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Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Rewatch. I must say Peter Weir pulled it out here with both direction and the pacing of a really enthralling story.



⬆️ Terrific movie.
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Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

The Last Tree (Shola Amoo, 2019)
6/10
Cosmic Sin ( Edward Drake, 2021)
- 5/10
Mandabi (Usman Semben, 1968)
6/10
The Whole Shootin' Match (Eagle Pennell, 1978)
6.5/10

Lou Perry and Sonny Carl Davis are two losers who can't keep a job but always feel thay'll strike it rich.
RSO [Registered Sex Offender] (Bob Byington, 2008)
6/10
Broken Strings (Bernard B. Ray, 1940)
5/10
A Hell of a Note (Eagle Pennell, 1977)
- 6.5/10
Wolf's Hole (Vera Chytilová, 1987)
6/10

An animal's head somehow holds the key to mysterious happenings out in the middle of nowhere.
Strictly Unreliable (George Marshall, 1932)
6.5/10
Blood of the Mummy (Christine Parker, 2019)
4/10
Hips, Hips, Hooray! (Mark Sandrich, 1934)
6/10
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell (Emmett Malloy, 2021)
6.5/10

The short life of rap innovator The Notorious B.I.G. is shown through home -made videos, interviews and his music.
Smart Blonde (Frank MacDonald, 1937)
5.5/10
Delivered (Emma Tammi, 2020)
5/10
Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (Alfred E. Green, 1937)
6/10
The Mauritanian (Kevin Macdonald, 2021)
6.5/10

Where he was held without charge for 14 years, Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahar Rahim) is interviewed at Guantanamo Bay by his defense team (Shailene Woodley and Jodie Foster).
Son (Ivan Kavanagh, 2021)
5.5/10
Harmony and Me (Bob Byington, 2009)
+ 6/10
The Desert Song (Robert Florey, 1943)
5.5/10
Inflatable Sex Doll of the Wastelands AKA Dutch Wife in the Desert AKA Horror Doll (Atsushi Yamatoya, 1967)
6/10

Surrealistic pink film cult classic follows an indescribable, explicit path.
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Memories of Murder:

Wow! Just wow! There aren't enough superlatives in the world I could use to describe this film - my only regret is that I was almost 20 years late in viewing it. I'm currently on a mission to watch all of Bong Joon-ho's films, and while I THOUGHT Parasite was his best film to date - I was wrong, this is his true masterpiece. I still have to watch "Mother," and "The Host," but Memories of Murder... was perfection.

- 10/10



Well, I don't need to reiterate that Heat does very little for me but it's an easy choice between the two for me.

Yeah, after quickly reviewing his filmography I've seen a good number of his movies (but not Collateral) and Thief is the clear winner for me.
I 100% concur. I think Thief is Mann's best film, with Heat in second place.

Collateral was really good, but kind of level below those two imo.





42nd Street
This is a breezy little film and the last 15-20 minutes is a lot fun. Not that the first hour is a bummer or a drag, it's not, but the end is that good. That's when the singing and dancing really kicks in. It's a behind the scenes look at what it took to get a musical up and running during the depression. From casting, through rehearsals to the show. Fun little movie.



I just finished watching the movie Moxie (2021) on Netflix. Directed by Amy Poehler, this comedy/drama stars Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Alycia Pascual-Pena, Nico Hiraga, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. It's about a 16 year old girl who starts a feminist movement to call out the sexism at her school. My thoughts: I feel that Moxie has its heart in the right place and good intentions, but the end result is pretty mediocre. The lead character, Vivian, isn't interesting or compelling enough to carry the film and Hadley Robinson's performance feels flat. Principal Shelly's character was not believable and I didn't buy Marcia Gay Harden's performance. Patrick Schwarzenegger was very one note here as the stereotypical villainous high school quarter. This film and its characters could use more substance and better development. Also, for a film that is labelled as a comedy, it isn't very funny. There are some nice moments and a couple decent performances, but overall Moxie just isn't a very good film. And that's really a shame for a well intentioned film. I genuinely wish this was better. My rating is a
.





Memories of Murder:

Wow! Just wow! There aren't enough superlatives in the world I could use to describe this film - my only regret is that I was almost 20 years late in viewing it. I'm currently on a mission to watch all of Bong Joon-ho's films, and while I THOUGHT Parasite was his best film to date - I was wrong, this is his true masterpiece. I still have to watch "Mother," and "The Host," but Memories of Murder... was perfection.

