Rate The Last Movie You Saw

The China Syndrome follows Wells and his cameraman Richard Adams (Michael Douglas) as they follow up on a potential nuclear emergency. After witnessing and incident that they believe could've led to a meltdown, they start uncovering a series of coverups taken by the administrators to cut corners in the plant maintenance. However, their efforts might put them all in danger.

James Bridges, who wrote and directed, delivers a smart script and taut direction that relies more on slow, tense moments and conversations, rather than big, elaborate setpieces. When I read that he was also the writer of the underseen Colossus: The Forbin Project, it made sense. Here he uses similar "control room" interactions that put in the spotlight human's fallibility and our reliance on "machines" to do the job for us.

Grade:


Full review on my Movie Loot

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A well made picture which rode the '70s anti nuclear wave. I remember leaving the theater, and realizing that some idiots from my generation actually believed that a nuclear facility could blow up and melt all the way through the Earth to China. Kinda reminds me of the current hysterical nonsense over "climate change".

Al Maht (or All Eyes on Him) is a Kuwaiti animated film that follows Tawfeeq (Sayood), a young man stuck on that cycle of decisions. The film starts with him as he's about to graduate high school, and follows his life as he tries to navigate some of the above questions of life.

This was certainly an interesting watch, especially because of how it tries to juggle different tones. On one hand, the film features some hit-and-miss comedy beats that are thrown at a frenetic, non-stop pace; but on the other hand, some of the themes that are explored regarding life choices and the effects they have for ourselves and those around us are relatively well presented.

Grade:


Full review on my Movie Loot

Certainly it's not very "smart" to believe that a nuclear core could melt all the way through to China, but regardless of what some people would believe, the term was never meant to be literal but rather meant to highlight the seriousness and the risk of handling a nuclear power plant.

Personally, I think the trade-off of nuclear power versus the risks of an accident is way off balance and I don't think it's worth it, which is evident when you see the lives that have been impacted by notable disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima, as well as the dozens of "less popular" nuclear incidents around the world.

No worries. There's more than enough people who think like you to insure our fate.

I miss when the old people who used this website were chill ones like nebbit and mark f, now we have to put up with cranks like Doc here.

Creed III -

basically anime

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

I had a teacher in high school that used to throw chairs at us, and did a lot of worse things. He wasn't allowed to do it, but he did it. His class was one hour of pure chair-gripping terror. (He'd throw tables at us as well - and I'm not exaggerating or kidding.) I don't think Fletcher was allowed to do it either, in the film. If I remember correctly he gets fired when his antics are complained about. I haven't got an issue with any of your viewpoints, except for that one, because you're faulting the film for something it isn't putting forward.

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Empire of Light - (2022)

There seemed to be something being said when this Sam Mendes' film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography and nothing else - and that helped me to be not too disappointed in the end result. I didn't have my hopes up, and they weren't exceeded or let down. It delights me most in a nostalgic way, for being about something I loved during a time period I loved, and for Roger Deakins' work behind the camera. At times, it seemed to be getting better - when concentrating on mental illness for instance, where Olivia Colman was most challenged. Unfortunate then that it gets very easy to think "ugh...wants another Oscar" with moments in the screenplay that seem to scream 'Oscar-bait'. That's not to say she's not good - because she's fine in this. The film contains an unusual, and uncomfortable kind of romance, which figures a little too neat and fine in the end - I didn't love the screenplay. We're not particularly challenged, and so it just ends up a reasonable movie that will probably end up being forgotten before the 2020s are out. Like some of the other films showing at the Empire Cinema. With some of the shots you forget about the film's plot just to enjoy them - there will sometimes be a few clever moments in a row.

6/10


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Chico & Rita - (2010)

Way back when the first Puss in Boots was being nominated for an Oscar, so was Chico & Rita, a racy film about a Cuban musician and his muse - who turns out to be the love of his life, despite the fact events (and his bad behaviour) conspire to keep them apart over and over again. If there was ever a 'jazz' style of animation, this would be it - it's very free and wild, always moving, and never rigidly defined. There's great music, fire-like passion and young love - along with two different kind of oppression, American and Communist Cuban. The systems do both Chico and Rita wrong, almost as much as they do each other wrong, despite their obvious desire for each other. Set in Cuba, New York, Las Vegas and Paris during the late 1940s and 1950s - it's cool, sexy and pretty good.

