The Denim Record

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[left]I can't remember the time period this came out, but it sure seems like it was Guy Ritchie-lite. Maybe not fair, but that's what I see.
This was the first movie the director made after producing Lock Stock and Snatch (and even swept away) so I think it is quite fair. I personally think it has aged better than both of those movies though.. his next movie was Stardust and then Kick Ass
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Do you know what a roller pigeon is, Barney? They climb high and fast, then roll over and fall just as fast toward the earth. There are shallow rollers and deep rollers. You can’t breed two deep rollers, or their young will roll all the way down, hit, and die. Officer Starling is a deep roller, Barney. We should hope one of her parents was not.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

Hellboy (2019)

I have been guilty of being pretentious about art in my life. Maybe over-exaggerating something in order to prove some sort of merit on my part. A band no one else has heard yet, a movie that many didn't see. I've been trying to get rid of some of the bull****.


The GDT movies literally looked like the inner workings of a fine watch. Gears and moving parts and an abundance of stuff you can't comprehend the significance of. Michael Bay Transformers. Marshall's Hellboy is nothing like that. It's cheesy, bad cgi and pretty B movie'ish...and it's great for that.


The overwhelming reviews and negativity toward the 2019 film seem to stem from a Pearlman/Del Toro loyalty and nerd rage raining down from an ivory tower. This movie is nowhere near the original two, but that's just fine. I like this character and fine cheese and this is one of the best times I've had at the movies this year.






Welcome to the human race...
I think you can make the case that it's bad even when judged as its own entity, but comparing it against the source material and GDT adaptations rrrrreally doesn't do it any favours. Might be too early to call this, but I'm already thinking of it as this year's The Predator.
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I really just want you all angry and confused the whole time.
Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

The Front Runner (2018)



I remember hearing the hype around this last fall and thinking how great it must be. Then it came and went and I don't remember anyone talking about it.


First off. How can we still have wigs that look like this in 2018? Seriously, it is all I see and it looks ridiculous.


The movie has all the cluttered shots, groups of people, chattering rooms that are common in journalism/news movies. It so looks the part in the beginning, that it had me feeling like I was on to something. Then it left me outside the front door and never made me want to care for it again.


There was a lot made about Jackman's performance and Hart being a man of the people irl, but Reitman did a great job of making me root against Hart. File under looks great, completely misses the mark in "ye' ol' axe throwing contest" .







“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

Avengers: Endgame (2019)



It worked for me. The callbacks, loose-ends tied and a satisfying conclusion. Throw in a couple of memorable scenes (Rocket and Hulk, amirite?) and I couldn't ask for more. I was completely happy with paying $19 and sitting still/staying awake for 3 hours. That's not likely to happen again anytime soon.






“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

John Wick 3: Parabellum (2019)



I intentionally went into this movie without watching a single trailer for it. I'm sure the trailer was great, I would even venture it is better than the actual movie.


I'm not big on dissecting film, but this one seemed really short on story. Story that made any sense. Run from bad guys, introduce someone just to go talk to somebody, talk to that person, go to talk to another person, etc... all while not really fleshing out the "universe". These characters, rules and institutions just felt like hollow bits between fight scenes. I get that this isn't a "story" movie, but you have to have some glue to hold these fight scenes together.


Speaking of fight scenes. It really seemed like most of them could be edited down by a few minutes. It often felt like they delivered the hook and just repeated it...and repeated it... The only one that didn't feel overdrawn was the bike scene. Man o' man, that bike scene. Easily the best part of the movie.


In fairness, I think the original is great and the sequels offer diminishing returns. The JW character seems to be getting so convoluted in backstory that it is losing steam. Less is more.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
Marvel's gonna have a hard time ending the second big thing in a way as good as Endgame.

I agree. It's easy to get these trains rolling, but hard to pull into the station in one piece.




“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

I am lost on why these movies don't work...for me. In an era of big budget spectacle cinema, GKOM feels really small.



The monsters all have their little intro vignettes, but don't seem to have a place to inhabit. Here they are, action pose poster shot, let's throw them all together. Add in a nonsense story, bad acting and a complete wasting of Charles Dance.


They deserve a lot of credit for the trailer, because it did it's job and piqued my interest. I think a less-convoluted story would go a long way. Just have monsters punching each other and leave out all the other stuff. Just like a Transformers movie, get rid of the humans. And I'm now of the belief that Millie Bobby Brown can't act









“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

Thunder Road (2018)

This may rival Clerks for how to make a movie with no money. Like Kevin Smith's magnum opus, it succeeds in delivering a product that feels genuine.

