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The Idiot
(Akira Kurosawa, 1951)

This overlooked drama from Kurosawa was initially filmed as a two-part film that clocked in at 265 minutes, but the studio cut it down to 166 minutes. That probably explains the disjointed storytelling and the terrible intertitles that keep interrupting the narrative flow early in the film. The story is an adaptation of the Dostoevsky novel. The setting, with its frigid temperatures and swirling snow, feels more like the writer's native Russia than Japan. It took me awhile to settle into the film. Once I did, I found myself extremely invested in the on-screen drama. The characterization is excellent. Masayuki Mori is endearing as the so-called "idiot." Toshiro Mifune is mesmerizing to watch as his character becomes increasingly desperate and teeters toward madness. Setsuko Hara's character is a 180-degree turnaround from what I've seen her play in the Ozu films. Her gaze will pierce your soul. Everyone being bundled up from the cold puts more emphasis on the eyes and faces of the actors in order to convey the essence of their characters. Due to studio interference and the difficult task of condensing such a dense work into a three-hour film, The Idiot is more flawed than most Kurosawa films, but the strength of the performances and Kurosawa's sure-handed direction still make for an engaging, complex, worthwhile drama.

So I Married an Axe Murderer
(Thomas Schlamme, 1993)

Forgettable, but a decent watch while it lasted. The love interest, Nancy Travis, is one of those "Oh, hey, that woman!" actresses whom I've seen in a lot of stuff over the years. She has a great smile that lights up a room. The "is she or isn't she a mass murdering, axe-wielding maniac?" subplot gives this romantic comedy an air of mystery that makes it feel a little different than typical entries in the genre. Mike Myers busts out a couple of voices/impressions that sound like rough drafts of future characters in the Austin Powers series. To the movie's detriment, I don't remember laughing very much. The 90's soundtrack was my favorite part.

It's Alive
(Larry Cohen, 1974)

For those who don't know, this is a film about a vicious mutant baby that goes on a killing spree as soon as it pops out of its mother's vagina. Despite the goofy premise, the film plays everything with a straight face. Part of me admires its desire to be taken seriously and I don't want it to be a full-on comedy like Hell Baby, but a few winks and nudges at the audience would've helped. The director does a good job of limiting the baby's exposure and keeping it in the shadows so that those particular scenes are somewhat creepy instead of laughable. And there are some effective sequences, like the early scene in the hospital when we see the carnage that the baby has left behind. I also like the ending and the ominous implication of the closing line. For the most part, though, It's Alive is nowhere near as enjoyable as its B-movie premise would suggest. I'm still curious enough to seek out the sequels -- especially the third one, which apparently focuses on the mutant babies as adults after they've been exiled on an island and start birthing their own mutant children. Sounds like Academy Award material.


American Sniper
(Clint Eastwood, 2014)

Not nearly as jingoistic as I expected. I don't know much about Chris Kyle and I don't care about whatever controversy surrounded this film. His portrayal is far too bland to warrant glorification. Eastman's direction is solid, but a bit too workmanlike. The film flirts with interesting issues but is ultimately too shallow to explore them with much depth. I think the film would've benefited from either maintaining its focus on the tension-filled war or the more introspective moments at home instead of shifting so much back and forth. My friend had already warned me about the incredibly fake baby so I paid special attention during that scene. I still crack up when I see Bradley Cooper move the doll's hand with his thumb. Cooper's Texas accent is about as fake as that baby. American Sniper is generally well made, but it feels too rudimentary to leave any sort of lasting impression. Plenty of superior films, like The Hurt Locker, have dealt with similar subject matter and themes.

Daughters of Darkness
(Harry Kumel, 1971)

Thoughts Posted in the European Horror Hall of Fame.

Time After Time
(Nicholas Meyer, 1979)

The best film I've seen about H.G. Wells traveling in time to stop Jack the Ripper. Time After Time is clever, funny, charming, romantic and very entertaining. Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen share excellent chemistry. The film feels old-fashioned, yet timeless. Even though the opening scene feels straight out of a slasher, Time After Time quickly settles into the type of entertainment that should appeal to all demographics and sensibilities. I remember gbgoodies nominating this in the Sci-Fi Hall of Fame awhile back, but it didn't seem like something I'd like. I was wrong. Very enjoyable movie.

Maggie
(Henry Hobson, 2015)

I always thought it would be cool to see the loved-one-turning-into-a-zombie subplot expanded into a full-length feature so that the true dramatic weight of such a situation could be fully explored. Maggie is that film, only it fails to capitalize on the novel approach to a familiar premise. This is basically a kid-dying-with-cancer movie dressed up as a zombie film. Schwarzenegger gives his most restrained, subtle performance. Little Miss Sunshine is also pretty good as the titular character. Maggie aims to be a character-driven drama, but the characterization is too weak for it to fully work. Given the premise and the dreary cinematography, I knew that the film would be depressing, but that doesn't give it an excuse to be so dull. The ending also annoyed me.


