The Resident Bitch's Movie Log

[Sexy Celebrity]

So because of all the Hedwig talk going on.... I decided to watch the ending of Hedwig and the Angry Inch with the commentary by John Cameron Mitchell on.... hoping it might give me some insight about the ending, because the ending has always perplexed me. First time I saw it, I didn't understand it at all. I've been understanding it more and more with more viewings, but I still never feel completely sure of it.

...... And.... the commentary didn't offer me much.... but one thing he said.... I thought you should know, in case you didn't......

You hate Stanley Kubrick movies, right?

Well, that ending was supposed to be a homage to Stanley Kubrick's films.

That's why it's weird and not easy to understand. It's trying to be like a Stanley Kubrick movie.

[Miss Vicky]

So because of all the Hedwig talk going on.... I decided to watch the ending of Hedwig and the Angry Inch with the commentary by John Cameron Mitchell on.... hoping it might give me some insight about the ending, because the ending has always perplexed me. First time I saw it, I didn't understand it at all. I've been understanding it more and more with more viewings, but I still never feel completely sure of it.

...... And.... the commentary didn't offer me much.... but one thing he said.... I thought you should know, in case you didn't......

You hate Stanley Kubrick movies, right?

Well, that ending was supposed to be a homage to Stanley Kubrick's films.

That's why it's weird and not easy to understand. It's trying to be like a Stanley Kubrick movie.

Interesting. Regardless of the homage though, there's one HUGE difference between Hedwig and anything Kubrick: It's entertaining.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/310toyuma.jpg

3:10 to Yuma (James Mangold, 2007)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381849/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 5/22/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: I was in the mood for more Russell Crowe
Rewatch: Yes

Possible Spoilers Ahead

Westerns have long been a very hit or miss genre for me, but when this movie came out it was instant love. I saw it three times in the theater and at one point it was in my top ten. As time has passed, it's fallen below other films, but I still absolutely love this movie.

I've read a lot of disparaging remarks about this movie and plenty of nit-picking about the plot. People are entitled to their opinions and I won't deny that there are some inconsistencies, but for me the plot of this particular movie is secondary at best. This is a film about characters and the relationships between them. It's about a father trying to prove himself to a son that hates him. It's about that same father proving to himself that he isn't a coward. It's about a rootless outlaw finding the good in himself. And it's about that outlaw's devoted second-in-command struggling to grasp and accept his leader's betrayal.

And those three central performances are really stellar. I went into this movie the first time expecting to be impressed only by Crowe, and he didn't fail me. His Ben Wade is a confident, charismatic, Bible quoting charmer who is also intelligent and observant. But Christian Bale was impressive, too. Bale is among my least favorite actors, but his stoicism and intensity really lent itself well to the downtrodden but determined rancher. Most surprising for me though was Ben Foster, who I'd previously seen only in X-Men: The Last Stand (which failed to impress me on any level, but I digress). He absolutely owns the screen in every scene. His swagger, his intensity, his brutality, his devotion - all make for a character that is at once despicable but still somehow likable. I even felt a twinge of sorrow when he fell victim to Wade's vengeance.

And on that note, the final scene in this film really makes the movie for me and sets it above the 1957 version. Rather than the (very arbitrary feeling) happy ending of the original, we get an ending that is full of great tension and great sorrow - with just a little hope - and strikes me as a much more satisfying conclusion than the eye-roll inducing end of the original.

4.5+

[Gatsby]

I think I'll try and go see The Nice Guys soon, that's if it actually gets released in theaters here. Or else I'll have to just watch it via streaming.

[Iroquois]

I saw 3:10 to Yuma once in theatres and thought it was pretty decent, though I haven't had much urge to re-watch it. Still need to see the original, though if your comments are any indication it probably won't hold up and might actually make me see the remake again.

[Citizen Rules]

I generally like the older and original versions of films but I have to say I was impressed with 3:10 to Yuma (2007)...It avoids the gimmicky schluck that is the current trend in Hollywood films. It tells the story more emotionally powerful than the original film. Though the original is also a good film and worth watching.

MV, seeing how you like Russell Crowe, have you seen him in my favorite of his films,
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311113/)

If not check it out sometime.

[Camo]

3:10 to Yuma

Don't you mean Letters From Iwo Jima :p

[Miss Vicky]

MV, seeing how you like Russell Crowe, have you seen him in my favorite of his films, [/SIZE]
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311113/)

I have seen it. It's a very good movie, though not a personal favorite.

Don't you mean Letters From Iwo Jima :p

Yeah... Still can't figure out how the hell you mixed them up.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/bubbahotep.jpg

Bubba Ho-Tep (Don Coscarelli, 2002)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281686/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 5/24/16
Cinema or Home: Work, on my portable DVD player
Reason For Watching: Have decided to rewatch old favorites in preparation for a new personal top 100
Rewatch: Yes

For the uninitiated: Bubba Ho-Tep is about an aging Elvis impersonator (who believes he's the real Presley) and an old black man (who claims to be John F. Kennedy) who team up to fight an undead mummy in cowboy duds that has been picking off the other residents of an East Texas rest home by sucking their souls out of their asses.

Sound absurd? You bet it is and in the best possible way. Bruce Campbell (in the role that made me a fan) and Ossie Davis are an absolute riot as the two protagonists, delivering their lines perfectly and with excellent comic timing. But they have a lot of help from a wildly imaginative script and superb dialogue. The supporting characters are excellent as well, particularly Ella Joyce - a nurse whose job it is, among other things, to apply medication to the suspicious growth on Elvis's penis.

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/hotep2.gif

Although classified as a horror comedy, the few horror elements are cartoonishly over the top. Whether it be the "big bitch cockroach" Elvis battles initially or the final showdown with the mummy (whose few lines are spoken in hieroglyphs), the horror serves to further the comedy rather than to provide any real scares. And that's perfectly fine by me, I'm not a fan of horror anyway.

But underneath all the laughs, there is a subtle message about the callous way in which the elderly are often treated in this society - abandoned, forgotten, and regarded with apathy and condescension. The film doesn't dwell too much on this message, however, and it never puts a damper on the fun.

5

[Camo]

That looks pretty interesting. Weird that i've never heard of it before.

[Miss Vicky]

That looks pretty interesting. Weird that i've never heard of it before.

You suck.
Just in case you didn't know.

[Iroquois]

Bubba Ho-Tep made my first top 100 way back when, but I haven't watched it in many years. Might have to rectify that.

[Thursday Next]

OK MV you've convninced me to give it a go :)

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/conspiracytheory.jpg

Conspiracy Theory (Richard Donner, 1997)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118883/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 5/26/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: MKUltra was recently mentioned on Archer and it reminded me of this movie
Rewatch: Yes

Mel Gibson plays Jerry Fletcher - a paranoid, mentally unstable cab driver who believes in various conspiracies and publishes his theories in a newsletter. He's also infatuated with a female lawyer who works with the justice department, played by Julia Roberts. Crazy though he may be, at least one of his theories turns out to be true and his paranoia is justified as the almost cartoonishly villainous Dr. Jonas (Patrick Stewart) repeatedly attempts to torture, interrogate and kill him.

I've always really enjoyed this movie, ever since seeing it in the theater at age 16. Is it a quality film? I guess that depends on your definition of quality. The story is admittedly rather silly, but Gibson's performance is fantastic and absolutely makes the film. Despite being programmed to be a killer and having endured torturous mind control experimentation, Jerry remains very human. Irreparably damaged, but human. And Gibson infuses this performance with a lot of humor and a lot of heartache. The other performances are good if not particularly noteworthy, but Mel Gibson really shines here. It's a shame he tarnished his own reputation so badly. This movie is a good reminder of why he used to be so loved.

4

[TONGO]

Never saw Bubba Ho-Tep. I need to check it out.

[CosmicRunaway]

I've been meaning to watch Conspiracy Theory again. Last year (or the year before?) I went on a Mel Gibson binge, but never got around to seeing this one again. Forgot Patrick Stewart was in it. I think this is one of his movies I don't own on DVD though.

[JayDee]

Just been catching up on this. You seem to have really caught the reviewing bug. And there are some very nice reviews in there. :up:

Glad to see that you really liked The Good Guys as I know how much you were looking forward to it. As someone who adores Kiss Kiss Bang Bang I'm really hopeful of catching it at the cinema if possible. Also pleased to see that you enjoyed The Imitation Game so much, both because I also really liked it and because I've recommended it to you a couple of times based on your love of A Beautiful Mind.

Conspiracy Theory is one I've not seen in a number of years but I remember finding it very entertaining no matter how daft it was. And I've always been a big Mel Gibson fan. Her is a film I definitely need to give another watch. I thought it was very good but for whatever reason I didn't feel a great connection with it. Temple of Doom was always the black sheep of the Indy trilogy for me. At least until Crystal Skull rocked up. I preferred the treasure hunting aspect of the 1st and 3rd films but my main issue with ToD was always the sidekicks. I hated both Short Round and the girl, found both incredibly irritating. Replace them with Sean Connery or Karen Allen and I think I'd have been a much bigger fan.

Like you I also enjoyed Deadpool and was rather surprised at how much I did so. While I'm a fan of the character in the comics I wasn't sure it would work for a full-length film and none of the trailers or TV ads really did anything for me. While some of the humour I found irritating for the most part it was good fun. Also had the huge bonus of Morena Baccarin. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/JayDee87/Drool_zpstkmkjpux.gif (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/JayDee87/media/Drool_zpstkmkjpux.gif.html)

Never heard of Caveman and while it sounds interesting in its own special way I certainly don't see myself ever watching it. Very nice write-up for Mr Holmes by the way. While certainly not to the extent that you did I also quite liked it when I watched and reviewed it a while back. Sorry to see that This Means War was such a terrible experience though! :D

EDIT - When I say I reviewed Mr Holmes I've not actually posted that review. Just got it sitting around my laptop. Thought I'd post that because I know lots of people would have been dashing off to try and read it. :p

[Camo]

I hated Conspiracy Theory when i watched it. However that was about 10 years ago.

[Sexy Celebrity]

OK, this is just rude --

your review thread, as well as Iroquois' review thread, and even Swan's review thread..... haven't been added/stickied to the top in the Member Reviews' Threads.....

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=25700&stc=1&d=1464584990

But Omnizoa's has.

I'd be pissed.

[Miss Vicky]

I love that Adidass's thread is still stickied. Dude hasn't even been on in six years, let alone posted a review. :laugh:

[Sexy Celebrity]

MovieMeditation's isn't even stickied up there!! And he won the MoFie for Best Movie Reviewer.

But Omnizoa is already up there??? Messed up.

[Miss Vicky]

It is a little messed up, but I can't say I'm particularly bothered by it. I'm sure if I messaged a mod I could get mine stickied.

[Gatsby]

I don't care about my thread being stickied (but it would be nice if they did put it on the front :lol:). What I really want is some of the dead threads being cleaned up.

[Iroquois]

Stickied threads are for plebs.

But seriously, I remember how my original review thread (which I started back at the beginning of 2008 and haven't updated since 2010 or so) used to be stickied but it got unstuck while so many other threads by less active users managed to remain there. Rather amusing.

[Omnizoa]

But Omnizoa's has.
Yeah, I don't get that either.

ADMITTEDLY, I asked Yoda about being added, but I looked through several of the threads and noticed how some of them are dead or even just two pages in length. I figured those'd be filtered out.

Yoda did say that it doesn't get asked about a lot so maybe you just gotta ask if you want your thread up there.

[Camo]

I never look there. I only end up on a review thread if it is on now playing, or through using new posts which i always forget to do.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/cinderella2.gif

Cinderella (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, 1950)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042332/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt)

Date Watched: 5/30/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: I figured I ought to rewatch it for the 50's list
Rewatch: Yes, though it's been at least 20 years

As I said in my Snow White review, I've never been overly fond of princess movies. However, I vaguely remembered liking this particular one with its cute mice and other critters. Well the mice are cute and the animation is gorgeous but I don't have a whole lot else positive to say about it.