Jim Cummings performance may step into exaggeration, but there is no question you can feel this man's pain in trying to keep his life from falling apart.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)



A Tarantino movie is always an event in the making. The hype, the news, the publicity. What is he going to do this time. Well, this time felt like his love letter to an older Hollywood.



It is a QT movie in the moments and nuance, but unlike any of his others in that it is a quieter movie. I don't think it will stand out as one of his best, but it is a welcome sight in the current landscape of film.


Brad Pitt will never stop being cool.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

Hobbs and Shaw (2019)

How can a polished, big budget, action movie be such a bore? Beats me. It's just kind of a flat movie. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a movie with this much money behind it to have a "decent" script. The dialogue is reduced to a bunch of "Sumbich" and "can of whoop@ss" lame one-liners. Idris Elba seems to do the best with the least, but it's not much. Splitting the 3rd act into 2 parts doesn't help.



You've seen it all before and it's perfectly average.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

First Man (2018)



What a beautiful movie. Everything involved. The imagery, the sadness, the triumph and perseverance. One wonders how much is true and what may have been liberties taken.








“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

Joker (2019)



A perfect 10. Masterpiece. Winner of the top prize at film festivals. ... Maybe pump the brakes. Decent, great in moments, but not the greatest thing I've ever seen.


It's hard for me to settle on a thought about this. There are moments where Joaquin Phoenix delivers the goods. Menace. Evil. Everything else just kind of seemed set up around him in a holding orbit. Waiting to land, but never receiving Clarence.


There are a couple of chilling scenes that really impress, but you could make do watching it cut-up in YouTube clips.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

The Lighthouse (2019)



Looking for work are you? Well, I've got a job for you. How would you like to work at a remote lighthouse with an old drunk who speaks in riddles? Enjoy a good tug do you? There will be plenty of time for that. Send applications to "what the hell did I just see"?


I really enjoyed The Lighthouse for being a piece of art. The cinematography and acting may be the best thing I've seen all year. Other than that, I'm lost on what it meant. If heavy symbolism is something you like, this is right up your alley. I'm gonna have to search out the answers, but I'm really glad I saw this.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

If the day ever comes that Taika Waititi wants to make a "Wes Anderson 2.0" movie, he can do it. The first of act of Jojo Rabbit feels like a better Wes Anderson, one that has the starch taken out of it. It comes across effortless and natural, the most I've laughed out loud in a while.


Then it veers into the serious and heartbreaking life of two young people in Nazi Germany. One sympathizer, one jewish. I realized there would be some heavy moments, but this movie seemed to pull a rope-a-dope. There may have been moments of humor, but long gone was the absurdity of the first act.



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

If the day ever comes that Taika Waititi wants to make a "Wes Anderson 2.0" movie, he can do it. The first of act of Jojo Rabbit feels like a better Wes Anderson, one that has the starch taken out of it. It comes across effortless and natural, the most I've laughed out loud in a while.


Then it veers into the serious and heartbreaking life of two young people in Nazi Germany. One sympathizer, one jewish. I realized there would be some heavy moments, but this movie seemed to pull a rope-a-dope. There may have been moments of humor, but long gone was the absurdity of the first act.

Was it so out of balance? That's a shame. I doubt it will play here at all so it may be a while before I can see it. Thanks for the heads-up.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
Was it so out of balance? That's a shame. I doubt it will play here at all so it may be a while before I can see it. Thanks for the heads-up.


I felt like it was. It had me wondering, "How is he gonna make all this work with it being so cartoonish?" Well, he just drops that bag at the door and starts making sausage.


I really can't express how much fun the first part is. Jojo is adorable. Sam Rocks Well. Reek is here. It played like "Wes Anderson Lite".


Then it's like a switch for "time to be serious" is thrown. There are still little bits with Adolf and his Jojo's bespectacled buddy, but nowhere near the early moments.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”

Ford vs. Ferrari (2019)

This movie is simple and lacking of any real sense of conflict. That said, I'm always in for a movie with Christian Bale and Shane. Matt Damon is solid as always, but doesn't quite have the physical presence Shelby did.



Great to look at, great car porn, glad I saw it, but I don't know what will stick with me in a year.