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My new rating system is a mess. I'm still working on it. Anyway, I enjoy films I rate
. Can you say the same?
Well, for me a rating is usually a grade of my overall enjoyment, and largely a way to help me organize what I've seen. I enjoy most of what I watch. While I do use the IMDb to organize in this way, usually something I've written about a film is a much better metric. (Which is partly why I appreciate it when people write up their films instead of just putting a numerical score. If you hadn't written your paragraph I would have thought you hated all of them.).

Yeah, Hausu is an outstanding film, don't get me wrong, but Obayashi is too accomplished an artist to be only known through the lenses of this one film. Plus he has at least half a dozen better films.
He's just one name of a very long list of directors whose films I need to see in a more complete way. I know some people who can work methodically through a filmography (and I can see why such an approach would be fun and immersive), but it's not how I prefer to approach things. I like to pinball from an action movie to a documentary, to a few days of watching a TV show, to a drama, ping, ping, ping.



Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
@Takoma11, I hate the methodical approach to movie-watching, too, but sometimes you're just inspired to go on a binge. I could never get into IMDb. RateYourMusic and Letterboxd is the way to go for me.
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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.





It took me around two to three days to finish this film because I was too distracted from the director's cut three hour runtime and poor pacing. In what I had hoped to be a film that explores the scars that Kennedy's murder had left America, I instead experienced scene after scene after scene of who did this and who said that. Granted, such detailed examinations and investigations of the intricate details surrounding the witnesses and suspects involved in the cover-up are significant parts of history. But as a film, as a form of media entertainment, it's unfortunately draggy and overstuffed, resulting in the dilution of otherwise heartbreaking scenes that reminiscent on the great loss the American people suffered, the loss not being just a literal loss of a great man and a great (but flawed) president, but also the kind of loss Americans had to suffer as a result of the Vietnam War's withdrawal efforts (as pushed by John Kennedy and his also assassinated brother, Robert Kennedy) being invalidated upon John's assassination, ultimately leading to Vietnamese women and children being slaughtered by American soldiers in the 1968 My Lai Massacre. All in the name of money.

I'm not one for conspiracy theories. I don't care much about them. I care about facts and truths that are backed by hard evidence rather than the circumstantial kind. That being said, if a large portion of what is proclaimed in the film was true, specifically the eyewitness accounts, then the JFK conspiracy could hardly be labeled a mere baseless conspiracy. That's too much smoke to claim a lack of fire. Then there's The Zapruder Film. It was disturbing enough imagining that the president could be assassinated in broad daylight, but it's an understatement to say that witnessing the footage in Oliver Stone's film and Kennedy's head being blown open again (and again and again) was upsetting. But there it is, quite clear even with its dated quality, that the killing shot was indeed from the front, not the back, where the book depository was located. The magic bullet did not exist. Many men have probably combed over such a blatant and sloppy cover-up attempt over the years prior to '91, but Stone conveyed to his audience (albeit just as sloppily) the kind of power the government could potentially have over its people through lies and deceit... even if it's mostly made-up.

Putting aside the kind of attention on our government the film brought to the audience, I still have to return to my initial point - it is an overstuffed film full of meandering. There were a number of things that should have rightly been cut, if it hadn't already in the theatrical release, such as Bill Broussard (Michael Rooker)'s whole subplot that didn't go anywhere significant, and many of the "key witnesses" to Garrison's case could have had their screentime shortened to a montage, especially when their testifying led to a pointless trial against Clay Shaw anyway, as history would remember. And the bad pacing is the least of the problem in this overdramatized retelling of the Garrison trial.

Speaking of the glaringly dated portrayal of the gay man, this was probably the biggest misstep in Stone's film, including his portrayal of Garrison as a typical heroic white man in search of the truth. The real life Garrison investigation was a sloppy mess, as the media would describe it today in 2020. But whether if Garrison was truly what Stone and Costner would have us believe, a hero so unbelievably cliched in his staunchness for truth, justice and the American way or just a hypocrite with something against homosexuals is irrelevant; what's more important is Stone's handling of Shaw's portrayal, particularly tying his homosexuality to the more tasteless elements like Hitler. I just feel that, looking back today in 2020, with the LGBTQ community recently receiving a big win in Congress, that such a portrayal seems incredibly dated in hindsight. But you know what they say about hindsight.