The characters are extremely one dimensional, the romance is flimsy at best ("We danced for a few hours, and I don't know your name or anything about you and can't remember your face well enough to describe it to the people searching for you, but I remember you being hot and you left this shoe behind and, damn it, I'M IN LOVE AND I'M GONNA MARRY YOU!!!" :rolleyes: ), the songs bugged me ("A dream is a wish your heart makes..." Really? My heart's wishing for some pretty f***ed up s***, then) and I was really irritated by two particular characters: the fairy godmother and Lucifer.

What good is a fairy godmother, anyway? She lets you suffer YEARS of abuse at the hands of your stepmother and stepsisters, only to suddenly appear to do what? Give you a taste of something good - a pretty dress and a ride to the royal ball - only to suddenly take it away and return you to your sh!tty life with your sh!tty step-family? What the hell is that?

As for Lucifer, it wasn't the character himself that bugged, but was the way he was portrayed and the way he came to his demise. Apparently that "mean old thing" being chased out of a high window and presumably plummeting to his death is justified by... What, exactly? I mean, what did he do that made him so damn "mean"? Scratch the dog? Make a mess on the floor Cinderella had just cleaned (for which she started to chase him with a broom with the obvious intent to beat him with it)? Unsuccessfully attempt to hunt some mice? Try to stop those same mice from stealing a necklace? And... umm... umm... sleep a lot? Man that sure is one evil cat and he definitely deserved that comeuppance...? Oh and as for the stepmother and stepsisters, their comeuppance for their actual cruelty is... nothing. Not a damn thing. But that cat sure had it coming. WTF, Disney? WTF?

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/lucifer.gif

But even through all that, there was something undeniably charming about the whole stupid thing and I'd be lying if I said I didn't get some enjoyment out of it.

3+

[Camo]

I can't stand Cinderella. One of my least favourite Disney films, you were too kind to it.

Funny review though :up:

[Omnizoa]

("We danced for a few hours, and I don't know your name or anything about you and can't remember your face well enough to describe it to the people searching for you, but I remember you being hot and you left this shoe behind and, damn it, I'M IN LOVE AND I'M GONNA MARRY YOU!!!" :rolleyes: )
Sounds like something I would say.

[Omnizoa]

Reason For Watching: I figured I ought to rewatch it for the 50's list
Also, ****. I should be on that.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/batteryoperatedjoaq.gif http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/batteryoperatedcage.gif
http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/batteryoperatedjoaq2.gif


8MM (Joel Schumacher, 1999)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134273/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 5/30/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: What better way to follow a Disney princess movie than with a film about pornography and murder?
Rewatch: Yes

Basic Premise: A private investigator is hired by a wealthy widow to determine whether a snuff film she found in her dead husband's safe is genuine.

This film is fairly by the numbers and a little predictable. There are also a few things that bug - like a bizarre and distracting score, a nearly bloodless throat-cutting scene, and a villain who won't STFU during a fight with the hero. However the film's strength lies in its cast.

Nicolas Cage is rather un-Nicolas Cage like with a relatively restrained performance as the P.I. Joaquin Phoenix is amusing as the blue-haired porn shop clerk Cage hires to assist his investigation. And James Gandolfini and Peter Stormare are pretty great as a couple of sleazy pornographers Cage is chasing. Catherine Keener also appears in a pretty much throw-away role as Cage's wife and Norman Reedus appears in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene as the victim's scuzzy ex-boyfriend.

There's nothing high-brow or particularly original about this film, but it's a pretty solid piece of entertainment and I can think of much worse ways to spend a couple of hours.

3.5

[Sexy Celebrity]

Didn't know Joel Schumacher directed that. Shame on me. I am, for some reason, the President of his MoFo Fan Club..... (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=35864)

[Omnizoa]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/batteryoperatedjoaq2.gif
That's funny, also WHAT!? Phoenix and Cage in the same movie?

[Chypmunk]

Great work MV, just caught up and repped where appropriate. Added The Reckoning to the ever growing list of films to look out for and people keep praising the remake of 3:10 so guess I'll have to get round to watching that too one day :)

[Miss Vicky]

Thanks for all the rep. I thought the original 3:10 was solid up until the infuriating ending, but the remake for me is something so much more. The characters are much more developed and the performances are pretty intense. It was a top ten movie for me a few years ago. It's slipped a few places but I still really love it.

The Reckoning is a really beautiful film. I hope you like it.

[honeykid]

I quite liked the remake of 3:10, too. I'm me. It's a western. You'll probably like it, Chyp. :D

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/notcool.gif

Not Cool (Shane Dawson, 2014)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3569356/?ref_=nm_knf_i1)

Date Watched: 6/12/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: Shane Dawson
Rewatch: No

This is the first movie I've watched this month and Shane Dawson - director and star of Not Cool - is largely at fault for that. I stumbled across his Youtube videos at the beginning of the month and was instantly hooked. Dawson's dealt with a lot of personal issues and he talks and jokes about them all the time in his videos. His humor is self deprecating, raunchy, and frequently homo-erotic. I have no idea how many of the videos I've watched now and I find him very funny and very relatable. So when I found out that he had made a movie, I was more than a little curious.

That said, under normal circumstances this is exactly the type of movie I avoid. I like raunchy humor when it's improvised but in a scripted movie like this - which is basically a teen sex comedy only centered around college aged people - it usually doesn't work for me. Not surprisingly, I didn't even crack a smile at most of the jokes here. But I didn't hate it.

If you cut out the "funny" parts of Not Cool, you're actually left with a sweet story about a once popular guy who finds out that being Prom King in high school means nothing in real life and learns to put others ahead of himself while finding love in a very unexpected place. The trouble is that if you cut out the "funny" parts of it, you're only left with maybe 30 minutes of worthwhile film.

3-

[cricket]

I don't think I've ever heard of that movie, or Shane Dawson.

[Miss Vicky]

I don't think I've ever heard of that movie, or Shane Dawson.

I'd never heard of him either until I stumbled across a video with him in it. He's been making videos since 2008 I think and has a lot of subscribers. He's published one book and has another coming out soon, but I still had no clue.

Then again until a couple of weeks ago all I ever really watched on Youtube were music videos, Buzzfeed videos, random cat/animal videos, and planted aquarium tutorials. :laugh:

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/streetcar.gif

A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan, 1951)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044081/)

Date Watched: 6/12/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50's list
Rewatch: No

This was definitely a challenging film for me. Normally I engage with a film on a emotional level by finding a character that is either good enough to root for or bad enough to root against. Here I am presented with two central characters who are both at once sympathetic and repulsive. One is a manipulative liar. The other a drunken, vicious brute. But that liar also happens to be mentally ill and has suffered some pretty traumatic things in her life. And that brute is forced to endure a houseguest who constantly looks down on him and judges him for being "common" and a "Pollack." And DAMN IS THAT BITCH ANNOYING - to the point where it's almost tempting to forgive his violence against her, but he takes it to such a disgusting level of brutality that it simply can't be forgiven.

To that end, both performances are really excellent. A young Marlon Brando brings a raw sexuality and sense of danger to the screen and makes me understand without question why Stella would be so drawn to him. (Holy crap he was hot back then!) Vivien Leigh infuses Blanche with glamour and a fragility that almost makes me forgive HOW DAMNED ANNOYING she is, but not quite. I'd be lying if I said her character didn't take away from my enjoyment of the film.

Still, it was a well made film with characters that actually had dimension and I'm glad I watched it.

4-

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/peterpan.gif

Peter Pan (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Et al., 1953)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046183/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt)

Date Watched: 6/14/16
Cinema or Home: At work on my portable DVD player
Reason For Watching: 50's list
Rewatch: I don't think so

As is to be expected from a Disney film, the animation in Peter Pan is quite beautiful. Unfortunately, that's about the extent of the praise I can give it. What could have been a fun fantasy adventure just felt rushed and not well fleshed out. The characters were all very one dimensional and irritating and the humor was all too slapstick. I've never read or seen a production of the original play, so I'm not sure how much of the blame lies with Barrie and how much is with Disney, but this just wasn't what I was expecting.

2.5

[Camo]

the animation in Peter Pan is quite beautiful.

I disagree, i think the animation is the main reason i don't like Peter Pan. It's not Robin Hood bad, but i don't think it is well animated at all.

The best 50's Animation was in Looney Tunes Shorts. So vote for a few of them :p.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Oh dear. Streetcar Named Desire makes me wanna send in a '50s list. When is that due?

Agree about Marlon Brando being smokin' hot in it.

[Miss Vicky]

Oh dear. Streetcar Named Desire makes me wanna send in a '50s list. When is that due?

Agree about Marlon Brando being smokin' hot in it.

August 10th is the final deadline. You can send in partial lists starting July 1st.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Thank you.

[Omnizoa]

I disagree, i think the animation is the main reason i don't like Peter Pan. It's not Robin Hood bad, but i don't think it is well animated at all.
I'm inclined to say it's the characters and tone by far.

Peter is a brat, Wendy is a Mary Sue, Tinkerbell's a bitch...

[mark f]

Ouch.

[Omnizoa]

Ouch.
I find it kinda cringey when I see little girls fed on Tinkerbell, she's a terrible role model.

I will say Peter Pan isn't as bad as that post-Hook remake. That movie made me hate Speed of Sound by Coldplay.

[SilentVamp]

Tinkerbell's a bitch...
I completely agree with this. I just hate her so much.

I find it kinda cringey when I see little girls fed on Tinkerbell, she's a terrible role model.
But here's the thing, though. Little girls do have a mind of their own. Nobody tells them to like her. I think they just do. But I NEVER liked Tinkerbell. I HATED her when I was a little girl. And the older I got, the more I hated her - if that was even possible. Personally, I think the only reason - and I could be wrong - that girls are drawn to her is because she is a fairy (and girls seem to have a "thing" about fairies - I never cared about them). And to make it even "better" is that she is a Disney fairy. A perfect combination, I guess, for little girls.

[Omnizoa]

She's still heavily marketed to children and bought by parents (that's why I said fed, not all children question what they "eat").

Far more than Belle from Beauty and the Beast who actually exercised some positive values.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/piper.gif

Piper (Alan Barillaro, 2016)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4661600/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 6/18/16
Cinema or Home: Cinema (with Funny Face)
Reason For Watching: It’s Pixar
Rewatch: No

Whenever Pixar announces a new feature, I get a little extra excited because I know a new short will accompany it. There are many that I absolutely love, but the last several have been disappointing to me. In fact I haven't loved any of them since Partly Cloudy, which appeared before Up.

Well today they redeemed themselves. Piper is wonderful. The animation is nothing short of stunning. It's probably the most photo-realistic animated film I've ever seen. The story itself - of a hatchling sandpiper learning to find food and overcoming his fear of the water - is also really sweet. I'm not yet sure exactly where I'd rank it among Pixar's other theatrical shorts, but it's definitely among my favorites.

4.5


* * *

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/findingdory.gif

Finding Dory (Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane, 2016)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2277860/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 6/18/16
Cinema or Home: Cinema (with Funny Face)
Reason For Watching: It’s Pixar
Rewatch: No

Possible Spoilers

Despite being a Pixar fangirl, I had my reservations going into this. Pixar doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to sequels or for that matter to their recent output (with the obvious exception of Inside Out). And although I like Finding Nemo, it's never been a particular favorite of mine.

I can't say that I was blown away by this movie, but I definitely had a good time with it. I had quite a few laughs and really liked most of the new characters. But there were definitely some things that bothered me a little bit. First of all, I'm usually very much impressed by the attention to detail and research that goes into Pixar's movies, but I really felt like that just didn't happen here, particularly when it came to a captive whale shark named Destiny.