Tommy
(Ken Russell, 1975)

I haven't made up my mind yet if this musical is terrible or brilliant or somewhere in between. It's certainly bonkers. I've become a big fan of The Who over the last year or two. Their rock opera Tommy is a landmark album with several great songs. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that the music in the film is automatically great since the talent singing the songs fluctuates wildly from musical icons like Elton John to actors like Jack Nicholson who can't carry a tune. Even if I was cringing at the some of the songs, the film itself was always fascinating. It doesn't matter if you know what the hell is going on or not, it's still impossible to take your eyes off the screen. The provocative imagery, whether its a church that worships Marilyn Monroe or Ann-Margret gyrating in a gusher of chocolate and baked beans, is unforgettable. All the cameos by musical legends are a joy to behold. I especially dug the "Acid Queen" sequence with Tina Turner. I'm a little surprised to see that Ann-Margret was nominated for an Academy Award. Not because she isn't deserving -- she clearly threw all her energy into her performance -- but just because the film seems too zany and counter-culture for the Academy. Forget Jesus. Our Messiah is a deaf, dumb, blind kid who plays a mean pinball.

Dark of the Sun
(Jack Cardiff, 1968)

I need to re-visit Dark of the Sun somewhere down the road because I definitely feel like I'm underrating this one. I love adventure films. I feel like they're strangely rare nowadays, especially adventure films that aren't mostly geared toward families/children. Dark of the Sun boasts impressive stunt work, great set pieces, violent action, tons of machismo, a chainsaw fight(!), constant forward momentum and a fairly smart script. Yet I was mostly unaffected by the excitement on screen. That's probably my fault since I had a lot on my mind and was probably too mentally distracted to allow myself to get sucked into the film. However, I think a little bit of the blame also falls on the cast. Rod Taylor seems to lack the star quality required of a leading man. In my opinion, he's better suited for supporting roles. If someone more lively and charismatic had been cast as the lead, I think I would've enjoyed Dark of the Sun more than I did.

Afflicted
(Derek Lee & Cliff Prowse, 2014)

I've seen a lot of found-footage horror movies, but I'm pretty sure this is the first one I've seen that incorporates vampirism into the mix. For a film of this type, Afflicted received a surprisingly decent reception from critics and horror fans, but I thought it was below average. One thing that annoys me about seemingly all found-footage films is how they try so hard in the beginning to capture loose, mundane interactions between the characters, but those scenes always feel incredibly forced to me. They rarely resemble the way normal people act. While watching Afflicted, I also had the familiar thought that I would've enjoyed it a lot more if it wasn't found-footage. Of course, the found-footage technique is what allows the filmmakers to accomplish so much on such a small budget, but I can't help but feel annoyed when certain scenes -- like when the MC is attacked and shot at by a police force, forcing him to escape in the daylight, his flesh boiling in the sun -- are handicapped by a handheld camera or body camera bouncing all over the place and thus making everything on screen borderline incomprehensible.


Rudy
(David Anspaugh, 1993)

By rule, inspirational sports films are earnest, manipulative, overly sentimental and predictable. Rudy is no different, but it works anyway. There's a reason why this film consistently ranks among the best sports films. It's impossible not to root for the scrappy underdog and his never-give-up attitude. I was already familiar with the ending, yet I still felt like clapping and chanting "Ru-dy! Ru-dy! Ru-dy!" along with the crowd. This is a very effective feel-good film about the perseverance of the human spirit. Good storytelling. Good performances. Considering how it's based on a true story, the film is also highly motivational. Rudy teaches us to keep striving toward our dreams no matter how many detractors or bumps in the road we encounter along the way.

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Master of My Domain
Your rating for Tommy is a bit disappointing Captain, because that film was on the top of my watchlist and I had high hopes for it being a huge The Who fan. I'll still see it, but I guess now I know what to expect. Have you seen The Kids are Alright?



Your rating for Tommy is a bit disappointing Captain, because that film was on the top of my watchlist and I had high hopes for it being a huge The Who fan. I'll still see it, but I guess now I know what to expect. Have you seen The Kids are Alright?
It's a difficult film to rate, so don't pay attention to that. I highly recommend it for any fan of The Who.

I've seen The Kids Are All Right, but not The Kids Are Alright.



I loved Tommy when I watched it a couple of years ago. It was a
movie to me then.