So when it comes down to it, JFK is unfortunately a product of its time, a sensationalized piece that might have been produced with good intentions, but filled with cliches and exaggerations that cheapen its value as a reflection of such a historical event.



Whirlpool (1949)

Another gem from the classic period.
Oh yeah! I've seen that a couple times, Gene Tierney is usually good in noir. Have you seen her in the technicolor noir Leave Her to Heaven? It's in my top 10 profile.



Oh yeah! I've seen that a couple times, Gene Tierney is usually good in noir. Have you seen her in the technicolor noir Leave Her to Heaven? It's in my top 10 profile.
I haven't seen Leave Her to Heaven. I'll have to check it out. I have seen Gene Tierney in Laura and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Both solid movies.



I haven't seen Leave Her to Heaven. I'll have to check it out. I have seen Gene Tierney in Laura and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Both solid movies.
Seen both and Laura a number of times, solid stuff. Gene Tierney plays a very different character in Leave Her to Heaven...the kind of girl one hopes to meet...and prays that they never do!



Seen both and Laura a number of times, solid stuff. Gene Tierney plays a very different character in Leave Her to Heaven...the kind of girl one hopes to meet...and prays that they never do!
Ok I’m intrigued now. I love movies with a great femme fatale.



I just watched Tropic Thunder (8.5/10) for the second time, I still found it hilarious as I did when it first came out. I think it has some brilliant performances usually not found in absurd comedies, obviously Downey Jr. also Nick Nolte and Jack Black did nice work but I save the hightest praise for Tom Cruise. I have always felt he doesn't get the proper amount of love anymore because he seems a bit off but he's a top notch actor and this is some of my favorite work by him.





Suicide Commando (1968)

4.5/5

I had the pleasure to watch this film on a VHS, and there's something to be said about that. There are films like The Thin Red Line and Saving Private Ryan that benefit from HD transfers like DVD/Blu-Ray. They are essentially "designed" to look good and have quality audio... but then there's a film like Suicide Commando. It's based off a war novel I've never heard of and I imagine they got this novel at a dime store with it's cover badly damaged, the pages aged and missing, and with perhaps a few coffee stains to boot. Needless to say, a novel such as this and the rights to it were easily obtained. To watch something like this in the quality of VHS... *muah* bliss. I think if I had seen a restoration HD version of this film it may have scored lower. But there is something to be said about tape degradation and low-budget/cinema obscura. In fact, this film is so obscure you can't buy a legit DVD/Blu-Ray copy of of it in the States. If you want to get your hands on it in DVD you have to order the title from amazon's German branch or watch said "clean" version of it on YouTube but "yuck." So VHS was a no brainer for me.

About the film though, it plays out much like a off-Dirty Dozen film. Although in some way I felt more attached to the characters in this film than I did in The Dirty Dozen. In The Dirty Dozen there are relatable characters and I do care for them... but the ones I really care for don't get enough screen time. Whereas this film there are six and one is immediately killed off and one soon after so I really only have time to invest in four which in a way is nice. The mission is even similar except it's a base they are blowing up. All and all as an essentially a "lower-standard" Dirty Dozen, Suicide Commando provided quite a thrill of enjoyment for me and I'd definitely recommend it...

... only on VHS though.
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Imagine an eye unruled by man-made laws of perspective, an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic, an eye which does not respond to the name of everything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception. How many colors are there in a field of grass to the crawling baby unaware of 'Green'?

-Stan Brakhage





The Five Deadly Venoms (1978, first viewing)

The films of the Shaw Brothers are a huge blindspot for me, and something I've been slowly trying to remedy over the last few years. This one was a real delight, and probably a great starting point for anyone who hasn't seen much "classic" kung fu.

