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I do not think any single movie can be called the greatest of all time but I think this film has as good a claim to that title as any.

An 11/10 movie in my opinion
Not many 11/10 movies, Taxi Driver off the top of my head



Not many 11/10 movies, Taxi Driver off the top of my head
@Yoda You should really consider introducing a down-rep button



To be honest I think every film aficionado should hate at least one 'great' movie. That's proof that they are thinking independently and critically about the medium rather than just basing their tastes on another's opinion.

For me that just happens to be Taxi Driver.



To be honest I think every film aficionado should hate at least one 'great' movie. That's proof that they are thinking independently and critically about the medium rather than just basing their tastes on another's opinion.

For me that just happens to be Taxi Driver.
No doubt, I hate many.



The Cranes Are Flying (1957) -


WARNING: spoilers below
While I'm not the biggest fan of classic romance films, I was definitely eager to watch this film for this thread as I've been meaning to get to it for a while. While I'm not sure I consider it to be a great film, I liked a lot about it and another viewing may get me to like it even more.

After finishing it, I was rather surprised as to how it was a fairly low-key romance. After Boris left for WWII, most of the film followed Veronika's attempts of coping with his absence and the fear of him being killed, while she was stuck in a loveless relationship with Mark. Due to this, the film maintained a steady atmosphere of despair, yet never felt like it was wallowing in this. A major thing which sets this film above most other classical romances I've seen is that it refuses to tie itself up into a neat bow in terms of its emotional register. Many tragedies befall Veronika and, though she isn't able to recover from all of them, the ending shows that, even if she can't be made whole again, she can still move on. I found the ending to be more layered and impactful than what I normally see in romance films.

The camerawork and editing were also really impressive. The how-did-they-shoot-that scene of Boris running up a set of stairs as the camera followed him was pretty great, a dreamlike sequence of Boris imagining a wedding between he and Veronika was nothing short of technically impressive, and the air raid shown from the perspective of Veronika's apartment ranks among the most claustrophobic things I've seen in film in a while. I also appreciated how some of the lighting used in the happier and playful moments of the film had a strong, dreamlike glare to it (as could be seen with the sunlight in the opening, for example). These scenes caused the film to be stylistically impressive and they make me more excited to watch Kalatozov's Letter Never Sent for this thread.

With all that being said, while there's a lot to love about this film, I'll need to watch it again to decide if I think it's great or just really good since I'm still mulling over a major directorial choice in it. Around the middle of the film, Boris is killed in the war while on a reconnaissance mission. While his death is certainly unexpected and among the most visually and technically impressive scenes in the film, I did wonder whether his death would've had a stronger impact had it been saved for later. As it stood, I felt that his death sacrificed some of the narrative tension I enjoyed over whether he'd survive. To be fair though, this was in service of setting up an even bleaker tone in the second half with Mark being more at the forefront. Since I'm not quite sure what to make of that scene and the effect it has on the film as of now though, I'll have to rewatch the film to decide whether I liked this choice or not.

Regardless of what direction the film goes in in the second half though, I quite enjoyed this film and I found that it mostly lived up to its reputation as a great film. Another viewing may get me to like it even more.
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The Cranes Are Flying (1957) -


WARNING: spoilers below
While I'm not the biggest fan of classic romance films, I was definitely eager to watch this film for this thread as I've been meaning to get to it for a while. While I'm not sure I consider it to be a great film, I liked a lot about it and another viewing may get me to like it even more.

After finishing it, I was rather surprised as to how it was a fairly low-key romance. After Boris left for WWII, most of the film followed Veronika's attempts of coping with his absence and the fear of him being killed, while she was stuck in a loveless relationship with Mark. Due to this, the film maintained a steady atmosphere of despair, yet never felt like it was wallowing in this. A major thing which sets this film above most other classical romances I've seen is that it refuses to tie itself up into a neat bow in terms of its emotional register. Many tragedies befall Veronika and, though she isn't able to recover from all of them, the ending shows that, even if she can't be made whole again, she can still move on. I found the ending to be more layered and impactful than what I normally see in romance films.

The camerawork and editing were also really impressive. The how-did-they-shoot-that scene of Boris running up a set of stairs as the camera followed him was pretty great, a dreamlike sequence of Boris imagining a wedding between he and Veronika was nothing short of technically impressive, and the air raid shown from the perspective of Veronika's apartment ranks among the most claustrophobic things I've seen in film in a while. I also appreciated how some of the lighting used in the happier and playful moments of the film had a strong, dreamlike glare to it (as could be seen with the sunlight in the opening, for example). These scenes caused the film to be stylistically impressive and they make me more excited to watch Kalatozov's Letter Never Sent for this thread.

