Glad you like it.
Have you watched any of Fassbinder's other works? I really like Chinese Roulette.
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Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| September 2015
- Thread starter Charles Foster Kane
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Have you watched any of Fassbinder's other works? I really like Chinese Roulette.
Death Metalist
Member
"Hey, is this is some kind of a prank or something?"
Harry Washello(Anthony Edwards) gets a phone call from a stranger who tells him that missiles are going to hit his city in 70 minutes. Now that you've been thrown into such a situation, what would your next course of action be and would you even believe such a thing? Maaaaaaannnnn, it's been a while since I have seen a movie that made me have such strong feelings after it ended and upon reflecting on it. This is such a well executed, well focused simple movie about a bunch of people thrown in a what if scenario and it'll keep you questioning things until the very end. Performances were great but I think the highlight of this movie is L.A, once again this is one of those movies where L.A itself is a character and the atmosphere is SUBLIME thanks in part to Tangerine Dream's amazing score and the beautiful cinematography. Immediately went and rewatched a few scenes after it ended.
The movie starts off as something but becomes a totally different beast very quickly, a real time frantic thriller that's very engaging but also smart. Highly recommended and don't watch any trailers pls, watch it at night for full atmospheric effect(or if you got a really dark room). Also, totally got Twilight Zone vibes all over this.
woah! so you've seen it? can you post more impressions? Fancy was curious, and it's definitely interesting to me as well
Net_Wrecker
Member
Miracle Mile is really great. I only heard of and watched it for the first time earlier this year before Kino put the Blu-ray out and was so impressed I bought the Blu day 1 a few months later. Possibly one of the most underappreciated movies ever.
Death Metalist
Member
The bluray is fantastic, especially the bonus features. It's probably the most loaded when it comes to other Kino's releases(going by the Sphegatti Western ones which is what I usually buy).
Just got back from seeing EVEREST at the cinema.
Was pretty good; definately beautiful visuals and stunning scenery - brought back alot of memories from earlier in the year when I did the Everest Base Camp Trek.
I went in not knowing really the story behind the movie and can safetly say I do NOT have any desire to attempt the summit (although when I was standing at EBC looking up at Everest I'd be lying if I said the thought didnt cross my mind).
Anyway, ignore the reviews of this - yes the characters are forgettable, but its impactful in what it tries to do and is quite emotional.
Oh, and YAKS!
Was pretty good; definately beautiful visuals and stunning scenery - brought back alot of memories from earlier in the year when I did the Everest Base Camp Trek.
I went in not knowing really the story behind the movie and can safetly say I do NOT have any desire to attempt the summit (although when I was standing at EBC looking up at Everest I'd be lying if I said the thought didnt cross my mind).
Anyway, ignore the reviews of this - yes the characters are forgettable, but its impactful in what it tries to do and is quite emotional.
Oh, and YAKS!
True Savior
Member
Miracle Mile is surprisingly bleak.
Hell in the Pacific
Never seen it before, all I knew was it was about a Japanese (Mifune) and American solider both stuck on an island together. It was pretty good, Mifune is the boss in pretty much everything anyway I enjoyed this role.
I found it funny how the first half was just
I heard the ending was pretty disappointing, and it was. I went onto youtube and watched the alternative ending which was better but not by much.
Never seen it before, all I knew was it was about a Japanese (Mifune) and American solider both stuck on an island together. It was pretty good, Mifune is the boss in pretty much everything anyway I enjoyed this role.
I found it funny how the first half was just
Mifune collecting resources and working while the US solider was just trying to sneak about and steal his stuff
I heard the ending was pretty disappointing, and it was. I went onto youtube and watched the alternative ending which was better but not by much.
Fancy Clown
Member
Rewatched Godfather: Part 2. Still the weakest of the Coppola "Big 4"--where weak is such a relative term because none of them are less than fantastic-- because of some pacing and structural flaws, but it's his most ambitious after Apocalypse Now. Ugh and Cazale kills every single scene he's in, the Fredo arc is the best part of the movie. "I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart". Probably Pacino's best performance too, although he's great in Dog Day Afternoon. A far cry from his unbearably hammy performance in Scarface, his Michael Corleaone chills to the bone with nary a word spoken, let alone screamed.
