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I watched Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters with my niece and we still mention it when talking about movies. We like to keep up a running commentary with these kinds of movies so it was a fun watch.
Has she watched the other two? I'm sure she would enjoy them as well.



Moffie (2019)

Interesting biography about a homosxual person being conscripted into the South Africa army in the apartheid era with its brutality. He ends up fighting against the Angolans in a conflict I'm still trying to understand. It was also a centre for there Aversion Therapy Project that used ECT and chemical castration to "realign" folk they suspected to be "deviants". Well acted and good scenery but a bit flat in the writing.

Wow scary stuff. What is the timeline for this movie? I don't remember the Angolan and South African conflict. Sixties, Seventies or Eighties?



Victim of The Night


Bad Day at Black Rock, 1955

A non-descript man named Macreedy (Spencer Tracy) steps off of a train in a little Western town called Black Rock. But his arrival rattles the locals because no one ever gets off of the train. As Macreedy genially inquires about a homestead called Adobe Flats, the sweat palpably breaks out on the faces of just about everyone in town. It's clear they're hiding a secret, and it's all centered on a vicious man named Reno Smith (Robert Ryan).

I had watched this movie one time years ago when I was really tired. And while I remembered the beginning pretty vividly, the whole second half was a blur. I never felt comfortable rating it on IMDb because I didn't feel like I'd really seen it.

Well this time there was nothing keeping me from enjoying the film from beginning to end, and it was awesome.

This isn't a thriller that hinges on a mystery. Yes, ostensibly Macreedy is in town to uncover some shady deeds, but anyone with half a brain will know almost immediately what was done and by whom, if not the exact specifics. This is a thriller that hinges on just how the cookie will crumble--how will everything fall out as the townspeople topple into either turning on Macreedy or turning on each other.

Tracy may be a little old to play a recently discharged war veteran (though I guess his past is kept vague enough that he may not be intended to be seen as a soldier), but he is absolutely perfect in the role. Macreedy is virtually unflappable. When a local (Lee Marvin), decides to rattle Macreedy's cage, the man just calmly backs down. Unnerved, Marvin's character notes that he gives in a little too easy. Also on hand are Anne Francis is apparently the only woman in the whole town, and John Ericson as her brother and the man who runs the local hotel. Ryan is a great counterpoint, his masculine posturing a stark contrast to Tracy's calm and collected Macreedy.

There are also some pretty great visuals on hand. It all starts with an astonishing head-on shot of an oncoming train (the shot was apparently accomplished by having a helicopter hover in front of a train and then running the train backwards, then running that footage in reverse). Several shots establish very well just how isolated a rural desert environment can be. It makes the threats to Macreedy seem all the more probable.

I really enjoyed the exploration in the movie of what happens when something bad occurs in a small community in which the perpetrator has a lot of power. There are people who know what happened, and people who don't exactly know what happened and want to keep it that way (including the local sheriff). Things quickly become a "with us or against us" situation the minute Macreedy steps off of the train and starts asking questions. Even theoretically innocent moments, like Francis's character renting Macreedy a car, turns ominous as Smith warns her "That's the most expensive $10 you ever made."

All in all, a satisfying Wester-thriller.

I'm a fan of this one since I saw it randomly on TCM several years ago (maybe a decade?) and I am pleased that you also had a positive experience with it.



Has she watched the other two? I'm sure she would enjoy them as well.
No, neither of us have. There was supposed to be a H&G:WH2 but I don't think it was ever filmed or released. And there is the Gretel & Hansel version from a couple of years back with Alice Krige playing the witch but neither of us have watched that.



I forgot the opening line.

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Con Air - (1997)

I'm not even sure what to say about this gleefully silly film, except that it's entertaining in it's way and is watchable more for it's array of character actors going full pelt than it's action. I'm sure Nic Cage is in there somewhere - but if his very odd Southern gentleman doesn't do the trick then there's Steve Buscemi as a serial killer, John Malkovich as an insane killer called "Cyrus the Virus", Ving Rhames, Dave Chappelle and Danny Trejo as a serial rapist. All of these people happen to be on the same plane when Cyrus takes it over and it's up to U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin (John Cusack) to stop them escaping across the border. There is no end of craziness, and I guess that's why this film is so popular. I'm surprised at myself for not having seen it before, except for bits here and there - I think by '97 I wasn't much of an 'action film' fan, but this one qualifies as an indulgent one which stacks the deck in favour of outrageous villains. Very colourful.

