Movie Tab II

[the samoan lawyer]

Glad to see your rating for The Hateful Eight Mark.

[seanc]

You have me excited for Hateful Eight and Revenant Mark. A 3.5 from you is like a 4.5 from me. I am waiting for the big screen though as tempting as it is to not.

[meatwadsprite]

The Revenant

http://i.imgur.com/X5OVsno.png?1

Alejandro Iñárritu impresses again with his attention to detail and beautiful style, but the movie starts running out of steam in the second half. Similar to his last film Birdman, the camera-work is excellent, the soundtrack, the acting, all the elements surrounding the story are done in such a spectacular way, but the story itself is just uninspired.

3

[Mr Minio]

Where have you seen the Hateful Eight, mark?

[mark f]

My living room TV.

[Mr Minio]

But how did you 'obtain' it?

[MovieMeditation]

But how did you 'obtain' it?
Screeners most likely.

I don't get how people can sit and watch crap quality like that - especially for a film meant as an "experience" in true 70mm film. But that's just me...

[rambond]

How greay would you rate Rush from 2013 an amazing film of rivalry btw two great f1 drivers. A really great adaptation of real life incidents. Loved every bit of this film.

[Mr Minio]

Dang it, I'm waiting for a BRrip.

[JayDee]

Carol (Todd Haynes, 2015) rating_3 (rewatch)


Just out of curiousity Mark how did Carol manage to pick up an extra 0.5 in the space of just one day?

Oh and I'm glad to see you rather enjoyed Brooklyn. I also just watched it. It's quite a simple little film and not normally the type of film I get all that excited about but I found it be rather lovely. A great performance by Saoirse Ronan and I thought that visually it was just gorgeous. Just a shame that it stumbled a little in the third act I felt.

[seanc]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/03/La_Strada_Poster.jpg/220px-La_Strada_Poster.jpg
2.5

Really thought I was going to hate this through the first half but it ended up being decent. Once the fool shows up it turns around quite a bit for me. The lead actress is pretty bad but I liked the main actor and the actor who played the fool. My least favorite of the three Fellini I have watched but like the other two I think I will rewatch it someday and probably appreciate it more.

[mark f]

I didn't pay enough attention the first time - it's a well-directed-and-acted film of visual and diegetic nuance. I just found it a bit more obvious the first time.

[Swan]

The lead actress is pretty bad

http://lewamack.com/Facebook/Pics/Confused-Surprised-Shocked-Q/Shocked-animated-Rowan_Atkison-a-shocked-mr-bean.gif

[meatwadsprite]

Screeners most likely.

I don't get how people can sit and watch crap quality like that - especially for a film meant as an "experience" in true 70mm film. But that's just me...

Mark said before that he can't get to the theater anymore, but as a stickler myself for watching movies in the best quality possible I have to say, dvd screeners are perfectly fine. The audio quality is great and the picture quality is just a little worse than an actual retail dvd release. It really doesn't take away from the experience at all.

http://i.imgur.com/ud6xZYw.png?1
*Tarantino watching The Hateful Eight through a microscope*

The Revenant might be the exception to that because of the huge shots, but from what I hear Hateful Eight is a lot of close ups and interiors. It's also only being projected in 70mm at a select few locations (none of which are in my state unfortunately) ,on top of that I heard some of the film showings went poorly because of a lack of seasoned projectionists and faulty equipment.

[Mr Minio]

That's alright, I'd rather wait. It's not like it's a new Bela Tarr film I can't wait another few months for.

[JayDee]

I didn't pay enough attention the first time - it's a well-directed-and-acted film of visual and diegetic nuance. I just found it a bit more obvious the first time.

Right, right. I get you. :yup:

*sneaks off to google to see what diegetic means*

:D

[Swan]

I think it has something to do with diarrhea.

[seanc]

Right, right. I get you. :yup:

*sneaks off to google to see what diegetic means*

:D

I resemble that remark

[honeykid]

Diegetic. Separating those who've studied film and those who've watched them since the dawn of Film Studies. :D

[mark f]

Well, I wanted to say something about how the direction, script and acting worked together to reflect (both literally and metaphorically) the inner emotions of the characters in a more thoughtful way than usual. I was tired, remembered "diegetic" from some bluedeed-referenced article, looked it up too and decided to use it. I think it got a "nice" reaction though. :)

[JayDee]

I think it has something to do with diarrhea.

Well as you and several other people on here know I've experienced such issues over the last year or two. And I'm struggling to think of much nuance that can be found where diarrhoea is involved.

So I don't think you're correct. If you are though then that is a film I want to see. A lesbian drama featuring subtlety and nuances about diarrhoea? Book me a ticket!

Diegetic. Separating those who've studied film and those who've watched them since the dawn of Film Studies. :D

Well I had a look and apparently it actually has nothing to do with Scientology after all; I was thinking of dianetics! Silly me.

Truth be told though I've always been more a fan of the mimetic form of storytelling. (*looks around to see if anyone is buying it* :shifty:) No I've had a look and I still don't really have a clue! :lol:

[Nope1172]

Haven't been able to see many movies since my last post, but here's what I've seen

The Gold Rush 4.5-
Steve Jobs 3.5
Paths of Glory 4.5+
https://45.media.tumblr.com/9294b4a94740801046d3c25599e42010/tumblr_mnhd8vPWGD1rvdee4o1_500.gif
Spectre 3.5
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room 3.5
The Hunger Games - Mockingjay: Part 2 2.5-
Inside Out 3.5
https://media.giphy.com/media/ilcKiRub6KRUc/giphy.gif
Triumph of the Will 3-
American Movie 4
The Imposter 4.5-
Beauty Day 3.5
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma8sg0wEyU1qg39ewo1_500.gif

[donniedarko]

Two short films I thought were worth sharing, both interestingly tackling the concept of exposing oneself and different types of nudity. One live action one animated. Both found through the shortoftheweek site, which I highly recommend.

He Took his Skin Off for Me
https://vimeo.com/116498390

This short is one I contemplated a lot after watching, and left me craving to read theories, but I chose to put that off until I write my own. First of all for a student film the visual effects are superb, incredibly realistic and those scared of human anatomy could have trouble watching this. I believe the film is a critique of an idea of completely opening yourself for the one you love, and completely taking off the mask one creates for themselves. It states that the only thing that didn't change after the husband literally took of his skin was love making because that is when humans are in their purest form. But the question lies is this concept a positive. Perhaps the mask each human creates for himself becomes a true part of their identity, and is essential for functioning in the workplace and among friends. Do humans actually lose their identity when they lose what is supposedly covering it?

3.5

Oh Willy...
https://vimeo.com/62918161

With an interesting stop motion animation structure Oh Willy... always gives the viewer something surreal to view on the screen. But perhaps for a 16 minute short this film tried to take on too many concepts, so much so that its underlying meaning of primality gets lost. It takes on life, birth, death, dreams, identity, rebirth, nature, ect. Its easy to get lost in the statement when there are 100 side notes. But it's also equally easy to get lost in this bizarre world making this film just seem like one continuous painting. Worth a viewing just for that, and perhaps in this warp you can grab a few moral statements.

2.5

[mark f]

The Miracle of the Bells (Irving Pichel, 1948) 2+
Joy (David O. Russell, 2015) 2.5
Boulevard (Dito Montiel, 2015) 2
The Martian (Ridley Scott, 2015) 3.5
http://imagesmtv-a.akamaihd.net/uri/mgid:file:http:shared:mtv.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/senadhlv1osulcwakvof-1442033034.gif
Presumed dead and left behind, astronaut Matt Damon has to find ways to survive until he can communicate with NASA and await another manned mission to Mars.
12:08 East of Bucharest (Corneliu Porumboiu, 2006) 2.5
Concussion (Peter Landesman, 2015) 2.5
Bush Christmas (Ralph Smart, 1947) 2.5
Room (Lenny Abrahamson, 2015) 3
https://40.media.tumblr.com/573a9dae738d1a36029ac02566aaf0af/tumblr_nsbcggclnW1rln36wo1_500.jpg
Five-year-old Jacob Tremblay has only known the confines of a small room; his Ma (Brie Larson) was kidnapped and imprisoned seven years ago and has only been concerned with his welfare since his birth, but now the time is ripe for their attempted escape.
The Great Rupert aka A Christmas Wish (Irving Pichel, 1950) 2.5
The Danish Girl (Tom Hooper, 2015) 2.5
The Bible: In the Beginning... (John Huston, 1966) 3
In the Heart of the Sea (Ron Howard, 2015) 2.5
http://imagesmtv-a.akamaihd.net/uri/mgid:file:http:shared:mtv.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/heart-whale-1448208080.gif
In 1820, a whaler out of Nantucket has some strange “adventures” involving a great white whale.
Scrooge (Brian Desmond-Hurst, 1951) 3+
The Bishop’s Wife (Henry Koster, 1947) 3+
Pluto's Surprise Package (Charles Nichols, 1949) 3
Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995) 4
http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/15/16/anigif_enhanced-buzz-24524-1339792376-3.gif
Woody (Voice of Tom Hanks) gives Buzz (Voice of Tim Allen) some “slap treatment” to convince him he’s really not Mrs. Nesbitt.
Emil and the Detectives (Peter Tewksbury, 1964) 2.5+
Welcome to New York (Abel Ferrara, 2014) 2
Stowaway (William A. Seiter) 2+
Steve Jobs (Danny Boyle, 2015) 3.5-
http://49.media.tumblr.com/7592607623d5a0421aabbe46def74cb3/tumblr_nqti58v7oZ1rjjxbmo7_500.gif
The personal advisor/conscience (Kate Winslet) of Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) tries to make him face his responsibilities again.

[seanc]

Is The Martian your favorite movie of the year so far Mark? How does Joy compare to other Russell movies for you?

[Mr Minio]

Was it The Markian, he would've given it a rating_4

[mark f]

I don't have a stand-out pick right now. There's Mad Max 4, The Revenant, The Hateful Eight, The Martian, Inside Out, Kingsmen, Avengers 2, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Jinx, Cobain: Montage of Hate, Steve Jobs. I'll rewatch them to get an order if I do one. Joy is a lesser Russell movie for me. It starts out as a manic screwball comedy and then about a half hour in, it turns more serious and several of the characters seem to change their personalities. It's modestly-entertaining but not very coherent.

[donniedarko]

I'm gonna have to play so much catch up with 2015

[gbgoodies]

I'm gonna have to play so much catch up with 2015


Me too. I think I've only seen 3 or 4 movies from 2015 so far. :(

[donniedarko]

Shortly after yesterdays post I watched three absolutely masterful academy award winning short films. Maybe I'll get around to a feature eventually ;)

Neighbors (1952)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1q8f-I6YsI

Holy F*ck, is all I could think once this 8 minute film ended. Which seemed odd since just 6 minutes ago I really wasn't liking it, originally it just felt like a juvenile display of 1950s special effects. But damn, this went dark fast. After watching I realized it was directed by Norman McLaren who directed another masterpiece in the visual delight Pas de Deux. The special effects in this film grew on me- but the messages on community, greed, and mans true characteristics are what struck me. Unbelievably powerful.

4

The Appointments of Dennis Jennings (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VWOTSR3RLg

I was immediately excited when I saw Rowan Atkinson in this film, and it ended up being an absolutely hysterical dark comedy. The lead role played by Steven Wright is absolutely spot on, as is the rest of the casting. Some pretty cool cinematographic moments as well. Lots of surreal humor but some great physical comedy as well. Reminds me of a Peter Greenaway film.

3.5+

Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFtZ5-bsT0w

One of the most low key and indescribably funny films I've ever seen.

3.5+

[gbgoodies]

It's been a while since I posted any ratings in here, so there's a lot to catch up on. These were posted in my logbook thread (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1424676#post1424676) over the last few days.


Beat the Devil (1953)
This movie was pretty good, but it's far from Bogart's best. It's basically an enjoyable movie with a great cast. The story is kind of chaotic, but the movie has some fun scenes, and a good ending.

3.0+


Knock on Any Door (1949)
This sounded interesting when I read that it starred Humphrey Bogart as a lawyer, but it was only okay. The movie focuses more on John Derek's character, so it's kind of boring, and it lacks enough courtroom scenes. By the time we get some juicy courtroom scenes, it's just too little, too late for me.

3.0


The Honey Pot (1967)
Terrific mystery movie with a very clever ending. Great cast, but Cliff Robertson and Maggie Smith really shine.

3.5+


Luv (1967)
Very strange movie, but kind of enjoyable. Some funny scenes, but mostly just goofy. (Watch for Harrison Ford in a small role.)

3.0


A Face in the Crowd (1957)
This is a good movie about how too much power can corrupt, but I don't understand what anyone liked about Andy Griffith's character. He's supposed to be charismatic, but IMO, he's loud, rude, obnoxious, and completely unlikable.

3.0+


Island of Love (1963)
Good cast, beautiful scenery, but not a very good movie. It was kind of boring. Walter Matthau was kind of annoying as a dumb gangster.

2.5


Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
I usually don't watch Adam Sandler's movies, but I heard that this was different from his normal comedies, so I decided to give it a chance. On the surface, this seems like another goofy comedy, but it's actually kind of a sweet story.

3.5


The Big Bus (1976)
This is probably the stupidest movie that I've ever seen, but it's funny as hell. It's the goofy kind of stupid, like in the movie airplane, except this one takes place on a very big bus. It features a cast of all familiar faces, and as long as you just accept the movie for the craziness that it's supposed to be, then you'll probably enjoy it.

3.5


Spellbound (1945)
I thought I had seen this movie before, but maybe not. There were a few scenes that looked vaguely familiar, so if I had seen it already, it was many years ago, and I didn't remember most of the movie. It was kind of strange seeing Gregory Peck in this type of role. I've always seen him in roles as more confident characters. This was a nice change of pace.

3.5+


Married to the Mob (1988)
This movie kind of felt like a spoof of gangster movies. The characters were likable which made it easy to like the movie.

3.5

[gbgoodies]

I didn't rate the documentaries, but these are some of the documentaries that I watched recently. These were also posted in my logbook thread (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1424685#post1424685) a few days ago.


Chuck Amuck: The Movie (1991)
Includes interviews with Chuck Jones, Mel Blanc, and others who were involved with making the classic Looney Tunes cartoons. They talk about how they came up with the ideas for the characters, the making of the cartoons, and more. It also includes lots of clips from the cartoons, so it's a fun watch if you like Looney Tunes.


Dear Mr. Watterson (2013)
This documentary has interviews with cartoon experts and non-experts, but what it's missing is any interviews with Bill Watterson himself. He's a recluse, and he doesn't do interviews, so this documentary is all other people talking about him and his most famous creation, "Calvin & Hobbes". It has some interesting information from some experts, but it still feels like it should have been more.


Hollywood between Paranoia and Sci-Fi. The Power of Myth (2011)
Today's top directors talk about how their paranoia as kids affected their movie-making as adults. Interesting documentary for sci-fi fans, especially fans of the old sci-fi B-movies.


Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices (2008)
A must see for anyone who loves Looney Tunes.


Time in the Minors (2010)
An interesting documentary about a few up and coming baseball prospects, and how hard it is to make it to the Major League.


The Secret Tapes of the O.J Case - The Untold Story (2015)
If you remember watching the slow-speed chase and the trial, this has some interesting information, including interviews with his friends.


National Geographic - The Skyjacker That Got Away (2009)
Interesting documentary about DB Cooper, including some possible suspects and theories.


Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)
Fascinating look into the world of the Disney animators.


Disney Pixar (2015)
This is a one-hour documentary that aired on the Ovation channel. It's about how Pixar was started by the people who left Disney, and how they came up with the ideas for their movies. It's almost completely interviews with the men behind Pixar and short clips of their movies. These are some of the most creative people in the industry, and the look into their minds is fascinating.

[gbgoodies]

These are some more movies that I watched that I made notes about when I watched them but I forgot to add ratings, so I'm just listing them here with my basic thoughts. They were also listed in my logbook thread (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1424702#post1424702) recently.


Inside Out (2015)
I've watched this three times now, and it gets better every time. It's one of my three favorite Pixar movies.


My Old Lady (2014)
Kind of slow, but I enjoyed it. It lists as part comedy, but I didn't really find anything really "funny" in the movie, but there are some light moments that made me smile. There's not much chemistry between Kevin Kline and Kristin Scott Thomas, but it didn't take anything away from the movie.


The Great Smokey Roadblock (1977)
A fun ride, but kind of choppy. Kind of a waste of a lot of great talent, specifically Henry Fonda, Eileen Brennan, Susan Sarandon, Robert Englund, Dub Taylor, and John Byner.


Smokey Bites the Dust (1981)
This is just a bad Smokey and the Bandit wannabe. Fun car chases, but not much more to this movie. Bad acting and bad script, but cool cars, and the music didn't suck.


At Long Last Love (1975) - This was recommended (or maybe not recommended) in Gideon's "Worst Musicals thread".

This movie is not as bad as it's rating, but it's not good either. Basically they cast a bunch of big name actors who can't sing or dance in a musical that's supposed to be a throwback to the old Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers musicals, but it just doesn't work. It lacks the charm of the Astaire/Rogers movies, and the talent of the stars. If you want to listen to some terrific Cole Porter songs, just buy an album of his songs sung by an artist who can sing, but skip this movie.


The Age of Adaline (2015)
The only thing that I knew about this movie before watching it was that Harrison Ford was in it. I didn't know if he had a big part, or a cameo role, but I watched it without reading anything about it first. I absolutely loved this movie. It's a wonderful romance with a fantasy twist.


Jonathon Livingston Seagull (1973)
The movie isn't very good, but the soundtrack is awesome. Nice shots of birds in flight during the songs, but not much more worth watching. Buy the soundtrack and skip the movie.


Double Dynamite (1951)
This movie felt like it had potential, but it just missed the mark. It's not funny enough to be a comedy. It's not serious enough to be a drama. It has a few songs in it, but they just feel out of place in the movie, so it doesn't work as a musical either. It's good as a one-time watch, but that's about it.


Lucky Me (1954)
I missed this movie when I was watching Doris Day's movies a while back, but TCM was nice enough to rectify that for me. This is an enjoyable movie, with a good story and some good songs, but nothing very memorable. It's worth watching if you like Doris Day.


The Constant Husband (1955)
Cute movie, especially if you like Rex Harrrison, but I didn't really care much for the ending.


Period of Adjustment (1962)
Dialogue driven movie that's better than it's IMDB rating. Excellent performances by Jane Fonda and Tony Franciosa.


Pan (2015)
This movie was better than I expected, but it's not great. Levi Miller is terrific as young Peter Pan, but surprisingly, Hugh Jackman was only okay as Blackbeard. He wasn't a likable character, or a hated character. He didn't make me feel like Peter should have been afraid of him. He just felt bland. Garrett Hedlund is a bit too goofy as Hook too.


Some Kind of Beautiful (2014)
Entertaining movie, but kind of predictable.


Evelyn (2002)
Nice, simple movie about a man trying to fight the law and win custody of his kids back after his wife leaves their family, and the Irish government puts the kids in separate orphanages. Heartbreaking story. Great dramatic performance by Pierce Brosnan. Terrific supporting cast too.


Heaven Can Wait (1943)
This movie is told almost entirely in flashbacks as a man tells the Devil the story of his life, while trying to gain entry into Hell. This is a good movie that was better than I expected. It's not quite a romance, or a fantasy, but a light drama that work very well thanks to the excellent acting by the entire cast.


A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
Great movie about death, love, and second chances. Kind of the reverse of Heaven Can Wait (1943) as David Niven fights to stay alive after death misses his chance to take his life.


The Host (2013) - (Not the Sci-Fi/Horror HoF movie, but the one that was recommended by Citizen Rules.)
Interesting concept, but too slow, and kind of boring. I never really got into the movie enough to care about the characters.


The Host (2006) - (This is the Sci-Fi/Horror HoF movie.)
Not bad, but kind of goofy for a sci-fi/horror movie. The music gave it more of a comedic feel than a thriller.

[gbgoodies]

Home (2015) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1425200#post1425200) 3.5+
When Worlds Collide (1951) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1425645#post1425645) 3.5
Avalon (1990) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1426333#post1426333) 3.5+
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1426336#post1426336) 3.0
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1426711#post1426711) 4.0
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1426711#post1426711) 3.5+
Any Wednesday (1966) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1427144#post1427144) 3.5+
In the Cool of the Day (1963) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1427145#post1427145) 2.5
Tall Story (1960) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1427146#post1427146) 3.5
Sunday in New York (1963) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1427147#post1427147) 5.0
Marjorie Morningstar (1958) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1427553#post1427553) 3.5
Stage Fright (1950) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1427554#post1427554) 3.5
Compulsion (1959) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1427557#post1427557) 3.5+
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1427999#post1427999) 4.0
Under Capricorn (1949) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1428000#post1428000) 2.0
Rio Grande (1950) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1428001#post1428001) 3.0
Desk Set (1957) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1428002#post1428002) 4.0+
Storm Warning (1951) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1428424#post1428424) 3.5+
Appointment with Danger (1951) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1428431#post1428431) 3.5
A Kiss Before Dying (1956) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1428433#post1428433) 3.5
Little Fugitive (1953) (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1428437#post1428437) 3.5+

[linespalsy]

Gremlins (Joe Dante, 1984) 4+
The Ref (Ted Demme, 1994) 3
The Room (Tommy Wiseau, 2003) 2.5

[mark f]

Small Soldiers (Joe Dante, 1998) 2.5+
The Relaxed Wife (No Director Listed, 1957) 1.5
Curly Top (Irving Cummings, 1935) 2.5
Return of the Jedi (Richard Marquand, 1983) 4
https://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6zaxf6lXD1r98lguo2_500.gif
”Never. I will never turn to the Dark Side. You failed your highness...”
Seasoned Greetings (Roy Mack, 1933) 2.5
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (Gary Nelson, 1986) 2-
Clash of the Titans (Desmond Davis, 1981) 2.5
The Bridge on the Kwai (David Lean, 1957) 4
http://38.media.tumblr.com/457ab5c2087dc37df2dc0c97a6a89714/tumblr_inline_nxnwxw8fhg1twj131_540.gif
The commando team assigned to blow up the bridge encounters a Japanese patrol.
Swing Cat's Jamboree (Roy Mack, 1938) 2.5
Bad Santa (Terry Zwigoff, 2003) 3-
Saint Jack (Peter Bogdanovich, 1979) 2.5
A Town Called Panic (Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar, 2009) 3+
https://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_linw5qsLcN1qbvx0xo1_500.gif
The Horse, Indian and Cowboy help their neighbor store his pigs in their house to help drive off an unwanted family from underwater.
Let’s Dance (David Miller, 1936) 2.5
Shall We Dance (Mark Sandrich, 1937) 3
It’s Alive (Larry Cohen, 1974) 2.5
God Told Me To (Larry Cohen, 1976) 2.5
http://38.media.tumblr.com/0e7e72cece659e7ac4788013b23d75c3/tumblr_inline_ndn442unVM1r076nw.jpg
A young sniper with no apparent shooting skills kills over a dozen NYC passersby from a water tower, and when asked why by cop Tony Lo Bianco, the shooter says, “God told me to” and leaps to his death.
Death is a Caress (Edith Carlmar, 1949) 2.5
Time Out for Trouble (David S. Glidden, 1961) 1.5
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Gore Verbinski, 2006) 2.5
Big Hero 6 (Don Hall & Chris Williams, 2014) 3.5
http://peterorrestad.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/anigif_enhanced-23355-1412884742-6.gif
A robot aids a group of techno-nerds solve a murder and other mysteries.

[linespalsy]

Side Effects (Steve Soderbergh, 2013) 3
Killing Them Softly (Andrew Dominik, 2012) 3
White God (Kornél Mundruczó, 2014) 2.5

[christine]

slobbing on the sofa the other day I watched Diana (Oliver Hirschbiegel,2013) . Jeez, I think it must be the worse film I've ever seen in my whole life. Naomi Watts was dreadful, she had no help from a truly terrible script, but she was bad too. She must look back on that and wish it could be erased from her c.v.
I couldn't even find it in my heart to give it half a popcorn.
horrible.

[Chypmunk]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 3+
The Maltese Falcon 4+
Howl's Moving Castle 4
Deep Impact 2.5

[honeykid]

slobbing on the sofa the other day I watched Diana (Oliver Hirschbiegel,2013) . Jeez, I think it must be the worse film I've ever seen in my whole life. Naomi Watts was dreadful, she had no help from a truly terrible script, but she was bad too. She must look back on that and wish it could be erased from her c.v.
I couldn't even find it in my heart to give it half a popcorn.
horrible.
Mark Kermode's review of that was quite entertaining. Probably more entertaining than the film, as he spends most of the review (as I remember it) moaning about how bland it was and how he wished it'd been truly awful as, at least then, there'd be a chance of being entertained.