- 10/10
Yeah, I saw this when it first came out. Then like 8 years later it was playing at an art theater and the tickets were pricier than I expected and when I asked why they said "Because of the director Q&A" and I was like "THE WHAT!!!!!?"

So that is the story about how I saw this film twice in the theater, and then the second time watched Bong Joon-Ho answer audience questions while my brain went Squeeeeeeeeeeee!



42nd Street
This is a breezy little film and the last 15-20 minutes is a lot fun. Not that the first hour is a bummer or a drag, it's not, but the end is that good. That's when the singing and dancing really kicks in. It's a behind the scenes look at what it took to get a musical up and running during the depression. From casting, through rehearsals to the show. Fun little movie.
Just watched this last night!



So behind on write-ups!!



The Lady Eve, 1941

Jean (Barbara Stanwyck) is part of a trio of con artists/card sharks who mostly operate on a cruise ship. When hapless (but very rich!) Charles (Henry Fonda) crosses her path, Jean automatically sets out to seduce him. But soon the game turns into real love. Can their relationship survive Jean's deception?

I quite enjoyed this film, and especially the first half, though I felt it lost steam and focus in the final third. Undoubtedly my favorite sequences were those in which Jean and her main con partner, the Colonel (Charles Coburn) bantered and, at times, sabotaged each others' intentions. There is a standout sequence in which Jean, Charles, and the Colonel are playing a game of cards--the Colonel is using every slight-of-hand trick he knows to beat Charles, while Jean capably goes head-to-head with slight-of-hand of her own to ensure that Charles does not lose. It is a funny but tense sequence, and it is wonderfully shot with the main action consisting of knowing glances and seemingly trivial movements.

Really, the movie shines brightest when it is letting Stanwyck do her thing as Jean, whether that's brilliantly manipulating Charles into ogling her, or defending him against being scammed by her partners. It is in her role as a conwoman that Jean comes across as strong, smart, and interesting.

Unfortunately, the character of Charles is a bit of a drip. Fonda does a good job of making the character mostly lovable and dopey. But in certain parts later in the film he crosses a line between dopey and dumb. Jean is such a strong, sparkling character, and it feels somehow wrong that THIS is the guy who makes her want to give it all up.

And what's worse is that by the end of the film, I didn't really care for their romance at all. There's a scene late in the film where Jean admits to having had sex when she was 16, and Charles FLIPS OUT and basically has a mild breakdown as he processes the fact that this person he loves *shocked face* has had sex before. I know that it's "of the time" or whatever, but it kind of soured me on the character. This scene is saved by what happens next, which is an increasingly elaborate confession from Jean that makes it sound as if she has slept with half of the US population. Stanwyck really sells the humor, and it ends up being mostly funny.

What you really feel in the second half of the film is the lack of spark from the scenes between Jean and her fellow con artists. Charles is a wet blanket, and his character is fun when he is the unknowing dupe in the middle of two con artists each pushing their own desire. But when he is asked to stand on his own as a purely comedic/romantic lead, there just isn't enough there.




Victim of The Night
So behind on write-ups!!



The Lady Eve, 1941

Jean (Barbara Stanwyck) is part of a trio of con artists/card sharks who mostly operate on a cruise ship. When hapless (but very rich!) Charles (Henry Fonda) crosses her path, Jean automatically sets out to seduce him. But soon the game turns into real love. Can their relationship survive Jean's deception?

I quite enjoyed this film, and especially the first half, though I felt it lost steam and focus in the final third. Undoubtedly my favorite sequences were those in which Jean and her main con partner, the Colonel (Charles Coburn) bantered and, at times, sabotaged each others' intentions. There is a standout sequence in which Jean, Charles, and the Colonel are playing a game of cards--the Colonel is using every slight-of-hand trick he knows to beat Charles, while Jean capably goes head-to-head with slight-of-hand of her own to ensure that Charles does not lose. It is a funny but tense sequence, and it is wonderfully shot with the main action consisting of knowing glances and seemingly trivial movements.

Really, the movie shines brightest when it is letting Stanwyck do her thing as Jean, whether that's brilliantly manipulating Charles into ogling her, or defending him against being scammed by her partners. It is in her role as a conwoman that Jean comes across as strong, smart, and interesting.