We're first introduced to Destiny when Dory finds herself in a pail of dead fish and is tossed into Destiny's tank as food. Whale sharks are huge, slow moving filter feeders who would not benefit from a few dead fish being tossed into the tank. The movie also had Destiny doing things that just aren't physically possible for a giant, slow moving fish (A Free Willy style escape by a whale shark? I don't buy it, Pixar).

The story itself also ventures into some really absurd territory and features an absolutely ridiculous finale - featuring a transport truck full of marine life, an escaped octopus, and Dory in a cup. I know it's an animated children's tale, but it really stretched my limits in terms of suspension of disbelief. Oh well. Even with its flaws it's much better than Brave.

4-

[rauldc14]

I saw it yesterday too. It's nowhere close to as good as Finding Nemo but it did have its own charm. It's a middle of the road Pixar, which isn't really that bad, but far from anything great.

[Omnizoa]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/piper.gif
Took me a moment to realize that was animation. What is that?

Piper (Alan Barillaro, 2016)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4661600/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 6/18/16
Cinema or Home: Cinema (with Funny Face)
Reason For Watching: It’s Pixar
****! I didn't even know this was a thing!

[Miss Vicky]

Took me a moment to realize that was animation. What is that?


****! I didn't even know this was a thing!

:confused:

Have you never watched Pixar movies at the theater? They're always accompanied by a Pixar short film. Piper is the short that accompanies Finding Dory.

[Omnizoa]

:confused:

Have you never watched Pixar movies at the theater? They're always accompanied by a Pixar short film. Piper is the short that accompanies Finding Dory.
No I just totally forgot Finding Dory was coming out.

I just remember it as an entry in-title-only on a Wikipedia page.

[Miss Vicky]

No I just totally forgot Finding Dory was coming out.

I just remember it as an entry in-title-only on a Wikipedia page.

Ah, I see. It just came out, so you're not too far out of the loop.

[rauldc14]

I saw Piper too, but I don't really count it as watching a film.

[Camo]

Repped but didn't read it yet. Really looking forward to this even though i think Finding Nemo is the weakest of the good Pixar films.

Read the Piper one and i have to agree from that gif that looks incredibly Photo-Realistic.

[Camo]

Just noticed your Streetcar write up. Glad you enjoyed it, there is a good chance it will make my 50's list.

[rauldc14]

Repped but didn't read it yet. Really looking forward to this even though i think Finding Nemo is the weakest of the good Pixar films.

Read the Piper one and i have to agree from that gif that looks incredibly Photo-Realistic.

The weakest?!?!? For shame.

[Miss Vicky]

The weakest?!?!? For shame.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it the weakest, but Finding Nemo is definitely towards the bottom of my list of good Pixar films.

[Camo]

The weakest?!?!? For shame.

I still like it quite a bit. I just think there are 10 really good Pixar Films and i would have Finding Nemo bottom of those.

[rauldc14]

10th?!?! Yikes that's super low.

It's my obvious 1, but we have had this discussion before. Three others join it in my top 100.

[Camo]

10th of 10 really good films. I think it shows how good Pixar have been overall.

[Omnizoa]

10th of 10 really good films. I think it shows how good Pixar have been overall.
What's the top of the bottom?

[rauldc14]

Well, I guess I forget everyone loves those Toy Story movies. I think I've only seen the first one and am not rushing to see the others.

[Camo]

What's the top of the bottom?

What my favourite of the weaker ones? The Good Dinosaur or A Bugs Life.

Raul, i think the first Toy Story is the weakest one you should try the others.

[rauldc14]

I will at some point, I'd be surprised if they topped my top 4 though.

[Miss Vicky]

Well, I guess I forget everyone loves those Toy Story movies.

I don't love them.

[Camo]

I will at some point, I'd be surprised if they topped my top 4 though.

What is your top 4? Mines is WALL-E, Monsters Inc, The Incredibles and Up. Those were the four that made my top 20 Animated Films in my thread.

[rauldc14]

Wall E, Up, Ratatouille and Finding Nemo.

The Incredible is pretty good, Inside Out was solid . Toy Story is ok. Monsters Inc is average. Brave was a tad below average.

[rauldc14]

I don't love them.

I knew we had something else in common!

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/internetfamous.gif

Internet Famous (Michael J. Gallagher, 2016)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5291862/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 6/23/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: Shane Dawson
Rewatch: No

Yeah, yeah, I know. 99% of you probably have no ****ing clue who Shane Dawson is. And the other 1% is Funny Face who has received video links in her inbox, has listened to me fangirl about him for a few weeks now, and is being dragged to San Francisco with me next month for one of his book signings. Because I have no life and I have an addictive/obsessive personality and Dawson happens to be my latest obsession.

Anyhoo, this movie is a mockumentary about a bunch of YouTube stars who are competing for the chance to get their own television show. Shane Dawson is an actual YouTube star who has made countless videos, written two books, and directed a movie (Not Cool, which I reviewed previously). In Internet Famous, he plays an ultra-douchey parody version of himself. The real Shane Dawson is known, among other things, for doing parody music videos (often in drag) and also a lot of collaboration videos with other YouTubers. These collab videos more often than not end up being quite homoerotic. Dawson's scenes in this movie played heavily on these things (including a joke about "tickle fight" videos, which Dawson actually did with another male YouTuber a couple years ago (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Fqiv0yOLs)) and plays on the tendency for the comments section of his videos to be full of fans "shipping" him with his collaborators. His performance in the film was very tongue in cheek and I liked it a lot.

Unfortunately I can't really say the same for the rest of the movie. I tend not to be a fan of comedy films in general so it had that going against it. Most of the film was just awkward AF and not in a way that was funny to me. Perhaps if I was more immersed in the whole YouTuber culture thing it might've resonated with me more, but I'm not and it didn't. There were other caricatures of other types of YouTube stars - a guy who makes cat videos, a guy who makes baby videos, a girl who makes videos in slutty costumes, and the star of a random viral video who did this super awkward dance. I don't know if any of the people playing those parts are actual YouTube stars (other than the Chocolate Rain (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTZ2xpQwpA) guy who played himself as a celebrity guest "mentor" for the competition), but their performances and characters just didn't work for me.

This is a pretty low budget film made for kind of a niche audience, so I can't say that my expectations were particularly high, but I was still hoping for a little more. I didn't hate it, but obsession or not, I probably won't ever watch it again or any other movie Dawson is in for that matter. I think I'll stick with his videos and books from now on.

2.5

[Omnizoa]

Shane Dawson movies sound almost as dreadful as PewDiePie movies.

[Miss Vicky]

Shane Dawson movies sound almost as dreadful as PewDiePie movies.

I've can't manage to sit through a PewDiePie video. I shudder at the notion of a movie.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/thebigshort.jpg

The Big Short (Adam McKay, 2015)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596363/)

Date Watched: 7/08/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: I was bored and my mom had it on DVD
Rewatch: No

This movie set out to take a rather boring and complicated topic and try to make it sexy and funny. Did it succeed? Not really. Not for me, anyway.

There's nothing really wrong with this movie. The performances were fine and it looks good, but it failed to engage me. I really didn't care for any of the characters and my lack of interest in them made following the film's events more of a struggle. I also found the narration, celebrity cameos, and constant breaking of the fourth wall to be pretty irritating. Definitely not my cup of tea.

3-

[Sexy Celebrity]

I want to see that for the actors, but JayDee - and now you - have both given that bad reviews.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/mowerminions.jpg

Mower Minions (*Director not listed on IMDb*, 2016)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5873098/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 7/10/16
Cinema or Home: Cinema (with Funny Face)
Reason For Watching: It played before The Secret Life of Pets
Rewatch: No

This was a fun little short. Nothing new here - more minions doing minion things - but I definitely prefer them in smaller doses like this rather than in their own feature.

3.5-


* * *

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/secretlifeofpets.gif

The Secret Life of Pets (Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud, 2016)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2709768/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 7/10/16
Cinema or Home: Cinema (with Funny Face)
Reason For Watching: It looked cute.
Rewatch: No

Possible Spoilers

As a life-long pet owner and someone who works with pets on a daily basis, this movie had immediate appeal for me. Unfortunately it is, of course, geared more towards dog lovers but there were plenty of cat in-jokes to keep me amused and not surprisingly Chloe the cat was my favorite character.

As is to be expected with an Illumination film, the animation in The Secret Life of Pets is nothing groundbreaking, but it is done well and I quite liked the character designs. The story ventures well into levels of ridiculousness - even featuring a scene where animals steal a transport truck and crash it into the ocean. And while I criticized Finding Dory for its use of a very similar scene, it really didn't bother me here. That may be hypocritical of me, but I expect more from the studio that brought us Up, Ratatouille, and Wall E than I do from the one that brought us Despicable Me (which I love) and The Lorax (which I hate).

Anyway, all in all I had a good time with this. It was a little light in terms of depth and heart but made up for it in chuckles and grins.

4+

[Camo]

Mower Minions

Jesus :facepalm::lol:. Yeah, i could see them working fine as a short as you said. Their film is probably my least favourite of this decade.

The film looks interesting.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/wildstrawberries.jpg

Wild Strawberries (Smultronstället) (Ingmar Bergman, 1957)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050986/)

Date Watched: 07/24/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List
Rewatch: No

As someone who connects with film more on an emotional level than a technical one, I really appreciated this tale of forgiveness and redemption. Although the imagery was at times haunting and unsettling, the strength of Wild Strawberries lies in the performances, particularly Victor Sjöström who plays the lead.

Many films I've seen from this era suffer from overly theatrical and unnatural performances. I find this type of acting both distracting and irritating, but here Sjöström's Isak Borg feels real and I had no trouble engaging with his transformation from coldness to warmth. For the most part, the supporting actors did quite well too and I particularly enjoyed Jullan Kindall as Agna, Borg's housekeeper, and the (stunningly beautiful) Ingrid Thulin as Marianne, Borg's daughter in law.

This was the eighth Bergman film I've seen, and while I wouldn't go so far as to call him a favorite, I do enjoy his work and I look forward to watching his other 1950s offerings.

4

[Camo]

Awesome MV :up:. While only my fourth Bergman it is the only one i've really loved to far, not that any of others were bad but i just didn't connect to them as much as this. Glad you agree on Victor Sjöström, one of my favourite ever performances and probably my favourite i've seen for the first time this year.

[cricket]

My favorite 50's Bergman is Smiles of a Summer Night. I wouldn't recommend it to you though, since it's a rom-com.

[Zotis]

I really want to see Wild Strawberries. I keep hearing such great things about it.

[Miss Vicky]

My favorite 50's Bergman is Smiles of a Summer Night. I wouldn't recommend it to you though, since it's a rom-com.

I do still enjoy some rom-coms. Perhaps his take on the genre will appeal to me.

So far the only Bergman that really didn't work for me was The Passion of Anna, which I never finished and don't count among the eight I've seen.

[cricket]

The Passion of Anna is one of my favorites of his. It seems like everyone has different favorites from him, pretty cool I think.

[rauldc14]

My favorite is probably The Virgin Spring. If not that, Autumn Sonata

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/writtenonthewind.gif

Written On the Wind (Douglas Sirk, 1956)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049966/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 07/26/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: Cricket asked me to watch it for the 50s List
Rewatch: No

I went into this movie knowing next to nothing about it. I don't think I'd even heard the name until I got a PM from Cricket about it so I had no idea what to expect. It took me a little while to settle in (and to stop expecting Robert Stack to stare into the camera and tell me about a creepy unsolved mystery ;) ) but once I did, I enjoyed it - for the most part.