However... I don't feel a huge interest in seeing it again any time soon... and that's a problem to me when movies can't last in my heart and mind like that.



Master of My Domain
It's a difficult film to rate, so don't pay attention to that. I highly recommend it for any fan of The Who.

I've seen The Kids Are All Right, but not The Kids Are Alright.
I haven't seen the live you've seen, but I'm sure The Kids Are Alright is way better. You know it's a doc about The Who right?



You know it's a doc about The Who right?
Why are you asking me who it's about? I thought you'd seen it.



Good whiskey make jackrabbit slap de bear.
Here's the crap I've been watching recently:

Terminator 2: Judgment Day


Still an absolute classic.

Friday The 13th

Friday The 13th Part 2

Friday The 13th Part 3

Friday The 13th: The FInal Chapter

Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning

Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives


Enjoyable series, but none of them, apart from Part VI, approach being genuinely good.
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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."



Ridley scott talks to empireonline abt prometheus 2 and blade runner 2 and about why he is entertaininh the idea of where the alien comes from and who made it and for what. So i am pretty hyped for these movies since he says he wont talk abt the ideas at hand but he says its gonna be special and says prometheus 2 will ponder other sequels coz he wants to tell how the alien was made. Hype train is on its way!!!



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

Night of the Living Dead (Tom Savini, 1990)

A Kiss in the Dark (Delmer Daves, 1949)

The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq (Guillaume Nicloux, 2014)

Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)


The view outside laid-up photographer James Stewart’s rear window is to a courtyard of apartments full of tenants living various forms of life and perhaps dispensing death.
4 Flies on Grey Velvet (Dario Argento, 1971)
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The First of the Few aka Spitfire (Leslie Howard, 1942)

The Way Ahead aka The Immortal Battalion (Carol Reed, 1944)

Blackfish (Gabriela Cowperthwaite, 2013)


The killer whale Tilikum has a Sea World trainer by the foot and holds him underwater several times. He survives, but others don’t, and Sea World makes a habit of lying about it and the effects of keeping such intelligent, social creatures in captivity.
I Believe in Unicorns (Leah Meyerhoff, 2015)
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Strangers May Kiss (George Fitzmaurice, 1931)

Enchantment (Irving Reis, 1948)

Beverly Hills Cop (Martin Brest, 1984)


While on “vacation”, Detroit cop Eddie Murphy makes sure that Beverly Hills plain clothes cops Judge Reinhold and John Ashton can’t tail him and his friend Lisa Eilbacher while they try to solve another friend’s murder.
Mrs. Sundance (Marvin Chomsky, 1974)

Prophet’s Play (Amy Berg, 2015)
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Black Horse Canyon (Jesse Hibbs, 1954)
+
Blank City (Celine Danhier, 2011)


Doc about the various artists who worked in NYC in the ‘70s and ‘80s, making radical films, music and graphic arts. Here are Mark Boone Junior and Steve Buscemi in their early days.
Poker Alice (Arthur Allan Seidelman, 1987)
+
Z for Zachariah (Craig Zobel, 2015)

Compliance (Craig Zobel, 2012)

Black Mass (Scott Cooper, 2015)
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South Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) commits murders, and takes down the local Mafia with the help of his childhood friend (Joel Edgerton), an FBI agent.
__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

Act of Vengeance aka Rape Squad (Bob Kelljan, 1974)

Street Kings (David Ayer, 2008)
+
Cookie (Susan Seidelman, 1989)

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (Christopher McQuarrie, 2015)
+

Just another workday for Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise).
Mission: Impossible III (J.J. Abrams, 2006)
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F/X2 (Richard Franklin, 1991)
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Two-Fisted Law (D. Ross Lederman, 1932)

Paper Towns (Jack Schreier, 2015)


Looking out the window at the city, Nat Wolff says it’s beautiful. His longtime friend Cara Delevingne says everything’s uglier up close, and he says not you. She disappears that night but leaves intentional clues he uses to follow her.
Hands of the Ripper (Peter Sasdy, 1971)
+
Cooties (Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion, 2014)

The Heart of New York (Mervyn LeRoy, 1932)

A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971)


Droogan leader Malcolm McDowell picks up a couple of devotchkas at the record shop and takes them home for some of the old in-out. Later he bashes a victim to death with an important sculpture.

The Last Five Years (Richard LaGravenese, 2015)

The Purple Heart (Lewis Milestone, 1944)
+
Doctor Dolittle (Betty Thomas, 1998)

Strait-Jacket (William Castle, 1964)


When Joan Crawford finds her husband cheating on her, she snaps and kills both with an axe in front of her young daughter. Joan is sent to an asylum for 20 years while her daughter is raised by her aunt and uncle, but then mommy is released and returns.
God Bless America (Bobcat Goldthwait, 2012)

Count Dracula (Jesus Franco, 1970)

The Psychopath (Freddie Francis, 1966)

A Bay of Blood aka Twitch of the Death Nerve (Mario Bava, 1971)


Several people are being killed for unknown reasons by an unseen murderer in Bava’s kickstart of the slasher film.




