Movie Tab II

WOW! You really disliked this one. By Far it isn't his best work, though I got my fair share of entertainment out of it. The editing is composed with that Peckinpah touch that he`s renowned for. Caan I thought was rather good and the rest of the cast isn't to far behind. The Plot is at best simple basically one dimensional. Intriguing what perhaps do you think of The Osterman Weekend, Cross of Iron and The Ballad of Cable Hogue

Law Abiding Citizen

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

If you're referring to me here, mark. It's not that these were crummier films, I just enjoyed The Killer Elite more. The other two just seemed to drag for me.

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People Will Talk

A fairly peculiar movie about challenging orthodoxy, medical marvels, and talking things out. It wallows through a couple of dead zones when words crowd all the oxygen out of some scenes, but generally contains some sparky characters, a fun minor mystery, and plenty of other quirks to keep you entertained. (I'm not sure whether I include the strange Germanic swell to the ending amongst them, but I do include the accidental emergence of an Irish accent that has struggled to stay submerged for so long). Can't say I agree with all the ideas floated, and it does pick some easy targets, but it is an intriguing little flick, and Grant is top notch as the charismatic lead.

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El Dorado

It sounds like you're scratching the surface. Go ahead and dig a little deeper please. What ideas don't you agree with? Which were the "deadest" zones? What did you thnk of the "train scene"? BEEP. BEEP BEEP. BEEP BEEP BEEP. Shunderson's story... c'mon now, you didn't guess that even with all the clues, did you?

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Yeah, Shundy I got nowhere close on, but I was happy to wait for the reveal. I was just pretty sure he wouldn't be the most obvious thing they seemed to be pitching...



The ideas I don't necessarily agree with were the seeming anti-'letting die' & abortion stances (although I thought they were both beautifully handled, for all that - the 'talking cure' made very real).

The deadest zones for me mainly involved Crain, who I found a touch insipid (making later developments all the odder to an extent). I thought some lines just after the (amusing ) train scene almost parodied her cypher-like role/performance ('Do I seem to be crying a lot' etc - which kinda made up for it ).

What other aspects, beyond 'gossip'/perceptions & redemption etc do you think I should be digging?

I just watched it yesterday as well. I thought it was great. The train scene was absolutely hysterical (I also would really like to turn my house into a train station now). Her line to him after the big disaster is just priceless too.

I didn't get any anti letting die or abortion stances from the film. I did get a lot of positive thinking messages which I agree with. I also really liked the friendships he made. Shunderson especially. We suspected what may have happened to him but obviously didn't guess the whole story.

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We are both the source of the problem and the solution, yet we do not see ourselves in this light...

Nothing specific. I mainly wanted to hear more details. Is it me, or do you give 90% of your movies ? I, of course, think this is better than 90+% of the movies I see. I'm glad you picked up on the abortion part. That's got to be one of the first at least semi-legit discussions of it in American movies. Hopefully,you will rewatch this many times and come to give the Jeanne Crain character more credit as a woman fully deserving of the attention of the greatest doctor I've ever seen, in real life or fiction.

"His answer was unsatisfactory." Gotta love it.

Oh, I missed you, PW. I'm happy that you and yours enjoyed it. It always makes me feel good. Hell, I'm crying right now...

I do give a huge number the -ish treatment, ay. I think it's coz my scale starts with the idea that is practically impossible (coz I ask the practically impossible of it - that the movie move me, inform me, and be executed with invention or stylish competence on top. So I'm often marking films down in one area or another). People hit all the above points, but maybe not quite enough (only some of the strands really moved me, for example....)



Pretty harsh, but there y'go. That's how I've ended up approaching grades. (I've never really liked using them, but I can see the sense of have a stab at a quick 'number summary').

Ay, that bit was class

And PW, I don't know why, but I totally missed the obvious...

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There was something about his 'doggy' presence that wagged my tail just to have him around

The thing that gets me about Shunderson is how Dr. Praetorious says that he may seem slow or dull-witted, but in truth, Shunderson never does and seems to have a much-better grasp on life than most characters, especially Professor Elwell.