With all that being said, while there's a lot to love about this film, I'll need to watch it again to decide if I think it's great or just really good since I'm still mulling over a major directorial choice in it. Around the middle of the film, Boris is killed in the war while on a reconnaissance mission. While his death is certainly unexpected and among the most visually and technically impressive scenes in the film, I did wonder whether his death would've had a stronger impact had it been saved for later. As it stood, I felt that his death sacrificed some of the narrative tension I enjoyed over whether he'd survive. To be fair though, this was in service of setting up an even bleaker tone in the second half with Mark being more at the forefront. Since I'm not quite sure what to make of that scene and the effect it has on the film as of now though, I'll have to rewatch the film to decide whether I liked this choice or not.

Regardless of what direction the film goes in in the second half though, I quite enjoyed this film and I found that it mostly lived up to its reputation as a great film. Another viewing may get me to like it even more.
I think a 2nd viewing would help you out, based on my experience with it; I mean, I only watched it once when I reviewed it eight years ago on the Corrie, but even without rewatching it since then, it's only grown in my memory since then, so I can only imagine what a rewatch might to do to improve it for me. At any rate, I feel it's a pretty great, visually impressive movie these days, so I'm just happy you like it at all, Pops; way to go!



I think a 2nd viewing would help you out, based on my experience with it; I mean, I only watched it once when I reviewed it eight years ago on the Corrie, but even without rewatching it since then, it's only grown in my memory since then, so I can only imagine what a rewatch might to do to improve it for me. At any rate, I feel it's a pretty great, visually impressive movie these days, so I'm just happy you like it at all, Pops; way to go!
Thanks, Stu! I definitely plan to rewatch it soon to see how I respond to it. I have a feeling I'll like it even more.



Victim of The Night
To be honest I think every film aficionado should hate at least one 'great' movie. That's proof that they are thinking independently and critically about the medium rather than just basing their tastes on another's opinion.

For me that just happens to be Taxi Driver.
I didn't hate The African Queen, but I definitely did not like it.

So I guess there's mine.



Full Circle (1977)
aka The Haunting of Julia

A slow-burn ghost story somewhat similar to The Changeling, but not as good. Mia Farrow does what she does best as a grieving mother on and over the brink of a nervous breakdown. The first act is the weakest, but the story gets more interesting towards the end. I liked the ending, and the end credits are really stylish.
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Some Movies I've seen over the past month or so-

Grease- 7.5/10

Grease 2- 8.5/10

Greased Lightning- 7.5/10

2010- 8/10

The Car- 9/10

Hell's Angels- 10/10

Scarface- 10/10

The Outlaw- 9.5/10

Team America- 6/10

White Lightning- 8/10

Driven- 1/10

Top Gun- 8/10

Bonnie and Clyde- 9/10

The Bonnie Parker Story- 8.5/10

Bonnie and Clyde the True Story- 8/10

Red Corvette- 8/10

Roadhouse- 7.5/10

Initial D- 9/10

Stone- 9/10

Hot Pursuit- 8.5/10

Weird Science- 9/10

Smokey and the Bandit- 8/10

Smokey and the Bandit 2- 8/10

Smokey and the Bandit 3- 7.5/10

Ferris Bueller's Day Off- 10/10

Dukes of Hazzard- 8/10

Dukes of Hazzard The Beginning- 7/10

Pink Cadillac- 9/10

Swap Meet- 8.5/10

Dude Where's My Car- 7.5/10

Need For Speed- 7/10

The Aviator- 10/10

The Cannonball Run- 8/10

The Cannonball Run 2- 8/10

Cannonball- 8/10

Speed Zone- 8/10

El Camino- 9.5/10

Stroker Ace- 7.5/10

The Hitcher- 8/10

The Hitcher 2- 6.5/10

Death Race 2000- 8.5/10

Space Cowboys- 8/10

Taxi- 8.5/10

Taxi 2- 8.5/10

Taxi 3- 8.5/10

Taxi 4- 8.5/10

Taxi 5- 7.5/10

Brazil- 10/10

Mad Max- 8.5/10

Mad Max 2- 8.5/10

Mad Max 3- 8/10

Spirits of The Dead- 7.5,8.5 and 10/10

Redline 7000- 8/10

Holy Motors- 8.5/10

Flight- 9/10

Born to race- 7.5/10

Born to race 2- 6/10

Redline- 7/10

Little Rascals- 8.5/10

Little Rascals 2- 7.5/10

Hajwala- 6.5/10

The Art of Racing in the Rain- 7.5/10

Wings- 10/10

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines- 9/10

Vanishing Point- 8/10

Kid Auto Races at Venice- 6/10

Grand Prix- 9.5/10

Bullitt- 9.5/10

Winning- 8.5/10

Le Mans- 9/10

Days of Thunder- 8/10

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man- 7/10

Funny Car Summer- 9.5/10

Gumball Rally- 9/10

Repo Man- 8.5/10

Wing Commander- 8/10

The Lively Set- 9/10

Easy Rider- 9/10

Easy Rider 2- 5/10

Fangio- 9.5/10

American Graffiti- 9.5/10

THX 1138- 8.5/10

Heart like a Wheel- 8/10

Tucker: The Man and his Dream- 9.5/10

Speed Racer- 8.5/10

Dusty and Sweets McGee- 9/10

2 Lane Blacktop- 9/10

The Last American Hero- 8.5/10

The Wraith- 7.5/10

Johnny English 3- 8.5/10

Kung Fury- 8/10

Joe Dirt- 7/10

Joe Dirt 2- 4/10

Space Truckers- 7/10

Talladega Nights- 7.5/10



To be honest I think every film aficionado should hate at least one 'great' movie. That's proof that they are thinking independently and critically about the medium rather than just basing their tastes on another's opinion.