[Monkeypunch]

Dog Day Afternoon - tense "true crime" drama starring Al Pacino as Sonny, a charismatic and troubled Vietnam Vet, who with the help of his slow witted, short tempered cohort, Sal (John Cazale), attempts to rob a bank to disastrous consequences. Sonny becomes a bit of a celebrity with all the news coverage he gets, and the sordid details of his turbulent personal life get dragged into the media spotlight. It's from the 70's, yet it could have been made today and still seemed relevant. One of the first films that treated LGBT issues with seriousness and not scorn, and a fantastic performance from Little Shouty Al. 5

Les Miserables - An epic musical about love, hate, revolution, and redemption, set during the second French Revolution. Hugh Jackman stars as Jean Valjean, a former convict who breaks his parole to get a second chance at a virtuous life, but who's hounded at every turn by the zealous Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe). The highlight of the entire film, however is a brief but powerful performance by Anne Hathaway as Fantine, a factory worker who after losing her job, becomes a prostitute to save her young daughter, Cosette. Her song, "I Dreamed a Dream," filmed in a single take, and in close up, is an emotional sucker punch that had me near tears. Russell Crowe isn't as bad as I'd heard, but he doesn't stand up against the better singers in the cast. I'd have given this one a better score if it wasn't so emotionally draining and just a tad too long. 4

[mark f]

F.I.S.T. (Norman Jewison, 1978) 2.5
Reaper (Philip Shih, 2014) 2-
Tales from the Hood (Rusty Cundieff, 1995) 2.5
Spotlight (Tom McCarthy, 2015) 3.5
https://thenextpictureshow.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/2015-09-04-1441380921-1272728-spotlight_film_2015.jpg?w=500
Boston Globe reporters Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo consult with editor Michael Keaton (middle) about the pedophile priest story.
Legend (Brian Helgeland, 2015) 2.5
Ghoul (Gregory Wilson, 2012) 2-
Man Up (Ben Palmer, 2015) 2.5
Bridge of Spies (Steven Spielberg, 2015) 3+
http://p3.pstatp.com/large/9626/2663696372
Tax lawyer James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) defends a Soviet spy (Mark Rylance) and then goes to East Berlin to try to exchange him for two captured Americans, including U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers. His deeds also appear in NYC newspapers and are judged by subway passengers.
Suffragette (Sarah Gavron, 2015) 2.5
The Mirror Has Two Faces (Barbra Streisand, 1996) 3-
Four Girls in White (S. Sylvan Simon, 1939) 2+
Spectre (Sam Mendes, 2015) 3+
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fblMjZZ9yZ4/VkOJpUvFdtI/AAAAAAAAKK4/PZpDxEJeaRA/s1600/SPECTRE_vlymczqfccvuwvrbtnt8.gif
James Bond (Daniel Craig) uses all his love and hate to defeat Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) one more time.
Sleeping with Other People (Leslye Headland, 2015) 2.5
The Man from Snowy River (George Miller, 1982) 3
Charlotte Rampling: The Look (Angelina Maccarone, 2011) 2.5
Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1982) 3
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4cA0isOlabI/VFiP8lghWEI/AAAAAAAABlk/CO8vohIxeFw/s1600/tumblr_mkxpma5Gzv1r0320so1_500.gif
Alexander (Bertil Guve) draws his opinions about God from the actions of his totalitarian bishop stepfather (Jan Malmsjö).
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Nathan Juran, 1958) 2.5
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (Fred F. Sears, 1956) 2
Jason and the Argonauts (Don Chaffey, 1963) 2.5
Trumbo (Jay Roach, 2015) 3
https://49.media.tumblr.com/c5b985d7aeb8fab331c29fdeca29034c/tumblr_nysd26zngV1v0g3xwo1_r1_500.gif
At the premiere of Spartacus, producer/star Kirk Douglas (Dean O’Gorman) and his credited screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) admire the finished product of the latter’s first on-screen credit after a decade of blacklisting.

[honeykid]

Some thoughts on Suffragette, mark? It's something I'm interested in seeing but didn't see the point of making the cinema trip.

[mark f]

It modestly holds your interest, is still significant and Carey Mulligan will probably get an Oscar nom, but it felt like a CliffsNotes version of the story and wasn't that well-made (for example, it's way too dark visually - which seems to be more common these days) in my opinion.

[meatwadsprite]

What did you give the other Craig Bond films Mark ?

[mark f]

As far as all the Bonds go, I give the proper ones 2.5 - 4 regardless who plays Bond, so I don't think any are that bad. Craig Bonds: CR - 3.5, QoS - 3, Skyfall - 3.5, Spectre - 3+.

[linespalsy]

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Guy Ritchie, 2015) 3
Big Hero 6 (Don Hall & Chris Williams, 2014) 2

[Used Future]

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/Computer_Chess_zpsuljosk4c.jpg
Bujalski's wonderfully authentic lo-fi-chin-stroker is all ambiguous motive and fascinating dialogue with a fly on the wall style that goes everywhere and nowhere, but still manages to find a soul.

Computer Chess (Andrew Bujalski, 2013) 3+
*Scrooge (Brian Desmond Hurst, 1951) 4
*Santa Claus: The Movie (Jeannot Szwarc, 1985) 2.5+
*Used Cars (Robert Zemeckis, 1980) 4+++

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/The-Gift-Movie-2015-Joel-Edgerton-Gordo_zpsxt9yeh1z.jpg
Gordo (Edgerton, right) is the perfect blend of misunderstood victim, and sinister predator in his remarkably accomplished thriller that cleverly manipulates audience expectations.

The Gift (Joel Edgerton, 2015) 4
*The Prestige (Christopher Nolan, 2006) 3.5
The Illusionist (Neil Burger, 2006) 2.5

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/vlcsnap1387701tx0_zpseehtyjma.jpg
Euro-trash icon Erika Blanc's kinky turn as a murderous succubus who turns roses black when she walks past, is the sole reason I keep revisiting this otherwise below par exploiter.

*The Devil's Nightmare/La plus longue nuit du diable (Jean Brismée, 1971) 2.5+
Birth of the Living Dead (Rob Kuhns, 2013) 2.5
Seizure (Oliver Stone, 1974) 2
Pod (Mickey Keating, 2015) 2

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/10622883_10152220486061571_5721647824506646399_n_zps5sdvfclf.jpg
Meandering mumblecore? Character driven mood piece? Offbeat black comedy? Retro sci-fi homage? Space Station 76 defies easy categorization and is often hilariously banal, especially the therapy sessions with Dr. Bot (pictured). A new top 100 favourite.

Space Station 76 (Jack Plotnick, 2014) 3.5+++
*Down and Out in Beverly Hills (Paul Mazursky, 1986) 3+++
*Kramer Vs. Kramer (Robert Benton, 1979) 4
Avengers: Age of Ultron (Joss Whedon, 2015) 2.5

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/bone-tomahawk_zpsy4l6bfpv.jpg
The other western starring Kurt Russell released earlier this year is comparable to J.T. Petty's The Burrowers and builds to a truly horrifying climax if you can ride out the slow-burn character building.

Bone Tomahawk (S. Craig Zahler, 2015) 3
The Hateful Eight (Quentin Tarantino, 2015) 3.5
*Tombstone (George P. Cosmatos, Kurt Russell, 1993) 3.5
*The Beguiled (Don Siegel, 1971) 4
*Will Penny (Tom Gries, 1967) 4

* = rw.

[Chypmunk]

Pickup On South Street (1953) 3.5
The Purge (2013) 3+
I Am Ali (2014) 3.5+

[seanc]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/47/Home_alone.jpg/220px-Home_alone.jpg
3

Fun for the nostalgia factor and at least half a star for watching it with my kids for the first time.

[linespalsy]

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/abedalx/bugs%20life.jpg

A Bug's Life (John Lasseter & Andrew Stanton, 1998) 3.5+
Batman (Tim Burton, 1989) 3

[Pindrop]

How would you compare A Bugs Life with Antz (1998)?

[linespalsy]

I haven't seen Antz since 1998 so I can't give a very detailed or reliable comparison. Even so I'd be surprised if it holds up as well as A Bug's Life, which has only grown on me over the three times I've seen it. Re-watching the trailer for the Antz, the animation hasn't aged well and it seems pretty talky, with a Woodie Allen ant predictably poking fun at conformity. One of the things that I like about A Bug's Life is that even though it's basically a re-working of The Seven Samurai for kids, it's not all that heavy-handed or expository. It's also stylistically striking, with lots of dramatic weather effects and some exciting movement in three-space. Maybe Antz is similarly visual but if so I don't remember and the trailer seems to indicate it's got a lot of dialog in close-up. Still, one trailer and an eighteen-year-old memory isn't much to go on so don't take it too seriously.

[Pindrop]

I haven't seen Antz since 1998 so I can't give a very detailed or reliable comparison. Even so I'd be surprised if it holds up as well as A Bug's Life, which has only grown on me over the three times I've seen it. Re-watching the trailer for the Antz, the animation hasn't aged well and it seems pretty talky, with a Woodie Allen ant predictably poking fun at conformity. One of the things that I like about A Bug's Life is that even though it's basically a re-working of The Seven Samurai for kids, it's not all that heavy-handed or expository. It's also stylistically striking, with lots of dramatic weather effects and some exciting movement in three-space. Maybe Antz is similarly visual but if so I don't remember and the trailer seems to indicate it's got a lot of dialog in close-up. Still, one trailer and an eighteen-year-old memory isn't much to go on so don't take it too seriously.

I have not watched these much; so I am working off a swiftly vanishing memory. I think both were genuinely good. I think Bugs was better in that it had Woody and more action. But I genuinely remember liking aspects of Antz. Too long ago though, cannot remember.

[mark f]

Red White & Blue (Simon Rumley, 2010) 2.5
Back from Eternity (John Farrow, 1956) 2
Too Late for Tears (Byron Haskin, 1949) 2.5
Speed (Jan de Bont, 1994) 3.5+
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/7c/1f/6a/7c1f6a2963b8e7ed9ff147e1e8d03a49.gif
LAPD cop Keanu Reeves does as his partner Jeff Daniels says during a hostage crisis (ouch); later he must deal with a bomb on a moving bus.
Every Girl Should Be Married (Don Hartman, 1948) 2.5
Chasing Papi (Linda Mendoza, 2003) 2
Three Little Girls in Blue (Bruce Humberstone, 1946) 2.5+
The Big Short (Adam McKay, 2015) 3
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/6b/dd/2c/6bdd2c845995fe55192c7128ddf7c169.gif
Based on research, physician-turned-hedge-fund-manager Christian Bale makes a $1.3 billion bet with his invesors' money that the housing market in America will collapse.
Two Weeks in Another Town (Vincente Minnelli, 1962) 2.5
Last Knights (Kaz I Kiriya, 2015) 2
The Navigators (Ken Loach, 2001) 2.5
Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, 2015) 3
http://45.media.tumblr.com/ffe968f593b341551ceb4c4821eb6d82/tumblr_nxvrqfsv8J1uopzqwo8_500.gif
A man (Voice of David Thewlis) bored with life finds love with an average woman (Voice of Jennifer Jason Leigh) on a business trip in this very personal stop-motion animation.
Finances of the Grand Duke (F.W. Murnau, 1924) 2.5
Pluto’s Purchase (Charles Nichols, 1948) 2.5+
El Dorado (Howard Hawks, 1966) 2.5+
Knight of Cups (Terrence Malick, 2015) 2
https://49.media.tumblr.com/cbbd276397e255b8e3575b09560459ca/tumblr_nysnhpSjh81v0vdb9o1_r1_500.gif
One of the few scenes of happiness between two characters (played by Christian Bale and Natalie Portman) who "touch" each other.
Sergeants 3 (John Sturges, 1962) 2+
A Night at the Opera (Sam Wood, 1935) 2.5
Kiddie Revue (Gus Edwards, 1930) 2
Sicario (Denis Villeneuve 2015) 3
http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/falseeeyelashes/9129439/36785/36785_original.gif
Against her better judgment, FBI agent Emily Blunt joins a secret government team headed by Josh Brolin and mystery man Benicio Del Toro who are trying to catch a Mexican druglord.

[cricket]

Tell me more

[mark f]

Red White and Blue seemed mostly about the director having a very unique way to tell his story. The direction hides as much as it reveals. Most of the film is leisurely but then there's some staccato editing. I'm not really sure what every thing meant or even why Nate went to the lengths he did. I almost thought for a minute he was the child molester making amends (that's how open it is) and there's always the chance they got married. The band members also have their own (non-)stories, especially the leader and his sick mom. I don't really know what else to say. The last half-hour is pretty-damn gory. It does remind me of a Ben Wheatley film and this guy is British too, even if he filmed in Texas. Sorry that's nothing new. What have you figured out?

[cricket]

Red White and Blue seemed mostly about the director having a very unique way to tell his story. The direction hides as much as it reveals. Most of the film is leisurely but then there's some staccato editing. I'm not really sure what every thing meant or even why Nate went to the lengths he did. I almost thought for a minute he was the child molester making amends (that's how open it is) and there's always the chance they got married. The band members also have their own (non-)stories, especially the leader and his sick mom. I don't really know what else to say. The last half-hour is pretty-damn gory. It does remind me of a Ben Wheatley film and this guy is British too, even if he filmed in Texas. Sorry that's nothing new. What have you figured out?

I'd have to watch it again. Glad you thought it was ok and thanks for the thoughts:)

[Mr Minio]

http://45.media.tumblr.com/ffe968f593b341551ceb4c4821eb6d82/tumblr_nxvrqfsv8J1uopzqwo8_500.gif
Look at this guy's hand! SO KINKY!

[Monkeypunch]

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - A darkly funny, gothic musical horror show written by Stephen Sondheim and directed by Tim Burton.Johnny Depp plays the title character, a barber hell bent on revenge against the man who imprisoned him under false charges (Alan Rickman), with help from daft widow Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), a baker of suspect meat pies. I've seen this a lot of times, and I'll probably watch it a ton more. One of my favorites. 5+

Into The Woods - Another Sondheim musical, this time starring Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Chris Pine, and Meryl Streep. A "fractured fairy tales" sort of story about a group of familiar characters who one by one enter the titular woods which are fraught with witches, wolves, giants, and temptation. This one is often hilarious, with a lighter tone than Sweeney Todd, and a wicked sense of humor. Watch for Johnny Depp's cameo as a pedophile Big Bad Wolf. Didn't love it as much as Sweeney, but I had a good time watching it all the same. 4

[cricket]

December, 2015 movies watched-

Aparajito (1956) 4 This middle installment of The Apu Trilogy wasn't as powerful for me as the first, but it's still exceptional filmmaking.

The Act of Killing (2012) 3.5 Sickening subject, beautifully filmed.

And God Created Woman (1956) 3- Pretty much just a showcase for Brigitte Bardot. That's enough for me to like it.

Shoah (1985) 4.5 The length is a problem for me, but it's power is undeniable.

Blue Valentine (2010) 4 This bleak relationship story made me sad.

Apur Sansar (1959) 4+ Very strong finish to a great trilogy.

Crumb (1994) 2.5 Quality documentary, but I just got bored with Robert Crumb.

Hearts and Minds (1974) 4.5 Perhaps the best documentary I've seen.

Death Becomes Her (1992) 3.5 It gets a little wacky, but it's entertaining and funny.

The Fly (1986) Repeat viewing 5 Long time favorite of mine that hasn't lost anything.

Cocaine Cowboys (2006) 4 Fast paced and entertaining documentary about the Miami drug trade in the early 80's.

In a Lonely Place (1950) 3.5+ Bogie was so great in this playing a despicable character.

The Killing Fields (1984) 3.5 Very strong movie, but still a little disappointing.

Mouth to Mouth (2005) 2.5 Independent film with the gritty style that I look for, but it didn't add up to enough for me to consider it above average.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) 3.5+ This documentary on the competitive playing of Donkey Kong is a lot of fun.

American Grindhouse (2010) 3.5- Documentary on the history of exploitation films is fun to watch.

Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992) 3.5+ My first look at this case, and I was fascinated and entertained.

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003) 3.5+ More of the same.

My Winnipeg (2007) 3.5 Another documentary, but much different than others I've been watching. I would need to see it again to have a better grasp of what it is.

From Here to Eternity (1953) 4.5- I wished this movie was twice as long.

Harry and Tonto (1974) 4.5 I loved this very touching and funny road trip movie.

Pumping Iron (1977) 3.5- The world of bodybuilding with Arnold and Ferrigno.

The Central Park Five (2012) 3.5 A maddening story is given it's due in this well made documentary.

Searching for Sugar Man (2012) 3.5 Documentary with a fascinating story of a mysterious musical artist.

Gattaca (1997) 3+ Not my type, but so well done that I enjoyed it enough.

The Hateful Eight (2015) 3.5+ Mixed feelings, but there's some great stuff here.

Maniac Cop (1988) 3- Idiot trash and brilliant fun at the same time.

Maniac Cop 2 (1990) 2.5 Still fun, but a step down from the first movie.

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) 3+ Pretty good documentary about an early cable TV station, and it's programmer whose life ended with a murder/suicide.

No Escape (2015) 2.5+ Good suspense in the first half before settling into a more standard action picture.

Man with a Movie Camera (1929) 3.5 Silent film documentary is often spectacular.

Citizenfour (2014) 3.5 Extremely well made and riveting, until my interest waned with about 30 minutes left.

North by Northwest (1959) Repeat viewing 4-*I didn't love it like I did 15 years ago, but I still thought it was very entertaining.

Twenty-Four Eyes (1954) 3.5 I wasn't as moved as I wanted to be, but it's a beautiful movie.

Humanoids from the Deep (1980) Repeat viewing 3.5- Trashy creature feature that's loads of fun.

There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane (2011) 3+ Above average documentary about a heartbreaking story.

The Dungeonmaster (1984) 2.5 Great example of a movie that's so bad, it's good. I enjoyed it.

Bone Tomahawk (2015) 4 Tense Western/horror mix with great performances.

High Kick Girl! (2009) 2 Amusing, but not very good.

Remember the Titans (2000) 4.5 Great uplifting story done full justice.

December viewings-40
Total 2015 viewings-468
Two year total since keeping track-1009

[linespalsy]

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

De Artificiali Perspectiva (Stephen & Timothy Quay, 1993) 3.5+
Rembrandt's J'Accuse (Peter Greenaway, 2008) 3.5

[meatwadsprite]

The Hateful Eight

http://i.imgur.com/vnyOoaS.jpg?1

A huge disappointment for a big fan of Tarantino. As always the tension is thick, the dialogue is top rate, the performances, the visuals, everything is there except what really matters. Tarantino has shown us time and again that he is a master of directing, but his creativity as a storyteller has started to dwindle down with his more recent work.

Hateful Eight being a three hour remake of Reservoir Dogs, just not as cool. Not to say you don't get your moneys worth with this movie, as repulsive and grotesque as it gets, Hateful Eight is highly entertaining. The first two hours are great, but the ending is very underwhelming and really lets the whole production down.

3 not a bad movie, but definitely Tarantino's weakest film yet

Anomalisa


http://dl9fvu4r30qs1.cloudfront.net/58/08/f9eac03546929dd03181fbbd6312/anomalisa.jpg

A brief 90 minute return for Charlie Kaufman. I feel like he wrote this movie and it was too weird or fake to shoot with real actors, so he animated it with clay people. The result works surprisingly good. Confident and concise and different, even from a guy who you expect weird stuff from.

3.5

The Descendants

http://dorkshelf.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads//2011/11/The-Descendants-George-Clooney-Featured.jpg

Probably Alexander Payne's strongest work I've seen yet, filmed on location in beautiful Hawaii. Although it does stretch on longer than it needs to, there are some really good laughs and a lot of sharp writing.

3.5

Casino Jack and the United States of Money

http://cache.reelz.com/assets/content/repFrame/47699/47699_01_med.jpg

If you needed any more proof that republicans are morons, here it is.

3

Los Angeles Plays Itself

http://i.imgur.com/hhxs1tq.jpg?1

A big three hour breakdown of movies shot in Los Angeles, almost entirely compromised of footage from films. The editing is great and there are a lot of cool moments for movie fans, but the narrator is a real weirdo. He's drudgingly trying to make some stupid point and just sounds like he wants to be put out of his misery.

3

Howl's Moving Castle

http://i.imgur.com/PHIFYjU.jpg?1

One of the most gorgeous films you can watch. The animation is incredible, even by Miyazaki's high standards. But the ending is incredibly jarring. It wraps everything up in a massive rush, even though the bulk of the film just brazenly takes it's time unfolding.

3

[mark f]

Leap of Faith (Richard Pearce, 1992) 3-
Hot Sands (Alf Goulding, 1931) 1.5
American Milkshake (David Andalman & Mariko Munro, 2013) 2
World Trade Center (Oliver Stone, 2006) 3-
http://newslab.ru/images/review/cinema/202229-3.jpg
On 9/11/2001, NYPD Port Authority Sergeant Nic Cage and officer Michael Peña see a low-flying plane, and their lives will forever change.
The Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1934) 3
After the Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1936) 2.5+
Another Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1939) 2+
Faust (Aleksandr Sokurov, 2011) 2.5
https://49.media.tumblr.com/8496ddc1e2e96455e67944f0af4818cc/tumblr_mxuvf1R3jn1t1lt21o1_400.gif
Faust (Johannes Zeiler) becomes obsessed with the seemingly-innocent and life-affirming Gretchen (Isolda Dychauk).
Shadow of the Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke, 1942) 2
Them! (Gordon Douglas, 1954) 2.5
Duck Soup (Leo McCarey, 1933) 3
Bone Tomahawk (S. Craig Zahler, 2015) 2.5+
http://www.warezo.cz/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Bone-Tomahawk-2015.jpg
Sheriff Kurt Russell and his backup deputy Richard Jenkins attempt to rescue some hostages taken by cannibalistic troglodytes.
Dante’s Inferno (Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan & Giuseppe de Liguoro, 1911) 2
Office Space (Mike Judge, 1999) 3-
The House of Whipcord (Pete Walker, 1974) 2
Obsession (Brian De Palma, 1976) 3
http://38.media.tumblr.com/b87e05c620544d229e42238a00d689a2/tumblr_mlvh5uf9lB1r344y9o1_500.gif
In De Palma’s reworking of Vertigo (complete with a Bernard Herrmann score), young Italian woman Genevieve Bujold appears to be the spitting image of the dead wife of real estate developer Cliff Robertson who lost her 15 years earlier in a botched kidnapping.
Leprechaun (Mark Jones, 1993) 2
Leprechaun in the Hood (Rob Spera, 2000) 1.5
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood (Steven Ayromlooi, 2003) 1.5
The French Connection (William Friedkin, 1971) 3.5
http://i.imgur.com/6lVP2jK.gif
http://45.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lohg2gRoHC1qbce2uo1_500.gif
Frog 1 (Fernando Rey) and Popeye (Gene Hackman) try to one up each other with their waves.

[seanc]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/06/Werckmeister_Harmonies.jpg
2

I have looked into the eyes of the whale and I have seen ill-defined chaos. It wasn't all bad though, I love that score when it is used and some of the takes were amazing. The hospital, the crossroads, and the first time we see Janos walking towards the camera after the bar scene. Ultimately though the film is way too vague for my taste. I don't want to have to read blogs to figure out your film is an allegory for WWII, if it even is. Maybe it gets another watch someday and it certainly won't keep me from watching more Tarr. That is the best I got right now.

[Guaporense]

Tarr said this movie is about a guy walking around a town and that there is a whale.

[seanc]

Tarr said this movie is about a guy walking around a town and that there is a whale.

I read those quotes. I don't believe him and if it's true it makes his movie much worse.

[Guaporense]

It means his movie is based on intuition and not reason. Similarly to Pollock's paintings like this:

http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/abstractexpressionism/images/JacksonPollock-Lavender-Mist-Number1-1950.jpg

He painted that without thinking while spraying pain as if possessed. Tarr makes movies the same way: his movies have meaning that he doesn't consciously express.

To me WH is a reflection of Eastern Europe through Tarr's eyes, the tragedy that was the 20th century and the feeling of apocalypse.

[seanc]

If I keep my eyes out of focus I can see a helicopter coming right at me.

[Chypmunk]

Solaris (2002) 3.5
Cloud Atlas (2012) 3.5+

[Miss Vicky]

Everything I watched from December 2nd - January 2nd
(Thoughts posted in my Movie Log (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=43738))

Sanjay's Super Team (Sanjay Patel, 2015) 3.5
The Good Dinosaur (Peter Sohn, 2015) 3.5
Whiplash (Damien Chazelle, 2014) 4-
The Warriors (Walter Hill, 1979) 3.5+
Tokyo Godfathers (Satoshi Kon, 2003) (Rewatch) 4+
Minions (Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin, 2015) 3+
The Nut Job (Peter Lepeniotis, 2014) 1.5
Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller, 2015) (Rewatch) 5
Home (Tim Johnson, 2015) 1.5-
Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn, 2014) 3
The Hateful Eight (Quentin Tarantino, 2015) 4+

[Daniel M]

I thought you would enjoy The Hateful Eight, Miss Vicky, especially with so much Samuel L. Jackson :D

[mark f]

Life (Ted Demme, 1999) 2.5
Ned Kelly (Tony Richardson, 1970) 2
The Son of Monte Cristo (Rowland V. Lee, 1940) 2.5+
The Deep (Peter Yates, 1977) 3
http://extmovie.maxmovie.com/xe/files/attach/images/169/340/079/7e78922f9c9f4ffe794c87e873cc07dd.jpg
Young vacationers (Jacqueline Bisset & Nick Nolte) find a possible treasure in Bermuda, but find themselves threatened by gangster Louis Gossett Jr while seeking help from treasure hunter Robert Shaw.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Richard Lester, 1966) 3
Backdraft (Ron Howard, 1991) 3
Greek Pete (Andrew Haigh, 2009) 1.5
45 Years (Andrew Haigh, 2015) 2.5
http://battleshippretension.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/vlcsnap-2015-11-11-13h13m55s674-500x264.png
Just prior to her 45th wedding anniversary, contented wife Charlotte Rampling learns things about her husband Tom Courtenay which cause an emotional upheaval.
Location: Far from the Madding Crowd (Ronald Saland, 1967) 2.5
Poison (Todd Haynes, 1991) 2+
Dangerous When Wet (Charles Walters, 1953) 2.5
Showgirls (Paul Verhoeven, 1995) 3+
https://45.media.tumblr.com/85367625032435ffab7a0979ce26ec03/tumblr_nwhg73S8Tg1qbvkmso1_500.gif
Naïve, insecure and cocky Elizabeth Berkley hitches to Las Vegas, gets ripped off, becomes a stripper and has a competitive relationship with the star (Gina Gershon) of Vegas’ big show at the Stardust Casino, among other things.
The Greatest Show on Earth (Cecil B. DeMille, 1952) 3
Night Train to Terror (5 Directors, 1985) 1.5
Mr. Mom (Stan Dragoti, 1983) 2.5
Divine Madness (Michael Ritchie, 1980) 3-
http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/709071/26272188/1432954760810/TheRose-Bette-concert.jpg?token=YrQtXk0Nn0nKAEP%2FhY%2FFNcEPH9I%3D
Bette Midler does some of her funniest, raunchiest comedy routines while also singing some of her best pre-1980 songs.
The Frighteners (Peter Jackson, 1996) 3+
Tear Gas in Law Enforcement (No Director Listed, 1962) 2
Delta Farce (C.B. Harding, 2007) 1.5
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (John Sturges, 1957) 3.5
http://www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/9617_5-e1435845682785-620x264.jpg
The thunderous climax pits Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster), his brothers and Doc Holliday (Kirk Douglas) against the Clantons in Tombstone, Arizona.