I have not, but I'm interested in checking others out. I've heard of Man on a Wire and the Berlin Alexzanderplatz series, but I'll but Chinese Roulette on the list, too.
Just watched Spirited Away (2001).
To say it was good would be an understatement and unfair to the people who made it. Like the other Hayao Miyazaki films I have seen it is a work of art. It looks so good you could watch it with no volume and enjoy it based on the visuals alone. This is the type of movie you show to those who say movies are not art or that animated films are for babies. Amazing movie.
To say it was good would be an understatement and unfair to the people who made it. Like the other Hayao Miyazaki films I have seen it is a work of art. It looks so good you could watch it with no volume and enjoy it based on the visuals alone. This is the type of movie you show to those who say movies are not art or that animated films are for babies. Amazing movie.
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence was certainly a pleasant watch, movie is basically a sequence of highly inventive, single take, fixed camera comedic vignettes intertwined by several overarching plots. It's not endlessly hilarious, some of those are just a bit meh, but the subplot about two depressed, cold and completely devoid of any enthusiasm, passion or energy practical joke device sellers had me in stitches. Andersson shows some real skills by assembling these sketches, expecially during the Carl XII of Sweden one, where an endless line of soldiers marches on in the background while a 11th century king seduces a modern day bartender. Good stuff
"Hey, is this is some kind of a prank or something?"
Harry Washello(Anthony Edwards) gets a phone call from a stranger who tells him that missiles are going to hit his city in 70 minutes. Now that you've been thrown into such a situation, what would your next course of action be and would you even believe such a thing? Maaaaaaannnnn, it's been a while since I have seen a movie that made me have such strong feelings after it ended and upon reflecting on it. This is such a well executed, well focused simple movie about a bunch of people thrown in a what if scenario and it'll keep you questioning things until the very end. Performances were great but I think the highlight of this movie is L.A, once again this is one of those movies where L.A itself is a character and the atmosphere is SUBLIME thanks in part to Tangerine Dream's amazing score and the beautiful cinematography. Immediately went and rewatched a few scenes after it ended.
The movie starts off as something but becomes a totally different beast very quickly, a real time frantic thriller that's very engaging but also smart. Highly recommended and don't watch any trailers pls, watch it at night for full atmospheric effect(or if you got a really dark room). Also, totally got Twilight Zone vibes all over this.
You sold me on this one. Added to my netflix list.
Chef (2014) - Alright movie, predicable from front to back but it is funny and has enough emotional moments that hit home.
TMC aired a bunch of Jean-Luc Godard films the other night I watched Charlotte and Her Boyfriend (1960) which was alright, the guy ranting for 10 minutes didn't where out it's welcome due to the humor of it. I also watched Breathless (1960) which was good, I liked the naturalistic quality of the dialogue & the way it was filmed. The performance of the lead actor was good as well, a charming asshole. The actress who played Patricia was godawful, I kept thinking she looked and sounded very familiar and she was the same actress that put in a bad turn in The Mouse That Roared that I watch not that long ago.
TMC aired a bunch of Jean-Luc Godard films the other night I watched Charlotte and Her Boyfriend (1960) which was alright, the guy ranting for 10 minutes didn't where out it's welcome due to the humor of it. I also watched Breathless (1960) which was good, I liked the naturalistic quality of the dialogue & the way it was filmed. The performance of the lead actor was good as well, a charming asshole. The actress who played Patricia was godawful, I kept thinking she looked and sounded very familiar and she was the same actress that put in a bad turn in The Mouse That Roared that I watch not that long ago.
Death Metalist
Member
Be sure to write your thoughts once you seen it! Would love to read whether you liked/loved or hated it(hopefully the former). Purchased the soundtrack earlier today, so good.
not psycho
Member
Watched more Buster Keaton, which I would rank as follows:
Sherlock Jr (1924)
The Scarecrow (1920, short film)
Our Hospitality (1923)
Steamboat Bill Jr (1928)
I didn't like Sherlock Jr as much as The General, but that and The Scarecrow were excellent. They pack a ton of inventiveness into their short runtimes. It's hard to believe The Scarecrow was only 19 minutes; I'll be looking into more of his short films. The latter two are much weaker overall but have their moments.
