Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[Stirchley]

106964

Elizabeth is Missing (2019)
Marked Glenda Jackson's return to the screen after 27 years, and she's as brilliant as ever, playing a woman with dementia who is searching for her missing friend, while remembering a sister, who also disappeared when she was young.

Heartbreaking by the end, and again Glenda is amazing and deserved the award she won for the role, but she's surrounded by solid supporting players.

At Hoopla

4

Never heard of it, but it’s now in my Q. Just to listen to Glenda’s voice will be a treat in itself.

[LeBoyWondeur]

Juror #2 (2024)

106970

I started watching late at night therefore I expected to do this in two instalments, but I'm a sucker for melodrama courtroom mysteries and this story was unstopwatchable.
It kinda looks like a pilot episode for one of those legal dramas like THE GOOD WIFE, and the plot itself reminded me of something that happened in THE AFFAIR.
So far so good, however, as a cinematic release I think it only scratches the surface of the issues at hand.

What does happen happens very well and even though there weren't many different outcomes available I had no idea how it would end.
The ending is fine but I had hoped for that last-minute plot twist that would turn everything upside down, just to give it a little bit more oomph.
The characters are very watchable and if it had been a season I wouldn't have slept at all.

How to rate it? Decision, decision...well at least I don't have to agree with 11 other people.

3
Not great, but very very entertaining.

[Stirchley]

Juror #2 (2024)

106970

I started watching late at night therefore I expected to do this in two instalments, but I'm a sucker for melodrama courtroom mysteries and this story was unstopwatchable.
It kinda looks like a pilot episode for one of those legal dramas like THE GOOD WIFE, and the plot itself reminded me of something that happened in THE AFFAIR.
So far so good, however, as a cinematic release I think it only scratches the surface of the issues at hand.

What does happen happens very well and even though there weren't many different outcomes available I had no idea how it would end.
The ending is fine but I had hoped for that last-minute plot twist that would turn everything upside down, just to give it a little bit more oomph.
The characters are very watchable and if it had been a season I wouldn't have slept at all.

How to rate it? Decision, decision...well at least I don't have to agree with 11 other people.

3
Not great, but very very entertaining.

I think I’ve seen this, but honestly don’t remember a single scene.

[Gideon58]

Juror #2 (2024)

106970

I started watching late at night therefore I expected to do this in two instalments, but I'm a sucker for melodrama courtroom mysteries and this story was unstopwatchable.
It kinda looks like a pilot episode for one of those legal dramas like THE GOOD WIFE, and the plot itself reminded me of something that happened in THE AFFAIR.
So far so good, however, as a cinematic release I think it only scratches the surface of the issues at hand.

What does happen happens very well and even though there weren't many different outcomes available I had no idea how it would end.
The ending is fine but I had hoped for that last-minute plot twist that would turn everything upside down, just to give it a little bit more oomph.
The characters are very watchable and if it had been a season I wouldn't have slept at all.

How to rate it? Decision, decision...well at least I don't have to agree with 11 other people.

3
Not great, but very very entertaining.

Didn't like this movie at all...a link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2519026-juror_2.html

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZmE0YzIxM2QtMGNlMi00MjRmLWE3MWMtOWQzMGVjMmU0YTFmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg



Umpteenth Rewatch...This non-stop action thriller hasn't lost any of its juice over the years. This film put star Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron (Titanic) on the map. Arnold plays a cyborg from the future who is sent to 1984 to assassinate a pretty young waitress (Linda Hamilton) whose son becomes an important military leader in the future and the only way to deal with him is to wipe out his entire existence by murdering his mother. If you've never seen it, just hold onto something and enjoy. It was followed by a sequel that, believe it or not, was even better. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81UjruMSm8L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



2nd Rewatch. Director and screenwriter David O Russell is the creative force behind this often cringy but consistently entertaining black comedy. Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is a former teacher who has just spent eight months in a mental institution after nearly beating to death the man he caught in the shower with his wife, Nikki. Pat's mother (Jackie Weaver) pulls Pat out of the institution against medical advice and Pat has nothing on his mind but getting Nikki back with the aid of Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence), the sister of Nikki's best friend who agrees to help Pat if he will help her with something important to her. This film is rich with one cringy scene after another. My favorites are Pat waking up his parents at 4 in the morning to express his displeasure with A Farewell to Arms, that scene in the diner, and that final dance. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Screenplay and Director for Russell, and acting nominations in all four categories for Cooper, Lawrence, Robert De Niro as Pat's dad, and Weaver, with Lawrence copping the Best Actress Oscar. Personally, I think Cooper should have won too. This movie just gets better with multiple viewings. 4.5

[LeBoyWondeur]

Didn't like this movie at all...
Hm, 2.5 popcorn rating isn't so bad?

I think the protagonist looks very sweet and tormented.
My God, where's your heart Gideon?:mad:

:D

[Stirchley]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81UjruMSm8L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



2nd Rewatch. Director and screenwriter David O Russell is the creative force behind this often cringy but consistently entertaining black comedy. Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is a former teacher who has just spent eight months in a mental institution after nearly beating to death the man he caught in the shower with his wife, Nikki. Pat's mother (Jackie Weaver) pulls Pat out of the institution against medical advice and Pat has nothing on his mind but getting Nikki back with the aid of Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence), the sister of Nikki's best friend who agrees to help Pat if he will help her with something important to her. This film is rich with one cringy scene after another. My favorites are Pat waking up his parents at 4 in the morning to express his displeasure with A Farewell to Arms, that scene in the diner, and that final dance. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Screenplay and Director for Russell, and acting nominations in all four categories for Cooper, Lawrence, Robert De Niro as Pat's dad, and Weaver, with Lawrence copping the Best Actress Oscar. Personally, I think Cooper should have won too. This movie just gets better with multiple viewings. 4.5

Excellent movie

[Thief]

WHITE BARBER
(2014, Sandoval)

https://i.imgur.com/SkPYgyC.jpeg


"Sir, we do not offer reparations in this establishment; I mean, renu... remun... refunds! refunds!"



Directed by Erik Sandoval and written by Nika Patrice, White Barber is, on the surface, a fairly simple, 5-minute short that follows this customer as he's trying to get a haircut; something that shakes up the young barber, first because of insecurities about his skills, but then about his own racist feelings.

Grade: 2.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2550366#post2550366)

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/4/8/9/1/9/48919-rush-hour-2-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=3adbe0612d
3


https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/1/1/4/6/6/3/8/1146638-baby-invasion-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=29b8c267b0
4

[Fabulous]

Match Point (2005)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/ifuOytKQPKe5GQwu9m3Hai2wr8R.jpg

[exiler96]

King and Country (1964) - Felt too talkative, too play-like and too minor for half of it's running time.. or maybe I was like a lazy soldier half-asleep on his post, for once Leo McKern enters the scene to smash our protagonists' hope like a hammer, I got on board with my utmost attention.

Performances are very good across the board, and Joseph Losey captures them (and their - mostly interiors- surroundings) with intent. Bogarde is a gem especially (this was his personal favourite of the films he's made) and the last 20 minutes work on a whole other level.

A film you won't forget. 8/10

https://filmfreedonia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/kingandcountry01.jpg?w=696

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/Grand_Theft_Hamlet_poster.png
By Mubi - [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78692948

Grand Theft Hamlet - (2024)

The pandemic doing it's thing, and the United Kingdom in the midst of it's third lockdown, two out of sorts actors playing Grand Theft Auto 5 online find the in-game Vinewood Bowl and decide they'll use it (eventually the whole sandbox) to stage a performance of Hamlet. Grand Theft Hamlet is an 'as it happened' exploration of planning the feat in an arena where the people you're trying to audition are just as likely to kill you than recite Shakespeare. Anything can, and does, happen. It's been ages since I played the game - so seeing various locations and the specific gameplay really took me back. What's most fun about this are the impromptu moments that happen in such a volatile, imaginative environment. This weird documentary won just about every award it was nominated for - and the people who staged Hamlet in the game won various innovation awards. It's fun, and it's different and it's the very beginning of virtual theater - something that seems to show endless possibilities.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bc/Abigail_Official_Poster.jpg
By Universal Pictures - https://dam.gettyimages.com/universal/abigail, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75783401

Abigail - (2024)

A bunch of criminal character-types kidnap a young girl, Abigail (Alisha Weir), but that young girl turns out to be an old vampire and the kidnappers are now trapped in her hellhole of a hunting ground. It was after this that I realised just how iffy I am on vampire films, which I never seem to really like. This horror film was fine, but nothing special.

6/10

[Deschain]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/Grand_Theft_Hamlet_poster.png
By Mubi - [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78692948

Grand Theft Hamlet - (2024)

The pandemic doing it's thing, and the United Kingdom in the midst of it's third lockdown, two out of sorts actors playing Grand Theft Auto 5 online find the in-game Vinewood Bowl and decide they'll use it (eventually the whole sandbox) to stage a performance of Hamlet. Grand Theft Hamlet is an 'as it happened' exploration of planning the feat in an arena where the people you're trying to audition are just as likely to kill you than recite Shakespeare. Anything can, and does, happen. It's been ages since I played the game - so seeing various locations and the specific gameplay really took me back. What's most fun about this are the impromptu moments that happen in such a volatile, imaginative environment. This weird documentary won just about every award it was nominated for - and the people who staged Hamlet in the game won various innovation awards. It's fun, and it's different and it's the very beginning of virtual theater - something that seems to show endless possibilities.

7/10
I’m a big video game fan and I know about people role playing in Red Dead Online in a similar manner but never heard of this documentary. This sounds ****ing awesome and right up my alley.

[Torgo]

The Wild Robot - 4

This beautiful animated feature tells a sometimes exciting, sometimes sad and always moving story about what it means to be part of a community. In the unlikely parent that is displaced robotic assistant Roz (Nyong'o) and her ward, the orphaned goose Brightbill (Connor), we have two kinds of outsiders: one who is not part of her new island home's ecosystem and one who is, but whose size and not exactly gooselike behavior make him one. Both of them really make you feel the pain of being a misfit, whether it's the threat of the island's racoons who are eager to angrily disassemble Roz or the geese who bully Brightbill, proving that these birds can really be that mean (I could tell you some stories). Conversely, it makes the satisfaction of seeing their efforts to improve their communities pay off all the more satisfying. The same goes for their response to Roz’s manufacturers discovering what she's been up to (here's a hint: they don't exactly approve). Again, it's a very nice-looking movie, which except for the malevolent corporation that built Roz and her kin depicts a futuristic world I wish could visit. Also, in addition to Lupita Nyong'o as Roz and Kit Connor as Brightbill, there's a stacked voice cast featuring Pedro Pascal as a sly fox akin to Nick in Zootopia and Matt Berry as an outspoken beaver.

Regardless of whether you are in a situation resembling Roz's or Brightbill's, being made to feel like a misfit can make one miserable. This movie charms in its optimism for how it proves that what you do in your community matters a lot more than where you came from. With this movie and the How To Train Your Dragon series - the first of which Chris Sanders also directed - DreamWorks Animation may have shed its "Pixar Lite" stigma. Oh, and if you are confused or disappointed that the animals speak, a clever sequence explaining how they can makes up for it.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzYyYjJmMjctNzk3Yi00NmRhLWE5ZmQtZTNlZjU3MDMxNTBhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg



Umpteenth Rewatch...Rock solid screen adaptation of the landmark Broadway musical starring Zero Mostel. The late Topol takes the starring role of the Jewish milkman with a wife and five daughters who finds his values questioned and challenged in pre-revolutionary Russia. The screenplay is extremely faithful to the play and only two songs have been cut from the original score, but we still have "If I Were a Rich Man", "Tradition". Matchmaker, Matchmaker", "To Life", and "Do You Love Me?". Norman Jewison's direction is stylishly detailed and earned him one of the film's 8 Oscar nominations. Topol's Tevye earned him a lead actor nomination and Leonard Frey's Motel the Taylor earned him a Supporting Actor nomination. It was also nominated for Best Picture, but lost that award to The French Connection, which I understand, but in another year, this could have been one of the few musicals in Academy history to win an Oscar for Best Picture. 4.5

[Gideon58]

https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/posters/800/B/Babygirl-2024-movie-poster.jpg



2.5

[Hotel Security]

> It was after this that I realised just how iffy I am on vampire films, which I never seem to really like.

I'm the same way...I'm very iffy on them. About the only ones I like are the more clever ones that do a near twist on the concept...like how Lost Boys has a street gang of vampires and how the rest of the city reacts to them. The concept of a vampire that lives forever is interesting but only a few people really make them that way.

[Wooley]

PLANET TERROR
(2007, Rodriguez)

https://i.imgur.com/dTAFcNE.jpeg




Having seen Death Proof last month, I decided to give this one a shot as well. I love Tarantino, I think he's the better filmmaker, and I thought Death Proof was a solid effort. However, I won't deny that I ended up more satisfied with Rodriguez' outing here. For all the intentional "gimmicks" they both pull here, Planet Terror just seems more aware about what it's trying to be, and more consistent with its execution.

The film is full of absurdities, but it is in that where most of the fun lies. That, and all the clever ways that Rodriguez uses to mimic the low budget aspect. There are corny lines of dialogue, ludicrous plot twists, ridiculous gore, excessive splatter, lots of people with guns, and a scantily clad heroine with a machine gun stuck on her leg. Things that might seem pointless or useless otherwise, but Rodriguez still finds clever ways to use it all. Like connecting the dots.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2550102#post2550102)

I really like Planet Terror as I felt like it delivered almost perfectly on what it promised.

[Wooley]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/Challengers_2024_poster.jpeg
By http://www.impawards.com/2024/challengers_xlg.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75698722

Challengers - (2024)

I get a funny feeling every time I watch tennis tournaments. I wonder to myself, "How do these big tennis players not get absolutely sick of doing this?" Hitting that ball over the net. Over and over again. Year after year, travelling around and hitting a ball over a net - I know the money is beyond any person's wildest dreams if you're up in the top bracket, but tennis is such a simple game without much variety. Anyway, in Challengers we're presented with the final of Challenger event where two competitors with history, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor) are duking it out. Watching is Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) - Art's wife, and Patrick's ex-girlfriend. Their history is what makes up the bulk of Challengers, in flashback. Much of it isn't pretty, and shows Art and Patrick in a murky light as these two best of friends both make a play for the young and promising tennis player Tashi. There's an aggressiveness underlying what these three characters share, and I think what it underlines is the ruthless ambition you need if you're to make it to the top in any profession. When that kind of ruthlessness bleeds into love lives and friendships it creates the kind of drama that we get in this film - not to everyone's taste, but all the same it sets the screen on fire.

8/10



As someone who played tennis for pleasure for about 15 years I can tell you that not only was it my No.1 sport to play and remains my No.2 to watch, it was actually one of my favorite things in my life.
That said, I have not understood what to make of this movie and therefore have not approached it yet. I do like Zendaya a lot but I just haven't sorted out whether I want to spend the time on this film.

[Wooley]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZmE0YzIxM2QtMGNlMi00MjRmLWE3MWMtOWQzMGVjMmU0YTFmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg



Umpteenth Rewatch...This non-stop action thriller hasn't lost any of its juice over the years. This film put star Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron (Titanic) on the map. Arnold plays a cyborg from the future who is sent to 1984 to assassinate a pretty young waitress (Linda Hamilton) whose son becomes an important military leader in the future and the only way to deal with him is to wipe out his entire existence by murdering his mother. If you've never seen it, just hold onto something and enjoy. It was followed by a sequel that, believe it or not, was even better. 4

I was with you until you said the sequel was even better. I just re-watched them both back to back a couple months ago and was struck how much the original remains perfect while the sequel, which I always liked and still do (though never thought it was equal to or better than the original) actually lost some of its luster to me.

[Gideon58]

You’re certainly entitled to your opinion

[LeBoyWondeur]

King and Country (1964)
https://filmfreedonia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/kingandcountry01.jpg?w=696
Thanks for the tip, I'm always interested in watching good movies starring Dirk Bogarde.

[LeBoyWondeur]

Back To The Future (1985)

107011

Inspired by a GIF posted on this very forum I ended up watching the popular smash hit Back To The Future. It's possible that I had seen it before but I don't remember watching it.

It looks like a traditional and family-friendly crowd-pleaser that combines several popular elements: clash of cultures (or in this case clash of zeitgeists), fast and modern cars, techno-fantasy, classic Sc-Fi B movies, teen movie and 1950s retro pop culture.
It doesn't offer anything new but it's all cleverly repackaged for a 1980s audience and overall it has aged rather well, although I'm not sure I would recommend this film to an adult person in 2025 (or even to myself).
There were a few moments that made me laugh, like the alien arrival in 1955 ("it's already mutated into human form!") and also the cringy over-the-top guitar solo during the dance event.

The special effects are decent but the sets scream "studio sets!"

Dr. Brown and Marty are sort of a Merlin & young Arthur duo, but I can also see the connection with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Time Machine and Lord knows how many other films.
My favourite character is the super-nerdy George McFly, both the young and adult version.
But when Marty returns to 1985 he discovers that he's living the life of archetypal eighties aspirations: a conservative nuclear family with money, jobs in the city and pastel interior design.
And George McFly treats Biff the way Biff used to treat him, which I found a little disappointing. He plays tennis and mother McFly works out in Lou's Aerobic Fitness Center. Barf.
107013

It's not really my type of film but it is what it is and there's no point talking about what it isn't.
I'll pass on the sequels, this one experience was good enough for me.

3

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/A_Complete_Unknown_poster.jpg
By Searchlight Pictures - http://www.impawards.com/2024/complete_unknown_xxlg.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77755325

A Complete Unknown - (2024)

Extremely well made, and well acted, this biopic narrowly focuses on Bob Dylan's (Timothée Chalamet) relationship with the New York folk scene, rise to fame and controversial switch to electric guitar, rock instruments and a less folk-like sound. I know very little about Bob Dylan, so it was all really interesting - and hearing the music in it's proper context gives every song all that more power. There's something about hearing Bob Dylan's music at the time it's most relevant that makes A Complete Unknown really enjoyable. I usually hate music-based biopics (hate is probably too strong a word - however, for some reason I've never watched the likes of Walk the Line, Bohemian Rhapsody or Rocketman a second time), but this one reminded me of Inside Llewyn Davis (as it would) - and that's a big plus. In fact, it made me want to watch that Coen Bros classic again. There's so much more you can do with a fictional character, and so much more you can get out of a tragic failure. We don't really learn much about who Dylan is in A Complete Unknown, but we do sense how his music influenced and was influenced by the times he lived in. Edward Norton is great as folk musician and activist Pete Seeger.

7/10

[I_Wear_Pants]

After watching a movie I won't name about some turd I won't fathom to understand (I will say he regrets his genitals), I washed out the awful memories with Return of the Jedi! Hooray! Finished the original Star Wars trilogy! Huzzah! I am amending my list of favorite films to put Star Wars IV V VI atop the list. It just seemed like a good idea.

Ooh! I watched I Confess recently for part of Citizen's Hall of Fame (it was actually my nomination but I backed out for personal reasons), and love it. I have an admiration for Montgomery Clift for some reason, maybe he's just a good actor, and I love Hitchcock's films, more often than not at least, and this film is excellent. I loved the tension exuded by Father Logan. I know there's no mystery, but that doesn't mean there can't be tension.

[StuSmallz]

I was with you until you said the sequel was even better. I just re-watched them both back to back a couple months ago and was struck how much the original remains perfect while the sequel, which I always liked and still do (though never thought it was equal to or better than the original) actually lost some of its luster to me.Lost its luster how?

