Chyp mumbles to himself

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Honestly, the 2 movies are quite craptastically interchangeable. I even have to check every time which one has my beloved Rory McCann in it.
Yeah, I'll probably pass then unless I'm incredibly bored and it happens to be available



The Badge Of Marshal Brennan
Albert C. Gannaway, 1957
Romance, Western
DVR - TCM


From IMDb:
A pseudo-marshal, a local doctor and the town sheriff must join forces to battle a greedy cattle-baron whose herd, locally sold, is contaminated with a contagious disease.
This doesn't begin all that well, the song that bookends proceedings is unremarkable and repetitive whilst the first fight scene isn't particularly convincing. The core tale is perfectly serviceable, but as most of it recycles tried and trusted elements it really ought to be. To be fair to the cast many of them do what they can to salvage it but it has to be said that in places the writing really isn't up to much and the action scenes not exactly of the highest quality even for a budget affair such as this. What really sinks this movie for me though is the score, it may well sound perfectly pleasant in isolation but there's been little to no effort to match it to the visuals which too often just makes it grate.


+



Annihilation
Alex Garland, 2018
Adventure, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
DVD


From IMDb:
A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.
Mixed offering that has some nice visuals accompanied by a well suited score (for the most part) and was quite enjoyable during the quieter moments within the 'Shimmer' (the journey reminded me somewhat of that in Tarkovsky's Stalker). On the downside though the action scenes with the mutated animals were extremely poorly realised (one of them also being quite ludicrous), none of the characters were particularly well developed and the climactic confrontation summed up the feeling of 'style over substance' that pervaded throughout. So sadly, despite some visually quite beautiful world-building, for me the overriding feeling at the end was more one of frustration with what could have been than wonderment at was.


+



Annihilation
Alex Garland, 2018
Adventure, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
DVD


From IMDb:

Mixed offering that has some nice visuals accompanied by a well suited score (for the most part) and was quite enjoyable during the quieter moments within the 'Shimmer' (the journey reminded me somewhat of that in Tarkovsky's Stalker). On the downside though the action scenes with the mutated animals were extremely poorly realised (one of them also being quite ludicrous), none of the characters were particularly well developed and the climactic confrontation summed up the feeling of 'style over substance' that pervaded throughout. So sadly, despite some visually quite beautiful world-building, for me the overriding feeling at the end was more one of frustration with what could have been than wonderment at was.


+
Despite this being one of my favorite movies of recent years, I can't argue with much of this. It does suffer from the items you mentioned, though I would argue the character development was sound. I think the book definitely handled the substance better, including the climax.



Despite this being one of my favorite movies of recent years, I can't argue with much of this. It does suffer from the items you mentioned, though I would argue the character development was sound. I think the book definitely handled the substance better, including the climax.
Weirdly despite its faults I already feel it will be one I return to in the not too distant future, the atmosphere worked really well in places I think.



On the downside though the action scenes with the mutated animals were extremely poorly realised (one of them also being quite ludicrous), none of the characters were particularly well developed and the climactic confrontation summed up the feeling of 'style over substance' that pervaded throughout.
I thought this too. The ending is apparently explained by the scientific phenomenon of 'informal refraction' or something like that. Now I'm all up for an ambiguous film or a film that keeps you thinking and reading up on it's themes, but for such a huge event (basically the meaning of the film) to rely so heavily on a scientific theory that you have to go and read up on is what made it an average movie for me. I liked it but it pales into comparison with pretty much everything else that Garland has done.



Heaven With A Gun
Lee H. Katzin, 1969
Drama, Western
DVR - TCM


From IMDb:
In a frontier town, gunslinger-turned-preacher Jim Killian is caught in the middle of a violent range war between cattlemen and sheep-men.
Fairly standard tale involving a black-hat-turned-white, played in the usual dependable manner by Glenn Ford, that ends up having to intervene between two warring factions. It's a fairly competently handled affair, though it does feel more like a made-for-tv offering at times, and perfectly watchable even if for the most part also rather unremarkable.


+



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Annihilation
Alex Garland, 2018
Adventure, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
DVD


From IMDb:

Mixed offering that has some nice visuals accompanied by a well suited score (for the most part) and was quite enjoyable during the quieter moments within the 'Shimmer' (the journey reminded me somewhat of that in Tarkovsky's Stalker). On the downside though the action scenes with the mutated animals were extremely poorly realised (one of them also being quite ludicrous), none of the characters were particularly well developed and the climactic confrontation summed up the feeling of 'style over substance' that pervaded throughout. So sadly, despite some visually quite beautiful world-building, for me the overriding feeling at the end was more one of frustration with what could have been than wonderment at was.


+
I gave this 3/5 as well, but you were more forgiving than I. I've started but never completed a more formal review of this movie since its release. The problem is that I need to watch it again to make notes and to try to confront my own bias in reviewing it. I've started the movie twice since my theatrical viewing and have been unable to finish it again in pure frustration.

=*(
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That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
dangit, Chyp! I'm now combing through every post I've made on this movie to see where I might have dropped the ball only to pick up all that emotional baggage that I tried so hard to leave along the roadway years ago. And obsessively so! OMG I have to watch this crappy movie again..... thanks.



dangit, Chyp! I'm now combing through every post I've made on this movie to see where I might have dropped the ball only to pick up all that emotional baggage that I tried so hard to leave along the roadway years ago. And obsessively so! OMG I have to watch this crappy movie again..... thanks.
Sowwy Meester Wootf
Eversoeversosowwy.