7/10


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Love Story - (1970)

I keep thinking Love Story won an Oscar for Best Picture, but Patton won the year it was nominated, and Five Easy Pieces should have won. In any event, it only ended up winning for Best Score (deservedly - though it's a score I always confuse with the one The Deer Hunter has) and has gone down in history as an awfully average film. Honestly, you could tune in on your local television station and watch a made-for-TV movie at midday and it would be quite similar to Love Story - directed by Arthur Hiller, a great director with a very varied body of work. Knowing the Academy, I'm surprised this didn't take out Best Picture, come to think of it. I got a shock when, at one point in the film, a door opens and there stands an incredibly young Tommy Lee Jones - I kept expecting his character to come back into the film, but he's only in it for a few moments.

6/10
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Barbie of Swan Lake (Owen Hurley, 2003)

So I was excited for this one since Barbie in the Nutcracker was so good but this kind of had all the worst elements of both the previous films. This is the same writing duo from Barbie as Rapunzel (and they write a lot the future entries as well) but sadly its the rough comedy and dialogue that carries over from Rapunzel and not the character depth and its even less eventful than Rapunzel as well. So little happens in the film but it somehow makes the film feel extremely short instead of dragging. Not sure how that works but I'm not complaining. Also its a noticeable step back visually and the only one that really triggered that uncanny valley feeling for me, probably due to having less expressive character models more than anything. Overall its just severely uninteresting but it was easy to sit through at least.
This is very amusing that somebody is willing to take on them Barbie movies. It takes great courage to walk into your living room/theater and play a movie that features America's favorite fashion doll. Barbie movies are ironically more inaccessible than most arthouse, experimental, avant-garde, or exploitation films. Everyone else including me would be running into the woods over these movies.



This is very amusing that somebody is willing to take on them Barbie movies. It takes great courage to walk into your living room/theater and play a movie that features America's favorite fashion doll. Barbie movies are ironically more inaccessible than most arthouse, experimental, avant-garde, or exploitation films. Everyone else including me would be running into the woods over these movies.
they are inaccessible in that they're surprisingly hard to find. had to watch two of them on facebook of all places in crisp 360p.



No, neither of us have. There was supposed to be a H&G:WH2 but I don't think it was ever filmed or released. And there is the Gretel & Hansel version from a couple of years back with Alice Krige playing the witch but neither of us have watched that.
That one is a more on the darker side, more horror than drama. Very artistic as well.




The Thing from Another World (1951, Christian Nyby)

Carpenter's remake is one of my favorite sci-fi horror films of all time, so I expected the original to be at least decent. I guess my expectations were too high. The rapid, snappy dialogue laced with wisecracks that may work in classic Hollywood comedies doesn't work here at all imo — there is no atmosphere, no suspense, nothing scary or even mildly creepy. The key plot element where the extra-terrestrial organism moves from person to person to survive is completely absent from Nyby's original. The creature itself is a ridiculous, lumbering Frankenstein ripoff. The scene where they set it on fire was probably the only moment in the entire movie that had some tension in it. That captain guy and the lady casually flirting and cracking jokes in the midst of what is supposed to be a scary battle against a bloodsucking alien invader was the worst. Oh, and who doesn't like a healthy dose of Cold War paranoia to put a wrapper on things: "Watch the skies, everywhere! Keep looking. Keep watching the skies!"



Wow scary stuff. What is the timeline for this movie? I don't remember the Angolan and South African conflict. Sixties, Seventies or Eighties?
It is set in '81 when conscription was in was in force in SA, they saw Angola as a Communist aggressor, I must admit I knew none of that before watching the film! Apperently called a "Proxy War"...I'm none the wiser!




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Con Air - (1997)

I'm not even sure what to say about this gleefully silly film, except that it's entertaining in it's way and is watchable more for it's array of character actors going full pelt than it's action. I'm sure Nic Cage is in there somewhere - but if his very odd Southern gentleman doesn't do the trick then there's Steve Buscemi as a serial killer, John Malkovich as an insane killer called "Cyrus the Virus", Ving Rhames, Dave Chappelle and Danny Trejo as a serial rapist. All of these people happen to be on the same plane when Cyrus takes it over and it's up to U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin (John Cusack) to stop them escaping across the border. There is no end of craziness, and I guess that's why this film is so popular. I'm surprised at myself for not having seen it before, except for bits here and there - I think by '97 I wasn't much of an 'action film' fan, but this one qualifies as an indulgent one which stacks the deck in favour of outrageous villains. Very colourful.

