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When Eight Bells Toll
Etienne Périer, 1971
Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery
DVR - Film4


From IMDb:
In a vein similar to the James Bond movies, British Agent Philip Calvert (Sir Anthony Hopkins) is on a mission to determine the whereabouts of a ship that disappeared near the coast of Scotland.
Watchable but rather dated affair that generally moves along at a decent enough clip. The Alistair MacLean tale never really hits any highs (the helicopter scenes are probably the highlight for me) but is serviceable and Anthony Perkins makes a fairly decent fist of being the lead (he's certainly no Bond though) whilst Robert Morley is his usual fun self to watch.





Breakdown
Johnathan Mostow, 1997
Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
DVR - TCM


From IMDb:
A man searches for his missing wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert.
Simple but reasonably effective mystery thriller that doesn't take long to get going and is paced quite nicely. It does dispense with any intrigue by the halfway point but there's enough suspense and excitement left in proceedings for that not to be an issue. Kurt Russell is his usual reliable self as the protagonist while J.T. Walsh is solid as his principal adversary.





Saikaku ichidai onna - [The Life Of Oharu]
Kenji Mizoguchi, 1952
Drama
DVD


From IMDb:
Follows a woman's fight and survival amid the vicissitudes of life and the cruelty of society.
Kinuyo Tanaka puts in a very nice performance in this tale that charts more than three decades in the tragic existence of her central character, portraying Oharu with an inner strength and dignity despite all that befalls her. One could argue that she struggles to fully convince during the earlier years (not many forty-two year olds can pass as mid-to-late teens in fairness) and that the initial relationship which sparks the tale is too briefly portrayed but for me neither of those concerns impact that much on proceedings.

Purely based on the narrative this could easily be quite a harrowing watch, that it isn't is testament not only to the central performance but moreso the way in which it's presented.





Fiend Without A Face
Arthur Crabtree, 1958
Horror, Sci-Fi
Stream - YouTube


From IMDb:
Invisible atomic monsters attack a U.S. Armed Forces base and the local residents.
What self-respecting sci-fi lover doesn't enjoy invisible foes and effects which incorporate the movement of branches and other things by ultra-thin wires? With this B-movie that plays on the fears of nuclear energy (and touches on the Cold War) you have to as, aside from the occasional solo enactment of a death scene, that's about as exciting as things get for much of the first hour. Thankfully though the final minutes are much more dynamic as those foes become visible and both the effects team, the cast and the audience get to have way more fun.





Breakdown
Johnathan Mostow, 1997
Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
DVR - TCM


From IMDb:

Simple but reasonably effective mystery thriller that doesn't take long to get going and is paced quite nicely. It does dispense with any intrigue by the halfway point but there's enough suspense and excitement left in proceedings for that not to be an issue. Kurt Russell is his usual reliable self as the protagonist while J.T. Walsh is solid as his principal adversary.


Yeah, this is a really, really solid thriller. I saw it in theaters back in the day and remember being stressed like hell as we tried to figure out what happened to the Kurt Russell's wife. It does lose a bit of steam once the mystery is revealed in the last act, but I would still take it over many other thrillers of the era.
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That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Breakdown
Johnathan Mostow, 1997
Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
DVR - TCM


From IMDb:

Simple but reasonably effective mystery thriller that doesn't take long to get going and is paced quite nicely. It does dispense with any intrigue by the halfway point but there's enough suspense and excitement left in proceedings for that not to be an issue. Kurt Russell is his usual reliable self as the protagonist while J.T. Walsh is solid as his principal adversary.


I rewatched this maybe midway through 2020, or late 2019? I don't know why I'm asking you, but there it is. Anyway. This one always stuck with me having seen it as a teen, college years. I remembered liking it well enough. The movie still holds up for the most part and I agree with *rutterbug, above, that it was a stressful watch for the same reasons. I use "rutterbug" because I'm in the reply page and can't see the conversation at the moment to see the user name that actually posted before me. My apologies. I mean that name with all affection and respect.

My only gripe with this movie is perhaps the casting of Mtv's Dead at 21 star, Jack Noseworthy as the feigning country bumpkin. I never really cared for the guy. he was another forced-down notch in my Event Horizon's enjoyment as "baby bear." *cringes* Huh. I thought he was in another weird horror flick about turning into a cat but I can't seem to find it. Maybe I should post in the questions forum.