7/10

Ironically (in light of the comment you are responding to) there's a pretty strong argument that nuclear power is worth it in light of climate change and current energy needs, in spite of its obvious downsides. Most obviously, nuclear power generates a low amount of carbon, especially compared with fossil fuels. It's not a slam dunk--this column lays out pros and cons--but in the face of the potentially existential threat of climate change, it's probably necessary to keep our options open.

Oh, and to keep this film-related, Oliver Stone--who is definitely a crank but has a point here--is making the same case in his new documentary.

Dune (2021)





at least it cured my insomnia

Hey Whit, what's with the cheap ad hominem insults? This is the second time you've derided me personally. I let the first one go, but stop the snide affronts.

How about this: I'll stay out of your posts, and you stay out of mine. Deal?

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Topkapi - (1964)

Watching the extra features on the Criterion edition of Rififi, I learned more about Jules Dassin, and if one film was highlighted above all the others he made in the short doco I watched it was Topkapi. I still don't have a great understanding of which films of his were better than others, but this one was a surprise - it's a heist film that's a cut above some recent ones, full of comedy but also loaded with excruciating tension during the period where the plan is put into action. Melina Mercouri (as Elizabeth Lipp) and Maximilian Schell (as Walter Harper) head the cast, but most enjoyable is Peter Ustinov, who won an Oscar for playing the role of Arthur Simon Simpson, the petty huckster and hustler whose amateur antics attract so much attention that he's recruited without his knowledge to smuggle the crew's gear into Turkey. When it's discovered, the Turkish Secret Service recruit him as their spy - a role he's not up for. Eventually, Arthur joins in on the heist, despite his penchant for buggering things up. He's uniquely funny, but also as sweet a hustler as you'll ever meet. Another great Jules Dassin film, and a recommendation from me for those who haven't seen it.

8/10

Even the trailer for it is charming, so I'm including it...

Wake Island (1942) on dvd. Nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including best picture and best director (John Farrow). This was a pretty good war film. Worth a watch.

Hunt Her Kill Her (2023)

I really didn't like the new Prey or Hellraiser films but this...this might have been the PC horror film that finally broke me. This is the story of a single mom starting her first night as a janitor in a warehouse. During her first night she ends being stalked by a series of knife wielding masked killers. It's kinda like Home Alone meets Home Depot, and well that's not a bad idea.

The problem with the film is that when you get past the concept you are left with a heavy handed poorly executed stupid film. Not to get into spoilers but the plots holes and poor execution is borderline experimental. I can understand getting a knife to fight the attackers and losing it once...in this movie it happens three times. You know what's scary...guys in masks not talking, you know what's not scary guys in masks loudly talking to each other telling the hiding victim what they are going to do and how they are going to do it.

But the worst thing about this film is the crime makes zero sense.



This is a film that got mixed reviews, better reviews than Ant-Man

I wish I could put your hand in a box right meow 😝

i just used the voice on you. did you soil yourself like i commanded? no? 😭

🤪

Our elementary school in England had a vicious teacher. Especially with the boys. He frequently threw things. Once a blackboard eraser at my head for “dreaming”.

This teacher also had a crush on one little girl in my grade. She was called Stella & he was enchanted by her.

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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

No idea why The NY Times considered this movie to be worth watching.

The opening scenes of this Romanian movie were of a married couple (at least married in the movie) engaging in unsimulated anal sex. So I will always have a picture of this in my head.

I did finish the movie, but it was strange all the way through.

Just checked it out for science. Definitely doesn't look like anal sex to me. You can see her anus while he's entering her vagina. Trust me, I'm an expert.

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San Franciscan lesbian dwarves and their tomato orgies.

Running Scared follows Costanzo and his partner, Ray (Gregory Hines) as they try to track down dangerous drug lord, Julio Gonzales (Jimmy Smits). However, after the cops survive a shootout during a raid on a gun shipment for Gonzales, the two start to question their careers and start thinking about retiring early and opening a bar in Florida.

The thing that works about this film is that Hines and Crystal have an undeniable chemistry. Their banter is funny, cool, and infectious. You can also feel there's a dose of Crystal's ad-libbing, but it works perfectly. The film has a good dose of solid one-liners, and the supporting cast (that includes Joe Pantoliano and Dan Hedaya, among others) is pretty good.

Grade:


Full review on my Movie Loot