMzc3MDU1YmZjMWYxXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg


3rd Rewatch....Jim Carrey was actually paid $20,000,000 to appear in this totally bizarre black comedy effectively directed by Ben Stiller. Carrey plays a cable installer who becomes a little too personally involved in the life of his latest installation, recently dumped executive named Steven Kovacks (Matthew Broderick). This film starts off promising, but the black comedy gets a little too black, with Carrey playing a character who becomes more scary than he is funny. Stiller's direction is on the money though and second only to Tropic Thunder, this is Stiller's strongest work behind the camera. 3

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjk4NmZkNjgtZjYzOC00NTUxLTk0MDktZjkwNTc1Y2QwMjQ0XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg


4th Rewatch...This romanticized biopic of jazz singer Billie Holiday did not hold up as well on this rewatch and is definitely starting to creak around the edges. Despite a spectacular performance by Diana Ross, in her film debut, that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, this, this film is rich with every showbiz cliche we've ever seen in a biopic and there are scenes that come off as almost laughable now, like the encounter the band bus has with an angry group of klansmen or when Piano man gets beat up drug dealers he apparently stole heroine from. Ross is spectacular though and even though she doesn't sound like Billie Holiday, she captures the vocal spirit of Holiday. And the scene where she threatens husband Louis McKay (Billy Dee Williams) with a razor unless he gives her her stash back is still one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen. In addition to Ross' nomination, the film received four other nominations, including one for the screenplay, which is a joke. Richard Pryor was robbed of a Supporting Actor nomination for his Piano Man and that heroine dealer hooking Billie up in her dressing room is Motown legend Berry Gordy. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTc4ZDczYjctMmNmMi00MTdjLThiNTEtZDNkOTQ3ZTI0MDk3XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg


Umpteenth Rewatch...Goldie Hawn had one of the biggest hits of her career as the star and executive producer of this 1980 feminist comedy about a pampered princess whose second husband dies of a heart attack on their wedding night. Clueless as what to do with the rest of her life, Judy lets herself be conned into joining the army and finds it to be nothing like she was told. Hawn's feminist sensibilities are all over this comedy that starts out quite nicely. Love the scene where the recruiter (Harry Dean Stanton) talks her into joining the army and inquiring if the army uniforms come in any color but green. Also love the scene where Judy's parents (Sam Wanamaker, Barbara Barrie) arrive at the base to take Judy home and she decides to stay. The film begins to run out of gas when Judy meets a sexy French playboy (Armand Assante) in Europe, but it's a lot of fun until then. Hawn received a Best Actress nomination for her performance and the late Eileen Brennan received a supporting actress nomination for playing Judy's hard-nosed commanding officer, Captain Doreen Lewis. The screenplay doesn't bear too close scrutiny, but for Hawn fans, this is appointment viewing. 3.5

[Marco]

Night Moves (1975)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/Night_Moves_1975_poster.jpg
Gene Hackman plays the ex-American footballer turned PI in this modern (perhaps noir) thriller. A girl (a young Melanie Griffiths) has gone missing and he is asked to find her. Primarily because the mother requires the girl to live with her to receive the trust fund in her name. Harry's (the PI) marriage is also falling apart after he finds out, during a stake out, that his wife is having an affair. Add into this a film aspect including James Woods as a mechanic involved with the missing girl and a stuntman involved with *both* the mother and daughter and it's a heady brew. The ending was rather unexpected but this is a good solid mystery with Hackman at the peak of his powers in an Arthur Penn movie.
Strong 3.5

[matt72582]

History of Rock n Roll Ep.8 The 70s Full Movie Vol.4

https://youtu.be/kOK8xRNwdRE

[SpelingError]

Utopia (1983) - 4.5

The final couple minutes add a brutally honest element of tragedy to the film which I haven't been able to shake since watching it. From the first scene, you're rooting for Heinz to be killed. The prostitutes discuss offing him at several points, make plans for running away afterwards, yet nothing gets done and they keep putting it off to the point you suspect nothing will ever happen. While I can't describe it as an inevitability, Heinz eventually is killed in gory, rewarding fashion. Yet, instead of giving us a fantasy scenario where all their problems are magically solved, we're given a bookend scene of them continuing to work in the brothel. They just escaped one hell for another (albeit a lesser one). One could dismiss the ending as an unnecessary reminder that the film doesn't have a happy ending, but I would say the film earns that scene. Given how caught up I was in yelling "Just kill him already!" and given how easy it was for the prostitutes to kill Heinz (I mean, the guy keeps a loaded gun in an unlocked desk in his unlocked office and regularly disappears from the brothel, leaving his gun behind every single time), I was tricked into thinking everything would end well for the prostitutes once they'd kill them. However, you can't escape from poverty that easily. By making the process of getting rid of the immediate threat so simple and by drawing it out so much, Shalid-Saless misled me into thinking otherwise and caused the ending to be a gigantic slap in the face.

As for the rest of the film, it's very depressing. One user described this as a toned down version of Salò and, while I recognize the emotional registers of both films are different since the characters in Pasolini's film make no attempt to break free from their harsh reality, Utopia is similar in the way the characters frequently seem unwilling/unable to act on their plans. Still though, instead of the externalized horrors of Salò, the horror of this film is more internalized. Therefore, I would describe this as a slow-burn, low key extreme film in a sense. I hadn't heard of Shalid-Saless until a few days ago, but I'm definitely going to keep a close eye on him going forward.

[ueno_station54]

a couple of rewatches

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/4/7/9/7/3/47973-amarcord-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=65820fc57b
rating_4

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/5/0/3/4/0/2/503402-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-one-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=800fc297c1
rating_4

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWY3MDE2Y2UtOTE3Zi00MGUzLTg2MTItZjE1ZWVkMGVlODRmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX190_CR0,0,190,281_.jpg


Inside Out 2 - This was a worthy sequel and a certified hit for Pixar, nearly doubling the originals box office take and becoming the #1 highest grossing animated film of all time. I liked the first one more mostly because of it's originality. This hit a lot of the same beats with a "what did we learn here today" ultimate conceit mirroring the first one's. Namely that a person's fundamental happiness and character traits are an amalgam of the good and the bad and the sweet and the sour. But like the first one it does so in an engaging, creative way. Some stellar voice work from Amy Poehler, the late Lewis Black and newcomer Maya Hawke.

80/100

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/The_Handmaiden_film.png
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)

I watched The Handmaiden and reviewed it back in July for my watchlist thread and then someone (FilmBuff I believe) said "make sure you see the extended cut" and I thought gosh darn it, I saw the shorter version. So, here I am four months later watching it again in it's longer glory - it's a very nice, erotic, visually exciting crime thriller from a filmmaker I like a great deal - Park Chan-wook. I saw Joint Security Area this year as well - one of his first - and thought it was just as terrific. Anyway, I don't have much more to add regarding The Handmaiden - masterfully erotic, funny and loads of enjoyment to be had.

9/10

https://i.postimg.cc/qBKQKJZ4/cm.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52048902

La Commune (Paris, 1871) - (2000)

An insane movie-making feat that does something profound to both filmmaker and spectator. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2506692#post2506692), in my watchlist thread.

10/10

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Sing Street - B-

[chawhee]

Inside Out 2 - .... the late Lewis Black and newcomer Maya Hawke.

80/100

Lewis Black is still alive, no?

[Stirchley]

102434

Not bad. Three leads very good. Dozed off a couple of times. It’s that kind of movie that is more like a play.

[Torgo]

Rolling Thunder - 4

Fans of John Wick as well as action and horror movies like it need to check out this entry that likely inspired them. Just be warned it is a lot less fantastical. This is another heart wrenching study by Paul Schrader (who co-wrote) of Vietnam veterans returning home feeling like they had been chewed up and spit out. It would not be wrong to describe it as "Taxi Driver in the Heartland," in other words.

I've only seen William Devane in 24, whose performance I enjoyed on that show even though I found him a bit cold and hard to read. Those aspects work in his favor here since Major Charles Rane tries his best to be grateful for the warm reception, gifts and affection of man-in-uniform admirer Linda (Linda Haynes) he receives upon returning to good ol' "San Anton'," but he can only mask his emptiness for so long. Schrader and company couldn't have made his mental state more justified given that his wife is seeing another man and his son was just starting to walk before boarding the plane. If you're starting to think this is not the popcorn flick that John Wick is, you would be right, especially since there are fewer action scenes. The ones it has hit hard, though, and they're not only fueled by a desire for justice, but also come from a real place. I will not soon forget Haynes' work for how convincing she makes Linda's desire to find a good man and how she provides a reason for Charles to rethink his revenge plans. A young Tommy Lee Jones also shines as Johnny, Rane's military buddy who thinks he has readjusted to civilian life - at least better than Rane has - but who may be kidding himself.

Not to count out director John Flynn and co-writer Heywood Gould, whose other work I will explore, but I must once again credit Schrader for crafting yet another great story of a broken man who is not sure how to solve his problems. While I love the John Wick franchise, Nobody, et al, it is nice to see an entry call into question the belief that their only solution lies at the end of a gun. Again, there are fewer action scenes, but in this now subgenre's fashion, it does save the best one for last. Just be prepared to do something you might not always do when it's over: stare at the screen until all the end credits go by.

[Marco]

Megalopolis (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Megalopolis_%28film%29_poster.jpg
Firstly, what a strange film! I'm probably not the target audience for this but the fact that Coppola was fighting to have this made and released since the 80s is just wild. It's a fairly pat story with nice effects but, to me, has no real substance and I did struggle to keep interest in the Cesar vs Cicero battle. Any scene with Shia LaBeouf in is overacted and silly, I think that was supposed to be the comedic element in amongst the over-wraught grand gesturing of the central story, it didn't work. Nice costumes, scenery and effects but a paper thin reason for even existing never mind fighting for 40-odd years to have it made!
2

[MovieGal]

Rolling Thunder - 4

Fans of John Wick as well as action and horror movies like it need to check out this entry that likely inspired them. Just be warned it is a lot less fantastical. This is another heart wrenching study by Paul Schrader (who co-wrote) of Vietnam veterans returning home feeling like they had been chewed up and spit out. It would not be wrong to describe it as "Taxi Driver in the Heartland," in other words.