The 39 Steps (1935)
Underwhelmed again with a Hitchcock film. I think my expectations are too high each time.
Some Like it Hot (1959)
Hmm... this is a hard one. Some of the humor didn't work for me, and it bothered me that one of the main characters was a total sleazeball in a way the movie didn't fully acknowledge to my liking. I would place it well below The Lady Eve, Bringing Up Baby, and Duck Soup (my favorite old comedies) and also below His Girl Friday.
The Five Pennies (1959)
A semi-biographical film about bandleader Red Nichols. What makes it more interesting is when it was made: Red Nichols was still alive and recorded his own music, and Louis Armstrong plays himself. Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye is a strange combination but their musical scenes together are great (if historically inaccurate). Other than that, a solid movie.
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Maybe the most beautiful animated film of all time. I loved it. This film is by far the most fairy tale like of Disney's films. It captures the sense of even the good magical beings being inhuman and unpredictable... and the bad one is truly terrifying.
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
A bit disappointing coming off The Lady Eve, but still quite enjoyable.
His Girl Friday (1940)
Now I know where this gif is from.
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell are fantastic in this and the movie is lightning fast. He's actually an awful person in the film but I didn't mind in this case.
Sherlock Jr (1924)
The Scarecrow (1920, short film)
Our Hospitality (1923)
Steamboat Bill Jr (1928)
I didn't like Sherlock Jr as much as The General, but that and The Scarecrow were excellent. They pack a ton of inventiveness into their short runtimes. It's hard to believe The Scarecrow was only 19 minutes; I'll be looking into more of his short films. The latter two are much weaker overall but have their moments.
The 39 Steps (1935)
Underwhelmed again with a Hitchcock film. I think my expectations are too high each time.
Some Like it Hot (1959)
Hmm... this is a hard one. Some of the humor didn't work for me, and it bothered me that one of the main characters was a total sleazeball in a way the movie didn't fully acknowledge to my liking. I would place it well below The Lady Eve, Bringing Up Baby, and Duck Soup (my favorite old comedies) and also below His Girl Friday.
The Five Pennies (1959)
A semi-biographical film about bandleader Red Nichols. What makes it more interesting is when it was made: Red Nichols was still alive and recorded his own music, and Louis Armstrong plays himself. Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye is a strange combination but their musical scenes together are great (if historically inaccurate). Other than that, a solid movie.
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Maybe the most beautiful animated film of all time. I loved it. This film is by far the most fairy tale like of Disney's films. It captures the sense of even the good magical beings being inhuman and unpredictable... and the bad one is truly terrifying.
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
A bit disappointing coming off The Lady Eve, but still quite enjoyable.
His Girl Friday (1940)
Now I know where this gif is from.
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell are fantastic in this and the movie is lightning fast. He's actually an awful person in the film but I didn't mind in this case.
Charles Foster Kane
Rosebud
His Girl Friday (1940)
Now I know where this gif is from.
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell are fantastic in this and the movie is lightning fast. He's actually an awful person in the film but I didn't mind in this case.
And some people say old movies are slow paced.
not psycho
Member
I kind of want to watch it again already... so much great dialogue zipping by. Sometimes from more than one person at once:
DontBeThatGuy
Member
I love that it takes place downtown LA, and it was actually shot on-location. It's gives it a whole different feeling, especially watching it now.
User 479360
Banned
Some Like It Hot is a good movie.
I saw The Visit last night with a friend. It's a weird and campy movie, but kind of fun. Still not entirely sure of what I thought about it, because it had some issues, though when things finally picked up at the end it was pretty insane.
I saw The Visit last night with a friend. It's a weird and campy movie, but kind of fun. Still not entirely sure of what I thought about it, because it had some issues, though when things finally picked up at the end it was pretty insane.
