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I watched Barabarian today. My review: Barbarian does a good job of building suspense and getting to know characters before things start to happen. The film goes in some interesting and unexpected directions along the way. Score was very effective in helping set the mood. I liked the performances, although there were times when the characters' actions didn't seem believable enough and felt like they went against what the character should have done. Overall, this was an entertaining and memorable horror film. It's best not to read a lot about the film before seeing it. This is the type of film where the less you know, the better. My rating is



I watched Barabarian today.
I want to see it in the theatre but not sure if I will.

All the Skarsgård are amazing.



I forgot the opening line.

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Out of the Blue - (1980)

From the drugged out, crazy mind of director Dennis Hopper and two barely heard of screenwriters (Leonard Yakir & Brenda Nielson) comes a strange and sometimes shocking tale of an abused, neglected tearaway kid who loves punk and rock 'n' roll. It has a lot of heart - and begins with a shocking scene where Hopper's Don drives a truck into a school bus filled with small children. Thus his disappearance from his daughter Cebe's (Linda Manz) and heroin addict wife Kathy's (Sharon Farrell) lives. The film picks up as Don is about to be released from prison - an event looked forward to with fervor from Cebe, who has become a tearaway menace - skipping school, stealing, hanging out with wild musicians and drug-takers. The thing is, Don and Kathy are as untamed and savage as Cebe, and we learn some terrible truths about this family as we follow the course of Don's return. Great music, a dream-like atmosphere and crazed but fantastic performances (especially from young Linda Manz) lead to a horrifying conclusion, and we can only reckon on the fact that these two people should never have had a daughter. Hopper's directorial style is out-there, but through the chaos and instability we really get a sense of what growing up with broken parents engenders in a kid's heart and soul. I thought this was quite good. A memorable howl into the wind.

8/10


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Mr. Jones - (2019)

By 1933 the U.S.S.R. had become a complete mystery to the world - as the Nazis rose to power in Germany, Stalin sequestered all non-Russians in Moscow and forbade them to travel outside of the capital. Meanwhile, in the Ukraine, a famine directly attributable to the ruthless Russian dictator had turned into one of the most horrifying man-made disasters in history. 7 million people died, and the event went on to be given the name Holodomor, or Terror-Famine. This film is about one brave and plucky young journalist who found his way out of Moscow and to the Ukraine to see for himself what was happening - and what he saw was unspeakable horror. When he got back, nobody would believe him. This true-life tale of these events provide a compelling narrative, and if you haven't seen it, I recommend it. A solid movie about journalistic ethics, the Holodomor, George Orwell's Animal Farm and Gareth Jones - a man the Russians would hunt down and murder for exposing the truth of what happened.

7/10
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Latest Review : Le Circle Rouge (1970)



Libeled Lady (1936)



Ugh, I hate colorization.
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ENOUGH SAID
(2013, Holofcener)
-- recommended by Sylvie --



"You can’t live in fear of making a mistake."

Enough Said follows Eva, a middle-aged divorced masseuse that begins a relationship with Albert (James Gandolfini), without realizing that he is the ex-husband of her new client and friend, Marianne (Catherine Keener). The thing is that Marianne has already shared some significant "inside scoops" on her ex-husband, i.e. Albert, unbeknownst to both, which Eva sees as an opportunity to find out more about his boyfriend and "protect" herself.

Director and writer Nicole Holofcener does a great job of presenting both perspectives on the script, but her point of view stays on Eva most of the time, which also puts us – the audience – in the same awkward situation. But as good of a script this is, the strength lies on the performances from Dreyfous and Gandolfini. Their relationship and interactions feel so real and honest, that you can't help but root for them.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot
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Downsizing - (2017)




6/10
Totally agree with you regarding Downsizing...strange little film that wasn't sure of what it was trying to say.



FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
(1940, Hitchcock)



"I don't want any more economists, sages, or oracles bombinating over our cables. I want a reporter! Somebody who doesn't know the difference between an -ism and a kangaroo. A good, honest crime reporter. That's what the Globe needs. That's what Europe needs! There's a crime hatching on that bedeviled continent."