I've only seen William Devane in 24, whose performance I enjoyed on that show even though I found him a bit cold and hard to read. Those aspects work in his favor here since Major Charles Rane tries his best to be grateful for the warm reception, gifts and affection of man-in-uniform admirer Linda (Linda Haynes) he receives upon returning to good ol' "San Anton'," but he can only mask his emptiness for so long. Schrader and company couldn't have made his mental state more justified given that his wife is seeing another man and his son was just starting to walk before boarding the plane. If you're starting to think this is not the popcorn flick that John Wick is, you would be right, especially since there are fewer action scenes. The ones it has hit hard, though, and they're not only fueled by a desire for justice, but also come from a real place. I will not soon forget Haynes' work for how convincing she makes Linda's desire to find a good man and how she provides a reason for Charles to rethink his revenge plans. A young Tommy Lee Jones also shines as Johnny, Rane's military buddy who thinks he has readjusted to civilian life - at least better than Rane has - but who may be kidding himself.

Not to count out director John Flynn and co-writer Heywood Gould, whose other work I will explore, but I must once again credit Schrader for crafting yet another great story of a broken man who is not sure how to solve his problems. While I love the John Wick franchise, Nobody, et al, it is nice to see an entry call into question the belief that their only solution lies at the end of a gun. Again, there are fewer action scenes, but in this now subgenre's fashion, it does save the best one for last. Just be prepared to do something you might not always do when it's over: stare at the screen until all the end credits go by.

I need to check it out.

[Captain Quint]

Blonde Fever (1944) - Mary Astor's a plus, Philip Dorn's a minus, and the movie, a screwball rom-com, would have been a forgettable trifle, if not for it being Gloria Grahame's feature debut.

102440

All of 20 when it was filmed, and you can tell she had that certain something, even then, the screen loves her.

Based on a play by Molnár (I wonder if it was any better?) - 2 stars for its 2 stars (Astor & Grahame)

[WHITBISSELL!]

Lewis Black is still alive, no?My bad. I could have sworn I read somewhere he had died. Maybe I was thinking of Richard Lewis. Anyway, I'm happy to hear he's still among us. :up:

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/7/2/5/3/3/7/725337-the-people-s-joker-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=28f0a75d7a
a rewatch of what is hands down movie of the year, though you can argue it came out in 2022, 2023 or 2024. queer coming of age film by way of super villain origin story and a huge win for fair use laws. its also a multimedia nightmare and i love every second of it. hilarious that the most sincere and honest trans movie i've ever seen has batman in it.
rating_4_5

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/j5pQB9w9/twelve.jpg
By "Copyright 1949 – By Twentieth Century–Fox Film Corp." - Scan via Heritage Auctions. Cropped from the original image., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86899006

Twelve O'Clock High - (1949)

Finally got this war film under my belt. Gregory Peck stars as Brig. Gen. Frank Savage - sent to head the dysfunctional 918th Bomb Group in daylight bombing raids over occupied Europe and Germany, he decides trial by fire is required. He pushes his men to their absolute limit and in doing so makes the group a much admired success, and it's this he hopes will win the men over. How much punishment and how many insults can he dish out before the effects of his harshness make his men hate him? How far can he push himself before he himself has a complete and utter nervous breakdown? When the going gets tough, we all find at a certain stage that even the toughest of us has a limit. This was an interesting look at the psychological perils of being in command of young men in life and death situations, and the pros and cons of the Whiplash method of trying to attain greatness from the men you are in charge of.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b2/The_War_Game_FilmPoster.jpeg
By The cover art can be obtained from Movieposterdb.com., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32677431

The War Game - (1966)

Surprisingly brutal and unsparing for 1966, this pseudo documentary about what would happen to Britain in the event there was a nuclear war. On Letterboxd immediately after watching it I wrote : "Sometimes words won't suffice. After a nuclear war, civilization may never fully recover - and yes, we'd envy the dead. A great precursor to Threads." I was still feeling the aftershocks, and was a little shaken.

9/10

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/5/1/8/1/8/51818-the-godfather-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=bca8b67402
sheesh, you'd think this was a gay porn with all these dudes getting whacked
rating_3_5

[chawhee]

Blindness (2008)
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/pEFXuQdC1tijNkMSbvQEvAHwOF5.jpg
4
A thriller about nearly all of society going blind for no apparent reason, and things unfold as you might expect. It's always good to see Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore. I probably liked this more than I should have, especially with how some of the characters' actions made little sense at certain points.

[Sedai]

The Substance
Fargeat, 2024

3

https://media.gq.com/photos/66eda35db780770f1dde0394/16:9/w_2560%2Cc_limit/MCDSUBS_EC006.jpg

This film had been hyped to the ceiling and beyond over the past few months, so I had been looking forward to seeing it since its release. Alas, once all was said and done and while I enjoyed certain aspects of the film, I found it to be a fairly middling experience.

I had seen this atop many "Best horror of the year" lists, but I doubt it would make my Top 5. I enjoyed its decidedly Lynchian trappings, and the performances were good, but the absurdity and sort of silliness of the third act was too much to overcome, and honestly it had me checking the time to see how much more I had to endure. The film is about 15 minutes too long, and would have been better served to tie things up after the final confrontation between the two leads.

I am still giving it a 3 because the first half is really strong, and the craftsmanship was top notch, but once again, and I feel like I say this a lot lately, the writing sort of comes unraveled as the film moves along.

Like some of Lynch's best works, this film is a brutal takedown of Hollywood, and its treatment of aged actresses specifically, but it wasn't enough to sustain what ended up being a sort of silly film.

[FilmBuff]

15 minutes too long? I would say easily 30 mins too long :p

[exiler96]

The Substance (2024) - Good grief. I'm on such a movie-high right now that can't bother to write much on this except that it's insane.

https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/demi-moore-lying-on-her-bed-looking-scared-in-the-substance.jpg



I re-watched The Substance, which remains an immersive and exciting work of grotesque art... but I go on and off on it's - relatively divisive - final 20 minutes... yes it's unforgettable, and it's so fun to experience in a theater with an audience just to soak the WTFery of it all in... but it really isn't quiet the movie that we've been watching up to that point now is it? It's neither about Elizabeth nor Sue anymore. It's about this monster, for whom Fargeat has no sympathy for (where as Del Toro, Cronenberg or Burton would've had, I think)... thus making the movie one of those very good ones of which the ending, isn't the best part, unfortunately.

It had to end with Qualley, pulling her teeth out in the bathroom...


https://media.tenor.com/c82qJZUws8QAAAAM/the-substance-sue.gif

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/1/1/6/7/6/11676-wax-or-the-discovery-of-television-among-the-bees-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=4b90269e1f
rewatched my favourite movie for my birthday <3
rating_5

[Captain Quint]

102480
Melody (1971)
Directed by Waris Hussein, story and screenplay by Alan Parker

Years back, Wes Anderson spoke about a movie that inspired his Moonrise Kingdom, but I later forgot the title, so darn it, and I was thinking of tracking that down too. But as I was watching, I wondered if this was that movie (a googlesearch provided the answer, in the affirmative.)

Not so much a story type, more a vibe, evoking a time and a place, and relatable nostalgic feelings. Music was an asset (I prefer early Bee Gees to disco Bee Gees)

Lovely film - takes it's time getting to where it's going, but that's a good thing in this case

4

[Sedai]

It had to end with Qualley, pulling her teeth out in the bathroom...
[/SPOILERS]

https://media.tenor.com/c82qJZUws8QAAAAM/the-substance-sue.gif

That would have been perfect.

[Fabulous]

Nope (2022)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/b30859fwJOq8sBXmXf3lrePUEdO.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/1/1/6/7/6/11676-wax-or-the-discovery-of-television-among-the-bees-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=4b90269e1f
rewatched my favourite movie for my birthday <3
rating_5

Happy birthday! (I hope you haven't had as many of them as I have.) Also, that movie went straight onto my watchlist.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/06/Threeviolentpeopleposter.jpg
By Paramount Pictures - IMDb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68796000

Three Violent People - (1957)

Getting ex-Confederate soldier and rancher Colt Saunders (Charlton Heston) and sumptuous con-artist and ex-hooker Lorna (Anne Baxter) married and back to Colt's ranch felt like going through the motions, and I think the set-up could have been worked on - but once there this movie improved considerably. The happy couple meet Colt's one-armed brother 'Cinch' (Tom Tryon), which sets the stage for this particular party of three and the various carpetbaggers who have descended from the North into high-stakes conflict - but what I liked the most was that our three main characters along with ranch hand Innocencio Ortega (Gilbert Roland) get to add a lot of depth to their characters throughout proceedings. When a film invests in it's characters like that, the ending ends up having stakes that get you really interested. It might have taken a little too long, but I have to hand Three Violent People that. Stick with it and there's some reward.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e3/It_started_in_naples79.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9244662

It Started in Naples - (1960)

Clark Gable's second last film has some beautiful location work in and around Naples and especially about Capri - but that's as far as my praise goes. It's otherwise an unoriginal attempt at pairing the legendary 60-year-old Gable with beautiful Sofia Loren, who was in her 20s. There needs to be exceptional chemistry if that's to work, but here it doesn't - even if Loren seems particularly game. Lawyer Michael Hamilton's (Gable) brother dies in Italy, and when he arrives he discovers a secret love child which he must consider perhaps adopting, but if so the kid's aunt, Lucia (Loren) might have something to say about it. There are literal fireworks, but very few metaphorical ones. Vittorio De Sica features, but can't really make up for the tired screenplay this has.

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/44/%C3%80_plein_temps_2021_film_poster.png
By https://www.hautetcourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/120x160-a-temps-plein-09_02-web.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72876416

Full Time - (2021)

Irène Drésel's pulsating, heart-pounding electronic musical accompaniment to the action in Eric Gravel's Full Time helps make it an excellent and timely film about pressure and the strain of modern life. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2507396#post2507396), in my watchlist thread.