Rock Hudson's Mitch was an intriguing and likable character and Stack's Kyle might've been a fairly sympathetic one had he not been so much of a douche. But I really couldn't bring myself to care at all about Lauren Bacall's Lucy. I suppose she was meant to seem sophisticated but she just struck me as bland. Aside from her physical beauty, I struggled to understand Mitch and Kyle's instant infatuation with her and didn't buy their claims of love at first sight, which somewhat lessened my enjoyment of the film.

Another thing that bugged - though is probably less a complaint about the film and more one about the era - was the way in which Kyle's sister Marylee was treated by the men in her life. On the one hand, I don't deny that she was something of a spoiled bitch, but I felt quite a bit of sympathy for her nevertheless. I've never considered myself a feminist, but it bothered me how the men sought to infantilize and control her, only to look at her with disgust when she behaved in childish ways.

But as I said, these things were mostly minor irritations and as long as I focused my attention on the interactions between Mitch and Kyle I could overcome them.

3.5

[rauldc14]

I wish you had some time for a recommendation of mine. I think u would actually like it.

[Citizen Rules]

Glad to see some interest in Douglas Sirk's Written on the Wind. I reviewed it a couple of months ago and gave it the exact same rating. I told Gideon about it and he watched it a couple days latter...and same rating again.......You know what they say...great minds think alike:p

I thought that little red sports car she drives was pretty darn cool. And I dug the leaves blowing into the house. Sirk did that leave trick in other of his movies. Have you seen any other of his films?

[Miss Vicky]

I wish you had some time for a recommendation of mine. I think u would actually like it.

Well you're welcome to tell me what it is, but I can't promise to get to it.

Have you seen any other of his films?

No.

[Thursday Next]

I quite liked Written on the Wind, but nowhere near as much as All That Heaven Allows.

[Daniel M]

Written on the Wind is a masterpiece, will be right near the top of my Fifties list, I'm glad you enjoyed it so some extent.

[Citizen Rules]

I quite liked Written on the Wind, but nowhere near as much as All That Heaven Allows.

Written on the Wind is a masterpiece, will be right near the top of my Fifties list, I'm glad you enjoyed it so some extent.

As much as I like Douglas Sirk's work, I didn't find Written on the Wind to be much different than other mid to late 50s melodramas done in the soap opera style. And that style was very popular at the time. I'd say All That Heaven Allows, is my favorite of Sirk's films.

[Camo]

I haven't seen Written on the Wind.

Which 50's movies are you planning on getting to MV?

[Miss Vicky]

I haven't seen Written on the Wind.

Which 50's movies are you planning on getting to MV?

The Seventh Seal, Smiles of a Summer Night, Seven Samurai. Not sure after that.

[Camo]

I'm sure there's a good chance you'll at least like the first two enough to put on your list since you seem to have liked most of what you've seen from Bergman so far. Interested in what you'll think of Seven Samurai, have you seen any Kurosawa?

[Swan]

Enjoy Seventh Seal. It's one of my fave Bergmans.

[Miss Vicky]

Interested in what you'll think of Seven Samurai, have you seen any Kurosawa?

Only Rashomon, which I liked. I'll probably watch Seven Samurai this Sunday when I've got a lot of time available.

[Camo]

Good to know you at least liked Rashomon. It is one of my favourite movies and my favourite Kurosawa so far.

[Miss Vicky]

Actually I forgot a movie that I plan to watch: Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Not normally my kind of movie, but I liked the remake quite a bit so hopefully I'll like this one too.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/invasionofthebodysnatchers.gif

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel, 1956)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049366/?ref_=nv_sr_4)

Date Watched: 07/27/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List
Rewatch: No

Spoilers Ahead

Solid movie, though I feel like I had a little more fun with the 70s remake and that it did a better job of establishing a sense of dread. I was also a bit bothered by the ending - I know Becky's already been transformed by the time Miles returns, but how? I suppose there could've been some random pod left in the cave just in case, but how did the transformation happen so fast when others took longer? I also had trouble accepting that the doctors would buy Miles's story so quickly when they hear about the pods in the car accident victim's vehicle. But these are pretty minor gripes and I enjoyed it overall.

3.5

[Swan]

Mmm that's a good un.

[Camo]

I actually didn't like the 70's one other than the ending, while i loved the 50's one. Glad you liked it and hope it makes your 50's list.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/androcles.jpg

Androcles and the Lion (Chester Erskine, Nicholas Ray, 1952)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044355/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 07/27/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: Victor Mature, Rome, 50s
Rewatch: No


Since my teens, I've had a soft spot for that genius actor (;)) Victor Mature, so when I spotted this on Hulu (it's part of the Criterion Collection, for some reason) I couldn't resist giving it a try. Whenever I go into one of his movies, I expect to laugh at it and enjoy it in a so-bad-it's-good kind of way - with the occasional pleasant surprise of finding a genuinely good movie -but this one was actually trying to be funny.

So let's review the film's positives. Um... well... Let's see now... It has Victor Mature - giving his usual hammy performance (though he's not the main character and doesn't get a whole lot of screen time), it has the gorgeous Jean Simmons (but female beauty doesn't do much to hold my interest), and the costumes were pretty good.

Now the negatives. The acting is atrocious. The special effects are even more so. The writing is horrid and the intended laughs don't deliver. Or at least I don't think they do. It's hard to tell which parts of the awfulness were intentional and which were accidental. Even so, I rarely got bored with it and was entranced in a WTF/train wreck kind of way.

2.5

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/seventhseal.gif

The Seventh Seal(Det sjunde inseglet) (Ingmar Bergman, 1957)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050976/?ref_=nm_knf_t1)

Date Watched: 07/30/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s list, Bergman
Rewatch: No

On a technical level, this is a superb film. I really can find no real fault here. The acting, the cinematography, the costume design, all of it was very good. I thought the concept was excellent as well. But I'd be lying if I said I loved this.

Despite its beauty and the strength of its premise, there was a definite emotional disconnect for me and there were times when I struggled to maintain focus. There just wasn't anything about any of its characters to make me feel for them. Ultimately I respected this film far more than I actually liked it but that will probably be enough to get it somewhere on my ballot.


3.5

[Omnizoa]

there was a definite emotional disconnect for me and there were times when I struggled to maintain focus. There just wasn't anything about any of its characters to make me feel for them.
Seventh Seal was pretty [Meh...] for me. I don't get the love people shower on it.

[Camo]

I largely felt the same as you about The Seventh Seal, haven't seen it in about two years though so i should re watch it.

[cricket]

Great job tackling and finishing Seven Samurai! I anxiously await your thoughts!

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/sevensamurai.gif

Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) (Akira Kurosawa, 1954)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047478/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 07/31/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List
Rewatch: No


Having seen only one other Kurosawa film (and relatively little Japanese cinema in general), I didn't know what to expect from this but decided to watch it based on its reputation alone.

The cast of characters was varied and interesting and I was able to engage pretty well with them. The story had a good mix of drama, action and a surprising amount of humor, which helped to balance out the tragedies and the loss. I can definitely see why it was later re-imagined as a Western, though I've yet to see The Magnificent Seven.

But I didn't quite love it. Due to its 3.5 hour run time, I struggled a bit to get through it. Not gonna lie: My attention span just isn't that long and I had to take a few breaks. I would've preferred a shorter film. Aside from that though, the film was very good. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a masterpiece, but I think it is deserving of its reputation.

4-

[rauldc14]

Am I a bad fifties host for never seeing Seven Samurai? :facepalm:

I hope to see it before it's placing in the countdown.

[Miss Vicky]

So Seven Samurai makes 22 films for my ballot. I need 3 more and have only 10 days to find them. This is my current watchlist, I'm hoping to get them all in and find the remaining 3 among them:

Smiles of a Summer Night
Rebel Without A Cause
Strangers On A Train
Witness For the Prosecution
12 Angry Men

[Gatsby]

It's long for me too, even though I have enough attention span to 'endure' Dr. Strangelove. :D The movie definitely could have been trimmed: the process of recruiting the seven samurai goes on for a bit too long, same thing for the village scenes. Love Kurosawa but I can only give Seven Samurai a 4+.

[Gatsby]

Am I a bad fifties host for never seeing Seven Samurai? :facepalm:

I hope to see it before it's placing in the countdown.
Yes, you're a bad boy, Now go and sit in the time out chair.

[Miss Vicky]

Am I a bad fifties host for never seeing Seven Samurai? :facepalm:

I hope to see it before it's placing in the countdown.

Eh, I didn't watch a lot of the movies on the animated countdown until after it was complete.

[Swan]

So Seven Samurai makes 22 films for my ballot. I need 3 more and have only 10 days to find them. This is my current watchlist, I'm hoping to get them all in and find the remaining 3 among them:

Smiles of a Summer Night
Rebel Without A Cause
Strangers On A Train
Witness For the Prosecution
12 Angry Men


Oh man, watch 12 Angry Men next. That is an essential viewing for everyone.

[seanc]

Yeah, gotta watch 12 Angry. I have a feeling you will love Smiles Of A Summer Night though, and if I remember right it's a brisk 90minutes.

[cricket]

I'm very happy you had a positive experience watching Seven Samurai.:)

I would think you'll find 3 more for your list out of the movies you mentioned.

[Camo]

Seven Samurai is great but it's running time is a bit more of a struggle for me than some films of a similar length that i prefer like Lawrence and Gone With The WInd. Still it is one of my favourites by one of my favourite directors, glad you liked it.

[nebbit]

So Bitch :kiss: you have been watching some good movies :yup:

[Omnizoa]

Oh man, watch 12 Angry Men next. That is an essential viewing for everyone.Yeah, gotta watch 12 Angry.
Yus. What they said.

[honeykid]

Another recommending 12 Angry Men, raul. :)

As I have Seven Samurai on my 100, I'm very pleased to see you like it so much, MV. :cool:

[rauldc14]

Definitely get to Witness and 12 Angry Men

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/12angrymen.gif

12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet, 1957)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050083/?ref_=nv_sr_3)

Date Watched: 08/01/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List
Rewatch: No

Despite what I've heard about this film, I'd kind of been putting this off because the idea of watching a bunch of guys talking just wasn't that appealing. I've seen a handful of other Lumet films, so I knew it would at least be a thought provoking piece. However, I also knew there was a fair chance I'd respect it without really liking it.

That turned out not to be the case and I was treated to a compelling drama with interesting characters. Some of the scenes and arguments (particularly the old man's assertion that one of the witnesses may have been testifying in order to get attention) didn't quite work for me and I think the film's relative brevity worked in its favor to prevent boredom, but overall I enjoyed it quite a bit.

4

[Chypmunk]

Pleased to see you enjoyed 12 Angry Men :up:

[Camo]

12 Angry Men is great glad you liked it. I think it might be the dark horse to take the 50's Countdown.

[Omnizoa]

(particularly the old man's assertion that one of the witnesses may have been testifying in order to get attention)
It's speculation at the motive of why the witness would lie. It's not evidence in favor of lying, it's evidence in defense of the accusation that the witness has no reason to lie.

[Miss Vicky]

It's speculation at the motive of why the witness would lie. It's not evidence in favor of lying, it's evidence in defense of the accusation that the witness has no reason to lie.

I understand the point he was making, my point was that what he said struck me as a little ridiculous.

[Citizen Rules]

...Some of the scenes and arguments (particularly the old man's assertion that one of the witnesses may have been testifying in order to get attention) didn't quite work for me...
I agree. I use to love 12 Angry Men until I watched it again for the 50s Hof Part 2 and seen how contrived some of the speculation by the jurors were...like the old man's testimony that doesn't count as they suppose he wanted attention and lied:rolleyes: The lamest idea for innocents was that the woman neighbor had marks on her nose and there forth wore glasses but didn't have them on at the time of the murder so she couldn't have seen the murderer. Those marks could have been from sunglasses, or reading glasses. The film never tells us that it's confirmed she had a distant vision problem.