Good summary up there, sir! I need to watch Sling Blade now for J.T. Walsh's bit.

*Edit:
Thief
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Bat sin fan dim: Yan yuk cha siu bau - [The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story]
Danny Lee & Herman Hau, 1993
Comedy, Crime, Horror, Thriller
Stream - YouTube


From IMDb:
Macau cops begin to suspect a man running a pork buns restaurant of murder, after tracing the origin of a case full of chopped up human remains that washed ashore, which leads them to him.
Odd mix of light-hearted silliness and grittier moments that unfortunately just doesn't gel that well at times. Without the grittier moments this would probably be nothing more than a modestly amusing affair, without the silliness it would possibly be a fairly decent piece of somewhat visceral cinema. As it stands though the shifting tones sometimes undercut each other for me, resulting in a slightly frustrating experience that I wished was better. Cheers to @cricket for the heads-up in RTLMYS.





Videomannen - [Videoman]
Kristian A. Söderström, 2018
Comedy, Drama, Thriller
DVR - Film4


From IMDb:
A VHS collector and a woman obsessed with the 80s, both alcoholics, initiates a romance that helps them battle their personal failures.
Offbeat debut feature-length offering that throws a lot of 70s and 80s nostalgia onto the screen, which may appeal to some, but there isn't much in terms of narrative to really hold one's interest in what feels like a short padded to feature length. Lena Nilsson's ageing alcoholic, Simone, does at least provide a character that one can somewhat empathise with, but the attempts at adding a little light-heartedness mostly fall flat. Sadly the 'thriller' aspect, concerning Stefan Sauk's central character, Ennio, and a missing VHS tape also fails - it may give the opportunity to aesthetically hark back to the giallo era the character so loves but as a storyline it's a weak attempt and unrewarding imo. As for the little bit of social commentary on modern life thrown in - it's suitable for the story but is hardly either subtle or particularly insightful.


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Love, Simon
Greg Berlanti, 2018
Comedy, Drama, Romance
DVR - Film4


From IMDb:
Simon Spier keeps a huge secret from his family, his friends and all of his classmates: he's gay. When that secret is threatened, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity.
Formulaic coming-of-age drama that's far too 'busy' in the opening minutes and even when it does decide to settle into a more watchable rhythm there's nothing of any real note on offer that hasn't been seen before. The song choices for the soundtrack are actually quite decent but the score intrudes at times and isn't always particularly well suited imo. The screenplay follows some of the usual contrivances but does manage a few moments that feel a little more heartfelt (mainly later on in proceedings) though not enough to raise the whole above mediocrity for me.





That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Bat sin fan dim: Yan yuk cha siu bau - [The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story]
Danny Lee & Herman Hau, 1993
Comedy, Crime, Horror, Thriller
Stream - YouTube


From IMDb:

Odd mix of light-hearted silliness and grittier moments that unfortunately just doesn't gel that well at times. Without the grittier moments this would probably be nothing more than a modestly amusing affair, without the silliness it would possibly be a fairly decent piece of somewhat visceral cinema. As it stands though the shifting tones sometimes undercut each other for me, resulting in a slightly frustrating experience that I wished was better. Cheers to @cricket for the heads-up in RTLMYS.



Where do you find some of these? Er, more, HOW do you find them? Are you seeing adverts? Word of mouth? You stumbling on some random title somewhere you find interesting? Or are you Googling, "find me movie now" type searching and jumping on whatever lands?

lol that may read snarky. NOT my intention. I'm actually curious cuz some of these I would NEVER even come close to happening upon.



Where do you find some of these? Er, more, HOW do you find them? Are you seeing adverts? Word of mouth? You stumbling on some random title somewhere you find interesting? Or are you Googling, "find me movie now" type searching and jumping on whatever lands?

lol that may read snarky. NOT my intention. I'm actually curious cuz some of these I would NEVER even come close to happening upon.
Doesn't sound snarky at all, a perfectly reasonable question. That particular one our very own cricket watched and posted about in the RTLMYS thread, noting it was freely available on the Tube of You, and it sounded of interest to me

Most of what I watch is from either televisual outlets (TCM, Film4 and the like) or from DVDs I own but I also have a diverse list of fillums I'll hopefully also get round to at some point via streaming ... as long as I can find them via free and legal sources.