Fancy Clown
Member
His Girl Friday is the shit. Favorite Hawks movie I've seen.
Infernostew
Member
I love the 39 Steps. Top tier Hitchcock imo.
Will do.
UberTag
Member
Heading back to TIFF to catch another 11 movies over the next three days. Here's what's on the menu as of right now...
Room (this screening just got added yesterday... thanks London Fields)
Black Mass
Schneider vs. Bax
The Idol
Mississippi Grind (going to try rushing this)
Anomalisa (I need more puppet sex scenes after Team America)
Beasts of No Nation
The Final Girls
The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (I've never seen The Iron Giant before in any form... can't wait)
The Boy and the Beast
Where To Invade Next
Room (this screening just got added yesterday... thanks London Fields)
Black Mass
Schneider vs. Bax
The Idol
Mississippi Grind (going to try rushing this)
Anomalisa (I need more puppet sex scenes after Team America)
Beasts of No Nation
The Final Girls
The Iron Giant: Signature Edition (I've never seen The Iron Giant before in any form... can't wait)
The Boy and the Beast
Where To Invade Next
Rhomega Beta
Member
Heading back for more Buster Keaton.
Seven Chances: Didn't care for this one too much. The best part is the chase scene.
The General: I'm a sucker for trains. This is a two-part train chase scene with tricks and traps along the way. Kind of like Mad Max: Fury Road. I loved this one.
Go West: Also not big on this, mostly because of my dislike of Westerns. It gets better towards the end with the cattle drive in the streets of LA.
So ranking the 5 Buster Keaton movies on Netflix:
1. The General
2. Sherlock Jr.
3. Steamboat Bill Jr.
4. Seven Chances
5. Go West
The General and To The Moon encouraged me to go back further in time.
The Great Train Robbery: About 12 minutes long, shows a takeover of a train, plus fleeing into the woods, and justice. Short as it is, it feels padded with the dance number and the people outside the passenger car. You can tell the medium of film has a long way to go before it becomes the modern movies we love today.
Seven Chances: Didn't care for this one too much. The best part is the chase scene.
The General: I'm a sucker for trains. This is a two-part train chase scene with tricks and traps along the way. Kind of like Mad Max: Fury Road. I loved this one.
Go West: Also not big on this, mostly because of my dislike of Westerns. It gets better towards the end with the cattle drive in the streets of LA.
So ranking the 5 Buster Keaton movies on Netflix:
1. The General
2. Sherlock Jr.
3. Steamboat Bill Jr.
4. Seven Chances
5. Go West
The General and To The Moon encouraged me to go back further in time.
The Great Train Robbery: About 12 minutes long, shows a takeover of a train, plus fleeing into the woods, and justice. Short as it is, it feels padded with the dance number and the people outside the passenger car. You can tell the medium of film has a long way to go before it becomes the modern movies we love today.
Die Hard
Watched it to refresh my GOAT action movie list after Mad Max made me question everything I thought I knew. It's a well made film, and you can see where so many action movie tropes have come from. But that's the problem, these elements are so well explored it makes this film lose a bit of luster. Alan Rickman' dialogue is all time, however. So much cheese but Hans never falls into total incompetence like many similar characters in other, lesser films, tend to do.
The Perfect Guy
Sanaa Lathan is gorgeous. This film is not. It might have been halfway decent if Micahel Ealy's character was better written. But in a wonderful example of irony, he's not.
Watched it to refresh my GOAT action movie list after Mad Max made me question everything I thought I knew. It's a well made film, and you can see where so many action movie tropes have come from. But that's the problem, these elements are so well explored it makes this film lose a bit of luster. Alan Rickman' dialogue is all time, however. So much cheese but Hans never falls into total incompetence like many similar characters in other, lesser films, tend to do.
The Perfect Guy
Sanaa Lathan is gorgeous. This film is not. It might have been halfway decent if Micahel Ealy's character was better written. But in a wonderful example of irony, he's not.
kerotan_eater
Banned
Just watched Francois Traffaut's The 400 Blows on Hulu which is a great film. Considering its a seminal French New Wave classic, that's no surprise though. It's ultimately a relatively straightforward tale about young adolescents, about a boy who struggles to fit into his world. Very influential beautiful film.