I like 90s thrillers and this one is definitely one of those. I personally like micheal keaton he s a great actor and as they say in french: pass par tout actor. He s done action he s done comedy drama thrillers.
I was personally intrigued by the name of the film that was when i was pretty young when i saw it. Some rediculously shocking scene in the film aswell i like the direction of the film and hanz zimmer always creates the right tone with his soundtracks.
I consider this a guilty pleasure it is a very atmospheric thriller with great pacing melany griffith does a good job here this was when she was still taking good roles back then.
Have your say



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter (Connie Field, 1980)

Dungeons & Dragons (Courtney Solomon, 2000)

Moms' Night Out (Erwin Bros., 2014)
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Araya (Margot Benacerraf, 1959)


This is a village in Eastern Venezuela where salt has been mined the same way for a half millennium.
The Decline of Western Civilization (Penelope Spheeris, 1981)

Fat Albert (Joel Zwick, 2004)

Naughty Girl (Michel J. Boisrond, 1956)
+
Harlan County U.S.A. (Barbara Kopple, 1976)


The United Mine Workers’ strike in Kentucky is a long, violent battle between a large company and its workers and families.
Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (Michael A. Simpson, 1989)

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (Penelope Spheeris, 1988)
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Only Lovers Left Alive (Jim Jarmusch, 2013)

Call Me Lucky (Bobcat Goldthwait, 2015)


Comic Barry Cummins always seemed angry on stage, but there was a good reason, and it led him to start some very important work.
Come Dance with Me! (Michel Boisrond, 1959)
+
Heavy Metal (Gerald Potterton, 1981)

It Came from Beneath the Sea (Robert Gordon, 1955)

Beasts of No Nation (Cary Joji Fukunaga, 2015)


A very young African boy (Abraham Attah) joins a group of mercenaries and is turned into an obedient, violent soldier by his commandant (Idris Elba).
Portrait of Jason (Shirley Clarke, 1967)

The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting (Louis Morneau, 2003)

1492: Conquest of Paradise (Ridley Scott, 1992)

The Owl and the Pussycat (Herbert Ross, 1970)


Hooker Barbra Streisand and failed writer George Segal antagonize each other, then share an apartment and things proceed from there.



The Martian



Matt Damon gets stuck on some crappy planet again. This was surprisingly lighthearted and jokey, although a lot of the jokes miss and come off as lame and stale ("I'm gonna have to science the **** out of this !"). Still there are some legitimately funny parts and it's well made overall.

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Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

Silver Canyon (John English, 1951)

A Gathering of Old Men (Volker Schlöndorff, 1987)

Check Your Guns (Ray Taylor, 1948)

Letter from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls, 1948)

As told in flashback, Joan Fontaine, who’s loved concert pianist Louis Jourdan since she first saw him, is incredibly happy to be spending a romantic night with him - here on an amusement park ride.
The Grim Game (Irvin Willat, 1919)

Play It Forward (Andrea Nevins, 2015)

No Good Deed (Sam Miller, 2014)

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Tom Tykwer, 2006)


In front of a crowd clamoring for his blood, a mass murderer (Ben Whishaw) is about to be executed when a strange thing happens…
The Tunnel of Love (Gene Kelly, 1958)
+
Animals (Collin Schiffli, 2014)

Prophet Without Honor (Felix Feist, 1939)

No End (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1985)


Poland, 1982. At a time when Solidarity is outlawed, translator Grazyna Szapolowska has to deal with the sudden death of her lawyer husband Jerzy Radziwilowicz , the raising of her son and a legal case her husband was working on.
Mimic 2 (Jean de Segonzac, 2001)

A Dennis the Menace Christmas (Ron Oliver, 2007)

The Glow (Craig R. Baxley, 2002)

Mickey’s Polo Team (David Hand, 1936)
+

Mickey’s polo team consists of him, Donald Duck, Goofy and the Big Bad Wolf, and his opponents are Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Harpo Marx and Charlie Chaplin, while numerous movies stars watch them in the stands.
The Fan (Tony Scott, 1996)

Smashed (James Ponsoldt, 2012 )

Exhibition (Joanna Hogg, 2014)
+
W. (Oliver Stone, 2008)
+

George W. Bush (Josh Brolin) goes from underachieving, partying bum to President of the United States after he gives up booze and finds religion.