That's what newspaper editor Powers asks for, and that's what he gets with John Jones (Joel McCrea) when he sends him as "foreign correspondent" to Europe just before World War II starts. Jones is a no-nonsense crime reporter who approaches the task very much unlike his predecessor. This, in turn, puts him right in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy in this Hitchcock spy thriller.

This is my second watch of this film and I remember being quite impressed by it the first time. This time, it might have gone down a notch or two, but I still think it's a pretty good and thrilling film, and a showcase of Hitchcock's directing abilities. The whole sequence in the first act, starting with the shooting in the steps and ending at the windmill, is masterfully directed. And although it never goes back to that peak, all of the action setpieces are neatly handled and choreographed.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot



SHADOW OF A DOUBT
(1943, Hitchcock)



"You live in a dream. You're a sleepwalker, blind. How do you know what the world is like?"

Shadow of a Doubt follows the relationship between both relatives as Uncle Charlie visits his sister in the "ordinary" small town of Santa Rosa, California. His intention is to lay low after realizing that some men are after him. But the visit puts a strain in the previously idyllic relationship as Young Charlie starts suspecting something's wrong with her uncle. Is it all a dream, or was it a dream before?

Like Foreign Correspondent, this is my second watch of this excellent thriller. But this rewatch managed to sneak into my Hitchcock Top 5, pushing FC out. The way that Hitchcock builds the suspense and intrigue in this film is masterful, as you find yourself in Young Charlie's shoes trying to figure out what's going on, what's a dream and what's not.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot



SHADOW OF A DOUBT
(1943, Hitchcock)





Shadow of a Doubt follows the relationship between both relatives as Uncle Charlie visits his sister in the "ordinary" small town of Santa Rosa, California. His intention is to lay low after realizing that some men are after him. But the visit puts a strain in the previously idyllic relationship as Young Charlie starts suspecting something's wrong with her uncle. Is it all a dream, or was it a dream before?

Like Foreign Correspondent, this is my second watch of this excellent thriller. But this rewatch managed to sneak into my Hitchcock Top 5, pushing FC out. The way that Hitchcock builds the suspense and intrigue in this film is masterful, as you find yourself in Young Charlie's shoes trying to figure out what's going on, what's a dream and what's not.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot
Shadow of a Doubt was the first "real" (ie not for kids) movie that we were allowed to watch in my house. We owned the VHS tape of it and my sister and I watched it quite a lot.



Shadow of a Doubt was the first "real" (ie not for kids) movie that we were allowed to watch in my house. We owned the VHS tape of it and my sister and I watched it quite a lot.
Nice! I discovered it several years ago, but this rewatch pushed it into my Top 5. So good. It's also rumored to be Hitchcock's personal favorite out of his filmography.



Shadow of a Doubt was the first "real" (ie not for kids) movie that we were allowed to watch in my house. We owned the VHS tape of it and my sister and I watched it quite a lot.
Whoa, what a weird (but unexpectedly cool) choice; your parents must have awesome taste in movies, yo.



I forgot the opening line.

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La La Land - (2016)

This was my second viewing of La La Land after picking up the DVD around a year ago. It's a very energizing musical, with a bright bustling spontaneity about it. Once upon a time I wasn't such a big fan of Emma Stone or Ryan Gosling, and the pairing of them I kept seeing never did much for me, obviously - but such is the quality of La La Land that I started to accept them both after finally seeing this. It's something that felt compulsory at the time - seeing this movie. I had to have my own opinion about it. Colourful and dazzling, it completely upends your expectations by portraying a very real romantic relationship instead of your standard fantasy - and you'd always expect the fantasy in a film such as this. You get glimpses of perfection and heaven, with a heavy dose of reality, and I really like it. The music is quite catchy and up-tempo. Really nice.