[KeyserCorleone]

I was with you until you said the sequel was even better. I just re-watched them both back to back a couple months ago and was struck how much the original remains perfect while the sequel, which I always liked and still do (though never thought it was equal to or better than the original) actually lost some of its luster to me.


Even though the first has grown on me, T2 is my highest-rated Cameron and a testament to the power of sequels (although my favorite movie to watch is still Aliens :P). T2 has a more packed story and much better action, IMO.

[Fabulous]

Brad's Status (2017)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/9GXeyK5DM8CJNJehLAZYrQ8tn4t.jpg

[chawhee]

Jumanji (1995)
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w440_and_h660_face/ggHHLA4MBugHELH0MQjkXYLRJ1d.jpg
4
Holds up as well as I had hoped. I don't plan on rewatching the sequels.

[Gideon58]

Brad's Status (2017)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/9GXeyK5DM8CJNJehLAZYrQ8tn4t.jpg

Never heard of this movie

[exiler96]

Play it Again, Sam (1972) - I get Allen in this so much I hate myself for it. Based on the third play he wrote, I feel in under 90-minutes it tells you everything you wanted to know about him but didn't bother to ask...

I can't be in the minority when I say I prefer him as a writer to an actor but I cringed and chuckled at his character a little too much to not to give the whole thing a nice pass. Don't think the third act works best (with the way he handles the cheating) but the closure is better than in the play... and every Diane Keaton outfit slays, as the saying of the youth goes...
7.5/10

https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/aa-1.jpg

[Deschain]

Jumanji (1995)
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w440_and_h660_face/ggHHLA4MBugHELH0MQjkXYLRJ1d.jpg
4
Holds up as well as I had hoped. I don't plan on rewatching the sequels.

What an ungodly poster. Where did this come from?

[Stirchley]

I’m a fan of both leads. Strange different kind of movie. I enjoyed it.

107021

[Wooley]

Lost its luster how?

For me and my people who saw this in the theater after having already been Terminator fans, it was impressive and very good but not without flaws.
I could go the Furlong route but it's been done to death.
I would say the main thing is simply that the Big Hollywood version of The Terminator just isn't as intense and gripping as the almost-indie original. They spent 15.6x the budget and got 87% of the movie.
Now maybe this is just my preference for the darker (yes, T2 had its darkness too but it hedged its bets with its "now I know why you cry" and thumbs-up and such as well) slinkier grittier take and maybe its because The Terminator was fresh and a new thing and maybe it's because I'm a Horror movie fan and The Terminator is almost a Horror movie as well as a good Sci Fi but it's just a better movie to me. Leaner, tougher, starker, fresher... I dunno, that's just how I feel.

[Wooley]

You’re certainly entitled to your opinion

Thank you.

[Thief]

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
(2022, Coogler)

https://i.imgur.com/qIIKzPB.jpeg


"Are you gonna be noble like your brother… or take care of business… like me?"



Black Panther: Wakanda Forever follows the aftermath of T'Challa's death as his family and country try to process the grief. The main focus is on T'Challa's sister, Shuri (Wright) who's guilt-ridden for not being able to help his brother while Ramonda (Angela Bassett) has to put up a front as the new queen as different factions seek to take advantage of Wakanda's seemingly weakened state. This is all complicated by the arrival of Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), the king of an underwater civilization that is indirectly threatened by people looking for Wakanda's vibranium.

The film does a pretty good job of balancing its story while also serving as a sort of send-off or homage to T'Challa and Boseman. The first two acts give us enough contemplative moments where our characters have to cope with the loss and I think it is handled extremely well. It is in these more pensive moments that the film shines, with Bassett and Wright in particular having some strong dramatic moments.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2551136#post2551136)

[Wooley]

Back To The Future (1985)

107011

Inspired by a GIF posted on this very forum I ended up watching the popular smash hit Back To The Future. It's possible that I had seen it before but I don't remember watching it.

It looks like a traditional and family-friendly crowd-pleaser that combines several popular elements: clash of cultures (or in this case clash of zeitgeists), fast and modern cars, techno-fantasy, classic Sc-Fi B movies, teen movie and 1950s retro pop culture.
It doesn't offer anything new but it's all cleverly repackaged for a 1980s audience and overall it has aged rather well, although I'm not sure I would recommend this film to an adult person in 2025 (or even to myself).
There were a few moments that made me laugh, like the alien arrival in 1955 ("it's already mutated into human form!") and also the cringy over-the-top guitar solo during the dance event.

The special effects are decent but the sets scream "studio sets!"

Dr. Brown and Marty are sort of a Merlin & young Arthur duo, but I can also see the connection with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Time Machine and Lord knows how many other films.
My favourite character is the super-nerdy George McFly, both the young and adult version.
But when Marty returns to 1985 he discovers that he's living the life of archetypal eighties aspirations: a conservative nuclear family with money, jobs in the city and pastel interior design.
And George McFly treats Biff the way Biff used to treat him, which I found a little disappointing. He plays tennis and mother McFly works out in Lou's Aerobic Fitness Center. Barf.
107013

It's not really my type of film but it is what it is and there's no point talking about what it isn't.
I'll pass on the sequels, this one experience was good enough for me.

3

Interesting.
I like this movie more than you do but I have never heard anyone else say that about George and Biff and I really do agree. It's occurred to me before but I've never really crystallized it. It bothered me. If George deserved to be the one that came out on top he'd have found a way to bring out the better man in Biff or just been indifferent to him, not turn him into the oppressed.

[Wooley]

Even though the first has grown on me, T2 is my highest-rated Cameron and a testament to the power of sequels (although my favorite movie to watch is still Aliens :P). T2 has a more packed story and much better action, IMO.

I will give you that T2 is an excellent sequel and maybe one of the standard-bearers of sequels. I just hold The Terminator in that high of esteem.

[Allaby]

Pets (2025) Watched on Disney+. Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard. I loved this. It's sweet, heartfelt, funny, beautiful, and a wonderful celebration of the special bond between our furry friends and their humans. Out of the 29 films I have seen released so far this year, Pets is the best. 4.5

[Fabulous]

Summerland (2020)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/idV2S95f6iBluiGEI808oeRiGFQ.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/SuperMan_The_Christopher_Reeve_Story_poster.jpg
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77716436

Super/Man : The Christopher Reeve Story - (2024)

This documentary about the life of Superman actor Christopher Reeve includes interviews with most of his direct family members, along with celebrity friends such as Susan Sarandon and Glenn Close. It's a personal peek inside at the man's private life, and gives us interesting insights into his state of mind after his spinal cord injury paralyzed him. There aren't many lives that can offer such dizzying highs and terrifying lows - and added to that is the drama of Reeve's fight to find new meaning in life along with his heroic response to use what had happened to him to champion increased funding for medical research and rights for the disabled. All that's missing is the voice Robin Williams - probably the closest to Reeves outside his family. Williams was also struck down by misfortune, this one too overwhelming to fight. I never felt that this documentary set out to glamorize or idolize Reeve, but instead it told a story that was very touching and enlightening.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/The_Wild_Robot_poster.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2024/wild_robot_ver5.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76268205

The Wild Robot - (2024)

This was a sweet animated film, and certainly had an emotional impact on me. It is more geared towards kids though, and I had the distinct impression while watching it that I was far from it's intended audience. Great voice acting in this one - always like to hear the dulcet tones of Matt Berry!

7/10

[chawhee]

What an ungodly poster. Where did this come from?

Haha, its just a random image I found on Bing

[markdc]

The Beekeeper (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/82/The_Beekeeper_poster.jpg
Another fun actioner starring Jason Statham. The Beekeeper is basically Boiler Room meets Rambo meets Law Abiding Citizen. I’m a sucker for revenge thrillers, and one in which a guy goes after scumbags who pull financial scams on vulnerable elderly people is bound to be a winner.
rating_3_5

[exiler96]

Bleak Moments (1971) - I didn't watch this in the most proper mindset; maybe that is why I totally missed the "comedic" aspect of it which every movie database uses as a label... for this could've easily be titled "The Unbearable Heaviness of Being". Literally features a scene resembling a date that must be one of the most brilliantly uncomfortable scenes between a man and a woman this side of Ingmar Bergman...

It's a promising debut, stripping down Mike Leigh's concerns to their bare minimum (and man is an intimate, wrongful performance of Chopin a wonderful enterance to his world) and certainly interesting to witness, to a degree... but I of course prefer the more realized stories he'll tell in decades to come.

Thank you crumbsroom for bringing this and Abigail's Party up in some other thread!

https://www.on-magazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/bleak-moments-film-review-bluray-600x315.jpg

[crumbsroom]

Bleak Moments (1971) - I didn't watch this in the most proper mindset; maybe that is why I totally missed the "comedic" aspect of it which every movie database uses as a label... for this could've easily be titled "The Unbearable Heaviness of Being". Literally features a scene resembling a date that must be one of the most brilliantly uncomfortable scenes between a man and a woman this side of Ingmar Bergman...

It's a promising debut, stripping down Mike Leigh's concerns to their bare minimum (and man is an intimate, wrongful performance of Chopin a wonderful enterance to his world) and certainly interesting to witness, to a degree... but I of course prefer the more realized stories he'll tell in decades to come.

Thank you crumbsroom for bringing this and Abigail's Party up in some other thread!

https://www.on-magazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/bleak-moments-film-review-bluray-600x315.jpg


I don't remember Bleak Moments as being particularly comedic either, but humor is always a part of even Leigh's grimmest affairs. Often on rewatches it starts to peek through. The comedy is generally hidden in the behavior of the characters, and the more familiar you become with their idiosyncrasies, the more you pick up. So far I've only seen Bleak Moments once, as it's one of the few early ones I don't have a copy of.


Abigail's Party is definitely much more clearly a comedy. As is Nuts in May, which some might consider his classic from this era (again, this one took a second viewing before I truly realized how funny it was)

[Allaby]

Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing (2025) A three part Netflix documentary series about YouTube star Piper Rockelle and her mother Tiffany's cult like empire of child influencers, including allegations of abuse, manipulation, and exploitation. This was really messed up. You will feel a lot of emotions watching this, including rage, shock, and sadness. It's a very effective, informative, and powerful documentary series and could lead to a lot of conversation and hopefully some positive changes. Personally, I think kids can have a place online, if they want to, provided they are not being exploited, abused, or manipulated. There needs to be more regulations and action taken to protect children online. I think the topic could be further explored in future documentaries. I hope Tiffany is brought to justice for her actions and that Piper gets whatever help she needs and is able to break free of her mom's influence. 4.5

[Raven73]

Moana 2
6/10.
2 much like the first 1. :(

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Moana_2_poster.jpg

[*Sky*]

Umberto D (1952) - Vittorio De Sica: 7/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5dss9v03b1ro2c2ro3_400.gifv

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f2/G20_Poster.jpg/250px-G20_Poster.jpg

3.5

SF = Z

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

[Wooley]

Is Charles Durning the most underrated character actor of All Time?
Or was he just amazing at his specialty?

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/Madame_Web_%28film%29_poster.jpg
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75439292

Madame Web - (2024)

Another superhero origin story that will not be followed up upon due to worldwide mockery and box office failure. It's not Batman & Robin levels bad (as much as some people piling onto it might try and convince you), but it has very little to offer and lacks in all categories. It borrows somewhat, probably unintentionally, from The Terminator - just instead of a robot there's an evil quasi-Spiderman who can see the future and is trying to kill three future Spidergirls (who will one day kill him) while they're teenagers. Trying to protect them (the Kyle Reese role) is Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) - gifted supernatural powers by a spider worshipping indigenous tribe in Peru who saved her as a baby via a spider bite delivered to her dying mother. Webb can see future events, and must use that advantage to outwit and outmanoeuvre this spider bad guy - Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim). It's all awkwardly connected to the Spiderman universe by including the birth of Peter Parker narrative-wise. It's the kind of movie where it simply seems that the people involved with making it really weren't invested in the characters. What else can you expect when the writers of Morbius (Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless) are still being given big projects? Those two must have friends in high places.

4/10

[PHOENIX74]

Is Charles Durning the most underrated character actor of All Time?
Or was he just amazing at his specialty?

"Both. Say both!"
https://i.makeagif.com/media/8-28-2015/BbCdBB.gif

[Wooley]

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' highs are too high for its lows to matter.
Fight me.

[PHOENIX74]

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' highs are too high for its lows to matter.
Fight me.

Nobody else could have played the Governor in TBLWIT - Durning's number stands head and shoulders above the rest.

[Fabulous]

Miss Sloane (2016)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/7v197Y77nqij8zWrOrYGXqBkJGy.jpg

[Wooley]

Nobody else could have played the Governor in TBLWIT - Durning's number stands head and shoulders above the rest.

I don't necessarily disagree but I would put forth that, among other peppy numbers, we get to see Dolly Parton perform her composition, "I Will Always Love You", a full decade before Whitney Houston did. And just enjoy the presence of Dolly Parton throughout the film.

[Torgo]

Riders of Justice - 4

You may not believe that a darkly funny action thriller could be an advertisement for therapy, but this one will prove you wrong. In veteran soldier and new widower Markus, Mads Mikkelsen gives yet another great performance for how he reveals the benefits of it. Just kidding. Instead, he opts to avenge his wife's death by relying on the specious claim of Otto (Kaas), a recently fired statistician. He believes that the train fire that killed her was not an accident, but an act of sabotage by the titular biker gang. Joining them are Otto's colleagues Lennart (Brygmann) and Emmenthaler (Bro), both of whom also lack the combat experience and emotional stability to survive such a venture.

The best laughs in this movie stem from how much Markus differs from his new "friends": think Han Solo and C3PO, or better yet, Homer and the nerds in The Simpsons episode "Homer Goes to College." The more important dichotomy at play here, though, is accepting that bad things just happen, life is messy, etc. versus not being able to do so without analyzing the bad things from every angle. The degree to which the statisticians do the latter rides a fine line of being fascinating and ridiculous; in other words, everything from a bicycle to a bottle of orange juice to which treadmill their suspect walks on at the gym is a factor. My quip about therapy is not just something I made up: Markus actually has this option, and it's an inspired choice to make Sirius, his teenage daughter's friend, the one who offers it for how he represents the changing face of masculinity. Again, it may be hard to imagine that you could add action to this material, but it's there, it's brutal, and like it is in the typical genre movie from this part of the world, starkly presented.

Now that we have four John Wick movies and many imitators, it's no surprise that satires and deconstructions of their formula have followed, with this being one of the better ones. The tonal shifts could be better, though: there are times when the movie goes from guns blazing, bodies dropping, etc. to domestic scenes without letting the dust settle. It still deserves credit for managing to be philosophical about masculinity, why bad things happen, etc. without forgetting to be a fun time at the movies. On top of that, it does this without belittling the draws of movies like it.

[MovieGal]

Riders of Justice - 4

You may not believe that a darkly funny action thriller could be an advertisement for therapy, but this one will prove you wrong. In veteran soldier and new widower Markus, Mads Mikkelsen gives yet another great performance for how he reveals the benefits of it. Just kidding. Instead, he opts to avenge his wife's death by relying on the specious claim of Otto (Kaas), a recently fired statistician. He believes that the train fire that killed her was not an accident, but an act of sabotage by the titular biker gang. Joining them are Otto's colleagues Lennart (Brygmann) and Emmenthaler (Bro), both of whom also lack the combat experience and emotional stability to survive such a venture.

The best laughs in this movie stem from how much Markus differs from his new "friends": think Han Solo and C3PO, or better yet, Homer and the nerds in The Simpsons episode "Homer Goes to College." The more important dichotomy at play here, though, is accepting that bad things just happen, life is messy, etc. versus not being able to do so without analyzing the bad things from every angle. The degree to which the statisticians do the latter rides a fine line of being fascinating and ridiculous; in other words, everything from a bicycle to a bottle of orange juice to which treadmill their suspect walks on at the gym is a factor. My quip about therapy is not just something I made up: Markus actually has this option, and it's an inspired choice to make Sirius, his teenage daughter's friend, the one who offers it for how he represents the changing face of masculinity. Again, it may be hard to imagine that you could add action to this material, but it's there, it's brutal, and like it is in the typical genre movie from this part of the world, starkly presented.

Now that we have four John Wick movies and many imitators, it's no surprise that satires and deconstructions of their formula have followed, with this being one of the better ones. The tonal shifts could be better, though: there are times when the movie goes from guns blazing, bodies dropping, etc. to domestic scenes without letting the dust settle. It still deserves credit for managing to be philosophical about masculinity, why bad things happen, etc. without forgetting to be a fun time at the movies. On top of that, it does this without belittling the draws of movies like it.

ANYTHING directed by Anders Thomas Jensen is amazing!

[matt72582]

Umberto D (1952) - VIttorio De Sica: 8/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5dss9v03b1ro2c2ro3_400.gifv




One of my favorite movies.

[Allaby]

Gummo (2025) I found this to be an unpleasant movie about unpleasant people doing unpleasant things. I can handle difficult or ugly content, but there needs to be a point or something of significant artistic value. This film felt absolutely pointless and void of artistic value. I wasn't impressed with the acting and didn't like the characters or the story. Sometimes ugliness is beautiful, but this was just ugly ugliness for ugliness sake. 1.5

[Torgo]

ANYTHING directed by Anders Thomas Jensen is amazing!I really enjoyed Adam's Apples as well, so you're onto something there. :D

[MovieGal]

I really enjoyed Adam's Apples as well, so you're onto something there. :D

You should watch Flickering Lights and Men & Chicken.

And The Green Butchers..how could I forget that!

[chawhee]

Warfare (2025)
https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F274a6f19-52e2-4976-8036-30841f042f13_480x640.jpeg
4
Its a war movie, alright. Probably not a classic by any means, but pretty effective in showing realism and rawness. Everyone has their own takeaways and opinions on movies like this, so I'll just simply recommend this next installment by Alex Garland.

[Allaby]

Baby Cat (2023) Watched on Tubi. A woman falls in love with the "cat" in her building. Plot twist: the cat is a woman dressed up and acting like a cat. I wish we had a cat that looked like her in my building. I enjoyed this. Natalie Cotter and Fawn Winters were both quite good here and I liked their relationship. This is a subplot about drugs or crime that didn't really fit with the main part of the film. It felt tacked on and wasn't really well told. The parts about the lady and the cat lady romance worked well and I would have liked even more of it. I would definitely recommend the film to anyone who appreciates beautiful women dressed up as cats. 3.5

[markdc]

Blacklight (2022)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ad/Blacklight_%28film%29.jpg
Another dull, formulaic, and predictable action thriller starring Liam Neeson. It’s sad to see an incredibly talented actor like Neeson waste his talent on mediocre, forgettable studio trash like Blacklight. Historical dramas were his forte, but the only such film he’s played in since switching to actioners was Silence, and he only had a minor supporting role in that one. I’d love to see Neeson star in a weighty drama with the gravitas of Schindler’s List, Rob Roy, or Michael Collins, but it looks like he’s left those days behind for good. Hell, even his turn in The Phantom Menace was better than this. The only interesting thing about Blacklight was seeing Aidan Quinn, since he and Neeson were in Michael Collins together over a quarter of a century earlier.
Not recommending this one, unless you’re trying to kick a serious bout of insomnia.
rating_1

[MovieGal]

107073
Warfare
(2025)
3.5/5

The harsh reality of the Iraq War. A group of U.S. Navy Seals trying to take down some insurgents in Ramadi Iraq.