8/10

[ueno_station54]

Happy birthday! (I hope you haven't had as many of them as I have.) Also, that movie went straight onto my watchlist.
thanks!! :)

[Fabulous]

Resident Evil (2002)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/5pGWjnM62Zs0S1xRf3TDL1Xizr.jpg

[Marco]

Penitentiary (1979)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0f/Penitentiary_poster.jpg
For a low budget prison exploitation film this is damn good, I saw this when I was young (not in 1979 I hasten to add :)) and it has many of the flaws of similar genres. The acting is pretty sub-par but the story bundles along at a great pace. Drifter (Leon Isaac Kennedy) get's arrested and put in the pen (fitted up) and from there he sees how things work "inside"...with rapes etc which he nearly falls foul of himself. Fortunately Martel "Too Sweet" has all the physical and boxing attributes to stay out of the vultures' grasp. Then the boxing competition where the winner get's to have relations with a female....which funnily enough some that aren't boxing are doing already!:p:p:p
The violence is done well and the plot carries well also, a surprise. I've heard theres a follow up that's awful so I'm in that position of not wanting to ruin this and seeing just how awful it is (comparatively). p.s the cover piccy is one of the worst ever.
3

[Stirchley]

The War Game - (1966)

Surprisingly brutal and unsparing for 1966, this pseudo documentary about what would happen to Britain in the event there was a nuclear war. On Letterboxd immediately after watching it I wrote : "Sometimes words won't suffice. After a nuclear war, civilization may never fully recover - and yes, we'd envy the dead. A great precursor to Threads." I was still feeling the aftershocks, and was a little shaken.

Never heard of this movie, but feel I must take a shot at it. It’s Letterboxd at any rate. Where did you find it for streaming?

Good luck to anyone trying to find it. Ditto Culloden. :rolleyes:

[Stirchley]

Blindness (2008)
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/pEFXuQdC1tijNkMSbvQEvAHwOF5.jpg
4
A thriller about nearly all of society going blind for no apparent reason, and things unfold as you might expect. It's always good to see Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore. I probably liked this more than I should have, especially with how some of the characters' actions made little sense at certain points.

Brilliant movie.

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/On_the_Town_%281949_poster%29_crop.jpg


Umpteenth Rewatch...Somewhere in the top ten of best MGM musicals, Gene Kelly and Stanley co-directed this delightful musical romp about three sailors (Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin) who are on a 24-hour leave in Manhattan looking for romance and eventually find it with a carny dancer named Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), who is this month's "Miss Turnstiles", a cabby named Hildy (Betty Garrett) and an anthropology student (Ann Miller). There's nothing groundbreaking here except perhaps this was the first MGM musical that actually did partial filming on location in New York. The film is based on a Broadway musical, but only two numbers from that musical are utilized, but the score by Leonard Bernstein and Comden and Green is terrific. The highlights being "New York New York", Sinatra and Garrett's "Come up to My Place". Miller's sizzling tap solo "Find Me a Primitive Man", Kelly and Vera Ellen's lovely soft shoe "When You Walk Down Main Street" and the dream ballet. If you're a musical lover and never seen this, treat yourself. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ijQMtRtuL._UX250_.jpg



1st Rewatch...Judy Holliday commands the screen reprising the role that won her a Tony on Broadway. Holliday plays Elle Petersen, an operator for an answering service Susanswerphone, run by her cousin Sue (Jean Stapleton, also reprising her Broadway role) who becomes a little too personally involved with their subscribers, especially a handsome playwright named Jeff Moss (Dean Martin) who Ella pretends to be a 60 year old woman with and is madly in love with him even though she has never laid eyes on him. Vincente Minnelli was in the director's chair for this breezy musical which afforded Holliday the opportunity to sing, dance, and employ about a hundred different voices. The score by Jule Styne and Comden Green includes "Just in Time", "The Party's Over" "It's a Perfect Relationship" "I Met a Girl" and Holliday showstopping final number "I'm Going Back.”Mention should also be made of a fantastic supporting turn from Frank Gorshin as a struggling actor who thinks he's Marlon Brando. A joy from start to finish. 4

[Allaby]

Hot Frosty (2024) Sexy snowman comes to life and falls in love with a woman.This was cute and amusing. 3.5

[Fabulous]

The Rundown (2003)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/8RRwFTKxjwB7PY26z9w3fCytGzA.jpg

[matt72582]

Beauty and the Beast - 7.5/10
First off, thanks MovieGal - this has been on my radar for years, but sometimes it just takes a mention in a bowl of thousands of movies.



I notice a lot of people will instead entitle this "La Belle et la Bête" maybe because "Beauty and the Beast" doesn't come across as intellectual.



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/La_Belle_et_la_B%C3%AAte_film.jpg

[Fabulous]

One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/AcoLi12WhzX5uBwyPaT2B6iWO0L.jpg

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/afacc59b64ab67c59224e5346a753814/0b9b6643e8696dbf-dc/s500x750/967b457e525c4e36f2ad422c19ecd119fe3878fa.gifv

The Night Stalker (1972) - This was back when there was an ABC Movie of the Week. Darren McGavin stars as single-minded and pugnacious Las Vegas reporter Carl Kolchak. Numerous women have been killed. The victims were all young and beautiful and worked late night shifts. Their bodies had also been drained of blood. The local cops try and downplay the puncture wounds on their necks and the killers apparent super strength. But the dogged Kolchak makes a pest of himself till the authorities have no choice but to listen. He's also a thorn in the side of his long suffering editor Tony Vincenzo (a marvelous Simon Oakland). Kolchak perseveres despite the growing hostility from law enforcement and eventually unearths the killer's identity which leads to a showdown. It wraps up just about how you'd expect.

This was a tidy little thriller with McGavin really shining as the misanthropic Kolchak. It lead to a sequel movie and then a television series that lasted for one season. But I think it also inspired shows like The X Files and is still remembered fondly by fans of a certain age.

85/100

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514ES62FT0L._AC_.jpg

The Night Strangler - 1973 sequel to '72's The Night Stalker. Carl Kolchak, now relocated to Seattle, is onto a new string of killings. He has coincidentally run into his old boss Tony Vincenzo who has also been forced to relocate. The victims are the same, young women working the night shifts. Only these have been strangled and, instead of all their blood being drained, only a small amount is missing. They all share the same needle mark at the base of their skulls with their necks crushed and remnants of rotting flesh left behind. Kolchak, now working again for Vincenzo, starts looking into it and with the help of crack researcher Titus Berry (Wally Cox) uncovers a link to similar strings of killings occurring every 21 years and going back more than a century.

Unlike the first installment, this aired as part of ABC's weekly anthology The Wide World of Mystery. It featured appearances from several well known film and TV actors like Richard Anderson, Scott Brady, John Carradine, Margaret Hamilton, Al Lewis and Wally Cox. Not as suspense filled as The Night Stalker but a respectable enough entry in the creature of the week genre.

75/100

[Captain Quint]

102530
Planet of the Female Invaders (1966)
Directed by Alfredo B. Crevenna

Because sometimes you see a title that's simply irresistible. I couldn't 'not' watch this.

MSTies will recognize a few of these folks, there's Lorena Velázquez in dual roles, who played the vampire queen in a Santo movie, and Maura Monti, the Bat Woman of Mexico herself.

The plot borrows from an old Outer Limits episode (carnival spaceship, is a real spaceship, which whisks away some unsuspecting humans). It has a fair share of humor, alongside a few darker moments (no spoilers, but their grim plot is pretty grim). If you can get into the spirit of the thing, it winds up an entertaining, silly, B-movie watch, about a planet of sexy world conquerors in goofy hats.

3

[Marco]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/afacc59b64ab67c59224e5346a753814/0b9b6643e8696dbf-dc/s500x750/967b457e525c4e36f2ad422c19ecd119fe3878fa.gifv

The Night Stalker (1972) - This was back when there was an ABC Movie of the Week. Darren McGavin stars as single-minded and pugnacious Las Vegas reporter Carl Kolchak. Numerous women have been killed. The victims were all young and beautiful and worked late night shifts. Their bodies had also been drained of blood. The local cops try and downplay the puncture wounds on their necks and the killers apparent super strength. But the dogged Kolchak makes a pest of himself till the authorities have no choice but to listen. He's also a thorn in the side of his long suffering editor Tony Vincenzo (a marvelous Simon Oakland). Kolchak perseveres despite the growing hostility from law enforcement and eventually unearths the killer's identity which leads to a showdown. It wraps up just about how you'd expect.

This was a tidy little thriller with McGavin really shining as the misanthropic Kolchak. It lead to a sequel movie and then a television series that lasted for one season. But I think it also inspired shows like The X Files and is still remembered fondly by fans of a certain age.

85/100

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514ES62FT0L._AC_.jpg

The Night Strangler - 1973 sequel to '72's The Night Stalker. Carl Kolchak, now relocated to Seattle, is onto a new string of killings. He has coincidentally run into his old boss Tony Vincenzo who has also been forced to relocate. The victims are the same, young women working the night shifts. Only these have been strangled and, instead of all their blood being drained, only a small amount is missing. They all share the same needle mark at the base of their skulls with their necks crushed and remnants of rotting flesh left behind. Kolchak, now working again for Vincenzo, starts looking into it and with the help of crack researcher Titus Berry (Wally Cox) uncovers a link to similar strings of killings occurring every 21 years and going back more than a century.

Unlike the first installment, this aired as part of ABC's weekly anthology The Wide World of Mystery. It featured appearances from several well known film and TV actors like Richard Anderson, Scott Brady, John Carradine, Margaret Hamilton, Al Lewis and Wally Cox. Not as suspense filled as The Night Stalker but a respectable enough entry in the creature of the week genre.

75/100
Wow, I watched the series and enjoyed (especially Erik Estrada as a Mayan deity!) so am going to have to find these out. On a side note saw a "Tales of the Unexpected" with Darren McGavin today playing a cop trying to implicate twins in a murder, both played by David Cassidy...quite entertaining.

[WHITBISSELL!]

Wow, I watched the series and enjoyed (especially Erik Estrada as a Mayan deity!) so am going to have to find these out. On a side note saw a "Tales of the Unexpected" with Darren McGavin today playing a cop trying to implicate twins in a murder, both played by David Cassidy...quite entertaining.Both of them are currently on youtube in 1080p.