7/10
Cage at his most restrained as a Southern gentleman with one sweet mullet. And like you said so many great villainous performances. You got The Marietta Mangler and Diamond Dog and Sally-Can't Dance and Pinball Parker. Plus you got Colm Meaney as DEA agent Duncan (AZZ KIKR) Malloy. Everyone's emoting up a storm and having fun with it. I liked Steve Buscemi's commentary when everyone is singing along to Sweet Home Alabama. Con Air may not be edifying but it's next to impossible to hate.



Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) is a mildly entertaining action movie. The premise is very flimsy. Nic Cage is a former car thief who gets tasked with stealing 50 expensive cars because his brother owes a bad guy a large debt. I'm baffled why he would agree to this extremely dangerous endeavor because this bad guy is completely untrustworthy and his brother isn't even held captive.

What I enjoyed about the movie is some of the banter and some of the car chases. The characters aren't special, but they have a nice rapport. And the chases have way too many cuts and bad camera angles, but I enjoyed a few moments, like when Nic uses a ramp to jump over 100 feet of traffic. Its definitely a stupid movie, but it has a few charms.



Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) is a mildly entertaining action movie. The premise is very flimsy. Nic Cage is a former car thief who gets tasked with stealing 50 expensive cars because his brother owes a bad guy a large debt. I'm baffled why he would agree to this extremely dangerous endeavor because this bad guy is completely untrustworthy and his brother isn't even held captive.

What I enjoyed about the movie is some of the banter and some of the car chases. The characters aren't special, but they have a nice rapport. And the chases have way too many cuts and bad camera angles, but I enjoyed a few moments, like when Nic uses a ramp to jump over 100 feet of traffic. Its definitely a stupid movie, but it has a few charms.
I think Gone in 60 Seconds was based on an older movie starring David Caruso. And that movie was based on an older Ben Hecht film. More info later if i have time.



It’s a remake of a low budget movie by stuntman H. B. Halicki. The plot and acting are whatever, but it has a bananas all-timer forty minute car chase climax in which Halicki destroys a large chunk of his personal collection. Well worth a watch if you like car chase movies.



Also, Con Air is a hoot (how can it not be with that cast), but I prefer The Rock when it comes to ‘90s Cage Bruckheimer blockbusters.






When Worlds Collide - 1951 sci-fi dealing with a rogue planet on a collision course with Earth. I suppose the most benign approach to mentally filing this away is as a sort of quaint artifact. It opens with a Bible verse and is adapted from a 1931 novel so it's more fi than sci. And outside of a UN assembly there's not a single person of color in the movie and certainly not on the passenger manifest of the spaceship they end up building.

There's a scene early on in a general store somewhere in ... I don't know ... Hooterville. There's a full crowd gathered around the radio listening to the bad news that the so called "crackpot scientists" were right and Earth is doomed. A display table is piled high with loaves of Wonder Bread. To me all that white bread made for a great metaphor.

At a South African observatory pilot David Randall (Richard Derr) is handcuffed to a briefcase containing photos and scientific data and flies to the States to hand deliver it to Dr. Cole Hendron (Larry Keating). The info confirms the gathered scientist's worst fears and after some UN dithering the group finds some benefactors with deep pockets who agree to fund the start of the construction of a space ark. Veteran character actor John Hoyt shows up as ruthless rich guy Sydney Stanton. He's bent on surviving the extinction level event and ponies up the remaining millions in exchange for a reserved seat.

There's the requisite romance with Randall and Dr. Herndon's daughter Joyce (Barbara Rush) getting cozy. At around 80 or so minutes the movie does hold your attention. It's filmed in rich Technicolor and the scenes of devastation when the larger planet passes by are passable. It does end on a
WARNING: spoilers below
bit of a fatuous note though when the survivors land on what is apparently a cartoon planet. You half expect Bambi to come bounding out of the forest.
Still though it's a George Pal production and he holds true to form with this, generating some not too shabby spectacle on a limited budget.

80/100






I Wake Up Screaming
(1941)


Although the title makes it sound like a horror picture, it’s instead a lollapalooza of an early noir. The title was changed to Hot Spot in order to better appeal to Betty Grable fans, but it was then changed back to its original, and that one remained.

The opening has Frankie Christopher (Victor Mature) proclaiming that he is being wrongly accused of a murder while being hard interrogated by several police detectives. From there out most of the story is done in flash backs. He was found standing over the body of Vicky Lynn (Carol Landis) by Vicky’s sister Jill (Betty Grable), but she soon believes that Christopher didn’t do it. Yet creepy Detective Ed Cornell (Laird Cregar) has a monomaniacal belief that Christopher did kill Vicky, and spends most of the film trying to prove he did it, using intimidation and other means. Along the way we’re treated to a number of offbeat characters, including the familiar Elisha Cook Jr., who plays the hotel’s front desk manager.