Outside of 'cramming' for genre countdowns I prefer to watch a variety of viewing material.



Gisaengchung - [Parasite]
Bong Joon Ho, 2019
Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Stream - Amazon Prime


From IMDb:
Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
Nicely shot and acted affair with a delightful first half in which the Kim's gradually inveigle their way into the Park house. Sadly though for me the second half isn't as strong with proceedings going over the top too often, I think a little more restraint/realism in the violence would have better complimented the first half without lessening any impact. Shame, after all the gushing over it I really hoped I'd like it better.


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Halloween III: Season Of The Witch
Tommy Lee Wallace, 1982
Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
DVR - Film4


From IMDb:
Kids all over America want Silver Shamrock masks for Halloween. Doctor Daniel Challis seeks to uncover a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran.
First off I should admit that I've only ever watched the original before so I had no idea whether the franchise at this point had any continuity but based solely on the original I guess the answer to that is a resounding 'no'. As for this entry itself, Carpenter & Howarth's score certainly adds to proceedings and as a whole it's quite watchable. Unfortunately though the tale is not only rather hokey but also feels unpolished and whilst there's atmosphere a-plenty in places there's sadly far too little by way of payoff imo.


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Un long dimanche de fiançailles - [A Very Long Engagement]
Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2004
Drama, Mystery, Romance, War
DVD


From IMDb:
Tells the story of a young woman's relentless search for her fiancé, who has disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during World War One.
The tale maintains interest in the way it gradually unfolds, though personally I do find it a little difficult to reconcile the Amélie-esque tone employed at times in the first half with the inhumane event which underpins proceedings. That's only a minor quibble though and one that never comes close to derailing the enjoyment of a piece that is certainly well acted, generally well presented and manages to depict both the horrors of warfare in the WWI trenches alongside the undying love and determination of a young woman to uncover the truth about her fiancé.


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Baba Yaga
Corrada Farina, 1973
Horror
DVD


From IMDb:
A photographer finds herself falling under the spell of a witch.
Slow-burn affair that's rather low on thrills but does build some nice atmosphere in places and despite the relative paucity of the central narrative provides a decent enough watch. The fantasy scenes add a level of bizzare to proceedings but do help maintain interest, not so keen on the use of still images and artwork though. Odd but oddly compelling .... as long as your not offended by nudity.


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Pickpocket
Robert Bresson, 1959
Crime, Drama
DVD


From IMDb:
Michel passes the time by picking pockets, careful to never be caught despite being watched by the police. His friend Jacques may suspect, while both men may have their eyes on Jeanne, the pretty neighbor of Michel's ailing mother.
This is quite nicely shot and not afraid to limit the use of sound to enhance proceedings at times. Sadly though whilst the sleight of hand sequences are nicely done and prove fascinating, there are akso times when the narrative frustratingly lacks flow and the dialogue is stilted and unnatural. Considering Bresson's penchant for utilising raw talent in his cast the acting is for the most part actually acceptable (Marika Green is very good as Jeanne) though there are moments where it is wooden or actors are clearly seeking cues/direction. Sadly nowhere near the excellence of his A Man Escaped for me.


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That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Halloween III: Season Of The Witch
Tommy Lee Wallace, 1982
Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
DVR - Film4


From IMDb:

First off I should admit that I've only ever watched the original before so I had no idea whether the franchise at this point had any continuity but based solely on the original I guess the answer to that is a resounding 'no'. As for this entry itself, Carpenter & Howarth's score certainly adds to proceedings and as a whole it's quite watchable. Unfortunately though the tale is not only rather hokey but also feels unpolished and whilst there's atmosphere a-plenty in places there's sadly far too little by way of payoff imo.


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and now you're going to have that jingle in your ear brain for at least another three years. *tuba BOM bom BOM bom...* happy happy Halloween, Halloween, Halloween! happy happy Halloween, sillll-VER sham-rock!

(sorry)