Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Tremors is one of the few horror movies that I like. It has an old classic sci-fi feel to it.

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To End All Wars (2001)

The Pit (1981)

A somewhat campy film of a disturbed kid (or kids, even, as he's clearly not the only one with some clear issues) feeding some troglodytes and conversing with his teddybear (and stalking women). I actually like the story, but the writing is far from proficient and the same goes for acting. This is a film that would deserve a remake.

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Don't Go in the House (1979)

I watched this a while ago but forgot to write to this thread. Like an inferior version of Maniac. Unfortunately, I saw a cut version and didn't realize it until afterward. Maybe the extra nastiness will help it but, on the other hand, I'm already a little lenient with my rating here.

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Shookum Hills (2021)
aka The Devil Below

Above-average modern B-horror. It's a pretty traditional monster feature in the vein of The Descent (actually both the film and the book with the same name). Again, I'm maybe a little generous here but it's more entertaining than most of the films I've seen lately so why not.

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I have no idea how many times I’ve seen this movie. Was amazed to see its twitter thread yesterday. I couldn’t even read all the tweets. Not bad for a 54 year old movie.



Re-watch. Endearing, touching.

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Mother

Another gem from Joon-ho. Can't say enough good things about it. What a movie. What a filmmaker. 9.5/10

I would have to rank his 5 best films as follows:

1. Memories of Murder
2. Parasite
3. Mother
4. Snowpiercer
5. The Host

Spies in Disguise, 2019

Slick government agent Lance (Will Smith) is seemingly perfect . . . until he is framed by a mysterious villain for the theft of secret technology. Seeking help from eccentric inventor Walter (Tom Holland), Lance accidentally ingests a potion that transforms him into a pigeon. With Walter's help--and adapting to his new form--Lance must clear his name.

This was . . . fine. Very much the sort of pleasant-but-forgettable animation that I associate with a lot of stuff these days.

The highlight of the film is easily the voice acting from Smith and Holland, who do a nice job with their line readings and manage some easy chemistry. The animation of the characters is enjoyable. Probably my favorite aspect of the film---and I feel like a focus group was created to fine-tune this element--was the animation of the other pigeons in the film. Walter has a bird called Lovey, and a few others join them along the way. What can I say? The pigeon with the lollipop perpetually stuck to its head made me laugh. May I ever be so basic.

On the negative side, the film's themes are pretty muddled. There's something to the idea that Walter wants to create inventions that are non-lethal, and advocates giving people a second chance. But it all gets a bit lost because the villain is poorly defined. There is a lot of repetitive humor, especially when it comes to body jokes. Hey, that character has a big butt!! is maybe a funny joke once. But not the fourth time they trot it out (the joke and the butt). There is a fair amount of meta comedy--"Well this is awkward!"--that comes off pretty tepid.

Not a bad way to spend 90 or so minutes. But I probably won't remember it in a week or two.

Inspector Maigret aka Maigret tend un piège (1958)++ With the similar style of a television program, my man Jean Gabin plays Inspector Maigret with his usual gruff charm to search out a serial killer.

Very well paced; the investigation, as well as the final narrowing in on the killer was very well written with a bemused style of cat and mouse that made for an enjoyable viewing.
Not exceptional or captivating, it still remained a very enjoyable crime drama all the same that was a credit to its genre.

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Guy can't miss. Mother is probably my favorite, probably tied with Parasite. I still need to see Okja, though.

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Joy Ride (2001)

10/10 at the ending itr made me teary but an amazing disney movie

i agree also they should leave the first one alone cause it had good storyline

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“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” ~ Rocky Balboa

42nd Street, 1933

A Broadway director named Julian Marsh (Warner Baxter) is putting on a musical called Pretty Lady. Lots of hijinks ensue as lead actress Dorothy (Bebe Daniels) juggles trying to romance a wealthy financier while rekindling a relationship with a former dance partner, Pat (George Brent). Fresh-faced novice Peggy (Ruby Keeler) is mentored by two other dancers, including a giddily-promiscuous dancer nicknamed "Anytime Annie" (Ginger Rogers).

This is an enjoyable romp. It is pre-code, and so you get that little jolt of off-color jokes, such as a pretty forward explanation about how Annie got her nickname. The dance numbers, especially the final 20 minutes (which are almost entirely just the production of the musical). There is a lot of fun camerawork, bold sets, and solid choreography.



Aside from the production numbers, the film really sparkles with the performances and the characters. Rogers, in particular, is hilarious as Annie. She is such an assured character, and it is so fun to see a "slutty" character also be someone with a level head and a lot of heart. Daniels and Brent have great chemistry as Dorothy and Pat, and it is easy to root for them as a couple.

