Rate the last movie that you saw for the first time.

[Lock Jaw]

The Fabelmans - 8/10

Was pretty good, didn't want it to end so suddenly. Also, the whole movie I thought that Paul Dano was John Hodgeman and was like "I didn't know he could play serious"

[GD]

The Fabelmans was an amazing movie. Such stellar performances.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Soylent Green 7/10

Another bleak film to while away the evening. Charlton Heston gives one of his better performances, playing an uncouth cop; a product of his environment, who seems to teeter on the edge when confronted with finery, juxtaposed with the degradation and poverty that he and the vast majority of people are forced to endure.

[GD]

Watching "All About My Mother"

Didn't know Penelope Cruz was a part of this

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Nightmare on Elm Street 6/10

Comically bad. The acting is terrible, especially from the woman who plays Nancy's mother. It's inventiveness is its saving grace.

[drave]

Halloween Ends. 0/10


What a waste of a fucking movie. I predicted the entire movie's plot within the first 15 minutes. I fell asleep within 35 minutes. Had no interest in finishing it. My wife told me the rest of the movie. Instead, I told her what I thought it'd be and was correct.

Biggest waste of time.

[ClockShot]

Nightmare on Elm Street 6/10

Comically bad. The acting is terrible, especially from the woman who plays Nancy's mother. It's inventiveness is its saving grace.

Which one? '84 or 2014?

[Seanny One Ball]

It’ll be the original. That being said I think I’m the only person that liked the remake but that’s mostly down to loving Jackie Earl Haley

[ClockShot]

Killers of the Flower Moon - 3/5

Probably could have been chopped a bit. I know Leo loves working with his "Dad" Scorsese. But he didn't fit the role.

[Seanny One Ball]

I got too excited about that film before I remembered how dreadful Scorsese can be at times. Now it feels like an albatross.

[Seanny One Ball]

The Cement Garden - 2.5/4

It’s like “Flowers In The Attic” turned up to eleven. The only reason I watched it was the style of cinematography, it felt like I was having a dream where I watched somebody else’s dream. Very strange but wonderfully put together, much like a Philip Ridley film without the beauty of the terror. It could conceivably be called a masterpiece by a Frenchman.

[Seanny One Ball]

I should watch “The Reflecting Skin” and “The Passion Of Darkly Noon” again.

[Lock Jaw]

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On - 9/10

Weird movie but oddly compelling....

[GD]

I got a Mubi subscription. You know what that means...

[GD]

Mysterious Skin was incredibly heart wrenching

[Seanny One Ball]

I watched that film when I was about twenty and I still think about it from time to time. The bath attack is pretty grim stuff, it exists in a category with “Happiness” and “L.I.E.”.

If you want to turn the anxiety up to 11 you could always watch an Austrian film called “Michael”.

[M-A-G]

The Marvels - 2 and 3/4 stars out of 4.

It's certainly better than the original and it manages to get by on the character interactions and some cool action scenes via the swapping gimmick. It's nice to also see consequences from the choices Carol has made and see how it's dealt with. It's not really a compelling story, in fact it's as standard as it gets for the MCU. It'll be rough for it to grab your attention outside a few highlights, notably the hilarious way the Flerkens "help" before the climax. Nothing really special overall. I'm just glad it checked off some of my boxes, even if some of the interactions could have been longer.

Stick around for a MAJOR mid-credit scene that tackles the fate of one of the characters and raising questions about the future of the MCU. It's the only post film scene so no need to wait.

[Destor]

The Marvels - 4/10

It wasnt as bad as the eternals. The script is just occurrences happening for the sake of happening. They nearly never build off each other its just "and then this happens." Many times its perfectly clear youre seeing a scene left over from a different version of the film.

For instance there's a big battle on a water world and after the team lands in a weat field. They get out and resolve an argument. Problem is the conflict didnt occur. The previous scene they were laughing and dancing with Kahn mere seconds prior gushing about Danvers only to need them to reconcile literal seconds later.

The entire film runs like this. The b plot has no stakes and in fact most of the film doesnt. Photon and the villain i wouldnt even describe as developed poorly they arent developed at all. The jokes dont land. The resolution is a joke.

Turns out danvers nearly killed a planet. The solution? Spend 15 seconds trying to fix it.

Its indefensible.

[Destor]

And dont get me started on the contrivances

[M-A-G]

Wasn't the conflict Carol overcompensating, you know, the fact that she felt like a failure for so many years? I agree that things needed some more time, but I think that was the point they were trying to get across.

[Destor]

No, it wasnt. All 3 apologize. Kahn apologizes for over idolizong Danvers. Spmething that had never came up once as a point of contention.

[Destor]

At some point there was clearly a scene where they all had a falling out this scene, where theyre randomly in a wheat field btw, is clearly from another edit. Btw after this random out of place scene theyre back on earth. For the audience this is seconds later after being in another galaxy.

[Destor]

The entire film is as spastic as s8 of game of thrones

[Lock Jaw]

Sounds like Superman IV: The Quest for Peace where suddenly they are in different locations because of cut scenes....

[Destor]

Absolutely. I think theres an easy 45 min cut out with much smaller scenes slotted in to fill the gaps

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Went back to the early 90s and watched In The Line Of Fire. 8/10. I wasn't blown away or anything but, goddamn, Malkovich at his bombastic, creepy best, and Clint doing his thing is always a pleasure.

Rene Russo is in it too. She holds her own with Clint and some of their earlier scenes in particular definitely wouldn't sit well today, but are absolutely fucking hilarious. And it made me sad that Rene's "type" doesn't really exist anymore. I guess you could argue the likes of Charlize Theron fill that void but she's almost too big of a name.

Maybe a bit long but it moves briskly enough. I love the idea that while the Malkovich and Eastwood characters have plenty in common, Clint never buys into it. Any time Malkovich tries to find a middle ground between the two, Clint is like, "Nah fuck off you greezy creep," and pays it little mind after that. While the character has his doubts, he never has that overwrought crisis of confidence where he's like "MAYBE I'M THE BAD GUY."

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Dylan McDermott is in In The Line Of Fire too, and he is an utter doofus. One of the funniest deaths I've ever seen in a serious film.

[Seanny One Ball]

You didn’t even mention the plastic handmade gun…

That’s the best thing about that movie. I love that bit. I think Frank Drebin likes it too because there was some news story not so long ago that reminded us of it.
It’s the top reason to carry a lucky rabbits foot.

[Seanny One Ball]

My mum used to have a dummy bullet in her purse for some reason. It was just a casing really but the stupid bitch brought it on a flight by mistake once and it rolled out onto the walkway. Somebody picked it up and a stewardess took it away but nothing happened when we landed. This was in the early 90’s when you could do shit like that without getting in trouble.

[Seanny One Ball]

I watched “Assault On Precinct 13” last night which I have seen before and kind of forgotten about. John Carpenter was not great with stock character dialogue but damn was he great at letting proper actors take the stage before, and after the major set pieces. Carpenter’s corn is good quality corn.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Was the gun plastic or wood?

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Frankly, my favourite part of the movie was Marty Crane (John Mahoney) getting to be Clint Eastwood's incredibly inept boss.

[Seanny One Ball]

Was the gun plastic or wood?


It’s some sort of plastic or composite, it’s definitely not wooden.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

It was resin, per my Google search. Woulda been cooler if it was made of weed resin.

[GD]

I saw Zero Fucks Given (Rien à foutre)

felt very raw at times

[GD]

I'm watching Decision to Leave. Enjoying Mubi's offerings thus far.

[ClockShot]

The Holdovers- 4.5/5

Summer School + The Breakfast Club + less comedy. Very good movie.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Old Henry” - 4/4

A story this predictable should hold no surprises for the viewer, but by some small miracle the pacing and the scene development combine with the deadpan acting to create what I can only call a masterpiece. It should be a stupid film to be honest, it could have gone totally wrong but it was made with reverence and great talent. It’s how the story is told, not how good the story is that pulls this up to instant classic status.

Tim Blake Nelson is never bad in anything, but this might be the best thing he ever did. He’s a sight to behold.

[Lock Jaw]

The Creator - 6.5/10

I appreciate someone trying to make original sci-fi that isn't part of a franchise or a reboot/revival of something.... but it was just "ok".

[weather vane]

It’ll be the original. That being said I think I’m the only person that liked the remake but that’s mostly down to loving Jackie Earl Haley

That dude is a bad mother. You talk about a loan shark. I borrowed a nickel from him last week. He said if I didn't give him a dime by Friday, he'd break my arm.