For me that just happens to be Taxi Driver.
I have a substantial list of so-called "great" films that haven't worked for me. That's the beauty of things, that people can perceive things differently, and discuss those differences, and not blast each other for not agreeing
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Grand Illusion 1937 ‘La Grande Illusion’ Jean Renoir



The Seventh Seal 1957 ‘Det sjunde inseglet’ Ingmar Bergman

+

A Touch of Zen 1971 ‘俠女’ King Hu

+

Underground 1995 ‘Подземље’ Emir Kusturica



Malena 2000 Giuseppe Tornatore



Tema di malena · Ennio Morricone



I forgot the opening line.

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48828389

Eddie the Eagle (2016)

It would be typical of me to trash the hell out of a movie like this. We've had Cool Runnings and what must be 1000 similar sporting triumph films. "Cookie-Cutter", "Paint-by-Numbers" and "Auto-script" would have been terms bandied about, but by hell this film managed to win me over. There's something utterly infectious about what Michael Edwards achieved (or failed to achieve) in real life and Taron Egerton's portrayal of him - not to mention ski jumping itself, which I never realised. I would have given this film an 8 if they hadn't of felt the need to beef up the cast with Hugh Jackman and Christopher Walken, who just end up being big distractions. Jim Broadbent's BBC commentator is perfect though - and loads of fun.

7/10




Her (2013, Spike Jonze)

[rewatch] This has Lost In Translation vibes all over it, with its achingly bittersweet, longing tone, the themes of loneliness and atomization amid an increasing role of technology in the modern world, the inability to connect and maintain relationships. At its core it's a love story - albeit a rather bizarre one - but it's more than that, as it digs deep into big existential questions of what the future holds for humans' interaction with one another and with AI. Probably the star of the show is Hoyte Van Hoytema's gorgeous cinematography, which captures moments of transcendent beauty throughout the film (i.e the ending or the beach sequence, among others). This film is and will remain relevant for years to come.



Palmer (2021)

Low key drama about a con (Timberlake) coming out and back into his old community where there's a mixture of welcoming, stand-offishness and hostility. Personally, I liked this even if the story was a bit formulaic. Been quite a fan of Timberlake since "Alpha-Dog".






Clunky & old-fashioned, but the sentiments are as relevant today as they were then in this time of #metoo. Women have come far, but not as far as one would imagine.



Never seen this before. The two leads so good.



Small indie movie playing out in NYC. I have zero interest in kids + skate-boarding, but it’s an interesting storyline. All the actors except Will Smith’s son are non-professionals. I enjoyed it.
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Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

Difret (Zeresenay Mehari, 2014)
6/10
Under the Tree (Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, 2017)
- 6.5/10
Condemned to Live (Frank R. Strayer, 1935)
4/10
Tread (Paul Solet, 2020)
+ 6.5/10

Steamroller modified as an armored tank is employed by Marvin Heemeyer over sleights he felt from the people there to try to destroy Granby, Colorado in 2004.
Things Heard & Seen (Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini, 2021)
5/10
Lucy, the Human Chimp (Alex Parkinson, 2021)
6.5/10
The Swinging Barmaids (Gus Trikonis, 1975)
5/10
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Michael Rianda & Jeff Rowe, 2021)
+ 7.5/10

Family with a few maladjustments must bond together to save the world from a pissed-off app.
Enemies (Mariya Mozhar, 2007)
6/10
Murder at Glen Athol AKA The Criminal Within (Frank R. Strayer, 1936)
5/10
Eerie (Mikhail Red, 2018)
6/10
Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President (Mary Wharton, 2020)
7/10

Jimmy Carter's rise to the U.S. Presidency was aided and facilitated by his support from American rock, jazz, country, pop and gospel music.
Stilles Land (Andreas Dresen, 1992)
6/10
Angels Die Hard (Richard Compton, 1970)
5/10
Darling, How Could You! (Mitchell Leisen, 1951)
+ 6/10
Welcome Home Soldier Boys (Richard Compton, 1971)
6.5/10

Slowburn social commentary with an incredible action finale about Vietnam vets (led by Joe Don Baker) returning home and reaching their wits end.
The Woman Condemned (Mrs. Wallace Reid [Dorothy Davenport], 1934)
5/10
This Lady Called Life (Kayode Kasum, 2020)
6/10
Goin' Coconuts (Howard Morris, 1978)
5/10
Seadrift (Tim Tsai, 2019)
+ 6.5/10

After the War, the Vietnamese come to Seadrift, Texas to work in the crabbing business, and they're greeted with resentment and the KKK.
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