This is a brutal and bloody film. I know at one point, when a IED exploded, I said "Oh, F*ck!" loudly. The film is not for the faint hearted.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81VNagcf6BL.jpg


1st Rewatch...Tim Burton directed this intense biopic of Margaret Keane, the artist famous for painting the women and children with the large saucer-like eyes who let her husband, Walter actually take credit for her work for over a decade. Amy Adams won a Golden Globe for her tortured Margaret and Christoph Waltz ames a believable transiton from romantic lead to psychopath that makes this film a very cringy experience. {Rating]3.5[/Rating]

[Fabulous]

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/vViHHmMoCXCKMAM9FjhqaeTtcwA.jpg

[LeBoyWondeur]

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

107075

Not a rewatch but more like a second attempt to watch it. The first experience (as soon as it was available on rental video, I suppose) happened at a time in which I was much more into horror and blockbuster spectacle, and I've always considered the possibility that I watched it in the wrong frame of mind.
It's been on and off my to-rewatch list many times and as a result it never materialised - until today.

The film opens rather promising with the pretty and successful high society doctor's couple at the top of their game. It instantly raises the question "how long before it's going to fall apart" because that's the only way to go from there.
That happens when the doctor's wife (Nicole Kidman) confesses to her husband (Tom Cruise) that she's had adulterous sexual fantasies, and she does that to prove that women are in fact sexual human beings, just like men.
Must have been quite a revelation back in 1999 (??).

From that point on we're supposed to believe the Tom Cruise's doctor is becoming obsessed with adultery and secrecy, courtesy of a "thought bubble" showing the wife's adultery as discussed before. The doctor himself never changes, he's the same polite character from start to finish which makes his lust for adventure hard to swallow.
Another contrived set up with dialogue that was really painful to watch leads him to the film's pièce de résistance, and probably the only reason this film was made.
Stanley Kubrick proves once again that he gets the best images out of his film, but the problem with Kubrick is that he's not a great storyteller.

Nothing happens, Tom Cruise is ordered to strip and that also doesn't happen because nude men don't exist in this erotic psychological world. After that he's ordered to leave the scene (some kind of high-end swingers society) and the rest of the film explains how big and important and serious it all is.
Okay, if you say so.

In a nutshell, Eyes Wide Shut looks like a remake of a Peter Greenaway film that has all of Greenaway's bite, humour and audacity stamped out of it.
On top of everything it moves slower than a daytime soap and the dialogue doesn't sound much better than a daytime soap.
These characters are awful and that doesn't mean that they have to be nice or likeable, but there's got to be something to get on board with and make me care.
This time I made it to the end credits, but there were many, many times when I was thinking of my upcoming dental appointment and how much more fun that is going to be.

A nice performance by Alan Cumming in a supporting role prevents it from being unrateable.
1

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjJjOWVmYzctOWFjMy00YTFlLWI1OTktNTRjYjA4NjQ2OThkXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg


1st Rewatch...Bette Davis appears to be having a ball in this lavish 1944 soap opera about a flighty and vain socialite named Fanny Trellis who has four different men determined to marry her, but when her younger brother is accused of stealing $24,000 from his boss, a Mr. Job Skeffington (Claude Rains)., she decides to marrySkeffington to get her brother out of trouble. Davis shines a a sort of contemporary Scarlett O'Hara who enters a loveless marriage and has a daughter she doesn't really want and taking way too long to learn that her new husband is not the fool she thinks he is. Davis received her seventh Best Actress nomination for this film and Rains got a supporting actor nod as well. Aslo loved Walter A bel, who almost stole Holiday Inn from Astaire and Crosby as Fanny's cousin George. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQxNDQwNjQzOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTQxNDYyMQ@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg



4th Rewatch...Jamie Foxx's dazzling Oscar-winning performance anchors this 2004 biopic of Ray Charles, that is a little longer than it needs to be, but Foxx makes it worth a look. 4

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KBSCWW6RL._UF1000,1000_QL80_DpWeblab_.jpg


Umpteenth Rewatch...A triumph for Julie Andrews and director/husband, the late Blake Edwards. This delicious musical comedy finds Andrews playing an out of work singer in 1930's Paris who, with the aid of a gay mentor (Robert Preston), becomes the toast of Paris as a female impersonator, which works out great until a Chicago mobster named King Marchand (James Garner) arrives in Paris and falls hard for the drag queen, refusing to believe that she really is a man. The screenplay is rich with a few more gay stereotypes than I would like and I never for a single minute ever believe that Andrews is a man, but this film is a joy from beginning to end. Andrews received a Best Actress nomination for her Victoria, Robert Preston received the only Oscar nomination of his career for Toddy, and Lesley Ann Warren's ditzy moll earned her a Supporting Actres nomination. The fim did wn an Oscar for Henry Mancini's music. Dazzling entertainment as long as you don't think about it too much. A couple of decades later it was turned into a stage musical with Andrfews again playing Victoria. 4

[Wooley]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KBSCWW6RL._UF1000,1000_QL80_DpWeblab_.jpg


Umpteenth Rewatch...A triumph for Julie Andrews and director/husband, the late Blake Edwards. This delicious musical comedy finds Andrews playing an out of work singer in 1930's Paris who, with the aid of a gay mentor (Robert Preston), becomes the toast of Paris as a female impersonator, which works out great until a Chicago mobster named King Marchand (James Garner) arrives in Paris and falls hard for the drag queen, refusing to believe that she really is a man. The screenplay is rich with a few more gay stereotypes than I would like and I never for a single minute ever believe that Andrews is a man, but this film is a joy from beginning to end. Andrews received a Best Actress nomination for her Victoria, Robert Presoon received the only Oscar nomination of his career for Toddy, and Lesley Warren's dim-witten moll of Garner's earned a a Supporting Actres nomination. The fim did wn an Oscar for Henry Mancini's music. Dazzling entertainment as long as you don't think about it too much. A couple of decades it was turne dinto a stage musical with Andrfews again playing Victoria. 4

Yeah, I've loved this movie since I was about 12 years old. Great fun.

[Wooley]

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

107075

...

In a nutshell, Eyes Wide Shut looks like a remake of a Peter Greenaway film that has all of Greenaway's bite, humour and audacity stamped out of it.
On top of everything it moves slower than a daytime soap and the dialogue doesn't sound much better than a daytime soap.
These characters are awful and that doesn't mean that they have to be nice or likeable, but there's got to be something to get on board with and make me care.
This time I made it to the end credits, but there were many, many times when I was thinking of my upcoming dental appointment and how much more fun that is going to be.

1

Interesting. I thought EWS was fantastic.

[Wooley]

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/vViHHmMoCXCKMAM9FjhqaeTtcwA.jpg

A personal All-Time Favorite.

[MovieGal]

107077
Constantine
(2005)
4/5

What if the Church tells you that your sister committed suicide, however, you knowing her personality, it is something she would never do? Angela Dodson know her sister Isobel too well so she enlist the help of Demonologist John Constantine to help her uncover the truth. Along the way, Constantine learns that God and Satan made a pact, that will impact all of mankind.

This was a great film when it came out in 2005 and a huge hit for Keanu Reeves. It's one of his films that I have always been a fan. Im a fan of Rachel Weisz as well. Peter Stormare and Tilda Swinton are perfect for their roles. This is a film that cant go wrong for me.

Of couse, its not exactly like DC/Vertigo's comic Hellblazer but Im not really much of a DC fan.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Sugarcane_theatrical_release_poster.jpg
By Variance Films - http://www.impawards.com/2024/sugarcane_xlg.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78036959

Sugarcane - (2024)

Another sad documentary. This one is all about the Canadian Indian residential school system - run by the church, the priests in charge would regularly abuse all of the kids in their care. There were many deaths, either by suicide, kids trying to escape or the infanticide related to the many births that would occur because the girls were being impregnated by those charged with looking after them. The wounds are still fresh, and many of the older people coming to terms with what happened are deeply damaged and trying to deal with it all by investigating and searching for answers. We spend time with them as news about newly discovered mass graves hit the airwaves and those priests who are still alive are pursued in the interests of justice. The last residential school in Canada closed in 1997 - we had similar things happen here in Australia because orphaned children in Great Britain were once sent to Australia and enrolled in schools run by the church, whereupon they'd be abused by predators running rampant in the system. The most shocking aspect to this is that the church knew, and did nothing to protect the kids - instead deciding to protect the reputation of their organisation and the priests who were committing these ugly crimes.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e1/Sleepless_in_seattle.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8005284

Sleepless in Seattle - (1993)

Our two lovebirds in Sleepless in Seattle - widowed Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) and uncertainly engaged Annie Reed (Meg Ryan) - only properly meet each other in the film's last scene. So, it's a romantic film that surprisingly lacks in onscreen romance. What we do get is an examination of our various characters' viewpoints related to romance, dating and love as Sam's son, Jonah (Ross Malinger) tries to set his father up with Annie, who has become interested in Sam after hearing him talk about his experiences with his deceased wife on a radio show. It's very 90s, but endearingly looks to An Affair to Remember as a quintessential model of the perfect romance. Hanks and Ryan have a certain screen presence, but the movie is a very safe and mainstream - cute, to be sure, but a little too lacking in really memorable moments for me.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/67/Juon2_poster.jpg
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10852105

Ju-On : The Grudge 2 - (2003)

Not as good as the first Grudge, but I do like these movies. More so than ever, The Grudge 2 is like a jigsaw puzzle that will test your mind as it tries to fit all of the non-chronological pieces together. I almost feel like there's a bit of an overload here, with an abundance of scenes featuring the ghosts of the Saeki family, who pop up so regularly that they kind of dilute the terrifying power they have just a little. There are some very nice set-pieces though, and visually the film scores a number of indelible instances.

6/10

[LChimp]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/thI9pM7Qu43f42sOOl5wy75UAo.jpg

The Instigators - (Doug Liman, 2024)

8/10

[chawhee]

Charlie Chan in Reno (1939)
https://images.moviepostershop.com/charlie-chan-in-reno-movie-poster-1939-1020543701.jpg
2
First time seeing any Charlie Chan movie...I'm sure this is a result of modern times, but I thought this was bad (heavily due to the obvious racist stereotypes). Its only 70 minutes and even that felt too long. Detective movies aren't really my type in the first place.

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/4/8/9/2/0/48920-rush-hour-3-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=24f08c374e
crazy to call this a letdown when i thought the first two were just ok but this is a noticeable drop in quality
rating_2


https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/sm/upload/ir/nv/38/hm/yg0O6eGgrumDZ1bht3pqMjNaWon-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=7ed351a70a
hadn't seen this since i was a kid and so much nostalgia. maybe the best opening scene in history and the clovers are so cool! almost convinced me that cheerleading is cool. loved it.
rating_4


https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/5/5/8/8/6/55886-the-raspberry-reich-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=934c9a960f
if that controversial HoF happens this might be my pick. so funny.
rating_4

[Stirchley]

Interesting. I thought EWS was fantastic.

One of my fave movies ever.

[Zotis]

https://i.ibb.co/Vb9BpCK/memento-moriover.jpg


Momento Mori (1999) 4.5

[Thief]

THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
HOLIDAY SPECIAL
(2022, Gunn)

https://i.imgur.com/1Us2DIQ.jpeg


"Why would you go through all the trouble of going all the way to Earth and abduct Kevin Bacon?"



This Holiday Special follows the attempts of Mantis and Drax (Pom Klementieff and Dave Bautista) to cheer up their friend Peter (Chris Pratt) by bringing him his "childhood hero" Kevin Bacon (Kevin Bacon). But of course, between hanging out with cosplayers, dealing with hangovers, and Kevin Bacon's security system, things won't be that easy for the two.

I know I'm late (or early!) catching up with this, but who cares. It's a fairly simple short, but it's evident that Gunn and everyone involved are having a ton of fun with it, and so did I. The chemistry between Klementieff and Bautista is insane, and it was nice to see Sean Gunn having more to do. Plus, adding Bacon to anything is always a plus!

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2551986#post2551986)

[Thief]

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
(1971, Hamilton)

https://i.imgur.com/AWN5BGK.jpeg


"Curious... how everyone who touches those diamonds seems to die."



Diamonds Are Forever features the return of Sean Connery to the role of James Bond after George Lazenby's one entry. This time, Bond infiltrates a diamond smuggling operation led by his arch-enemy Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Charles Gray) who plans to use the rocks to build a deadly laser satellite. Can Bond get his hand on those diamonds and not die in the process?

Even though Connery had his fair share of weak entries, there's no denying that he is the quintessential Bond, so as much as I liked Lazenby's entry, it was nice to see Connery back in the suit. I wish there had been more consistency between his angry attitude as he's supposed to be looking for revenge, and the excessive amount of double entendres. Not that I'm bothered by them per se, but it becomes tedious at points.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2552001#post2552001)

[Hotel Security]

>Mr Skeffington
>1st Rewatch...Bette Davis appears to be having a ball in this lavish 1944 soap opera about a flighty and vain socialite named Fanny Trellis who has four different men determined to marry her

I've read both bad and good things about this movie was unable to decide if I should see it. Nice to see a positive review. I may have to try it.

---

Nights of Cabiria (1957)
https://keithandthemovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/cabiria-poster.jpg?w=545

First Time Watching. Well, I mentioned in the other threads that I needed to check out Federico Fellini so there's no better time than the present. Thought this movie was excellent. The main actress is engaging, charming, and has a wonderful smile but also is pretty in-your-face for much of it as she doesn't take crap from anyone...her character somewhat reminded me of Anora with the same tough-gal attitude. Music was great, visuals were great, and it does a remarkable job juggling comedy and tragedy which is something a lot of films fail to pull off. A great experience for my first Fellini and I'll definitely be checking out more of his stuff. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Gideon58]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/thI9pM7Qu43f42sOOl5wy75UAo.jpg

The Instigators - (Doug Liman, 2024)

8/10

Thought I was the only person on the planet who saw this movie...a link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2483911-the_instigators.html

[LeBoyWondeur]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/5/5/8/8/6/55886-the-raspberry-reich-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=934c9a960f
if that controversial HoF happens this might be my pick. so funny.
rating_4
Why can't we see this stuff on Prime? :(

[Fabulous]

Dark Star (1974)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/8tusF9xt8CeLzay3TDJBxnRweZF.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1d/Nickel_Boys_film_poster.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2024/nickel_boys_xxlg.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77799598

Nickel Boys - (2024)

Many of the movies I'm watching lately deal with pretty painful subjects - Nickel Boys particularly, as it's based on a real reform school. The Dozier School for Boys was a place notorious for the way it treated the boys in it's care. Here, in this movie based on Colson Whitehead's novel The Nickel Boys, two protagonists - Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson) - try to survive best they can at the Nickel Academy (based on Dozier). Elwood is a well behaved boy on his way to college who has the misfortune of accepting a ride in a stolen car, magnifying a situation that is already plagued with injustice. The movie operates almost exclusively through 1st person "through the character's eyes" cinematography, gives us another glimpse of life from an African-American perspective during a time of segregation and is terribly sad. Occasionally we flash forward in time, where unmarked graves are being discovered at the site of the Academy - the kids that "ran away" or "escaped" but were actually murdered. I thought the filmmaking approach was really interesting and worked while the narrative hurt as much as it was meant to and the period vividly brought to life with real-life footage of what was happening during the 60s in America - with an interesting focus on the exploration of the moon and Martin Luther King Jnr. What's amazing is that none of this feels like another retread of what we've already seen in terms of cinema that's explored the black experience in the U.S. - it's more intensely personal, and specific to the horror of these reform schools.

8/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/No_Other_Land_film_poster.jpg
By Berlinale, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76180863

No Other Land - (2024)

As an expose regarding the Palestinian experience in the occupied West Bank No Other Land is an absolutely shocking indictment of Israeli policy - people who have lived in an area for centuries are having their homes demolished and being forced to flee and live in caves so that the land can be used for "military training exercises". But we know, don't we? We know what's happening today regarding the killing of innocent civilians by a regime so bloodthirsty for revenge that they've lost all claims to moral justification, superiority and understanding. Everyone should watch this documentary before deciding where they stand on the issue.

8/10

[Gideon58]

Nobody else could have played the Governor in TBLWIT - Durning's number stands head and shoulders above the rest.

I loved Charle Durning...I was blown away that he actually got an Oscar nomination for Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, I believe the only nomination he ever received.

[Torgo]

Jumanji (1995)
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w440_and_h660_face/ggHHLA4MBugHELH0MQjkXYLRJ1d.jpg
4
Holds up as well as I had hoped. I don't plan on rewatching the sequels.That is pretty bad. What the heck is Robin Williams' facial expression supposed to indicate?
"Don't give me any lip, or I'll suck you into this board game, too!"

[Thief]

SCREAM VI
(2023, Bettinelli-Olpin & Gillett)

https://i.imgur.com/w8hWz7K.jpeg


"You know, you're like the tenth guy to try this, right? It never works out for the dipshit in the mask."



Scream VI follows the sisters to New York City, where they've relocated with their friends, to attend college but also in an effort to get away from Woodsboro after the tragedy of the last film. But as is expected, more dipshits in Ghostface masks follow them to try to kill them. The sisters then have to figure out who is behind the murders, as they also learn to trust each other and battle their own personal demons.

I'm a big fan of the original Scream, and even though I wasn't a huge fan of its two sequels, I thought they did a pretty good job with the latest two entries. The previous one successfully introduced a new slate of characters while successfully integrating them with the classic ones. Scream VI might not be as well executed, but it still delivers most of what you would expect.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2552284#post2552284)

[LeBoyWondeur]

Manhattan (1979)

107121

I figured that the best antidote to the Eyes Wide Shut debacle would be watching another New York City movie.
It goes without saying that Manhattan is a huge step-up from the previous experience, but it's not quite the masterpiece as its legacy would suggest.

Purely from a technical point of view it's a very pleasant film to look at, but whereas the brilliantly passive-aggressive comedy in Husbands And Wives intensifies the story and characters, in Manhattan it kind of undermines its beautifully depressing atmosphere.
When Diane Keaton's character resumes her position as "the other woman" I feel it could have looked grotesquely pathetic (which it was) but all these moments are constantly hijacked by Woody Allen's character's point of view.
Only in the finale scene he allows himself to be "upstaged" by Mariel Hemingway, and it shows a little bit of the poignancy that the film could have delivered more generously.

I think it's an enjoyable film that often falls between two stools, and more like a warmup for greater things to come.

3

[MovieGal]

107125
One Step Away
(1985)
3.5/5


A Canadian short film, of a teenage delinquent trying to do the right thing after getting arrested.

I would say this is Keanu Reeves first film where he plays the main character. It wasnt bad and I think he did a good job.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b2/Sing_Sing_poster.jpeg
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - [press.a24films.com], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76989669

Sing Sing - (2023)

It's always nice to see real rehabilitation - in Sing Sing it's through drama, specifically the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing prison. Many of the actors in this are the actual people who went through the program, creating and staging theatrical shows and in the process unlocking parts of their psyche that had long been shut out and pushed away. Colman Domingo (as John "Divine G" Whitfield), Sean San José (as Mike Mike) and Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin as himself lead the way, with Divine G being far and away the most interesting and emotionally honest character. Domingo's character has been sent to prison (and has been incarcerated) for a long time after being railroaded by a corrupt system, but insists on seeing the positive in many situations - that is, until one tragedy too many rocks his view of life in Sing Sing and the world. He's a lot of fun to watch - someone who really wears their heart on their sleeve. It's really incredible watching what this program has done to it's participants, and really makes you think about how self-defeating it is to simply lock criminals away in cages thinking nothing as to how to make them better members of society for when they're released. Thoroughly good film this.