The only downside for me was the humor that lands on the unfortunate side of being dated. Does anyone still think it's funny to think about men in power getting young girls on the "casting couch"? And in probably the worst scene, a man grabs a woman and kisses her. She pushes him away. He tells her not to play around. She looks him right in the face and says she isn't kidding. He grabs her again. She pushes away and runs out of the room. He chases her while the other people at the party laugh and one man yells "Go get her!". Just, yuck.

Overall this was a fun flick that really sings in its performances.

Fires on the Plain, 1959

In the final days of WW2, a Japanese soldier named Tamura (Eiji Funajoshi) returns to his unit after a stay in the hospital for a case of TB. Being told that he is too sick to be useful, his squad sends him back to the hospital. But after several attacks from allied forces, Tamura ends up wandering the countryside, encountering predators and strange personalities of all kinds. All the while, Tamura takes note of strange fires that burn in the distance.

This is the kind of movie with a sense of humor so dark that it becomes not funny and then circles around again to the point where you can't do anything except laugh and be horrified all at once.

Shot in stark black and white, the Philippine landscape becomes an almost otherworldly place. The mysterious fires that burn in the distance, and the eclectic, almost ephemeral character Tamura encounters only add to the sense that Tamura is trapped in some sort of purgatory. It is the kind of film in which there are no good choices. Whether he opts to fight or to surrender, it always seems to go wrong. Tamura exists in a perpetual state of fear and shame, all while trying to survive.

The film makes most of its impact through the cold, distanced observation of what it means to be in war. Dead bodies litter the landscape. One one scene, a squad lays flat on the ground as a plane flies overhead. The plane fires, and we see some of the bodies on the ground jerk and twitch. When the squad gets back to their feet, some of the soldiers simply do not get up, and their weary companions shuffle off without them.

Tamura is a fascinating character. He has selfish, even cruel moments--such as how he deals with a village woman who will not stop screaming at the sight of him--and yet you understand his choices. Every moment seems to be a test of his character, and watching where he will or will not draw the line is fascinating. Walking past a dead soldier, can he be blamed for taking the man's shoes? But what about hurting another person? Killing? The war is numbing and dehumanizing, and the longer Tamura trudges along, the less he seems to be a real person.

I had not heard of this film before, but I would give it a very high recommendation. I'm sure some of you have seen it before. Really excellent film with stunning visuals.

La chiesa (1989)
aka The Church

The film was originally planned as an entry to the Demons franchise, and despite Soavi wanting to do a stand-alone movie, its origins are quite clearly visible. Otherwise, The Church falls somewhere between Argento's style over sense and normal story-driven film. Unfortunately, the script is rather messy. The potential was there and the result isn't too shabby, but it could have been so much better.

P.S. The Italian police has quite an impressive response time

Had this on my watchlist since Okay posted about it and I'm trying to feature foreign goods now. Wiki calls this a neo-noir, IMDb a drama/thriller, and I've seen it labeled a dark comedy. People have compared the style to Almodovar, Von Trier, and even Ozu. I would compare it to the guy who made The Lobsterman and Killing of a Sacred Deer. It's slow yet entertaining with great performances and it does a terrific job at keeping the viewer wondering where it's going. Unique without being silly. It's on YouTube with subtitles and I very much recommend it.

thats y the original is better. they need to leave the original alone

Dolemite (1974)


Either


or


It all depends on whether you're a MFin' jive ass honky, or a... umm... super badass kung fu pimp?


For the first five minutes, I was pretty confused. The acting is horrendous, the dialogue is tortured, and Dolemite looks and talks like a black Archie Bunker who would pimp out Gloria, Edith, and Edna as a favor to them.



After my initial confusion, I started to get the hang of it. The cars, the pimp clothes, the girls that look like they were scrounged up from a homeless shelter, and rising above it all is the attitude! This is not mere cinematic excellence! This is Dolemite!!!



Now all I need to do is cuss my women out 'cus they know I don't be wearin' no cotton drawers! That, and trade in my chick car for an eldorado with a hole in the muffler, and hasn't had a tune up since the 60s.

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

A rousing swashbuckler in the mode of the ‘50s pirate movies. It’s the type of film in which Errol Flynn could have starred. Russell Crowe fits the bill and rises to the occasion as the captain of a British ship during the Napoleonic War who is tasked with hunting down and sinking a French privateer vessel which is twice as powerful as is the British ship.

There’s nothing real new here, but the modern photography along with an ace production team brings this type of story alive like never before. Reportedly two real ships were used which guarantees that the chases and battles feel real.

There is an interesting sideline where the ship’s surgeon (Paul Bettany) and the Captain are good friends, which brings up some good tension in the story when the surgeon, who is also a naturalist) wants to divert their mission in order to capture some native Pacific island fauna and flora to take home to England.

The story is fairly predictable with a few twists, but it holds one’s attention. As a PG-13 it’s nice not to have to be subjected to typical sex or contemporary bad language. In fact the dialogue and costuming seem pretty much accurate for the era.

Doc’ rating: 7/10