Face/Off, still awesomeness. probably the last action movie using "typical" camera movements and choreography before the great shakycam/CGI revolution. People saying lol story is totally ridiculous have never seen an action movie, where every plot is a clownfest. Nic Cage tries to act, which is another feat in itself. Fantastic
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
Yeah basically after being bombarded by quality acting from everyone involved and some Brian Eno and Explosions in he Sky you'll be crying like a bitch and thats that.
But really i've liked Olivia Cooke back when i first saw her in The Quiet Ones and knew she was going somewhere and just recently she was announced as one of the leads in the new Spielberg movie and you just know it was because of this.
I'm a softy who tears up at almost any movie and loves EITS and Eno. Me and Earl did very very little to me. I will say that Cooke was head and shoulders above the other cast members, looking forward to her in a big-budget endeavor.
There are some exceptionsI didn't adore it as much as some others but John Wick's praise seemed to be largely a result of its clear & concise action, Woo's own M:I2 has some lucid action among the dumbnessbut within hollywood action filmmaking you're unfortunately correct. Face/Off is a metric ton of simple fun. (Also I love cage as an actor precisely because he is always trying. whether it's DTV nonsense or an Oscar contender he puts in the same amount of work. he's rarely successful in his acting choices within films, but at least it's evident he's making choices compared to the 90% of pretty actors who just fuckin show up.)
Max Armstrong
Member
You guys got me interested in Miracle Mile, might check it out this week. The poster is great.
It's greatalso divisive, I remember showing it to a bunch of roommates early in college who were the least receptive any audience can be. But I think that's because it takes a turn into sincere and stark pragmatism that's unexpected given the romantic and thrilling fantasy of the early going. definitely recommended.
Fallout-NL
Member
Yeah, I wrote a lot on this film back in college. Must've seen it 5 or 6 times back then. Really strange film, but I started like it more and more after spending so much time with it and thinking about it.
"Hey, is this is some kind of a prank or something?"
Harry Washello(Anthony Edwards) gets a phone call from a stranger who tells him that missiles are going to hit his city in 70 minutes. Now that you've been thrown into such a situation, what would your next course of action be and would you even believe such a thing? Maaaaaaannnnn, it's been a while since I have seen a movie that made me have such strong feelings after it ended and upon reflecting on it. This is such a well executed, well focused simple movie about a bunch of people thrown in a what if scenario and it'll keep you questioning things until the very end. Performances were great but I think the highlight of this movie is L.A, once again this is one of those movies where L.A itself is a character and the atmosphere is SUBLIME thanks in part to Tangerine Dream's amazing score and the beautiful cinematography. Immediately went and rewatched a few scenes after it ended.
The movie starts off as something but becomes a totally different beast very quickly, a real time frantic thriller that's very engaging but also smart. Highly recommended and don't watch any trailers pls, watch it at night for full atmospheric effect(or if you got a really dark room). Also, totally got Twilight Zone vibes all over this.
Also just saw this for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Fantastic movie and, like you said, the soundtrack is hnnnng, so good.
Incredible mood. 80s films really are my favorite, they manage to walk the line between weird/otherworldy but totally relatable and well made, so well.
People say this, but what was so thought provoking about it? It's basically the same exact arc of every AI movie.
I still can't get it out of my head. It's definitely a goodie.
Had a couple new first watches:
A Hard Day's Night: A fun musical. It's low budget made it really charming too, and added a nice juxtaposition to the music gods on the screen.
City Lights: Not really a true first watch since I had seen about 90% of the film before via class and such but it is my first time watching it as a whole. What a beautiful film. While I'll admit most of the slapstick bits do very little for me (in terms of comedy, Keaton>Chaplin), the film is still an absolute delight to watch. How could anybody watch the scenes with the Blind Girl and not have a smile on their face. She is treated so angelically and pure, her image paired with "La Violetera" is one of the most wonderful feelings I have ever gotten out of cinema. The ending is so great as well! As far as the film's comedy goes, I like the opening scene the most. I've seen it half a dozen times and I still can't help laughing when the Tramp does the salute while hanging from the statue.