8/10

Rise of the Freemen - This is a PBS documentary, and I'm not sure when it first aired, but it's really interesting. For those interested in the "sovereign citizen" movement. It's about a group of longtime Montana farmers and ranchers who were hard done by regarding the banks and the system - they fell in with a guru who convinced them they could relinquish all ties to the government and adopt their own laws. They started issuing liens and using fraudulent cheques (you won't believe the amount of money it added up to - and I mean it), and, more alarmingly, started issuing "Wanted : Dead or Alive" posters in regards to local judges and law enforcement officials with the aim of trying them and hanging them for treason. After the deadly Waco standoff, the FBI frets - this group is heavily armed and radical. Also quite crazy in their belief system. Fascinating and tense documentary this one - well worth seeking out.

7/10

[Wooley]

Sigh.
Upon fifth viewing, the Third Act of Skyfall remains so appallingly absurd that I simply cannot rate it higher than the third-best Craig Bond film. I keep giving it another chance and I keep being floored that people are able to swallow this crap. And it is definitely behind Quantum Of Solace which I just watched before this. I remain somewhat baffled that many think Skyfall is the best one. I almost want to turn it off as the third act starts.
So the Craig Bonds, for me, rank thusly:
Casino Royale
Quantum Of Solace
Skyfall/Spectre
No Time To Die (there is zero chance I will ever watch this debacle again)

Such is life.

[MovieBuffering]

Even though I grew up on this movie I actually think this is a big miss by Coppola. I understand what he was going for and I think he missed.
Rumble Fish is much better.

Yea...I got it too...it just felt unfocused and from my perspective now a bit overacted. If someone grew up with it I totally get liking it...little before my time I was born in 87. Plus the stars it produced is undeniable. Kinda ironic the lead of the movie is probably the one who had the least star power after lol

[MovieBuffering]

Charade - 1963

Watched this one over the weekend. Trying to catch up on Audrey Hepburn...saw Breakfast At Tiffany's like a year ago and she was so kick ass in that. Reminded me of a girl I dated in NY :laugh:. Anyways I then moved onto Sabrina. She was good in it...not as memorable of a movie to me however. This one on the other hand I will remember. I was expecting the mystery element but it was actually pretty funny. Think it was tonally sublime. It was mysterious yet fun. Audrey was charismatic and glowed again. Grant was good too. Think I've only seen this and North By Northwest with him...2 for 2. Funny seeing all the character actors in this and a young Matthau was wild. I really had fun with this one. Another thing the cinematography was wonderful in this too. Music was fun too.

This was in the discount bin at Dollar General on Blu Ray. Glad I took a chance. I was shocked they had it for 5 bucks on blu ray. Sometimes you can find some gems at Dollar General believe it or not. I might watch this again one day.

4

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81LP6LlVymL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg

[KeyserCorleone]

Even though I grew up on this movie I actually think this is a big miss by Coppola. I understand what he was going for and I think he missed.
Rumble Fish is much better.

I loved the first half of Rumble Fish, but the second half dragged. I found this to be more consistent throughout, although I also saw the version with the radio soundtrack instead of Carmine's original melodramatic one.

Anyway, I just finished Olivier's Hamlet. FUUUUUUUDGE that was amazing. The psychological route paired perfectly with Olivier's masterful direction. If people liked Chimes at Midnight for only handling a small bit of the play, then this controversial artistic direction's fully justified in cutting R&G out for the psycho stuff. This is exactly what a tragedy film needs to feel and look like.

rating_5 = 100

[Fabulous]

Menace II Society (1993)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/uiTRY2RVMJTcoggVuScfryeBDpL.jpg

[xSookieStackhouse]

Menace II Society (1993)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/uiTRY2RVMJTcoggVuScfryeBDpL.jpg

loved this movie

[LChimp]

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

The Time Traveler's Wife - (2009)

07/10. A few inconsistencies here and there and a couple creep moments, but overall a good experience.

[Stirchley]

Highly rated, but couldn’t make heads or tails of the first half hour or so. Tried to engage, but gave up eventually.

107139

[Gideon58]

Manhattan (1979)

107121

I figured that the best antidote to the Eyes Wide Shut debacle would be watching another New York City movie.
It goes without saying that Manhattan is a huge step-up from the previous experience, but it's not quite the masterpiece as its legacy would suggest.

Purely from a technical point of view it's a very pleasant film to look at, but whereas the brilliantly passive-aggressive comedy in Husbands And Wives intensifies the story and characters, in Manhattan it kind of undermines its beautifully depressing atmosphere.
When Diane Keaton's character resumes her position as "the other woman" I feel it could have looked grotesquely pathetic (which it was) but all these moments are constantly hijacked by Woody Allen's character's point of view.
Only in the finale scene he allows himself to be "upstaged" by Mariel Hemingway, and it shows a little bit of the poignancy that the film could have delivered more generously.

I think it's an enjoyable film that often falls between two stools, and more like a warmup for greater things to come.

3

Wow, I liked this movie a lot more than you did, I think it's one of Woody's best.

[Gideon58]

Highly rated, but couldn’t make heads or tails of the first half hour or so. Tried to engage, but gave up eventually.

107139

This one disappointed me too...a link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2545015-nickel_boys.html

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTgzNTkxMTkxMl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjE3NjkzMTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg


Umpteenth Rewatch...This instant classic put director John Hughes and his muse, Molly Ringwald on the map. Ringwald plays Samantha Baker, an unhappy high school student who wakes up on her 16th birthday to discover that her family has completely forgotten about, which is the springboard for a series of outrageous teen hijinks that I don't want to spoil for the two or three people who have never seen this movie. I have to admit that the Long Duck Dong character doesn't play well in this politically correct current that we live in, but the rest of the film is still fresh and funny. Ringwald is still a charmer, loved Paul Dooley as her dad, and four veterans, Edward Andrews, Billie Bird, Carole Cook, and Max Showalter (all of whom are no longer with us) as Samantha's grandparents, but the film is effortlessly stolen by a young Anthony Michael Hall as Farmer Ted. BTW, Michael Schoeffling, who plays Jake, the man of Samantha's dreams, quit acting a few year later and now works as a carpenter. 4

[Gideon58]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hyD0OharvN0/maxresdefault.jpg


1st Rewatch...This severely underrated biopic of lyricist Gus Kahn ("Love Me Or Leave Me", "Ain't We Got Fun", "I'm Thru with Love", "My Baby Just Cares for Me") is a little different from most of the composer biopics that were being churned out during the 40's and 50's. In most of them, the composer is the driving force of the story and the love interest is little more than window dressing. In this film, Kahn's wife, Grace, beautifully played by Doris Day, is the driving force behind his career giving the whole story a dash of originality. Day is enchanting, as always, and Danny Thomas was an offbeat choice to play Kahn, but they work well together. Love when they duet on "Making Whoopee." Appointment viewing for Day fans. 3.5

[Gideon58]

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


2nd Rewatch...Director Todd Phillips (Joker) was in the director's chair for one of the biggest box office smashes of 2009. A well worn cinematic premise gets a richly detailed and very funny reboot here. The weekend before his wedding, Doug (Justin Bartha) takes off for Vegas with his best friends Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), and future borther in law Alan (Zach Galifianikis) and their first night there, they have an insane party (which we don't see). When they wake up in the morning, a chicken is roaming the suite, a woman is sneaking out the door, there's a baby in the closet and a tiger in the bathroom, and Doug is nowhere to be found. To say anymore would ruin it, not exactly steeped in realism, but complete off-the-wall fun. The film was such a box office smash, that it actually spawned two sequels, but they just felt like retreads of this one. 4

[Stirchley]

This one disappointed me too...a link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2545015-nickel_boys.html

Good review. I felt I should stay with it - a friend on X raved about it - but I eventually bailed out. I need to be entertained!

[Wooley]

Wow, I liked this movie a lot more than you did, I think it's one of Woody's best.

Yeah, I've only seen it once but I felt like it might be a masterpiece.

[Fabulous]

Genius (2016)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/8xhRZIkGGhMkKThZISkpWuVplv7.jpg

[MovieGal]

107162
Henry's Crime
(2010)
3/5

First I want to say, Keanu needs to stay away from Romance films!

A man falsely accused of a crime, who does time in prison for that crime, decides to commit that crime once he is released. Along the way, he falls in love with the woman who hit him with her car.

This was a silly, horrible film. You would think with James Caan and Peter Stormare, who are great actors, that they would pick up where the silliness ends.

Keanu's acting rating: 2/5.

Action only, Keanu!

[exiler96]

Zeroes and Ones (2021) - I rolled with it's meshy imagery and doomed vibe for a while ngl, but then the audacity of where it's plot (LOL) goes frustrated me. Ethan Hawke is commited, and (half)ideas are raised; none of them new but all of them important (US troops involvement and torture in other countries, distrust towards goverments, the state of Christianity today and the three thousand-years war, fit Russian ladies who want to have your child)...yet none of them mount to a clear point. I respect Ferrara's autership but the more I reflect upon my experience with this, the more this means nothing... but zeroes and ones, here and there. 4/10.

https://img.pastemagazine.com/wp-content/avuploads/2021/11/15022752/5026584cb5030e590796c8ef6b62b53e.jpg

[Hotel Security]

>Manhattan
Yeah, I've only seen it once but I felt like it might be a masterpiece.

Agreed. I just saw it last year and thought it was fantastic. Sure, not as a hilarious as Annie Hall but a fine follow-up either way. Love Diane Keaton's neurotic character as well.

[Siddon]

Highly rated, but couldn’t make heads or tails of the first half hour or so. Tried to engage, but gave up eventually.




Nickel Boys is one of those films that I'm deeply conflicted about. The filmmaker made it vague so it could be about black trauma which makes sense for the narrative and time period. However watching documentaries about the Dozier School it was very much about child abuse for everyone and the filmmakers choices where very manipulative. So the issue with the film, is, is it okay to manipulate the abuse of children to send a specific message.


The gimmick was used so they didn't have to deal with the narrative problems of telling a tragic fake story, which was embellished so that it could also work with Jim Crowe south.

[Thief]

CITY LIGHTS
(1931, Chaplin)

https://i.imgur.com/o7XnTFN.jpeg


"Wonderful! Then I'll be able to see you."



As is the case with a lot of Chaplin films, most of what happens with the Tramp might feel like separate skits connected by whatever the story is. City Lights is not very different, but the main story behind feels a bit more cohesive than other of his films. Even the bits with the millionaire, which some people might consider to be the more peripheral, still feels fairly well connected to the main story between the Tramp and the girl.

Also, most of the different sequences and setpieces are fun. The most notable is probably when the Tramp is lured into a boxing match to split the money. The way that Chaplin uses the score and the fight/dance choreography is quite magical AND funny. There were a couple of funny scenes where the millionaire takes the Tramp to a party that were really effective as well.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2552963#post2552963)

[Darth Pazuzu]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e8/Novocaine_%282025%29_poster.jpg/250px-Novocaine_%282025%29_poster.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/98/The_Woman_in_the_Yard_film_poster.jpg/250px-The_Woman_in_the_Yard_film_poster.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c1/Death_of_a_unicorn.jpg/250px-Death_of_a_unicorn.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7a/Drop_Poster.jpg/250px-Drop_Poster.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a3/The_Amateur_2025_poster.jpg/250px-The_Amateur_2025_poster.jpg

April 1, 2025

NOVOCAINE (Dan Berk - Robert Olsen / 2025)

April 8, 2025

THE WOMAN IN THE YARD (Jaume Collet-Serra / 2025)
DEATH OF A UNICORN (Alex Scharfman / 2025)

April 15, 2025

DROP (Christopher Landon / 2025)
THE AMATEUR (James Hawes / 2025)

I've seriously got to be more diligent about posting reviews of theatrical features as soon as I possibly can after I've seen them, because after three weeks everything just piles up! :eek: Oh well, I'll try to keep things brief...

Novocaine
Not the best, not the worst. Kind of a cool idea, about an assistant bank manager (Jack Quaid) who can't feel any pain, which makes him into a kind of "superhero." The bank gets robbed, his new girlfriend (Amber Midthunder) gets taken hostage, and he goes after the bad guys himself. Kind of cool comedy gags with our hero getting repeatedly subjected to any number of physical insults which would traumatize anyone else, but which he more or less just shakes off. I like how the movie takes its time before turning into an all-out action comedy, starting out as kind of a touching rom-com. (Granted, that's not really my sort of genre, but in this case it adds a legit element of distinctiveness to something which could otherwise have been - and still kind of is - rather predictable.)

The Woman in the Yard
Kind of a cool horror movie about a mysterious woman in black who visits a family living on a farm after they've been through a recent tragedy. It actually kind of reminds me of Stephen King's The Shining in the way the supernatural threat is a kind of representation / projection / extension of the worst instincts of a parent desperately trying to keep his / her life together. In this case, it's a recently widowed mother (Danielle Deadwyler, who's very good) who is taking care of two children and a farm left behind after her husband is killed in a car accident. And the mysterious woman in black (Okwui Okpokwasili) is figuratively and literally a shadow manifestation.

Death of a Unicorn
Kind of irreverent, smart-alecky fantasy / comedy / social satire, but no less entertaining for all that. It's about a father (Paul Rudd) and daughter (Jenna Ortega) who take a car trip up to the secluded woodland estate of the father's wealthy but ailing boss (Richard E. Grant), only to collide with a mysterious creature that could only be a unicorn. They take the creature's body and put it in the backseat for the rest of the trip. Everyone eventually discovers that the unicorn's genes have the power to cure all human illnesses - including that of the boss - and everyone is frantically trying to figure out how to profit from this miracle. But one catch: There's more than one unicorn living in the area, and they've got a mean streak! Much carnage ensues, including impaling on horns...

Drop
If you've seen the trailer, you pretty much get the picture, but the actual film itself is decently executed. A recently widowed mother (and domestic abuse survivor) leaves her son with the babysitter and goes to a fancy restaurant for a blind date. The man turns out to be a nice guy, and the two personally click, but then she starts getting threatening digital drops on her phone, telling her that unless she kills her date with a vial of poison slipped into his drink, the messenger will order her son to be killed. And the person sending the messages is located somewhere in the restaurant. Interesting visual style, with the digital messages displayed directly to the audience and multiple camera perspectives projected onto the wall behind the main character. Ultimately it's very slight, but it's got a few cool twists. You know you're having a good night at the movies when you slam your fist onto the armrest five times in a row when the bad guy bites the dust. In this case, the bad guy (not saying who) goes out the window and plummets to a messy death, as does one of the culprits in the next movie...

The Amateur
Actually a remake of a 1981 thriller starring John Savage and Christopher Plummer, which I haven't seen. A computer programmer (Rami Malek) who writes code for the CIA is struck by tragedy when his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a terrorist attack in London. To make matters worse, the botched attack would appear to be blowback from illegal actions undertaken by his boss (Holt McCallany) which he has recently uncovered. Our hero then sets out to take revenge on the men responsible for killing his wife, but being a computer geek and not a killer, he takes his own particular route to vengeance which makes better use of his particular skill set. He can kill, but only from a distance. A thematically interesting spy / revenge thriller, dealing with the subject of grief and how to fill the silence left behind by the loss of a loved one, as well as the murky ethics involved with killing people from a distance or with the touch of a button. Ultimately I'm left with one burning question: Why is Jon Bernthal's character made up to bear a passing resemblance to a shaggier version of Keanu Reeves? (I was actually left wondering whether or not that was Keanu when I saw the trailer!) :lol:

To make a (potentially) long story short, these were all okay movies. Not great, but not terrible, either. This just seems to be the trend for me these days. I'm mildly entertained, but out-and-out classics would seem to be rather scarce these days. :( Oh well...

[Thief]

G20
(2025, Riggen)

https://i.imgur.com/KvzlGrW.jpeg


"Now all we need is the American president to blow the doors off."



G20 follows President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis) as she heads out with her family to lead a G20 summit in South Africa. However, things go awry when a mercenary (Antony Starr) takes over the event in an effort to get some cryptocurrency, or something. Whatever, cause all we need is the American president blowing doors off, and she does.

Having Davis in the lead role is a definite plus, and she obviously delivers; both in the action moments and the dramatic moments. Having her character be a former soldier helps, but I also liked how she gave her some moments of vulnerability and shock before she properly "clicks" into combat mode. Obviously there are moments where you have to suspend your disbelief, but the film gives you enough to think that she could pull this off.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2552979#post2552979)

[iluv2viddyfilms]

A few viewings from the past few days:

The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948) - C+
Poor Things (2023) - B
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) - A+

[Fabulous]

Bandits (2001)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/aRkc5hijz5eN7209r4Ndd2tl1iG.jpg

[stillmellow]

Mulan (1998)


https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/media/mulan-1998-movie-billboard-1548.jpg?w=942&h=623&crop=1


"A"

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Arizona_%282018_film%29.png
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58261392

Arizona - (2018)

Pretty strange this one - it has all the feel of what started out as your run of the mill thriller which was then hijacked by stars Danny McBride (who features prominently as lead antagonist Sonny) and Seth Rogen (who features in a smaller role, uncredited, as Real Estate boss Gary - the first person Sonny murders in a rage prompted by the financial position he's been put in during the 2008/9 economic crisis.) What might have been an ordinary hostage drama becomes one of those black comedies which features McBride going off on tangents during impromptu improvisation. You know the type of humour if you're well versed in the universe those actors inhabit. I don't know if it's a good enough black comedy to call this really funny, and the funny stuff does rob proceedings of a lot what might have been tension. Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Wilson and Elizabeth Gillies round out a game cast. It was unusual enough to at least be entertaining, and it's at least amusing enough for me to not hate it.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Derangedposter.jpg
By Copied from MGM web site, and intellectual property owned by MGM., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11792185

Deranged - (1974)

A real-life accounting of the ghoulish crimes of Ed Gein. It's cartoonishly bizarre, and if it weren't so overwhelmingly horrific and sad it'd be a morbid comedy. Something you'd expect from a Lloyd Kaufman. Alfred Hitchcock and Tobe Hooper produced tragic figures and monsters by distilling the essence of darkness from the story, but in Deranged it's put before us naked and in it's raw form. As such it ironically feels less real and strangely silly, but not less worth seeing for a peek behind the curtain into this rare representation of America's first real-life famous ogre, who became a byword for grisly shock and insanity. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2553124#post2553124), in my watchlist thread.

7/10

[Stirchley]

Excellent strange dystopian movie. Three leads all very good. Always love to see Alicia.

107238

[Stirchley]

107239

Excellent movie.

[MovieGal]

107241
Chain Reaction
(1996)
3.5/5

A crime thriller about an agency framing a young machinist at a college for a death of a scientist, and hes the only one who knows the frequency to convert water into free energy.


107242
Hardball
(2001)
3.75/5

A touching story about a compulsive gambler, whose buddy pays off his debt, who agrees to coach an intercity baseball team. Along the way, he learns about himself and how to care about others.

These are two of the 80 something films starring Keanu Reeves. I figured since Im a John Wick die hard fan, I would watch his filmography, including past films I have seen. Everyone has mixed feelings if he’s a great actor or not.

Both of these films I really enjoyed.

I think he's pretty damn good at certain genres. I think that some of the films he selects are bad scripts and/or bad directors. Hes an entertaining actor and thats his job, to entertain.

[Wooley]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a3/The_Amateur_2025_poster.jpg/250px-The_Amateur_2025_poster.jpg

The Amateur
Actually a remake of a 1981 thriller starring John Savage and Christopher Plummer, which I haven't seen. A computer programmer (Rami Malek) who writes code for the CIA is struck by tragedy when his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a terrorist attack in London. To make matters worse, the botched attack would appear to be blowback from illegal actions undertaken by his boss (Holt McCallany) which he has recently uncovered. Our hero then sets out to take revenge on the men responsible for killing his wife, but being a computer geek and not a killer, he takes his own particular route to vengeance which makes better use of his particular skill set. He can kill, but only from a distance. A thematically interesting spy / revenge thriller, dealing with the subject of grief and how to fill the silence left behind by the loss of a loved one, as well as the murky ethics involved with killing people from a distance or with the touch of a button. Ultimately I'm left with one burning question: Why is Jon Bernthal's character made up to bear a passing resemblance to a shaggier version of Keanu Reeves? (I was actually left wondering whether or not that was Keanu when I saw the trailer!) :lol:



I loved the original The Amateur, I watched it at least a dozen times.
I can't stand Rami Malek so I will probably avoid the remake but you have inspired me to see if I can go find the original somewhere.