As the film opens, the master teacher of the Poison Clan is dying. He tells his pupil about five of his former students (Centipede, Snake, Scorpion, Lizard, and Toad--ie the Five Venoms) who have gone out in to the world. The master is worried that some of them may be using their powers for evil and directs his student to take out those who are doing wrong. Because the students always wore masks around each other, they do not know each others' faces.

The plot of this film is complex, and yet at the same time pretty easy to follow. It's not simply a case of good guys and bad guys--there are multiple allegiances at play with the prize of both money and honor hanging in the air. There are crosses and double-crosses, and all of it takes place in the scope of a justice system where seemingly everyone from witnesses to judges are for sale. Once a murder is committed, the process of finding and punishing the guilty party turns the court into a playground for the different students to seek out and attack each other.

I was a bit nervous about watching this on Amazon, because some of their prints are absolutely garbage. But this was a really nice transfer, and the colors of the film pop nicely. The dubbing was also really solid and expressive, which compliments the acting in the film. The actors bring some strong physicality to their characters, and I especially liked Meng Lo's swagger as Toad.

The big question, of course, is how is the action? The answer is really good. The actors in the lead roles are very acrobatic and perform their choreography very well. There are some really inventive uses of wire-work and sequences where characters work together in battles.

I would put this pretty close to the top of Shaw Brothers films that I've seen so far. I think that I still would put Come Drink with Me at the top, but this one really gives it a run for its money. This one was directed by Cheh Chang, who also directed The One-Armed Swordsman and Golden Swallow. This one is definitely highly recommended.

Since you enjoyed Five Deadly Venoms so much, definitely check out Crippled Avengers, which is even better. And any venture into the Shaw Brothers catalogue is incomplete without The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, the greatest martial-arts film of all time, in my opinion.

Also wanted to say that I think you've been an excellent addition to the forum in your short time here. I've enjoyed reading your posts, whether you're intelligently arguing a point or providing insightful analysis of a film. Your taste seems quite varied as well, which is always a plus. I hope you stick around.

If interested, before posting reviews like the above, you should click the box that says "Suggest this post for inclusion in the Reviews area." That way your reviews can be added to the database and easily found via the search instead of being lost within the pages of this thread.
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@Takoma11, I hate the methodical approach to movie-watching, too, but sometimes you're just inspired to go on a binge. I could never get into IMDb. RateYourMusic and Letterboxd is the way to go for me.
Honestly, my appreciation for the IMDb is largely about how well their different search features work and the ability to sort their database in different ways. If someone asks me for a horror movie recommendation or a film starring a specific actor, it takes three clicks for me to see a list of every horror movie I've rated 7 or higher, or to see a list of every Nicholas Cage film I've seen. I'm also absolutely AWFUL at remembering the names of films ("It was that one . . .with the guy . . . and the stuffed animal . . .") and so the keyword/plot summary search features easily let me find those films.

Since you enjoyed Five Deadly Venoms so much, definitely check out Crippled Avengers, which is even better. And any venture into the Shaw Brothers catalogue is incomplete without The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, the greatest martial-arts film of all time, in my opinion.
Both are on my watchlist! Thanks for the extra nudge!

Also wanted to say that I think you've been an excellent addition to the forum in your short time here. I've enjoyed reading your posts, whether you're intelligently arguing a point or providing insightful analysis of a film. Your taste seems quite varied as well, which is always a plus. I hope you stick around.
Thank you! I've gotten a few friendly welcomes and I really appreciate it.

If interested, before posting reviews like the above, you should click the box that says "Suggest this post for inclusion in the Reviews area." That way your reviews can be added to the database and easily found via the search instead of being lost within the pages of this thread.
Yeah, I was nervous at first because I wasn't sure quite what the standard was for a "review" (and mine are sometimes kind of rambling or tangential), but I think that you're right that stuff like the one you quoted qualifies. And thank you again for the welcome!