[Lock Jaw]

The Marvels - 5/10

Everything felt terribly rushed, especially the start of the movie and setting up the whole switching places thing (which they would then establish how it works, only to consistently and frequently ignore when convenient)

Forgettable villain and plot, just rushing from scene to scene.

[ClockShot]

Napoleon - 3/5

Nothing fancy or great here. Starting to wish Ridley Scott would get away from the historical films and get back to something original.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

The Verdict from 1982. What a fucking movie. 9.5 or 10/10. Paul Newman... my god. I prefer him as a drunk, down-on-his-luck ambulance-chasing lawyer than I've enjoyed him in anything else. And Charlotte Rampling was amazing as this sort of femme fatale type.

Need to watch more Mammet and Lumet beyond Glengarry (Mammet) and Dog Day (Lumet).

[Seanny One Ball]

*Mamet

Watch “The Edge” from 1997. It’s a ludicrous but enjoyable survival romp led by Baldwin and Hopkins. Quality shit.

[Seanny One Ball]

Napoleon - 3/5

Nothing fancy or great here. Starting to wish Ridley Scott would get away from the historical films and get back to something original.


He doesn’t do original anymore, he’s so devoid of originality that his “new” shit is just sequels to his old shit.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

*Mamet



That just makes me want to pronounce it David Mammay.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Gonna make myself read American Buffalo after I'm done Heat 2.

[ClockShot]

He doesn’t do original anymore, he’s so devoid of originality that his “new” shit is just sequels to his old shit.

Agreed. It's either something from the Alien franchise or a historical story that comes across his desk.

Enjoyed A Good Year. That was different.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Butcher’s Crossing” - 2.5/4

This is an adaptation of a novel listed alongside “Blood Meridian” as Western genre classics, and if it is anything to go by, “Blood Meridian” must excel in the areas of storytelling where your imagination does the hard work for you. Bleak but beautiful, fancy but old-hat cinematography combines with bleak, tiring and deeply insincere dialogue to create a vast expanse of wasted opportunity for actors to act. In fact there is only one entirely solid performance, it is not Nicolas Cage, and that character arc is actually sensible up to a point… but it’s culmination is disgracefully reimagined for the screen in a way that almost ruins the character build. I had to look the novel up to make sure it was a deliberate change and not an actual adaptation because it was so incredibly deflating when it happened on screen.

After that all bets are off and Nic Cage goes all Nic Cage again. Thankfully it is a short ride to the credits by then.

This could have been an intelligent wee film from the plot itself, but the way it is handled is a great shame. It may just have taken itself too seriously, but I defy any viewer to hear some of the extraneous dialogue and not want to punch the TV.

[Seanny One Ball]

Clint Eastwood was treading a unique level of brilliance when he made “High Plains Drifter” and “Pale Rider”… pure, bare, all story and performance cut down to essentials. Then he made “Unforgiven” which is so obviously the greatest anti-western ever made that I shudder to compare it to anything.

However…

It’s as close to John Wayne doing “Rio Bravo”, “El Dorado” and “The Shootist” as it gets without being remotely similar in terms of style. One actor embraces the insider, one embraces the outsider but both play one man armies that help towns overcome themselves and their enemies.

I love this genre.

[Seanny One Ball]

Randolph Scott, James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Paul Newman, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin… Hell even Charles Bronson and Henry Fuckin’ Fonda… nobody does it like Clint or John. Nobody.

I wish that other genres had such consistently enjoyable offerings, but only comedy gets a free pass from me.

[Lock Jaw]

Asteroid City - 7.5/10

Like a typical Wes Anderson movie, weird-ass story to the point of you're not sure what is going on or what it is about.... but it looks so unique and stylish that you don't really care. Gotta hand it to the man to just being true to his "style" and not "conforming"

[Seanny One Ball]

He peaked at “The Grand Budapest Hotel”.

He will never come close to that magic again. It was written in the stars.

[Seanny One Ball]

TGBP was possibly the best film released between 2010 and 2020. Only time will tell but it has to be up there.

It built, broke and rebuilt my heart without pandering to my emotions in the least bit artistically. Wes Anderson is an absolute genius at his best, but even at his worst he is still a grand master.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Then he made “Unforgiven” which is so obviously the greatest anti-western ever made that I shudder to compare it to anything.



Dunno why but it fills my heart with great joy that Canada's own Saul Rubinek was in Unforgiven AND True Romance--two of the most badass movies you'll ever see. It makes sense in both cases (Unforgiven, especially, due to its subversive nature), but he's such a ham.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I watched Heat recently. Not technically for the first time, but basically for the first time because I hadn't seen it for like two decades and forgot everything aside from broader plot points and the famous diner scene.

TBH I think it's a good sometimes great movie. Very much of its time, and I think they should've just had Vincent Hannah doing cocaine in the movie (the original plan) to offer better context for his spastic beats. I got kind of frustrated with Pacino chewing up the scenery, although many people find his performance to be brilliant.

I'd give it an 8/10 because I enjoy what it does, and the precedent it set. Neil McCauley is very much a primordial Tony Soprano/Walter White. Vincent Hannah is tropey as hell, but you can see elements of, say, Jimmy McNulty in him. Specifically, his objectives are less altruistic and more driven by his addiction to himself and the job.

It took me about a month to finish it--kept turning it off to do other shit--because some of the acting doesn't hold up and it drags. I was still intrigued when I'd come back to it.

Actually started reading Heat 2 because I heard Michael Mann talking about it and he's such a weirdo that I wanted to check it out.

[Destor]

Pacino shouldn't have been in the film. You replace him with a top tier mid 90s lile Fishburn or Denzel Washington and i think that movie would really cook. Its a good film, the screenplay has a ton of depth in its theming and metophors, but it doesnt reach its potential. Leaves a lot to be desired. And its wild when its a genuinely great actor holding it back.

[McLegend]

Pacino makes the movie. It’s one of his best 90’s performances. The way he is is pretty prefect in it.

First off him and Deniro do the whole 2 sides of the same coin. Deniro understated everything close to the vest. Pacino’s outlandishness is the perfect foil for Deniro.

In the diner scene, because of the way Vincent Hannah acts he is able to get Neil McCauley off balance and get a key piece of information.

Also Heat would’t be as good or as memorable if you didn’t have Pacino yelling “LA Po-lease department!”, and doing all of his crazy stuff.

He is the straw that stirs the drink.

[McLegend]

GIMMIE ALL YOU GOT!

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Pacino makes the movie. It’s one of his best 90’s performances. The way he is is pretty prefect in it.

First off him and Deniro do the whole 2 sides of the same coin. Deniro understated everything close to the vest. Pacino’s outlandishness is the perfect foil for Deniro.

In the diner scene, because of the way Vincent Hannah acts he is able to get Neil McCauley off balance and get a key piece of information.

Also Heat would’t be as good or as memorable if you didn’t have Pacino yelling “LA Po-lease department!”, and doing all of his crazy stuff.

He is the straw that stirs the drink.

I mean I get what he was doing. Could even see myself appreciating more if I watch it again. In fact, I enjoy reading Hannah's dialogue in Heat 2. I imagine it in Pacino's voice and it works better than actually seeing him do it.

And honestly I know part of the reason people think it's iconic is because of how OTT it is. He commits to the bit. But upon my first (re)watch in a couple of decades, it took me out of the movie more than a few times. Probably because OTT Hooooaw Pacino is such a cliche at this point.

[Destor]

Pacino makes the movie. It’s one of his best 90’s performances. The way he is is pretty prefect in it.

First off him and Deniro do the whole 2 sides of the same coin. Deniro understated everything close to the vest. Pacino’s outlandishness is the perfect foil for Deniro.

In the diner scene, because of the way Vincent Hannah acts he is able to get Neil McCauley off balance and get a key piece of information.

Also Heat would’t be as good or as memorable if you didn’t have Pacino yelling “LA Po-lease department!”, and doing all of his crazy stuff.

He is the straw that stirs the drink.the entire performance is melodramatic. Which is whatever i like some melodrama from time to time but everyone else in the film is playing straight meanwhile Pacino is playing a cartoon character. The performance is memorable for all the wrong reasons.

[Destor]

I think the way you fix heat is you splice in some scenes of Pacino doing cocain throughout the film...and thats less of a joke than it sounds.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I think the way you fix heat is you splice in some scenes of Pacino doing cocain throughout the film...and thats less of a joke than it sounds.

I literally already said that you motherfucker. (or a version of that). But yeah it's the only way he makes sense.