Yeah he doesn't come across as 'slow' to me, but I guess he does have that 'hangdog' look when not interacting, and he keeps himself to himself a lot. Elwell is another of my minor-probs with the film, in that he felt like the biggest stereotype of all - the ivory tower cynic & jealous co-worker rolled into one. On the grounds that medics (& academics) can become pretty distanced from their emotions, and egotistical, I kinda went with it tho. Felt he was something of a 'strawman' baddie tho all told - especially in a film concerning itself with the nuances of how we all rub along.

But ****, I'll get my crit on over just about anything, I don't mean to detract from what is good about the film, and the touching humanity of Dr P (& Shunny), and his ability to take things on the chin & get to the heart of the matter, were some of the standout aspects. (Just re-emphasising because feel I've belaboured my neg reactions a bit too much ).

I think I'd probably keep pretty quiet too if what happened to him happened to me. You know?

I just wish people still talked the way did back then.

Me too! I try sometimes,but then when everyone else starts talking, my attempts kinda get lost.

Enter the Dragon (Robert Clouse,1973) - I had to watch it for class, and it was still great after all these years. Stunningly choreographed martial arts scenes. I love this movie.




The Yellow Handkerchief (Udayan Prasad,2008) - Disappointing. For some reason this has been receiving glowing reviews, but I couldn't figure out why. Script was bad, and much of the acting left a lot to be desired, even William Hurt.

All from the lists this week.

Marty (1955, Delbert Mann)

The Shootist (1976, Don Siegel)

The Gunfighter (1950, Henry King)

Seconds (1966, John Frankenheimer)

Memories of Murder (2003, Bong Joon-ho)

Brighton Rock (1947, John Boulting)

Point Blank (1967, John Boorman)

Man of the West (1958, Anthony Mann)

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

Lost In Translation -
It took me awhile but I finally got around to seeing this flick, and I'm very glad I did. It's one of those films that makes a profound impact on you, but you're just not really able to nail down how it affected you until you let it sit in your mind for awhile. Well, it's in my head somewhere towards the back. I'm sure I'll be struck with some sort of revelation in a couple days.

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"This is that human freedom, which all boast that they possess, and which consists solely in the fact, that men are conscious of their own desire, but are ignorant of the causes whereby that desire has been determined." -Baruch Spinoza

And the Joaquin Phoenix marathon continues with two offerings from 2000.



Gladiator

Not much needs to be said about this film that paved the way for countless other new swords-and-sandals flicks. The performances are universally strong (garnering an Academy Award nomination for Joaquin Phoenix as best supporting actor and a nomination and win for Russell Crowe as best actor), the effects and battle sequences are a visual treat, as are the sets and costumes and this is one movie I can never grow tired of. It still amazes me that it's been a decade since this movie was made. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was lining up time and time again to see it in the theater.






Quills

I love this movie. It's so deliciously full of sex, humor, brutality and insanity. It's absolutely bursting with it, and the performances are nothing short of mesmerizing. Geoffrey Rush is particularly charismatic and hypnotic as the Marquis de Sade, but Phoenix, Kate Winslet, and Michael Caine are incredible in their respective roles as well. The sets and cinematography, too, flawlessly transform an idyllic world of compassion and love into one of paranoia, violence, greed and death.

"There is, in each of us, such beauty and such abomination," says the Abbe de Coulmier. I agree. And there is an abundance of both in this movie as well.

+++

And dammit, honeykid, you really need to find your copy and watch it!

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I don't think you're being a bit generous. I'd rate it a 5/5. I love Fletch. Clue, as well. Two of my all-time favorite comedies.

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Apocalypto (Gibson, 2006)



Wow - This film is pretty brutal. I hadn't paid much attention to this film, so I had very little information going in. I definitely liked it, aside from a couple of odd scenes that didn't quite gel with the tone of the film. Overall, I though it was well directed. Pretty visceral stuff.

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