Careful, Chyp, you can get thrown into a padded room for mumbling to yourself too often.

Glad to see this thread. I appreciate that you're posting about each movie separately compared to in the past when you'd edit them into the same post, seemingly doing your best to "hide" any updates from the rest of us. Also glad to see that those penis enhancers I mailed to you have had the pleasant side-effect of lengthening your write-ups as well. Why else do you think my write-ups are so long?

So far I haven't seen many of the movies you've mumbled to yourself about in here. I thought the first Fantastic Beasts was moderately entertaining, but Crimes of Grindelwald was a slog. The opening carnage of Ghost Ship, which ynwtf referenced earlier, was gory, over-the-top fun. The rest of the movie was a complete . . . shipwreck. (Oh, god, I'm catching your pun-icitis just by visiting your thread!) I need to revisit Magnolia. I mostly just remember Tom Cruise respecting the cock and taming the c**t. I liked Annihilation a bit more than you, but it's not a movie I've thought much about since watching it.

I've heard a lot of great things about Shoplifters and look forward to seeing it at some point. Heaven with a Gun sounds like a decent, low-effort, Saturday afternoon watch if I'm the mood for a western.
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Hey Cap, long time no see in one of these

Heaven with a Gun sounds like a decent, low-effort, Saturday afternoon watch if I'm the mood for a western.
Worth a one-off watch perhaps if you like Glenn Ford but other than that I wouldn't really recommend it tbh. Plenty better easy-watch Westerns out there.



The Wrecking Crew
Phil Karlson, 1968
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
DVR - TCM


From IMDb:
Gold bullion worth USD 1 billion has been stolen from a hijacked train in Denmark. The main suspect is Count Massimo Contini. The US government sends Matt Helm, one of its top agents, to investigate and recover the gold.
Fourth and final outing for Dean Martin as secret agent Matt Helm and one can only hope the previous three were better than this offering. I assume from the general demeanour and cartoonish action scenes that this was meant to be some sort of Bond spoof but it never really worked as one for me as the comedic elements just mainly fall flat and the whole was never quite preposterous enough. Martin puts very little effort into his character, pretty much playing a version of himself albeit with less charisma ... but tbf the material doesn't really seem to expect any more of him. I dunno, perhaps one needs to have seen the previous three to be able to appreciate this one but for me it was rather dull, dated and a waste of a damn fine entrance from Elke Sommer.





You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
The Wrecking Crew
Phil Karlson, 1968
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
DVR - TCM


From IMDb:

Fourth and final outing for Dean Martin as secret agent Matt Helm and one can only hope the previous three were better than this offering. I assume from the general demeanour and cartoonish action scenes that this was meant to be some sort of Bond spoof but it never really worked as one for me as the comedic elements just mainly fall flat and the whole was never quite preposterous enough. Martin puts very little effort into his character, pretty much playing a version of himself albeit with less charisma ... but tbf the material doesn't really seem to expect any more of him. I dunno, perhaps one needs to have seen the previous three to be able to appreciate this one but for me it was rather dull, dated and a waste of a damn fine entrance from Elke Sommer.



None of the Matt Helm movies were great, but if you just go into them with low expectations of a goofy Bond spoof, they're fun to watch.
__________________
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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.



The Wrecking Crew is only on my radar because of its extended reference in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I want to see firsthand how Sharon Tate used those Bruce Lee teachings.



None of the Matt Helm movies were great, but if you just go into them with low expectations of a goofy Bond spoof, they're fun to watch.
Ok, maybe just not for my sense of humour then as I went in with no expectations whatsoever

The Wrecking Crew is only on my radar because of its extended reference in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I want to see firsthand how Sharon Tate used those Bruce Lee teachings.
Saw his name in the opening credits with regards the martial arts, thanks for providing a little more clarification as to his role. Yet to see OUATIH here so didn't even know I might be watching something that was currently 'of general interest'. Makes a nice change for me to not get there last for once



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
The Wrecking Crew
Phil Karlson, 1968
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
DVR - TCM


From IMDb:

Fourth and final outing for Dean Martin as secret agent Matt Helm and one can only hope the previous three were better than this offering. I assume from the general demeanour and cartoonish action scenes that this was meant to be some sort of Bond spoof but it never really worked as one for me as the comedic elements just mainly fall flat and the whole was never quite preposterous enough. Martin puts very little effort into his character, pretty much playing a version of himself albeit with less charisma ... but tbf the material doesn't really seem to expect any more of him. I dunno, perhaps one needs to have seen the previous three to be able to appreciate this one but for me it was rather dull, dated and a waste of a damn fine entrance from Elke Sommer.



For a sec, I thought you meant that documentary on the Los Angeles studio gig musicians from the 60s. Kind of an interesting one to pair with Love & Mercy, as the group is shown playing some of the tracks in Pet Sounds. I would never have known their significance had I not seen The Wrecking Crew first.



Border River
George Sherman, 1954
Romance, Western
DVR - TCM


From IMDb:
A Confederate officer and his men journey to Mexico to buy guns to continue the war effort. A Union officer determines to stop them.
A little slow at times and promised more action than it delivered but overall I found it a fairly enjoyable way to spend an hour and twenty. Joel McCrae is unsurprisingly solid enough as the lead and I thought Pedro Armendáriz and Alfonso Bedoya made for watchable enough adversaries, while Yvonne De Carlo makes a decent love interest caught in the middle.