[linespalsy]

The Hellstrom Chronicles (Walon Green & Ed Spiegel, 1971) 3
Blindsided (Joseph Ruben, 2013) 2.5

[mark f]

”The Star Wars Holiday Special” (Steve Binder, 1978) 1
For Pete’s Sake (Peter Yates, 1974) 2.5+
Robin and Marian (Richard Lester, 1976) 3.5
The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos. 2015) 2
http://45.media.tumblr.com/2add91168e4dbadac5af18ab1a0b3359/tumblr_nwxmthf4Ex1turrb0o3_500.gif
When you’re worried about being alone or becoming a lobster or a parrot, John C. Reilly, Ben Whishaw and Colin Farrell naturally can get testy.
Basic Instinct 2 (Michael Caton-Jones, 2006) 2
The Long Night (Anatole Litvak, 1947) 2.5
Color of Night (Richard Rush, 1994) 2
The Prestige (Christopher Nolan, 2006) 3+
http://images.amcnetworks.com/ifc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tumblr_m9zkssGhlV1rnw1mso2_500.gif
Magician Hugh Jackman performs a disappearing act with the aid of a Tesla coil.
The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-Hsien, 2015) 2
Peaceful Warrior (Victor Salva, 2006) 2.5-
Bucktown (Arthur Marks, 1975) 2
The Naked Prey (Cornel Wilde, 1966) 3.5
http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/images/issue/420/naked-prey_420.jpg
After his tribe butchers the other members of his hunting party, warrior Ken Gampu offers Cornel Wilde a slim chance to outrun the best hunters of the tribe.
A Countess from Hong Kong (Charles Chaplin, 1967) 2+
The Bone Collector (Phillip Noyce, 1999) 2.5
The Lone Hand (George Sherman, 1953) 2
Winged Migration (Jacques Perrin & 2 others, 2001) 3.5
https://45.media.tumblr.com/b43d844940aa18bdd80dae5faea432fb/tumblr_mp5wtjZa5B1s2xab7o1_500.gif
Up-close-and-personal examination of bird migrations all over the world during the change of seasons.
Ginger & Rosa (Sally Potter, 2012) 2
Irrational Man (Woody Allen, 2015) 2.5
The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue (Dick Sebast, 1998) 2
Black Snake Moan (Craig Brewer, 2007) 3-
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JHb0bXbRnyg/UfGThbD14rI/AAAAAAAAu9s/9XtpEqDdo8k/s1600/0202.gif
Slutty Christina Ricci is severely beaten and nursed back to health, both physically and spiritually, by former bluesman Samuel L. Jackson

[Miss Vicky]

Was this your first time watching Irrational Man and Black Snake Moan, mark?

[mark f]

Sure was.

[Miss Vicky]

Shame you didn't like them more (I know, I know, add another popcorn box. But still.)

[linespalsy]

The Station Agent (Tom McCarthy, 2003)
Shaun the Sheep (Mark Burton & Richard Starzak, 2015)
Kill Me Three Times (Kriv Stenders, 2014)

[Mäx]

No ratings?

[linespalsy]

Whoops. They're all in the 2.5 to 3- range.

[Mäx]

Thanks. :)

[mark f]

Behold a Pale Horse (Fred Zinnemann, 1964) 2.5
Blockade (William Dieterle, 1938) 2
The Angel Wore Red (Nunnally Johnson, 1960) 2.5-
The Spanish Earth (Joris Ivens, 1937) 3-
http://www.albavolunteer.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/hemingway_ivens.jpg
Showing the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War, this doc features (on the far right) Ernest Hemingway and director Joris Ivens.
The Fallen Sparrow (Richard Wallace, 1943) 2+
Sister Kenny (Dudley Nichols, 1946) 3
Miss Meadows (Karen Leigh Hopkins, 2014) 2
Eyewitness (Peter Yates, 1981) 2.5+
http://onthesetofnewyork.com/locations/eyewitness/eyewitness10.jpg
Janitor William Hurt is interviewed by news reporter Sigourney Weaver about a murder until she realizes that he’s trying to hit on her.
Shopping (Paul W.S. Anderson, 1994) 2
The Siege of Firebase Gloria (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1989) 2.5
Garm Wars: The Last Druid (Mamoru Oshii, 2015) 2
The Walk (Robert Zemeckis, 2015) 3+
https://49.media.tumblr.com/330a612bd5e5b1f5575417dcb0c029e1/tumblr_nzdd5rAPO61v1iaato1_500.gif
In the 1970s, Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) recruits a team of “accomplices” to help with his dream of walking a wire between the tops of NYC’s unfinished Twin Towers.
The Alphabet Killer (Rob Schmidt, 2008) 2
The Bigamist (Ida Lupino, 1953) 2.5
Cattle Call (Martin Guigui, 2006) 1.5
Girl, Interrupted (James Mangold, 1999) 2.5
http://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4l1hshCEu1qa1xnko1_r2_500.gif
After taking a bottle of aspirin, Winona Ryder enters a psychiatric hospital and reacts incredulously when she’s diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
The Ice Follies of 1939 (Reinhold Schunzel, 1939) 2
Ace High (Giuseppe Colizzi, 1968) 2.5-
These Glamour Girls (S. Sylvan Simon, 1939) 2
Infinitely Polar Bear (Maya Forbes, 2015) 2.5
https://41.media.tumblr.com/9de0727785f773f4f0cd20f8ebafeeb5/tumblr_nxf2lqtL831td8y6to1_500.jpg
In the ‘70s, bipolar husband/father Mark Ruffalo tries to keep it together for his family.

[honeykid]

I've not watched Girl, Interrupted in ages. I should seek it out, but that damn Satan always makes me think twice.

[mark f]

The Golden Fleecing (Leslie Fenton, 1940) 2
The Unfaithful (Vincent Sherman, 1947) 2.5
No Escape (Charles Bennett, 1953) 2
The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Marielle Heller, 2015) 2.5+
http://31.media.tumblr.com/2d5545ca6abfd56e78a8fa6503d2cc7f/tumblr_nsrfjddDiT1rkem6ho4_540.gif
http://skarsgardfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CBLA1.gif
High schooler Bel Powley is obsessed with sex when she’s a virgin, but after she does it with her mom’s boyfriend (Alexander Skarsgård), she’s crazy for sex with him.
True Confession (Wesley Ruggles, 1937) 2
Murder, He Says (George Marshall, 1945) 2+
Suddenly It's Spring (Mitchell Leisen, 1947) 2+
Chi-Raq (Spike Lee, 2015) 2
http://49.media.tumblr.com/b1fe51fa107a73d5f1c9e83b1061d074/tumblr_nx9lc7sFev1s3y9slo4_500.gif
The final confrontation between Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris) and gangster Chi-Raq (Nick Cannon) will determine if Peace or Piece will rule in Chicago’s violent Southside.
Career (Joseph Anthony, 1959) 2.5
Too Many Husbands (Wesley Ruggles, 1940) 3-
Swing High, Swing Low (Mitchell Leisen, 1937) 2+
Shaun the Sheep Movie (Mark Burton & Richard Starzak, 2015) 3
https://45.media.tumblr.com/35d5f13e894d3c7b6bfeb94d3b0d3426/tumblr_noo41bZ2Q51siznydo1_500.gif
In the city, Shaun, the other sheep and Blitzer the Dog are thrown into prison, but Blitzer is wary of the other animal inmates who seem very unfriendly.
Dive Bomber (Michael Curtiz, 1941) 2
Larceny, Inc. (Lloyd Bacon, 1942) 2.5
Dressed to Kill (Eugene Forde, 1941) 2+
The Good Dinosaur (Peter Sohn, 2015) 3
http://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/Good-Dinosaur-Arlo-Spot-Fireflies.gif
In an alternate universe where dinosaurs and humans coexist, a lost young apotosaurus and a troublemaking human boy become fast friends.
Penelope (Arthur Hiller, 1966) 2.5
The Great Bank Robbery (Hy Averback, 1969) 2
The Great Bank Hoax (Joseph Jacoby, 1978) 2.5
99 Homes (Ramin Bahrani, 2015) 3
https://41.media.tumblr.com/f0a43247fd7741953ba50eaf64d8cf82/tumblr_nveuouGJ131ufc613o1_500.jpg
Unemployed construction worker Andrew Garfield’s family is evicted from their home by realtor Michael Shannon, and then he goes to work for the house-flipping Mephistopheles.

[honeykid]

Some thoughts on 99 Homes, mark? It's something I thought sounded quite interesting.

[mark f]

It's a different take on the housing crisis, showing both sides and bringing a conscience to bear on the subject. Having Garfield be both a victim and taking advantage of the corrupt system was fascinating. Shannon showed just enough humanity to make his character more complex. The movie mostly played out as a thriller.

[Mr Minio]

It's a different take on the housing crisis, showing both sides and bringing a conscience to bear on the subject. Having Garfield be both a victim and taking advantage of the corrupt system was fascinating. Shannon showed just enough humanity to make his character more complex. The movie mostly played out as a thriller. For some reason I instantly thought of Garfrield, the cat when I read this and had a mind-block when I tried imagining all the stuff mark wrote above existing in a cartoon with that lasagna-loving layabout.

[donniedarko]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/afaddis/image/SeventhSeal3small.jpghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/Escape_from_Tomorrow_publicity_still_from_It's_A_Small_World.jpg
The Seventh Seal & Escape from Tomorrow

Recent Watches (Ranked):
REWATCH: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968)- 4
The Seventh Seal (Bergman, 1957)- 3.5+
Escape from Tomorrow (Moore, 2013)- 3
Concussion (Landesman, 2015)- 2
With a Friend Like Harry (Moll, 2000)-2
Code Unknown (Haneke, 2000)- 2

[mark f]

Fortune Seekers (Larry O’Reilly, 1956) 2.5
Bulldog Drummond (F. Richard Jones, 1929) 2
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (John Madden, 2015) 2.5+
Sebastiane (Paul Humfress & Derek Jarman, 1976) 2
http://cdn.iksv.org/media/content/images/film/archive/983/983_03.jpg
Set in the 4th century, spoken in Latin, with a score by Eno, ostensibly telling the story of St. Sebastian (you know, the statue with arrows in it in Carrie’s closet in De Palma’s Carrie), the film’s full of homoerotica – here with Ken Hicks & Janusz Romanov.
Copying Beethoven (Agnieszka Holland, 2006) 2.5+
Her Night of Romance (Sidney Franklin, 1924) 2
Two Arabian Knights (Lewis Milestone, 1927) 2.5
Chandu the Magician (Marcel Varnal & William C. Menzies, 1932) 2
http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lt7czcCKYr1qbbjxvo1_500.gif
Madman Roxor (Bela Lugosi) plots to rule the world with the help of a stolen death ray, and Chandu (Edmund Lowe) is the only hope to thwart him.
Shamus (Buzz Kulik, 1973) 2.5
The Condemned (Scott Wiper, 2007) 2
What's Your IQ? (No Director Listed, 1940) 2.5
Alice in Wonderland (Norman Mc Leod, 1933) 2
http://45.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljb0qeIkP21qb5tu1o1_500.gif
The Cheshire Cat (Voice of Richard Arlen) appears to Alice (Charlotte Henry).
Backcountry (Adam MacDonald, 2015) 2
Shockproof (Douglas Sirk, 1949) 2.5
Invisible Stripes (Lloyd Bacon, 1939) 2,
This Is Elvis (Malcolm Leo & Andrew Solt, 1981) 3.5
http://24.media.tumblr.com/fc52c70e5cf3c72c5ab217976073e001/tumblr_n5ho3xWIWa1rpduwho1_400.gif
Elvis performs at a fair, driving a girl into a frenzy in this entertaining mixture of documentary and recreation.
The Stranger Wore a Gun (Andre De Toth, 1953) 2
”The Nasty Show Hosted by Artie Lange” (Mathieu Baer, 2015) 2.5
Anne of the Indies (Jacques Tourneur, 1951) 2
Straight Time (Ulu Grosbard, 1978) 3
http://www.kinomania.ru/images/frames/p_264418.jpg
Smartass parole officer M. Emmet Walsh, who really loves his job, wants to keep new parolee Dustin Hoffman under his thumb.

[linespalsy]

All of these are worth about 2.5+ or 3-

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Gore Verbinski, 2003)
Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014)
Pitch Perfect 2 (Elizabeth Banks, 2015)
Intolerable Cruelty (Joel & Ethan Coen, 2003)

[mark f]

Song of the Gringo (John McCarthy, 1936) 2-
The Long Memory (Robert Hamer, 1952) 2.5-
For the Love of Rusty (John Sturges, 1947) 2
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2000) 3+
http://45.media.tumblr.com/228dd4f93a950d7c2cc41b123ff6c81b/tumblr_no3l8gxqof1rcz6r6o3_r1_500.gif
Disagreeing friends (Zhang Ziyi & Michelle Yeoh) fight over what they think is right about love and loyalty.
Cut Bank (Matt Shakman, 2015) 2.5-
Red Riding Hood (Catherine Hardwicke, 2011) 2+
Where the Buffalo Roam (Art Linson, 1980) 2.5
Hawaii, Oslo (Erik Poppe, 2004) 3
http://www.filmmovement.com/images/trailerpreview/616892693925.jpg
A baby with a fatal health problem is one of the myriad stories which come together at the conclusion of this film about the hottest day of the year in Oslo.
The Hateful Eight (Quentin Tarantino, 2015) 3.5 (rewatch)
The Sky’s the Limit (Edward H. Griffith, 1943) 2.5-
Holland Sailing (No Director Listed, 1956) 2
Youth (Paolo Sorrentino, 2015) 2.5
http://moviemag.ir/images/movie/movies/tt3312830/youth-cannes34.jpg
Best friends and brothers-in-law, composer Michael Caine and film director Harvey Keitel, hide as they watch a couple have sex; the old men don’t see much future ahead for themselves.
Madeinusa (Claudia Llosa, 2006) 2.5
Priest (Scott Stewart, 2011) 2
The Final Season (David Mickey Evans, 2007) 2.5
The Keys of the Kingdom (John M. Stahl, 1944) 3
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uzm1YzZAVUw/UZuKOpWq9AI/AAAAAAAACeE/UaGpn6rszHg/s1600/keys4.jpg
In China, unconventional Scottish priest Gregory Peck shares a meal at his recently-destroyed church with his abbess Rose Stradner and his childhood friend (Vincent Price), now a well-off monsignor.
Phase IV (Saul Bass, 1974) 2
Equinox Flower (Yasujiro Ozu, 1958) 2.5
The End of Summer (Yasujiro Ozu, 1960) 2.5
The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (Sophie Fiennes, 2012) 3
http://cfile25.uf.tistory.com/image/245493435189A9F92B4A0A
Philosopher Slavoj Zizek discusses the true meanings of many films and government statements – in this case, Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.

[honeykid]

mark, have you seen The Pervert's Guide To Cinema? Would you recommend it? I liked The Pervert's Guide To Ideology. I'd probably rate it about the same as you. Maybe a half less or a three minus. It's been a while, but I remember thinking it became rather repetitive towards the end.

[mark f]

I haven't seen Cinema, but I will when I get the chance.

[mark f]

Machine Gun Preacher (Marc Foster, 2011) 2.5
36 Hours (George Seaton, 1964) 3+
Paranormal Activity 3 (Ariel Schulman & Henry Joost, 2011) 2
Behind Enemy Lines (John Moore, 2001) 2.5+
http://www.moviestopspot.com/lignes_ennemies.gif
During a routine reconnaissance mission, cocky navigator Owen Wilson spots enemy fighters, gets shot down and tries to stay alive while becoming a political hot potato in the Bosnian War.
The Liquidator (Jack Cardiff, 1965) 2.5+
Dark of the Sun (Jack Cardiff, 1968) 3
The Bleeding (Charlie Picerni, 2009) 1
Love in the Afternoon (Billy Wilder, 1957) 3.5
http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrfkx89Qah1r31q91o1_500.gif
With the “Gypsies” playing “Fascination”, American playboy Gary Cooper is driven crazy by the innocent daughter (Audrey Hepburn) of Parisian private detective Maurice Chevalier.
The Comedians in Africa (No Director Listed, 1967) 2.5-
Catfish (Ariel Schulman & Henry Joost, 2010) 2
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (Larry Latham, 1998) 2.5-
Colors (Dennis Hopper, 1988) 2.5+
http://i67.fastpic.ru/big/2015/0822/3c/93872932bf874fadb3e353198365e93c.jpg
Rookie LAPD cop Sean Penn and veteran partner Robert Duvall disagree on how to deal with the gang problem in East L.A.
My 5 Wives (Sidney J. Furie, 2000) 1.5
Psychohydrography (Peter Bo Rappmund, 2010) 2+
Kit Carson (George B. Seitz, 1940) 2.5-
Ace in the Hole aka The Big Carnival (Billy Wilder, 1951) 3.5
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n0tguzf5wGg/UbryD_DoNjI/AAAAAAAACDk/ykFMGKBGZI4/s1600/Ace+in+the+Hole.gif
Former big-city newspaper reporter Kirk Douglas is stuck in Albuquerque and unhappy with his next assignment of covering a rattlesnake round-up, but on his way to cover that, he learns a man (Richard Benedict) got trapped in a cave-in inside a cliff dwelling and milks that story for all the national news he can, even threatening the trapped man’s safety.
Secret Service of the Air (Noel Smith, 1939) 2
The Peacemaker (Mimi Leder, 1997) 2.5
Wings of the Navy (Lloyd Bacon, 1939) 2
She's Funny That Way (Peter Bogdanovich, 2015) 2.5
https://media.giphy.com/media/XhX6URHxPP7xK/giphy.gif
Escort Imogen Poots spends the night with Broadway director Owen Wilson and then auditions for a call girl role in his new play.

[Monkeypunch]

Pitch perfect 2 - The first one was a film that I wasn't sure I was going to like, but it was on cable and I couldn't sleep, and it turned out to be a fun, adorably dorky film. The sequel is just as good. Yes, it's predictable, but it's the dialogue, fantastic musical performances (including a hilarious Green bay Packers cameo) and likable cast that saves the day. 3

Lost in LaMancha - The true life story of Terry Gilliam's failed attempt to make his dream project, Don Quixote. Unreliable and medically unfit actors, torrential rains, fights with investors and insurance companies, and almost no pre-production doomed the film, set to star Johnny Depp and Jean Rochefort, back in the fall of 2000. A filmmaker's worst nightmare. 4

[mark f]

Don't Bet on Women aka All Women are Bad (William K. Howard, 1931) 2
Men of the Sky (B. Reeves Eason, 1942) 2.5
Never Fear aka Young Lovers (Ida Lupino, 1949) 2
Little Fugitive (Ray Ashley, Morris Engel & Ruth Orkin, 1953) 2.5
http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/images/4118c.jpg
When he thinks he killed his older brother (Richard Brewster), who’s playing a joke on him, seven-year-old Richie Andrusco flees to Coney Island where he has such an idyllic day that he forgets his dilemma. Independent film influenced the entire movement as well as the French New Wave and Cinéma vérité.
The Little Archer (Patsie V. Sinkey, 1949) 2+
Welcome to Sherwood! The Story of 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (Jeff Kurtti, 2003) 3-
A Challenge for Robin Hood (Pennington Richards, 1967) 2
A Soldier’s Story (Norman Jewison, 1984) 3
http://45.media.tumblr.com/b7485362eddbd91582bdf4d83d7bb37d/tumblr_nnt3ijG1wU1tjk12fo1_500.gif
During WWII, Captain Howard E. Rollins Jr. comes from Washington, D.C. to a Louisiana Army base to investigate the murder of Sergeant Adolph Caesar, who was disliked by his men, none more than Private Denzel Washington.
Sabotage (Alfred Hitchcock, 1936) 2.5
Ghost of Hidden Valley (Sam Newfield, 1946) 1.5
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (Larry Latham, 1999) 2.5
Little Big Soldier (Ding Sheng, 2010) 3
http://photocdn.sohu.com/20100209/Img270154271.jpg
During a time of battling warloads, Wei general Leehom Wang attempts to strangle his “captor”, lowly Liang soldier Jackie Chan, but a hungry bear interrupts.
I Loved a Woman (Alfred E. Green, 1933) 2+
Happy New Year (John G. Avildsen, 1987) 2.5
When Worlds Collide (Rudolph Maté, 1951) 2+
The AristoCats (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1970) 2.5-
https://45.media.tumblr.com/62b62e19d7acd0845e2ffa6160585e2f/tumblr_o0cqfroQ0u1qa70eyo1_500.gif
”Everybody Wants to Be a Cat”, whether it’s heiress mom Dutchess (Eva Gabor) or fast-talking O’Malley (Phil Harris) the alley cat.
Blue Hawaii (Noran Taurog, 1961) 2+
Cliff Edwards and His Buckaroos (Jean Negulesco, 1941) 2.5
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (John Berry, 1978) 2
Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton, 1991) 3- https://45.media.tumblr.com/a4f3b61e8d0523bb91e950c4a394458c/tumblr_mkeh0vB7f21qbtzbno1_500.gif
Doughboy (Ice Cube) complains about the lack of TV coverage about violence in the neighborhood of the Crenshaw District (L.A.) to his friends Ricky (Morris Chestnut) and Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.)

[linespalsy]

The Revenant (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2015) 3.5+
Transcendence (Wally Pfister, 2014) 2+
Think Like a Man (Tim Story, 2012) 2
Ride Along (Tim Story, 2014) 1.5

[mark f]

Wicker Park (Paul McGuigan, 2004) 2.5
On Our Merry Way (King Vidor & Leslie Fenton, 1948) 2+
Above Suspicion (Richard Thorpe, 1943) 2.5
The Crow (Alex Proyas, 1994) 2.5
https://38.media.tumblr.com/437ad1719c5802b792aef997ccf52f60/tumblr_nwubf7R71p1rp0vkjo1_500.gif
Murdered guitarist Brandon Lee is brought back to life by a crow to wreak vengeance on those who killed him and his girlfriend.
Shooter (Antoine Fuqua, 2007) 2.5
The Pay-Off (Lowell Sherman, 1930) 2
Don’t Trust Your Husband aka An Innocent Affair (Lloyd Bacon, 1948) 2.5
In a Glass Cage (Agustín Villaronga, 1987) 3
http://31.media.tumblr.com/202551cde1255f47c0001ef151b2435e/tumblr_nled40Roys1s8iz6oo1_250.gifhttp://38.media.tumblr.com/f866d51b03253d247deb4a915f0ba064/tumblr_nrncdhfnL21r3tiuvo1_250.gif
Nazi doctor Gunter Meisner is paralyzed in a fall and is placed in an iron lung. His wife (Marisa Paredes) and daughter (Gisela Echevarria) need help caring for him, and a mysterious young man (David Sust) shows up.
Things to Come (William Cameron Menzies, 1936) 3-
One Against the World (Fred Zinnemann, 1939) 2.5
Way Back Home (William A. Seiter, 1931) 2
Mistress America (Noah Baumbach, 2015) 2.5
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7tc2Qjr35WI/VW87v6V65OI/AAAAAAACu5I/GWld2jmpPQo/s1600/greta%2Bgerwig%2Bmistress%2Bamerica.gif
NYC college freshman Lola Kirke (right) befriends her perspective sister-in-law Greta Gerwig and gets entangled in all her crazy life happenings.
The Lady Is Willing (Mitchell Leisen, 1942) 2.5
Too Many Cooks (William A. Seiter, 1931) 2
Venus (Roger Michell, 2006) 2.5+
The Letter (William Wyler, 1940) 3+
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tzheq__ptPU/VaRVM7JFCdI/AAAAAAAAGMU/Gm8x0Uge9Ls/s640/a%2Bcarta.gif
In Singapore, a married woman (Bette Davis) shoots a man claiming self-defense, but her story is shaken by the presence of a letter she wrote to the dead man - a letter which should not be introduced at her murder trial.
Our Town (Sam Wood, 1940) 2.5
Intimate Interviews: Walter Huston (Grace Elliott, 1931) 2
Jealousy (Philipe Garrel, 2013) 2
The Shop Around the Corner (Ernst Lubitsch, 1940) 3.5+
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me8m44gIvK1qbsjqno1_r2_500.gif
Both salespeople at a Budapest gift shop, James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan can’t seem to get along, so if you think she’s complimenting him here, you’re wrong.

[seanc]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/91/Greenberg_poster.jpg/220px-Greenberg_poster.jpg
2.5

Something missing here. Gerwig is good but the Greenberg character just feels off. Not sure if it is the way it is written or Stiller's performance. Not a terrible movie but short of a good one.

[Gabrielle947]

Hello everyone!