[mark f]

And we're not supposed to know.

[Omnizoa]

Plausibility, not probability.

The lamest idea for innocents was that the woman neighbor had marks on her nose and there forth wore glasses but didn't have them on at the time of the murder so she couldn't have seen the murderer. Those marks could have been from sunglasses, or reading glasses. The film never tells us that it's confirmed she had a distant vision problem.
It begs the question whether occasional use of sunglasses or reading glasses would leave such marks.

This is in addition to the distance, time of night, and visual acuity of a sleepy person looking through a passing vehicle.

The point is it's questionable evidence and putting someone to death over questionable evidence is questionable.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/rebelwithoutacause.gif

Rebel Without A Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048545/?ref_=nv_sr_3)

Date Watched: 08/03/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List
Rewatch: No

Potential Spoilers Ahead

I wanted to be sure to include this film in my 50s movie watching because of its iconic status in the gay community - daring to feature a gay character and male to male affection in a time when homosexuality was still a crime. And while I applaud Ray and the cast for that, the film is not without its problems.

Some of the portrayals just didn't work for me, particularly Jim's parents - the over-bearing bitch of a mother and the "whipped father." They felt more like caricatures than real people. The same holds true for "Buzz" and "The Kids." They were extremely one dimensional.

I also didn't particularly care for the way that Plato was presented. While homosexual teens are perhaps prone to psychological instability and depression - a tragic side-effect of repressed feelings and social rejection - it bothered me a bit that his character was written as having violent, psychopathic tendencies. From his very first scene in the film, I struggled to empathize or sympathize with his character because of the things he had done. Ultimately this struggle left me feeling only sadness for the few that cared about him, but not for Plato himself.

I also had mixed feelings about Jim. On the one hand, I appreciated his interactions with Plato and the acceptance and tenderness that he offered to the troubled younger teen. On the other hand, his contempt for his parents and his comments about what his father ought to do to his mother didn't exactly sit well with me.

But even with all those faults, I can say without doubt that it is unlike any other film I've seen from this era and I hope it secures a very respectable position on the countdown.

4-

[Camo]

Rebel WIthout A Cause was a bit of a disappointment for me. Not that i thought it was bad, i thought it was just ok when i was expecting to love it. Glad you liked it anyway. Is that you got enough for your list now?

[MovieMeditation]

Wasn't crazy about Rebel either, despite really liking Eden, which I thought was really good though I didn't love it. I hoped Rebel would be the one, but unfortunately I liked it less than Eden. Still haven't seen Giant.

[Miss Vicky]

Is that you got enough for your list now?

No. I have 24 films on my list at the moment, but 3-4 of them are not definite. I've still got a handful of movies that I want to cram in before the deadline.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Wasn't crazy about Rebel either, despite really liking Eden, which I thought was really good though I didn't love it. I hoped Rebel would be the one, but unfortunately I liked it less than Eden. Still haven't seen Giant.
I recommend giving "East of Eden" a watch, too. It's the best James Dean movie.

[Camo]

East of Eden is the only film i have left in the 10th HOF, so i'll be watching that soon.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/smilesofasummernight.jpg

Smiles of a Summer Night (Sommarnattens leende) (Ingmar Bergman, 1955)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048641/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 08/04/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List
Rewatch: No

I really didn't know what to expect from a Bergman comedy, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by this. It takes quite a bit to make me laugh and I certainly didn't expect to be actually laughing at a 50s comedy. At most a smirk or a soft chuckle. But no, it was genuinely funny. I was also a little shocked to find that I really liked the female roles, especially given the setting of the film. These were strong, sexual women who refused to be delicate little flowers. It was refreshing.

My only real complaint about the film is the soundtrack, which was in turns absent and blaring. I think it would've been more effective to eliminate it entirely. But it is a minor gripe and overall I really enjoyed this film.

4+

[Swan]

Haven't seen that one, definitely more curious now. I for one always loved how Bergman portrays women.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/brinkoflife.jpg

Brink of Life (Nära livet) (Ingmar Bergman, 1958)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052017/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 08/04/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List
Rewatch: No


I don't think I'd ever even heard of this film, but a documentary about Bergman came on immediately after Smiles of a Summer Night. I didn't watch the whole thing, but I did watch enough to see them speak briefly about Brink of Life.

The film stands in stark contrast to the lightness and humor of Smiles. Set in a maternity ward, Bergman presents us with three women in very different situations. One is recovering from a miscarriage, struggling to cope with the loss of the child and with the realization that hers is a marriage without real love. Another is a teen girl who tried and failed to induce an abortion, stuck with a pregnancy she didn't want, fathered by a man who doesn't love her and offers her no support, and faced with an uncertain future. The third is a woman blissfully happy in her marriage and anxiously awaiting the overdue arrival of her first child.

The three central performances, by Ingrid Thulin, Bibi Anderson, and Eva Dahlbeck, are compelling and heartbreaking. This is a heavy film, without flash and with little humor. It's a tough watch and a very sobering experience, but one I'm glad I undertook. I definitely recommend it.

4

[Gatsby]

You're on a roll MV, you now have way more knowledge of Bergman's filmography than I have. :up:

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/roomatthetop.jpg

Room at the Top (Jack Clayton, 1959)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053226/?ref_=nv_sr_2)

Date Watched: 08/05/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List, Cricket's recommendation
Rewatch: No


I had some very mixed feelings about this film. The story was quite interesting, with its look at sex, class and social climbing, and the performances were solid. I particularly liked Simone Signoret in her Oscar winning role as Alice.

Excellent too was Laurence Harvey as Joe, the social climbing womanizer with his eyes on the boss's daughter who he sees only as a very pretty dollar sign. The trouble is that I found this character so distasteful that it really affected my enjoyment of the film and had it not been for Alice, he might've been enough to turn me off it.

Still it's pretty solid overall and may ultimately sneak onto the tail end of my ballet.

3.5-

[cricket]

I felt a lot like you did with Rebel Without a Cause, similar to how I feel about Easy Rider. I don't think it's great, but there's just something about it that makes it mandatory viewing.

Surprised but happy how much you liked Smiles of a Summer Night, my favorite Bergman out of many I'm fond of. I could've used you when I nominated it for the first 50's HoF.

Glad you enjoyed Room at the Top:)

[cricket]

I haven't seen Brink of Life, and I was figuring it would be one of the movies I didn't get to. I'm going to watch it now for sure.

[Miss Vicky]

I haven't seen Brink of Life, and I was figuring it would be one of the movies I didn't get to. I'm going to watch it now for sure.
It's on YouTube.

[Beatle]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/robinhood.gif

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Kevin Reynolds, 1991)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102798/?ref_=nv_sr_2)

Date Watched: 1/14/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: It's my favorite Alan Rickman performance and an all time favorite movie.
Rewatch: Yes

Is this movie over-the-top to the point of being silly? You betcha. Is this movie full of cliches and hammy performances? Yep. Does that bother me? Not one damn bit. This is one hell of a fun adventure flick and is largely responsible for my love of movies. It's been a favorite of mine for 25 years now and I don't see that ever changing.

Besides starring the two biggest celebrity crushes of my childhood - Kevin Costner and Christian Slater - it also features my all time favorite movie villain in Alan Rickman's deliciously evil Sheriff of Nottingham. He chews up the screen and has a blast and I'm right there having a great time with him even after all these years. And even more so with this viewing of the extended edition, with much of the additional footage featuring Nottingham.

I spent the whole movie with one big grin on my face.

rating_4_5+

I first saw it when it came out, but as a refugee in Vienna because there was a war going on here. It was dubbed in German, so as my German is very poor, I understood only very little. Still, it was a lot of fun. I also like the three actors, and I agree Rickman stole the show. I saw it a number of times since then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZhCCu-2gbw

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/witnessfortheprosecution.gif

Witness for the Prosecution (Billy Wilder, 1957)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051201/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 08/06/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List, rauldc14's recommendation
Rewatch: No


I knew pretty much nothing about this film going in and, judging by the title, was expecting a dull courtroom drama. Instead I was treated to an engaging story with a rather generous and unexpected dose of comedy. The main cast of characters are all quite likable and the dialogue is well written and often witty, making for a very entertaining film.

However, the comedy bit went a little too far at times and threatened to push the movie into the realms of cheesy and hokey. This is especially true of the character of Miss Plimsoll, the nurse who treats Barrister Roberts like a child, and also true of the scene involving a cockney woman and some last minute evidence.

But this was a relatively minor annoyance in otherwise very good film.

4

[seanc]

Nice, didn't think you would like that one. I love Laughton in that film so much. The writing is brilliant. I need to see it again soon. Very high on my list.

[Camo]

Witness For The Prosecution is excellent. Glad you liked it.

[cricket]

I think that's going to do very well in the countdown. Glad you liked it.

[Omnizoa]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZhCCu-2gbw
I gotta watch that.

[Beatle]

I also like Witness for the Prosecution. It's just that I saw it so long ago...I most like the dramatic finish.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/throneofblood.jpg

Throne of Blood (Kumonosu-jô) (Akira Kurosawa, 1957)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050613/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 08/06/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List
Rewatch? No.


I started the evening with the intention of watching Joseph Makiewicz's Julius Caesar, but after 30 minutes of that I simply couldn't take the Shakespearean dialogue any longer. So I decided instead to select a different film. Little did I know, the film I chose is actually another Shakespeare adaptation, this time Macbeth.

Overall this is an excellent film. The acting is solid, the costumes are impressive, the cinematography is gorgeous and poetic, and the story - of powerlust, betrayal, and murder - was engaging. I would be lying though if I said I loved it. However, my problems with the film are just that - my problems and not the fault of the film itself. I simply struggle with anything involving the supernatural and found myself rolling my eyes a bit at the whole prophecy/bad omen/evil spirit crap. Ultimately though I'm glad I chose to watch this tale of the bitch that is karma.

3.5+

[cricket]

Pretty much how I felt about Throne of Blood. I liked it, but more than that I appreciated it as a strong film.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/eastofeden.gif

East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048028/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 08/07/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List, Sexy Celebrity's Recommendation
Rewatch? No.


Holy *****.

James Dean is absolutely wonderful as Cal Trask, bringing a perfect mix of wildness and vulnerability to the rebellious, motherless, unloved lost boy. I really connected to his feelings of inadequacy and rejection in his relationship with his father and the jealousy he felt about his "good" older brother. It absolutely broke my heart watching him try so hard to win the affection of his father, something that should've been given freely.

The other performances were pretty solid too, particularly Julie Harris as Abra, the only person who really tried to understand Cal, but none affected me quite like Dean.

There was one particular scene though that really hit home in a very different way - the attack on Mr. Albrecht. It absolutely sickened me to see that kind of hatred towards an innocent person and it called to mind the kind of cruelty and prejudice suffered by Japanese Americans during the second World War. And of course, being a Steinbeck adaptation the location of the film lent a more personal air to it as well, since I spent many childhood summers in Salinas and Monterey visiting my grandmother.

All in all this made for a deeply moving film watching experience for me and East of Eden is a strong contender for the number one position on my ballot.

4.5

[Camo]

Really glad you liked Throne of Blood, love that film. It was difficult deciding which Shakespeare adaptation i liked better for my list. Good to see you liked East of Eden so much as well, it is the last film for me in the 10th HOF so i'm looking forward to it even more now.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/onthewaterfront.gif

On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047296/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 08/07/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 50s List, Marlon Brando
Rewatch? No.


I've wanted to see more 50s era Brando ever since watching A Streetcar Named Desire. (Did I mention just how hot he was in that movie? Because DAMN was he hot!) So I added this one to the watchlist and, seeing as it's from the same director as East of Eden and has a good reputation, I had high hopes.