[ueno_station54]

double feature at the theatre with my wifey <3

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/1/0/2/5/3/3/1/1025331-heretic-2024-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=c79c5c8121
gives me flashbacks to watching atheist youtube circa 2008 *shudders*
rating_2

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/8/7/7/2/5/3/877253-conclave-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=f9cbf50dec
i have no thoughts or feelings about this
rating_3

[PHOENIX74]

Never heard of this movie, but feel I must take a shot at it. It’s Letterboxd at any rate. Where did you find it for streaming?

Good luck to anyone trying to find it. Ditto Culloden. :rolleyes:

I'd been wanting to see The War Game for ages - I'm sending you a link to where I got it from.

[PHOENIX74]

Penitentiary (1979)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0f/Penitentiary_poster.jpg
For a low budget prison exploitation film this is damn good, I saw this when I was young (not in 1979 I hasten to add :)) and it has many of the flaws of similar genres. The acting is pretty sub-par but the story bundles along at a great pace. Drifter (Leon Isaac Kennedy) get's arrested and put in the pen (fitted up) and from there he sees how things work "inside"...with rapes etc which he nearly falls foul of himself. Fortunately Martel "Too Sweet" has all the physical and boxing attributes to stay out of the vultures' grasp. Then the boxing competition where the winner get's to have relations with a female....which funnily enough some that aren't boxing are doing already!:p:p:p
The violence is done well and the plot carries well also, a surprise. I've heard theres a follow up that's awful so I'm in that position of not wanting to ruin this and seeing just how awful it is (comparatively). p.s the cover piccy is one of the worst ever.
3

Penitentiary II and Penitentiary III are absolutely crazy. Nothing like the first film, which is more serious. If you like "what the hell?" kind of movies, you might like to seek them out, but they exist in a whole other universe to Fanaka's original, more sensible Penitentiary. The second film features Ernie Hudson and Mr. T as well - though I doubt neither would be proud of that fact.

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Umpteenth Rewatch...Somewhere in the top ten of best MGM musicals, Gene Kelly and Stanley co-directed this delightful musical romp about three sailors (Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin) who are on a 24-hour leave in Manhattan looking for romance and eventually find it with a carny dancer named Ivy Smith (Vera-Ellen), who is this month's "Miss Turnstiles", a cabby named Hildy (Betty Garrett) and an anthropology student (Ann Miller). There's nothing groundbreaking here except perhaps this was the first MGM musical that actually did partial filming on location in New York. The film is based on a Broadway musical, but only two numbers from that musical are utilized, but the score by Leonard Bernstein and Comden and Green is terrific. The highlights being "New York New York", Sinatra and Garrett's "Come up to My Place". Miller's sizzling tap solo "Find Me a Primitive Man", Kelly and Vera Ellen's lovely soft shoe "When You Walk Down Main Street" and the dream ballet. If you're a musical lover and never seen this, treat yourself. 4

I loved it too! I recently watched it when it popped up on the MoFo top 100 musicals list. Three Gene Kelly musicals made my list, and while I don't think it's quite as good as those... one of which is An American in Paris, I still very much enjoyed it.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/Star_Trek_Nemesis_poster.jpg
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30356896

Star Trek : Nemesis - (2002)

Roger Ebert summed up the Star Trek film series in three words after Nemesis came out : "Out of gas". Tellingly, the collection I'd gathered amongst my DVDs didn't have this film in it simply because I'd forgotten it existed. Everything which leads up to the inevitable space battle is fairly humdrum, but that battle I thought lived up to the best the series has to offer if you disregard the not-quite-up-to-snuff effects, which had been hurriedly worked on during a tight production schedule. Not a very fitting finale for the Next Generation crew - the heady days which produced Wrath of Khan, Search For Spock and Voyage Home hints at the fact that if you're to create compelling Star Trek films you should really try to include follow-through story elements and not de-facto television episodes. Make it so. Tom Hardy got a bit of a big break in this as main villain Praetor Shinzon - something that's probably forgotten these days!

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6d/The_Scalphunters_poster.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31893122

The Scalphunters - (1968)

Joe Bass (Burt Lancaster) just wants his hides back - they've been taken by a group of Native Americans and in return he's gifted an African American slave, Joseph Lee (Ossie Davis). Complicating matters are a bunch of scumbag scalphunters led by Jim Howie (Telly Savalas) and his lady, Kate (Shelley Winters). You get your money's worth in star power there, and if there's a point at all it's probably that we're all savages really. There are no heroes in The Scalphunters, with every single character in it for themselves and continually plotting the destruction of their foes, giving this Western a kind of cartoon narrative sheen. We're not treated to as much beauty as we are dust and grit in this hard-edged movie - an early effort from Sydney Pollack, who was soon to break through with They Shoot Horses, Don't They? I found this had quite a bit of sharpness to it - could have done with a character or two that had some nobler qualities. Savalas and Lancaster bring it though, with their bravado.

6/10

https://i.postimg.cc/KjKrmQb9/rock-and-roll-nerd.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31893122

Rock n' Roll Nerd - (2008)

Tim Minchin comes from my neck of the woods, and as such (just like with Heath Ledger) I wonder if I ever passed him by or bumped into him. This documentary charts his rise from complete obscurity to semi-fame - always fun to vicariously see what it looks like from the inside, getting a career in show business established. How famous is he? I have no idea. In my book he's mid-level funny - far from either the best or worst as far as comedians go. Decent doc.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/The_nightmare_before_christmas_poster.jpg
By http://andygaudion93.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/my-top-5-christmas-movies/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30738587

The Nightmare Before Christmas - (1993)

The animation in this is superb, even by today's standards. Would have been a favourite for me if introduced during my childhood.

7/10

Also watched Tim Burton's short films :

Frankenweenie (1984) - 6/10

Vincent (1982) - 8/10

[I_Wear_Pants]

I got around to watching Black Bear here in the witching hour. It's definitely different and in a good way. I loved it. Aubrey Plaza was awesome, as was the rest of the cast. She really is impressive. I've loved watching Ms Plaza perform since I started watching her act.

Next up is probably Harder They Fall with Mr Humphrey Bogart in his last film. Hopefully it's good too.

[sawduck]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 7/10

Talk to Me 7.5/10

The Wild Robot 8.5/10

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark 7/10

[Gideon58]

I loved it too! I recently watched it when it popped up on the MoFo top 100 musicals list. Three Gene Kelly musicals made my list, and while I don't think it's quite as good as those... one of which is An American in Paris, I still very much enjoyed it.

On my list of favorite Gene Kelly performances, An American in Paris clocked in at number one

[Allaby]

Fear (1946) A film noir about a medical student who murders a professor that he owes money to. It's supposed to be an Americanized contemporary version of Crime and Punishment. For most of the film, I thought this was a decent noir. The ending is awful and really lessens the film. It has some good moments and is worth watching, until that horrendous ending. 2.5

[LeBoyWondeur]

I notice a lot of people will instead entitle this "La Belle et la Bête" maybe because "Beauty and the Beast" doesn't come across as intellectual
I think some film titles look more familiar in their original language, it has nothing to do with trying to appear intellectual.
Besides, French is not exactly an obscure language.

I mean, I'm sure you don't translate Hiroshima Mon Amour to Hiroshima My Love, do you?

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/5/1/3/8/3/51383-goodfellas-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=c6c265f228
perfectly fine, starts to feel a bit long by the time the last act starts
3

[Gideon58]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSXap2em2AiKTwjxAZ1TNT_8hAJtVG9hG-LBA&s



1st Rewatch...Brad Pitt's Oscar-nominated performance dominates this richly entertaining docudrama about MLB general manager Billy Beane of the Oakland A's and his struggle to rebuild the losing team with the help of an economics major from Yale (Jonah Hill). In the tradition of films like JFK, director Bennett Miller (Capote) blends archival footage to his own work giving the story an air of authenticity. Hill also received a supporting actor nomination and there is solid support from Chris Pratt, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, and Nick Searcy. 4.5

[Gideon58]

https://resizing.flixster.com/r_cw2R9UY7zNrBahM46-4qd3pTQ=/fit-in/705x460/v2/https://resizing.flixster.com/-XZAfHZM39UwaGJIFWKAE8fS0ak=/v3/t/assets/p12669880_v_h10_aa.jpg


1st Rewatch...Michael Keaton was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his performance in this emotionally charged docudrama where he plays Ray Kroc, a traveling salesman about to go under trying to sell milkshake machines when he gets an order for eight machines from a pair of brothers named Dick and Mac McDonald, who have perfected a new kind of rstaurant called fast food, which they have named McDonald's and how Kroc convinces the brothers to go in with him turning their store into a franchise and eventually stealing their business out from under them. The change that Ray Kroc goes through in his mission here reminds me a lot of Charles Foster Kane, in terms of ambition, ruthlessness, and lack of regard of who he steps on in order to get what he wants. Keaton has rarely been better, creating a character whose journey from pathetic loser to ruthless monster is completely believable and the performances by Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch as the McDonald brothers are superb. Director John Lee Hancock (Saving Mr. Banks) offers meticulous direction which includes Oscar-worthy cinematography and film editing. This film got by a lot of people and I'm not sure why, but it's appointment viewing for Keaton fans. 4.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTk1NTU4NjE5OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTQ3OTY2._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg


1st Rewatch...This animated musical was a passion project for Adam Sandler that is a real mixed bag to say the least. Sandler provides the voice for the central character, Davey Stone, a 30 year old alcoholic loser who hates everybody and everything, especially the holiday season, who fnds some guidance to being a better person and some answers to his personal misery with the help of a crazy old man Whitey and his sister, Eleanor (both also voiced by Sandler). This movie is crude and tasteless and just because it is animated, doesn't mean it's suitable for children. The best thing about this movie is a terrific song score by Sandler and at least half a dozen other writers (including long time Sandler rep company memebr Allen Covert), the best of which is called "Technical Foul." 2.5

[Marco]

Penitentiary II (1982)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2e/Penitentiary_II_poster.jpg
Ok, couldn't help myself. This is not bad by any means, still low-budget fare but my thoughts are not enough of the action. The fight scenes are still good and bruising but the story trundles along seemingly trying to stretch time out (pardon the pun). Rollerskate dancing very weird indeed. Too many scenes where nothing really much happens. Loses it's grittiness to become more soap opera I guess. Mr. T an additional treat, a slightly less mental Clubber Lang🙂
2