Good Will Hunting (1997) - first time I've watched it, I didn't get the hype and now I love it. Good story about discovering and facing yourself with some good acting and some nice humor. 4.5
The Lobster (2015) - Really really loved the first part of the film, very satirical and interesting to watch. I think the film kind of tried to point out the obsession with being in a relationship and the desperation behind it. But then it took a reversed approach which started to become just plain idiotic instead of funny and clever. Plus, normally Colin Farrell normally annoys me and he was ok in the this film. 3
Sicario (2015) - it's been a while since I've seen it now but it seemed pretentious and very common. Interesting plot but bad story. I'll give it a better rating for Del Toro who is awesome as usually haha. [rating]3[rating]
Bridge of Spies (2015) - typical Spielberg movie. It has good bits in it, it's interesting to watch and the acting is decent but the thing with Spielberg is that his films are quite sentimental and very.. ''safe''. He rarely tries to push the boundaries of a normal film and make something that will blow you away. And it's getting worse every year. I honestly believe now that we will never see a great story like Schindler's List or a haunting cinematography like Saving Private Ryan. Btw, I loved the acting performance by Mark Rylance, I'd be glad if he won. 3
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - enjoyed it, good music, lovely and very unique movie, you can tell why it is a cult film. 3.5
The Hateful Eight (2015) - Since I love QT, I loved the film but I wouldn't say it lives up to my favorites, such as IB, Kill Bills, Pulp Fiction or Death Proof. Definitely better than Django Unchained though. I might need to see it a couple more times to put it along the best but, honestly, QT still has it in him and I pray that he keeps making films. Loved the soundtrack as well! Lots of ''The Thing'' vibe. 4
The Revenant (2015) - I love violent films and normally don't mind any violence but the bear scene in this film was gruesome and sick. I was actually really impressed. However, that's about the only thing I liked about the film. Yes, the cinematography is amazing and the music is fine but Leo wasn't that good (I'm not a fan anyway), I think actually Tom Hardy was better but not amazing either. The story is very messy (and that's my number 1 thing in films) and unclear. There were even some technical things that I didn't get as well. Visual masterpiece with weak verbal/moral/storyline base. Some sort of wanna-be Tarkovsky. 3

[JayDee]

The Crow (Alex Proyas, 1994) rating_2_5.


Aww :(

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c4/b8/83/c4b8834dc60dd504f287b7a1232bc34e.jpg


Has your score for The Crow always been that low? For some reason I thought you liked it more than that. Perhaps I'm getting mixed up with something else

[mark f]

I used to give it a 3, but it got downgraded with a whole lot of other movies. Too much dead space and silliness, but it's still reasonably entertaining.

[mark f]

Skinwalkers (Jim Isaac, 2007) 2
The Seven-Ups (Philip D'Antoni, 1973) 2.5
Berserk (Jim O’Connolly, 1967) 2
World of Tomorrow (Don Hertzfield, 2015) 3.5
https://49.media.tumblr.com/d095768c94ce305c17a0ec9fcf6725a9/tumblr_njvzckeFfE1u3rp9ko1_500.gif
A clone (Voice of Julia Pott) of small girl Emily (Voice of Winona Mae) sends her a transmission from the future and eventually relates how she worked in deep space (and fell in love with an alien) but later returned to Earth to be closer to humans.
Isle of Flowers (Jorge Furtado, 1989) 3
Android Cop (Mark Atkins, 2014) 1.5
Raw Deal (Anthony Mann, 1948) 2.5
The Descent (Neil Marshall, 2005) 3
http://33.media.tumblr.com/d2dc0622abd26b6abc68e1e18e632d33/tumblr_nqri1rdWrd1uwov8go1_500.gif
Spelunker Saskia Mulder walks under a strange crawling creature in an unknown North Carolina cave.
Storm (Paul Burnford, 1943) 2.5
Golden Door (Emanuele Crialese, 2006) 2.5
Dead End (William Wyler, 1937) 2.5
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (Anatole Litvak, 1938) 3
https://prettycleverfilms.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/poster-amazing-dr-clitterhouse-the_17.jpg
Gang leader Humphrey Bogart, Dr. Edward G. Robinson, who becomes a criminal to study the criminal mind first-hand, and fence Claire Trevor examine their latest haul.
Eight Below (Frank Marshall, 2006) 2.5
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (Evgeny Afineevsky, 2015) 3
The 6th Day (Roger Spottiswoode, 2000) 2.5
Rockin' in the Rockies (Vernon Keays, 1945) 2
http://k33.kn3.net/taringa/6/5/9/8/1/6/0/twisted19/0BC.jpg
Larry and Curly don’t seem to know which way to go, while ranch foreman Moe orders his men to find the rustled cattle which belongs to his cousin (Jay Kirby), the owner.
Jack Frost (Michael Cooney, 1997) 2-
Galaxy Quest (Dean Parisot, 1999) 3
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Stephen Chiodo, 1988) 2+
Alice Sweet Alice aka Communion (Alfred Sole, 1976) 2+
http://media.giphy.com/media/gsKSAPRkrCUdW/giphy.gif
After her younger sister (Brooke Shields) is murdered in a church on the day of her first Communion, 12-year-old Alice (Paula Sheppard) becomes the chief suspect in the stabbing of her aunt (Jane Lowry).

[JayDee]

I used to give it a 3, but it got downgraded with a whole lot of other movies. Too much dead space and silliness.

:( :( :(

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/JayDee87/Sad%20Dog_zpsqmx5ey6d.jpg (http://s5.photobucket.com/user/JayDee87/media/Sad%20Dog_zpsqmx5ey6d.jpg.html)


I'd also say Galaxy Quest's score is too low. I think that's a near perfect film in its own little way

[linespalsy]

This weekend I watched all 10 episodes of The Man In the High Castle (3.5). The only other thing I saw was:

Suspect (Peter Yates, 1987) 3.5

[Mr Minio]

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/111/795/Image1.png
The World Tomorrow (Don Hertzfield, 2015) rating_3_5 It's World of Tomorrow

[mark f]

Thanks. I had that same problem on Netflix - I searched for The World Tomorrow and couldn't find it. :o

[Mr Minio]

Well, people make mistakes, but luckily for you, the Grammar Nazi is vigilant.

[mark f]

Sarah corrected me the other time, so I have to tell her she has a new nickname.

[Mr Minio]

Grammar Nazis aren't anything bad. Nazis on the other hand...

[Monkeypunch]

Coen Brothers Marathon Sunday:

O Brother Where Are Thou? - This is just a classic film, full of hilarious performances, clever dialogue, and an amazing soundtrack. 5

Intolerable Cruelty - I hadn't seen this one til today. One of their lesser flicks, but still fun. A dark comedy takedown of rom coms, with George Clooney as a successful but not too bright divorce lawyer and Catherine Zeta Jones as the woman he loves/hates, a gold digger who marries then divorces a string of wealthy men. 3.5

Inside Llewyn Davis - A largely plotless but thoughtful ramble about an unsuccessful folk singer (Oscar Isaac) and his travels through the 1960's folk scene with his constant companion, an unnamed cat. Darkly funny comedy drama with a great supporting cast (John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, Adam Driver, and Carey Mulligan) and some great music, performed live on set by the actors themselves. 4.5

[linespalsy]

When Marnie Was There (Hiromasa Yonebayashi, 2014) 2.5+
Tomorrowland (Brad Bird, 2015) 2-

[MovieMeditation]

Rewatches of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy...

Spider-Man (2002) 3.5+

Spider-Man 2 (2004) 4

Spider-Man 3 (2007) 2

[mark f]

I Confess (Alfred Hitchcock, 1953) 2.5
Tectonics (Peter Bo Rappmund, 2012) 2
The Firefly (Robert Z. Leonard, 1937) 2.5
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Alfred Werker, 1939) 3-
https://33.media.tumblr.com/25fae259c0b3f515e1c16cf8b9871e1a/tumblr_nja1xi0vYa1tujnioo2_r1_500.gif
Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) and Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) study a strange note which may lead to a future murder, but they are suddenly interrupted.
Blue Skies (Stuart Heisler, 1946) 2+
Elegy (Isabel Coixet, 2008) 2.5
The Rum Diary (Bruce Robinson, 2011) 2+
The Thin Red Line (Terrence Malick, 1998) 3.5
http://media.giphy.com/media/woK2gyKtIVUhG/giphy.gif
In the middle of Guadalcanal Island during WWII, American troops face massive Japanese resistance.
White Line Fever (Jonathan Kaplan, 1975) 2+
Spirit of Youth (Harry Fraser, 1938) 2-
Swing! (Oscar Micheaux, 1938) 2-
Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee, 1995) 3+
https://33.media.tumblr.com/2995ca616b39fef0502a4e5a336637aa/tumblr_n9dz94NFbh1rg7szco1_500.gif
Patient Colonel Alan Rickman loves young Kate Winslet, but he fears he’s not passionate enough for her consideration and suffers for it.
Hallelujah (King Vidor, 1929) 2.5
Roaming Through Michigan (James A. FitzPatrick, 1950) 2+
The Green Pastures (Mark Connelly & William Keighley, 1936) 2.5+
Cabin in the Sky (Vincente Minnelli, 1943) 3-
http://www.unwinnable.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Cabin-in-the-Sky_main.jpg
The Devil’s Idea Men (Louis Armstrong, Leon James, Fletcher Rivers, Mantan Moreland [and Willie Best (not shown)]) help Lucifer Jr. (Rex Ingram, center) concoct a plan to win the soul of Little Joe (Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson).
The Stone Killer (Michael Winner, 1973) 2.5
Cooley High (Michael Schultz, 1975) 2
Black Girl (Ossie Davis, 1972) 2
Juliet of the Spirits (Federico Fellini, 1965) 2
https://49.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkmh27xxYk1qfg94wo1_500.gif
The TV plays during the anniversary party of impressionable Giulietta Masina and her philandering husband (Mario Pisu).

[Used Future]

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/Turkish%20Delight_zpsxch9l9j5.jpg

Selfish, impetuous sculptor, Eric (Rutger Hauer) can't help but lustfully objectify free spirit, Olga (Monique van de Ven) in Verheoven's uncompromising romance that perfectly captures the energy of youth, combined with the pain of growing up and letting go of someone you love. Unforgettable.

*Turkish Delight/Turks fruit (Paul Verheoven, 1973) 5
*Black Book (Paul Verheoven, 2006) 3.5+
Sicario (Denis Villeneuve, 2015) 3
Prisoners (Denis Villeneuve, 2013) 3+
Enemy (Denis Villeneuve, 2013) 2.5

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/Wild-Bill-2011-film-images-08cd02ce-f33a-4437-afa6-33a8999035d_zpsofgfsmiz.jpg
Rudderless ex-con 'Wild' Bill (Charlie Creed-Miles) prepares for a showdown at the local boozer in Fletcher's redemptive council estate western, that deftly favours kitchen sink family drama over rootin' tootin' high jinks.

Wild Bill (Dexter Fletcher, 2011) 3.5+
*Blood Simple (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1984) 3.5
Big Game (Jalmari Helander, 2014) 2+

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/maxresdefault%201_zpsmfdlmkwh.jpg
On his first detail in Northern Ireland, green squaddie, Gary (Jack O'Connell) becomes separated from his unit in IRA territory and must try and make his way back to barracks undetected. This standard military movie premise is buoyed by excellent pacing, a strong supporting cast, and relentless gritty tone that effectively conveys the political complexities of the troubles.

'71 (Yann Demange, 2014) 3.5
Black Mass (Scott Cooper, 2015) 3
Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (Joe Berlinger, 2014) 3
American Hustle (David O. Russell, 2013) 3.5

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/5xmA5gRP54OgjCFnJAvfSCifoTH_zpsmvjxkr33.jpg
Paiute Indian Willie Boy (Robert Blake) is a passionate rebel out of time and place, pursued by Robert Redford's morally torn sheriff after running away with his white lover (Katharine Ross), in this classic case of fascinating material given disappointingly standard treatment.

Tell Them Willie Boy is Here (Abraham Polonsky, 1969) 2.5
The Revenant (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2015) 3+
Mystery Road (Ivan Sen, 2013) 2.5
One Good Cop (Heywood Gould, 1991) 2.5-

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/18HENEVER-facebookJumbo_zpsvpwtgioo.jpg
Henry Rollins takes the laconic curmudgeon to new levels of dour cynicism as a bingo playing fallen angel, in this refreshingly downbeat mixture of black comedy, character study, and bloody comic book action.

He Never Died (Jason Krawczyk, 2015) 3
When Animals Dream/Når dyrene drømmer (Jonas Alexander Arnby, 2014) 2.5
Bad Biology (Frank Henenlotter, 2008) 2-
Almost Human (Joe Begos, 2013) 1.5

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww335/GialloFunk/Quest-for-Fire_zpsnmzaqj40.jpg
Ika (Rae Dawn Chong) and her people just might hold the key to Amoukar (Ron Perlman) and his tribe's titular search in this remarkably captivating, dialogue free adventure; that's as brutal as it is beautiful.

Quest for Fire/La guerre du feu (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 1981) 4
Safety Not Guaranteed (Colin Trevorrow, 2012) 3++
The Terminal Man (Mike Hodges, 1974) 3-

*=rw.

[rauldc14]

My first watches of this year. And my last watch of last year.

Anatomy of a Murder 4+
NEW YEAR
Paths of Glory 3.5
Spirited Away 4.5+ REWATCH
Finding Neverland 3+
Avengers 2 3.5 REWATCH
Patlabor 2 1.5
Room 3.5+
Back to the Future 4 REWATCH
The Gold Rush 4+ REWATCH
Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens 4+
The Babadook 2

[honeykid]

That's a low score for The Babadook, raul. As it's something that is usually well thought of and something I'd like to see myself at some point, I wonder if you wouldn't mind posting a few thoughts about it?

BTW, say it quietly, but I've seen one film more than you so far this year. :eek:: Maybe you should start to worry? :D

[MovieMeditation]

I wanna shoot the next person who gives Star Wars The Force Awakens a higher score than 3

[Swan]

It must be a sad existence, giving great movies low scores. :p

[seanc]

Force Awakens 3+

[rauldc14]

I watched The Babadook because everyone here was raving about it. It did nothing for me. The acting was boring and the script was bland.

The Force Awakens was indeed something like Episode 4 which elevated it to a really good film because I loved what they did with the new characters. It's actually the film that has truly made me a fan of the franchise.

[Swan]

So fantastic acting bores you? Amazing.

[rauldc14]

It must be a sad existence, giving great movies low scores. :p

Patlabor? :p

[Swan]

https://45.media.tumblr.com/85fa7c9d9396983195b61a15ccc3009b/tumblr_not3xwSc391rpxkmvo1_400.gif

[seanc]

I gave it a 2 as well. There is no character development at all. It is just this metaphor for the mother's life that is mostly not compelling. The ending was really trite as well.

[Swan]

:rolleyes:

[Swan]

Learning to overcome the depression of a past tragedy and love your child isn't character development?

[seanc]

:rolleyes:

Most people's reaction to my film taste. :D

[Swan]

Even in the way of character development - something I don't believe is necessary to cinema - it is an incredibly compelling and incredibly well-acted horror film.

[rauldc14]

I really didn't think the lead did very well, TBH. I kept thinking to myself how much better it could be if someone like Watts played the lead. But even then the story would have been too shallow IMO.

[Swan]

I think her portrayal of depression caused by a traumatic experience is subtle but captivating. Really well-done.

[Swan]

We'll have to agree to disagree, though. I think you guys are all sorts of wrong but I guess you think I am, too.

Ya dum dums. :D

[rauldc14]

We always have Halloween to agree on, Swan.

[MovieMeditation]

I wasn't impressed with The Babadook either. I gave it a generous 2.5

...so basically a 2 :D:D:D

[Swan]

Yeah well, you're always wrong.

[mark f]

Rosemont (Daniel Petrie Jr., 2015) 2+
Splash (Ron Howard, 1984) 3+
Hell Harbor (Henry King, 1930) 2
The Fox and the Hound (Art Stevens, Ted Berman & Richard Rich, 1981) 3
https://media.giphy.com/media/2JEcU3fHZcjGU/giphy.gif
Neighboring pets Tod the Fox (Voice of Keith Coogan, then Mickey Rooney) and Copper (Voice of Corey Feldman, then Kurt Russell) pledge their life-long friendship, but Copper’s owner (Voice of Jack Albertson) causes a problem when he trains hm to be a hunting dog.
My Country, My Country (Laura Poitras, 2006) 3
The Last Survivors aka The Well (Tom Hammock, 2015) 1.5+
The Spanish Main (Frank Borzage, 1945) 2.5
James and the Giant Peach (Henry Selick, 1996) 3
https://49.media.tumblr.com/0b6ad2aa1628b120c6f043788f49aede/tumblr_mrrnt13uVQ1s2rll0o1_500.gif
Grasshopper (Voice of Simon Callow), Ladybug (Voice of Jane Leaves), transformed young boy James (Paul Terry) and Caterpillar (Richard Dreyfuss) sing for joy as they fly a giant peach across the Atlantic Ocean to New York City.
End of Days (Peter Hyams, 1999) 2.5
Blackbeard, the Pirate (Raoul Walsh, 1951) 2
Springtime in the Rockies (Irving Cummings, 1942) 2.5
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Kevin Reynolds, 1991) 3
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-peZREPmeoNQ/Vpf--BC7y2I/AAAAAAAAE5w/KUdUIQ58ytg/s1600/The-Sheriff-rocks.gif
The Sheriff of Nottngham (Alan Rickman) isn’t pleased with the antics of Robin Hood (Kevin Costner).
Captain Kidd (Rowland V. Lee, 1945) 2
The Oath (Laura Poitras, 2010) 3
Teresa (Fred Zinnemann, 1951) 2
Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck, 2007) 3
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O0h4RIJPpYU/UCUOaFm92dI/AAAAAAAAJRc/Mx1yq6fTfas/s640/gone-baby-gone-movie.jpg
Boston Police Captain Morgan Freeman discusses a botched kidnap/ransom exchange involving a missing four-year-old girl with private detectives Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan.
From the Four Corners (Anthony Havelock-Allen, 1942) 2.5+
Tumbleweed (Nathan Juran, 1953) 2
Penny Serenade (George Stevens, 1941) 2.5
Murphy’s War (Peter Yates, 1971) 3.5
http://www.thefilmyap.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Murphys-War-inside.jpg
Orinoco River, Venezuela, WWII. British sailor Murphy (Peter O’Toole) wants revenge on the U-Boat which sunk his ship leaving him the sole survivor, so he fixes up a damaged floatplane with the help of friendly Frenchman Philippe Noiret and tries to bomb the sub.

[mark f]

Snow Dogs (Brian Levant, 2002) 2
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (H.C. Potter, 1948) 2.5
The Famous Ferguson Case (Lloyd Bacon, 1932) 2+
The Caine Mutiny (Edward Dmytryk, 1954) 4
http://baronwolf.com/cinema/CaineMutiny1954a.jpg
Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart) freaks out, again, during a typhoon this time, which leads to mutiny and a court martial.
Let Us Prey (Brian O’Malley, 2014) 2
Women’s World (Jean Negulesco, 1954) 2.5
Little Big Shot (Michael Curtiz, 1935) 2+
The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960) 3.5
http://lovelace-media.imgix.net/uploads/89/936f6800-041f-0132-7005-0add9426c766.gif?
Insurance accountant Jack Lemmon receives a boutonnière from elevator operator Shirley MacLaine, but little do they know what’s in store for them.
The Kentucky Fried Movie (John Landis, 1977) 2.5+
Crooner (Lloyd Bacon, 1932) 2+
Chinese Box (Wayne Wang, 1997) 2.5
Macbeth (Justin Kurzel, 2015) 3
http://33.media.tumblr.com/9e9129ef9edac883f1fbb559d1fe1bb4/tumblr_npf4kzdmHy1rjjxbmo3_500.gif
Macbeth (Michael Fassbender) contemplates what the knife means to his future as king as well as what it means to his sanity.
Stop-Loss (Kimberly Peirce, 2008) 2.5-
Cop Car (Jon Watts, 2015) 2.5+
Goofy Movies Number Eight (No Director Listed, 1934) 2.5
Babe: Pig in the City (George Miller, 1998) 2.5+
http://33.media.tumblr.com/2e313a8c018fc7815f961ed99b061952/tumblr_noaryyf4PI1qedb29o1_r1_500.gif
Babe (Voice of E.G. Daily) prevaricates to try to get his bag back from a primate family in the big city.
Exclusive Story (George B. Seitz, 1936) 2.5-
Quaint Quebec (Benjamin Sharpe, 1936) 2.5
We Who Are About to Die (Christy Cabanne, 1937) 2.5-
Wit (Mike Nichols, 2001) 3.5
https://33.media.tumblr.com/4adec0b338c10baf0689d32a66193e17/tumblr_mw29quqdfU1rvwx30o1_500.gif
Literature professor Emma Thompson undergoes experimental chemotherapy for her terminal ovarian cancer and realizes that she should have been a kinder teacher and human being. Near the end of her life, her mentor Eileen Atkins comforts both of them by reading to her a children’s book.

[honeykid]

I'd like to hear a few of your thoughts about Macbeth, mark. :)

[mark f]

It's very visceral but in a spare way. For example, the Duncan murder takes place in a tent, not a castle, as in the Polanski version. The surrealism inherent in the play is also handled differently - sometimes here we can see Macbeth speaking to himself (another Macbeth) when he soliloquizes. Fassbender is very good here, as is Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, although the staging of many of their key scenes is again very spare and unshowy, as if the exaggerated drama is being kept bottled up in their ill minds. This is definitely a Macbeth filtered through a modern perspective on mental illness. I'm not sure if all the camera filters used show the minds or the environs of the Family Macbeth, but ultimately they're meant to denote both.

[honeykid]

Thanks. :) I'm a fan of the Macbeth story and thought this might be something I'd see last year, but quite a few of the reviews said things which made me nervous. I heard a few clips and the dialogue seemed to be mumbled rather than spoken, too, which annoyed me when listening to clips, let alone a whole film of it. I'll certainly be watching it when it's on TV, though.

As I've seen a few films this year already (I know! And I've got a reputation to protect) I'd mention the last I saw.

White House Down 3.5 - I feel a little stingy with that as, had it not been too CGI heavy for me, it'd be a four. Possibly more. There have been many films which are, essentially, Die Hard in/on a ______, but this is probably the best one I can think of and the only one which actually felt like Die Hard to me, too. Which isn't a surprise seeing as there's quite a few references/homages/rip offs throughout its runtime. I really enjoyed this from start to finish and have no trouble believing this is everything Olympus Has Fallen wishes it was. It's great fun. It's stupid and of the henchmen does his very best to channel Vernon Wells from Commando and that's always welcome.

[meatwadsprite]

Full Metal Jacket

http://i.imgur.com/0osh6Pr.jpg?1

I imagine Kubrick to have been a huge film buff. So when Apocalypse Now came out, he should have said "well you can't top that so what's the use". That's his approach to the first half of the Full Metal Jacket, something completely different from the horde of Vietnam flicks. R. Lee Ermey yelling hilarious **** at the trainees and them trying to keep a straight face as he fills their head with all this patriotic nonsense.

But then you have the second half, which is just a weak rehash of everything else.

3

Once Upon a Time in the West

http://www.goodonnetflix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/once-upon-a-time-in-the-west-screenshot.jpeg

Even though I'm not it's biggest fan I revisit this one a lot. The music is incredible, probably Morricone's finest score ever. The opening two scenes are cinematic perfection. The final shootout and the big reveal are stunning, but the entire movie in between has a lot of hits and misses.

3.5

A Clockwork Orange

http://i.imgur.com/RvjJgDM.jpg?1

How do you follow up such a challenging, bold film as 2001 ? Well with this I guess. The typical gratuitous violence and sex. A Clockwork Orange is a genuinely weird satire with a lot of memorable imagery. Alex is one of the most repugnant horrible creatures to grace the silver screen and I can't help but relish in all the beatdowns and humiliations he endures through the second half.

With prisons bursting at the seams with degenerate murderers and rapists, where can we shove this useless sickening excess ? Make them politicians the film suggests.

3.5

Kiki's Delivery Service

http://i.imgur.com/D0lsNsR.jpg?1

If you thought these other movies were messed up, just wait till you see this.

3.5

[linespalsy]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Miyazaki Hayao, 1984) 4
Kiki's Delivery Service (Miyazaki Hayao, 1989) 3
American Ultra (Nima Nourizadeh, 2015) 2.5

[mark f]

Bar-Rac's Night Out (Earl Frank, 1937) 2.5+
Wrinkles (Ignacios Ferraras, 2012) 3
State Property 2 (Damon Dash, 2005) 1.5
Clerks. (Kevin Smith, 1994) 3-
https://45.media.tumblr.com/eb3dff064955a006a78eb4b4fe4e510e/tumblr_o03aupi77d1ujtwzvo1_500.gif
Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) turns out to be quite the philosopher.
Kid Rodelo (Richard Carlson, 1966) 2
Don't Go Near the Water (Charles Walters, 1957) 2
It Started with a Kiss (George Marshall, 1959) 2+
The Cotton Club (Francis Coppola, 1984) 3
http://cdn5.movieclips.com/mgm/t/the-cotton-club-1984/0492265_11011_MC_Tx304.jpg
The Harlem nightclub features tap dancing brothers Maurice & Gregory Hines in between all the mob shootouts during the Jazz Age.
Dear Heart (Delbert Mann, 1964) 2
Desperate Hours (Michael Cimino, 1990) 2.5
Martyrs (Pascal Laugler, 2008) 2
The Imitation Game (Morten Tyldum, 2014) 3.5
http://31.media.tumblr.com/171ae6b585c23fea400800ca3ed0558d/tumblr_nl7u1g8ubz1tajor5o1_r2_500.gif
British WWII scientist Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his team crack the Germans' Enigma code.
Dead Space: Aftermath (Mike Disa, 2011) 2
High Tension (Alexandre Aja, 2003) 2.5
British Intelligence (Terry Morse, 1940) 2
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon (Douglas Tirola, 2015) 3-
http://www.elseptimoarte.net/imagenes/peliculas/43035.jpg
In 1973, Chevy Chase and John Belushi rehearse National Lampoon’s “Lemmings”, an off-Broadway show which became very popular for awhile before “Saturday Night Live” went on the air.
Skippy (Norman Taurog, 1931) 2.5
Smuggler’s Cove (William Beaudine, 1948) 2.5
Romantic Nevada (James A. FitzPatrick, 1943) 2.5
The Unbelievable Truth (Hal Hartley, 1990) 2.5+
http://24.media.tumblr.com/a843ee4936ffc3c24845a4b99b9a7201/tumblr_mmjmzese4n1qcpoh9o1_400.gif
Teenager Adrienne Shelley, who’s concerned about the end of the world, and ex-con Robert John Burke, a good auto mechanic who’s often mistaken for a priest, are attracted to each other.