I guess you can infer he's on cocaine but eh. That's a bit of a jump despite how ridiculous he is.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I was also 100% serious when I said the cocaine thing, too. The character is supposed to be coked out.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Napoleon 5/10

At best, this film is average. It felt disjointed and unsatisfying, and the love affair story arc between Boney and Josephine was not strong enough to hold it all together. Joaquin Phoenix seems to spend most of the film looking and acting like he is constipated. The only saving grace of this movie is Vanessa Kirby.

Frankly, this shouldn't have been a film. A big budget series on Napoleon would be far more appropriate.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Watched Last Of the Mohicans. 8/10.

Gritty, visceral action scenes. The French-Indian war backdrop was cool, and the interplay/politics was interesting, to say the least. Biggest issue I had was I really didn't connect with the romance between Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeline Stowe. Maybe it was just too pure, and I like it messier.

My favourite part of the movie was Mogwa, played by Wes Studi, the de facto "baddy" native/indigenous. Dude was a badass and despite his methods being brutal, I understood the way he saw things and ALMOST sympathized with him. He was just too bloodthirsty and hellbent on revenge for me to fully take his side. Some good stuff IMO. He also cut out the British Col's still-beating heart and, frankly, I'm about that.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Also caught Sea of Love. 8.5/10. Last of the Mohicans is obviously much "better" as far as scope and cinematography and all that (despite my rating SoL better), but Sea of Love is far more MY kind of movie. It's gloomy, New York has got this gritty, grimy, bluesy aesthetic, the cops are dirty (even though they aren't the antagonists), Al Pacino plays a total hapless drunken loser down on his luck (and is specifically smelly), and Ellen Barken is going to haunt my dreams (in a good way) for the remainder of my days.

Plus, John Goodman is in it in a supporting role and that's fun.

You get to the point where the murder mystery/thriller aspect is superseded by the sordid, fucked up love story and Pacino's addiction/bad behaviours, and it works incredibly well on that level.

I wish we got more Ellen Barkin from that era. Because oh my god. What the fuck. I want her to ruin my life.

[Seanny One Ball]

I lived with a relative of Dougie McLean a few years ago, he was my lodger.
Never spoke about “The Gael” or Dougie until I got wasted and harassed him about it being the greatest theme tune for a climax ever.

I sucked his weed up with the Hoover once. Fell out for a whole day.

If my uncle wrote the ending to “Last Of The Mohicans” I would never shut up about it.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I liked that Chingachgook was the one who killed Magua (whose name I spelled wrong in the previous post **shrugs**). Seemed to be building to Hawkeye doing it, as he was the main. But it was more satisfying for Chingachgook to avenge Uncas, and also, he needed that one shining moment to justify his presence in the movie outside of being Hawkeye's adopted dad.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Always love a bit of Daniel Day-Lewis and Wes Studi.

I think the reason why the love story arc between Hawkeye and Stowe's character doesn't work is because it isn't given enough time to develop; they're just suddenly in love with one another. They could have spent another 15-20 mins on character/relationship development, and it would have worked better, without detriment to the overall film.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Honestly. Day-Lewis is oozing some hard machismo in that movie. Women in that time were told who to marry, and she's suddenly presented with the manliest human to ever exist who basically turns up and pisses on her like a wolf marking his territory.

Couple that with her other suitor being that shriveling penis of a Major.

You're not wrong, though. A few beats would've helped us as the audience get into them more. But I get why they're into each other on that base level.

[Seanny One Ball]

I liked that Chingachgook was the one who killed Magua (whose name I spelled wrong in the previous post **shrugs**). Seemed to be building to Hawkeye doing it, as he was the main. But it was more satisfying for Chingachgook to avenge Uncas, and also, he needed that one shining moment to justify his presence in the movie outside of being Hawkeye's adopted dad.


Chingachgook is the last of the Mohicans, so it had to be him.

[Seanny One Ball]

Uncas’ actor later starred in a Tommy Lee Jones Western called “The Missing” where he was the bad guy and nowhere near as handsome. Talented actor that Eric Schweig.

[Seanny One Ball]

I love the bit where the Englishman is being burned at his own behest, and Natty Bumpoe shoots him out of decency. Madeleine Stowe was so hot back then.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

If I was that English dude, I'd have let Natty Bumpoe die for her (or let her die).

Sadly (for him), he got caught on the wrong end of a dick-measuring contest and had to commit to that particular fatal game of chicken.

I'm sure there's some more profound, subtextual interpretation that Michael Mann or the writers would offer--something symbolic about the French-Indian war. Something poetic.

But I'm sticking to brass tax here.

And he basically died due to being the ultimate cuck, mercy killed by the (far manlier, more handsome) man cuckolding him. Now, that's Cinema right there.

[ron the dial]

brass tax

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Tass Brax.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

The Ghost and the Darkness 6.7/10

Set in 1898, Val Kilmer plays a Royal Engineer sent to Africa to build a railroad bridge over a river. Shortly after arriving, the work camp is besieged by man-eating lions, and Kilmer and a professional hunter, played by Michael Douglas, endeavour to defend the camp and the workers.

The film is actually good at creating suspense, and it can be quite grisly at times. However, Kilmer's attempt at an Irish accent is naff (not as bad as Titus Welliver's Jimmy-O accent), and Douglas sports a dodgy southern American accent as well.

[Sepholio]

Leave The World Behind

I give it a meh out of 10. Was enjoyable for a bit tbh but then it just...meh. I don't even wanna talk about it.

[road doggy dogg]

The Boy and the Heron
birds/10, was really good, another Ghibli classic

going to see the English dub tonight, can't wait to hear Christian Bale and Dave Bautista in an anime

[Seanny One Ball]

Charley Varrick - 2/4

It’s a smart film but Walter Matthau chewing gum like he’s eighty years old when he was about forty is the worst thing in the world. If you enjoy repeated instances of loud chewing for no reason then this is the film for you. That’s the tragedy of it, it’s a crime romp that is held back by the director and the star when it should really have been incredible with the right people in front and in charge.

[Seanny One Ball]

Joe Kidd - 3/4

Clint Eastwood playing a more verbal, more human character. It’s Duvall who threatens to steal the show though. It’s also a much more on-point film with regards to runtime. For every 2-3 hour affair Eastwood and Wayne should have done more Hondo’s and Joe Kidd’s.

[Seanny One Ball]

Dunno why but it fills my heart with great joy that Canada's own Saul Rubinek was in Unforgiven AND True Romance--two of the most badass movies you'll ever see. It makes sense in both cases (Unforgiven, especially, due to its subversive nature), but he's such a ham.


I’ve thought about this comment a lot recently and you’re right. He is much more prevalent and necessary in “Unforgiven” but he is superb and more outwardly impressive in “True Romance”. In Googling his character name there, apparently he is tied to the spin off “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” book somehow.

[slik]

Godzilla Minus One - Probably the best zilla film I have ever seen. Very good - 8/10

[ClockShot]

The Boy and the Heron - 5/5

Took a bit to get cooking. But once it did, it never stopped. Hard time holding back tears too.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Wall Street 7/10

Everybody talks about Michael Douglas' performance in this film (which they should), but they seem to ignore Martin Sheen's low-key strong performance. He doesn't have much screen time, but he makes best use of what he has, putting Charlie in his place as the lesser Sheen. However, Charlie isn't that annoying in this movie.

[Lock Jaw]

Godzilla Minus One: 9/10 It was really good.

Barbie: 4.5/10 It turned out to be kinda bad. Really disappointed in this one after the "hype".

[Seanny One Ball]

Walden - 3/4

Emile Hirsch is too talented for the material to fail. I was enthralled.
Recommended for Slik.

[Seanny One Ball]

I see Emile has fully embraced the genre film and is currently grinding out several every year, not quite on the Nic Cage or Bruce Willis level but headed in that direction, he might actually pass Nic going in the other direction fairly soon given his renaissance.

Emile Hirsch is one of my favourite actors of all time so I’ll watch anything that sounds remotely interesting with him in it. I’m pleasantly surprised to see that he isn’t just turning out turkeys, there are clearly worse ways to continue.

[Seanny One Ball]

Ben Foster is obviously another of my favourite actors and his career has gone strangely since “Leave No Trace” with several egregious bids for critical acclaim in dog-shit prestige pieces. It’s effectively the opposite of Emile’s workload right now.

I think I’d rather be the best thing about a genre film than the biggest disappointment in an outright bad independent film. He has his own production company so this is his own doing.