[matt72582]

>Mr Skeffington
>1st Rewatch...Bette Davis appears to be having a ball in this lavish 1944 soap opera about a flighty and vain socialite named Fanny Trellis who has four different men determined to marry her

I've read both bad and good things about this movie was unable to decide if I should see it. Nice to see a positive review. I may have to try it.

---

Nights of Cabiria (1957)
https://keithandthemovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/cabiria-poster.jpg?w=545

First Time Watching. Well, I mentioned in the other threads that I needed to check out Federico Fellini so there's no better time than the present. Thought this movie was excellent. The main actress is engaging, charming, and has a wonderful smile but also is pretty in-your-face for much of it as she doesn't take crap from anyone...her character somewhat reminded me of Anora with the same tough-gal attitude. Music was great, visuals were great, and it does a remarkable job juggling comedy and tragedy which is something a lot of films fail to pull off. A great experience for my first Fellini and I'll definitely be checking out more of his stuff. Any suggestions are appreciated.




"La Strada"

[exiler96]

The Naked Island (1960) - And here we were, losing our minds when PTA kept it all dialogue-free for 20 minutes in 2007; when Kaneto Shindō did it for a whole film - which happens to be a more universal statement on working man's condition btw - like fifty years prior. mad proprs.

The first half-hour is great, the middle part is lesser... but once a certain death hits the family, it hits hard, and the way the film handles the aftermath is unforgettable.
An essential cinematic poem. 9/10.

https://trailersfromhell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/5107d.jpg
https://trailersfromhell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/5107b.jpg

[Captain Quint]

https://youtu.be/tbW-pmLT5UU?si=MtfZQdqYnGpWXCrl

Just got home from the 20th anniversary showing. I so love the novel and this movie, and while it's become very familiar to me, there are still things I noticed for the first time (at the ball, the brief shot of Carolyn sizing up Mr. Collins - there's so much you can infer in that look she gives him... like, she knows darn well Lizzie will have nothing to do with this fool, but this fool could be what she needs for a safe and secure life).

And I admire how it moves - from the very first shot, the way the camera follows Elizabeth, then allows her to go on her on way while it enters the house to introduce us to the rest of the family. The 2nd Ball is amazing, where the all-seeing eye glides from room to room, touching briefly on each person’s little dramas - it leaves them, connects with another, only to return to catch up later on. It’s a sharply choreographed dance on its own and illustrates how people can be isolated in their own little worlds, even when surrounded by a crowd.

The edits and scene transitions, the incredible dialogue, the acting (my favorite performance from Knightly and Macfadyen's a delight as Darcy). It's a movie I enjoy as art, and as entertainment - it's a special one - a perfectly lovely, romantic (and humorous) story. I'm so happy I was afforded the opportunity to revisit it on the big screen.

I'm in a very good mood right now.

5

[MovieGal]

https://youtu.be/tbW-pmLT5UU?si=MtfZQdqYnGpWXCrl

Just got home from the 20th anniversary showing. I so love the novel and this movie, and while it's become very familiar to me, there are still things I noticed for the first time (at the ball, the brief shot of Carolyn sizing up Mr. Collins - there's so much you can infer in that look she gives him... like, she knows darn well Lizzie will have nothing to do with this fool, but this fool could be what she needs for a safe and secure life).

And I admire how it moves - from the very first shot, the way the camera follows Elizabeth, then allows her to go on her on way while it enters the house to introduce us to the rest of the family. The 2nd Ball is amazing, where the all-seeing eye glides from room to room, touching briefly on each person’s little dramas - it leaves them, connects with another, only to return to catch up later on. It’s a sharply choreographed dance on its own and illustrates how people can be isolated in their own little worlds, even when surrounded by a crowd.

The edits and scene transitions, the incredible dialogue, the acting (my favorite performance from Knightly and Macfadyen's a delight as Darcy). It's a movie I enjoy as art, and as entertainment - it's a special one - a perfectly lovely, romantic (and humorous) story. I'm so happy I was afforded the opportunity to revisit it on the big screen.

I'm in a very good mood right now.

5

I plan on seeing it. Its my favorite romance film and Im a Matthew McFadyen fan.

[LeBoyWondeur]

Miss Congeniality (2000)

107246

I had seen this before, which makes it even worse.
It's one of those whacky, against-type undercover stories that we've already seen in several TV cop shows (or better movies such as Cruising) with the focus on all kinds of caricature.
Well, that could work except that the humour in this film is exasperatingly unimaginative and lowbrow, and as I continued watching (because I was too perplexed to stop) I felt my brain cells rotting away, one by one.
On the upside, towards the end of the film I felt so intellectually degraded that I actually started to laugh, and couldn't even stop.

Furthermore, I don't think this film could have been done better by the people involved in the "creative" process. I truly believe Miss Congeniality looks exactly the way it was meant to be, and in that regard it's not a failure.
But that's like giving someone who's never played the violin a violin, and then ask that person to perform a piece of music. It's going to sound awful....but not bad because good wasn't an option?
Such a funny dilemma.

William Shatner is the only actor in this film who manage to come out (relatively) unscathed, all the others are just bad copies of old sitcom characters.
Now I've got this perverse desire to see if the sequel is going to look worse, or in this case, much much worse.

1 (that's overrated, but there's got to be something left for the sequel).

[I_Wear_Pants]

My mom and I took my kiddos to A Minecraft Movie this afternoon. I know very little of the mythos and I know I'm not the target demographic, so I don't feel I can write a good review for my thread. I liked the movie well enough. It's silly and doesn't take itself seriously while also being fairly clever. It was an enjoyable way to pass an hour and a half.

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/Lost_Higway_%281997%29.png
By The poster art can or could be obtained from October Films., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56859680

Lost Highway - (1997)

Although much here is surreal, the great thing about Lost Highway was that although so much of what was happening was a mystery to me, I always knew what was going on. I could understand all of it, while at the same time what it all meant was not readily apparent on the surface. It was very much a dream in movie form. When the opening credits feature an obscure 90s David Bowie song (from his Outside album, itself inspired by Twin Peaks), it's the best of all signs as to how much I'll enjoy the proceedings - which I did immensely. But back to this being like a dream - where else do you suddenly find you may have murdered your wife, suddenly flash-forward through a trial and death penalty to all of the sudden become migraine sick and transform into a completely different person with a different life? Robert Blake's Mystery Man was chilling, and an excellent creepy puppet-master to glue proceedings together. A cloud still hangs over that actor's name. His last film, along with Jack Nance. I enjoyed Bill Pullman's turn as troubled saxophone player Fred Madison, Patricia Arquette in dual roles, a bit of Gary Busey as Pete Dayton's (Balthazar Getty) dad and sadly the last of Richard Pryor. Amazing soundtrack (I'm not just saying that because of Bowie, Lou Reed and Rammstein - it's all great) and all-up an evocative, mysterious and fabulous surrealist neo-noir horror film.

9/10

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/sm/upload/25/5e/r1/3t/z6yhgEzGUJaBBgAxoyggRzwLnVM-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=49d0ffd43f
no wonder i liked this so much when i was 15 its lame as hell.
2

[PHOENIX74]

I wonder if two people have ever posted a review for the same movie on this site in the same forum at precisely the same moment.

[exiler96]

I wonder if two people have ever posted a review for the same movie on this site in the same forum at precisely the same moment.

And with such different takes :D

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/ff/The_Substance_poster.jpg/250px-The_Substance_poster.jpg

4

SF = Z

Viewed: Blu ray

This film had a lot of what I can't stand watching - needles, teeth removed, fingernails removed - in close up... brilliant.


https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExangzYTJyM244bWFzdjhwcGt2a2d1bGljYXY4NWZ1amlwZms1dmUzMSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfY nlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/XidjMKBVCrFQs/giphy.gif




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

[Fabulous]

Jules (2023)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/uruBjcRfBrhWb4e3wS5T95hy0FL.jpg

[LeBoyWondeur]

I wonder if two people have ever posted a review for the same movie on this site in the same forum at precisely the same moment.
Yes, that happened to Fabulous and Captain Steel not so long ago.
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2516936#post2516936

[exiler96]

Pitfall (1962) - This debut from Hiroshi Teshigahara is an absurdist (if not surrealist) take on the exploitation of the workers by (literally) untouchable industrialists. It doesn't come together super-well (the middle section with other union workers didn't serve to much purpose IMO) but promises a serious visionary.

It seems to me like a serious of mean jokes life has lined-up for you ... a man who is promised a new job gets stabbed to death instead > The sole witness takes money from the murderer to not report it correctly > that witness is also the sole woman in the world of this story who gets raped by an authority figure > she eventually gets killed by the same killer > both main victims run after him shouting the "why?" of it all but get no answer... the closing shot says everything: even children don't "see" the souls / the other, supposedly spiritual world in this universe.

Alienating landscapes and ominous music create a experience that is hard to shake afterwards. An instant "bad vibes" mini-classic. hard 8/10.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDb_440_SanxP1AyRn7xWT-6e4kRTXGQh5KNITGqak-Ycq1C7zsuX8o-G8Nzts8WWPLj-nhJyizFl8wNMrFiN1cQWmmt7iQQWuxZ8jinqPxtSvkM1dZGU4UOum68yoGBwCI9AuI2rpupS/s1600/unnamed.jpg

[LeBoyWondeur]

Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994)

107250

This wasn't on my to-rewatch list but since it was free with Prime and also because I expect it to show up in the 1990s Countdown Redux I thought it wouldn't hurt to refresh my memory.

It's not difficult to see why this has become such a beloved classic, it's a film with a big heart and well-timed comedy but above all it's a very character-driven drama - a Merchant Ivory amongst comedies.
It deals with the familiar setup of British middle class mixed with upper class/aristocracy often linked by an institution such as Oxford or whatever fortunate upbringing.
From Brideshead Revisited to Chariots Of Fire to Saltburn and I'm sure there are many more examples.
This being a comedy surely helps to make the characters as relatable as possible despite some eccentricities here and there.

John Hannah's funeral speech is tasteful and poignant and naturally all the characters are supposed to be upset by the death of their colourful friend, but I could almost believe that the actors themselves were moved by that very performance.

I'm not sure if it represents the very best of British cinema since there are some aspects that are painted with broad strokes - possibly to appeal to an international audience - but I wouldn't be surprised to see it ranked in the top 50 of said Countdown Redux.

4

p.s. when the film had ended I tried very hard to remember what character was played by Helena Bonham Carter, but according to IMDB she wasn't in this film at all. Gasp.
It's almost as if they had made an effort not to cast her. Or maybe she was kidnapped and locked up in a basement by one of the potential cast members just to make sure that she couldn't accept any of the roles.

[Gideon58]

Genius (2016)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/8xhRZIkGGhMkKThZISkpWuVplv7.jpg

Loved this movie…Kidman stole the show

[Gideon58]

Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994)

107250

This wasn't on my to-rewatch list but since it was free with Prime and also because I expect it to show up in the 1990s Countdown Redux I thought it wouldn't hurt to refresh my memory.

It's not difficult to see why this has become such a beloved classic, it's a film with a big heart and well-timed comedy but above all it's a very character-driven drama - a Merchant Ivory amongst comedies.
It deals with the familiar setup of British middle class mixed with upper class/aristocracy often linked by an institution such as Oxford or whatever fortunate upbringing.
From Brideshead Revisited to Chariots Of Fire to Saltburn and I'm sure there are many more examples.
This being a comedy surely helps to make the characters as relatable as possible despite some eccentricities here and there.

John Hannah's funeral speech is tasteful and poignant and naturally all the characters are supposed to be upset by the death of their colourful friend, but I could almost believe that the actors themselves were moved by that very performance.

I'm not sure if it represents the very best of British cinema since there are some aspects that are painted with broad strokes - possibly to appeal to an international audience - but I wouldn't be surprised to see it ranked in the top 50 of said Countdown Redux.

4

p.s. when the film had ended I tried very hard to remember what character was played by Helena Bonham Carter, but according to IMDB she wasn't in this film at all. Gasp.
It's almost as if they had made an effort not to cast her. Or maybe she was kidnapped and locked up in a basement by one of the potential cast members just to make sure that she couldn't accept any of the roles.

Don’t get all the love for this movie. I turned it off after about 20 minutes

[LeBoyWondeur]

Don’t get all the love for this movie. I turned it off after about 20 minutes
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bd/ba/88/bdba88f88f0835af329ed76960b32b69.gif

[chawhee]

Matilda (1996)
https://www.cinemaclock.com/images/posters/1000x1500/17/matilda-1996-us-poster.jpg
3.5
Had my daughter watch this for the first time, and its funnier than I remembered. I also remembered why I didn't like it as much as some other people with all the magic stuff at the end.

[Gideon58]

Miss Congeniality (2000)

107246

I had seen this before, which makes it even worse.
It's one of those whacky, against-type undercover stories that we've already seen in several TV cop shows (or better movies such as Cruising) with the focus on all kinds of caricature.
Well, that could work except that the humour in this film is exasperatingly unimaginative and lowbrow, and as I continued watching (because I was too perplexed to stop) I felt my brain cells rotting away, one by one.
On the upside, towards the end of the film I felt so intellectually degraded that I actually started to laugh, and couldn't even stop.

Furthermore, I don't think this film could have been done better by the people involved in the "creative" process. I truly believe Miss Congeniality looks exactly the way it was meant to be, and in that regard it's not a failure.
But that's like giving someone who's never played the violin a violin, and then ask that person to perform a piece of music. It's going to sound awful....but not bad because good wasn't an option?
Such a funny dilemma.

William Shatner is the only actor in this film who manage to come out (relatively) unscathed, all the others are just bad copies of old sitcom characters.
Now I've got this perverse desire to see if the sequel is going to look worse, or in this case, much much worse.

1 (that's overrated, but there's got to be something left for the sequel).

Wow, don’t hold back how did you really feel about this movie?

[LeBoyWondeur]

Wow, don’t hold back how did you really feel about this movie?
Oh I LOVE the film but I thought it would be more fun to bait everyone with a negative review.

[markdc]

The Hurricane Heist (2018)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/The_Hurricane_Heist.png
I’m a hopeless sucker for heist movies, and this one was a lot of fun. I especially like heist movies that take place under horrible weather conditions (i.e. Hard Rain). I was surprised to see that Rob Cohen directed this movie. Haven’t seen a movie by him in at least twenty years.
rating_3

[markdc]

A Working Man (2025)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/A_Working_Man_Poster.jpg
Barring two exceptions, I’ve enjoyed all of Jason Statham’s action thrillers that I’ve seen, and A Working Man is the best one so far. This movie is a much more violent and grittier version of Taken (which I believe was P3-13). Bryan Mills has NOTHING on Levon Cade. Like Antoine Fuqua, David Ayer is a sure hand in this genre, and he and Statham work well together (I also greatly enjoyed The Beekeeper). I hope to see more from them in the future.
rating_3_5

[Gideon58]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bd/ba/88/bdba88f88f0835af329ed76960b32b69.gif

What’s to explain? The movie bored me and I turned it off.

[LeBoyWondeur]

The movie bored me
Okay, at least that's something.
Still I'm curious to know what you found so boring about those first 20 minutes.
Was it because it didn't live up to your expectations, considering the popularity of this film?

[Allaby]

Beaster Day: Here Comes Peter Cottonhell (2014) This is hilarious and a lot of fun. My theory is that the people who give this movie a low rating were hired by the Easter Bunny to review bomb it because the Easter Bunny doesn't want anyone to know the truth. Beaster Day doesn't take itself seriously and the cast look like they are having fun. The actors do what the movie calls for and I enjoyed the performances. The giant killer Easter Bunny looks ridiculous (which it should) and the kills are creative and over the top. If you like wacky fun and the Easter bunny, then check this out. 4

[exiler96]

The Inheritance (1962) – Owner of a giant tech company is dying in a few months and the search for his three illegitimate children / heirs to his belongings begin.

A satisfying neo-noir (I mean look at this elegant cinematography) in which Kobayashi uses the “who will end up with everything?!” narrative to go beyond the web of out-smarting and back-stabbings and comment on the imbalance of power, ambition and misogyny.
Keiko Kishi (who is still around!) gives a terrific turn here – especially as her character takes action mid-way; instantly making this a “good for her” classic.... 8.5/10

https://myrarefilms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Inheritance-1.jpg

[Captain Quint]

The Inheritance (1962)

Love that one and ranked it high on my Kobayashi list. Looks like I watched it in 2019 on the Criterion Channel. (And it came out the same year as his classic, Harakiri - great year for the director)

[Allaby]

The Passion Live (2016, tv movie) Rewatched on Tubi. This live musical special from 2016 is like the story of Jesus, except set in contemporary times and Jesus and the disciples do karaoke, including singing songs by Katy Perry, Imagine Dragons, Train, Creed, Hobostank, and Evanescence. Tyler Perry narrates, Jencarlos Canela plays Jesus, Chris Daughtry is Judas, Seal is Pilate, and Trisha Yearwood is Mary. I really enjoyed the musical numbers and the performances, especially by Daughtry and Canela, are quite good. 4

[ueno_station54]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/2/7/0/6/2706-star-wars-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=f1f1271bf5
some cool stuff but its also pretty dry and slow.
3

[exiler96]

https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/film-poster/2/7/0/6/2706-star-wars-0-2000-0-3000-crop.jpg?v=f1f1271bf5


https://media.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExd2ZkdHhjazc5MjV4MjRpdWdmcmg5Ync5MWRqdDBidnY2dGgzd2k4aiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjd D1n/uUIFcDYRbvJTtxaFNa/giphy.gif

[Fabulous]

Parents (1989)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/AnZ4CfOxOW1GXMfCF4XBeaO8NWi.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Grand_canyon_poster.jpg
By IMDb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22393471

Grand Canyon - (1991)

You know what's amazing? I haven't seen Grand Canyon since the 1990s, and at most I've only ever seen it twice - but despite that, as I watched each scene I remembered nearly everything. That means all of the scenes, visuals and lines of dialogue in this movie have been knocking around in my brain for nearly 30 years - without me having thought about them at all. They've been in there, dormant, never accessed. How much information like that is stored in my brain? Where in my brain is all this information? Never mind. You know, this one is kind of schmaltzy but it's one I like regardless. Kasdan makes this movie about life and friendship feel a little real, and just manages to fend of any pretentiousness or mawkish sentimentality despite looming signs of such appearing constantly. A terrific Steve Martin, branching out into more dramatic territory, helps enormously as shallow action film producer Davis - his "seeing the light" and subsequent reversal keeps our feet planted after threatening to skew proceedings too far towards the light. Kasdan is less surefooted when it comes to race, but overall my fond memories of Grand Canyon remained intact. Enjoyed reanimating the part of my brain it resides in - it's not a truly great movie, but it's solid and true feelgood entertainment as long as you're not feeling too cynical.

7/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/69/LastDeadEndStreet.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10319129

Last House on Dead End Street - (1973)

Infamous once hard-to-find horror movie about a maker of snuff movies. Shot on a budget of $3000 ($2200 of which went towards buying drugs) - it's crude, and not really well made from what I could discern. Famous for it's shocking last 20 minutes of gory murder. I kind of hated it, but researching the history of this movie was really interesting. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2553724#post2553724), in my watchlist thread.