[gbgoodies]

Don't Go Near the Water (Charles Walters, 1957) 2
It Started with a Kiss (George Marshall, 1959) 2+



I have to stop reading your ratings before I watch the movies on my DVR. :(

[mark f]

They probably won't affect your ratings. :)

[gbgoodies]

They probably won't affect your ratings. :)


No, I'll still watch the movies with an open mind, but I look forward to them just a little bit less when they get such low ratings. :(

[seanc]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f0/PixelsOfficialPoster.jpg/220px-PixelsOfficialPoster.jpg
0

So my boys have watched this a couple times but I hadn't subjected myself to the torture till tonight. I probably wouldn't usually log this but it is not everyday you see your new worst movie of all time. Congratulations Hausa.

[Pussy Galore]

What I've seen since the last time I posted here

4.5
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Hannah Arendt (2012)
4 ++
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
The Big Short (2015)
Head-On (2004)
Agora (2009)
eXistenZ (1999)
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
4
Identity (2003)
Stalag 17 (1953)
The Immigrant (2014)
Spotlight (2015)
Missing (1982)
Mystic River (2003)
3.5 ++
Come and See (1985)
A Few Good Men (1992)
Grizzly Man (2005)
Brooklyn (2015)
Wild (2014)
I Vitelloni (1953)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Orpheus (1950)
Le Notti Bianche (1957)
Short Term 12 (2013)
Los Olvidados (1950)
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Sabrina (1954)
A Serious Man (2009)
The Revenant (2015)
Marty (1955)
3.5
The Thin Man (1934)
Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
Bridesmaids (2011)
3
The Trouble with Harry (1955)

[Pussy Galore]

by the way, the rating isn't really that important, all the films that have 3.5 ++ or more are pretty good.

[Nemanja]

The Divine Nymph (1975) 2.5
The Wild Bunch (1969) 4.5
Main Street (1956) 3.5
99 Homes (2014) 4
Trumbo (2015) 3.5

[Monkeypunch]

Batman Begins - Probably the best Batman we've ever seen in a movie. Well acted, great storyline, and Liam Neeson brought a ton of credibility to the film. A far cry from the gaudy (but still fun) 1990's versions. 5

The Dark Knight - Heath Ledger is amazing in this. This is like the Godfather 2 of Batman movies. Arguably better than the original. 5

[linespalsy]

Limbo (John Sayles, 1999) 5
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) 4
Neverlake (Riccardo Paoletti, 2013) 2.5+

[mark f]

Lost Boundaries (Alfred L. Werker, 1949) 3-
The Church (Michele Soavi, 1989) 2+
No Way Out (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950) 2.5+
Five Graves to Cairo (Billy Wilder, 1943) 3+
http://www.papodecinema.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/cinco-covas-no-egito-papo-de-cinema-02.jpg
Masquerading as a valet in an African hotel, British spy Franchot Tone gets involved with Field Marshall Erwin Rommel (Erich von Stroheim) and tries to determine where his fuel supply depots are hidden.
Buck Privates (Arthur Lubin, 1941) 2.5
The Square (Jehaine Noujaim, 2013) 3
Mame (Gene Saks, 1974) 2+
Night of the Comet (Thom Eberhardt, 1984) 3
http://24.media.tumblr.com/4aa3be4605a9cb0d5ebdee66fae37993/tumblr_mf6xz5kq7J1qixaveo1_500.gif
After a comet passes by and causes almost everyone in Los Angeles to turn into dust or a zombie, teenager Kelli Maroney takes some target practice.
Wrong (Quentin Dupieux, 2012) 2
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 1: 'The Putter' (George E. Marshall, 1931) 2.5
The Thirteenth Chair (Tod Browning, 1929) 2
History of the Eagles (Alison Elwood, 2013) 3.5
https://dwesterberg.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/eagles.png
Early Eagles lineup: Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon, Don Henley, Randy Meisner & Don Felder.
Where East Is East (Tod Browning, 1929) 2.5-
Freaks (Tod Browning, 1932) 3-
Fast Workers (Tod Browning, 1933) 2
The Show (Tod Browning, 1927) 2.5+
http://www.thevintagecameo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/theshow-mirror.gif
Budapest sideshow barker John Gilbert never misses a chance to check out a woman’s legs, even if she is the show’s human spider (Edna Tichenor), but this time she only has two instead of eight.
Goin' Fishin' (Edward Cahn, 1940) 2.5
Miracles for Sale (Tod Browning, 1939) 2.5-
Kelly’s Heroes (Brian G. Hutton, 1970) 3
Mark of the Vampire (Tod Browning, 1935) 2.5
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/87/99/b8/8799b86314e6896b9d808e3e257a1cb1.jpg
While a murder is being investigated, vampires Bela Lugosi & Carroll Borland wander around – a vampire bat just misses Bela’s head.

[linespalsy]

But... but our vampire plot was so simple.

[mark f]

Vulgar Fractions (Peter Bo Rappmund, 2011) 2
The Ipcress File (Sidney J. Furie, 1965) 2.5+
Arabesque (Stanley Donen, 1966) 3
Our Man Flint (Daniel Mann, 1966) 2.5+
https://31.media.tumblr.com/8b66aa5c10e3146cb1ebc3ada97b0206/tumblr_inline_nkmbzb3HiW1qber60.jpg
American agent Derek Flint (James Coburn) tries to defeat a trio of mad scientists, and one of their henchmen is agent Hans Gruber[!] (Michael St. Clair).
The Wedding Ringer (Jeremy Garelick, 2015) 2.5-
Dressed to Kill (Roy William Neill, 1946) 2+
China Moon (John Bailey, 1994) 2.5
The Prize (Mark Robson, 1963) 3+
https://likeaparasite.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/prize.gif
Novelist Paul Newman is in Stockholm to accept his Nobel Prize but finds romance, intrigue and murder surrounding scientist’s niece Diane Baker and Swedish “chaperone” Elke Sommer.
Dolls (Stuart Gordon, 1987) 2.5
Rails into Laramie (Jesse Hibbs, 1954) 2
A Brilliant Young Mind aka X+Y (Morgan Matthews, 2015) 2.5+
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Martin Ritt, 1965) 3+
http://flix66.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/85uUV.jpeg
In East Berlin during the Cold War, Russian counter-espionage deputy Oskar Werner takes a special interest in former British spy Richard Burton.
Fay Grim (Hal Hartley, 2007) 2.5
Ned Rifle (Hal Hartley, 2015) 2.5+
Man About Town (Mike Binder, 2006) 2+
Déjà Vu (Tony Scott, 2006) 3
http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/deja-vu-2006/w448/deja-vu-2006.jpg
While working for an experimental FBI unit, ATF agent Denzel Washington tries to solve a bombing case and save the life of a dead woman (Paula Patton) by using a time-travel method.
Fighting Mad (Jonathan Demme, 1976) 2.5
Indie Game: The Movie (Lisanne Pajot & James Swirsky, 2012) 3
Thomasine & Bushrod (Gordon Parks Jr., 1974) 2+
Durakovo: Village of Fools (Nino Kirtadze, 2008) 2.5
http://www.altfg.com/film/wp-content/uploads/images/durakovo.jpg
There’s a town in Russia where parents send their children to live under oppression just like the Soviets had; there they are taught of the corruption of the west and learn to obey Putin and his underlings – all in the name of God.

[seanc]

The Lives Of Others
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9f/Leben_der_anderen.jpg/225px-Leben_der_anderen.jpg
4

This has been on my radar since coming to MoFo but I have just now got around to it. I thought it was pretty great. It is about everything. Politics, sex, art, voyeurism, and loyalty. The great thing is despite it having all these thematic elements it never feels forced or unrealistic. If I have a gripe it is that Wiesler's motivations are pretty unclear. It seemed like they could have solved this by not making him so strident at the start. It is a small complaint though, this film is aces.

[linespalsy]

My Neighbor Totoro (Miyazaki Hayao, 1988) 3.5
Pitch Perfect (Jason Moore, 2012) 2.5
Hotel Transylvania 2 (Genndy Tartakovsky, 2015) 1

[Nemanja]

Applesauce (2015) 2.5
Man Push Cart (2005) 3.5
Saint Jack (1979) 4
A Wedding (1978) 3.5
Anesthesia (2015) 3
They All Laughed (1981) 3

[mark f]

Carrie (David Carson, 2002) 2.5
The Absent-Minded Professor (Robert Stevenson, 1961) 3
The Comedians (Peter Glenville, 1967) 2.5
Avalon (Barry Levinson, 1990) 3
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ji4Bydk9ODE/UsxgJAFqWPI/AAAAAAAANO8/90ONlc7Od5A/s1600/d862fdb24381a2984a6e6c71d5e.jpg
Immigrant Armin Mueller-Stahl reminisces about his arrival in America in 1914 (where he’s played by Michael Krauss) when he joined his family in Baltimore. Most of the film follows his large family during the ‘40s and ‘50s.
Detropia (Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady, 2012) 2.5
The Shaggy Dog (Charles Barton, 1959) 3
Face of a Fugitive (Paul Wendkos, 1959) 2.5
The Blue Umbrella (Saschka Unseld, 2013) 3
http://24.media.tumblr.com/a1ef25239341612258bf65661d409b39/tumblr_mw8lscx3Yv1r3tlbto4_500.gif
The Blue Umbrella gets separated by the crowd from his potential girlfriend, the Red Umbrella.
Immoral Tales (Walerian Borowczyk, 1974) 2
Grandma (Paul Weitz, 2015) 2.5
The Whip Hand (William Cameron Menzies, 1951) 2
Chinatown (Roman Polanski, 1974) 4
https://45.media.tumblr.com/a7cfc0cbdf3387699c2f353a03eb99aa/tumblr_o0bee0WGzN1t7lixko1_500.gif
”The Midget” (Roman Polanski) threatens private dick Jack Nicholson as L.A. Water Dept. security Roy Jenson holds him.
Ivy (Sam Wood, 1947) 2.5
Cartel Land (Matthew Heineman, 2015) 3
The Black Book aka Reign of Terror (Anthony Mann, 1949) 2.5+
Dirty Dancing (Emile Ardolino, 1987) 3
https://45.media.tumblr.com/a6192323bb37d099806ba0fbb01c9380/tumblr_nh5udgGVEM1u6u4ybo1_r2_500.gif
While vacationing in the Catskills, rich girl Jennifer Grey falls for gigolo dance instructor Patrick Swayze.
Around the World in Eighty Days (Michael Anderson, 1956) 3
Deadline at Dawn (Harold Clurman, 1946) 2.5+
The Rage: Carrie 2 (Katt Shea, 1999) 2
13 Tzameti (Géla Babluani, 2006) 2.5+
https://49.media.tumblr.com/90e3d932423ec4ffef9196beb18a7e24/tumblr_lz4l1vJOXi1qkktc4o1_r1_500.gif
Two men, including the Georgian immigrant protagonist (George Babluani - right), prepare for a duel involving a variation of Russian roulette.

[Swan]

Thoughts on Immoral Tales, Mark? I'm curious about Borowczyk. I have Goto, Island of Love sitting on my shelf ready to be watched. Is his influence on the Quay brothers obvious?

[mark f]

I don't know that I saw any influences on the Quays in this one, except that three of the four stories have little to no dialogue. I haven't seen any of Borowczyk's animation, and I've only seen a few Quay Bros. movies. Anyway, this film is easy on the eyes with lots of naked women and good photography, sets, etc., and passes by quickly, but it's not especially superior to Jean Rollin's films (or masterpieces, as Minio calls them) as far as I'm concerned.

[linespalsy]

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (Eric Radomski et al., 1993) 3.5
National Treasure (John Turteltaub, 2004) 2
Ant-Man (Peyton Reed, 2015) 1.5

[The Silver Bullet]

The Hateful Eight.

Tarantino's best since Jackie Brown. The wet-dream revenge fantasies? Gone. The sheer aesthetic thrill of the kill? Played down. The appropriation of history for kudos (because, let's face it, that's what those last two films were: comic book movies saved by quote-unquote gravitas)? Replaced by an engagement with the now. Too long? Sure. Misogynistic? Naturally. Fine? Very.

[seanc]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f0/Room_Poster.jpg/220px-Room_Poster.jpg
3.5

The first half is as good as anything I saw in any movie in 2015. It loses ground through the second half but is still very good and is emotionally devastating. I would definitely take out the last two pieces of narration but that is a small gripe. I will be rooting for Larson at the Oscars.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/45/Saturday_night_fever_movie_poster.jpg/220px-Saturday_night_fever_movie_poster.jpg
3.5

Took me way too long to see this film. I saw it was leaving Netflix on the first so figured it was about time. This movie walks a pretty great tight rope between being incredibly dark and being a light and entertaining ride. The soundtrack and Travolta carry this but both are fantastic. I am caught between a 3.5 and 4 for a rating but it will have to wait for a rewatch for that extra half star.

[mark f]

Desirable (Archie L. Mayo, 1934) 2
Dr. Monica (William Keighley, 1934) 2
Gentlemen Are Born (Alfred E. Green, 1934) 2
A Modern Hero (G.W. Pabst, 1934) 2.5
http://img.csfd.cz/files/images/film/photos/157/799/157799813_0d482b.jpg?w370h370
Randy circus bareback rider Richard Barthelmess learns from his mother Marjorie Rambeau that he’s the illegitimate son of a rich man and determines to follow in his father’s footsteps in Pabst’s only American film.
Stars Over Broadway (William Keighley, 1935) 2
The White Cockatoo (Alan Crosland, 1935) 2+
The Quiet American (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1958) 2.5+
Hearts and Minds (Frank Davis, 1974) 3
http://45.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqwh2fGKW21qcfba3o1_500.gif
Archival footage of General George S. Patton praising the men who died under his command in WWII. The same simplistic approach to killing for killing’s sake to “free” the Vietnamese people and prevent the “Domino theory” was used to disastrous effect during the Vietnam War.
The Green Berets (John Wayne & Ray Kellogg, 1968) 2
Project Almanac (Dean Israelite, 2015) 2.5
Annie (Will Gluck, 2014) 2-
The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino, 1978) 3.5
http://media0.giphy.com/media/y8rGbim8t8m6A/200.gif
Vietnam vet Robert De Niro returns to Saigon to find buddy Christopher Walken still playing Russian roulette and tries to convince him to return home.
Maggie (Henry Hobson, 2015) 2+
Pawn Sacrifice (Edward Zwick, 2015) 2.5
Lady in the Water (M. Night Shyamalan, 2006) 2
The Nun’s Story (Fred Zinnemann, 1959) 4
https://38.media.tumblr.com/5162a02eb4134c6559c270d68679dbd6/tumblr_motexk3Kg11r5yygpo1_500.gif
Sister Luke (Audrey Hepburn) is amused when she arrives in the Congo to be a nurse and learns that the jungle drums proclaim her nice-looking and of child-bearing age.
Some Call It Loving (James B. Harris, 1973) 2
Dennis Miller: America 180º (Jay Chapman, 2014) 2.5-
Mortdecai (David Koepp, 2015) 2+
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Milos Forman, 1975) 4
http://data.whicdn.com/images/63236862/large.gif
McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) arrives at the mental hospital and gives out a war cry when he learns that the mammoth man (Will Sampson) he just met is the deaf and dumb Indian known as Chief.

[donniedarko]

Ant-Man (Peyton Reed, 2015) 1.5

Why such a low rating for Ant-Man?

[honeykid]

A super hero movie starring Paul Rudd? It was lucky to get that much.

[neiba]

January


Feature films:

The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl rating_4
Star Wars Ep. 7 rating_2_5+
The Croods rating_2_5
Vantage Point rating_2
Nowhere to Run rating_2_5
Paul Blart: Mall Cop rating_1
Head-On rating_4
My Life as a Dog rating_3_5
Star Wars Ep. 1 rating_1+
Star Wars Ep. 2 rating_0_5-
Star Wars Ep. 3 rating_2-
Lady Killer rating_3+
The Exorcist rating_3
Joy rating_2
The Martian rating_3
Little Boy rating_3_5-
Patlabor 2 rating_2
Coming Home rating_4 +
High Noon rating_4+
The Godfather: Part 2 rating_4 +
Stage Fright rating_3
The Revenant rating_3_5
I Confess rating_4
The General rating_4_5 -
Four Nights of a Dreamer rating_2+
Battleship rating_1_5
Bridge on the River Kwai rating_4+

Shorts:

La concejala Antropofaga rating_4

Year count: 27/1

[linespalsy]

Constantine (Francis Lawrence, 2005) 3
The Da Vinci Code (Ron Howard, 2006) 2
The Firm (Sydney Pollack, 1993) 1.5

[Monkeypunch]

The Martian - Matt Damon plays an astronaut stranded on the angry red planet, using his scientific know-how to survive til a rescue effort can be made. I loved this. It's smart, funny, and exciting. Matt Damon is excellent. 5

[Guaporense]

Full Metal Jacket

http://i.imgur.com/0osh6Pr.jpg?1

I imagine Kubrick to have been a huge film buff. So when Apocalypse Now came out, he should have said "well you can't top that so what's the use". That's his approach to the first half of the Full Metal Jacket, something completely different from the horde of Vietnam flicks. R. Lee Ermey yelling hilarious **** at the trainees and them trying to keep a straight face as he fills their head with all this patriotic nonsense.

But then you have the second half, which is just a weak rehash of everything else.

3

Once Upon a Time in the West

http://www.goodonnetflix.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/once-upon-a-time-in-the-west-screenshot.jpeg

Even though I'm not it's biggest fan I revisit this one a lot. The music is incredible, probably Morricone's finest score ever. The opening two scenes are cinematic perfection. The final shootout and the big reveal are stunning, but the entire movie in between has a lot of hits and misses.

3.5

A Clockwork Orange

http://i.imgur.com/RvjJgDM.jpg?1

How do you follow up such a challenging, bold film as 2001 ? Well with this I guess. The typical gratuitous violence and sex. A Clockwork Orange is a genuinely weird satire with a lot of memorable imagery. Alex is one of the most repugnant horrible creatures to grace the silver screen and I can't help but relish in all the beatdowns and humiliations he endures through the second half.

With prisons bursting at the seams with degenerate murderers and rapists, where can we shove this useless sickening excess ? Make them politicians the film suggests.

3.5

Kiki's Delivery Service

http://i.imgur.com/D0lsNsR.jpg?1

If you thought these other movies were messed up, just wait till you see this.

3.5

Indeed. Kiki's essentially is the pedophile's version of Taxi Driver. ;)

[cricket]

January, 2016 movies watched-

Nanook of the North (1922) 3 Documentary showing the daily struggles of an Eskimo family.

Her Husband's Betrayal (2013) 2 Mildly entertaining made for TV trash that my wife picked out.

Wild (2014) 3.5- Plenty of heart, but I still thought it could have been better.

To Catch a Thief (1955) Repeat viewing 3+ Some strong points, but not as good as I had remembered it.

Gate of Hell (1953) 3+ The beautiful color didn't work in my favor, but I got into the story nicely.

Rashomon (1950) Repeat viewing 4- One of those movies that I keep thinking about long after it's over.

Hearts of Darkness (1991) 3.5 Great documentary detailing the making of one of the most awe-inspiring films of all time.

High Noon (1952) Repeat viewing 3.5+ Great tension buildup and a haunting theme song.

The Toxic Avenger (1984) Repeat viewing 3.5- Pretty much everything you look for in a B movie.

Caged (1950) 3.5+ I would guess this early women in prison film is the best one.

Ikiru (1952) Repeat viewing 4+ One of the master's best.

Blood Feast (1963) Repeat viewing 3 A must see for fans of splatter films.

I Spit on Your Grave 3: Vengeance is Mine (2015) 2.5 Enough sick moments to keep me happy.

The Boy Next Door (2015) 2.5- A bad movie that I had fun watching.

Stage Fright (1950) 3+ Watching Marlene Dietrich was my favorite part of this average Hitchcock film.

Interiors (1978) 3.5+ A big surprise because I haven't seen a film like this from Woody Allen before.

A Face in the Crowd (1957) 3.5+ A really good movie with a great ending.

To Be Twenty (1978) 2.5+ An upsetting, memorable ending was the jolt that I needed from an otherwise below average Italian film.

Ghost Ship (2002) 3 Not a great movie in the typical sense, but I had a lot of fun watching it.

Monster (2003) 2.5 Not bad, but I think it should have been a lot better.

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) 3.5 Wondering what the original product looks like will haunt me.

La Strada (1954) 4.5- Unique and Powerful.

The Exterminator (1980) Repeat viewing 3.5+ Awesome vigilante B movie.

Wild Strawberries (1957) Repeat viewing 3.5 Mid-level Bergman for me which means very good.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) Repeat viewing 4 Up there with my favorite Hitchcock films.

Ace in the Hole (1951) 3.5 It wasn't until it's truly devious nature was revealed that I really got into it.

Sicario (2015) 3 I think this is a high quality movie, and for a good while, I was loving it. In the end, I felt disappointed.*

Hard Ticket to Hawaii 2 Crappy B movie that has it's pleasures.

Miami Connection (1987) 2+ Another crappy B movie, but one that's consistently amusing.

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) 3 I may have loved this if I could have bought into a couple of things more.

House on Haunted Hill (1959) 2.5+ Vincent Price and a twist save an otherwise average haunted house movie.

Sansho the Bailiff (1954) 4+ This may have been a major favorite if I thought the last third was equal to what came before.

Mikey and Nicky (1976) Repeat viewing 4.5- I love the natural dialogue and characters.

The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008) 3.5+ This could have had a more authentic feel, but it is upsetting and powerful.

American Loser (2007) 2.5 Just as much a drama as a comedy, and I thought it worked fairly well.

The Nun's Story (1959) 3+ A very well done film that felt tiresome at times to me.

Total January viewings-36

[seanc]

Indeed. Kiki's essentially is the pedophile's version of Taxi Driver. ;)

What are you talking about? You bring up pedophilia an awful lot when talking about anime. Are you trying to be funny?

[honeykid]

Look more into Japanese culture.

[Mr Minio]

What are you talking about? You bring up pedophilia an awful lot when talking about anime. Are you trying to be funny? "COME HERE LITTLE CHILDREN. PAPA WILL SHOW YOU SOME CHINESE FAIRY TALES"

[Guaporense]

I guess this joke was too bad taste for this thread.

By the way, this was the first time I ever talked about pedophilia when talking about animation.

[Guaporense]

Look more into Japanese culture.

Pedophilia is a western obsession at the moment. Westerners see pedophilia everywhere and I was making a joke that essentially satirizes this obsession with pedophilia.

In Japan pedophilia is not generally associated with media like it is in the west. They essentially lack this typically western obsession.

Also, in the west a lot of stuff that is made into live action would be considered paedophile if animated. Like Lore (2012). Reveal a certain hypersensitivity to animation in western audiences.

[Camo]

I guess this joke was too bad taste for this thread.

By the way, this was the first time I ever talked about pedophilia when talking about animation.

So you didn't once mention pedophillia during your arguments with 90s Ace about moe, or all of the stuff with the K'on boxers?

[seanc]

Pedophilia is a western obsession at the moment. Westerners see pedophilia everywhere and I was making a joke that essentially satirizes this obsession with pedophilia.

In Japan pedophilia is not generally associated with media like it is in the west. They essentially lack this typically western obsession.

Also, in the west a lot of stuff that is made into live action would be considered paedophile if animated. Like Lore (2012). Reveal a certain hypersensitivity to animation in western audiences.

I will repeat, what are you talking about? I don't even know where to begin with this, it makes no sense. As usual you just state it like it is concrete fact.

If you haven't mentioned it concerning anime I am shocked. Didn't your signature say something about it at one point.

If your post about Kiki's was a joke, I don't get it.

[honeykid]

Pedophilia is a western obsession at the moment. Westerners see pedophilia everywhere and I was making a joke that essentially satirizes this obsession with pedophilia.

In Japan pedophilia is not generally associated with media like it is in the west. They essentially lack this typically western obsession.

Also, in the west a lot of stuff that is made into live action would be considered paedophile if animated. Like Lore (2012). Reveal a certain hypersensitivity to animation in western audiences.

I know. That was my point. I've seen docs about Japanese fandom about grown men who are fans of pre-teen girl bands (I can't remember the name this type of fan is called) but it's pretty normal/ordinary behaviour. Not completely normal, but certainly accepted without too much fuss. Here it was advertised as a "is this right?" "Bit weird, right?" attitude, but if it had've been a 'mainstream' documentary shown on one of the big terrestrial channels over here it would've been "LOOK AT THESE SICKOS!! "IT'S LEGALISED PAEDOPHILIA!!!"

[meatwadsprite]

Spectre

http://i.imgur.com/O4GxYc4.jpg?1

The trailer for this looked pretty awesome and I thought Sam Mendes did a great job with Skyfall, but the critical reception for Spectre was luke warm at best. Still I did not expect this.