I haven't watched 5 movies this month, but I'll post what I watched.
And since I'm new, I'll fill out that template in the OP too.
I watched The Rock, again!! (movie title, not the actor. just incase)
I especially like the scene where SWAT enters the shower room. Pretty tense scene.
I love the humour some scenes have, like where Goodspeed says he can't stop Mason from getting away because he has a gun, but the CIA director or someone says to Goodspeed, "what do you have, a fuckin water pistol?!". That scene still makes me laugh.
And finally, the music is perfect! Best action movie soundtrack ever! (imho)
So I basically watch it frequently like a music video lol
Great cut scenes with great music.
1. What's your favorite Movie? The Rock, obviously =P (yes, lots of movies have been released but I still like it the most.)
2. Who's your favorite director? Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, Jerry Bruckheimer, George Lucas
3. Who are your favorite actors/actresses? Denzel Washington is my most favourite atm.
4. Favorite Genre(s)? action, suspense, thriller, crime, those type of things.
5. What's your favorite performance in film? I'm not sure what I should answer, like, if its action scenes or heart warming scenes?
Sorry that I'm just a hollywood blockbuster film lover btw...
And since I'm new, I'll fill out that template in the OP too.
I watched The Rock, again!! (movie title, not the actor. just incase)
I especially like the scene where SWAT enters the shower room. Pretty tense scene.
I love the humour some scenes have, like where Goodspeed says he can't stop Mason from getting away because he has a gun, but the CIA director or someone says to Goodspeed, "what do you have, a fuckin water pistol?!". That scene still makes me laugh.
And finally, the music is perfect! Best action movie soundtrack ever! (imho)
So I basically watch it frequently like a music video lol
Great cut scenes with great music.
1. What's your favorite Movie? The Rock, obviously =P (yes, lots of movies have been released but I still like it the most.)
2. Who's your favorite director? Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, Jerry Bruckheimer, George Lucas
3. Who are your favorite actors/actresses? Denzel Washington is my most favourite atm.
4. Favorite Genre(s)? action, suspense, thriller, crime, those type of things.
5. What's your favorite performance in film? I'm not sure what I should answer, like, if its action scenes or heart warming scenes?
Sorry that I'm just a hollywood blockbuster film lover btw...
Round-up!
Nemesis: Pretty much your typical DTV schlock that is filled with the kind of things you like about these kinds of films (ludicrous action sequences, being play to play "guess that factory" with the locations) and with the things you don't (horrendous acting and actors, a story that mistakes a series a of plot twists with zero build-up as clever and engaging). It's got spunk, but I don't think I'd ever describe it as a film that should be considered must-watch, outside of a delightfully batshit insane duel that takes place on mud-covered water slide.
Dragonslayer: With the early 80s having such a live-action fantasy kick, it was nice to see a film like that that successfully split the difference between being escapist and more hard-edged than the average family-friendly feature at that time. It's a nice story that revolves more around the desperation of preventing more deaths at the hand of the dragon rather than saving any particular person from it, which helps tie together the other unconventional elements. I don't think you could have asked for a better pair of leads for this than Peter MacNicol and Caitlin Clarke, whose atypical roles and situations make for a very welcome departure from the usual straight-out-of-a-Frazetta-illustration types they usually go for, and they also wisely mute the whole will-they-or-won't-they aspect of their relationship from being the focus; both have their own objectives to complete, and THEN it's going to be kissy time. They're flanked by great supporting turns from Ralph Richardson, Peter Eyre and a brief but memorable turn from Ian McDiarmid, as well as some super solid behind the camera qualities. It is called Dragonslayer, though, and there's little to be disappointed in that regard, as ILM helped craft one of the finest film dragons ever in Vermithrax, and while there are certainly some dated aspects to the film's effects work, the way the dragon moves is not one of them. While not the greatest fantasy film of all time, there's very little I take issue with, making this an essential watch for those with an affinity for the genre.