Unfortunately, the character of Charles is a bit of a drip. Fonda does a good job of making the character mostly lovable and dopey. But in certain parts later in the film he crosses a line between dopey and dumb. Jean is such a strong, sparkling character, and it feels somehow wrong that THIS is the guy who makes her want to give it all up.

And what's worse is that by the end of the film, I didn't really care for their romance at all. There's a scene late in the film where Jean admits to having had sex when she was 16, and Charles FLIPS OUT and basically has a mild breakdown as he processes the fact that this person he loves *shocked face* has had sex before. I know that it's "of the time" or whatever, but it kind of soured me on the character. This scene is saved by what happens next, which is an increasingly elaborate confession from Jean that makes it sound as if she has slept with half of the US population. Stanwyck really sells the humor, and it ends up being mostly funny.

What you really feel in the second half of the film is the lack of spark from the scenes between Jean and her fellow con artists. Charles is a wet blanket, and his character is fun when he is the unknowing dupe in the middle of two con artists each pushing their own desire. But when he is asked to stand on his own as a purely comedic/romantic lead, there just isn't enough there.

So, I wrote my final paper for The History Of American Film (1925-1950) at USC on what I called "The Death Of Screwball" because of this film.
Ultimately, there are better Screwball comedies. But this is the movie that inspired me to choose this genre to write about (others wrote about Westerns or Musicals or even the end of the of the Silent Era, I chose Screwball).
I think you have the movie well in hand. Fonda and his character are nothing more than the foil for Stanwyck (and not a particularly good one). The third act is just an excuse to allow Stanwyck to demonstrate her talent for slapstick to the audience and let them go away feeling good, and you're damn right, that card-game scene is absolutely brilliant (and has stuck with me for a full 30 years now).
It's not a great film but it's a pleasant enough diversion, distracted a bit by the weaknesses above, but really all you need in this one is the great Barbara Stanwyck unleashed. And she is.



So, I wrote my final paper for The History Of American Film (1925-1950) at USC on what I called "The Death Of Screwball" because of this film.
Ultimately, there are better Screwball comedies. But this is the movie that inspired me to choose this genre to write about (others wrote about Westerns or Musicals or even the end of the of the Silent Era, I chose Screwball).
That sounds cool; can you share that paper with us here somehow?



Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
Beastality is always fun but it's better when it's less fantastical.
I'm beginning to wonder about your username now!
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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.



I'm beginning to wonder about your username now!
Why? He's always been a chirpy f*cker.



Robot Jox

This one has proven to be tough to find, so a big thank you to @Torgo for the heads-up that it's now on Prime (and Tubi).

It's pretty clear that approximately 85% of the budget was used for the robot scenes. (I'm aware that this is technically "mecha" but in this movie they're called robots.) I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality of the robot designs and animation. The jerky nature of stop-motion animation lends itself to giant mechanical objects (see: Talos, AT-ATs), so this doesn't seem as dated as it might have. (Although the blue-screen effects are pretty lame.) There's really only two robot fights, one at the beginning and one at the end but if that's what you're here for (duh) you should be satisfied.

What happens between those fights is another matter. When you're spending most of your budget on SFX, there's not a lot left over for A-list or even B-list actors. So the cast is littered with lots of "do I know him?" faces. Performances range from serviceable to embarrassing. The story isn't exactly riveting, something about spies, but the whole thing feels like it was aimed squarely at tweens so it kind of gets away with its goofy charm. I felt like I was slumming the entire time, but I was never not entertained. I'd say it was just as good/bad as I was expecting.


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Calm with Horses (2019)

Quite a calm and considered film on the life of a bruiser working for a family of Irish drug dealers. A fairly predictable story but it had nice touches.





The Host

Excellent film. As all Joon-ho's films, it perfectly blends witty comedy, nail-biting thrills, and poignant messaging into one masterful assemblage.

Compared to his other films, I didn't find it QUITE as good as Parasite and Memories of Murder - but those are very high bars. It was a lot better than Okja, however.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure (Atsuji Shimizu, 2001)

Another sub-1-hour film but there's a lot more money behind it this time and it pretty much nails everything that makes the series great. Our main cast are as lovable as always (though Nami being relegated to damsel in distress is a bit unfortunate) and the side characters and villains-of-the-week are pretty great too. The pacing here is impeccable as well. It does everything it needs to in that short stretch of time without ever feeling rushed or scant on content. What really makes it shine is just how well it captures the One Piece feel, especially in the world/character design and the imaginative fight sequences. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
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