This is one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time. There is no screenplay, they winged it on this one. There aren't a lot of action scenes, but they compensate for this by having the ones in the movie be terrible. Christolph Waltz is criminally wasted, the love interest is comedic gold, they brought in Radiohead to compose the intro theme, fired them and brought in Sam Smith instead.

It's almost like a parody of James Bond created by the Wayans brothers or those guys who made Meet the Spartans, except on a budget of 245 million dollars.

The only redeeming quality is the photography which has it's moments, but even still it's child's play after Roger Deakin's work on Skyfall. Bond will often pull an airplane or a boat out of his shoe if the scene calls for it, but it's also not goofy enough to be enjoyable like Pierce Brosnan surfing away from a space laser.

1

Room


http://i.imgur.com/4BSTsh4.jpg?1

Room's trailer on the other hand was pretty stupid. It spoils the whole thing in a really sappy cliche manner, except the movie is actually good.

3

Bridge of Spies

http://i.imgur.com/GfzL7bf.jpg?1

Spielberg and Tom Hanks doing their thing.

3

Rango

http://i.imgur.com/aBCb2gW.jpg?1

I always remember Rango as being better than you would think. It starts off with such an incredible bang and then kind of nods off. There are still some genuine laughs and cool moments scattered around the rest of the movie, but it's never as potent as that first act.

3

House of the Devil

http://i.imgur.com/UKrfjNL.jpg?1

If you like slow burning horror flicks than you should probably check this out asap. Although it's pretty damn simple and borrows a lot of ideas from horror classics, it's executed with great intensity and patience.

3.5

[mark f]

A Merry Friggin' Christmas (Tristram Shapeero, 2014) 2
The Love Department (Roy Mack, 1935) 2.5
There Be Dragons (Roland Joffé, 2011) 2+
The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete (GeorgeTillman Jr., 2013) 2.5
http://www.goingplacessa.com/images/movies/The%20inevitable%20defeat%20of%20Mister%20and%20Pete.jpg
When his drug-addict prostitute mom disappears, Skylan Brooks and his Korean friend Ethan Dizon have to fend for themselves all summer in NYC.
Mao's Last Dancer (Bruce Beresford, 2009) 2.5
Saving Christmas (Darren Doane, 2014) 1
Nana (Valérie Massadian, 2012) 2.5
Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 (Stevan Riley, 2012) 3
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/41/c7/2741c7eb1081fb6f88a96b7d9d065f94.jpg
First James Bond Sean Connery and producer “Cubby” Broccoli during happier days - before they had a falling out.
Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism (Christopher N. Rowley, 2015) 2-
Summer Rental (Carl Reiner, 1985) 2.5
The Wild Westerners (Oscar Rudolph, 1962) 2-
Judge Priest (John Ford, 1934) 2.5+
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mutw3pPL64/UhyHYVOaiEI/AAAAAAAADuo/XQ3LrCi1vPQ/s1600/Judge-Priest-2.jpg
Befriended by Kentucky’s wise Judge Priest (Will Rogers), Stepin Fetchit does his best to get away with doing as little as possible.
America (Valérie Massadian, 2013) 2
A Tale of Winter (Éric Rohmer, 1992) 2.5
Beyond the Reach (Jean-Baptiste Léonetti, 2015) 2
The Magician (Rex Ingram, 1926) 2.5
https://iyifilm.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/the-magician-1926_scrn-4.jpg?w=640&h=480
Beautiful Alice Terry is transported to Hell by the hypnotic mind of demonic magician Paul Wegener who still needs to use her virgin blood.
The Prince (Brian A Miller, 2014) 2
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (Paul Tibbett & Mike Mitchell, 2015) 2.5
Grandad of Races (Andre de La Varre, 1950) 2
Forgotten Four: The Integration of Pro Football (Johnson McKelvy, 2014) 3+
http://www.readthespirit.com/visual-parables/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2014/09/4Plyrs.jpg
Although a few black players were in the NFL in the ‘20s and ‘30s, there was segregation from 1933 to 1945. Pro football was integrated in 1946, a year before Jackie Robinson played in major league baseball, by four athletes: Kenny Washington & Woody Strode (of the L.A. Rams) and Marion Motley & Bill Willis (of the Cleveland Browns of the All-American Football Conference).

[Guaporense]

So you didn't once mention pedophillia during your arguments with 90s Ace about moe, or all of the stuff with the K'on boxers?

Of course not. It is the one who is reading those posts is the one who thinks about pedophilia very easily.

So what if you have boxers with K-On! characters? If you have Spider Man stuff like the guys from Big Bang theory, it means you are sexually attracted to Spider Man?

K-On! is a "healing show", it is a concept that does not exist in the west and it targets stressed adult males who would like something light and relaxing to watch before sleeping. Why one should think someone is always sexually attracted if they are watching stuff that is not considered "normal" for a western audience? I think it's even insulting to men to implicitly say that the only thing they care about is titillation.

I actually know of some animation that actually is pedophile but they are not the ones I ever talk about it.

[Monkeypunch]

Barton Fink - Okay, what exactly is this movie about? I am not sure. Is it about writer's block? Yes. Is it about the disconnect between writer and audience? Sure is. Is it about paranoia and isolation? Absolutely. Is it in some way about the rise of Nazism? Actually, yes, it sort of is. But it's also possibly entirely in the brain of it's protagonist, and all the supporting cast are just characters in the story, here portrayed as a run down, oppressive hotel. Or I could just be pulling that entirely out my @ss too. Either way, it's funny, scary, defies all definitions, and it's one of the weirdest non-David Lynch flicks you'll see. The Coen Brothers have never attempted something this...surreal since. I don't even KNOW how to rate this. I loved it, though. It's challenging.

[Nemanja]

The End of the Tour (2015) 3
The Legacy (1978) 3.5
The Measure of a Man (2015) 3.5
Room (2015) 4
Sinbad (1971) 4.5

[rauldc14]

The Sponge Bob movie Mark? Surely there has to be better things to do :p

[Mr Minio]

This is one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time. This means that you watch some good films. Wait, this holds for me, too. I gave Spectre 3 whereas most films I watch get 3.5s and 4s. However, I thought about 3.5 for this one (and I would have given it a 3.5 if not for the terrible ending). I gave a 3 to Skyfall, too.

There is no screenplay, they winged it on this one. There is a screenplay, what are you talking about? The NWO plot is pretty freakin' cool. We don't really get to know the details, yes, and it changes the direction rapidly, so all in all while there is a screenplay it doesn't play a significant role, but everyone knows that plot is the least important thing in film just as lyrics in music. After that tentacle porn title sequence I hoped for some Cthulhu vs. Bond duel, but it never happened. :( And why does Spectre have that octopuss sign? They should've called themselves Octopussies. xD

There aren't a lot of action scenes, but they compensate for this by having the ones in the movie be terrible There's a plenty of action scenes. I thought I'm watching an action film and I guess it's true.

It's almost like a parody of James Bond created by the Wayans brothers or those guys who made Meet the Spartans, except on a budget of 245 million dollars. You must've never seen/must not be a fan of Connery and (especially!) Moore installments. Moonraker happens to be my favourite Bond and it has the most ludicrous plot and things happening. Also, the big guy from Spectre reminded me of Jaws. :)

All in all, Spectre is much better than Quantum of Solace and as good as Skyfall. The opening long take is beautiful, the Mexico parade reminded me of Hitman: Blood Money. The train sequences feel like references to North-Northwest and the new Jaws guy is pretty cool, too. The last third of the movie may indeed be the weakest, but it still provides a great amount of fun. Many people are disappointed, because they probably expected yet another serious Craig Bond and they got a return to Bond's roots.

[linespalsy]

Black Sea (Kevin Macdonald, 2014) 3
Flashdance (Adrian Lyne, 1983) 2
Deadfall (Stefan Ruzowitzky, 2012) 2

[mark f]

French Blood (Diastème, 2015) 2.5
The Deaths of Ian Stone (Dario Piana, 2007) 2+
The Expendables 3 (Patrick Hughes, 2014) 2.5
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (David Zucker, 1988) 3
http://i.imgur.com/MhIFGqK.gif
L.A. Police Squad Lt. Leslie Nielsen always seems to be where the action is but doesn’t quite know what it is and how to deal with it.
The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (Peter Segal, 1994) 2.5
Four Guns to the Border (Richard Carlson, 1954) 2
Uncommon Valor (Ted Kotcheff, 1983) 2.5
The Devil's Double (Lee Tamahori, 2011) 3
https://45.media.tumblr.com/717ec45147698d2d0088fb10dc816174/tumblr_mnaicrzkcM1riul6lo2_500.gif
http://cs5.pikabu.ru/images/big_size_comm_an/2014-04_1/13967029558230.gif
Saddam Hussein’s violent playboy son Uday (Dominic Cooper) threatens the family of his body double, Latif Yahia (also Dominic Cooper).
The Raven (James McTeigue, 2012) 2.5
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (Phil Alden Robinson, 2014) 2
Swingtime in the Movies (Crane Wilbur, 1938) 2.5
Mommy (Xavier Dolan, 2014) 3
http://45.media.tumblr.com/fd058d57875c13dbdffa7ce94ad6541e/tumblr_nkwj0oI3Oj1qii1qoo1_500.gif
Troubled, violent teenager Antoine-Olivier Pilon feels so happy that he widens the size of the screen and his emotional life, but it’s only temporary for him and his long-suffering widow mother (Anne Dorval).
Wild Card (Simon West, 2015) 2
Joan of Paris (Robert Stevenson, 1942) 2.5
Jim Norton: Contextually Inadequate (Shannon Hartman, 2015) 3
The Voices (Marjane Satrapi, 2015) 2.5
https://zuts.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/the-voices-stabbing.gif
Mentally-ill Ryan Reynolds, who hears voices of animals (and dead people), gets involved in a car accident and accidentally(?) kills an Englishwoman (Gemma Arterton) from work.
Alpha and Omega (Anthony Bell & Ben Gluck, 2010) 2.5
Offspring (Andrew van den Houten, 2009) 1.5+
Dwight Howard in the Moment (Ross Greenburg & Jim Podhoretz, 2014) 2.5
High Noon (Fred Zinnemann, 1952) 3.5
http://data.whicdn.com/images/34755025/large.gif
Everywhere Marshall Gary Cooper goes to seek help against four men coming to kill him reminds him it’s getting closer to the time of their leader’s arrival.

[Captain Spaulding]

Picking up where I last left off, which is a really dumb idea since I've seen a butt-load of films over the last few months. Most of these viewings stretch back to October. I'll be tabbing quite a bit over the next few weeks in an effort to catch up.


https://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lo819ekpHj1qc8b0ao1_500.jpg
Enemy Mine
(Wolfgang Peterson, 1985)
3
For someone like myself, who's not always the biggest fan of the genre, the best thing about Enemy Mine is that the science-fiction is just window dressing. The themes of racism and acceptance are universal and the crux of the story could take place anywhere in any time period. It just so happens that this version takes place in the future on an alien planet and the conflict revolves around a space pilot and a reptilian alien. Enemy Mine is at its best when it's just about Dennis Quaid (who looks pretty much the same today as he did thirty years ago) and Louis Gossett, Jr., (buried underneath a mountain of impressive makeup) being forced to overcome their differences in order to survive the hazardous conditions. The film unfortunately takes a turn for the worse in the last act, otherwise my rating would be higher. The weirdest part of the film is Louis Gosset, Jr., getting pregnant and giving birth. He says that his species reproduces asexually, but I think that's just a cover-up for what was clearly a bit of Brokeback Planet freaky deaky. You can't fool me, Dennis Quaid. I know you tapped that reptilian ass.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
(Shawn Levy, 2014)
2.5
Passable family entertainment, but this is definitely the weakest, least charming of the trilogy. Not gonna lie, though: I got a little misty-eyed during Robin Williams’s last scene.

Whore
(Ken Russell, 1991)
2.5
I hate when movies break the fourth wall by having a character talk directly to the audience, and Whore does it constantly throughout its runtime. Although I give this the same rating as Pretty Woman, I certainly prefer Whore’s seedier, more realistic portrayal of prostitution over the everything-is-roses treatment in the head-scratchingly popular Julia Roberts/Richard Gere rom-com.

http://i.imgur.com/Y0lbvQP.gif
Porco Rosso
(Hayao Miyazaki, 1991)
3.5
So far this is my favorite from Miyazaki, probably because Porco Rosso feels more “grown up” than his other films I’ve seen. Great old-fashioned storytelling. I especially loved the title character, who’s like a cross between Bogart, Hemingway and Cary Grant – except in pig form. Delightful film.

San Andreas
(Brad Peyton, 2015)
2.5
I’m not that into disaster flicks, but this was better than expected. Impressive CGI. Non-stop spectacle. If the script had made me care even an iota about the characters, I might actually give this a positive rating. I could spend all day watching Alexandra Daddario run in slow-motion.

The Decline of Western Civilization
(Penelope Spheeris, 1981)
3.5
I'm not the biggest fan of punk music, but I do have a lot of admiration for the attitude and the lifestyle. This documentary does a superb job of capturing an era in time by spotlighting not just the bands and the punk music scene, but also the anarchic spirit that brought together thousands of wayward teens and social outcasts and gave them an outlet, a release, for all their pent-up anger and aggression. Watching fan after fan, each individual often pierced, tattooed or mohawked, be interviewed in a barren room with only a stool and a dangling light bulb, the photography presented in stark black and white, gives a post-apocalyptic feel to the proceedings. It's as if the title of the film isn't a warning or a tongue-in-cheek reference, but an after-the-fact declaration for a world where an uprising of punks conquered the hypocrisies of government and religion and western society. Black Flag and Fear are the only bands documented in the film with which I was somewhat familiar. The directorial eye of Penelope Spheeris remains neutral, as any good documentarian's should. She doesn't judge or mock her subjects, but neither does she gloss over their ugliness. I'm hoping this appears on the Documentary Countdown at some point, even though I wasn't around to vote for it.

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s451/captainspaulding87/decline_zpsc0ajt5rm.jpg
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
(Penelope Spheeris, 1988)
3.5
As a documentary, The Metal Years fails due to its judgmental, condescending tone. The level of respect and fascination that Spheeris showed toward the punk scene is completely absent here. Maybe I'm overly defensive because I'm a fan of many of the artists interviewed in the film -- and of course each artist is partly culpable for how they're portrayed (after all, nobody's putting words in their mouths) -- but as an interviewer, Spheeris is clearly leading each one with her line of questioning. The camera mocks the artists for their vanity, for their love of sex and drugs and partying. It also seems to mock the aspiring artists for chasing dreams of stardom. If punk music is anti-everything, glam metal is portrayed as mass consumerism. The former has ideals, the latter is a sell-out. Greed. Money. Hairspray. Personally, I just see the 80's glam metal scene as the sonic representation of hedonism. "Ain't lookin' for nothin' but a good time," as Poison sang. And what's wrong with that? The most memorable scene of The Metal Years revolves around an extremely inebriated Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P. pouring vodka all over himself as he floats in a pool with his mother watching nearby. It's a very sobering scene, but when there are questions of its authenticity, especially on the heels of an obviously staged scene involving Ozzy and a glass or orange juice, the moment loses much of its power. Despite my personal qualms with Spheeris's approach to the material, the reason I give this the same rating as the other Decline films is because I still found it extremely entertaining. And biased viewpoint or not, it's a striking documentation of the 80's glam metal scene. The film becomes even more noteworthy if, as many people claim, it really is responsible for ushering in the death of glam metal while providing grunge with its antithetical blueprint.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III
(Penelope Spheeris, 1998)
3.5
The best, yet least seen and talked about, of Spheeris's Decline documentaries. Here the musical performances are nothing more than transitions, as the focus shifts from the music scene to self-labeled "gutter punks." It's heartbreaking to hear the stories of broken homes and domestic violence and the other depressing factors that forced each of the subjects, most of whom are still teenagers, to a life on the streets. We get a fascinating glimpse into a day-to-day existence that consists of standing on street corners hoping to scrounge together enough change to buy a temporary buzz; evading cops and skinheads and anyone else who might do them harm; bedding down for the night beside a dumpster in an alley or, if lucky, squatting in an abandoned house. When asked about their future, many of the gutter punks declare that they'll be dead in a few years. You'd expect such a negative outlook to result in a group of brooding, miserable characters, yet many of the gutter punks in the film are full of quick wit and personality and make for enjoyable company. Despite the decreased emphasis on music, I think Part III actually does a more effective job of illustrating the influence and effect of punk music on its fans than the first film. For the people in this film, punk music is an identity, a religion, a way of life. It's not so much about the music itself but what the music represents to them. In a sense, they've become the martyrs of anti-establishment. Even before the film's release, some of the gutter punks documented in the film had already met with tragedy. One can't help but wonder how many more have suffered similar fates in the years since.

http://45.media.tumblr.com/e40ca3b1c91732e0737327d96966a288/tumblr_nm7d3pgM0h1qzrdsyo8_500.gif
Legend
(Ridley Scott, 1985)
2
After watching a glittered-up Tom Cruise chase unicorns through the forest in his little woodsman tunic, I finally understand why so many people secretly suspect him of being gay. As for the movie itself, Legend is far too heavy on the fantasy for me, but I’ll admit to being very impressed with the make-up and the set design. Tim Curry is also awesome in the movie. Kinda crazy that Ridley Scott directed this.

Escape to Witch Mountain
(John Hough, 1975)
2.5
Extremely dated, but still somewhat charming Disney entertainment.

Missing in Action
(Joseph Zito, 1984)
3
How the f*ck did we lose Vietnam when we had Rambo and Chuck Norris?

The Gunman
(Pierre Morel, 2015)
2
Overly familiar action-thriller that wastes a talented cast (Sean Penn; Idris Elba; Javier Bardem) on a dull story and run-of-the-mill action sequences. Throughout the film, my eyes refused to believe that Penn's head wasn't CGI'd onto someone else's body. Dude's in phenomenal shape.

http://31.media.tumblr.com/3d584609104bf4afca7be8360e8e0008/tumblr_mf3nwuF0IF1qjcyqno1_500.gif
License to Drive
(Greg Beeman, 1988)
3.5
Maybe I just caught it in the right mood, but I enjoyed the hell out of License to Drive. Sure, it’s your typical 80's teen movie. None of the humor is particularly original. Yet the movie is still incredibly entertaining. I felt that it perfectly captured the spirit of teenage independence that first comes with getting your driver’s license. The movie made me nostalgic of late-night cruises with friends when the roads seem to promise all sorts of exciting possibilities. Plus it features legendary on-screen duo Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, along with a nubile Heather Graham. Dumb, predictable fun.

A Most Violent Year
(J.C. Chandor, 2014)
2.5
Strong directing and performances only go so far when a movie is this boring and uneventful. Talk about a misleading title. My last bowel movement was more violent than this movie.

The Giver
(Phillip Noyce, 2014)
2
I really enjoyed the book as a kid, but too many years have passed since I read it for me to remember how faithful or not this adaptation is to the book. I definitely remember the main themes, though, and how the subject matter was far heavier than your typical YA novels. Too bad those themes are translated so poorly to the screen. Not even Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep can breathe life into this film. Ironically, The Giver feels very much like every other dystopian YA novel being adapted lately, even though the whole point of the damn movie is to illustrate the dangers of "sameness."

[Daniel M]

I like Porco Rosso too but give it slightly lower. The idea behind it, and parts of it I thought were great, at times I thought I was watching one of Miyazaki's best, but then some other more childish scenes let it down.

A shame you didn't enjoy A Most Violent Year too much. I haven't seen it, but from the 2014 films I missed, it's on of the ones I thought looked best.

Great to see you back Spaulding :up:

[Iroquois]

This means that you watch some good films. Wait, this holds for me, too. I gave Spectre 3 whereas most films I watch get 3.5s and 4s. However, I thought about 3.5 for this one (and I would have given it a 3.5 if not for the terrible ending). I gave a 3 to Skyfall, too.

I gave it 2.5 and even now I think I was a little being too generous.

There is a screenplay, what are you talking about? The NWO plot is pretty freakin' cool. We don't really get to know the details, yes, and it changes the direction rapidly, so all in all while there is a screenplay it doesn't play a significant role, but everyone knows that plot is the least important thing in film just as lyrics in music. After that tentacle porn title sequence I hoped for some Cthulhu vs. Bond duel, but it never happened. :( And why does Spectre have that octopuss sign? They should've called themselves Octopussies. xD

The screenplay may not nearly be as haphazard as the writer's-strike mish-mash of Quantum of Solace, but there is something undeniably awkward about how it tries to pull the "everything is connected" plot that tries to make the first three Craig films into part of a greater whole. I think if you're going to take Quantum of Solace to task for its plot being too chopped-up and incoherent, then Spectre is just as great an offender because of how bloated its story ends up being. At least Skyfall went a little further when it came to justifying its length.

Also, Spectre use an octopus logo to symbolise how they are capable of reaching out and taking whatever they want using their "tentacles" of terrorism and manipulation.

There's a plenty of action scenes. I thought I'm watching an action film and I guess it's true.

Yeah, but how many of them stick? The only ones I remember with any favour are the opening sequence and the train fight - everything else just kind of blurs together or stands out for the wrong reasons. If the main thing I remember about a high-speed car chase is Bond hearing a snippet of "New York, New York" and groaning about it, then it's got to be a pretty weak action scene. Also, considering how long Spectre is, any action scenes feel like they're spread across the movie so thinly that the distance between them seems interminable and that it's easy to forget that this is supposed to be an action movie.

You must've never seen/must not be a fan of Connery and (especially!) Moore installments. Moonraker happens to be my favourite Bond and it has the most ludicrous plot and things happening. Also, the big guy from Spectre reminded me of Jaws. :)

Yeah, if meatwad really wants to see what a Seltzer-Friedberg James Bond looks like he should watch the 1960s version of Casino Royale.

All in all, Spectre is much better than Quantum of Solace and as good as Skyfall. The opening long take is beautiful, the Mexico parade reminded me of Hitman: Blood Money. The train sequences feel like references to North-Northwest and the new Jaws guy is pretty cool, too. The last third of the movie may indeed be the weakest, but it still provides a great amount of fun. Many people are disappointed, because they probably expected yet another serious Craig Bond and they got a return to Bond's roots.

Geez, that last third - by that point I was just wishing that the movie would end already. Considering how the makers had already spent three films building up a fairly serious take on Bond, their attempt to balance that with a "return to roots" just came across as a messy compromise for a film that didn't seem to know how seriously it wanted to take itself. This is especially bad considering how the film was also intent on concluding a number of plot threads from its more serious-minded films. It may not be as much of an obvious mess as Quantum of Solace, but it's still a mess.

[seanc]

I liked it better than you guys but I completely understand your criticisms of Spectre. What I have been having a hard time understanding is what it gets so wrong that Skyfall gets so right. They are like the same movie to me. Underdeveloped and contrived family stuff. Underdeveloped and underused villain played by a great actor. Awesome cinematography, good set pieces, and ultimately mindless fun. 3/5 for both.

[Iroquois]

For the record, I don't think too highly of Skyfall either.

[Monkeypunch]

I'm Not There. - I just fell in love with this movie. An exploration of the many shifting identities of Bob Dylan, I'm Not There dispenses with the usual biopic conventions and rambles, stream of consciousness style, as it lets it's story unfold. Dylan (who goes by many names throughout) is portrayed in different stages in his life by a fantastic cast of actors, including Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, and best of all, Cate Blanchett, who gives an indelible performance as Dylan, circa Highway 61 Revisited. For fans, this movie is a delight, with some great musical performances as well, listening to the soundtrack album is almost an integral part of the movie, yet another exploration of Dylan and his ever changing muse. I give out 5 star reviews far too often, I know, but I also really only post about movies I like enough to bother posting at all. So 5+

[Miss Vicky]

Everything I watched from January 3rd - February 4th
(Thoughts posted in my Movie Log (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=43738))

The Revenant (Alejandro González Iñárritu , 2015) 4+
Irrational Man (Woody Allen, 2015) (Rewatch) 4+
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Kevin Reynolds, 1991) (Rewatch) 4.5+
Overboard (Garry Marshall, 1987) (Rewatch) 4
Love & Mercy (Bill Pohlad, 2014) 4+
Wrinkles (Arrugas) (Ignacia Ferraras, 2011) 4+
A Letter to Momo (Momo e no tegami) (Hiroyuki Okiura, 2011) 2
The Quick and the Dead (Sam Raimi, 1995) (Rewatch) 4.5
The Times of Harvey Milk (Robert Epstein, 1984) 4
The Reckoning (Paul McGuigan, 2002) (Rewatch) 4+
The 24th Day (Tony Piccirillo, 2004) (Rewatch) 4.5-

[Guaporense]

The Sponge Bob movie Mark? Surely there has to be better things to do :p

I was thinking of watching that. SpongeBob is really cute.

[Guaporense]

http://i.imgur.com/Y0lbvQP.gif
Porco Rosso
(Hayao Miyazaki, 1991)
3.5
[SIZE="2"]So far this is my favorite from Miyazaki, probably because Porco Rosso feels more “grown up” than his other films I’ve seen. Great old-fashioned storytelling. I especially loved the title character, who’s like a cross between Bogart, Hemingway and Cary Grant – except in pig form. Delightful film.

Porco Rosso is Miyazaki version if a classic hollywood film, the type that fans of classic hollywood would tend to like more. I liked its depiction if mid life crisis using a pig character since it feels so surreal. I personally regard it as among Miyazaki finest and one of the top 10 best animated dims ever made. :p

Also, this grown up thing, I was reading a book about Manga where the author noticed that the median age of people who brought Manga made for middle aged readers was 30 years old, the fact is that young people feel like they want to feel "mature" and so they value this "grown up" stuff and want to consume it, while old people don't actually give a .... about that.