8/10


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Hacksaw Ridge - (2016)

Another 2nd viewing - this time the U.S./Australian production Hacksaw Ridge, which is about Desmond Doss, the conscientious objector that nevertheless saved many lives as a medic in battle and was awarded the Medal of Honor. It was up against favourite La La Land for Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards, but neither film won. Personally, I might have been going for Manchester by the Sea - a favourite of mine. Anyway, this film - obviously massive, but it looks even better than it's $40 million budget would suggest, and Mel Gibson was very eager to prove himself again. I like Andrew Garfield, and he's fine here. I feel that I've been overexposed to battle scenes in films - but the ones we get here still stand out as far better than average. It's an interesting examination of killing people in the name of a just war - does that change the fact you're still killing? It took a special kind of bravery to resist what the army throws at Doss.

7.5/10


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Okay, that was interesting - but not at all my thing. There's a point these muscle men get to where it stops looking good and starts to look weird, and most of the contestants in the competitions reviewed here have passed that stage. Arnold Schwarzenegger is meant to be the bad guy, but he just can't help but come off charming and really friendly regardless. He seems like your genuine nice guy. The others in this were a range of types, and Bud Cort decided, wisely, that he didn't want his scenes included in the film. You can see them in Raw Iron : The Making of Pumping Iron.

6/10


By "Copyright © 1958 Loew's, Incorporated" - Scan via Heritage Auctions. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/inde...curid=86577837

GiGi - (1958)

There is a certain kind of Parisian wealth where you consider a young lady living in a palatial mansion with gold-leafed walls, diamond chandeliers and all kinds of furniture and jewelry as a potential match - but have to consider it carefully because you'd be marrying a poor girl. Poor? I thought the obviously poverty-stricken GiGi was some kind of princess - but apparently she's destitute and desperate. Let them all eat cake I suppose. I enjoyed the music in GiGi, and the production design was absolutely through the roof and gorgeous - not to mention the costumes - but the story left a few things to be desired, and all this fussing over stupidly wealthy people turns me off sometimes.

6/10




Dead End (2003, Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa)

Some good dark humor and acting in this French-made low-budget mystery horror 'road movie'—Ray Wise (Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks) and Lin Shaye were especially good—but the black humor was a bit over-prevalent for my taste and took some of the edge off the creepy atmosphere this film potentially could have had. The reveal at the end was pretty good— predictable in hindsight but I didn't see it coming. Worth a watch.



Victim of The Night
SHADOW OF A DOUBT
(1943, Hitchcock)





Shadow of a Doubt follows the relationship between both relatives as Uncle Charlie visits his sister in the "ordinary" small town of Santa Rosa, California. His intention is to lay low after realizing that some men are after him. But the visit puts a strain in the previously idyllic relationship as Young Charlie starts suspecting something's wrong with her uncle. Is it all a dream, or was it a dream before?

Like Foreign Correspondent, this is my second watch of this excellent thriller. But this rewatch managed to sneak into my Hitchcock Top 5, pushing FC out. The way that Hitchcock builds the suspense and intrigue in this film is masterful, as you find yourself in Young Charlie's shoes trying to figure out what's going on, what's a dream and what's not.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot
The review is lost to time, but when I first saw this, I was underwhelmed and then on my second viewing I was like, "Damn, dude, what movie did you watch the first time, this is a borderline masterpiece of suspense!"



Victim of The Night

By "Copyright © 1958 Loew's, Incorporated" - Scan via Heritage Auctions. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/inde...curid=86577837

GiGi - (1958)

There is a certain kind of Parisian wealth where you consider a young lady living in a palatial mansion with gold-leafed walls, diamond chandeliers and all kinds of furniture and jewelry as a potential match - but have to consider it carefully because you'd be marrying a poor girl. Poor? I thought the obviously poverty-stricken GiGi was some kind of princess - but apparently she's destitute and desperate. Let them all eat cake I suppose. I enjoyed the music in GiGi, and the production design was absolutely through the roof and gorgeous - not to mention the costumes - but the story left a few things to be desired, and all this fussing over stupidly wealthy people turns me off sometimes.

6/10
I think this is pretty much exactly how this movie plays today.