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

My Spy (Peter Segal, 2020)
6/10
Four Kids and It (Andy De Emmony, 2020)
+ 5/10
Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979)
7/10
Hyenas (Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1992)
6/10

Rich celebrity Ami Diakhate returns to her poor Senegalese hometown and visits her former love Mansour Diouf.
Short Skin (Duccio Chiarini, 2014)
6/10
Daddy Issues (Amara Cash, 2018)
5.5/10
Mädchen in Uniform (Leontine Sagan, 1931)
6/10
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Nathan Juran, 1958)
- 6.5/10

The Cobra Woman makes an appearance among many Harryhausen faves, such as the Cyclops, the Roc and another sword-fighting skeleton.
The Hall of Lost Steps (Jaromil Jires, 1960)
6.5/10
The Transformation (Susana Aikin & Carlos Aparicio, 1995)
6/10
Riding Faith (Paco Aguilar, 2020)
5/10
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (David Dobkin, 2020)
+ 6/10

Icelandic best friends and singers Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams surprisingly advance through the contest but what effect will it have on their relationship?
The Age of Reason (Jordan Harris & Andrew Schrader, 2014)
6/10
Bottom of the World (Richard Sears, 2017)
5/10
Nobody Knows I'm Here (Gaspar Antillo, 2020)
6/10
Irresistible (Jon Stewart, 2020)
+ 6/10

Retired colonel Chris Cooper is convinced by Democratic strategist Steve Carell to run for mayor in a small Wisconsin town which takes on national implications. Political satire is effective but many of its points are obvious.
The Joke (Jaromil Jires, 1969)
6/10
Top Gun (Tony Scott, 1986)
6.5/10
Black Magic (Gregory Ratoff, 1949)
6/10
A Hard Day's Night (Richard Lester, 1964)
+ 7.5/10

"Turn left at Greenland,"
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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page



Under Siege (1992):
A good Steven Seagal movie, well done action scenes and Gary Busey being himself.
8/10

An action movie classic. Seagal was never better. Gary Busey improves every film he's in by about 20%. He should be in everything.



Mulholland Drive. (2001)






This is a weird one. Up until about 30 minutes from the end I thought it was a compelling, sinister, slightly disturbing film noir and I was intrigued to see how all the plot threads fitted together. But then the film just loses the plot... literally. I mean what the actual f**k? They open the empty little blue box and the story just disintegrates, morphing into a nonsensical tangent where nothing makes sense. Is Naomi Watts meant to be playing another character? Both characters? Is it a dream? A flashback? A flash forward? Who's the chick with the black hair? Very frustrating and disappointing.


I mean who makes a film like this? Characters are introduced and then disappear without explanation. Plot threads are developed and then discarded. For instance the guys in the Pulp Fiction-esque scene in the diner who are talking about a nightmare: Who are they? What are they doing? Why is an entire scene of character development devoted to them when they never appear in the film again? And who is the girl the mob wants cast in the film? Why do they want her cast so badly? Who's the weird guy sat in the chair in the room by himself? He is controlling events, but to what purpose? Why does he have so much power when he seems like a freak? What's the deal with the blue box?


So many unresolved questions, I could go on forever. The film has its positives; Naomi Watts delivers a good performance, the score is good, and the film is compelling enough but ruined by its ending. It's regarded by many to be an excellent film (the BBC even rated it the best film of the 21st century!) so perhaps I'm missing something but I found it an infuriating, bizarre, confusing and disappointing film.


2/5 Stars.



Thank you! I've gotten a few friendly welcomes and I really appreciate it.
I'm sure you read the fine print when you signed up, but just a reminder: after your 30-day trial run (which is almost up!), should you choose to remain a member of the forum, you must donate all your personal belongings and income to the community here.

We also drink from the blood of Yoda every third Wednesday. Feel free to bring doughnuts with you to the communion. (I'm partial to Krispy Kreme myself, but any type will suffice.) Hope to see you there!