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/Starsky_and_hutch.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2004/starsky_and_hutch_ver7.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7627077

Starsky and Hutch - (2004)

Todd Phillips (in some of our bad books atm) directs and cowrites another comedic update to a popular old television series ala The Brady Bunch, 21 Jump Street and Baywatch. If you like the kind of stuff Ben Stiller gets involved with you'll like this - mirth mined from awkward, embarrassing moments which mostly arise from the fact that his character, cop David Starsky, is a stickler for going by the book and an overly dedicated officer while his partner, Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (Owen Wilson) basically takes advantage of being a cop to do anything he wants (take drugs, rip off crooks etc.) Extreme opposites thrown together as partners. They're up against drug kingpin Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn - in a piece of really good casting.) This takes full advantage of being set in the 70s with it's music and style, and includes the likes of Jason Bateman, Juliette Lewis, Will Ferrell and Chris Penn as back up - not bad. Snoop Dogg though, I'm sorry, is neither an actor nor comedian. I liked this, but it's nowhere near as good as 21 Jump Street.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8e/Jack_and_sarah.jpeg
By http://www.impawards.com/1996/jack_and_sarah.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7416345

Jack & Sarah - (1995)

This has all of the inspiration of a midday television movie, so there's no better way to describe this as a meandering load of dribble once it establishes main character Jack (Richard E. Grant) as a single grieving father after wife Sarah (Imogen Stubbs) dies giving birth to their daughter. It wastes an extraordinary cast that includes Judi Dench and Ian McKellen, and considering the fact that Grant is one of my favourite actors this was a pretty big letdown. This is the only time writer/director Tim Sullivan ventured beyond the confines of television, and he's out of his depth in feature film land, where we expect a little more than mediocre, anfractuous and dull melodrama. Boo.

4/10

https://i.postimg.cc/J4dpWjsh/lasseter-s-bones.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7416345

Lasseter's Bones - (2012)

Lewis Harold Bell Lasseter was an Australian who once claimed to have found a reef of gold - perhaps worth as much as a billion dollars - way out in central Australia and ended up dying when he tried to relocate it, which of course sets up a tantalising mystery that many people have tried to solve over the years. This documentary goes pretty hard at it, developing so many really interesting leads - and I have to give it credit for that. More twists and turns than a Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory.

7/10

[iluv2viddyfilms]

The Face Behind the Mask (1941) - C+

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/The_Ground_Beneath_My_Feet.jpg
The Ground Beneath My Feet

3

SF = Zzz

Viewed: Amazon Prime



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

[iluv2viddyfilms]

The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967, Jacques Demy) - A

[Prieneus]

Oddity (2024) - 6/10

[Fabulous]

My Old Ass (2024)

3.5

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

[doubledenim]

https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExOHZ0bmtjZmp0dzB6eTk3eWgyZWNkODUwOGhnaTUwMDlmdDlmY2hlayZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfY nlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/fdZyiOjjUzUU9xELzg/giphy.gif


https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExYzJ6YTg0NmV3cDFmajFhcTgyNjlpMjZvaGh4cDhneG50ZHRldTE1ciZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfY nlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/3oKIPmosqaOo2GxzcQ/giphy.gif

[Torgo]

Twisted Pair - 2

https://i.postimg.cc/9Xnscn5D/Resized-Image-2024-11-17-10-44-05-1.jpg

In The Simpsons episode "Mom and Pop Art," Homer does a terrible job at assembling a grill, but members of the art community consider it a masterpiece. His creation is like Neil Breen's first feature, Double Down: a great achievement in outsider art to some and a demonstration of incompetence to others. Homer follows up his "masterpiece" with other do-it-yourself disasters, including a shoddily-made birdhouse from which the bird cannot escape, to which his fans react with indifference. Long story short: Twisted Pair is more like the birdhouse than the grill: while Breen passes it off as something new, it's really just more of the same.

An interesting topic of debate is whether it's good or bad for an artist to be egotistical. I think it's good, but as this movie demonstrates, up to a point. As we've seen in Kevin Costner and Steven Seagal's work, ego is not so good when the main character is as indefensible and invincible as a deity. Breen pitched this as a thriller, but its hardly thrilling because all the resistance to Cade, a.k.a. the beardless twin, is completely toothless. It's a shame, too, because the villain, Cuzzx - as the fact cosplay of him exists demonstrates - is an inspired creation, but there's no proper payoff as a result. Also, beyond the obvious explanation of budget restrictions, moments like Cuzzx being played by a totally different actor - only for the main actor to play him again later - to one where we find ourselves in a screening room showing a different Breen movie, "things just happen." In other words, they happen in ways like those who dislike or misunderstand filmmakers like David Lynch or Terence Malick explain their decisions. There's also most of the action obviously occurring on a community college campus after hours and Cade's near-abusive romantic relationship, which he does not do a great job at mining for cuteness and comedy.

https://i.postimg.cc/5NcdwRPZ/Resized-Image-2024-11-17-10-44-54-1.jpg

There are plenty of filmmakers who revisit the same territory, whether it's David Cronenberg and how technological advances change our physiology, Darren Aronofsky and how our physical and mental limitations get in the way of progress, etc. However, they vary their movies enough to make us learn something new about their fascinations every time. Despite adding AI (which he reminds us stands for "artificial intelligence"), Breen copies the same lessons he taught us in Double Down, Fateful Findings, et al about the dangers of humanity relying too heavily on technology and how corrupt our politicians and business leaders can be. To be fair, the movie is not totally indefensible. Again, even though the payoff is weak, I love Cuzzx, and while there is unintentional comedy in the special effects - especially one involving a bird - I applaud the ambition behind them. Ultimately, the movie is akin to a comedian telling the same joke twice while expecting just as much laughter.

[matt72582]

Ghost - 7.5/10
I saw this when I was about 12, and wouldn't even have it rated on IMDB, but at 9am, I was listening to music, and I wanted to hear "Unchained Melody" (again), and I thought of this movie. There's a few other reasons I wanted to see it, but I still liked it.

Would this still be the same movie without the power of that song?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Ghost_%281990_movie_poster%29.jpg

[Allaby]

Anora (2024) I went and saw this today. Mikey Madison is fantastic in this sharply written, well directed film. The supporting cast are all great too. I don't think it is the best film of the year, but it is top 5. I predict 5-7 Oscar nominations, with 2-3 wins. 4.5

[*Sky*]

The Zone of Interest (2023) - Jonathan Glazer: 7/10

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/714mibMKo-L._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg



2nd Rewatch...Despite the far fetched plot, this elaborate comic fantasy still plays the funny. Vince Vaughn plays the older brother of Santa Claus (Paul Giamatti), who has always resented his brother's fame and success, but when he is trying to start his own business and settle some debts, Fred has no qualms about asking his brother for the money, who agrees to do it on the condition that Fred help him with Xmas at the North Pole this year. Even though I find it virtually impossible to accept Fred as Santa's older brother, the relationship betwee Fred and Nick is the anchor of this film. That scene where it's revealed that Fred attends a siblings anonymous meeting also attended by Roger Clinton, Frank Stallone, and Stephen Baldwin. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617bVqlQl2L._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg


5th Rewatch...Hated it the first time I saw it, but I have really grown to love this edgy comedy drama where Dermot Mulroney brings home his tightly wound fiancee (Sarah Jessica Parker) for Christmas and doesn't understand the instant resentment his fiancee gets from his family. The film features a solid screenplay and terrific performances from Diane Keaton and Craig T Nelson as Mulroney's parents, Luke Wilson as his brother, and Rachel McAdams as his nasty sister. 3.5

[Fabulous]

Labyrinth (1986)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/nHHm5UxHf4lnU7cPLa7HNAV0c7V.jpg

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Murder by Contract (1958) - A-

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/4/9/8/6/0/49860-the-night-of-the-hunter-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=23fb657323
saw this once a long time ago and i think i have the same feelings about it now. it has some real magic when it feels like using it but almost as many moments that fall flat.
3.5

[SpelingError]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/4/9/8/6/0/49860-the-night-of-the-hunter-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=23fb657323
saw this once a long time ago and i think i have the same feelings about it now. it has some real magic when it feels like using it but almost as many moments that fall flat.
3.5
I'll have to revisit that one soon. I remember it being a chiaroscuro masterwork at the time, but the river scene is all I can recall at this point. Great sequence though.

[ueno_station54]

I'll have to revisit that one soon. I remember it being a chiaroscuro masterwork at the time, but the river scene is all I can recall at this point. Great sequence though.
the highlight of the film for sure

[SpelingError]

the highlight of the film for sure

For sure.

As an aside, glad you're back here :)

[Gideon58]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/4/9/8/6/0/49860-the-night-of-the-hunter-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=23fb657323
saw this once a long time ago and i think i have the same feelings about it now. it has some real magic when it feels like using it but almost as many moments that fall flat.
3.5

LOVED this movie

[WHITBISSELL!]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/1cc23b86ad1c08747b435bc131c743f0/3d696376925f19e9-5e/s1280x1920/fc46bae0bf9aa16024cf677ce292cb25fdfd3b9d.gifv
https://64.media.tumblr.com/2660be0d364f78cae4ca0b87391b0d66/3d696376925f19e9-4c/s500x750/f8f2430de42cb5c4778a178abbe118ae1ef46653.gifv

The Screaming Skull - 1958 American International release. Eric Whitlock (John Hudson) arrives at his late wife Marianne's mansion with his brand new wife Jenni (Peggy Webber). She has recently spent time in a sanitarium and is tightly wound as is sometimes the case in these type of old dark house films. There's a mentally challenged gardener named Mickey (Alex Nicol) who was a childhood friend of Marianne. She of course died under mysterious circumstances and it isn't long before Jenni starts hearing things going bump in the night. Most people should be able to suss out what is really going on and who is actually responsible.

It's 68 minutes long and while the B&W cinematography is crisp and the acting passable there's not much else to recommend. There is one dafuq? moment that occurs near the end that will first leave you slack jawed and then laughing out loud. At least I thought so but when I looked for and found the MST3K version the guys sort of glossed over what I found so hilarious. Oh well. There's also a preamble of sorts where a narrator assures the audience that people will have their funeral expenses covered in case the movie scares them to death. Even though it sounds like something straight out of William Castle's playbook he wasn't involved. It's not exactly a top drawer spook show but it's not unwatchable either. Some people will like the hokey plot and committed performances.