Dennis Hopper came back from it so hopefully Ben does too.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania 6/10

The tonal shift to being grander/darker didn't really make sense to me, considering the previous two outings were fairly breezy.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

lol I feel ridiculous for admitting this, but I just watched Apocalypse Now for the first time. I want to say it was the original version (it wasn't Redux) but it coulda been the final cut or whatever. I get all my shit off the ol' firestick now so who knows what's what.

10/10. Coppola pulls this magic trick where he romanticizes without being overly sentimental and diminishing the impact of his topic matter. You see it in GF 1 and 2. There's this wistful, cinematic component to these films working in harmony with the uglier truths he's exploring. It's a magnificent balancing act.

The immediate comparison is Scorcese, but Marty embraces the grit and grime of his topic matter way more.

I think I'm going to watch The Conversation next.

[drave]

The book it's based on "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad is also good.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Was considering reading Heart of Darkness but late 19th-century prose is typically a slog for me.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

<iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border:0px" src="https://books.google.ca/books?id=GXA2dZ1Xe8sC&newbks=0&lpg=PA4&pg=PA4&output=embed" width=500 height=500></iframe>

I already hate it.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Similarly, I remember reading a bit of Puzzo's Godfather and was like, "lol fuck this." Heart of Darkness is actually a proper work of literature, though, in fairness. Coppola's Godfather is an example of a fucking master of his craft successfully squeezing blood from a pot-boiling stone.

[drave]

It's a fucking slog for a while, that's for god damn sure. It also is a venue change, Africa instead of SE Asia.

We had to read it in college and then debate about the depiction of the Congolese and also Colonialism, and all the shit that goes with it.

The entire time we read the story, I wasn't even thinking of that shit, but it made a ton of sense after we were finished and given directions.

[Lock Jaw]

Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom - 8.5/10

Not as good as the first but another real solid superhero movie from James Wan. I do feel like Amber Heard/Mera was super awkward in it... I know that Wan tells the line that the story was always like that with not a lot of Mera... but when one of your "main protagonists" barely gets time to talk and no story journey in the entry it is just weird.....

The character of her dad (Dolph Lundgren's character) gets more lines/spotlight and even a tiny story arc. So it was super awkward to not even have the mother of his child have no story beat.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Saw Body Heat with Kathleen Turner and William Hurt. A steamy noir thriller from 1981 written and directed by Lawrence Kasden (who wrote Empire Strikes Back, funnily enough).

A purposeful throwback to the femme fatale trope. Hurt and Turner are a couple of animals in the movie and are believable/magnetic in their roles.

It's fun because you basically know the whole time where things are going, but they dangle you along as the viewer as Maddie Walker dangles Ned Racine by his cock.

9/10, would watch again, and am considering entering an affair and murdering my lover's husband.

Also, a Mickey Rourke cameo--he's fucking awesome, especially when he's young and handsome. And a young pre-Cheers Ted Danson is featured, and I found him to be very entertaining.

[Seanny One Ball]

“The Beast” AKA “The Beast Of War” - 3/4

I have begun a war movie phase and this already stands out as a great but completely forgotten contribution to the genre. I would put my money on the reason being that it is a Russia/Afghanistan war film with Americans playing the Russians and Steven “I’m actually pretty clearly Hispanic” Bauer playing the Mujahideen Khan who takes vengeance against them.
It’s a claustrophobic affair, Russian tank crew pisses off natives by way of war crimes and find themselves trapped in a desert cul de sac surrounded and perpetually hunted by guerillas using discarded Soviet tech and weaponry.

The cast is lead by a young Jason Patric and antagonised by the Tank Commander played by George Dzundza who has never done better character work. Directed by Kevin Reynolds of Kevin Costner association, it is clear that the budget was spent very wisely.

This was a great watch and I thoroughly recommend it.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

The Drinker also recommends it. It has both the Seanny and Drinker stamp of approval; I'll have to watch it myself.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8iuQ1SBZisI?si=TSsgSltQCfDdsDd_" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Seanny One Ball]

I watched a few of his videos a couple of months ago and to be fair there is some surprising overlap beyond the loud, drunken Scottish parts. I’ll watch that video now because I thought that film was tits and I had never so much as heard of it until last night when I found it on that movie site.

[Seanny One Ball]

I like how he says it doesn’t glorify or condemn either side when the antagonist is a battle hardened Russian lunatic who habitually does terrible things arbitrarily and the mujahideen are shown to have a deeply moral perspective in their treatment of their enemy even after seeing their enemy commit atrocities.

He’s right about it being a top drawer film at least.

[Destor]

lol I feel ridiculous for admitting this, but I just watched Apocalypse Now for the first time. I want to say it was the original version (it wasn't Redux) but it coulda been the final cut or whatever. I get all my shit off the ol' firestick now so who knows what's what.

10/10. Coppola pulls this magic trick where he romanticizes without being overly sentimental and diminishing the impact of his topic matter. You see it in GF 1 and 2. There's this wistful, cinematic component to these films working in harmony with the uglier truths he's exploring. It's a magnificent balancing act.

The immediate comparison is Scorcese, but Marty embraces the grit and grime of his topic matter way more.

I think I'm going to watch The Conversation next.the theatrical cut is really good

[poopfromweiner dude]

Twink Wonka

PASS.Pass

[Destor]

Yeesh. I was curious about it since it was a musical

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

A Few Good Men. 8 out of 10.

I'm going to qualify this as a "first-time" watch because I've seen this movie in bits and pieces on TV countless times but never saw it whole until yesterday.

Part of me feels 8 is a BIT generous, but the Jack scenes alone, plus some of Cruise's courtroom work really make the movie work. Plus, the overexposure to the "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH" might actually hurt the movie a bit, so 8 is probably fair given how I've SEEN that scene numerous times, it's been parodied to death, and it still FUCKS.

Kevin Bacon absolutely slays too. I enjoy the roundedness of his character. A likeable, charismatic guy, competent at his job. He knows Jessup is a piece of garbage and probably ordered the code red, but he has a job to do. That's my shit right there.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

The Verdict is way better, though, as far as courtroom dramas go.

[road doggy dogg]

Love and Monsters

Watched this on NYE with some friends while doing other stuff. The opening scene was really neat. Premise didn't feel terribly groundbreaking but it was a fun movie. I kept wanting the main character to be Adam Brody instead. Was good background noise with some fun moments

[Lock Jaw]

From the other boards:

Friend really wanted to go see The Iron Claw for some reason, so I gave in and we went after work....

It was ok. Obviously a sad story and emotions were had @ the end.

They cast the absolute worst Ric Flair though lol

7.5/10

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - 7.5/10

Started off real slow but turned into an entertaining enough movie.

Candy Cane Lane - 8/10

Was probably a bit too long, but a fun Xmas movie

Air - 8/10

Was pretty enjoyable. For some reason I want to go buy some Air Jordans tomorrow though....

[Lock Jaw]

Flamin' Hot - 8/10

Was pretty enjoyable. For some reason I want to go buy some Flamin' Hot Cheetos now though....

[Destor]

Guess if tpww is going to survive i can start using this again

[Destor]

I was kinda bummed at the prospect of losing this thread. I only post in it so when i watch something a 2nd time i can pull up my 1st viewing's thoughts...but i really like being able to do that. Its really interesting to see how youve changed or what you take away you didnt before etc.

[Destor]

Anyways...hooray

[drave]

I was kinda bummed at the prospect of losing this thread. I only post in it so when i watch something a 2nd time i can pull up my 1st viewing's thoughts...but i really like being able to do that. Its really interesting to see how youve changed or what you take away you didnt before etc.

Take the time now (if you so desire) to use the search feature to nab the relevant posts.

You can copy them into something else.... like chat GPT, which will keep dated logs for you as well, and it's free.

[Fignuts]

When Evil Lurks - 9/10

Probably my favorite horror movie of the year. Argentinian film about demonic posession infecting a small town. Absolutely NOT a feel good movie.

[Seanny One Ball]

“13 Assassins” (2010) - 3/4

For a remake of a film that blatantly steals the “Seven Samurai” template, it isn’t half bad. The circumstances by which these assassins rise up against their target are much more personal and cruel than the Kurosawa material and I’d wager that the original “13 Assassins” didn’t have much in that regard either. This is Takashi Miike though so it starts ugly, gets moving into the team building fairly quickly and then you get to watch a forty five minute fight scene that puts this film beyond all expectation for even the most well conceived of remakes. It’s just forty five minutes of wild shit happening at rapid pace and at no point did I think “this is getting boring”.