Wet Hot American Summer: Unbelievably silly, but for all the right reasons. This isn't the kind of film you go into expecting a great deal of consistency throughout, especially for how weird it gets at times, but there's little in here that didn't at least give me a light chuckle. After seeing him for so long on SVU, seeing Christopher Meloni as such a funny guy was a real shock to the system, and pre-fame Bradley Cooper was also a treat, but it's really hard to pick a favorite in a film full of genuinely funny people putting in serious work. David Wain definitely did his homework with regards to the look and feel of the film, and he has a lot of fun with some the gags that don't involve actors, including that frequently recycled pot shattering sound effect that never stops being hilarious.
First Blood: You know, I'm going to come out and say that people should rewatch this in light of all the terrible business that's happened recently with wayward maniac cops, because damn, this just got a hell of a lot more poignant and timely again. The behavior of Teasle's team and even Teasle's frequent rationalization of his actions against Rambo feel all too familiar these days, and while their actions aren't racially motivated, the extreme prejudice they display is enough to reopen some rather fresh wounds. The film itself remains one of the finest action films out there, with a lean and mean story and great performances just about everyone (the acting of Stallone and Crenna in the final scene is easily one of the best of their careers, if not the best), some great bits of non-verbal storytelling as we watch Rambo navigate his way around while being shown what he's doing rather than being told about it (the cave scene being such a wonderful and moody example of that in action), and, of course, being as much of a psychological drama as an action film, all leading to its devastating and unforgettable conclusion.
Moonrise Kingdom: I don't know if this is my favorite Wes Anderson film, but I think it still makes a good argument for being as much.
Nemesis: Pretty much your typical DTV schlock that is filled with the kind of things you like about these kinds of films (ludicrous action sequences, being play to play "guess that factory" with the locations) and with the things you don't (horrendous acting and actors, a story that mistakes a series a of plot twists with zero build-up as clever and engaging). It's got spunk, but I don't think I'd ever describe it as a film that should be considered must-watch, outside of a delightfully batshit insane duel that takes place on mud-covered water slide.
Dragonslayer: With the early 80s having such a live-action fantasy kick, it was nice to see a film like that that successfully split the difference between being escapist and more hard-edged than the average family-friendly feature at that time. It's a nice story that revolves more around the desperation of preventing more deaths at the hand of the dragon rather than saving any particular person from it, which helps tie together the other unconventional elements. I don't think you could have asked for a better pair of leads for this than Peter MacNicol and Caitlin Clarke, whose atypical roles and situations make for a very welcome departure from the usual straight-out-of-a-Frazetta-illustration types they usually go for, and they also wisely mute the whole will-they-or-won't-they aspect of their relationship from being the focus; both have their own objectives to complete, and THEN it's going to be kissy time. They're flanked by great supporting turns from Ralph Richardson, Peter Eyre and a brief but memorable turn from Ian McDiarmid, as well as some super solid behind the camera qualities. It is called Dragonslayer, though, and there's little to be disappointed in that regard, as ILM helped craft one of the finest film dragons ever in Vermithrax, and while there are certainly some dated aspects to the film's effects work, the way the dragon moves is not one of them. While not the greatest fantasy film of all time, there's very little I take issue with, making this an essential watch for those with an affinity for the genre.
Wet Hot American Summer: Unbelievably silly, but for all the right reasons. This isn't the kind of film you go into expecting a great deal of consistency throughout, especially for how weird it gets at times, but there's little in here that didn't at least give me a light chuckle. After seeing him for so long on SVU, seeing Christopher Meloni as such a funny guy was a real shock to the system, and pre-fame Bradley Cooper was also a treat, but it's really hard to pick a favorite in a film full of genuinely funny people putting in serious work. David Wain definitely did his homework with regards to the look and feel of the film, and he has a lot of fun with some the gags that don't involve actors, including that frequently recycled pot shattering sound effect that never stops being hilarious.