[meatwadsprite]

I liked it better than you guys but I completely understand your criticisms of Spectre. What I have been having a hard time understanding is what it gets so wrong that Skyfall gets so right. They are like the same movie to me. Underdeveloped and contrived family stuff. Underdeveloped and underused villain played by a great actor. Awesome cinematography, good set pieces, and ultimately mindless fun. 3/5 for both.

Skyfall has more emotion in it's opening sequence than the entire movie of Spectre. Instead of the typical faceless bimbo, the love interest is M, which I thought was brilliant and I thought Javier Bardem got plenty of screen time, certainly a whole lot more than Waltz did. We also see him doing a lot of evil stuff, where as Waltz just tells Bond that he's evil, and just the concept for Bardem's villian was great and his place in the story actually made sense.

I agree that the sub-plot about Bond's family in Skyfall wasn't handled that well, but at least it tied into the theme that M was a mother figure to Bond and Bardem. In Spectre it's just blatantly shoehorned in there because they didn't have a single creative idea.


Considering how the makers had already spent three films building up a fairly serious take on Bond, their attempt to balance that with a "return to roots" just came across as a messy compromise for a film that didn't seem to know how seriously it wanted to take itself. This is especially bad considering how the film was also intent on concluding a number of plot threads from its more serious-minded films. It may not be as much of an obvious mess as Quantum of Solace, but it's still a mess.

Yeah this was a big issue with Spectre. It had it's foot in both doors and to me really captured the worst of both worlds. It plays everything so deadly serious and at the same time it's just completely stupid and goofy. I think there was a part where Bond shot a guy though a window of the building with a pistol and the entire building explodes.

[Swan]

The Sponge Bob movie Mark? Surely there has to be better things to do :p

You're such a Squidward, raul.

[rauldc14]

My Life As A Dog 3.5-
La Strada 3.5
The Big Short 2
Twenty-Four Eyes 3+
Caged 4
From Russia With Love 4- REWATCH
Brooklyn 4+
It Happened One Night 5 REWATCH
Ace in the Hole 3.5- REWATCH
The Bucket List 4.5 REWATCH

[Daniel M]

La Strada rating_3_5
From Russia With Love rating_4- REWATCH
It Happened One Night rating_5 REWATCH
Ace in the Hole rating_3_5- REWATCH

Some real good films here Raul, liked all the ones I've seen :up: :up:

[mark f]

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Kenneth Branagh, 2014) 2.5
The Quiet Ones (John Pogue, 2014) 2
The Book of Life (Hal Hartley, 1998) 2.5
Truth (James Vanderbilt, 2015) 3
http://chicagofilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/truth-movie-cate-blanchett-robert-redford-e1451606241950.jpg
Producer Marla Mapes (Cate Blanchett) discusses the George Bush National Guard story with “60 Minutes” anchor Dan Rather (Robert Redford) which will ultimately cause them embarrassment and worse.
Titicut Follies (Frederick Wiseman, 1967) 2.5
Playing It Cool (Justin Reardon, 2014) 2
Beauty Day (Jay Cheel, 2011) 2.5
Shane (George Stevens, 1953) 3.5
http://i.imgur.com/ASlSbEf.gif
Hired killer Jack Palance takes glee in making homesteader Elisha Cook Jr. sweat.
The One I Wrote for You (Andrew Lauer, 2014) 2
Marc Maron: More Later (Bobcat Goldthwait, 2015) 2.5+
A Simple Wish (Michael Ritchie, 1997) 2
Rejected (Don Hertzfeldt, 2000) 4
http://45.media.tumblr.com/0ebe4b3ad84e5aa08571ff243853916a/tumblr_mq5hn3R4lu1r1u36qo6_r1_500.gif
Don Hertzfeldt’s rejected cartoon ads begin to destabilize and implode.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Jonathan Liebesman, 2014) 2+
The Invisible Circus (Adam Brooks, 2001) 2
Jetsons: The Movie (William Hanna & Joseph Barbera, 1990) 2
Porky in Wackyland (Robert Clampett, 1938) 4
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JfxMyrj3ZoU/UK_83ujOMkI/AAAAAAAAJVA/bzrTCd5vdt4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-11-23+at+22.46.08.png
The Dodo obviously doesn’t believe the headline announced by the weirdo in Wackyland.
William Shatner’s Get a Life! (William Shatner, 2012) 3
Arctic Antics (Ub Iwerks, 1930) 2.5
Pentathlon (Bruce Malmuth, 1994) 1.5
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (Spike Lee, 2016) 3
http://img.ccrd.clearchannel.com/media/mlib/2135/2016/01/default/michael_jackson_gif_0_1452884382.gif
Michael Jackson performs “Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough” from Off the Wall during the Jacksons’ Triumph Tour at the L.A. Forum in Sept. 1981.

[MovieMeditation]

[font=”verdana”][center]
Mommy (Xavier Dolan, 2014) 3
http://45.media.tumblr.com/fd058d57875c13dbdffa7ce94ad6541e/tumblr_nkwj0oI3Oj1qii1qoo1_500.gif
Troubled, violent teenager Antoine-Olivier Pilon feels so happy that he widens the size of the screen and his emotional life, but it’s only temporary for him and his long-suffering widow mother (Anne Dorval).
Isn't that gif a spoiler? I haven't see the movie yet, but want to, and this seems like something appearing towards the end of the film to great surprise for the audience?

[Iroquois]

The Rejected GIF is definitely a spoiler.

[Swan]

Isn't that gif a spoiler? I haven't see the movie yet, but want to, and this seems like something appearing towards the end of the film to great surprise for the audience?

Maybe, I haven't seen the film yet and want to as well, but seriously if you haven't seen that shot yet where ya been MM?

[MovieMeditation]

Maybe, I haven't seen the film yet and want to as well, but seriously if you haven't seen that shot yet where ya been MM?
In hiding. Consistently and until recently successfully avoiding that shot. :)

[Monkeypunch]

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back - Because Saturday isn't for serious things. It's just not. I know all the dialogue in this movie. 4

[Nostromo87]

Isn't everything i've watched since last posting about viewings, like to save up ammo for the all-time countdown when it comes around in 9 years

http://oi67.tinypic.com/ra2nb4.jpg

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961)

Nothing i like better than a well-organized setup

Rating: rating_3_5+ 7.5 / 10

Guns Theme (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewi1LRld5_k)

http://oi68.tinypic.com/vn1pbr.jpg

FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982)

Hey bud, let's party

Rating: rating_3_5+ 7.5 / 10

http://oi67.tinypic.com/ae86fn.jpg

TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH (1949)

Does that mean you're gonna stick to that fairy tale?

Filmed with crew of the US Airforce & German Luftwaffe

Rating: rating_4_5 9.0 / 10

[linespalsy]

Ponyo (Miyazaki Hayao, 2008) 3.5
The Gift (Joel Edgerton, 2015) 3.5
Inside Out (Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen, 2015) 2.5
JFK (Oliver Stone, 1991) 2
Swan Lake (Kirov version, ca. 1990) 2
The Tales of Hoffmann (Michael Powell & Emerich Pressburger, 1951) 1.5

[honeykid]

Some thoughts about JFK, Lines? I really love that film.

[linespalsy]

JFK is the one I had the hardest time rating in that set and I'm still not sure if I liked it or disliked it. I think I could go either way.

On the one hand the movie looks very cool. I don't just mean it has nice lighting and composition, but that there are some really interesting aesthetic choices. Like how most of the movie feels like a text-book example of slick period-film production values, but then everyone is wearing flat-lensed glasses that yell "this is a movie" (that and the fact that the film is crammed with recognizable celebrities hamming it up in small roles). There's a related tension in the movie's role as a docu-drama where the director keeps mixing in what has to be staged archival footage along with authentic reels.

On the other hand I don't see any reason for this movie to be 3.5 hours long (we watched the director's cut). Nothing really happens in it yet we get hour after hour of Jim Garrison on a lone quest for the truth. I think Stone is way too flattering to Garrison, who in real life seems like he was somewhat of a reckless, homophobic publicity hound. It's also too nice to JFK, but that's par for the course. Assassination conspiracism really started out as a grassroots movement of private citizens - many of them women - collecting documents in their garages, comparing notes across the country, even compiling their own index for the published Warren report, but Stone is more interested in hero worship for a white knight on a quest. That might be more justifiable if the movie was, say, 2 hours long but at 3.5 I found it pretty tiresome and had a hard time seeing the choice to exclude the more interesting smaller stories as justified. As with a lot of historical movies it's not just that it's not true, it's that the more interesting and complicated aspects of the story are glossed over or flat-out altered. In spite of that, the movie did a good job of conveying how people of my parents' and grandparents' generations could get obsessed with these events, something that's never been obvious to me before. I also appreciated its broader point about government secrecy, though even here there was plenty that I could quibble with.

[AboveTheClouds]

Not including films I've watched for tournaments

Frankenhooker 4+
Street Trash 4
Driller Killer 4
Silence of the lambs 4.5
Flower and Snake 3
Chopping Mall 3.5
Lucio Fulci's A Lizard in a Woman's Skin3
Barbed Wire Dolls 3+
Sadomania 4
Blood and Donuts 3+
Black Emanuelle 3
Tombs of the Blind Dead 4+
City of God 3+
City of Men 4
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night 4

[Staceymiller]

Yeah, I think that's a great idea!

[mark f]

Hot Pursuit (Anne Fletcher, 2015) 2
Life of Crime (Daniel Schechter, 2014) 2.5
In Secret (Charlie Stratton, 2014) 2+
Fargo (Coen Bros., 1996) 3.5+
http://45.media.tumblr.com/fcd26e137a31329750ed5289ecc24b37/tumblr_mrsb7blmSu1r89qoso2_500.gif
Paul Bunyan appears to witness much of the violent criminality and BS in the film, appropriately holding his ax but without Babe, his blue ox.
Mississippi Grind (Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, 2015) 2.5
Scrooged (Richard Donner, 1988) 3-
The Hellcats (Robert F. Slatzer, 1968) 0.5
Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper, 1969) 3.5+
http://31.media.tumblr.com/4e76798d6d84007aff4a0a07b0fdc1e5/tumblr_mt3gzz5G4r1rvwpx1o1_500.gif
Boozy lawyer Jack Nicholson doesn’t want to turn into a heroin junkie by smoking a joint, but he decides to take a chance.
Hours (Eric Heisserer, 2013) 2.5-
The Single Moms Club (Tyler Perry, 2014) 1.5+
The Girl on the Train (André Téchiné, 2009) 2.5
The Star (Stuart Heisler, 1952) 3
http://45.media.tumblr.com/766fa26c790cff15c53b3db3d03bc4a8/tumblr_milqm5ajRw1r1ad86o1_500.gif
Faded Oscar-winning movie star Bette Davis can no longer support herself or her family, but she still yearns for another big role. When she gets arrested for drunk driving, she’s bailed out by a former actor (Sterling Hayden) to whom she gave a break.
Barefoot (Andrew Fleming, 2014) 2
Ink (Jamin Winans, 2009) 2.5+
Who's Camus, Anyway? (Mitsuo Yanagimachi, 2006) 2
Manhunter (Michael Mann, 1986) 3
http://esq.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/06/54d3e9fa0e032_-_tumblr_n0ovisjo8y1tow3s0o1_500.gif
FBI profiler William Petersen tries to save a victim of serial killer “The Tooth Fairy” (Tom Noonan)
Blood Ties (Guillaume Canet, 2013) 2.5-
Repentance (Philippe Caland, 2014) 2
Beverly Hills Cop II (Tony Scott, 1987) 2.5
Rebel Without a Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955) 3.5
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsez03Yx1r1qbsjqno1_500.gif
Three teenagers who feel rejected by their parents develop a kinship with each other – Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo & James Dean.

[Monkeypunch]

The Visit - a creepy horror/comedy/thriller about two kids going to their grandparents' home for a week only to find that Nana and Pop-Pop aren't quite right...It's definitely worth watching even though i sort of wanted it to be scarier. 3

What We Do in the Shadows - Jemaine Clements from Flight of the Conchords plays Vlad, a centuries old vampire who lives in a flat with three other Nosferatu from different eras in this screamingly funny, gruesome, and endlessly quotable faux documentary from New Zealand. Very clever, and it rewards multiple viewings. 5++

Critters - 80's B-movie rip off of Gremlins, with furry little creatures from outer space terrorizing a farm. Dee Wallace is the only good actor in this one, and the special effects are really low budget, even for it's time. That said, it's sort of endearing. They tried. They tried SO HARD. 5 for effort. 2 for execution.

My Name is Bruce - Meta horror comedy starring and directed by horror legend, Bruce Campbell. Worth watching, definitely. Guan-di is his name. 3.5

[linespalsy]

What We Do in the Shadows is hilarious. My favorite of Jemaine's roles is still Dr. Ronald Chevalier (in Gentlemen Broncos). Have you seen it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVoD1804bkc

[mark f]

The Future (Miranda July, 2011) 2+
Buffalo '66 (Vincent Gallo, 1998) 2.5
Beverly Hills Cop III (John Landis, 1994) 2
Change Nothing aka Ne Change Rien (Pedro Costa, 2009) 2.5
http://boasnoticias.pt/img/ne-change-rien.jpg
French actress/singer Jeanne Balibar rehearses and performs in concert while being filmed in long B&W takes.
Happy Tears (Michael Lichtenstein, 2010) 2
I, Frankenstein (Stuart Beattie, 2014) 2
The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold (Sean McNamara, 2006) 2
Mustang (Deniz Gamze Ergüven, 2015) 3-
http://kinoliza.net/uploads/posts/2016-01/thumbs/1454143968_mustang20-20photo202.jpg
Walking home from school, five Turkish sisters’ innocently play games with boys at the beach and then get locked up at home by their father who tries to marry them off before they “ruin” themselves and his good name.
Jim Breuer: Comic Frenzy (Adam Dubin, 2015) 2
Sweetgrass (Ilisa Barbash & Lucien Castaing-Taylor, 2011) 2
Life Stinks (Mel Brooks, 1991) 2+
Anita (Freia Lee Mock, 2013) 3-
https://41.media.tumblr.com/3c25977b41a62a54939ce7973952b838/tumblr_n2l55gygaq1rahlq2o1_500.jpg
It's been over 20 years since attorney Anita Hill testified at the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings, and the perception of sexual harassment in the workplace has drastically changed since then.
Star Kid (Manny Coto, 1997) 2+
Dying Breed (Jody Dwyer, 2008) 2
Craig Ferguson: Does This Need to Be Said? (Keith Truesdell, 2011) 2.5+
Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson (Trish Dolman, 2011) 3
https://corumana.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/paul-watson-founder-and-p-008.jpg
Paul Watson proved too radical for Greenpeace and had to go his own way in his battle to stop whale hunting, going so far as to holding ships “for ransom” and sabotaging others.
Untamed Heart (Tony Bill, 1993) 3
Crocodile Dundee II (John Cornell, 1988) 2.5
Leprechaun: Origins (Zach Lipovsky, 2014) 1.5+
Welcome to Leith (Michael Beach Nichols & Christopher K. Walker, 2015) 3
http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/Main%20Welcome%20to%20Leith.png
White Supremacist Craig Cobb moves to Leith, North Dakota, a town of 24, and buys up property with the intention of bringing many more Aryan separatists to take over the town through democratic voting and practice their hate, and in spite of the original citizens’ disapproval, it’s all apparently legal. Here, citizens burn down Cobb’s condemned structure while he's in jail, but he still owns the property.

[meatwadsprite]

Hail Ceasar !

http://i.imgur.com/K5GBmAN.png?1

Coen's weakest effort of their post-No Country for Old Men spree. If some of their previous films suggested that they just like to make movies without really having anything to say, than this one confirms that. It's funny in spots and has a lot of incredible photography, an all star cast, and a lot of great stand alone scenes, but it barely ties together. This would have been premise for a television series, but doesn't really merit a feature film.

2.5


North By Northwest

http://i.imgur.com/HjjdLrf.png?1

Pure over the top entertainment. My second favorite from my mini-marathon of Hitchcock movies. Although it gets increasingly goofy in the second half and has the obligatory Hitchcock scene where everything is unnecessarily explained to the viewer, this action-flick holds up incredibly well.

3.5


The Innkeepers

http://i.imgur.com/wIKJzYJ.jpg?1

Just a simple, slow paced jump scare marathon. If that sounds like your kind of thing you'll probably enjoy this one.

3

Shadow of a Doubt

http://i.imgur.com/xdfmMPF.jpg?1

Dated. This movie is older than the dirt it sleeps in and it shows. There are some funny moments and witty dialogue in the first half, but it all seems to dry up as this painful experience stretches far beyond a reasonable run time. This is a stupid movie, it makes your typical 80's slasher flick look distinguished in comparison. None of Hitchcock's good trademark elements are really here yet.

Critics cite this as a sort of time capsule for the 1940's, but that would only suggest that everyone back then was mentally retarded. Were people really this alien back then, or were they pretty much the same as us today ? (as examplified in many movies of that era like Third Man, Citizen Kane, Double Indemnity, Casablanca)

1.5

Notorious


http://i.imgur.com/JQS4OyZ.jpg?1

Hitchcock made this one only a few years after Shadow of a Doubt, but it's a huge step forward. As expected it's incredibly goofy, but it immerses you in the plot pretty effectively. Unlike Shadow of a Doubt there's an actual sense of dread hanging in the air, but this gets fumbled in the second half where every single twist is explained in the least entertaining way possible.

2


Vertigo

http://i.imgur.com/De2c1ZX.jpg?1

Hands down my favorite Hitchcock movie yet. Right off the bat you're treated to an incredible intro sequence set against Bernard Herrmann's terrifying and hypnotic musical score. The mystery takes it time unfolding, until another unnecessary reveal, yet in Vertigo there's so much going on that this isn't a huge blow against the story.

James Stewart gives the performance of a lifetime and Hitchcock's cinematographer is just going absolutely nuts behind the camera. This movie comes alive in every aspect, even though I think they kind of botched the execution of the final scene, there's too many stunning, memorable moments in this movie for it be considered "just good".

4

[mark f]

http://www.veryimportantpotheads.com/images/trumbointub.jpg
Trumbo (Peter Askin, 2007) 3.5

Dalton Trumbo was a screenwriter who mostly worked for M-G-M and RKO Radio Pictures in the 1930s and 1940s. During that time, he earned a nomination for Best Screenplay for Kitty Foyle and wrote some other well-known flicks such as A Guy Named Joe, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo and Our Vines Have Tender Grapes. After WWII, he went before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee and refused to name names of Communists or former Communists who were working in the entertainment industry. He was subsequently blacklisted as a member of the Hollywood Ten, imprisoned, later moved to Mexico to get away from the ostracization he and his famiy felt and then began to successfully earn money by writing and getting paid for scripts by using fronts. In fact, two of these fronted films earned Oscars for Best Motion Picture Story, Roman Holiday and The Brave One. (Best Motion Picture Story is a category which the Oscars stopped handing out in the '50s; it basically meant Best original story upon which a screenplay was based.)

This film shows Trumbo in archive footage and home movies, but his words are mostly spoken by a number of famous actors. It's both a documentary and a love poem from a son to his father in the form of a play. Christopker Trumbo wrote the play and adapted it to the screen. The actors who speak his father's words include Michael Douglas, Donald Sutherland, Paul Giamatti, Josh Lucas, Joan Allen, David Straithairn, Brian Dennehy, Liam Neeson, Nathan Lane, and Dustin Hoffman. Kirk Douglas (in present day) and archive footage of Otto Preminger both talk about how they credited him for Spartacus and Exodus in order to try to break the blacklist. Although each of the famous actors is excellent and often very dramatic in speaking Trumbo's eloquent words about freedom found in our U.S. Constitution, the highlight for me has to be the hilarious section where Nathan Lane reads a letter which Dalton wrote to his son Christopher about the pleasures of masturbation. That's pretty much a laugh riot worthy of the hands (forgive the pun) of Richard Pryor. Another extremely-moving moment is when Dalton Trumbo himself talks about how the fall of Barcelona in Spain could have perhaps been prevented if we picked and chose our fights better, especially concerning the Fascists in the 1930s. This film is recommended to all who want to better understand the history of American politics, its effect on films and to see some of our current actors speak the words of an American who stood up for his rights during a dark era of American history. I'm not going to get into the idea about how as soon as WWII ended that we were immediately involved in a "Cold War". I don't like the idea that if our country is the best and brightest in the world that we used our enemies (Communist USSR and China) to defeat our other, Bigger, enemies (Germany and Japan) and then had to turn on "former allies". It makes me think that it's only the Constitution which sets us apart rather than our actual "deeds and ideals", and many countries have a constitution virtually similar to ours currently.

Dalton Trumbo has written some of my fave flicks [Spartacus, Exodus, Lonely are the Brave, Papillon (hk's loss)], and he also wrote and directed a very personal anti-war film called Johnny Got His Gun based on his own powerful novel. If you can stand how gut-wrenching it is, give it a watch and/or read. It probably delineates the Constitution and the loss of basic human rights better than any film I've ever seen, without even being "about that subject" at all.

[mark f]

Anvil!: The Story of Anvil (Sacha Gervasi, 2008) 3.5

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.cinematical.com/media/2009/03/anvilpostermain-%283%29.jpg

Powerful and humorous film about how people who have grown up together can be in an awesome band for over 35 years and still have almost nobody else know about it. This is a serious film, not a mockumentary; of course, it's sometimes unclear if any of it was staged for the camera, but I'll cut this film more slack than many in that regard and just say that it's basically unadulterated truth. The film begins with many of heavy metal's demigods extolling the awesomeness of Canada's metal monster band Anvil and their debut album, Metal on Metal which influenced them. In fact, the opening shots at an early 1980s Japanese metal festival prove that Anvil kicks all the other bands of their time's asses, and we're talking about groups such as Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. So, what happened to Anvil? They kept touring and putting out low-budget albums but, except for a small rabid fanbase, they faded into obscurity and spent most of the last 25 years doing day jobs involving delivering food and construction work. The two original members of Anvil's four-man lineup who are still around in the 2000s are best friends, lead guitar/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer extraordinaire Robb Reiner (yes, that's his name). They decide to trust an internet fan to get them a European tour in the 2000s, and although it starts out OK, it turns into a nightmare.

Basically, Anvil is a band which has suffered from crappy management its entire existence. The band members have wives, kids, brothers, sisters, etc., who all try to help them out but they see them more as little kids who never grew up and still want to "play", trying to see their dream come true, even if it hasn't for most of their lives. Of course, the viewer is pulling for the band because they seem just like somebody in your own family and you can see their talent (even if certain styles have passed them by). The thing about this movie which really hits home to me is when Reiner and Lips get into fights over things which really have nothing to do with each other, but only occur because the other one is that person's best friend and actually has more history with that person than even their wives and kids. I can total relate to that because I have an unmarried "best" friend who's alienated from his siblings and gets along well with his casual friends, but he often gets pissed off at me just because I'm the person who talks to him about things which piss him off. I keep trying to get him to relax and stay in the moment, but he wants to get mad at others and the way he thinks his life turned out and then he goes off, seemingly blaming me for whatever lousy path his life takes. I still love him though because he's family, and you know how sometimes family are the hardest to love because they take so much for granted? (Just because they know that you'll usually take it?) Well, this flick displays this kind of relationship better than most fictional films I've ever seen. And besides that, it has what I'd call a happy ending :cool:. So rock on Anvil, and Peace to people who can never seem to find it.

[seanc]

Love the full reviews Mark. Haven't seen either but Mofo has put both on the radar.

[mark f]

Occasionally I'll be going through my old reviews where I had several in one post and edit them so that they only have one review in them. That's the only way I can get them into the Reviews section. That's what I did here because I was going to quote my Anvil review for the Doc countdown anyway, so I'm killing two birds with one stone. :)

[Daniel M]

I repped Meats review after I saw his North by Northwest thoughts, then I saw his ratings for Shadow of a Doubt and Notorious :o At least he redeemed it with Vertigo :D

[linespalsy]

Aladdin (Ron Clements & John Musker, 1992) 4-
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Gore Verbinsky, 2006) 3+
Ragtime (Milos Forman, 1981) 2.5+

[honeykid]

Meat's gone off.

[mark f]

God’s Not Dead (Harold Cronk, 2014) 2
Strikes and Spares (Felix E. Feist, 1934) 3
The Draughtsman's Contract (Peter Greenaway, 1983) 2.5
What We Do in the Shadows (Jemaine Clement & Taika Waititi, 2014) 3-
http://45.media.tumblr.com/eafc5528ac082c0bdea36ad3529da933/tumblr_ni9tt0I2wg1rr202wo6_500.gif
Three vampires (Jemaine Clement, Johnny Brugh & Taika Waititi), who share a flat with a Nosferatu-type (Ben Fransham) who doesn’t get out much, prepare to spend a night on the town.
The House on Pine Street (Keeling Bros., 2015) 2.5
LT: The Life & Times (Peter Radovich Jr., 2013) 3
Rasputin (Uli Edel, 1996) 2.5
Motel Hell (Kevin Connor, 1980) 3
http://45.media.tumblr.com/96de52a3483ab277d2d1726d32a32127/tumblr_nyptr4vYVT1syj415o1_500.gif
Smoked meat entrepreneur/serial killer Farmer Vincent (Rory Calhoun) has a chainsaw battle with his sheriff brother (Paul Linke).
The Bears and the Bees (Wilfred Jackson, 1932) 2.5
Dear White People (Justin Simien, 2014) 2.5
In My Father's House (Ricki Stern & Anne Sundberg, 2015) 2.5
Treasure Planet (Ron Clements & Jim Musker, 2002) 3
http://38.media.tumblr.com/656f5d5fb6aa7f1aa6c010c6765028ec/tumblr_mlog5m7nkI1r24z09o1_500.gif
Young ship’s mate Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his pet Morph seek help from robot Martin Short to find a treasure hidden on a planet on which he was left behind to protect.
Cantinflas (Sebastian del Toro, 2014) 2.5
Smokey and the Bandit II (Hal Needham, 1980) 2
This Land Is Mine (Jean Renoir, 1943) 2.5
The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese, 2013) 3
https://45.media.tumblr.com/1a023a47897f90e6d9145c0150f72f8f/tumblr_mzsmyhLa131rt7ptzo1_500.gif
Wall Street broker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) tries to zero in on the Holiest of Holies of his wife Margot Robbie.
Bad Influence (Curtis Hanson, 1990) 2.5+
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (John Hughes, 1987) 3
The Detective (Gordon Douglas, 1968) 2.5
Johnny Goes Home (No Director Listed, 1982) 3
http://splitsider.awlnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/03/106-carsonhome.jpg
Comedian/talk show host Johnny Carson returns to his hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska, to see what’s changed. Here he “attends” his high school with five of his alumni friends and practices his penmanship with his elementary school teacher, Miss Gordon.