If you want to see a movie by a maniac that has big ideas and the talent to back it up then give it a go. It’s a lot better than that VHS incest one he did.

[ClockShot]

Posted this in the back-up forum.

Poor Things - 4.75/5

[weather vane]

Iron Claw 8.1/10

[Destor]

Dont Worry Darling (2022) - 6/10

Pretty bad script to be honest. It shows its hand about 20 min in and spends the rest of its run slowly revealing the painfully obvious. That said i could watch Florence Pugh white wash a fence and she's really good in this so its not all bad. If you only focus on her performance its a good time.

Its literally someone said "what if we did Get Out but about women?" and didnt spend a single second more thinking about it.

It mixes its metophors a few times and makes a few points it definitely didnt realize it was making that had they thought about it they wouldnt have made for the sake of its politics. Specifically about conspiratorial thought and a powerful government censorship apparatus.

Also shits on housewives in a pretty demeaning way. Nothing new about that though.

And ending a psychological thriller with a car chase is a tonal shift so bizarre its impossible not to completely check out from it. That sequence completely exposes the writers for the complete hacks they are.

How Olivia Wild wasnt publicly skewered for appropriating a significant piece of recent black cinema, in two thousand and twenty fucking two no less, to the point is broaches on plagiarism, but worse, is beyond me.

[OssMan]

Zombie Land 2

Not sure y this movie exists... I remember liking the first one just bc it was fun to see in the theaters. They do more with the text on the screen in this one which is fun, I like when movies do that. The dumb girl inventing the concept of Uber was funny and the bizarro guys were funny... but once again I dont know why this movie was made

[Destor]

I really had a fun time with the first and cant bring myself to give the 2nd one a shot.

[Seanny One Ball]

It isn’t as bad as I assumed it would be, but I also cannot remember anything about it whatsoever.

[Blonde Moment]

The Man from Earth 2007
An impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues he has a longer and stranger past than they can imagine.

8/10

[Helmsphere]

I liked the second one but wasn't as good as the first. Most of you will be pissed when 2029 hits the the third one comes.

[Destor]

Fair Play (2023) - 4/10

Attempts to explore power dynamics of a couple in the corporate structure but doesnt manage to juggle the topic well and ultimately falls into lifetime movie of the week schlock. Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenriech get some mileage out of the material though. Id like to see the premise tackled again with more deft hands steering the ship.

[Splaya]

Anyone but you 8/10

Rom com that had Sydney Sweeney in it. She's quite easy on the eyes and her eyes are so beautiful.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Her boobs are glorious.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Runaway (1984) 3.5/10

A Michael Crichton film, starring Tom Selleck as a cop that deals with robots that deviate from their programming and become a risk to the people around them. It also stars Cynthia Rhodes, Kirstie Alley and Gene Simmons (yes, of Kiss). This film is soooooo bad, but not so bad that it becomes good. The script and acting is on par with a porn film (or what I imagine a porn film is like, as I'm not sad enough to watch such things). I expect more from Crichton. Simmons' performance is especially egregious, but I don't know why I should have expected anything different. Given Selleck's popularity at this point in his career, you'd think he could have got a better film than this. However, saying that, his film career never topped Three Men and a Baby in 1987, and that was due to the combined star power of him, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson, who were all at the top of their popularity at the time.


Coma (1978) 8/10

Another Michael Crichton film, starring Genevieve Bujold, Michael Douglas, Richard Widmark and Rip Torn; it also has a pre-Magnum PI Tom Selleck and a young Ed Harris with hair.

Bujold plays a surgical resident at a Boston hospital who notices that seemingly healthy people coming in for routine operations are falling into comas during surgery. As she starts to dig deeper into what is happening and the cause, she finds her life in danger.

I really enjoyed this film, which slowly ratchets up the tension until the end. Bujold is the stand out performance, with the others not given much else to do than to act as obstacles as she tries to discover the truth.

[Seanny One Ball]

Your reviews made me want to watch the wrong one until I read “Richard Widmark” and the last stretch of my Western binge came flooding back to me.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Vigilante” - 1.5/4

Robert Forster stars in a very confused revenge film that can’t decide if it wants to go there or not. Forster’s wife and three year old kid are the victims of a very unlikely home invasion which begins with nonsense and ends in bloodshed. The whole film is just a series of stupid decisions from people who are uniformly one dimensional stock characters. Nobody real exists in this dreary 80’s cash-grab, nobody interesting either. The action is not good and Robert Forster looks confused and ashamed, but at least that makes sense…

I’d like to watch this film with somebody who was really looking forward to a “Death Wish” or a “Nobody” type film. That’s the best way to get any value out of it.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Mr Majestyk” - 2.5/4

Charles Bronson is a melon farmer who gets caught up with the law and the criminals after a series of bizarre contrivances. It’s basically “John Wick” but replace the dog with a shitload of melons. It is a very fun film despite its stupidity because it gives you enough context about Bronson’s Majestyk to bolster the notion that a fruit farmer could not only kick your ass but he could probably shoot you pretty good too.
I enjoyed it because I like Charles Bronson when he gets to exercise that ridiculous voice of his. He had a great look and he really wasn’t bad, he just needed a taller man’s voice.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Self Reliance” - 3/4

The directorial debut of Jake Johnson, a weird little film about a lonely loser who gets wrapped up in a dark web reality show where hunters hunt to kill him within 30 days otherwise he wins £1,000,000.

It’s as simple as the synopsis and it’s written, directed and performed by an exceptionally funny man so it has a lot going for it. I laughed a fair bit, there’s a great homeless guy in it.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) 7/10

The oft-told tale of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. The film is around 30 mins too long, but it is kept together by a swaggering performance from Richard Burton and a strong performance from Genevieve Bujold.

Obsession (1976) 6/10

A psychological thriller from Brian De Palma, starring Genevieve Bujold, Cliff Robertson and John Lithgow. Robertson's wife and child are killed in a botched rescue attempt after being kidnapped. 15 years later, he visits Florence and the church where he first met his wife. There, he meets a woman that looks exactly like his dead wife.

I found the film oddly flat and lacking any real suspense. It doesn't help that Robertson's performance is fairly one-note. I also found Lithgow's Louisiana accent annoying.

[Seanny One Ball]

“The Holdovers” - 4/4

Marvellous. The sort of film that makes you love the art form. Perfect.

Giamatti deserves the Oscar, let him have it.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

The Eiger Sanction 6/10

I like the scenery and the climbing scenes are good/credible. However, the story is stupid and the ending is pulled out of its own arse. It gets a 6 for Clint Eastwood and the scenery.

Tightrope 5/10

A lonely cop investigating the murders of prostitutes, some of whom are known by the investigating officer (Clint Eastwood). It seemed more interested in the boobs, than the story, and Genevieve Bujold is wasted as the love interest.

Gattaca 7/10

[Black Widow]

Guess if tpww is going to survive i can start using this againit needs to go down so yall losers can do something productive in life

[Seanny One Ball]

Stalag 17 - 3/4

An oddly jovial take on Nazi prisoner of war camps. William Holden was a fine actor in his day.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Dead Ringers 6.5/10

I think Jeremy Irons did a good job of playing the twins; credibly gave them differing personalities. Genevieve Bujold is again fairly wasted in this film. I don't know if she is/was a pain in the arse to work with or she just made bad choices, but I feel she could have had a far grander resume than she has.

The ending is a tad bonkers.

[Seanny One Ball]

The ending is nuckin futs

[Seanny One Ball]

Over the last three nights I have seen:

12 Angry Men - 4/4
Sonatine - 3.5/4
Yojimbo - 3.5/4
Ran - 3/4

I’m going to watch a few more Japanese films over the next few weeks, hopefully some of the epics from the 60’s.

[Lock Jaw]

Liar Liar - 7/10

Was alright. I don't know why but I always assumed this was a more "serious film" (as serious as it could be with that concept) and not full of Jim Carey pulling faces, acting manic, and doing lots of physical comedy. In retrospect I probably would have really loved it as a kid.

[Lock Jaw]

From the other board:

Argylle - 8/10

Randomly decided to go see this.... Was pretty enjoyable, though I saw a bunch of the "twists" coming a mile off. Had that trademark Matthew Vaughan stylized action... but was super weird at the same time because it is rated PG-13 so there was no blood or anything. Was one particular action scene near the end that reminded me of something you would see in Kingsmen... but because there was no blood it just felt weird to watch... Feel like it could have been great if he was able to let loose....