65/100

https://scifist.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1957_monster_from_green_hell_029.jpg

https://scifist.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1957_monster_from_green_hell_016-eduardo-cianelli-robert-griffin-barbara-turner-jim-davis-joel-fluellen.jpg


Monster From Green Hell - This giant mutated monster flick from 1957 makes The Screaming Skull look better by comparison. A rocket ship carrying several types of lab specimens is sent into space to test what effects cosmic radiation will have. It goes off course and crash lands somewhere in Africa. Weeks later the two American scientists in charge of the project, Dr. Quent Brady (Jim Davis) and Dan Morgan (Robert Griffin), read accounts on numerous deaths caused by giant monsters. Having first hand knowledge of the effects of heavy radiation on animals they decide to go check it out.

The rest of the movie consists of around 65% stock footage "borrowed" from the 1939 film Stanley and Livingstone. There's a love interest of sorts for Dr. Brady In the form of Lorna Lorentz (Barbara Turner). She's the daughter of Dr. Lorentz, an Albert Schweitzer type who first comes into contact with victims of the so called Monster from Green Hell. He, of course, goes off to investigate and runs afoul of the creatures. I thought the producers or director went a little overboard making the character of Dr. Brady look as manly as possible. They have him kitted out in a blindingly white safari outfit complete with a dandified pith helmet and shoulders so padded they'd make Joan Crawford blush.

It's around 71 minutes long and the majority of that is spent with the two scientists and their native guides schlepping around the Congo on an inexplicable 400 mile journey. The story throws everything at them. Storms, hostile tribesmen, fevers, drought and brush fires. When they finally run across one of the "monsters" it turns out to be a giant mutated wasp which, to me, looked instead like a giant housefly. When the writers eventually throw in an erupting volcano it brings an abrupt but welcome end to the proceedings. No real reason or cause to either recommend or watch this.

40/100

[WrinkledMind]

Saturday Night
I have never found the show funny (maybe it's a cultural thing or me not being thoroughly acquainted with domestic American politics), but I really enjoyed this movie.

& I am glad it introduced me Janis Ian, whom I had somehow never heard about. I am currently hooked to her songs.


My Old Ass
Pleasantly surprising coming of age, Sci fi. Both Maisy Stella & Aubrey Plaza are brilliant.

[John-Connor]

Janis Ian
^ 👍

[LChimp]

https://cdn.watchmode.com/posters/01880424_poster_w500.jpg

The Return of The King - The Fall And Rise of Elvis Presley - (2024)

8/10

[Robert the List]

Floating Weeds (8.75)
Visually it's a masterpiece, but the film itself is a mess. To me it's like a huge effort went into its visual appearance, but it was at the expense at the attention given to structuring the film. It could have been one of the absolute greats, which around an hour in I thought it was going to be, but so far as I'm concerned it simply wasn't.
The first few scenes are incredible. Ozu is a master of depth and perspective, but this was on another level. It actually looks in several places like it is in 3D, and various sets and locations have been designed to achieve this effect. It's really impressive. But then just about everything about the film is visually impressive. The camera work and the lenses etc are beyond my sphere of knowledge, but I know it is exceptional. The costumes and make up range from gorgeous to stunning.
There is a Kabuki (Japanese theatre) scene which is magnificent. Not just on the eye but on the ear as well. Similar acoustic pleasure is provided by a rainstorm.
The acting is very good all round.
So what's up with it? For me several things.
SPOILERS FROM NOW ON
-the sympathetic portrayal of someone who is physically abusive to women (probably partly due to culture at the time)
-some silly bits of the story. MAJOR SPOILER for example, his mistress forgiving him, the younger woman forgiving him (to an extent this might also be culture at the time*), everyone being surprised that the theatre doesn't get full every night, when it's just some tiny village and everyone probably saw it the first night. The idea that someone would take revenge by getting a beautiful woman to seduce them.
-the film just does not flow in places. The relationship between the son and his girlfriend has literally just started, when in the next scene she talks about back when they first got together. I know young love can happen quickly, and there may be an element of translation issues here, but it seems clear that time is intended to have elapsed since the last seen which just doesn't hang right. I'm OK with some things not being shown, but no other part of the film jumps in time. Another example SPOILER was the robbery. Again I'm fine with things not being shown, but you just suddenly realise part way through a conversation why they are still there, and again it just doesn't seem to hang together.
-it's a drama without any tension, and a romance without any warmth. The most emotional I felt was when the guy was hitting the woman and twisting her arm behind her back, yet I get the feeling the viewer was meant to be sympathising with the guy.


These small observations probably sound like nit picking, but they are more than that. It just didn't stack up to me as a convincing picture. It felt like the editing had been very rushed, and the result unsatisfactory when setting very high standards for the kind of level that Ozu was capable of reaching.

Late Spring a decade earlier was not only a masterpiece, but so far as I'm concerned a perfect film. Floating Weeds is very worth watching, even essential, but whilst impressive in certain respects, it is far from perfect and at the end I felt disappointed after the tremendous early promise it showed and the visual delights it had provided.

*maybe he is taking the piss out of Japanese culture, but it doesn't explain away all the things that I perceive as faults.

102589
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iluv2viddyfilms
Tyler1

[Sedai]

My Old Ass
Park, 2024

3

https://www.theaureview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/old.jpg

During the first half o this film, I was strongly considering that his would end up as a 1_5 or so. I found most of the characters to be exceedingly annoying and the narrative just wasn't pulling me in. The film then delivers several strong scenes in the second half, and reveals some shared DNA with my favorite sci-fi of 2016, so I ended up enjoying it in the end. The performances were good. I only wish the film spent more time on in the main character's relationship with her mother and other family members, as I found that stuff to be some of the more compelling scenes in the film with the best writing. The comedy was hit and miss for me. Good, not great.

[Allaby]

A Real Pain (2024) I really enjoyed this. This is a very well written film with excellent performances from both Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. It has charm, humour and heart and I really liked the score and editing. A Real Pain is one of the best films of the year and I predict it will get nominated for four Oscars, including best picture, best actor, best supporting actor, and best original screenplay. 4.5

[Darth Pazuzu]

Two more - you guessed it - Westerns! ;)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71aErosTmtL._AC_UY218_.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/712KTLneKRS._AC_UY218_.jpg

The Man from Laramie (Anthony Mann / 1955)
Silverado (Lawrence Kasdan / 1985)

Finally, I'm beginning to delve into the Anthony Mann / James Stewart films! I already have Mann's The Furies (1950), The Tin Star (1957) and Man of the West (1958), but Mann's films with Stewart I've been putting off getting until now, just sort of waiting until I could get them all in one go! Well, obviously that's not the case here, but it's just that I'm holding out for the brand new Criterion Collection 4K UHD / Blu-Ray edition of Winchester '73 (1950), which won't be released until January 28, 2025. And in the meantime, with part of my next paycheck, I'll probably get the Kino Lorber Blu-ray edition of Bend of the River (1952), the Warner Archives Blu-ray edition of The Naked Spur (1953) and the Arrow Video Special Edition Blu-ray of The Far Country (1954) (the only one of the four I actually haven't seen yet) together as part of a $59.46 bundle on Amazon. Alas, as of right now, there is no Special Edition Blu-ray for The Man from Laramie, but in until there is one, this very nice meat-and-potatoes DVD from Sony will do quite nicely. Cracking good film, too, with great performances from Stewart as the vengeful Will Lockhart, Donald Crisp as Alec Waggoman, a rancher who is going blind, Arthur Kennedy as Vic Hansbro, the outwardly affable ranch foreman with a secret, and Alex Nicol as Alec's no-good, violent and immature son Dave.

And I also got Lawrence Kasdan's Silverado from 1985, starring Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover and a very young, puppyish and amusingly wet-behind-the-ears Kevin Costner as Glenn's kid brother. I've known about this film for many years, but until recently, I've never gotten around to watching it. And boy, I'm glad I finally did. Director and co-writer Kasdan was also responsible (in whole or in part) for the screenplays of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), and it must be said that his approach to the Western genre is very similar to that of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas' approach to the tradition of adventure and sci-fi movie serials from the early 20th century, definitely the shot in the arm the genre needed in the mid-'80s. (The same year also saw the release of Clint Eastwood's Pale Rider, which also did its part.) And now, my Kevin Costner / Lawrence Kasdan Western collection is complete, the other films in this series being Dances With Wolves (1990), Wyatt Earp (1994), Open Range (2003) and of course the new Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 (2024) (And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Chapter 2 will eventually see release!) I thought I would get a used copy of the out-of-print Blu-ray edition of Silverado, but then I thought that since I had to settle for the 2-DVD edition of Costner's Open Range, I figured I could probably settle for the DVD edition of Silverado as well (at least until some future 4K UHD / Blu-ray special edition).

[Fabulous]

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/9C6DUuw0jtrZBTEKnVigXoKoBQw.jpg

[Darth Pazuzu]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/76/Conclave_film_poster.jpg/220px-Conclave_film_poster.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cb/Heretic_film_poster.jpg/220px-Heretic_film_poster.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/43/Here_film_poster.jpg/220px-Here_film_poster.jpg

November 5, 2024

CONCLAVE (Edward Berger / 2024)

November 12, 2024

HERETIC (Scott Beck & Bryan Woods / 2024)
HERE (Robert Zemeckis / 2024)

These are the three most recent films I've seen at my local theater. To be honest, the results of the 2024 election have got me in a bit of a downbeat, pensive and analytical mood (to say depressed would perhaps be overly melodramatic, and Donald Trump certainly doesn't warrant that), and these three films - in various different ways - collectively provided a certain amount of aid and comfort in terms of helping me find my bearings and take the long view of things.

I don't really have the time or the energy to get into any kind of detailed analysis as such, so I'll try and keep this brief:

Conclave I found to be a particularly engaging drama dealing with the process of electing the new pope, starring Ralph Fiennes as the cardinal responsible for heading up the conclave. I imagine political and religious conservatives would probably find this movie a bit too "woke" - particularly with its final twist, which I personally thought was dealt with quite deftly and tactfully - but I found it very riveting and thoughtful. As a liberal progressive, of course I would find the themes and ideas of this story appealing, but I think even some of the religiously inclined might find food for thought here. It certainly had a salving and soothing effect on my state of mind in all of this election turmoil, and has actually made me feel less blindly partisan in my own thinking. John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini also have important roles, and any movie in which they are present is only that much better for it.