3/10

[exiler96]

The Pornographers (1966, unbelievable year)…. An observation on the times and affairs of low-lives in a neighborhood. I guess this is to Imamura what I Vitelloni is to Fellini, Faces to Cassavetes and Mean Streets to Scorsese… except that Imamura goes beyond the every-day laughs and nastiness to attack the obscure situations of a post-war (post-God, really) modern world where everything - especially relations between citizens/men & women/family members - have turned to hopeless degeneration and confusion; making you question if morals ever carried some higher truth to them or they’re just outdated contracts we made at some point in time...

It starts as a somewhat amusing neo-realist piece where only the bold symbolism of a certain fish and boxed-in mise-en-scènes stand out (characters are almost jailed - and we with them - in doorway and window frames all the time) anchored by a surprisingly likeable performance from Shōichi Ozawa.. but then where the story - and the style - goes become increasingly more disturbing (and not always for the obvious reasons; like a bit is only the son’s girlfriend walking towards the camera and I can’t clearly say why it’s nerve-wracking) to the point that all you could do is to chuckle but that makes it more uncomfortable, and then the final 20 minutes arrive…

I can only imagine the angst that it must've caused at the time of release; just an early bit of a mother rubbing her son's belly under the blanket was enough to get a reaction out of me watching this in 2025 (it's filled with moments and signs like these)... truly a provocative work of art. Hard 8/10.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l3qzex02Rb1qbhsbe.jpg

Captain Quint have you checked this out?

[Captain Quint]

Captain Quint have you checked this out?

I started it, years ago, but never finished it.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/8163OxFUlKL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg



1st Rewatch...Despite a likable cast, I found this crime comedy a little hard to believe. Diane Keaton stars a s a middle-aged housewife who gets a job at the Federal Reserve in DC where old money is burned and comes up with an idea to steal the old money, but can only do it with the aid of0 a couple of co-workers (Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes) because they work in three different departments and it requires all three of them to pull it off. The screenplay errs by beginning the film with the end of the story, draining any suspense out of the story. I just found it really hard to swallow that three women could actually pull of a scam like this at the Federal Reserve with all the security there. The three ladies work well together and I loved Ted Danson as Keaton's husband and Stephen Root as the ladies' boss, but I just couldn't get behind these ladies pulling this off. 2.5

[Gideon58]

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5th Rewatch...I don't know what else can be said about this Scorsese masterpiece tat hasn't been already said. As impressive as it is. in terms of pure entertainment value, I have come to prefer Casino, but this film still holds up.

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Mydreamisyoursposter.jpg



1st Rewatch...Doris Day's second feature film appearance finds her playing a song plugger who is discovered by a Hollywood agent (Jack Carson) who pursues her to replace a radio star (Lee Bowman) who refuses to sign his new contract. Day and Carson are terrific but the screenplay makes Doris look like an idiot because her character only has eyes for Bowman. who cares more about his own career than he does about her. There are some terrific musical numbers including a fantasy number with Day, Caroon and Warner Brothers' biggest star, Bugs Bunny. If the truth be told, the film is effortlessly stolen by the fabulous Eve Arden as Carson's assistant, Vi. 3

[Gideon58]

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


3rd Rewatch...Sissy Spacek's brilliant Oscar-winning performance anchois this 1980 rags to riches biography of country music superstar Loretta Lynn. Spacek is perfection in the title role and is matched scene for scene by Tommy Lee Jones as her devoted husband, Doo, Kudos as well to Beverly D'Angelo as Patsy Cline and Levon Helm as Loretta'sa dad. I understand Spacek's Oscar win, but I am the only person on the planet who thinks the Best Actress Oscar that year should have gone to Mary Tyler Moore. 4.5

[doubledenim]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2E5NzI2ZGMtY2VjNi00YTRjLWI1MDUtZGY5OWU1MWJjZjRjXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg


5th Rewatch...I don't know what else can be said about this Scorsese masterpiece tat hasn't been already said. As impressive as it is. in terms of pure entertainment value, I have come to prefer Casino, but this film still holds up.

It brought us Paul Sorvino’s greatest contribution to society!

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Zu7y0v-AL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


1st Rewatch...Pretty sure I am the only one who found this adult comedy fantasy falkl on the floor funny. This is the story of a dog named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) who gets dtthed by his scumbag owner, Doug (Will Forte) and finds help from three other, Bug (voiced by Jamie Foxx), Maggie (voiced by Isla Fisher), and Hunter (voiced by Randall Park) on how to survive as a stray but are eventually convinced by Reggie to help him in his revenge scheme against Doug. Highlights for me were the visit to the amusement park, the dogs' encounter with magic mushrooms, and Big's flashback regarding his previous owner. On the surface, it looks like a children's comedy, but the film contains strong adult language and I still stand by the fact that, just like my first viewing, it had me laughing my ass off. 4

[Allaby]

The Gospel of Mark (2015) I really wanted to like this one, but I found it underwhelming. It was too slow and the actor playing Jesus felt miscast. He wasn't bad, just a little too dry and not engaging enough. The sets, costumes, score and cinematography were fine. Worth watching once, but there are several better Jesus based films. 3

[markdc]

The Thing (1982)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e3/The_Thing_%281982_film%29.png
This is the second time I’ve seen this movie. I remember the first time I saw The Thing some years back, I rented it from Netflix thinking it wouldn’t be that scary since it had been made such a long time ago and was totally freaked out. As was the case with Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom, the professional critics, who trashed The Thing upon its release in the most vicious terms imaginable, got it completely wrong. John Carpenter’s The Thing is one of the greatest sci-fi and horror movies ever made, and it should forever stand as his magnum opus. With that being said, I understand why audiences avoided The Thing in the summer of ’82 and instead flocked to E.T. (ironically, both movies were produced and released by Universal Pictures); no Reese’s Pieces or magical bicycle rides for Carpenter’s alien.
If you’re in the mood for a touching, optimistic movie about cute, cuddly aliens visiting Earth, then you’d best stick to Steven Spielberg’s classic. But if want to see an alien visitation flick that will frighten you out of your wits, then watch John Carpenter’s masterpiece; just make sure you have a barf bag handy beforehand. And be warned: If you choose to go with the latter film, you may find yourself unwilling to perform CPR on a fellow human who needs your help.
rating_5

[Torgo]

PTU - 4

If one reason you keep coming back to Johnnie To is Lam Suet, this should be the next one you watch. While typically in bit or character parts, he gets a complete arc here as Lo Sa, a sergeant who loses his firearm while pursuing Triads down an alley, a blunder that gets the titular squad involved in retrieving it. What follows is essentially what would happen if Johnnie To made a "one crazy night" movie, and if you're guessing it would be awesome, you would be right.

So, you may be asking, "doesn't a 'one crazy night' movie feature a bunch of young people having a wild time" a la Adventures in Babysitting and Booksmart? That is the genre's norm, but since this one occurs over one night, is in real time and, well, gets a little crazy, I think it qualifies despite no parties breaking out. Hong Kong is the setting, but it's closer to Hong Kong than movie Hong Kong, if you will. Other action movies from the city show its grit and grime, but there are more unflattering locations in this one than you may be used to, kicking off with its filthiest alley, not to mention most slippery, which Lo Sa discovers the hard way. While Lam Suet's sergeant is yet again bumbling, the butt of jokes, etc., he is not all the time. Again, he's afforded more dignity, humanity and dimensions than usual and the actor pulls it off beautifully. One scene in particular where he wrestles with making a deal with the triads to get his gun back may be one of the best acted scenes in a Johnnie To movie. From moments like this to others involving torture and removing crime scene evidence, the movie's claims that the thin blue line is indeed thin are never not dramatic or intense. There is more suspense than action here than usual, but in typical fashion, it saves the best action for last. Besides, this does not mean the suspense is dull: I could have watched the PTU climb the stairs to one of the triads' suspected hideouts for another 20 minutes. It amounts to more proof that few directors understand what it's like to be in the Hong Kong police force as well as Johnnie To does and that none of his tales about them would be the same without Lam Suet. Let's just hope to makes another one where his name is above the title on the poster some day.

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5e/Paddington_in_Peru_poster.jpg/250px-Paddington_in_Peru_poster.jpg

3

SF = Z

Viewed: Netflix


https://media.tenor.com/jAHLV9fQQX4AAAAM/oliviacolman-paddingtonbear.gif


[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

[MovieGal]

107302
Feeling Minnesota
(1996)
4/5


Two brothers, who are both criminals, fight over the same women. She only loves one and will do most anything to be with him. Sam (D'Onofrio) and Jjaks (Reeves) have always competed as brothers. This time it's over Sam's new bride, Freddie (Diaz), who was forced to marry him due to a debt she had to pay to Sam's boss, who is a crime lord.

This is a cute unknown film in my book until recently. D'Onofrio is always pleasant to see on the screen. He's one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. Reeve's character is adorable and very loveable for seeming a bit simple-minded. They are the main two reasons I wanted to see this film.

This is the only romance/crime film I can stand Keanu's acting. I think he's terrible at romance films but this one, his character is adorable as stated above.

[*Sky*]

Зной (1963) - Larisa Shepitko: 6/10
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctsFMUdDoJRf0CHcxF1ToT8H8-kGseYBQBok0busUzExC7RDF8zVlyKQPNwkEEyJcpeqn2_O8Ez4s1xq2O-jI7dhatnPbKQrAm4W6m5TZr8Uk7or-haDTBVkP80RQDp37-sRNg8maMVY/s1600/%25D0%259B%25D0%25B0%25D1%2580%25D0%25B8%25D1%2581%25D0%25B0+%25D0%25A8%25D0%25B5%25D0%25BF%25D0%25B 8%25D1%2582%25D1%258C%25D0%25BA%25D0%25BE.+%25D0%2590%25D0%25BF%25D1%2582%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BF+%2528% 25D0%2597%25D0%25BD%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B9%2529.mp4_snapshot_00.31.25_%255B2017.12.22_10.39.21%255D.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/Never_Let_Go_theatrical_poster.jpg
By Lionsgate - Internet Movie Database, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77273409

Never Let Go - (2024)

Never Let Go doesn't succeed in all departments, but it surely delivers the chills and at times really gave me what's commonly referred to as "the willies". In fact, there's an awful unexpected (and appropriately frightening) scare around a minute or two in that sets the scene for how wonderfully freaky the scary stuff is in this. One overriding question dominates proceedings - a mother played by Halle Berry directs her two young sons to never let go of a rope connected to their house deep in the wilderness because of some evil that's infested the entire world - it will get them if they "let go". Now, is she crazy? One son thinks she is, because the two kids never actually see what their mother sees, and the other is a true believer. As the three of them begin to starve, familial conflict makes their situation more fraught. The metaphorical ideation behind all of this is obvious, but it does fall apart a little as the movie really wants to have things both ways. It desperately wants to have it's cake and eat it too - to add another, unneeded but pointed cliché. Everybody hates this movie - except me*. They hate it. If you go for this movie because of me, remember that I warned you. But man, I was into this from start to finish. The two little kids they got are phenomenal child actors, and there's an ethereal atmosphere that maintains itself throughout - as much as this felt a little (read : a lot) like an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

*Maybe it has something to do with my mother.

7/10

[exiler96]

After Life (1998) - Ah, one of those. First film in a long time that had me smiling from start to finish. What else could I do, facing such relentless waves of imagination and kindness?..... really the only thing that might stand in one's way from enjoying this IMO is if they actively resist even entertaining of the idea that an afterlife exists.

it's a work that consistently charms the viewer as it milks every drop of its concpt and I found myself especially engaged during the first half as I was actively looking for the answers through my own memories while the interviewees were asked to do their own on the screen... also surprising is how the 3rd act becomes abou the interviewers and I realized how slowly we had grown to care for them as well, so much so to feel sad when a depature happens....
Not to be missed. 9/10.

https://www.sensesofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Cteq-Koreeda-After-Life-750x400.jpg

[Guaporense]

K-On! The Movie (2011)
https://resizing.flixster.com/-XZAfHZM39UwaGJIFWKAE8fS0ak=/v3/t/assets/p9526392_p_v8_aa.jpg

A classic indeed. K-On anime franchise is the ultimate highschool nostalgia: perfectly expected and animated. 10/10

[Wooley]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5e/Grand_canyon_poster.jpg
By IMDb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22393471

Grand Canyon - (1991)

You know what's amazing? I haven't seen Grand Canyon since the 1990s, and at most I've only ever seen it twice - but despite that, as I watched each scene I remembered nearly everything. That means all of the scenes, visuals and lines of dialogue in this movie have been knocking around in my brain for nearly 30 years - without me having thought about them at all. They've been in there, dormant, never accessed. How much information like that is stored in my brain? Where in my brain is all this information? Never mind. You know, this one is kind of schmaltzy but it's one I like regardless. Kasdan makes this movie about life and friendship feel a little real, and just manages to fend of any pretentiousness or mawkish sentimentality despite looming signs of such appearing constantly. A terrific Steve Martin, branching out into more dramatic territory, helps enormously as shallow action film producer Davis - his "seeing the light" and subsequent reversal keeps our feet planted after threatening to skew proceedings too far towards the light. Kasdan is less surefooted when it comes to race, but overall my fond memories of Grand Canyon remained intact. Enjoyed reanimating the part of my brain it resides in - it's not a truly great movie, but it's solid and true feelgood entertainment as long as you're not feeling too cynical.

7/10



I'm definitely a fan. Have been since I saw it in the theater, then on the cable, then on VHS, then on DVD. It's been a few years.
"No gun, no respect. That's why I always got the gun."

[LeBoyWondeur]

The Player (1992)

107307

Both wiki and IMDB describe it as a satirical black comedy but there's nothing particularly satirical or funny about what happens on screen.
But even if it is the satire that I just "didn't get" then I must say that Hollywood was already an easy and cliché target in the 1990s.
To me it looks like a Columbo episode without the detective, perhaps with a touch of noir, but the crime and mystery aspects are too much underplayed to make it an intriguing thriller.

One thing that several of Altman films have in common is that they're difficult to categorise, but whereas Nashville cleverly mixes an abundance of genres, The Player looks unique for the absence of genres. Not necessarily a bad thing, and for quite a while I was wondering what kind of film I was watching so I guess that also classifies as "intrigue".

Cinematically it has the Altman trademark of brilliantly executed crowd scenes with overlapping dialogue that would otherwise look very confusing and annoying if it had been done by someone else.
The sets, fashions and hairdos are kinda boring but that's what the late 80s / early 90s looked like so I guess there's no one to blame.
There are some interesting and surprising sound effects (e.g. the love making scene) and the episode at the police station looks positively surreal. I would have liked to see a little bit more of that. Luckily, that happened two years later in The Hudsucker Proxy.

Actors walk-in cameos was nothing new in 1992 but this film takes it to the next level, and if they're not on screen then they're being name-dropped.
Sorry, but this just doesn't work for me at all. The only part that I like happens in the last act when we see Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts in a fake movie.

The feeling is neutral, I don't love it but I don't regret watching it.
2.5

[Stirchley]

107312

I enjoyed this. Two female leads very good.

107313

Fell asleep & missed some of the middle part.
Didn’t feel like tackling this again, but what I did see, I enjoyed.

[Wooley]

The Player (1992)

107307

Both wiki and IMDB describe it as a satirical black comedy but there's nothing particularly satirical or funny about what happens on screen.
But even if it is the satire that I just "didn't get" then I must say that Hollywood was already an easy and cliché target in the 1990s.
To me it looks like a Columbo episode without the detective, perhaps with a touch of noir, but the crime and mystery aspects are too much underplayed to make it an intriguing thriller.

One thing that several of Altman films have in common is that they're difficult to categorise, but whereas Nashville cleverly mixes an abundance of genres, The Player looks unique for the absence of genres. Not necessarily a bad thing, and for quite a while I was wondering what kind of film I was watching so I guess that also classifies as "intrigue".

Cinematically it has the Altman trademark of brilliantly executed crowd scenes with overlapping dialogue that would otherwise look very confusing and annoying if it had been done by someone else.
The sets, fashions and hairdos are kinda boring but that's what the late 80s / early 90s looked like so I guess there's no one to blame.
There are some interesting and surprising sound effects (e.g. the love making scene) and the episode at the police station looks positively surreal. I would have liked to see a little bit more of that. Luckily, that happened two years later in The Hudsucker Proxy.

Actors walk-in cameos was nothing new in 1992 but this film takes it to the next level, and if they're not on screen then they're being name-dropped.
Sorry, but this just doesn't work for me at all. The only part that I like happens in the last act when we see Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts in a fake movie.

The feeling is neutral, I don't love it but I don't regret watching it.
2.5

This has been a favorite of me and my people since it came out. I guess we found it both satirical and funny.

[LeBoyWondeur]

This has been a favorite of me and my people since it came out. I guess we found it both satirical and funny.
I want to see Altman's Short Cuts, 3 Women and A Cold Day In The Park but they're hard to find, even on DVD.

[Stirchley]

I want to see Altman's Short Cuts, 3 Women and A Cold Day In The Park but they're hard to find, even on DVD.

It’s very disturbing when classic movies & tv slowly disappear.

[Gideon58]

Short Cuts and 3 Women are amazing.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81qvcNi19RL.jpg


1st Rewatch....Tim Burton followed up his smash hit with Nicholson and Keaton with this film that has a lighter tone than the '89 film and the absolute bonkers performances by Danny DeVito as the Penguin and MMichelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman help to make this film just as good as the first one. 4

[Thief]

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE
(1989, Spielberg)

https://i.imgur.com/SLJ5yHK.jpeg


"So forget any ideas you've got about lost cities, exotic travel, and digging up the world. We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and 'X' never, ever marks the spot."



Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade follows the titular hero (Harrison Ford) as he sets out to find his estranged father (Sean Connery), and by proxy try to find the Holy Grail that he has been obsessed with for decades. Things are complicated when they realize that the Nazis, as usual, are looking for the same things.

Although it never reaches the levels of the original, it does have a lot of strengths. It has an exciting opening, the addition of Connery is a big plus and his chemistry with Ford is undeniable. It also has a good amount of thrilling and effective action setpieces, even if some of them feel like they are tacked on (the zeppelin ride is one that I feel we could've done without).

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2554029#post2554029)

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5a/It_%282017%29_poster.jpg


1st Rewatch...I always thought it was kind of stupid when TV characters like Kramer on Seinfeld claim to be scared of clowns, but then I think about Pennywise. Stephen King's story first came to television screens back in 1990 as an ABC miniseries shown in two parts. This 2017 re-imagining of the story concentrates on the backstory which only took about 40 minutes of the miniseries. In the first of two films, a little boy named Georgie is lured into a sewer by a clown named Pennywise, who then begins haunting Georgie's older brother Billy and six other so-called "losers" in the fictional town of Derry, scaring the bejesus out of these kids while, not realizing it, teaching these kids how to escape the private hells in which they are all living and that the way to fight them and Pennywise is by sticking together. Director Andy Muschietti, with the aid of some superb camera work, editing, visual effects and music, has offered a pretty scary story rich with effective surface "boos", but they don't really have a lot behind them in terms of logic. We have a terrific horror film here that works as long as you don't think about it too much. Bill Skarsgaard is excellent as Pennywise, but I still think Tim Curry was better in the miniseries. Followed by a sequel. 3.5

[Gideon58]

https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-yzgoj/images/stencil/500x659/products/947394/4181536/apiuxrdfo__56528.1626452137.jpg?c=2


1st Rewatch...Bette Davis' Oscar-nominated performance is pretty much the only reason to give this one a look. This overheated melodrama stars Davis as Margaret Elliott, an Oscar-winning actress in denial about the fact that her career is circling the drain. After being arrested for drunk driving, Margaret is bailed out by Jim Johanssen (Sterling Hayden) a former actor who Margaret got a part opposite her in a movie many years ago that bombed. After which, Jim gave up acting and now works as a boatbuilder and has never forgotten Margaret. Davis' effectiveness here might have do with how close this story mirrored Davis' own career at the time. She couldn't get arrested in Hollywood after All About Eve and did a lot of potboilers like this one before her big comeback in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?. Davis is always worth watching and Hayden is kind of sexy as Johanssen and a young Natalie Wood makes the most of her role as Davis' daughter. 3

[Thief]

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA
(2023, Reed)

https://i.imgur.com/dsLdVeT.jpeg


"I don't live in a straight line. And with time... it's hard not to skip to the end. So, if you want to stop what's coming, and trust me, you do, I am the only shot you have."



Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania follows Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and his family as they are inadvertently sucked into the Quantum Realm. While down there, they discover a subatomic world controlled by Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), an exile that shares a past with Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). It is up to Scott and Co. to face off against him and defeat him before he finds a way to get out; or should he get out?

For all its faults, Quantumania still manages to be a fairly entertaining and engaging film. This is thanks mostly to the chemistry between the characters, which includes Kathryn Newton stepping up as Scott's daughter, Cassie. But most importantly, it is thanks to Majors menacing performance as Kang. As the MCU moves on past him, only fate and time will tell if he was the only shot they had.

Grade: 3


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2554044#post2554044)

[Gideon58]

https://cinesavant.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/6217move.png



4

[LeBoyWondeur]

It’s very disturbing when classic movies & tv slowly disappear.
Yes, I find it mega-frustrating. To make matters worse, marketplace sellers are usually aware of out-of-print/sought after titles, so even if you can find what you're looking for be prepared to pay a small fortune for it.

[LeBoyWondeur]

Blair Witch (2016)

107334

An new team of young people (including Heather's younger brother) goes deep, deep into Black Hills Forest hoping to discover what happened to the missing people.
What could possibly go wrong.
It's a remake disguised as a sequel, but it's like what Aliens was to Alien: bigger, louder, more spectacle and more revealing.
This becomes sort of a no-win situation because people will complain that it's too similar but also complain about the fact that it's not exactly the same atmosphere.

The shaky cam is far more noticeable than in the original and the ongoing chaos makes it difficult to stay focused all the time, but I wouldn't call this film a complete failure.
It really feels like being in a horrible situation similar to, say, the escape room horror, and for the most part I was sufficiently entertained.
All the actors are pulling their weight and that kind of enthusiasm can be the difference between a good and a bad film.

2.5

Actually the plan was to rewatch The Book Of Shadows but Prime doesn't have it.

[MovieGal]

107335
Den stygge stesøsteren
92025
4/5

Beauty always comes at a price, even you are trying to catch a prince.

This is the premise of the Norwegian retelling of the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. This time the focus is more on the ugly stepsister trying to win the prince by many methods that were unavailable in the late 1800s, but hey, its a horror film.

The story was decent, and I was surprised at the nudity, both male and female was shown. Its definitely not a fairy tale movie to take a child too. One of my favorite things about it, it did keep one thing based on the original story.

The stepsister cut her toes off so she could fit in the slipper.

[Fabulous]

Strawberry Mansion (2021)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/c872xfad1PmqdGOJOiOwUIw0Bln.jpg

[exiler96]

Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) - The strangeness of this thing starts with the title. Who is this Goodbar guy? did I miss a dialogue?

And I hated the camerawork; like why all the interiors look this dark? are you filming a rom-com or a Black Christmas bro? or was looking like this a necessity back in the 70s? it's Oscar nom for cinematography is as wrong as Boheimian Rhapsody's for best editing. Well, at least this didn't win.

Such mediocre on-screen directional decisions (I specify "on-screen" cause I liked it when I read Brooks played Bach on set so Keaton could get naked comfortably) brought a very good screenplay (it took several reactions out of me throughout) and a darned commited lead performance down for most of the running time, and then there's the final sequence which is it's own shocking thing. Almost gives the darkened cinematography discussed earlier an excuse (but just "almost").

Letterboxd nation disses the pacing but I found Keaton to be such powerhouse here that I didn't mind so much; feeling stuck between dead-ends in that character's life is kind-of the point (it's like an adult - and better - version of Ladybird). Young Richard Gere is a scene-stealler and Tom Berenger is a monster. Is the ending trashy pulp (i.e shock for the shocker value), a conservative if not out-dated warning or cleverly communicated (and foreshadowed) twist?...... I'm not sure yet but it did melt my face. 7/10

https://archiviostorico.cultframe.com/wp-content/uploads/richard_brooks-in_cerca_di_mr_goodbar.jpg

[Fabulous]

Late Spring (1949)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/e9P6ccd12RIiRFhcGk6MkGwQA7J.jpg

[StuSmallz]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81qvcNi19RL.jpg


1st Rewatch....Tim Burton followed up his smash hit with Nicholson and Keaton with this film that has a lighter tone than the '89 film and the absolute bonkers performances by Danny DeVito as the Penguin and MMichelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman help to make this film just as good as the first one. 4I like it, but lighter than '89; are you sure about that?

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Terrifier_3_poster.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2024/terrifier_three_ver2_xxlg.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75250863

Terrifier 3 - (2024)

Damien Leone is running out of places he can take his Terrifier franchise, and the third entry in the series recycles the set-up from the second film, with the survivors of Art the Clown's (David Howard Thornton) last rampage living with the trauma of what happened. Of course, despite being decapitated Art has a way of regenerating himself, with the help of one of his prior disfigured victims, Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi), who becomes a horrifyingly ugly partner in crime. So, those traumatized victims have to deal with Art once again, along with Victoria - and of course Leone shoots for the moon as far as gore and shocking horror goes. Terrifier 3 goes hard as far as that's concerned. As far as narrative goes, the second Terrifier film showed a decent amount of imagination - here all the work has gone into the visceral shocks, and while it certainly scores on that level the formula is just starting to feel repetitive, despite the Christmas flavour shoehorned in to add a little variety. A real mixed bag all-up - but at least as hardened as I've become by being exposed to so much over the years, it still managed to widen my eyes a little. I just wish it didn't feel like it was going through the motions in how it delivered those moments.

6/10

[exiler96]

Baby Boom (1987) - The supreme Diane, trying to balance work in a male-dominated environment with maternal instinct towards a newly arrived, super cute babygirl.

Written by Nancy Meyers (from whom I have a few other flicks watchlisted), it comes off as honest or at least inoffensive, is mostly funny and almost passes by like a breeze..... 6.5-7/10.

https://de.web.img2.acsta.net/c_300_300/medias/nmedia/18/62/85/67/18809111.jpg

[Gideon58]

I like it, but lighter than '89; are you sure about that?

Yes IMO

[Hotel Security]

>Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)

Now, that's a heavy movie and, while I agree with the flaws mentioned, I felt the ending was kind of the crescendo of more and more reckless behavior on her part...eventually you run into a bad seed.

>Batman Returns
>I like it, but lighter than '89; are you sure about that?

Definitely. The villains are just more cartoonish and the writing a bit more fanciful. '89 Batman still tried to be a gritty thriller for much of it. I like both films in their own ways.

---

Snack Shack (2024)
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/E5QAAeSwuj5nrGlg/s-l960.webp

First time watching. A comedy about two teenaged friends partying, getting in trouble and eventually buying a snack shack by a local pool. One of those movies that I feel suffers from "the Apatow effect" on comedies where you wish you just turned if off after the first hour. The first hour is fast, fun, and involves the two characters scheming and coming up with plans to keep themselves busy and make cash.

Then, like so many Apatow films, it felt it needed to tell us a serious story, this one about a love triangle which splits the friends up for most of the rest of the film. Not only does this separate the duo whose chemistry creates all this joy in the first half, but they toss in an unneeded tragedy at the end as a cheap way to reunite everyone. Really wanted to like the movie more (some nice cinematography and music) but, like so many modern comedies, it felt it got bored with being a comedy.

[Wooley]

Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) - The strangeness of this thing starts with the title. Who is this Goodbar guy? did I miss a dialogue?

And I hated the camerawork; like why all the interiors look this dark? are you filming a rom-com or a Black Christmas bro? or was looking like this a necessity back in the 70s? it's Oscar nom for cinematography is as wrong as Boheimian Rhapsody's for best editing. Well, at least this didn't win.

Such mediocre on-screen directional decisions (I specify "on-screen" cause I liked it when I read Brooks played Bach on set so Keaton could get naked comfortably) brought a very good screenplay (it took several reactions out of me throughout) and a darned commited lead performance down for most of the running time, and then there's the final sequence which is it's own shocking thing. Almost gives the darkened cinematography discussed earlier an excuse (but just "almost").

Letterboxd nation disses the pacing but I found Keaton to be such powerhouse here that I didn't mind so much; feeling stuck between dead-ends in that character's life is kind-of the point (it's like an adult - and better - version of Ladybird). Young Richard Gere is a scene-stealler and Tom Berenger is a monster. Is the ending trashy pulp (i.e shock for the shocker value), a conservative if not out-dated warning or cleverly communicated (and foreshadowed) twist?...... I'm not sure yet but it did melt my face. 7/10

https://archiviostorico.cultframe.com/wp-content/uploads/richard_brooks-in_cerca_di_mr_goodbar.jpg

I love this movie. Keaton is amazing, it's fun to see Gere and Berenger in very early roles, and the pacing is actually genius.
The thing about this movie that people miss is that it's very slow and has very plain camerawork and languid editing in the early part of the film. But this changes as Theresa (Keaton) and her life changes. The more edgy and dangerous her decisions and actions, the more the camera starts to move, the lighting changes, the editing gets snappier, up until the final scene which seems like it's in a completely different movie than anything from the beginning. It's a very deliberate style and I thought it was just brilliant. When Theresa is supposed to be this boring wallflower who is always an afterthought to her favored sister, the movie reflects that. The more "exciting" she becomes, the more exciting the movie becomes.
Quite clever.

[Siddon]

https://www.cinemasight.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Sinners.jpg


Sinners (2025)

Strange that I'm the first person here to review Sinners. Generally speaking I consider black films to be it's own genre something that can and should put away and judged in it's own cinematic corner thanks to the ethos of modern filmmaking. Many of the prestige films failing to even crack the top ten during the weekends first wide release. So when I say this Sinners massive box office success separates it from the field, it's a cross-over film. When I went to the Monday showing the IMAX was virtually sold out, I end up in a full theater maybe once a month on average.

So what is this movie...if I were to break it down to it's simplest form this is a Tarantino film, if Tarantino made a musical. And that is not a bad thing because Coogler meanders, develops characters, plays with pacing and gives the audience multiple endings. Michael B Jordan plays the duel roll of a pair of brothers who come home to start a business. They have a talented cousin in Miles Caton who in his debut turns in a star making performance. While Caton will get a lot of attention the casting here was exceptional Delory Lindo, Yao, and Halliee Steinfeld are all exceptional but the big standout was Wunmi Mosaku who went from crappy token roles in Loki and Wolverine and Deadpool to a meaty nuanced portrayal of a witch (of sorts). Once again much like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had a killers row of new actors I expect the same to come from this one.

Jack O'Connell plays Remmick the villain of the story and he's very different from other versions of this familiar character. The character walks a fine line between empathy and sinisterness. I can see a couple think pieces coming out about what Remmick represents to the poor.

On a technical level Sinners bounces between perfection and solid work. Coogler's film still doesn't have that perfect gloss I think mostly because of lighting. However the film has incredible set design's this feels like a real world not just a set of set pieces separate to the story. But the real star is the sound, the music the mixing each one of the musical set pieces is breathe taking.

Michael B Jordan did a great job carrying this massive ensemble you can always tell the brothers apart even when they aren't that different. He's not going to win an Oscar for this but he will get nominated. I wouldn't give the film five stars because it was predictable but that predictability was done in a way that you are okay with because it bounces between so many different genres.

rating_4_5

[LeBoyWondeur]

When Theresa is supposed to be this boring wallflower who is always an afterthought to her favored sister
That was my only issue with the film. I struggled to think of Diane Keaton as the loser type who actually had to make an effort to attract men (most men aren't very picky anyway when it comes to sex).
Considering Theresa's background it also looks like a fight for freedom (there's a little bit of feminist activism going on in the background) but without knowing how to give that freedom purpose, and in that regard she's not very different from Tony, played by Richard Gere.

The last time I watched it it was only available as a TV recording uploaded on youtube.
Has this changed? Is it on streaming or DVD now?

[Gideon58]

Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) - The strangeness of this thing starts with the title. Who is this Goodbar guy? did I miss a dialogue?

And I hated the camerawork; like why all the interiors look this dark? are you filming a rom-com or a Black Christmas bro? or was looking like this a necessity back in the 70s? it's Oscar nom for cinematography is as wrong as Boheimian Rhapsody's for best editing. Well, at least this didn't win.

Such mediocre on-screen directional decisions (I specify "on-screen" cause I liked it when I read Brooks played Bach on set so Keaton could get naked comfortably) brought a very good screenplay (it took several reactions out of me throughout) and a darned commited lead performance down for most of the running time, and then there's the final sequence which is it's own shocking thing. Almost gives the darkened cinematography discussed earlier an excuse (but just "almost").

Letterboxd nation disses the pacing but I found Keaton to be such powerhouse here that I didn't mind so much; feeling stuck between dead-ends in that character's life is kind-of the point (it's like an adult - and better - version of Ladybird). Young Richard Gere is a scene-stealler and Tom Berenger is a monster. Is the ending trashy pulp (i.e shock for the shocker value), a conservative if not out-dated warning or cleverly communicated (and foreshadowed) twist?...... I'm not sure yet but it did melt my face. 7/10

https://archiviostorico.cultframe.com/wp-content/uploads/richard_brooks-in_cerca_di_mr_goodbar.jpg

This is the movie that should have won Keaton the Oscar, not Annie Hall

[Gideon58]

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2SG7KK0/-2SG7KK0.jpg


2nd Rewatch...This lavishly produced revue from MGM features just about every star under contract to the studio at the time participating in a fantasy revue imagined in the opening scene by Florenz Ziegfeld (William Powell). For this reviewer, the highlights were "Limehouse Blues", the ballet with Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer, Lena Horne's steamy rendition of "Love:, The Edward Arnold/Victor Moore sketch "Pay the Two Dollars", Judy Garland's specialty number, "The Great Lady has An Interview", Fanny Brice and Hume Cronyn in the Sweepstakes sketch, and "The Babbit and the Bromide", the only time Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly danced together oncreen (until That's Entertainment 2). 4

[Gideon58]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2e/West_Side_Story_2021_Official_Poster.jpg



3rd rewatch...I know I'm in the minority on this, but I think Oscar winner Steven Spielberg knocked it out of the park with this remake of the 1961 Best Picture Oscar winner with the iconic score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. He improved on the '61 film by actually casting mostly Latinos as the sharks (Learned recently that David Alvarez, who plays Bernardo, is Canadian, but he looked Latino), and casting leads who could actually sing. Ariana DuBose won the film's only Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her fiery Anita, but with each rewatch, I'm finding the standout performance is by Mike Faist as the dark and dangerous Riff. The musical numbers are well staged, the only numbers that were better in '61 version were “Gee Officer Krupke" and "Cool", but I can forgive that because just about everything else here works for me. Mr. Spielberg, we're not worthy. 4.5

[Wooley]

This is the movie that should have won Keaton the Oscar, not Annie Hall

I agree. Or it could have been her second.

[Tugg]

Last Breath (2025) 3
https://fiocondutor.com.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Last-Breath-2025-1024x576.jpg
Apartment 1BR (2019) 3
https://pic-bstarstatic.akamaized.net/ugc/67876d334f2881ca22c52bcca37d6ec0.jpg

[Gideon58]

I agree. Or it could have been her second.

They came out the same year

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2UwOGUxMzEtMzEyZi00NjEwLTkxOTMtYTljOWEzYjYyMWNjXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg



1.5

[Wooley]

They came out the same year

Oh, for some reason I thought Goodbar was '78.

[Allaby]

G20 (2025) Watched on Prime. Viola Davis does what she can with the material, but the story is predictable, generic, and not very well written. Some okay action scenes. It's pretty disposable and forgettable, but I have seen worse. I would rank this as number 20 of the 32 films I have seen released this year. 3

[LeBoyWondeur]

Climax (2018)

107370

I already knew what the story was all about, and I knew who made it, therefore I'll say that I watched it hoping to be entertainingly outraged.
It's a film in two parts: the pre-LSD dance school pratice (although it doesn't look like anything official) and then the LSD induced chaos.
The first part is quite enjoyable, good music great dance moves, but the second part looks very unscripted although I'm sure that was intentional.
The problem is that this is not very different from watching a bunch of drunken people, and that's fun for five or ten minutes but then it becomes draining and I just want to walk away from it.
But there's no escape and it goes on and on, and it's not as shocking as I hoped it would be.
No sex and no carnage to speak of (except for one character and that is indeed very devastating even when that happens off-screen).

Another element that works against the film is the lack of contrast because it happens in a very free-spirited environment.
There's a lot of trashy sex talk in the first scenes therefore it doesn't feel like a huge step going from here to the actual sex scenes caused by LSD. It looks a bit banal, actually.

Nevertheless, what does happen is effectively filmed and there's always nice music in the background.
I recommend this as A Movie To Iron Or Fold The Laundry By.

2

[*Sky*]

La ciociara (1960) - Vittorio De Sica: 3/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/29a67c5b1bc03caf473c87a638a7f5e5/tumblr_onomivIgCP1rfd7lko1_500.gifv

[KeyserCorleone]

One Million BC. Almost as good as the remake by a 3/100 point margin. Glorious cheese, 65/100.

[LChimp]

https://www.originalfilmart.com/cdn/shop/products/Best_of_the_Best_1989_original_film_art_5000x.jpg?v=1562541934

Best of The Best - (1989)

Watched this the first time waaaaaay back and for some reason it just popped in my head. Of course I had to watch it again and.... this is so bad, hahahaha. 4/10

[Wooley]

https://www.originalfilmart.com/cdn/shop/products/Best_of_the_Best_1989_original_film_art_5000x.jpg?v=1562541934

Best of The Best - (1989)

Watched this the first time waaaaaay back and for some reason it just popped in my head. Of course I had to watch it again and.... this is so bad, hahahaha. 4/10

I forgot James Earl Jones was in this.
Man, how did Eric Roberts go from being the critical darling of Star 80 and The Pope Of Greenwich Village to... this? In just five years?

[matt72582]

Pitfall (1962) - This debut from Hiroshi Teshigahara is an absurdist (if not surrealist) take on the exploitation of the workers by (literally) untouchable industrialists. It doesn't come together super-well (the middle section with other union workers didn't serve to much purpose IMO) but promises a serious visionary.

It seems to me like a serious of mean jokes life has lined-up for you ... a man who is promised a new job gets stabbed to death instead > The sole witness takes money from the murderer to not report it correctly > that witness is also the sole woman in the world of this story who gets raped by an authority figure > she eventually gets killed by the same killer > both main victims run after him shouting the "why?" of it all but get no answer... the closing shot says everything: even children don't "see" the souls / the other, supposedly spiritual world in this universe.