The movie seems to be really getting ripped apart critically and I don't think it really deserves that.... but I am waiting for Destor/Seanny to tell me how I am wrong....

The more I think about it the weirder the big action sequences do get without the ability to have any blood.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Watched The Insider. My favourite '90s Pacino performance. Russel Crowe is great, too. Christopher Plummer knocks it out of the park as Mike Wallace. And I'll never complain about Philip Baker Hall in a movie.

I enjoyed this more than Heat, I have to say. Although Heat's grown on me, I didn't need multiple watches to get through The Insider...I'd even say it was almost (ALMOST) breezy, which is saying something since there isn't a hint of action.

I love Pacino as a grizzled reporter who is passionate about breaking meaningful stories but also doing so ethically and taking care of his sources. I saw him less as Al playing a character, instead seeing him as Lowell Bergman, which really is a testament to a guy who's known as such a caricature these days.

9/10 for a movie that really surprised me.

[Seanny One Ball]

I watched “Elite Squad” the Brazilian narco-cop film from 2007 last night.

“Elite Squad” - 3/4

Wagner Moura was cool as Pablo Escobar, but he’s just as good when playing the other side of the law.

[Destor]

From the other board:



The movie seems to be really getting ripped apart critically and I don't think it really deserves that.... but I am waiting for Destor/Seanny to tell me how I am wrong....

The more I think about it the weirder the big action sequences do get without the ability to have any blood.
I might watch it at some point but it didnt grab me enough to go to the theater for it. Critics have def been beating it up though. Im rooting for Cavil so i hope it does well.

[Seanny One Ball]

I saw the poster a few days ago and I remember thinking “Oh great another shitty action ensemble from somebody who wants to be Guy Ritchie. Then I saw it was by Matthew Vaughn, the world’s leading Ritchie misinterpreter.

People keep trying to make “Lock, Stock” again but all we keep getting is “Snatch”. It’s bad for morale.

I suppose it’s the same as Rian Johnson trying to become Agatha Christie all of a sudden. It’s incredibly gay.

[Seanny One Ball]

I watched “Elite Squad” the Brazilian narco-cop film from 2007 last night.

“Elite Squad” - 3/4

Wagner Moura was cool as Pablo Escobar, but he’s just as good when playing the other side of the law.


Elite Squad: The Enemy Within - 3/4

Not quite as exciting but a worthy sequel with higher stakes and a total lack of romance. Great stuff.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I watched The Fugitive last night. Another one where I've seen bits and pieces on TV but never the whole thing.

8.5/10. A masterpiece of the genre. Ford and Tommy Lee Jones both cooking at a high level. The tension is forever through the roof, and it's cheesy in all the right ways.

This movie's strength is it knows exactly what it is, and it never gets too cute. It's self-serious without taking itself too seriously. A difficult balancing act. The whole premise is preposterous but you're into it as the viewer from the beginning.

A weak final villain isn't enough to spoil this all-time classic for me. It makes sense to me why everyone loved and referenced this movie at the time.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Night Of The Hunter” - 2.5/4

This is described as a neo-noir thriller but if it was made today you would call it a black comedy. It is very, very funny in ways that Charles Laughton could not have intended. I think it was supposed to have an almost fairytale feel to it - the perspective of good and evil is incredibly childish and the performances can only be excused if the director is creating his own morality tale seen through the eyes of the children.
I have this on blu-ray but never got to see it before my player died, so I stuck it on last night when I was in the Mitchum mood.
Robert Mitchum is fantastic in this, totally unhinged and yet completely buttoned up. The only comparison I have is James McAvoy in “Filth”, truly an incredible performance in an otherwise ridiculous film. Mitchum let’s it all hang out and it is a performance that I was not expecting at all.

Lots of genre films sneak a hefty amount of comedy in between the 40’s and mid 60’s… it can take me out of a picture or it can give me time to breathe. I prefer when John Wayne films would throw a few yuks in, it is more suited to a broader genre. Thrillers don’t need laughs in them.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Night Of The Hunter” - 2.5/4

This is described as a neo-noir thriller but if it was made today you would call it a black comedy. It is very, very funny in ways that Charles Laughton could not have intended. I think it was supposed to have an almost fairytale feel to it - the perspective of good and evil is incredibly childish and the performances can only be excused if the director is creating his own morality tale seen through the eyes of the children.
I have this on blu-ray but never got to see it before my player died, so I stuck it on last night when I was in the Mitchum mood.
Robert Mitchum is fantastic in this, totally unhinged and yet completely buttoned up. The only comparison I have is James McAvoy in “Filth”, truly an incredible performance in an otherwise ridiculous film. Mitchum let’s it all hang out and it is a performance that I was not expecting at all.

Lots of genre films sneak a hefty amount of comedy in between the 40’s and mid 60’s… it can take me out of a picture or it can give me time to breathe. I prefer when John Wayne films would throw a few yuks in, it is more suited to a broader genre. Thrillers don’t need laughs in them.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Footloose 7/10 (I add a point for the soundtrack)

80s cheddar with an obligatory montage moment. I found my attention wandering by the time it reached the third act, but I stayed for the music.

[road doggy dogg]

Arizona

my tv has the dumb Google UI and one of the apps loaded on it is this shitty Tubi app that has just buttloads of really shitty movies. this one caught my eye while I was scrolling through and I saw Danny McBride and it was late and I was doing a puzzle so I said sure. it's really boring. the opening scene made it look like it was going to be a less clever The Big Short (talking about mortgages etc etc in 2008) but then Seth Rogen gets pushed out of a window and I guess it's like a thriller/"dark comedy" movie but it never really caught my attention in any meaningful way. idk, 3/10 i guess

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

A rare good movie weekend for me.

Unstoppable (2010):

I'm intrigued by Tony Scott. I don't envision myself ever watching Top Gun because while I'll watch the odd Tom Cruise movie, something about that whole setup rubs me the wrong way.

BUT Tony Scott directed True Romance, and that's one of my all-time faves. Plus, it never dawned on me until recently that he was Ridley's brother (I'm not a film buff, so sue me).

Anyways, Unstoppable is an easy 8/10. Scott doesn't try to win any Oscars. Still, he somehow adds a lot of subtext and buy-in to an absolutely preposterous premise (a runaway train with toxic/nuclear/biohazardous material threatening to destroy a whole town).

It's all about how Scott frames the movie. You have separate subplots relating to the train, with each player dedicated in their own way and their own motivations to stop the train. Each character possesses enough beats and nuances that you're invested in each story.

A straightforward, taut thriller made by a guy who knew what he was doing. Denzel and Chris Pine also have tremendous chemistry, and Rosario Dawson shines.

Crimson Tide (1995):

Also a Tony Scott joint. 8.5/10. Exceptional. Denzel again. Crimson Tide is far more the Denzel show than Unstoppable, though. And he's going head-to-head with Gene Hackman.

It's a similar formula to Unstoppable but with the wrinkle of nuclear war with Russia, and they're all on a submarine with a muddled message to fire a nuclear missile (or maybe NOT fire that missile), leading to the primary tension with Hackman and Denzel.

There's a collection of awesome character actors (a young Viggo Mortensen, too, who honestly kicks ass) and pre-Sopranos Gandolfini. And similar to Unstoppable, it's almost a sports movie because you have all these different characters with unique wrinkles who are stuck in the shit, and their emotions go up and down with the ebbs and flows of the movie.

The dialogue is also wicked. They punched up this script like a motherfucker with a band of writers, including Tarantino.

An absolute genre masterclass from Scott. The man was really good at what he did.

Escape From New York (1981):

Another 8/10. Really cool, atmospheric movie. Kurt Russel is the man. I love the character work put forth by Harry Dean Stanton. The premise of "New York is a giant prison" is absolutely awesome. Post apocalyptic schlock with lots of subtext and hidden depth. The ending slaps like a motherfucker, too, with Snake getting the better of everyone. Shout out to Lee Van Clief as well. He steals most of his scenes and is a total asshole.

Also, the detail of everyone in New York knowing Snake and thinking he's dead with no outright explanation is a beautiful touch. Adds to the mystique splendidly.