There are several meaningful twists in the story, which lead to a respectable finale. But to me the real life circumstances around the film are as interesting as the film itself. Director H. Bruce Humberstone and cinematographer Edward Cronjager had never before made a noir type film, nor did either man make another of them after this movie. But yet most of its stunning noir photography was actually better than in The Maltese Falcon (released a month earlier), which is the other of the two pictures that are considered by aficionados to have touched off the noir movement in Hollywood.

Betty Grable was reluctant to play a straight dramatic role, one of a very few that she did, believing that she didn’t have the acting heft to bring it off. Although Alice Faye was originally slated to play her part, Grable took it on, and her performance was enjoyable and convincing.

Both Carol Landis and Laird Cregar died very young a few years later-- Landis by suicide presumably after an affair with Rex Harrison in which Harrison refused to divorce his wife; and Cregar died as the result of amphetamine use and crash dieting while attempting to appear more as a leading man.

This was Victor Mature’s first film under his 20th Century Fox contract. I’ve never felt that Mature was a high quality actor. He once cracked, “I’m not an actor, and I have 64 films to prove it.” Yet he was as naturally good in this role as he was in many of his other notable films.

It’s nice to experience and enjoy a film thought to have started the noir movement. And it’s available on YouTube.

Doc’s rating: 7/10



Gargi



Gargi takes a story which can easily be highly dramatised, and bravely strips it of all its bells and whistles. This adds a real rawness to the story, which takes us through the journey of what is looks like for those who are surrounding a highly suspected child rapist.

What makes this movie stand out is the number of perspectives we are presented with, and how each scenario is presented to us. Gargi (played amazingly by Sai Pallavi), the central character and protagonist, gives a deep insight into a daughter defending her father who she adamantly believes is not guilty of the rape of a nine year old girl. Pallavi's grounded and powerful performance here is dynamic and complex. The manner in which she is able to demonstrate emotions of despair and anger, as well as her methodical determined approach to ensuring her father's freedom is a highlight of this movie. To add to this, there are enough elements of mystery and suspense to keep the audience guessing, as again beautifully exhibited through Gargi. Pallavi's performance is captivating, so much so that she alone carries the audience with her throughout this entire journey, and take us through the emotional roller coaster that unfolds.

Aside from Gargi, the movie gives us perspectives of what the victims have to go through in this bleak scenario. In addition, it also gives us a close look at what systems of law and the police department have to go through during such a case. The movie does this in an unglamorous way, by never creating extra drama around the characters. Aside from the stellar acting, this is due to the overall direction of the movie from Gautham Ramachandran. A lot of credit has to be given here to the director and his team to intentionally make a movie which is so grounded in it's portrayal of the scenario. The colour palette is intentionally dim with an emphasis on mid-tones. The score throughout the film is minimal and adjacent to a crime thriller and helps to establish tone. But the strongest element here is the filming techniques and the framing of the entire movie. There appears to be effort put into how each scene is presented, with a mixture of slow motion panning, close and medium shots.

Gargi is one of the most layered and nuanced films of 2022. With a fresh and extremely bold approach to a delicate subject matter, Gargi is a testament to film making. It's the kind of movie that will stick with you for a long time to come, and all credit has to go to so those involved in creating this masterpiece.

5/5

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Full review: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2SN...c7356f73a74802
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I forgot the opening line.

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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - (1966)

Can a film you've already seen defy your expectations? Well, I've finally gotten to the age where what feels like a lifetime can separate viewings, and I'd forgotten how twisted George (Richard Burton) and Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) are in this adaptation of Edward Albee's play. In my memory they just reach a breaking point and have an enormous fight - but my memory was very wrong, and in this film they involve a young couple (the guy has just joined the university faculty, and George sees him as a rival) getting to know them in a night of debauched role play, one-upmanship, psychological manipulation and drunken near-psychosis. Not your usual 'getting to know you' little shindig. George and Martha's relationship has reached a level where the two are like two dragons in aerial battle - both with a death grip on each other and tumbling from the sky - but both still having a semblance of the love that brought them together pumping through their veins. When Nick (a really young George Segal) and Honey (Sandy Dennis) come into their sphere, then of course there will be collateral damage, especially since George sees Nick as a younger rival, both love-wise and career-wise. The dramatic tension is kept taught for nearly the entire run-time - and like a horror movie, you'll often be wanting to tell Nick and Honey to run for their lives. All involved put everything into their performances, and it turns out this was a far more complex film than I'd remembered - perhaps I can see a lot more in it because I needed to have much more life experience to see deeper into it.

8.5/10