Unfortunately it just didn't resonate with me. It's a solid film with fine performances and it looks great but there was a distinct emotional disconnect. This was probably not helped by the fact that among its characters redeeming qualities were few and far between. Still, this is a film that I respect even if I don't particularly like it and I'm glad I gave it a shot.

3.5-

[Mr Minio]

I thought Miss Vicky only watches crap cinema before I visited this thread...

[Citizen Rules]

All in all this made for a deeply moving film watching experience for me and East of Eden is a strong contender for the number one position on my ballot.

rating_4_5 Yes! you just made my day:p East of Eden is my nomination in the 10th Hof, I wish you had joined! I might have had a better chance of winning with it:)

I know you reviewed Rebel With Out a Cause, have you seen James Dean in Giant?

[SilentVamp]

I know you reviewed Rebel With Out a Cause, have you seen James Dean in Giant?
Giant is actually my favorite of his films, but I think East of Eden is my favorite performance of his. I am so-so when it comes to Rebel Without a Cause. There are things that I really like about it, but it has never been a movie that I make a point of watching whenever it is on (but I have seen it a few times).

[Citizen Rules]

Giant is actually my favorite of his films, but I think East of Eden is my favorite performance of his. I am so-so when it comes to Rebel Without a Cause. There are things that I really like about it, but it has never been a movie that I make a point of watching whenever it is on (but I have seen it a few times). I like all three of his films and all of them are special in different ways. I've only seen Giant and Rebel Without a Cause once and I'd like to watch them again. I think Rebel is a movie that once you know what happens, then the mystery is over. But Giant is a film that's so epic and sweeping that I could watch it multiple times. It's almost like a 1950s version of a mini series. Sort of like The Thornbirds miniseries.

[Miss Vicky]

Have you seen James Dean in Giant?

No. Just looked it up on IMDb and it's almost 3.5 hours long. Don't think I'll be watching it anytime soon.

[Beatle]

My favorite performance of his is Rebel Without a Cause. It's also the favorite movie. Giant is great too, though. I haven't seen East of Eden yet.

[SilentVamp]

No. Just looked it up on IMDb and it's almost 3.5 hours long. Don't think I'll be watching it anytime soon.
I almost nominated Giant for the current HoF (this was, of course, before I knew CR was nominating East of Eden). But with that length, I knew I couldn't do that to people. :) But if you ever care to watch it, I think it is worth it.

My favorite performance of his is Rebel Without a Cause. It's also the favorite movie. Giant is great too, though. I haven't seen East of Eden yet.
I think you would really like East of Eden. It really is a pretty good movie.

[edarsenal]

annnnnnd, now I'm caught up with everything I missed this late-spring/early summer of your reviews.
serious rep for all the chance taking you did on so many different 50's flicks, bravo.

and I fully agree about Lucifer the cat in Cinderella getting so-called comeuppance when the sisters and mother got squat was a raw deal (he's my favorite of the entire movie.) It always made me chuckle growing up that they named him Lucifer, I'm kinda surprised I never named any of my cats that.

[Miss Vicky]

annnnnnd, now I'm caught up with everything I missed this late-spring/early summer of your reviews.
serious rep for all the chance taking you did on so many different 50's flicks, bravo.

Thanks! Also thanks for all the rep. :)

and I fully agree about Lucifer the cat in Cinderella getting so-called comeuppance when the sisters and mother got squat was a raw deal (he's my favorite of the entire movie.) It always made me chuckle growing up that they named him Lucifer, I'm kinda surprised I never named any of my cats that.

Yeah, the whole thing with Lucifer in that movie is just bull. He wasn't mean. He was just a cat doing cat things. I've worked in veterinary clinics for like 15 years and I've met a few Lucifers - they're usually pretty sweet. Animals with names like "Sweetie" and "Baby" are the ones that you've gotta look out for.

[Camo]

http://i64.tinypic.com/anlgyt.gif

[edarsenal]

Sweetie and Baby and the like always DO end up the more the diabolical ones lol

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoPics/maryandmax/imperfectmax.gif

Mary and Max. (Adam Elliot, 2009)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0978762/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 08/14/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: Just wanted to revisit a favorite
Rewatch: Yes


I watched this movie for the first time about two and half years ago and it was instant love. I've lost track of the number of times I've seen it since then and it was just as effective today as it was on my initial viewing.

This is the touching and poignant story of two lonely misfits who find each other almost accidentally and, through letters, form a strong bond of friendship, despite living on separate continents. It addresses issues of loneliness, bullying, mental illness and disability, sexuality, alcoholism, misunderstanding and betrayal, and suicide. But despite its heavy subject matter (and the waterworks it induces in me every time), this isn't a hard watch at all. Instead it's full of dark and witty humor, charmingly crude character and set designs, and impressive voice performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Barry Humphries, and Bethany Whitmore.

Mary and Max. is a film that makes me giggle like an idiot and cry like a baby. It's an absolutely perfect movie watching experience and tonight it re-affirmed that it deserves its place in my top ten.

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/maryreadingsmall.gif

5

[Omnizoa]

I wanna see that again.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/brotherhoodofthewolf.gif

Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le pacte des loups) (Christophe Gans, 2001)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0237534/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 08/14/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: Action Movie List
Rewatch? Yes.


Brotherhood of the Wolf is a highly stylized hybrid of creature horror, fantasy, mystery, period romance, and martial arts spectacle that at one point held a spot in my top ten.

Set in 18th century France, this is the tale of two men who go to investigate a series of deaths in the Gevaudan province that have been linked to a wolf-like beast that preys on women and children. One is a naturalist and taxidermist, the other a native American who says little but who exhibits great strength and loyalty.

But this really isn't a movie about story. It's about style. It's about gorgeous cinematography and lavish costumes that pop on the screen. And it's about fight scenes and stunts that thrill and excite. Adding to the visual feast is the cast. Émilie Dequenne and Monica Belluci are both stunningly beautiful and alluring. Vincent Cassel, though not really physically attractive, brings a performance that is both chillingly sinister and strangely sexy. But what really stands out to me is Mark Dacascos as Mani (playing an Iroquois despite lacking any native blood). Holy ***** is that man beautiful.

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/mani.jpg
:randy:

Ultimately, however, despite the beauty of the film (and its cast) I didn't love Brotherhood as much as I once did. It's a gorgeous and exciting movie but, except for Mani, the emotional connection that I need is a little lacking. Still it's a solid choice for pure entertainment.

4+

[Omnizoa]

Been meaning to see that too.

[Miss Vicky]

Been meaning to see that too.

I'm pretty sure you're going to hate it.

[Omnizoa]

I'm pretty sure you're going to hate it.
Maybe, but if you mean by virtue of you having already decided you liked it, I must admit I actually did enjoy Mary and Max.

[Camo]

Always though Brotherhood of the Wolf looked interesting. And of course Mary and Max is very good, don't like it quite as much as you but i do think it is a great film.

[honeykid]

I only saw it once, but I didn't get on with Brotherhood Of The Wolf. I just didn't think it was as cool or glorious as other/it thought it was.

[Miss Vicky]

Maybe, but if you mean by virtue of you having already decided you liked it, I must admit I actually did enjoy Mary and Max.

No, I mean I think you're going to hate it by virtue of the number of animals used (wolves, horses, dogs, sheep, goats, crows) in the production and the depiction of violence against them. The AHA could not get answers on how the scenes were achieved.

[Miss Vicky]

I only saw it once, but I didn't get on with Brotherhood Of The Wolf. I just didn't think it was as cool or glorious as other/it thought it was.

Yeah, but you don't like a lot of cool things. Like Gladiator and Indiana Jones.

[Omnizoa]

No, I mean I think you're going to hate it by virtue of the number of animals used (wolves, horses, dogs, sheep, goats, crows) in the production and the depiction of violence against them. The AHA could not get answers on how the scenes were achieved.
AH. That's gonna be hard to get past.

[Swan]

Wow, Émilie Dequenne is freaking gorgeous.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/rocky.gif

Rocky (John J. Alvidsend, 1976)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075148/?ref_=nv_sr_3)

Date Watched: 08/20/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: the Movies You Think Everyone Loves thread
Rewatch: No


I attempted to watch this movie once before, but ended up shutting it off after a little less than an hour.

I get that people love underdog stories and I can get behind them, too, provided that I find the underdog in question likable. But I didn't like anybody in this movie. My initial impression of Rocky himself was of a dim-witted brute (who surrounds himself with people who are even more brutish than himself) and my impression of his lady love Adrian was of a weak-willed and submissive woman who was equally dim-witted (bitch, grow a spine!). Those impressions changed little by the film's conclusion.

I was also pretty underwhelmed by the dialogue and cinematography. I'm not saying they were bad, they just weren't great, which just about sums up how I feel about the film as a whole. I really can't find anything to praise about this film, but there isn't really anything glaringly bad about it either. It just doesn't appeal to me.

2.5+

[Omnizoa]

I didn't like anybody in this movie. My initial impression of Rocky himself was of a dim-witted brute (who surrounds himself with people who are even more brutish than himself) and my impression of his lady love Adrian was of a weak-willed and submissive woman who was equally dim-witted (bitch, grow a spine!).
That sounds like something I would write.

I've never seen Rocky, can you say more on this?

[Miss Vicky]

That sounds like something I would write.

I've never seen Rocky, can you say more on this?

Rocky is an amateur boxer who makes ends meet by working as a strong arm for a loan shark. He's uneducated and chauvinistic. Also a sh!tty pet owner, but that's neither here nor there.

Adrian is a nearly 30 year old woman who works at a pet store. She initially shows no interest in Rocky despite him stopping by the store every day to talk to her and clumsily attempt to flirt. She's too meek to tell him off and he won't get a clue.

Adrian lives with her extremely chauvinistic a-hole brother (who is Rocky's friend) who, without her knowledge or permission, sets her up with a date with Rocky on Thanksgiving night. When she argues with her brother about it and says she doesn't want to go, her brother screams at her for awhile, then takes the turkey out of the oven and throws it into the alleyway, at which point she gives in and goes out with Rocky.

She seems to have an okay time with Rocky and they end up at his apartment, where she expresses discomfort at being alone in the apartment of a man she barely knows. When she tries to leave, Rocky pushes the door shut and traps her in a corner - with one hand on the door and the other against the wall blocking her from moving in either direction. He then pulls off her hat and glasses and then murmurs about how pretty he thinks she is before leaning in to kiss her. And, of course, being a chauvinist's dream woman, she gives in and kisses him back. Later her brother gets jealous of Rocky's rising fame, calls Adrian a "broken whore" and throws her out of his house, so she moves in with Rocky. Ah, true love. :rolleyes:

[Sexy Celebrity]

Meanwhile, your favorite film is about Joaquin Phoenix having sex with a corpse.

[Miss Vicky]

Meanwhile, your favorite film is about Joaquin Phoenix having sex with a corpse.

My favorite film is about sex, perversion, censorship, the hypocrisy of religion, and an artist's refusal to be cowed, which happens to include a nightmare about sex with a corpse.

[Sexy Celebrity]

My favorite film is about sex, perversion, censorship, the hypocrisy of religion, and an artist's refusal to be cowed, which happens to include a nightmare about sex with a corpse.

Oooooh. Scandalous! Yet the idea of a woman being submissive to a brutish man bothers you.

[Swan]

I think by submissive she means weak-willed.

[Miss Vicky]

Oooooh. Scandalous! Yet the idea of a woman being submissive to a brutish man bothers you.

And?

The women in Quills were not what I would describe as submissive. Madeleine was naive, sure, but not submissive. And I don't personally find anything in Quills to be particularly scandalous. I'm not easily shocked.