[Seanny One Ball]

I watched “Crimson Tide” for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Gene Hackman was the best at playing angry old bastards. I should watch “The Hunt For Red October” and “Das Boot” too. I watched “Run Silent, Run Deep” last night but it was pretty shit for a Burt Lancaster movie. He was good though, they just gave all of the best lines to Clarke Gable who was on his last legs and looked hellish. Bad teeth.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” - 3.5/4

I watched this the other night and it was so profane and energetic that it took me completely by surprise. I’m trying to watch only classics right now and I though David Mamet should get a look in. I struggle with long winded speeches and line repetition so I’m surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did, Jack Lemmon stole the show fairly easily but that Baldwin scene is tits. I’ll probably watch that again just to feel macho when I’m drunk.

[Seanny One Ball]

A couple of weeks ago I watched “The Iceman Cometh”.

Four hours of alcoholics talking utter shite.

3/4

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I watched “Crimson Tide” for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Gene Hackman was the best at playing angry old bastards.

I "soft" watched The Conversation from 1974 (I was busy doing shit and had it on in the background...intended to actually watch but just got distracted with busy work). What I saw was awesome (John Cazale and Gene Hackman in the same movie directed by a prime Coppola is a winning combo). But even in 1974, Hackman looked about 65. He was an angry old bastard over 20 years before he was likely the appropriate age to play one.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Sunset Boulevard” - 3.5/4

This is one creepy, hilarious gothic thriller. It’s almost as creepy as “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?” and it’s more believable even if the mania doesn’t reach half the height. Every film I see William Holden in is elevated by the ease of his performance. What a glorious bloke, died like Bob Saget but drunker.

I’ll have to bite the bullet and continue the Billy Wilder education.

[Lock Jaw]

Checked out the movie "Dune" (2021) at the IMAX theater.... been meaning to watch it since it came out but never did... it being re-released in the IMAX theater seemed like a good excuse.

I'd give it I guess a 7.5/10 because it really doesn't feel like a complete movie at all. Also not sure I understood some of the "politics" of the Dune world but maybe part 2 will clear up some things.... It did keep me interested and engaged... just it not having a good structure is a "turn-off" for the movie.... like, at least the LotR novels had good definite end points for the first two.... This was just like "oh, it is the credits, but seems like it was just getting started"

[Seanny One Ball]

That’s why it’s called part 1 bud

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Lock Jaw's critical reviews never fail to drive me up the wall.

[Lock Jaw]

You can still try to structure a movie... I guess LotR is a bad example... The Hobbit maybe more apt... first two movies definitely have an arc and a good stopping point.... not just "the credits suddenly appear here"

[weather vane]

Licorice Pizza 7.7/10

[Seanny One Ball]

You can still try to structure a movie... I guess LotR is a bad example... The Hobbit maybe more apt... first two movies definitely have an arc and a good stopping point.... not just "the credits suddenly appear here"


Using “The Hobbit” as an example is pretty funny considering the book is about two hundred pages and they somehow expanded it into three completely unnecessary films.

Dune in a oner doesn’t work. They have tried and failed before.

[Lock Jaw]

Not claiming The Hobbit movies were good or that Dune should have been one movie.... just saying there is a definite way to structure a multi-part movie where the movie doesn't just end suddenly.

[weather vane]

Dream Scenario 7.8/10

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Oppenheimer 7.5/10

For a three-hour film, it keeps you reasonably engrossed, though post-trinity test (I found the scenes for that section oddly flat) I found my attention starting to wander.

Cillian Murphy does a fantastic job and should get an Oscar for his performance.

Thankfully, the dialogue was not mixed low in the audio mix. Hopefully, Nolan will continue not to bury the dialogue in his future films.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Saw Oppy as well. I'd give it an 8 and would say the Trinity scenes are really great and got me pumped.

I'm not a HUGE Nolan fan (I've enjoyed some of the classics but his shit isn't rewatchable), but man, that was a well-cast movie. Cillian Murphy was note-perfect. Obviously, there's a long list of heavyweights in the supporting cast (who all were great--Downy, Damon, and Casey Affleck especially), but dear god, David Krumholtz kicks absolute ass. That guy is one of the best character actors of our generation.

Reason I can't go higher than 8 is I'm never watching it again.

[road doggy dogg]

i've rewatched Dark Knight like 10 times

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

I meant for me. Used to be able to rewatch Dark Knight because Ledger is just something else. But I can’t anymore. It’s a slog like I find the rest of his movies to be.

[road doggy dogg]

that sux

[Lock Jaw]

Slog Dogs

[Seanny One Ball]

i've rewatched Dark Knight like 10 times

I watched TDKR way too many times in a row when I first got it on DVD. I don’t rewatch films immediately like a child but that one stuck me in a loop for a whole 24 hour period at least.
I also watched “The Sum Of All Fears” at least three times in a row just because it has audio commentary that made me laugh a lot. There’s a Jap film I watched for about six hours just trying to understand it but I honestly can’t remember the name of plot so clearly that was just time frittered away.

[Seanny One Ball]

I raked through my DVD’s there and the Jap film is called “Casshern” and the synopsis is just word salad. I remember a guy in a bike helmet who has mum issues or dad issues or something like that.

[Seanny One Ball]

Why are they always in bike helmets anyway

[Seanny One Ball]

I gave it a 3.5/4 in this thread…

I should stop smoking weed.

[Seanny One Ball]

Said the word “vibe” in that review.

Now I have to flagellate my own ass

[Blonde Moment]

Well you reap what you sow

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

At the end of the day, I could probably have Godfather Pt I and II on all day, every day, but I can't do the same for Dark Knight.

Rewatching is bizarre. I was the same as Seanny in that I def had to rewatch Dark Knight when it came out because I'd never seen anything like it. Then, the world got oversaturated with those "gritty" stories and superhero movies, and every time I've tried to watch Dark Knight in the past ten years has resulted in me switching to a different movie.

That said, it's still an easy 8.5 out of 10 at worst for Ledger's performance alone (just because I can't rewatch it now doesn't mean the movie doesn't/didn't absolutely fuck). Really detested the sequel with Bane, though. And I'm a fan of Tom Hardy.

[Seanny One Ball]

Dune 2 visually stunning but all of the interesting stuff seems to have been thrown out in favour of more talking.

At least let me get a good look at a guild navigator ffs.

It was on track to be another beauty too, even the Lynch version kept the Baron Harkonnen gay murder stuff and the guild navigators, you even get more sand worm for your buck in the Lynch one.

Without all of the cool and weird stuff it’s just another space opera.

[Seanny One Ball]

The Critical Drinker referred to Feyd Rautha as Fayed in his review. He makes a lot of mistakes like that. Tried to claim Das Boot was originally a miniseries once…

[Seanny One Ball]

Nobody milked any cats either.

It’s like Denis Villeneuve does even like science fiction.

[road doggy dogg]

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Hadn't seen this one yet and was itching for something kind of fun/mindless while doing a puzzle. The movie definitely gets most of the nostalgia hits right, seeing Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield do their thing was a ton of fun. "Hello Peter" by Doctor Octopus was fantastic. Willem Dafoe was in vintage form. The plot was kind of a mess and had holes all over the place, and the whole Holland/Zendaya/fat Hawaiian dynamic leans way too into the whole MCU dumbshit humour, but the movie was a fun spectacle. When Andrew Garfield's Spiderman saves MJ from that fall near the end that was a nice touch.

I guess it's fair to compare it to a movie like Across the Spiderverse. Overall the multiverse "stuff" wasn't as wacky as the Spiderverse movies but you can kind of get away with a lot more in an animated film vs live action so I get it. Across the Spiderverse was a much better movie but I had a lot of fun watching this one. Spiderverse had a great soundtrack. I should re-watch that one, it was great. But I loved seeing old wisened Tobey Maguire Spiderman complain about his back pain.

8/10 I guess (idk I hate numbers). It wasn't a perfect movie by any means and relied far too much on "'member dese guys?" but it was a lot of fun so I give it a pass on that

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Dune 8/10

I enjoyed the film. Chalamet takes it up a notch, especially when Paul confronts the southern tribes. Zendaya also does a good job.

They made the right choice with the Alia character.

I can't really go higher than an 8, as a couple of 2-2.5 films will never be able to do the book justice; the world building is far too dense. Plus, the Harkonnens and other aspects have been somewhat sanitised to make it palatable for general audiences, and in doing so, removed some of the character from the IP; something Seanny touched on.

[Seanny One Ball]

Apparently guild navigators don’t show up until Messiah anyway so it looks like they will turn up in another few years. Also the cat milking thing was a completely Lynchian invention, which actually makes sense.

[weather vane]

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent 7.8/10

[Lock Jaw]

Wonka - 8/10

Entertaining little movie for kids.... lots of heart..... reminded me a lot of the Paddington movies... which later made sense when I found out it was literally the same writer/director/producer.