First Blood: You know, I'm going to come out and say that people should rewatch this in light of all the terrible business that's happened recently with wayward maniac cops, because damn, this just got a hell of a lot more poignant and timely again. The behavior of Teasle's team and even Teasle's frequent rationalization of his actions against Rambo feel all too familiar these days, and while their actions aren't racially motivated, the extreme prejudice they display is enough to reopen some rather fresh wounds. The film itself remains one of the finest action films out there, with a lean and mean story and great performances just about everyone (the acting of Stallone and Crenna in the final scene is easily one of the best of their careers, if not the best), some great bits of non-verbal storytelling as we watch Rambo navigate his way around while being shown what he's doing rather than being told about it (the cave scene being such a wonderful and moody example of that in action), and, of course, being as much of a psychological drama as an action film, all leading to its devastating and unforgettable conclusion.
Moonrise Kingdom: I don't know if this is my favorite Wes Anderson film, but I think it still makes a good argument for being as much.
John Wick left me really cold, to say the least. I don't want to say it's awful, but wouldn't put it near the top action movies of the last decade, let alone ever. Didn't find it better than the average Neeson mediocre fest, in fact. I agree about Cage, his acting went hammy basically right after a stellar beginning (Raising Arizona, still his best acting-wise, imho, and Moonstruck showed great potential), but can't hate the guy for trying with awful results, and Castor Troy is tailor made for him, so that probably facilitate things
Black Mass: okay first thing you should know about this movie is it a bit of a slower pace film. That being said this is either johnny Depp's best performance or second it's hard to decide between this or jack sparrow. The other performances are also really great. The length was good, it really didnt drag, and some scenes are pretty dark and Johnny Depp's really gets into the character. The only problem is once again it is a slower pace film so don't expect crazy amount of killing or a crazy finale. Overall it's one of my favourite films of the year. 9/10
Oslo, 31. august (2011) - Didn't completely feel this one, it's a heartbreaking watch for sure, but didn't really envelope me. The ending sort of reminded of the feeling I get after watching most of the films of Michael Haneke, empty.
The Woman in Black (2012) - I would have waited for 31 Days of Horror but it is expiring this month on Prime, it should have expired early so I wouldn't had to have sat through this miserable experience. It doesn't work well as a horror film or a dramatic film, the worst part of it is that there is a 15 minutes stretch in the film where it is actually a tense and compelling piece of horror, why couldn't the rest of the film been like that. There is quite a few movies out there where it's set around a haunted piece of property and
The Woman in Black (2012) - I would have waited for 31 Days of Horror but it is expiring this month on Prime, it should have expired early so I wouldn't had to have sat through this miserable experience. It doesn't work well as a horror film or a dramatic film, the worst part of it is that there is a 15 minutes stretch in the film where it is actually a tense and compelling piece of horror, why couldn't the rest of the film been like that. There is quite a few movies out there where it's set around a haunted piece of property and
putting the soul to rest of some dead ghost, I get that makers of the film would want to have a story outside that to set apart from other films of it's kind but every time Dan Rad's character left the haunted house any sort of tension that was building is ruined and the pacing is thrown off. Ciarán Hinds who is completely wasted in his role shows up at the damn door and drives him back to the village just when it was getting good, then the plot leads him back to the house later anyways so why leave?
MidnightCowboy
Member
The last thirty minutes of Sudden Death...they don't make em like that anymore. The evil mastermind with a bunch of uzi-wielding henchmen subgenre of action movies is sorely missed.
User 479360
Banned
I watched part of The Captive last night, but fell asleep because it was really late. I only made it about 30 minutes in, but I'm not sure if I want to continue. It seems oddly artsy/cuts around too much/is a bit weird.
Conscience Falls
Member
Just got out of a screening here at TIFF of Demon. Really enjoyed it, highly recommend it. We had a moment of silence prior to the film starting as the director passed away earlier today. I need to see the other two films he made, if they are half as good I will still enjoy it a fair bit.
Stuggernaut
Grandma's Chippy
This.
Damn that was a good role for Depp. He was CREEPY as hell. You are dead on about the pacing and that it is not action packed thriller type stuff. But Depp is worth the price of a ticket.
Good flick
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