[Captain Steel]

Miss Vicky, now that you've viewed Rocky you should watch the sequels because many of your criticisms are addressed - Rocky evolves (as a man, an athlete, a boyfriend, a husband, a father, a mentor and a coach - with each film he learns valuable lessons about life and death), Adrian becomes stronger and breaks from Paulie's shadow. Unfortunately, Paulie himself doesn't grow much - he represents people who don't really change, and that we must accept that some people cannot grow and change. However, Paulie learns to deal better with some of his various inner demons when he experiences the joys of uncle-hood.

The first movie is really about showing us a culture that many of us don't relate to (and wouldn't want to relate to). And that's the theme of the series - how people from a ghetto culture respond when money & fame are thrust upon them via professional boxing and rising celebrity status.

One of my favorites is Rocky III - don't want to give spoilers, but it's got many memorable sequences and I liked it's theme of facing and overcoming fear. It's also the movie that takes the relationship between Rocky and Apollo Creed to a new level.

On a personal level I cut Rocky V out of the canon - I disregard it.
However I did enjoy Rocky Balboa (the 6th in the series). And I have not yet seen Creed.

[Miss Vicky]

Not every woman out there needs to be all super tough and strong willed. Sometimes women like that wind up without men and without sex.

At what point did I say she had to be super tough?

I'm not asking that women be ****ing She-ra or something, just that they don't allow themselves to be a doormat.

[Swan]

Not every woman out there needs to be all super tough and strong willed. Sometimes women like that wind up without men and without sex.

Shouldn't everyone be strong-willed?

[Miss Vicky]

Miss Vicky, now that you've viewed Rocky you should watch the sequels because many of your criticisms are addressed - Rocky evolves (as a man, an athlete, a boyfriend, a husband, a father, a mentor and a coach - with each film he learns valuable lessons about life and death), Adrian becomes stronger and breaks from Paulie's shadow.

While it's good to know that the characters don't remain this problematic, I'm just going to take your word for it. As a general rule, I don't watch sequels to movies that I don't like.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Shouldn't everyone be strong-willed?

Sure, but all this bitching about Adrian's behavior is silly. The woman found her man, her soulmate. So what if she was pushed into dating him? It's a love story. And I think a lot of women probably liked how Adrian and Rocky got together.

[seanc]

Wait, the characters in Rocky were broken? My whole impression of the film has changed. Here I thought I was watching a story about the cultural ideal. Time to tell the women in my life they can speak up now.

[Captain Steel]

It's interesting how Adrian, in her own quiet way, goes from her mousy beginnings to being Rocky's equal - his backbone, his strength, his motivation, his adviser, his advocate and the one person who can set him straight with some tough talk as the series progresses.

Another reason I like III - Adrian's speech she gives to Rocky on the beach after he's broken down and admitted he's afraid. Probably the best Adrian moment & performance of all the movies.

[Sexy Celebrity]

She's dead starting in part 6. She gets cancer and she's too weak to tell it to piss off.

[Captain Steel]

She's dead starting in part 6. She gets cancer and she's too weak to tell it to piss off.

Does that need a spoiler alert? Maybe that info will make Miss Vicky want to watch Rocky Balboa? ;)

[mark f]

Adrian was painfully shy from the way her family treated her growing up. Rocky was the first guy to take an interest in her and treat her like a woman. Everybody may know this but they haven't really mentioned it - not that that would change anybody's mind.

[seanc]

It's interesting how Adrian, in her own quiet way, goes from her mousy beginnings to being Rocky's equal - his backbone, his strength, his motivation, his adviser, his advocate and the one person who can set him straight with some tough talk as the series progresses.

Another reason I like III - Adrian's speech she gives to Rocky on the beach after he's broken down and admitted he's afraid. Probably the best Adrian moment & performance of all the movies.

I agree but she becomes his motivation and strength in the first one as well. It is almost as if the meek find a way to have their own agency as well.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Does that need a spoiler alert? Maybe that info will make Miss Vicky want to watch Rocky Balboa? ;)

Even I advise Miss Vicky to stay away from Rocky Balboa. Which probably means it would be her favorite Rocky movie.

I like Rocky II more than the first movie, myself.

[Camo]

:laugh:. Well done for proving you hate it.

[Camo]

While it's good to know that the characters don't remain this problematic, I'm just going to take your word for it. As a general rule, I don't watch sequels to movies that I don't like.

lol. The sequels other than II (which is pretty much the same film with a different ending) and III which is pretty bad but i really like it personally are overall much worse films than the original. Think most fans would say the same actually.

[Camo]

The real Rocky:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7I-98nGXcc

Guy nearly beat a way past his prime Ali.

Lets make a Trevor Berbrick film guys and continue to ignore Larry Holmes.

[seanc]

lol. The sequels other than II (which is pretty much the same film with a different ending) and III which is pretty bad but i really like it personally are overall much worse films than the original. Think most fans would say the same actually.

Just showed one of my boys 3 today. Not a good movie but it is hard to supress the fan boy in me when watching. Going to try and get him to watch 4 tomorrow.

[Camo]

Larry Holmes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqE1qlr8tP0

Yes this is a boxing thread now MV, deal with it. :p

[Camo]

Just showed one of my boys 3 today. Not a good movie but it is hard to supress the fan boy in me when watching. Going to try and get him to watch 4 tomorrow.

Did your boys like it? Couldn't tell you how much i loved 3 as a kid, i mean:

HE KILLED MICKEY!

[Captain Steel]

lol. The sequels other than II (which is pretty much the same film with a different ending) and III which is pretty bad but i really like it personally are overall much worse films than the original. Think most fans would say the same actually.

I'd say the original is the most raw and most realistic of the series.
It's got a "dirty" quality to it (by that I mean it's street level, it's grimy, it depicts the blight of the character's lives quite well). The sequels become increasingly more polished (and less believable). Part of that has to be attributed to the story line that Rocky's life itself becomes more polished - richer, brighter, cleaner - but all these things lead into themes of the sequels (like Apollo trying to return Rocky to the dirt and the grime in III that made him "hungry" originally.)

I don't get why many people dislike III. Is it what happens to Mickey? Is it Mr. T.?
I always see IV almost as a re-tread of III with some cold war politics added.

[seanc]

On this rewatch I just think III is really poorly written, and so much of the training doesn't work. The splashing in the waves. There should be a happy medium between full orchestra with bubbles reigning down and training in a boiler room.

[Camo]

I don't get why many people dislike III. Is it what happens to Mickey? Is it Mr. T.?

It becomes a lot more cheesy and absurd, i mean that Apollo and Rocky beach scene :D. Not that it wasn't already cheesy but if you watch the first three one after another you'll definitely see a turn in content. Not necessarily a bad thing but it feels like a completely diferent film to the first two.

[Camo]

All training scenes HD guys:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj0jzepk0WA

[Captain Steel]

Oh, I know what you guys are talking about... the gay scene! Rocky & Apollo jumping & frolicking & hugging each other in their little From Here to Eternity bromance on the beach scene. Yeah, that scene was a bit cringe worthy - it was the slow motion that really gave it that homoerotic vibe. ;)

[Movie Max]

Joaquin Phoenix having sex with a corpse.

I didn't know he ventured there. That's really funny.:D One thing is for sure, no matter how terrible the film, Whackeen never fails to surprise me.

http://67.media.tumblr.com/dfc6333a332b6a59d527c1798b8abb23/tumblr_mkwmm7sHU11qg39ewo1_500.gif

[Captain Steel]

What we've learned so far...
Rocky II is the same movie as Rocky, but with a different ending.
Rocky IV is the same movie as Rocky III, but with cold war politics.
Rocky V sucks.
Grudge Match is the same movie as Rocky Balboa, but with DeNiro in it.
Creed is Rocky black.
The Karate Kid is karate Rocky for teens.
And Miss Vicky doesn't watch sequels to movies that she doesn't like.

[Swan]

Wow.

[Swan]

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/792/521/b3a.gif

[Captain Steel]

http://images.yuku.com/image/gif/d69353b844a466a6ef28c481ae92a2bd125c442.gif

What we've learned so far...
Rocky II is the same movie as Rocky, but with a different ending.
Rocky IV is the same movie as Rocky III, but with cold war politics.
Rocky V sucks.
Grudge Match is the same movie as Rocky Balboa, but with DeNiro in it.
Creed is Rocky black.
The Karate Kid is karate Rocky for teens.
Karate Kid II is the same movie as Rocky IV, but with Okinawans instead of Russians!
Miss Vicky doesn't watch sequels to movies that she doesn't like.

And... *SPLORT*

[Miss Vicky]

Oh good, my movie log has turned into a thread about boxing and cum.

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/JoaqGifs/fujoaq.gif

Though I'm kind of more annoyed by the boxing than the cum.

[Omnizoa]

The **** is this thread, holy ****.

Rocky is an amateur boxer who makes ends meet by working as a strong arm for a loan shark. He's uneducated and chauvinistic. Also a sh!tty pet owner, but that's neither here nor there.

Adrian is a nearly 30 year old woman who works at a pet store. She initially shows no interest in Rocky despite him stopping by the store every day to talk to her and clumsily attempt to flirt. She's too meek to tell him off and he won't get a clue.

Adrian lives with her extremely chauvinistic a-hole brother (who is Rocky's friend) who, without her knowledge or permission, sets her up with a date with Rocky on Thanksgiving night. When she argues with her brother about it and says she doesn't want to go, her brother screams at her for awhile, then takes the turkey out of the oven and throws it into the alleyway, at which point she gives in and goes out with Rocky.

She seems to have an okay time with Rocky and they end up at his apartment, where she expresses discomfort at being alone in the apartment of a man she barely knows. When she tries to leave, Rocky pushes the door shut and traps her in a corner - with one hand on the door and the other against the wall blocking her from moving in either direction. He then pulls off her hat and glasses and then murmurs about how pretty he thinks she is before leaning in to kiss her. And, of course, being a chauvinist's dream woman, she gives in and kisses him back. Later her brother gets jealous of Rocky's rising fame, calls Adrian a "broken whore" and throws her out of his house, so she moves in with Rocky. Ah, true love. :rolleyes:
Thank you for that, I didn't want to see it before and now I want to see it less.

Not every woman out there needs to be all super tough and strong willed. Sometimes women like that wind up without men and without sex.
Dude... what's your deal... for real...

[RedFoot]

Well this is an interesting thread.

[Mr Minio]

The amount of kinkiness in this thread astounds even me. Good job, guys!

[edarsenal]

Bumping this in hopes that Miss Vicky continues her reviews

[Miss Vicky]

Bumping this in hopes that Miss Vicky continues her reviews

I haven't posted any reviews since Rocky because I hadn't watched anything. I did watch something this morning though, so I'll have one up in a little bit.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/theblob.gif

The Blob (Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr. and Russell S. Doughten Jr., 1958)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051418/?ref_=nv_sr_3)

Date Watched: 08/28/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: rauldc14 recommended it
Rewatch: No

I realize that the standards for horror were quite different almost 60 years ago, but this was just silly. There is nothing at all frightening about the slow moving life-form that basically looked like someone spilled a huge jar of strawberry jelly. Couple that with the ridiculous hysterics of the women in this film and some of the oldest "teenagers" I've ever seen (I know it's pretty standard to have twenty-somethings playing teens, but McQueen looked like he was pushing 40) and you end up with me rolling my eyes through much of it.

Still I wasn't bored by it, didn't actually hate any of its characters and its brevity helped a lot. Probably not something I'll watch again, but it was okay.

3-

[rauldc14]

I kind of liked it cheesiness. Thanks for watching it. I only gave it a 3 too but I respect it. I'll probably see it again some point.

[edarsenal]

i remember feeling the same one that along with the remake. Been a VERY long time since I've seen either of them

[Wolfsbane]

The Blob is great!!!

[Camo]

Agree with what you said except i was bored by it.

