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Tetris (2023) This was more interesting and entertaining than I thought it would be. Worth a watch, even if you are not a Tetris or video game fan.



I am a-Pauled at this turn of events
Go to your profile, or any profile, and you'll see how far this madness goes.
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THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
(2022, McDonagh)



“We’ll keep aimlessly chatting, and me life will keep dwindling, and in 12 years I’ll die with nothin’ to show for it, bar the chats I’ve had with a limited man. Is that it?”

The Banshees of Inisherin seems to ask that question as it follows longtime friends Colm (Brendan Gleeson) and Padraic (Colin Farrell) reach a crossroad in their relationship. Colm seems to be going through an existential crisis that makes him see little value in his relationship with Padraic, especially as he approaches a certain age, whereas Padraic just can't believe his old mate doesn't wanna hang out with him anymore.

The thing is that Colm seems to be more interested in the future, his "legacy" as a musician, rather than his friendship with Padraic. McDonagh uses this conundrum to explore what is our place and purpose in the world – to create and leave "something" behind – or just to be nice to people, but also what it means to be a friend in the face of despair, maturity, growth, and even death.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot



I have a friend who unironically loves Mac & Me. I should ask him to join the forum today and blow his mind
Why is this person still your friend?



I forgot the opening line.

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Resurrection - (2022)

Tough single mother Margaret (Rebecca Hall) has it all together. Her 17-year-old daughter, Abbie (Grace Kaufman) is leaving for college and she's in a non-relationship kind of relationship in the arms of Peter (Michael Esper) - but when she spies a man by the name of David (Tim Roth) around town her composure topples, and she has to come to terms with a past that is so horrifying that nobody believes her when she relates it. This was a great, and very much underseen, film about abusive relationships, loss, motherhood and the hold some men put on their partners via psychological manipulation and torment. I loved the creepy atmosphere, performance from Hall and that ending! Margaret's story, of what happened to her in her youth, is jaw-dropping and her behavior both maddening yet understandable. Roth also manages to be especially creepy in a type of role I've never seen him play before. There's a bit of horror in this - so be warned, Resurrection isn't for everyone, but I think it's a film that will build up a following as time goes by. I certainly enjoyed it.

8/10
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Latest Review : Le Circle Rouge (1970)




Scanners (David Cronenberg, 1981)




Iconic horror. Interesting plot that kind of blends superhero stuff with espionage. I'm a big fan of the mood Cronenberg conjures up through the way he shoots film, which along with the score creates an always uneasy feeling.

Decision at Sundown (Budd Boetticher, 1957)




Probably the weakest I have seen from Boetticher so far but still a very good film. I like the raw, stripped-back nature of his stories and his focus on morality. This one seemed a little too muddled and pessimistic by its end, rather than as riveting as something like Ride Lonesome.
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The Grey Zone (2001)




From the Ebert list and called the greatest holocaust film ever by The Times of Israel, this is the story of Jews who participated in the extermination in order to survive longer and receive special privileges. It's a tough moral dilemma but I wouldn't go as far as those reviewers. I was hesitant because it stars Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, David Arquette, Mira Sorvino, etc., and is directed by Tim Blake Nelson, a fine lineup but a strange lineup I thought for a film like this. Plus every character speaks English but hey, Schindler's List exists as well. It works though and it's nice to have a film like this that only runs about an hour an 45 minutes. It's tough and intense and features some fine performances. On Tubi.




Them! (1954, Gordon Douglas)

Entertaining 1950s creature feature about giant mutated ants that develop as a result of nuclear testing and start terrorizing a small town in the Southwestern United States. Must have been really scary at the time, with all the Cold War paranoia running rampant—today it's just a lot of fun, I enjoyed it more than The Thing From Another World, another '50s sci-fi classic I saw recently. The ant special effects are really cool. Not sure if a modern remake of this exists and, if it does, if it's worth a look. But yeah, a classic!



The Big Red One (1980)




From the Ebert list and for some reason I always thought it was a comedy. It's based on director Sam Fuller's experiences and stars Lee Marvin who leads his men through a wide variety of experiences and battles. This was a very solid war film, better than I had expected. Definitely worth watching and free on Tubi.




Safe House (2012)

Although not a new idea for a story, this is a well written, well acted espionage thriller with a stellar cast: Ryan Reynolds, Denzell Washington, Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard, and others.

Director Daniel Espinosa, and "Bourne" veteran cinematographer Oliver Wood, keep the thrills coming with superb photography.

The action takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, where a low level CIA agent who basically minds a hot line is confronted and tasked with chasing and returning a rogue ex-CIA operative who has been active in criminal activities.

There are both bad guys and good guys lurking around every bend, which fights and scratches to a gratifying ending. If you like action, this is a good film for you. It's a not unfamiliar story which is raised to a high level by the acting, directing, and cinematography.

Doc' rating: 7/10
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Them! (1954, Gordon Douglas)

Entertaining 1950s creature feature about giant mutated ants that develop as a result of nuclear testing and start terrorizing a small town in the Southwestern United States. Must have been really scary at the time, with all the Cold War paranoia running rampant—today it's just a lot of fun, I enjoyed it more than The Thing From Another World, another '50s sci-fi classic I saw recently. The ant special effects are really cool. Not sure if a modern remake of this exists and, if it does, if it's worth a look. But yeah, a classic!
This is likely the greatest of the 1950s monster movies, and it had a bunch of lesser imitators. My childhood buddy and I saw it on its release in the theater, and it scared the tweet out of us. It's tame by today's standards, but at the time it looked real and seemed authentic, not in the least due to the high quality special effects for the day, the pacing, and the editing.