Heretic is a horror movie dealing with the subject of religious faith, starring Hugh Grant in his first horror role since - believe it or not - Ken Russell's The Lair of the White Worm in 1988! Grant is very effective in the role of the villain here, and that's a good thing, because his performance helps to actually make the movie watchable. Without him, this would merely be an extended theological discourse masquerading as an abduction-themed horror thriller. I appreciated the fact that directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (of A Quiet Place fame) are trying to do something different here, and some aspects of this are very effective, but overall it plays a bit like a slasher film with the Architect from The Matrix Reloaded miscast as the villain. (And that whole thing about multiple "iterations" of Christ figures predating Jesus sort of reminds me of that whole line about Neo's "predecessors" in that film.)

Here is the latest from the legendary Robert Zemeckis. This is a bit of an experimental film, a drama with one stationary camera setup set within a house, jumping back and forth in time in a non-linear fashion and dealing with the lives of the people who have occupied the house (or even simply the land on which it's set) over a very large span of years. (We even have rectangular "window" panels which periodically "fade in" and show us past and present going on simultaneously.) Tom Hanks and Robin Wright are reunited from Forrest Gump as the married couple who provide the primary dramatic focus of the film, although Paul Bettany kind of steals the show as Hanks' cantankerous father, sort of channeling Christopher Walken with Richard Widmark's sense of consternation. The premise of the movie is sort of gimmicky, but I think that the film ultimately transcends its gimmickry. (Of course, this is a Zemeckis film, and the man has a pretty high success rate when it comes to transcending gimmicky premises.) As I was getting up to leave the theater while the credits rolled, I heard a man tell his wife that Here sort of reminded him of George Pal's The Time Machine from 1960. I must admit, that didn't occur to me at the time, but it's sort of a fitting comparison!

[Raven73]

The Trap
7/10.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Trap_2024_%28film_poster%29.jpg

[MovieGal]

The Trap
7/10.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Trap_2024_%28film_poster%29.jpg

I was surprised how decent it was. M Night can be hit or miss with me.

[I_Wear_Pants]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/76/Conclave_film_poster.jpg/220px-Conclave_film_poster.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cb/Heretic_film_poster.jpg/220px-Heretic_film_poster.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/43/Here_film_poster.jpg/220px-Here_film_poster.jpg

November 5, 2024

CONCLAVE (Edward Berger / 2024)

November 12, 2024

HERETIC (Scott Beck & Bryan Woods / 2024)
HERE (Robert Zemeckis / 2024)

These are the three most recent films I've seen at my local theater. To be honest, the results of the 2024 election have got me in a bit of a downbeat, pensive and analytical mood (to say depressed would perhaps be overly melodramatic, and Donald Trump certainly doesn't warrant that), and these three films - in various different ways - collectively provided a certain amount of aid and comfort in terms of helping me find my bearings and take the long view of things.

I don't really have the time or the energy to get into any kind of detailed analysis as such, so I'll try and keep this brief:

Conclave I found to be a particularly engaging drama dealing with the process of electing the new pope, starring Ralph Fiennes as the cardinal responsible for heading up the conclave. I imagine political and religious conservatives would probably find this movie a bit too "woke" - particularly with its final twist, which I personally thought was dealt with quite deftly and tactfully - but I found it very riveting and thoughtful. As a liberal progressive, of course I would find the themes and ideas of this story appealing, but I think even some of the religiously inclined might find food for thought here. It certainly had a salving and soothing effect on my state of mind in all of this election turmoil, and has actually made me feel less blindly partisan in my own thinking. John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini also have important roles, and any movie in which they are present is only that much better for it.

Heretic is a horror movie dealing with the subject of religious faith, starring Hugh Grant in his first horror role since - believe it or not - Ken Russell's The Lair of the White Worm in 1988! Grant is very effective in the role of the villain here, and that's a good thing, because his performance helps to actually make the movie watchable. Without him, this would merely be an extended theological discourse masquerading as an abduction-themed horror thriller. I appreciated the fact that directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (of A Quiet Place fame) are trying to do something different here, and some aspects of this are very effective, but overall it plays a bit like a slasher film with the Architect from The Matrix Reloaded miscast as the villain. (And that whole thing about multiple "iterations" of Christ figures predating Jesus sort of reminds me of that whole line about Neo's "predecessors" in that film.)

Here is the latest from the legendary Robert Zemeckis. This is a bit of an experimental film, a drama with one stationary camera setup set within a house, jumping back and forth in time in a non-linear fashion and dealing with the lives of the people who have occupied the house (or even simply the land on which it's set) over a very large span of years. (We even have rectangular "window" panels which periodically "fade in" and show us past and present going on simultaneously.) Tom Hanks and Robin Wright are reunited from Forrest Gump as the married couple who provide the primary dramatic focus of the film, although Paul Bettany kind of steals the show as Hanks' cantankerous father, sort of channeling Christopher Walken with Richard Widmark's sense of consternation. The premise of the movie is sort of gimmicky, but I think that the film ultimately transcends its gimmickry. (Of course, this is a Zemeckis film, and the man has a pretty high success rate when it comes to transcending gimmicky premises.) As I was getting up to leave the theater while the credits rolled, I heard a man tell his wife that Here sort of reminded him of George Pal's The Time Machine from 1960. I must admit, that didn't occur to me at the time, but it's sort of a fitting comparison!

I honestly don't think I'll see Conclave in the cinema, there are a lot of reasons, although it looks like my kind of film. It sounds like you found it of quality? The film sounds solid at the least, and certainly a riveting film. I'll try to get to it when my library gets it on disc, or it hits the streaming service my library uses.

Here I was less inclined to check out although Zemeckis seems to have a strong following, and certainly has a strong repertoire, so it may worth checking out at some point. I like his visual style although the films he makes aren't my favorites.

[Allaby]

After the Wizard (2011) Watched on Tubi. The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman leave Oz to find Dorothy. This is an interesting idea for a film, but they could have done more with it. Some of the scenes aren't very interesting when it is just characters talking and those scenes tend to go on too long. I liked the performances of Orien Richman and Jermel Nakia as Tin Woodman and Scarecrow. I thought Jordan Van Vranken did a good job with her character and was quite charming and likeable. There are some fun moments here, but too much padding. This might have worked better as a short film. In spite of its flaws, there was enough here that I liked. 3

[FilmBuff]

After the Wizard (2011) Watched on Tubi. The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman leave Oz to find Dorothy. This is an interesting idea for a film, but they could have done more with it. Some of the scenes aren't very interesting when it is just characters talking and those scenes tend to go on too long. I liked the performances of Orien Richman and Jermel Nakia as Tin Woodman and Scarecrow. I thought Jordan Van Vranken did a good job with her character and was quite charming and likeable. There are some fun moments here, but too much padding. This might have worked better as a short film. In spite of its flaws, there was enough here that I liked. 3

Do you think you're gonna enjoy Wicked more than this one? :D

[Allaby]

Do you think you're gonna enjoy Wicked more than this one? :D

I would hope so. Wicked has a much larger budget, more experienced actors, and looks like a better film overall.

[MovieGal]

I would hope so. Wicked has a much larger budget, more experienced actors, and looks like a better film overall.

The main romantic male is from Bridgerton.

[Allaby]

The main romantic male is from Bridgerton.

I have never seen Bridgerton, but I have heard good things.

[MovieGal]

I have never seen Bridgerton, but I have heard good things.

It's ok. It's a teenage historical romance.

[ueno_station54]

I have never seen Bridgerton, but I have heard good things.
season 1 slaps but the rest is just alright.

[xSookieStackhouse]

Gladiator 2 5 i loved it , it made me cry . amazing casting and music and soundtrack
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGzSqRyhtUFlit_W5XUo6twgcorjNz_txe1J4truHOQVdmQ5XOi5Ng3Do3&s=10

[iluv2viddyfilms]

Ladies in Retirement (1941, Charles Vidor) - A

[Fabulous]

The Other Side of Hope (2017)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/aTF8rfm7Q1nQX0CXNmS4iUk80Kw.jpg

[Tugg]

A Real Pain (2024) I really enjoyed this. This is a very well written film with excellent performances from both Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. It has charm, humour and heart and I really liked the score and editing. A Real Pain is one of the best films of the year and I predict it will get nominated for four Oscars, including best picture, best actor, best supporting actor, and best original screenplay. 4.5
What movie or movies is it like?

[Brody At Amity]

Fun but dated - 5/10

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDNhMjgxODUtMWRjOS00N2JlLWEyYWEtOWJhNWQ1MTdmYTllXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg

[Brody At Amity]

Brilliant alternative take on British gangster movies (https://www.top10films.co.uk/30233-best-british-gangster-movies/) - 8/10

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/611fg3nCH3L._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg

[cricket]

Maxxxine (2024)

2.5

https://www.simbasible.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-12.gif

Mia Goth plays an X-rated film star breaking into horror during the 80's while the night stalker is unleashing his reign or terror. That part is awesome and I'll watch any movie with a story like that. Unfortunately it was average just like the rest of the disappointing trilogy.

