Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

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Yes I've seen DD and yes I knew what it was about before I saw it. However, despite it being the internet buzz film at the time, I was waiting for months for this to be released, let alone seen, I only knew about it and cared about it because Drew was in it. I think I watched it twice but, TBH, I don't really remember anything much about it, not helped by it being so complicated, of course.




I know I liked it, but I doubt I could answer many/any questions you have about it without seeing it again.
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5-time MoFo Award winner.





That's cool, I can't remember the details of a movie for more than a few days. In a month I'll hardly remember seeing Donnie Darko.

"I only knew about it and cared about it because Drew was in it.
"

Drew is the only actresses I know who will put a smile on your face in almost any movie she is in. She just radiates happiness in most all roles.

Did you see here in Grey Gardens? I thought she really earned her Barrymore name in that movie. I was impressed!



Pearl of the South Pacific


A rather obscure RKO film from 1955. What makes it somewhat interesting to film history buffs, it's one of the few, 3 strip technicolor films to shoot on location outside of the USA. Many of the exterior shots were done in Hawaii. I bet those idyllic beaches with nothing more than sand and palm trees swaying in the wind, are now dotted with hotels.

Virginia Mayo is the lead, it's her movie. She is watchable as the pearl seeking scoundrel, posing as a missionary to dupe the inhabitants of a remote island into giving her the priceless black pearls. Virginia looks real good in this too.

Dennis Morgan, a former leading man at Warner Bros in the 1940s, also stars. Here he's older and more surly too. Morgan plays a former flame of Virginia Mayo. Is he still carrying a torch for her? Or is he out to get the pearls for himself?

Legend has it that the very octopus monster prop used in this movie was also used by two great directors: Cecil B.De Mille and Ed Wood.

Pearl of the South Pacific is not a deep movie and yes there's some plot holes in it. But it's fun, it has it's moments and Virginia Mayo in Technicolor.




Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
It would fit nicely in a double bill with the Ed Wood octopus movie, Bride of the Monster, since it's about equal in the quality department.
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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
The pic for Pearl of the South Pacific isn't working for me. Anyone else see it?

If you right-click on the little white box, choose "Copy image URL", and paste it into the address bar of your browser, you should be able to see the picture.



The site you got the image from blocks "hotlinking"--IE: images embedded on external sites. It works fine when you access it because you're accessing it directly, rather than "through" this page.



Sounds good. Additionally, you can hit Preview Post and see if it shows up there, first. Or upload images to a free hosting site like www.imgur.com, which is the first/best choice for most people here.




I wanted to like this movie that was acted/directed/script written and produced by George Clooney...a 2014 production, telling the real tale of a group of U.S. service men seeking to recover stolen art, gold and valuables taken by the Nazis during WWII.

I should have liked this film. It's a period piece, has great sets and art direction and has an interesting premise based on historical events. To that mix add in, two first class actors George Clooney and Cate Blanchett. This movie should have scored big.

It didn't...it fell short of connecting with me in any emotional way. It neither showed the inner lives of these men, nor did it create excitement with the hunt for priceless stolen art.

Instead it relied on too many vignette sub-stories that might have been interesting had they been fleshed out more. Cate Blanchett's story line was the most intriguing but there wasn't enough of it. As usual Matt Damon was stoic. The movie attempts humor that comes off as forced and silly.

A MoFo'er said this movie had 'strange annoying tonal shifts'. He was right! The interior scenes are nicely lightened with warm gold colors and shadowing. BUT when the scenes go to an exterior shot, they are over bright with a white-blue light that looks like something shot in the 1970s on video tape. I wonder if Clooney intended that look? It's almost like they forgot to post production the color and exposure on the exteriors.




Has there been a movie that felt more like a wasted opportunity than Monuments Men the last five years? I actually rated it quite a bit lower than you. Really forgettable, which is the last thing it should have been.
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Well said Seanc, a wasted opportunity says it all.

I gave it 3/5 for the subject and sets. But as a story, yup I agree it could be rated lower.

I've seen documentaries on the search and recovery of the stolen art which were more entertaining than the movie.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
I completely agree about The Monuments Men. It was one of those movies that I really wanted to see it as soon as I saw the trailer, and I had high hopes for it because of its subject and cast, but I was disappointed. It was a completely forgettable movie.



I'm always up for a good WWII film, and it doesn't have to have lots of fighting in it. Actually I prefer more of the human side of the story.

I requested Inglourious Basterds (2009) so hopefully that one will be better. If you guys have other recommendations they would be welcomed.



Ignore HK, Inglourious Basterds is a blast, don't take it too seriously (people seem to complain about its moral standing) and treat it like a kind of comic book style film and it should be a whole lot of fun.



Yeah, my recommendation is don't watch Inglorious Basterds.
And my recommendation is don't listen to honeykid.
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I second both sentiments.

Basterds is the closest Tarantino will likely ever get to the heights of Pulp Fiction again. Absolutely tremendous. Probably seen it ten times now.