Alienating landscapes and ominous music create a experience that is hard to shake afterwards. An instant "bad vibes" mini-classic. hard 8/10.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDb_440_SanxP1AyRn7xWT-6e4kRTXGQh5KNITGqak-Ycq1C7zsuX8o-G8Nzts8WWPLj-nhJyizFl8wNMrFiN1cQWmmt7iQQWuxZ8jinqPxtSvkM1dZGU4UOum68yoGBwCI9AuI2rpupS/s1600/unnamed.jpg




Teshigahara isn't as prolific as a Kurosawa, but the movies he made after this are more "interesting"


"A Woman In The Dunes"
"The Face of Another"

[exiler96]

The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) - Something between a Mean Streets and a Carlito's Way but not as well-directed or gripping as either of them, of course.

It's "magic" if you may, lies in it's actorly moments - and even those take time to reveal themselves; since you may not call Eric Roberts for example exactly great or very good here but he is fun to watch, and the closer we get to the end of it all his relationship with Mickey Rourke mean more to us.

Director Stuart Rosenberg interestingly gives space to his cast to go however high they want in their reactions to the plot's (very forseeable) points; from the way Geraldine Page leaves her mark in her only 8-minutes screentime (she got a nom for this as you may know), to the way Daryl Hannah slaps Rourke on two occasions - first jokingly then seriously - to the funny number of times Rourke throws and slaps shit around when he's pissed... and the way it ended low-key surprised me, which should count for something..... 7/10.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/8dcdda4e651e35b7841a8896c3c50232/199d5c828cd62a2c-bf/s1280x1920/d143c93d829e5d3bd72c3a91ec5542314ce37909.jpg

(and LeBoyWondeur I indeed watched Mr. Goodbar on Youtube.)

[Stirchley]

107380

No doubt quite a bit lost in translation. Very well-acted & an interesting story. Lead male actor very good.

[WrinkledMind]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQJYitv5CzzO8PEWsXbGl8HHMoE47VXFiPJYkGcaQNx30_RdCMOm5zwByAG&s=10
I just watched Kiss Me Deadly & this is now my favourite Noir movie.
I loved it so much & I had such a good time watching it. That despite the B movie feels & cheesy dialogues.
I suppose I loved it so much because the movie as a whole was so intriguing & for that end, OMG what an end.

[exiler96]

I remember Kiss Me Deadly being a blast, but I did leave it wondering if Ralph Meeker's character actually made an impact / change to the narrative he was caught up in... or not? Like would the total picture differ much had we taken him out of it? I don't remember clearly.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/06/d9/35/06d935b9471266883cca1730c6599757.jpg

Rumble Fish (1983) - Decided to watch this over The Outsiders 'cause I'm on a Mickey Rourke kick rn... he delivered but this was Matt Dillon's show to steal.

This piece had a flow going on like a Jarmusch film (with Tom Waits there how could I not think of Jim?) with it's calm (on the surface at least), meandering, somewhat poetic pace. I actually uttered OMFG a bunch of times; the first fight at the underground station for example (magnetic sound work there) or when a certain character's soul leaves his body.

Sure it's light on the sub-plots it introduces (none of them develop on the screen; most of them are things of the past) but Dillon's protagonist is in fact detatched like that, so I had not much issue just following the story of this wasted youth; wanting to bond with his mysterious brother and father so badly.

The father is played by Dennis Hopper, giving the impression to me that Coppola was announcing, if not mourning, the end of that initial artistic wave of New Hollywood as blockbusters were surging in early years of the 1980s. Have not checked this for sure, but it is a sad picture that feels personal like that... and did I mention it looks damn good?

8/10.

[Fabulous]

Early Summer (1951)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/2U4bERBTIEVXLFfEJBV7KxCLNg1.jpg

[MovieGal]

107398
Pride and Prejudice
(2005)
4/5

They say Love can conquer all. In this case, it took more than love but understanding and accepting. Everyone has their pride to take in account and prejudices as well.

Elizabeth Bennett found this out with Fitzwilliam Darcy in this telling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, directed by Joe Wright.

I love this film. There are so many scenes within this film that I really love. It hard to explain. To me, its a perfect romance. Its about first impressions are not always what they seem. Love is to make things right if they were wronged. Understanding and acceptance.

I saw this when it was released in theatres 20 years ago. I believe I even saw the 10th anniversary showing in theatres back in 2015. I will find a way to see every anniversary showing if possible.

Matthew MacFadyen is perfect as Mr. Darcy. This film made me a fan of his. When Ripper Street was released in the US, I watched every episode. I have seen other films and tv series of his that I really enjoyed his acting. I read recently that he didnt feel he was the right person to play Fitzwilliam Darcy, but I think he was perfect.

Keira Knightly did a fantastic job playing Elizabeth Bennett. Other outstanding actors in the film are Donald Sutherland, Rosamond Pike, Carey Mulligan, Jena Malone, Rupert Friend and Tom Hollander.

This is one of my top 5 English speaking films and it will stay in the top 5 as the only romance film there.

I have never read the book but perhaps one day, I will.

[stillmellow]

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)


https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTALp_Xql9Xu9Ex2GJMUq_b9nMRT3SpqSx8zQ&s


That was a lot better than I expected! A really solid and well paced action movie.


👍

[Wooley]

The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) - Something between a Mean Streets and a Carlito's Way but not as well-directed or gripping as either of them, of course.

It's "magic" if you may, lies in it's actorly moments - and even those take time to reveal themselves; since you may not call Eric Roberts for example exactly great or very good here but he is fun to watch, and the closer we get to the end of it all his relationship with Mickey Rourke mean more to us.

Director Stuart Rosenberg interestingly gives space to his cast to go however high they want in their reactions to the plot's (very forseeable) points; from the way Geraldine Page leaves her mark in her only 8-minutes screentime (she got a nom for this as you may know), to the way Daryl Hannah slaps Rourke on two occasions - first jokingly then seriously - to the funny number of times Rourke throws and slaps shit around when he's pissed... and the way it ended low-key surprised me, which should count for something..... 7/10.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/8dcdda4e651e35b7841a8896c3c50232/199d5c828cd62a2c-bf/s1280x1920/d143c93d829e5d3bd72c3a91ec5542314ce37909.jpg

(and LeBoyWondeur I indeed watched Mr. Goodbar on Youtube.)

I'm a big fan of this movie.

[xSookieStackhouse]

5 i loved the video game i played it when it first release and now i saw the movie and its really good <3
https://cdn.eventcinemas.com.au/cdn/resources/movies/19771/images/largeposter.jpg
5
love michel b jordan,hailee steinfield my 2 favorites from marvel <3 and loved the black chick from loki also and one of the best horror movie of 2025 <3

https://d32qys9a6wm9no.cloudfront.net/images/movies/poster/65/f0abb94e67c97fb4593658f83df22dbe_300x442.jpg?t=1744844653

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/43/Here_film_poster.jpg
By http://www.impawards.com/2024/here_ver2_xlg.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77899872

Here - (2024)

If you've seen the trailer for Robert Zemeckis movie Here then there are few surprises in store when you actually sit down and watch the whole thing. It's just the trailer - but expanded. A novelty - the whole movie shot from the same camera angle over a period of millions of years (boxes allow different time periods to play out simultaneously), but primarily telling the story of one family who move into the house whose living room we spend our entire time in once the house is built around the year 1900. Before there are dinosaurs, ice ages, Native Americans and then the settlers building the estate of William Franklin (Benjamin Franklin's son) - a house we'll see in perpetuity through the front window. A few different stories are told concurrently of people who live in the house. An avid early aviator with his wife and daughter during the 1910s, the inventor of the La-Z-Boy chair and his wife during the time up to the 1940s and then Al Young (Paul Bettany) and wife Rose (Kelly Reilly) from 1945 onwards. There's an African American family who move in during the 2010s - but they get a measly few scenes (they manage to squeeze a Covid death in there) before the house is empty again in 2024, and Al's son Richard (Tom Hanks), who we've seen live his whole life in the house (nearly), with wife Margaret (Robin Wright) who now has dementia, come for one last look. That's when they spring the tear-jerker moment out - but if you've seen the trailer of course, then that's nearly been ruined because we've pretty much seen enough to sense what it'll be. Anyway - it is what it was - a novelty movie. The trailer packs it into a 90 second punch, and if you've seen the movie you can appreciate the irony and sentiment in that trailer a little more, but that's all.

Oh - the de-aging of Tom Hanks goes very smoothly and I was impressed with that.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/76/Home_alone_poster.jpg
By May be found at the following website: http://impawards.com/1990/home_alone_ver2.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6662336

Home Alone - (1990)

I last saw Home Alone when it first came out. Yes - that's a long time ago. My family and I were united in our dislike of the movie back then, but I managed to appreciate it more this time around. I'm still not a lover of Home Alone. It's not my kind of movie. But, if you watch something with as open a mind as you can, and make sure all your cynicism and critical functions are locked away out of harm's way, then you come away with the feeling that it's cute and a little heartwarming. There are surprisingly few laughs there still - that's probably because I was never one for slapstick antics.

6/10

https://i.postimg.cc/MKHGVQ7D/stuart.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6662336

Stuart : A Life Backwards - (2007)

Stuart's story is particularly harrowing and confronting in many respects, and you will be faced with both empathising with someone who never had a real chance at a normal life, and also acknowledging that this man has committed some really awful acts of violence and criminal mischief. I don't think it's all in service of feeling sorry for Stuart or condemning him, but simply digesting what his life was like and coming to a series of your own conclusions that wrestle with the complexity of the path he was set on from birth. That, and also a chance to marvel at the talent of Tom Hardy. Full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2554746#post2554746), in my watchlist thread.

6/10

[mrblond]

The Return (2024)

Directed by Uberto Pasolini
Starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche

Filmed part of the life of the Ancient Greek King Odysseus. Somehow not very convincing movie why is this made at all. Kind of exploiting Ralph Fiennes's vision and name for the sake of it. Whatever, Fiennes and Binoche always deserve three stars at least.
3+
62/100
107406

[LChimp]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/pv-target-images/d53094eb3768f0eeb3e4bb98280c37ab75c7d66d949d4cc334599b4f351cf213.jpg

The Crying Game - (1992)

First time watching. 7/10

[Wooley]

5 i loved the video game i played it when it first release and now i saw the movie and its really good <3
https://cdn.eventcinemas.com.au/cdn/resources/movies/19771/images/largeposter.jpg
5


I'm glad to hear this.
That video game is the best Horror story I've encountered in the last 10-15 years and when I heard they were making major changes for the movie I was kinda upset. Glad to hear it came out well.

[exiler96]

Diner (1982) - Somewhat of a disappointment as this was one of those films I had heard great things about throughout the years but seems like it's a very "you had to have been there and then to see it!" kind of work... I appreciate the influence it must've had on American independent cinema but I found myself rather disinterested in following these guys by the the 40-minutes mark, and the rest of it felt like a drag.

Not to say it's without any nice thing though; there are few performances to be enjoyed (the clear standout being Rourke) and several good moments (It's hard not to smile at the frustrated, spontaneous piano playing scene for example) but just wasn't all that... It might improve for me after a while. "hang out" movies are like this to a degree... 6/10.

https://thisweeksflixpix.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/diner456.jpg

[MovieGal]

107418
To the Bone
3.5/5

Story of Ellen, a young woman dealing with anorexia. She's trying to overcome the disease with all the struggles in her life.

I thought it was a very well made film. Keanu Reeves plays her doctor, who helps her through her treatment and recovery.

[markdc]

The Order (2024)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/The_Order_2024_film_poster.jpg
Excellent drama based on the real-life story of The Order, a Far-Right White Supremacist group that carried out assassinations and bank robberies in the Pacific Northwest during the 1980’s. Nicolas Hoult and Jude Law give career-best performances as the leader the Order and the FBI agent who seeks to bring him down. Although the movie recounts events that took place four decades ago, it is highly relevant for our time.
rating_4_5

[LeBoyWondeur]

Dead Man Walking (1995)

107453

A film that gracefully tackles the combination of three topics: religion, trauma, punisment.
It's not bags of fun and it's not a film that's going to please everyone (certainly not in this day and age) but overall I find it intelligent and as restraint as possible considering the heavy subject matter.

The religious aspect is the most intriguing one because it raises the question "how bad do I have to be before Jesus turns his back on me?"
Or, at what point does a life become completely worthless?
I was reminded of what Sister Peter Marie said in an episode of OZ.
"God is not where he's wanted, he is where he's needed".
I guess it makes sense that nobody needs it more than an evil, dehumanised person.

The story makes it clear (enough) that this is not about the redemption of Poncelet, it's about confession. I feel the moment when he vocally owns up to his crime isn't really about him, it's more like a closure for his victims. At that point it was the only and also most needed thing he could do, and what happens to him afterwards isn't important.

Based on real-life experiences by Helen Prejean, and part of the story deals with her opinion on capital punishment which slightly undermines the dilemma caused by religious choices.
When you choose that kind of life, are you in a postion to say "no" when someone asks for help (or just a moment of your time), even if that person appears to be rotten to the core? Is it humanly possible to follow the example of Jesus Christ?

4

[Fabulous]

Missing (1982)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/49rQkLwYxUK7zQP69e87MspS4E2.jpg

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/Hellbender%2C_2021%2C_film_poster.jpg
By Shutter - The film poster can be obtained by its original film distributor, Shutter, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71371938

Hellbender - (2021)

What can I say? I was hoping for Blair Witch, but what I got was more or less teen horror that veered towards creatures I guess you could call "fear eaters" or "soul devourers" embroiled in a mother/daughter coming of age story. I was lulled in by the excellent reviews this got (97% on Rotten Tomatoes, but with a 55% audience score) and the fact it looked freaky and scary. The budget was a mite lower than I expected and although there are some very nice visuals they're marred by frequent instances of really awful CGI effects. The title should have given it away. Hellbender? The dialogue is as daft as "hellbender" sounds, and although it frequently threatens to, the movie never really shifts into high gear in any frighteningly satisfying way. The visions these faux witches see along with a very promising opening scene hit just the right tone, but the rest lacked intensity and the kind of mystery that I get a kick out of when I watch films of this specific genre. I mean, it wasn't entirely devoid of that, but just went in a direction that was more intent to explore the mother/daughter bond which Hellbender is about. I liked parts, but was overall disappointed. I've probably been a bit hard on the film and overlooked a few other positive aspects because it didn't click to such a degree.

5/10

[exiler96]

I need to watch Dead Man Walking again (and not because I've done some evil thing recently).

https://imgc.allpostersimages.com/img/posters/the-outsiders-1982-directed-by-francis-ford-coppola-ralph-macchio-matt-dillon-andthomas-c-howell_u-L-Q1C1NVM0.jpg

The Outsiders (1983) - Another story about young misfits which romanticizes that world first and smacks some sense to it later. Somewhat over-shadowed by Francis' other '83 output in recent years if you're talking to the artsy kids, but no less a satisfying experience. If Rumble Fish brought Jarmusch to mind (though I should note that it came out before any actual Jarmusch film), this one gives Nicholas Ray.The muscial score especially sounds like classical hollywood (take the tune during the fire rescue scene as an example) and the cinematography echoes the greats; however intimate most of the situations are. It references alot of great artists and works of art too - directly or indirectly (Gone with the Wind, The Night of the Hunter, Brando).

And there's the cast of course, which people think of the most here. Early Tom Cruise, Early Patrick Swayze, early everybody - and they all look good and work together like a real ensemble; with the Dillon, Macchio and Thomas Howell leading the pack... 7.5/10

[LChimp]

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/Sd8dce2520c0e4d7185572cb25eeb14b3Q.jpg

Irreversible - (Gaspar Noé, 2002)

Original cut. 6/10

[Gideon58]

Diner (1982) - Somewhat of a disappointment as this was one of those films I had heard great things about throughout the years but seems like it's a very "you had to have been there and then to see it!" kind of work... I appreciate the influence it must've had on American independent cinema but I found myself rather disinterested in following these guys by the the 40-minutes mark, and the rest of it felt like a drag.

Not to say it's without any nice thing though; there are few performances to be enjoyed (the clear standout being Rourke) and several good moments (It's hard not to smile at the frustrated, spontaneous piano playing scene for example) but just wasn't all that... It might improve for me after a while. "hang out" movies are like this to a degree... 6/10.

https://thisweeksflixpix.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/diner456.jpg

Sorry you were disappointed with this movie, I love it

[Stirchley]

Sorry you were disappointed with this movie, I love it

Hell, yes, it’s a classic of American cinema.

[Stirchley]

107462

Good movie based on a true story. I enjoyed it.

107463

Re-watch. My favorite storyline of a woman’s journey.

[Thief]

HEAT LIGHTNING
(1934, LeRoy)

https://i.imgur.com/Ap2Wgml.jpeg


"Now, I'm not anything like that woman you knew back in Oklahoma. Whatever I was before, I'm different now. And I intend to stay different."



Heat Lightning, the film, brings the thunder to the sisters' doorstep in the form of two mysterious men with mysterious motives, one of which might have a past with the oldest sister, Olga. But as much as she says she's different and tries to stay different, George (Preston Foster) seems determined to get her back, for one reason or another. This is also interspersed with the sisters' interactions with other customers that end up stranded at their station for the night.

This is a Pre-Code film that was recommended by a guest on my podcast. It features most of the traits of a Pre-Code film with sharp dialogue, lots of sexual innuendo, and a bleak ending. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and how you can see the emotional machinations this man uses to break Olga. We find out early on that his motivations aren't honest, and in a way I'm sure so can she; which I think makes the path they take more interesting to think about.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2555275#post2555275)

[Allaby]

Winter Spring Summer or Fall (2024) Jenna Ortega is wonderful (as always), but Percy Hynes White felt miscast and isn't able to match her. The story is just average and fairly predictable and cliched. Worth watching for Jenna. 3

[PHOENIX74]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/09/The_Green_Knight_poster.jpeg
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - Can be obtained from film's distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63091746

The Green Knight - (2021)

I remember when this came out - everyone here was talking about it, and so I made a determination to see it. A bit late, but I got around to it all the same. Very entertaining and visually delightful, with great effects and sound - I'm not all that into Arthurian legend and knew nothing about Gawain, but it seemed like a very watchable "quest" movie. Dev Patel plays King Arthur's nephew as a real 'babe in the woods', with very straightforward ideas about what 'honor' and being a knight really means. Hopelessly naïve at times, he struggles with the challenges of travelling alone while on his way to keep an appointment with the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson), constantly coming across people and/or creatures who are far more worldly and can manipulate him. I was shaking my head at times, but we were all young once I guess. As far as fantasy goes, I'm thinking this is one of the better entries of the decade so far.

8/10

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a0/Ash_2025_poster.jpg/250px-Ash_2025_poster.jpg

2.5

SF = Zzz

Viewed: Amazon Prime

From the trailer I was expecting a more mindbending/psychedelic style sci fi horror, quite disappointing.


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

[Fabulous]

Mr. Mom (1983)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/6NEYzL1jfwvF1enSMwSJPejTfLM.jpg

[I_Wear_Pants]

I watched The Odd Job that Graham Chapman and Brandon McKenna wrote that came out in 1978 tonight. Holy crap is it hilarious. I did a Pants-length review on the Review tab that, more or less, states I found it a laugh a second. It's so hilarious. I am unabashed saying Graham Chapman is one of my favorite showmen. Yes he had his eccentricities, and he did need to sober up. Once he did, he rocked, as evident here (he sobered up after Holy Grail what came out three years prior). Excellent film. Perfect comedy.

[I_Wear_Pants]

Winter Spring Summer or Fall (2024) Jenna Ortega is wonderful (as always), but Percy Hynes White felt miscast and isn't able to match her. The story is just average and fairly predictable and cliched. Worth watching for Jenna. 3

Oh I thought that was a Korean film that came out in like 2002 or so. I must be thinking of something entirely different.