The writing and acting convinced as being real, rather than campy. And the audience were befuddled as to what could possibly be done to stop the menace. Edmund Gwenn was especially effective as the scientist/doctor who helps discover the etymology of the giant creatures.



I forgot the opening line.

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Three Thousand Years of Longing - (2022)

$100 million
Everlasting love from someone I'll always love in return
A guarantee my kids will turn out right and be happy people

How hard was that? Of course, scholarly Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) has grown up on tales of genies which have been cautionary ones, and she's almost convinced that the Djinn (played by Idris Elba) she's freed from a bottle is trying to trick her when he tells her he must grant her three wishes. When I say he must, I mean he must - or else he'll never be free, but it takes some convincing Alithea so he tells her his story - which covers 3000 years. Epic in scope and aided by much CGI, it kind of combines historical saga and modern day love story, and both Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton play their parts well. George Miller's first feature since Mad Max : Fury Road, and it was a bomb - but hopefully the Fury Road follow-up will remedy that.

7/10


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Sissy - (2022)

Sissy is a funny, ditsy kind of horror film where the best, most relatable person is the twisted killer - Sissy/Cecilia (Aisha Dee). From the moment she starts being mercilessly bullied, you're on her side - and damned if these people weren't asking for it, especially Alex (Emily De Margheriti). It also has a definite stance on a certain need human beings have these days for online gratification (through followers, likes and comments) to prop up their sense of self-worth. It's a fun movie, and for all my promotion of Australian film, one I ignored when it was released cinematically here. I fess up to getting that wrong. Although a few CGI effects are so bad they're unacceptable, there are psychological aspects and a story that make this something of a surprise.

7/10


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Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - (2022)

I think I'm under-rating Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - it's actually the first thing related to Beavis and Butt-Head I've ever watched, and I had to acclimatize to the very specific way it works. Was it funny? Yeah - it was, and even thinking back to some of the bits I smile. The two characters are a strange duo to watch - absolute morons, and immature to boot, but it's the specific way the world reacts to them that makes everything so funny. I felt "oh - that was okay" after watching it, but it's stuck with me and I'll definitely be watching more (starting with the first feature) and I'll probably be back to see this again one day.

6/10


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The Bubble - (2022)

And then there was this. The Bubble has occasionally funny moments which really show what it could have been, but overall it's a jumbled mess. The cast and crew of the sixth installment of the successful "Cliff Beasts" franchise (think wacky Jurassic Park with mountain climbing) sequester themselves at a hotel during the pandemic. There, they go stir crazy and attempt to escape. Whenever the focus of the film switched to the making of the movie I thought things picked up - but that's only around 8% of The Bubble. We spend most of our time watching the various characters complain - obviously Judd Apatow thought this is where the comedy gold was. It's a little bit like Tropic Thunder (conference calls with producers etc) but there's no focus, and as the audience starts to feel as cramped and uncomfortable as the characters the absolutely mind boggling running time of 126 minutes makes this a chore to watch.

4/10




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Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - (2022)

I think I'm under-rating Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe - it's actually the first thing related to Beavis and Butt-Head I've ever watched, and I had to acclimatize to the very specific way it works. Was it funny? Yeah - it was, and even thinking back to some of the bits I smile. The two characters are a strange duo to watch - absolute morons, and immature to boot, but it's the specific way the world reacts to them that makes everything so funny. I felt "oh - that was okay" after watching it, but it's stuck with me and I'll definitely be watching more (starting with the first feature) and I'll probably be back to see this again one day.

6/10
If you're looking for more Beavis and Butt-Head you can't go wrong with Do America. Unfortunately the original run of the MTV show is hard to find due to copyright issues with all the music videos. But the new season on Paramount+ is a lot of fun, especially their reactions to tiktoks and mukbangs. I also don't know what happened to the one-off season from a few years ago but it was ****ing hysterical too thanks to the duo making fun of trashy reality TV.



Shadow (2018) -


Zhang Yimou's commitment at making the best-looking movies you'll ever see is still intact. In his wuxia from 2018, there are two opposing kingdoms, Pei and Yang, the former still nursing its wounds after having to cede control of a strategically located city after losing a duel. Pei's combatant arranges a rematch, but there's a twist: he's sending a not-so-willing doppelganger, or "shadow," in his place. This and other deceptions occurring behind closed doors still place this movie in the war genre, but they also give it the appeals of film noir.

If Hero and House of Flying Daggers are of any indication, the director knows the power of color, which is also the case here despite its black and white aesthetic. While he did this to evoke ink paintings, another benefit is the atmosphere of division it adds, which works so well that the Yin and Yang-shaped dueling ground - as cool as it looks - is almost unnecessary. I also like that nearly all the table setting before the big rematch from the scheming to the dealmaking to the shadow's training occurs in secret rooms, behind curtains, etc., which adds a pleasant noir vibe and proves that the little of what the rich and powerful who control our fates show and tell us is the mere tip of the iceberg. It thus goes without saying that there are not constant fight scenes like there are in Hero, but the action we do get is built up oh so nicely, well worth the wait, and best of all, replete with Zhang Yimou's trademark visual flair. To bring film noir up again, the plot is similarly intricate and thus hard to keep up with at times. I enjoyed the challenge, though, and since I haven't seen any of the director's movies for a long time, the sensation of finally seeing another one again - not to mention one this enjoyable - was akin to seeing an old friend and thus made the experience even better.







Both good movies.
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SAP: Mae Martin Stand-up Special 2/5
I thought I would give Mae Martin another try. I don't think I liked her last stand up special. I didn't care for her tv show. But I was ready for a laugh. The first fifteen minutes were somewhat amusing. There were a lot of tales of her quirky dad. I tittered and waited for more. The next fifteen minutes were bereft of laughter so I bailed. Maybe the last half hour was hilarious but I will never know.