[JayDee]

Great to see that you've kept this thread going during my absence Victoria. It's my favourite review thread around just now. Though that's more to do with the author than the actual content! And I'm still claiming some degree of credit for the thread given that I encouraged you to write some reviews. :D

You're certainly tackling quite a diverse, eclectic batch of films. I've not seen the large majority of the 50s films you've been watching so there's not a great deal I can see about many of them. Like you I much prefer the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I've watched the original a couple of times and been left unmoved by it, but I love the sequel. Glad to see that you were able to appreciate both Seven Samurai and 12 Angry Men. :up: I've still never finished Brotherhood of the Wolf. I started watching it once, got distracted by something and never got back to it. That was about 15 years ago!!! So it should be any day now. :p

You already know I'm not happy about your Rocky write-up. However as I got you all worried by disappearing I suppose it's only right I let you off.

Oh and I eventually caught up with The Nice Guys and as I hoped it would be, it was pretty great.

[Miss Vicky]

Rocky sucks. You should definitely give Brotherhood of the Wolf another shot. It's gorgeous.

[Mr Minio]

but McQueen looked like he was pushing 40 He was 28.

[Miss Vicky]

He was 28.

Yes, I'm aware of that.

That's why I said he looked like he was pushing 40. I didn't say I thought he was actually that old.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/lifted.gif

Lifted (Gary Rydstrom, 2006)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0945571/?ref_=nv_sr_2)

Date Watched: 8/28/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: It's on the same disc as Ratatouille
Rewatch: Yes

This is the short that appeared with Ratatouille in the theaters and is included on the DVD and BluRay releases. Lifted has long been one of my favorite Pixar shorts. I love the look of the teenage alien (who is basically going through the alien abduction version of driver's training) and the control panel from hell. Not a lot of depth to the story or characterization, but it's a lot of fun.

4+


* * *

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/ratatouille.gif

Ratatouille (Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava, 2007)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382932/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 8/28/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: One does not need a reason to watch Ratatouille
Rewatch: Many times over


It can't believe it's been almost ten years since this came out. Every time I watch this I'm just as impressed by its beauty as I was the first time. The colors, little details, and character designs are gorgeous. The food looks so real it's mouth watering. And of course, there's the rats. I can't express how much I love the look of them and the attention to detail the animators showed in their design and movements. They are the perfect blend of cartoon and realism.

And of course the story is uplifting, sweet, and funny. But in my ever-so-slightly biased eyes, it's secondary to those cute as hell rats. (Did I mention yet that I love rats? Because I really love rats.)


5

[Swan]

Rat.... patooty.

[Miss Vicky]

Rat.... patooty.

Which does not sound delicious.

[Camo]

Haven't seen Lifted, should really watch more Pixar Shorts. Ratatouille is good but it is actually one of my least favourites of the good Pixars.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/kisskissbangbang.gif

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373469/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 9/16/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: Yes

I've seen this movie once before, but it was a few years ago and all I could really recall about it was that I wasn't impressed.

I gave it a watch today since it was announced as one of the nominations for the 11th MoFo Hall of Fame. Overall, it was a good bit of fun. It had some really witty dialogue and I enjoyed the banter between Robert Downey, Jr., who I generally like anyway, and Val Kilmer, who I generally don't like (Tombstone and The Doors being the exceptions). However, I didn't feel any strong emotional connection with any character so my enjoyment of the film was pretty superficial. I suppose that's appropriate since the film itself strikes me as being pretty light fare - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but also isn't quite what I hope for from a Hall of Fame nomination.

I also wasn't exactly enamored with the story. For being something that is neither science fiction nor fantasy, this movie demands a considerable amount of suspension of disbelief. There are entirely too many coincidences and convenient situations. To call it implausible would be an understatement.

Still, it was an easy watch and I do like me some Robert Downey, Jr.

3.5

[Camo]

That was copyrighted by the 11th HOF , you don't have permission to post that. :coleman:

[Miss Vicky]

That was copyrighted by the 11th HOF , you don't have permission to post that. :coleman:

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoMovieGifs/IdowhatIwant.gif

[Camo]

That's one of my favourite episode too MV.

[Camo]

Well this is an interesting thread.

:rotfl:

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/thedeadgirl.jpg

The Dead Girl (Karen Moncrieff, 2006)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0783238/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 9/16/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: No

Well, I asked for heavy...

The Dead Girl presents the stories of five women - each affected in different ways by the actions of a serial killer. One finds the body of one of the victims. Another believes that body to be her sister, who went missing 15 years prior. The third is the mother of the victim, who discovers the full tragedy of her daughter's life when she comes to identify the body. The fourth is a frustrated wife who must face facts when she discovers the secret her unloving husband has been hiding. And the fifth is the victim herself.

The premise of the story is interesting and the film is carried in the capable hands of its talented cast - including Brittany Murphy, Toni Collette, Giovanni Ribisi, Rose Byrne, James Franco, Mary Steenburgen, Kerry Washington, and Josh Brolin - who all turn in solid performances. Yet it somehow feels incomplete.

We get only brief glimpses into the characters' lives and not enough of each to for me to truly connect with any. There are lots of open ends and unanswered questions. Add to that a complete lack of levity - with layer upon agonizing layer of depressing - and you have me being thankful that it's just under 90 minutes long. It strikes me as a film with a very good concept but disappointing execution.

3.5-

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/samurairebellion.gif

Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu (Samurai Rebellion) (Masaki Kobayashi, 1967)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061847/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 9/17/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: No

This is a really beautiful film about love, honor, duty, and the abuse of power. While I've certainly enjoyed other classic samurai films, this one really struck a chord with me in a way that the others have not. It feels much more human and intimate to me than the similar films I've seen before.

Toshirô Mifune, as always, turns in a solid performance but I was much more impressed by Yôko Tsukasa. Her role was a much quieter one, being the lord's former mistress and a near powerless woman in a man's world, yet she really conveyed the inner strength that someone in her position must have. Even with the limited amount of development she was given, she made Ichi's love and dedication to Yogoro believable.

The cinematography and costume design were impressive, too. And despite what the title suggests, there is relatively little swordplay and bloodshed, but the fights that are shown are well choreographed and really contribute to the story being told.

All in all, this sort of film isn't something that's likely going to hold a place in my list of favorites, and it's questionable whether I'll watch it again, but it's a powerful piece of art just the same. It's a shame I didn't see this before the 60s Countdown.

4+

[Iroquois]

Kobayashi is a ridiculously good filmmaker - I've seen nine of them and at least six of them are worth 4 or higher.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/embraceoftheserpent.jpg

El abrazo de la serpiente (Embrace of the Serpent) (Ciro Guerra, 2015)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4285496/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 9/18/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: No

Embrace of the Serpent is a powerful tale of two physical and spiritual journeys of a man named Karamakate - a shaman and the last of his people - and the white scientists who come to him seeking a sacred plant.

It examines spirituality, greed, madness, the horrors of colonialism, the extinction of indigenous people, and the raping of the environment and of native culture. The performances are solid throughout - especially by Nilbio Torres and Antonio Bolivar - who each play Karamkate at different stages of his life. The story is both heartbreaking and infuriating.

But about the cinematography I was admittedly torn. The images are crisp and effective, but I couldn't help but be frustrated and saddened by Guerra's decision to shoot in black and white. Where we should be treated to the glorious hues of greens and blues of the jungle, river and sky, and the rich shades of brown, red and orange of the earth, its animals and its people we get only shades of gray.

And for that I couldn't quite love this film. I think Embrace is a considerable achievement and something that needs to be seen, but the decision to mute the natural beauty of what we see on the screen was a misstep in my eyes.

4-

[edarsenal]

HUUUGE fan of Ratatouille and of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; not sure I'd want to see Dead Girl and really need To Samurai Rebellion.

Excellent reviews on all accounts.

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/moonrisekingdom.gif

Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1748122/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 9/19/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: No

This is my fifth Wes Anderson film and he has struck out with me every time. I don’t object to quirk. I don’t object to entertainment for the sake of entertainment. But there is just something about Anderson’s brand of filmmaking that fails to resonate with me time and time again.

His movies look good: Lots of bright colors and sharp images. The soundtracks are usually interesting. But his characters ruin it for me every single time. I don’t believe them. Flat out. No. People don’t talk this way. People don’t move this way. They are quirky for the sake of being quirky. Even within the context of Anderson’s bizarro movie worlds, I don’t believe his characters. When I don’t believe characters, I don’t care about them. When I don’t care about the characters, I get bored.

Moonrise Kingdom is no different from the other Wes Anderson films I’ve seen before. I don’t believe Sam. I don’t believe Suzy. I don’t believe the scout master. I don’t believe Suzy’s parents. I don’t believe the cop. And I don’t care about any of them so when the film attempts to strike an emotional chord, it only falls flat.

About the only praise I can give Moonrise Kingdom is that, while I didn’t care about any of its characters, I didn’t truly hate any of them either - though I did hate some of the scenes (lightning strike, anyone?) and found myself saying "F*** you, Wes Anderson" a time or two. Looking back at my rating for Rushmore, the last Anderson film I watched, I see I gave it a 3. I must have been feeling really generous that day. I think I disliked this one a little less than I disliked that one, but I’m not feeling particularly generous this time.


2.5-

[Miss Vicky]

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/goodbyelenin.gif

Good Bye Lenin! (Wolfgang Becker, 2003)
Imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301357/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

Date Watched: 9/21/16
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame
Rewatch: No

Going into this film, I knew virtually nothing about this period in Germany's history. I think the only other film I've seen that addresses it all is Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which doesn't exactly focus on it. I also did exactly zero research on the film and didn't actually read Cosmic's write-up on it (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1581221#post1581221) so I could watch it without prejudice.

Good Bye Lenin! is a very funny and heartfelt film about a young man's struggle to protect his ill mother from the drastic changes that occurred in East German culture while she had been in coma. Though the comedy is bittersweet, it feels a little wrong to laugh at the lengths the young man goes to conceal the truth and to build a fictional world for his mother, but his methods are both ingenious and absurd.

The two key performances - Daniel Brühl as Alex and Katrin Saß as his mother - are both excellent and I really enjoyed seeing Brühl in this sort of role. My previous experiences with him (Inglourious Basterds and Rush) had been with emotionally cold characters, but here there was none of that. Alex's unabashed love of his mother, his family, and his girlfriend actually warmed my cold, bitchy heart - just a little. Both actors also really seemed to capture and convey the conflicting emotions of their characters - particularly as each had to confront the other's lies - not just in their words but in their expressions and mannerisms.

Ultimately, there's nothing truly revelatory in this tale of familial love but it's effective and highly engaging just the same. This is a film I likely would never have seen if left to my own devices and I'm really glad I had this opportunity to give it a try.

4

[Omnizoa]

I've never seen a Wes Anderson movie, but I'm skeptical that I would like them.

[Miss Vicky]

Well you and I have pretty different tastes so it's hard to say, but he's among my least favorite directors.

It's like if you took a Charlie Kaufman or Spike Jonze film, made the colors really pop, made the characters say bizarrely specific ***** and behave in odd ways, and took away the keen understanding of human emotion that Kaufman and Jonze possess, you have a Wes Anderson film.

[Omnizoa]

Well you and I have pretty different tastes so it's hard to say, but he's among my least favorite directors.

It's like if you took a Charlie Kaufman or Spike Jonze film, made the colors really pop, made the characters say bizarrely specific ***** and behave in odd ways, and took away the keen understanding of human emotion that Kaufman and Jonze possess, you have a Wes Anderson film.
I've heard people describe them as very emotional. Do you have a specific grievance you could give as an example?

[Swan]

very emotional

http://i67.tinypic.com/11hc4yg.jpg

TOO MUCH EMOTION!!!!!!!