[doubledenim]

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/9C6DUuw0jtrZBTEKnVigXoKoBQw.jpg

https://media3.giphy.com/media/MPdhAWm4invQrUwaG3/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952kuz3xee70nce6qhau3m0d9azdd93t2deut2bbquo&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

[chawhee]

Dark City (1998)
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/gHvcE5pdzrht0AzmAEsIiVbw9lJ.jpg
4
The sci-fi effects definitely do not hold up, but the story is excellent. It borrows a bit from other material, but it has some originality and an ominous tone the whole movie that really worked for me. Really cool to see Rufus Sewell and Kiefer Sutherland in roles like this, and Jennifer Connelly is great as usual.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWQ3NmEwN2UtMWEwOS00NzRkLTkyNDItMWFhZWI3ZGRhNmNlXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg


2nd Rewatch...Imaginative direction by Colin Higgins, a screenplay that is a perfect blend of physical comedy and Hitchcockian suspense, and two future superstars at the beginning of their careers keep this film watchable. Goldie Hawn plays Gloria Mundy, a romantically challenged librarian who picks up a hitchhiker and makes a date with him to see a movie. The hitchhiker dies next to Gloria in the theater and when she goes to report the murder to the theater manager, the body is a gone, which kicks off an elaborate mystery where Gloria finds herself in danger and her primary protection comes in a form of a police officer named Tony Carlson (Chevy Chase). This one requires attention from the viewer, but said attention does pay off. Hawn and Chase generate such solid chemistry that they were teamed again in 1980 for Seems Like Old Times. The film also features a solid supporting cast including Burgess Meredith, Rachel Roberts, Eugene Roche, Brian Dennehy, and in a very funny cameo that put him on the map in Hollywood, Dudley Moore, who had worked with Peter Cook prior to this, but this was the film that made Hollywood sit up and take notice of him. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOGU1MWNiZDEtODJiYy00YTUzLWE2YzQtN2Q1N2RmYzRiY2U2XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg



2nd Rewatch...In the strongest film of the "sex kitten" stage of her career, Fonda shines as Ellen Gordon, a working girl who becomes mistress to millionaire John Cleves (Jason Robards) and lives in the corporate apartment that Cleves pays for so that they can be together every Wednesday. Complications arise with the arrival of Cass Henderson (Dean Jones), a small town business owner who's in town to negotiate a deal with Cleves and is sent to stay at the apartment without Ellen's knowledge. Cleves' wife, Dorothy (Rosemary Murphy) also arrives in town to surprise her husband with theater tickets even though she's been told he's out of town, like he tells her every Wednesday. It takes a little longer to get where it's going than necessary but it's a lot of fun thanks to the sparkling performances by the four stars. I don't think I have ever enjoyed Dean Jones onscreen more and as she always did with these sex kitten roles, Fonda brings an intelligence to Ellen that's not in the screenplay. Of course, it goes without saying that Robards and Murphy are flawless. The screenplay is a little talky, but the actors make it worth the watch. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjljNWNiZjMtOWFlZC00ODBmLWFiOTYtNjljMzc5MmE4Zjg5XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg



3.5

[I_Wear_Pants]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjljNWNiZjMtOWFlZC00ODBmLWFiOTYtNjljMzc5MmE4Zjg5XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg



3.5

I have learned nothing from this post.

[Gideon58]

I have learned nothing from this post.

And what exactly were you expecting to learn?

[Marco]

Clinic Exclusive (aka Sex Clinic) (1971)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b8/Clinic_Xclusive.jpg
Nice little thriller that goes through 2 distinct stages. The owner of a sex clinic uses her personal charms to give favours to the unsuspecting "patients" than blackmails them. This makes them rightly miffed so she really is doing it just for the money but making lots of enemies along the way. This part is a bit dull really and not in the least titillating even by 1971 standards. The 2nd is well written and tight as the therapist/madame get's her comeuppance. A good watch.
3

[Raven73]

Late Night with the Devil
6.5/10.
Creepy.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTRiNWZlNGMtOTUwZi00ZjE4LWE1ZjEtNWE4MGQ2ZGU5NDliXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg

[I_Wear_Pants]

And what exactly were you expecting to learn?

Anything, such as what you thought of it and if it's new or old or if it's good or bad or if it's in English or Russian or something. Why is everyone so bitter?

[Gideon58]

You might try reading my full review in my review thread

[I_Wear_Pants]

You might try reading my full review in my review thread

I found the thread and read your review. I learned stuff about the movie. It sounds like you appreciated it for what it is and what it had to say. I don't know that it's my cup of tea though I'll forestall any judgment until I see the film, if I see the film.

I had forgotten that people have a spot for full reviews. Heh oops. Now I should remember.

[Gideon58]

Well I guess I’ll hold my breath awaiting your verdict

[Captain Quint]

102666
Gribouille (1937)
Directed by Marc Allégret

17-year-old Michèle Morgan's first major role in the pictures. I always liked her as an actress, and she was a natural right from the start. She plays a woman on trial for murder, Raimu's a local businessman who is serving on the jury. After the trial, and feeling fatherly sympathy for her, he gives her a job and a place to stay.

I was really enjoying this one, there's an easy charm to it, good acting, but it kind of unravels at the end. I get what it's doing and trying to say, but the execution was lacking - it felt off kilter, the conflicts had little bite to them and didn't lead to a wise and knowing capper.

For me, grades are often a quick shorthand to get an idea where I was on a film, rather than a set in stone absolute. but these types are difficult... my rating mindset throughout - 4, 4, 4... 2.5 - darn it. Average it out, with Michèle and Raimu being pluses

rating_3_5

[Marco]

Clinic Exclusive (aka Sex Clinic) (1971)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b8/Clinic_Xclusive.jpg
Nice little thriller that goes through 2 distinct stages. The owner of a sex clinic uses her personal charms to give favours to the unsuspecting "patients" than blackmails them. This makes them rightly miffed so she really is doing it just for the money but making lots of enemies along the way. This part is a bit dull really and not in the least titillating even by 1971 standards. The 2nd is well written and tight as the therapist/madame get's her comeuppance. A good watch.
3
Just an interesting aside, the lady that played the main character (Georgina Ward) was from fairly upper-class stock, daughter of George Ward, 1st Viscount Ward of Witley. She had to stand down from political aspirations after stills of this picture were released to the press.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ee/The_Lavender_Hill_Mob.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2705600

The Lavender Hill Mob - (1951)

There were many fun elements to The Lavender Hill Mob - amateur heisters Henry "Dutch" Holland (Alec Guinness) and Alfred "Al" Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway) make off with a fortune in gold bullion - £1 million worth, which in 1950 is quite the coup. They melt and recast it into paperweights to get it out of the country. Assisting are Lackery Wood (Sid James) and Shorty Fisher (Alfie Bass) - but of course not one single thing goes right, which means desperate improvisation. You can play "spot the stars before they were famous" - there's Audrey Hepburn in a small role, Robert Shaw, Desmond Llewelyn. It's action-packed, and Guinness absolutely smashes his performance out of the park.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8b/The_Namesake.jpg
By Impawards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34153338

The Namesake - (2006)

Mira Nair directed Monsoon Wedding, which I didn't know about before watching this. I decided it might be worth a look, because The Namesake paints an interesting portrait of an immigrant family that spans a generation. Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) marries Ashima (Tabu) in India, but they eventually settle in New York City where Nikhil "Gogol" Ganguli (played as a teenager/adult by Kal Penn) is born, marking a difficult transition from Indian culture to American. He also learns the painful truth of where his name "Gogol" comes from, sees a sister born and embarks on relationships that don't pan out. Full of sad, wistful moments that suddenly arrive in unexpected ways.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Brigadoon_%28french_poster%29.jpg
By Source: http://www.artpaperbank.com http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3Dbrigadoon%2Bmovie%26fr%3Dslv8-hptb7%26b%3D21%26ni%3D20&w=397&h=538&imgurl=www.artpaperbank.com%2Fredirect.php%3Furl%3Dcinema%2Fb%2Fbig%2Fbrigadoon.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.artpaperbank.com%2Fen%2Fcinema%2Fb%2Fbrigadoon.php&size=61.6kB&name=redirect.php&p=brigadoon+movie&type=jpeg&no=32&tt=150&oid=6132f57e28a2e6ea&ei=UTF-8, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15048660

Brigadoon - (1954)

This mystical, magical musical was savaged by the critics when originally released but you can hear a good word or two about it these days. I think age has helped mystify it even more. It's about a Scottish town which appears for only one day every century, and the two men - Tommy Albright (Gene Kelly) and Jeff Douglas (Van Johnson) - that stumble across it one ethereal day. I think being made in a studio makes everything look unreal, and that kind of helps build a dream-like atmosphere. In the meantime the songs and dancing aren't half bad at all.

6/10

[iluv2viddyfilms]

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/images/5081-241c18ed8c204a8cbf5b96e01789d2e7/OTWF_Current_medium.jpg

My wife and I watched On the Waterfront (1954, Kazan) this evening. Great, great movie. Even though I've seen it near a dozen times, I never really noticed or paid attention to the cat in Johnny Friendly's bar. Each time I watch that movie, I'm amazed at just how fast paced it is and I'll get to the iconic back of the cab scene and be thinking... "Holy shit! We're here already?" when it shows up at about 75 or 80 minutes into the film. It's a an A+ film and the older I've gotten, the more it has solidified its position as the better of the two iconic 1950's Brando films... the other of course being A Streetcar Named Desire. If you would have asked me at age 20, I would have answered Streetcar. Still both are great, but Waterfront resonates so much more with me these days.

Also I couldn't help but enjoy joking around with my wife as we were watching the very last scene and even though it's "film sacrilegious" the important thing to note is... OK, Terry has a busted rib, broken face, trouble breathing, likely concussion, can't hardly stand up or walk straight... buy hey, "You still comin' in to work today, right bro?"

[Corax]

King of New York (1990)

It's sillier than I remember. Glam women nice clothes, like furniture. Seems like they're copying Miami Vice. This seems like a wannabe's vision of what gangster life is life. White guy, Walken no less (the whitest man alive, who is named "White" in the film) at the top of a black gang. The film is working hard to apparently argue that race is and is not an issue in this world. Mr. Chips is running the Crips. Everybody and their dog stars in this one. It's goofy world. Flash and style. Rules of winning have more to do with bravado than actual strategy or networking. Guy gets out of jail and just starts dropping bodies everywhere. Very cerebral... Film includes a clip of Nosferatu. So does Killing Zoe. Curious... This thing should've been titled, "Watch famous people play gangster." Fishburn chews the scenery so hard that he basically melts into a very unfortunate stereotype of an old school "G." He seems to know it, and just hams it up even more. He's got the volume turned up to 11. Oddest dammed movie.

[Allaby]

The Merry Gentlemen (2024) Watched on Netflix. This is like a Hallmark Christmas movie combined with Magic Mike. It's silly and saucy, both naughty and nice. I'm not usually into buff shirtless dudes dancing around but I had fun with this. 3.5