[Lucas]

https://stanleyrogouski.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/rut.jpg?w=640&h=368

Sergeant Rutledge 4+

Cop 3.5

The Devil, Probably 2.5+

La Libertad 3.5-

Zero de Conduite 2.5

College 3.5

http://mmimageslarge.moviemail-online.co.uk/college-bfi-00n-d2u-copy.jpg

[mark f]

Men, Women & Children (Jason Reitman, 2014) 2+
Smokey and the Bandit (Hal Needham, 1977) 3-
Forty Boys and a Song (Irving Applebaum, 1941) 2+
Starting Over (Alan J. Pakula, 1979) 3+
https://41.media.tumblr.com/217a1a8b666b8398c00fa5756df1d5c3/tumblr_npefvmhnRr1qbhnrvo1_500.png
Insecure teacher Burt Reynolds tries to recover from his divorce by being more forthcoming to his next love (Jill Clayburgh).
The American Dreamer (Lawrence Schiller & L.M. Kit Carson, 1971) 2
’71 (Yann Demange, 2014) 3.5
The Song (Richard Ramsey, 2014) 2
Traffic (Steven Soderbergh, 2000) 3
https://33.media.tumblr.com/f819cc27296ef4f7cc716d1bbfef405b/tumblr_mnv5tdBccx1qcga5ro1_500.gif
Imperfect Mexican policeman Benicio Del Toro gets involved with corrupt government officials and seeks a way out.
From Mexico with Love (Jimmy Nickerson, 2009) 2
Rabbit Hole (John Cameron Mitchell, 2010) 2.5
Tell (J.M.R. Luna, 2014) 2+
The Water Diviner (Russell Crowe, 2014) 2.5
http://cfile27.uf.tistory.com/image/2617CE3455BDCBE50995EC
Australian farmer Russell Crowe travels to Turkey to find the remains of his three sons killed years before at Gallipoli.
An Affair to Remember (Leo McCarey, 1957) 2.5
Batman (Leslie H. Martinson, 1966) 2+
Romantic Comedy (Arthur Hiller, 1983) 2.5-
The Firm (Sydney Pollack, 1993) 3+
http://share.gifyoutube.com/y4zqod.gif
Lawyer Tom Cruise escapes from a dangerous meeting with his own law firm.
Bloodbrothers (Robert Mulligan, 1978) 2.5
Friday Foster (Arthur Marks, 1975) 2
Black Mama White Mama (Eddie Romero, 1973) 2
Radio Days (Woody Allen, 1987) 3.5
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While Joe (Seth Green) stays by the sink, Uncle Abe (Josh Mostel) eats his fish this way so his wife won’t have to fillet it. Meanwhile in pre-(and post-)Pearl Harbor Rockaway Beach, everybody’s obsessed with what’s on the radio.

[Miss Vicky]

Shame you didn't like The Water Diviner more. It had some cliched plot points, but I really enjoyed it.

[mark f]

My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin, 2008) 3.5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY9BtROpNQ4
Note: This is much funnier than Borat, even if I thought that was funny.

There is little doubt in my mind that this is one of the most original and audacious films to come down the [Holden] pike in many a year. It does remind me of various David Lynch films, especially Eraserhead and The Elephant Man, as well as Lars von Trier's Europa, aka Zentropa, but this film is far more unique and cinematic than all of those combined. Guy Maddin, that wonderfully-idiosyncratic Manitoban filmmaker, has never left his beloved and dreaded hometown of Winnipeg, at least if you believe this movie which is a hoot-and-a-half pseudo-documentary about everything good and bad in Winnipeg's history and everything it made Maddin come to believe about himself which he claims was fully formed by the city in "the heart of the heart of the continent". This film is difficult to review because to give away any of its offbeat charm and wacko humor would be completely unthinkable. Needless to say, of all the Maddin flicks I've seen thus far, this is easily the most-entertaining, the most-cinematic and the most-personal.
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That lump under the rug on the floor is the remains of Guy's Dad's dead body... but I can't go into that anymore. However, I think it's fair to say that Maddin is obsessed with Winnipeg's "forks, laps and fur", as well as the way the city's hockey history transformed from "old-time hockey" to NHL heathenism to the fact that one of Winnipeg's only growth industries is demolition. Maddin feels gleefully free to share his traumatic and intense sexual experiences, whether concerning young teenage girl "whores" during a Communist march or the man-sweat of a certain hockey legend whose jersey he "adopted" to shoot "homoerotic slapshots" in. :cool:
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It's difficult, as I said, to add any more, even though narrator Maddin piles on with info about streets which "aren't even allowed to be on the regular maps" and dueling cab companies. When Maddin decides to get into the city's old swimming pools, all three of them, each closer to Hell (or the "forks under the forks") than the last one, you just might lose your lunch as you come to understand how sexually-debauched Winnipeg "truly" is. :D I recommend this film wholeheartedly, especially as a brand old seemingly-bizarre filmmaking style which is as entertaining and inviting as anything connoting that dirty word, "commercial".

[mark f]

Doubt (John Patrick Shanley, 2008) 3.5
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Doubt is set in 1964, but you can easily tell that it deals with the Catholic Church's still-current bane of how priests can possibly be guilty of child molestation, even though now we can see it in retrospect as a horrible crime-within-a-crime which hardly anyone back then would notice, except perhaps for Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep), an old-fashioned Principal-Nun who may very well have, rightly or wrongly, dealt with many abusing priests down through the years. This time, she has to deal with Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who "seems" to be paying too much attention to a certain young student, but is his attention "immorally-criminal" or is it just somehow questionable in front of a nun who sees everything in the worst possible light? The film presents things even-handedly, and even if you are 100% sure that things are a certain way, you could very well be wrong because the script and direction are so sharp. This is an ensemble film, so all the supporting performances are just as important as the leads, and besides that, this film leads all films this year with FOUR acting nominations.
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Amy Adams plays a complex part where she sees almost everything from both perspectives. She can be turned by both lead characters depending on what she learns and feels, but in general, she looks on the bright side of people. Viola Davis plays the mom of the possibly-abused boy in question, and she looks at things from the perspective of just letting her boy survive this school year to qualify for a better, non-Catholic school the next year. Maybe she thinks he's getting too much "love and attention" from the priest but she feels it's OK as a form of recompense because the boy's father is already beating him because he has a feeling that his son may very well be gay. Doubt is not all black-and-white in its depiction of what happens at this church and school. In fact, when Meryl Streep's character breaks down at the end, it really makes you think that she knows nothing at all and has been laying her own "guilt trip" on potentially-innocent priests all along. Then again, maybe not...

[cricket]

I haven't seen Doubt yet. I wanted to when it came out and then just forgot about it.

[seanc]

I really liked Doubt at the time. I need to see it again. One of those movies that has just left me.

[Mr Minio]

I love both of these, mark f, and of course I didn't find My Winnipeg funny, but I'm a pretty boring guy. :P I remember it being an incredibly atmospheric piece. I was almost mad at Maddin that he chose to include these color images of the hockey hall and consider the whole hockey part to be the least interesting. I wish the film had more Nazi bs put into it so it becomes just like Archangel (and The Saddest Music in the World, etc. - quite a trademark for Maddin, I'd say). I enjoyed the old woman (She was to play his mother, right?) thing and all this reconstruction attempts and I appreciate his attempts at (black?) comedy, but for me the best things about his films are cinematography and atmosphere. For example, you can't really care that much about what's happening in Archangel (yeah, the story itself is pretty straightforward, anyway) when you have this marvelous von Sternberg-esque cinematography. It feels like you're watching a sequel to The Last Command directed by drunk contemporary Sternberg.

I've seen some other films by Maddin, too, but the one I cried on was My Dad Is 100 Years Old. I'm not sure if the best, but without a doubt the one that moved me the most. I'm so glad there's still so many films of his I've yet to see. However, Twilight of the Ice Nymphs is one I didn't like that much. I mean, it's still good, feels like Shakespeare directed by Tolkien, but visually it's no longer a tribute to silent cinema, but a tribute to... I don't really know what! Hollywood Technicolor adventure films of the 50's?! Still cool, but Maddin is best at incorporating silent cinema aesthetics to contemporary films&ideas.

Oh, and all of his shorts are must see, too. Like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unNgcuzxTV4
Which is incredibly beautiful purely on the visual level, or:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4JmeXXRmZg
Which always (seen it a couple of times) strucks me with its sheer power built almost entirely on cinematography & montage (Soviet montage theory!). The ostensibly nonsensical plot (Aelita, the Queen of Mars, anyone?) plot reveals itself quite slow for a movie with such an incredible pace, but the final message is the most powerful I could've ever imagined with that "KINO" intertitle literally exploding on the screen. Not without help is Georgy Sviridov's composition Time, Forward! originally composed for a Soviet film I haven't yet seen, reused here in all its glory makes for a perfect (seriously I can't think of any better for this film) soundtrack.

This guy is crazy with his homages. He didn't only make the best tribute to silent cinema ever, but also a weird tribute to... Kenneth Anger (I guess?!) called The Little White Cloud That Cried. Some really gay stuff with penises on the screen and what's even worse men are disguised as women and one can think it's a woman until sees penis. Terrible stuff (for non-gays who thought these are women xDDD), but total eye-candy visual-wise (can't remember the audio, but my guess was Angeresque classic 50's tune soundtrack, which rocks!).

[MovieMeditation]

Doubt is great.

[mark f]

The City of the Dead aka Horror Hotel (John Moxey, 1960) 2.5
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When my brother and I used to watch this minor horror classic on TV, it was called Horror Hotel. It was always a cool flick for us to watch because it had some stark, spooky photography for many of the indoor scenes, but then it would get all graphic with bodies bursting into flames while trying to commit a ritualistic female sacrifice in a graveyard on the Witch's Sabbath. The Dead mentioned in the original title are witches who were true worshippers of Satan in Whitewood, Massachusetts in 1692. While being burned at the stake, self-confessed witch Elizabeth Selwyn (Patricia Jessel) curses the townspeople, and as a result, all the "dead" witches are given eternal life by Satan as long as they worship him and perform two sacrifices a year.
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The modern day plot involves college professor Christopher Lee recommending that his student Nan (Venetia Stevenson) spend her holidays researching witches in Whitewood, and even though her brother and boyfriend don't like the idea, she drives to the remote, fog-shrouded town. Upon arrival, she finds everything spooky and almost inexplicable, but she does meet one seeemingly-normal woman, Patricia (Betta St, John), who lends her an in-depth book on witches. The plot doesn't really hold any surprises, but there are still plenty of frissons on display. The hotel where Nan stays is menacing in the way that people and strange sounds seem to come and go instantaneously. Plus there are rarely any lights on, but the fireplace always casts dreaded shadows across the rooms. Then there are the actual buildups to the sacrifices presented in the film, and they deliver the goods. The film is just a bit short and repeats a few motifs (especially the fog and the guy who gives everybody directions to the Inn) to qualify as a full-blown classic. Lovers of black-and-white Mario Bava will want to check this out though, and anybody who enjoys "old-time" horror should probably raise my rating by a half-to-a-full popcorn box.

[mark f]

A Taste of Honey (Tony Richardson, 1961) 3.5

This is a touching, kitchen-sink, coming-of-age/ugly duckling story decked out in jazzy undertones by director Richardson and music composer John Addison. Rita Tushingham is wonderful in her debut as Jo, the teenage Manchester school girl who's never felt love from her oversexed mom (Dora Bryan). When she is ditched by her mom and her mom's latest younger lover (Robert Stephens), Jo heads back home where she encounters her "sorta boyfriend", black sailor Jimmy (Paul Danquah), and the two make love. Jo's mom subsequently moves out of the home, and Jimmy's ship leaves Manchester.
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Jo goes to work at a shoe store and gets her own flat, but pretty soon, she finds that she's pregnant. Geoffrey (Murray Melvin), the young man who buys her first pair of shoes sold, becomes her pal, and even after Jo learns he's gay and he learns that she's pregnant, Geoffrey moves in with her and helps her by cooking and cleaning around the house. Jo begins to wonder if she should keep her baby, but Geoffrey volunteers to be her child's father and stay with her. Eventually Jo's selfish mom turns up again to complicate matters.
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The most memorable things about the film to me are Rita Tushingham's big eyes. She seems to be a soul who has much to offer but has never found any way to channel it to her satisfaction. Most all of the acting is first-rate, including Dora Bryan's hateful mother who takes up with and gets dumped by a new man every year. Murray Melvin is equally fine conveying both shyness and true humanity. The script by playwright Shelagh Delaney and Richardson is equal parts comedy and drama, while Richardson uses an impressionistic visual-and-cutting technique which can occasionally romanticize the drab Manchester setting. It certainly doesn't sentimentalize anything, but Addison's playful music does seem to make the harsh truths the film offers a little easier to take in. This is still one of the better British films of the early '60s.

[Zotis]

Doubt is pretty decent.

[mark f]

Platinum Blonde (Frank Capra, 1931) 2.5

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Before Frank Capra became Hollywood's most-popular filmmaker in the mid-1930s, he was already one of its hardest-working. From 1926 through 1931, Capra directed 18 feature films, 16 for Columbia Pictures. This is one of the best-known from that era, mainly because of co-star Jean Harlow's rising star, but it's actually more interesting for the presence of leading man Robert Williams. What? You say you've never heard of him? That's probably true but unfortunate. Robert Williams died of peritonitis three days after the release of this film, but his offbeat charm will always be present in this cute Pre-Code film.

The plot involves a newspaper reporter named Smith (Williams) who often works with Gallagher (Loretta Young), who secretly loves him. One day, Smith is assigned to cover a scandal involving a high-class society family's son, and he successfully gets the dirt by using his "reporting skills". The upshot of this is that he attracts the attention of the family's beautiful blonde daughter Anne (Jean Harlow) who begins to fall for him when he helps to quash the blackmail scheme involving her brother. They secretly marry and a battle of wills ensues involving who will bend more to the other's desire in sharing their lives. The film is pretty good but not really up to the level which Capra maintained from 1933 through 1948. From watching this movie, it's difficult to tell how much of the Smith character is acting and how much is Williams' personality, but whatever it is, it's worth checking out. Not to turn this movie into a total downer, but Harlow also died, only six years later, due to uremic poisoning. :(

[mark f]

Lifeboat (Alfred Hitchcock, 1944) 3.5
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Lifeboat begins in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, just after a freighter is sunk by and in turn sinks a German U-Boat. The only survivor in the lifeboat is spoiled foreign correspondent Connie (Tallulah Bankhead) who is typing a story about the incident, but slowly, more survivors come across and into the lifeboat, and all but one is from the sunken freighter. The last survivor is Willy (Walter Slezak), a German from the U-Boat. The survivors make up a cross section of ethnicities, so the film turns into an interesting character study centering around the ethics of class and war. Willy turns out to be the most-knowledgeable seaman aboard, and reluctantly the others allow him to take charge of setting a heading for Bermuda.

Hitchcock uses John Steinbeck's story as a showcase for him to make one of his patented claustrophobic, one-set films. (Others he would later make include Rope, Dial M For Murder and Rear Window.) Hitch builds suspense by showing the dangers of the sea (weather, sharks) and by the fact that there is just not enough food or water for everyone to be able to survive the long voyage to Bermuda. One by one, each character has a big scene, but Willy seems to just be stronger and brighter than the other characters. It's this last point which caused a backlash against the film. Even though Lifeboat was released to critical praise and big box office in its limited opening engagements, after a brief time, a few columnists decided that somehow the film celebrated the Nazi "Superman", and 20th Century Fox chief Darryl Zanuck decided to not fully release the film due to fear of it sullying his reputation. That's actually pretty shocking because you don't especially consider the WWII era as some kind of "politically-correct" age, and Lifeboat, after all, is a gung-ho, pro-Allies film.

[mark f]

The Wrestler (Darren Aranofsky, 2008) 3
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This is another character study, and who would have thought that the world of wrestling would provide such believable characters? I haven't really paid attention to wrestling since the 1970s, but the first two bouts in this film do provide the goods as far as both the violence (which seems to get mentioned a lot here) and especially the humor. These bouts are downright funny, and that was the main draw for watching wrestling when I was a kid anyway. I just thought is was really funny to see people "sneak up" on somebody or see the referees get creamed. Anyway, I should leave my personal anecdote aside and address Aranofsky's newest film. I believe everybody knows it involves an aging wrestler (Mickey Rourke) who is nearing the end of the line and is trying to find some semblance of normal life by romancing a stripper (Marisa Tomei) and making amends to his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). The wrestler's other problems involve having financial problems and then learning that he has extreme health problems which will keep him from ever entering the ring again.

The Wrestler didn't really draw me in with the opening scenes because Aranofsky used the camera technique pioneered recently by the Dardenne brothers of following close behind the protagonist and following wherever he goes. I realize that it's meant to make the viewer feel inside the world of the character, but it often seems a substitute for having to actually focus on the character's face to not only see the world he sees but to see it reflected through his own eyes. (Besides, Dardenne brothers' movies seem to spend half of their time focusing on "walking around"; if I wanted to put the viewer into somebody's world, I'd use subjective camera rather than this stalker stuff.) Anyway, once the camera started to actually focus on the characters' faces, I felt more empathy for them and they came alive. There is a lot of unspoken life in all the characters' actions and reactions and it gives The Wrestler its quiet power. I liked all three main performances, even if I didn't fully understand their exact life situations, I could believe in them more than some of my own friends and family because sometimes it's really difficult to crack through the outer shells of those you "know". Mickey Rourke nails his role because you can see that he's made a lot of mistakes and he wants to make amends, but he just really has no experience at living any kind of "normal" life. All he knows is the life of a loner wrestler, and although he enjoys the camraderie and the notoriety, he realizes it will never make him a whole man.

[mark f]

Nothing But the Night (Peter Sasdy, 1973) 2
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This is the umpteenth teaming of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, and it was actually made under the banner of Lee's own production company. It's an offbeat and relatively well-made mystery about a strange little girl who seems to have memories of an accident which don't correlate to the physical evidence concerning the event. She also lives at an orphan home on a remote island, and the trustees of that home have been dying under mysterious circumstances lately, leading a retired policeman (Lee) to enlist the aid of his doctor friend (Cushing) in helping him try to prove there is a murderous conspiracy afoot. Although there are many more details and characters, they're not especially worth mentioning right now. The first half of the film takes place in an urban hospital and the second half is set on that island orphanage. There is a big "plot twist" at the end which is OK, but the chief problem with the film is that it has an underdeveloped script. Director Sasdy uses lots of location work to try to disguise the fact that the film is repetitious and drawn out. As it is, it would have worked better as a "Twilight Zone" episode, albeit a rather weak one. It does have some unintentional humor near the end when the girl's mother (Diana Dors) seems to spend an eternity creeping and crawling around the island trying to get to her daughter, apparently just to pad out the running time. It's not really all that bad, but it's not exactly a horror film; at least not compared to something like Rosemary's Baby.

[mark f]

Appaloosa (Ed Harris, 2008) 2
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Set in the town of Appaloosa in the New Mexico Territory in 1882, this film tells how two friends and itinerant lawmen come to to help the town bring to justice the rich local rancher (Jeremy Irons) who had three lawmen killed. Virgil (Ed Harris) takes on the marshall job and Everett (Viggo Mortensen) works as his deputy. The two eventually bring the rancher to trial, but even though he's convicted and sentenced to hang, he's able to "beat the rap". During this time, both lawmen carry on romances of a sort, but it's not clear if these are conducive with bringing down their adversary. Eight years after his decent directorial debut Pollock, Ed Harris returns with a strange, enervating western. I found some of the film slipshod and lazy (especially the opening scene which set a bad tone for me), even though the characters played by Harris and Mortensen are both really quirky and therefore interesting. It's just that most of the other characters and the "plot" seem generic and almost pointless. I mean, there are a few other offbeat characters, but it really rambles on and on to a totally predictable conclusion. Too bad.

[mark f]

Grand Central Murder (S. Sylvan Simon, 1942) 3
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/images/grand_central.jpg
This is a "second feature" which packs more wit, entertainment and dexterity than most first features of the era. It begins with the a full open throttle, detailing a prisoner escape from a train at Grand Central Station in NYC, a threatening phone call to a Broadway actress, a murder, several mysterious characters, and the rounding up of suspects by the inspector (Sam Levene) in charge of the case, and that's all in the first 15 minutes! It reminds me of Murder on the Orient Express played out in reverse and twice as fast, even if it's only really half as good. Van Heflin (fresh from his Johnny Eager Oscar) shines as a private detective suspect who's probably twice as smart as all the other characters combined, but it's also really nice to see solid contributons by Tom Conway, Virginia Grey, Millard Mitchell, Connie Gilchrist, Stephen McNally, Samuel S. Hinds, and Levene.

[mark f]

Charlie Wilson's War (Mike Nichols, 2007) 3.5
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"Based on a true story", Charlie Wilson's War is a more modern entertainment, but it kept me satisfied, and I laughed out loud several times, especially from the lines and character portrayed by Oscar-nomineed Philip Seymour Hoffman. It tells the story of a divorced party animal Texas congressman, Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), who iis manipulated by a fellow Texan/rich socialite (Julia Roberts) into using his positions on two key committees to try to help the Afghan people in their fight against the Soviet invasion during the Reagan presidency. I don't want to go into the nuts and bolts (at least, according to the film), but the other main character is a CIA operative who feels underappreciated because he speaks his mind, and he's played brilliantly by Hoffman, who's reminiscent of the Van Heflin character in my earlier review because he seems twice as smart as all the characters he encounters.
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/images/2007/10/11/charlie.jpg
I find the film to be mostly a comedic satire, but there are certainly dramatic interludes and a conclusion which tries to connect what the U.S. successfully did covertly in Afghanistan 20 years ago with why that country became a hotbed of terrorist activity pre-9/11. The connection is perhaps obvious in retrospect, but seems to be something tacked on to the gist of the story, although it certainly fuels the film's final five minutes. While Hoffman takes the acting honors, I found Hanks believable and Roberts mysterious, so I guess I don't really have many problems with the acting, although I never really got into Roberts' head, although maybe the fact that both the Hanks and Roberts characters are Texans may again refer ironically to the then current President.

[cricket]

When you say "second feature", does that mean it was released as part of a double bill?

[mark f]

The Seventh Victim (Mark Robson, 1943) 2.5
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Low-key, low-budget Val Lewton production containing a few creepy and terrifying scenes. This one involves the exotic, missing older sister Jacqueline (Jean Brooks) of young Mary (Kim Hunter, in her debut), who's away at a private school when she learns that Jacqueline has disappeared in NYC's Greenwich Village. Mary encounters several characters and even momentarily finds her sister, but in the process, she becomes embroiled with Satan worshippers. Yes, in some ways, this film is a predecessor of Rosemary's Baby AND Psycho to boot! One of the most memorable scenes involves Mary taking a shower while someone enters the bathroom. A strange shadow is cast over the shower curtain and an important character tells Mary not to look anymore for her sister. It's a total trip, and a one-of-a-kind scene. Other freaky scenes include the one where a private investigator walks down a spooky hallway and the actual ending occurs quickly and prophetically.

[mark f]

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (Robert Ellis Miller, 1968) 3.5
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This is a simple, yet heartfelt and powerful adaptation of Carson McCullers' autobiographical novel. The central character of the film is a deaf mute named John Singer, played perfectly by Alan Arkin. The setting is the Southern U.S., brought up to date in the 1960s. (Carson McCullers died before this film was released, and the actual time frame was probably the 1930s, but updating it makes it work just as fine.) Singer has a best friend (Chuck McCann), who's also a deaf mute, but he's constantly getting into trouble, so he's committed by his uncle and sent to an asylum. Singer moves to be closer to his friend and finds a room in the home of Mick (the wonderful Sondra Locke, ostensibly playing McCullers). One of the strengths of the film is that it shows all of its characters to be blind, deaf and dumb in various ways, so the fact that Singer isn't "blind" puts him one up on most of the characters.

There are several other significant characters, including Mick's mom, pop and younger brothers, as well as an African-American family, consisting of a doctor (Percy Rodrigues) who has feared and hated Whites all his life, his daughter (Cicely Tyson) who has a major chip on her shoulder concerning her dad, and her new husband (Johnny Popwell). Although I enjoy most all the characters, my favorite may well be the drunk Blount (Stacy Keach) who's able to recognize his defects and keeps trying to improve himself, but the world he sees is just too painful and antagonistic to give into wholeheartedly. (I see myself as the Stacy Keach character, even though my wife and daughter have saved me and are continuing to try.) The film is very life-affirming, yet equally tragic. It does remind me in many ways of director Miller's other "best" film, Reuben, Reuben. I highly recommend it, especially for those who think that Sondra Locke never had any talent.