[road doggy dogg]

Galaxy Quest - 9/10

I seen it before but not for a long time and I was flipping through Netflix and thought I needed some more Alan Rickman in my day so I watched it. Still great

[Seanny One Ball]

“Galaxy Quest” is far and away the best thing that Tim Allen ever got involved with, absolutely fantastic film with a great cast. I must have seen it five times, it’s an easy going sci-fi like “Evolution”.

[Destor]

I love Galaxy Quest. Far and away bis best work.. i dunno.Toy Story is a classic that will be absolutely timeless and the Santa Clause is pretty iconic too. Galaxy Quest might be his best but far away? Thats a bridge too far for me.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Road House (2024) 7/10

I will always take the original over this version, as 80s nostalgic cheese is hard to beat. However, this take was entertaining enough. Jake Gyllenhaal's easy charm carries the film, and Conor McGregor cracked me up whenever he appeared on screen.

It perhaps loses a point for the fat chick diversity hire in the bar.

[Seanny One Ball]

I love Galaxy Quest. Far and away bis best work.. i dunno.Toy Story is a classic that will be absolutely timeless and the Santa Clause is pretty iconic too. Galaxy Quest might be his best but far away? Thats a bridge too far for me.



“Toy Story” might have won you the point but you got cocky and threw in “The Santa Clause”.

So there we have it, “Galaxy Quest” is far and away the best film that Tim Allen ever got involved with. Followed closely by “Joe Somebody”.

[Black Widow]

This is The End seems like a appropriate movie to watch or Armageddon LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Destor]

Santa Clause is a classic christmas movie. Youre daft

[Lock Jaw]

The first "The Santa Clause" movie was pretty good... a classic as Destor says....

But not as classic as Toy Story or Galaxy Quest. (Well, to the majority of the public probably more classic than Galaxy Quest.... but not to me, dammit!)

[OssMan]

"Dream Scenario" really good nicolas cage one... suspended my rule about not liking movies that include dream sequences for this one. bit of a bummer ... lots of connections

[Destor]

I enjoyed Dream Scenario a lot. The rendezvous with the girl from the marketing firm was hysterical and it had a lot of salient points about collective hysteria/hive paranoia

[Destor]

The first "The Santa Clause" movie was pretty good... a classic as Destor says....

But not as classic as Toy Story or Galaxy Quest. (Well, to the majority of the public probably more classic than Galaxy Quest.... but not to me, dammit!)
I never made a case that it was better and certainly not objectively better my point is that GQ is "far and away" better is definitely not above contestation. The guy has been in some objective all time classics.

[Lock Jaw]

I want to see Dream Scenario...

Saw Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. I was entertained. Certainly not as bad as everyone seems to say. It is very much "disposable content" in that it really doesn't add anything to the "mythos" or "lore". Honestly feels like an extended pilot episode for a new cartoon show.

[road doggy dogg]

Venom: Let There be Carnage - 5/10

I actually really liked the first Venom movie. It was kind of ridiculous but in a way that took you a bit off guard. This one was like "ha ha, remember how ~quirky~ our first movie was? Let's amp that up a bit and use a bunch of dated cringy jokes teehee"

also Carnage didn't really kill a whole lot of people which sucked, I wanted to see him kill like 200 people or something, felt very non-threatening

[Destor]

I want to see Dream Scenario...

Saw Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. I was entertained. Certainly not as bad as everyone seems to say. It is very much "disposable content" in that it really doesn't add anything to the "mythos" or "lore". Honestly feels like an extended pilot episode for a new cartoon show.its the first film of the franchise that felt like it was made just do have the brand out there. No one involved was inspired in any way

Venom: Let There be Carnage - 5/10

I actually really liked the first Venom movie. It was kind of ridiculous but in a way that took you a bit off guard. This one was like "ha ha, remember how ~quirky~ our first movie was? Let's amp that up a bit and use a bunch of dated cringy jokes teehee"

also Carnage didn't really kill a whole lot of people which sucked, I wanted to see him kill like 200 people or something, felt very non-threateningIT WAS SO BAD

[Lock Jaw]

Yeah, that's what I am saying like it was just pretty much a brand exercise.... but even saying all that if I just accept that and move on, I was entertained for what it was.

[Destor]

I would say it entertained me but it wasnt bad. Just existed. Non offensively

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

Watched Michael Mann's Thief for the first time. 8.5/10. Great fucking movie. Sizzling dialogue. And the diner scene with Tuesday Weld is magic. Plus, Jim Belushi's bullet-ridden corpse gets thrown into a vat of acid, and that's awesome.

[Seanny One Ball]

Santa Clause is a classic christmas movie. Youre daft


It’s trite, lowest common denominator rubbish: a cash grab aimed at dimwits and that’s totally fine, but it’s not a classic for exactly that reason.

It is classic in the sense that it is a typical turkey of a Christmas film, but it is not a classic in the sense that it is an outstanding example of quality judged consistently over time.

It ranks higher than Fred Clause, but not by much.

[Lock Jaw]

I would say it entertained me but it wasnt bad. Just existed. Non offensively

Yep. That's a good description.

[Lock Jaw]

Ricky Stanicky - 7/10

Feel like John Cena is really typecast in a specific type of role now... and he does it well. A couple laugh out loud moments in this. Decent way to pass an hour and 40 minutes on a day free from work.

[Destor]

@Seanny its a classic in the sense that its a classic. Everyone knows about the movie. GQ is a cult classic. Every dork knows about the movie. Santa Clause surely has a Q rating in mid 30s. Its staple. GQ, though great, simply doesnt.

[Destor]

Classic isnt a comment on quality. McDonalds is a classic example of the american diet. Its garbage food.

[Seanny One Ball]

That’s why you should use the phrase “classic example” when going with the secondary definition of the word in text format. Otherwise you sound like you revere it.

[Destor]

I dunno. SEEMS LIKE A STRETCH. But i dont wanna get in the middle of a semantics argument when the forum will crash any second now spiraling this dispute across months.

[Destor]

Ill take my toy story victory as enough to refute your claim. +1 me

[Seanny One Ball]

And McDonalds is great, fuck the haters!

[Destor]

Haha i do like a McRib

[Seanny One Ball]

I dunno. SEEMS LIKE A STRETCH. But i dont wanna get in the middle of a semantics argument when the forum will crash any second now spiraling this dispute across months.

Imagine a five page argument that took five years though.

Millions of bots reading our posts.

[Seanny One Ball]

I typo’d and wrote boys there which would have been the best time to crash

[Destor]

The 1st time i wish it had crashed :lol:

[road doggy dogg]

The Adam Project - 7/10

listen the movie was basically another classic "Ryan Reynolds being Ryan Reynolds", the plot was predictable, the main antagonist was dumb, and I'm sure the science stuff made no sense. but I really enjoyed it, maybe I just needed to see a sappy movie about a boy and his dad but it tugged the right heart strings

[road doggy dogg]

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - 6/10

I love Paul Rudd but this movie was kinda mid. The stuff with Egon was nice but I hate kid actors

[road doggy dogg]

I'm watching Uncharted now and the movie kicks off with a "15 years ago" flashback AND TOM HOLLAND IS THE "AFTER" VERSION WHAT, he is a baby

[McLegend]

Don’t sleep on Joe Somebody. It’s got a good Jim Belushi performance in it as well.

It’s not better than anything that ‘s been mentioned, but wanted to give it a shout out.

[Seanny One Ball]

It’s Tim Allen doing “Three O’Clock High” which is a great movie in it’s own right.
I remember Charlie Day did one with Ice Cube that was ludicrous but still pretty funny too.

The fighting a bully genre needs more.

[McLegend]

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire 7/10

The CGI in the movie is incredible. Seriously might be some of the best CGI I have ever seen in a movie. Kong again steals the show, and is a good “leading man.”

Godzilla is kind of side show in it. He does have some good scenes, but some silly scenes. I imagine by the next movie the silly will be turned all the way up.

Fun movie though. I’ll always support Godzilla.

[road doggy dogg]

Don't Look Up - 6/10

A bit on the nose and heavy-handed in its approach but enjoyable enough. Apparently people hated this movie when it came out.

[Destor]

I didnt hate it but i dislike these lectures parading as narratives. I always feel im a frame away from the characters looking dead into the screen and reading their speaches to me. I might as well just turn C-Span on

[Lock Jaw]

Don't Look Up - 6/10

A bit on the nose and heavy-handed in its approach but enjoyable enough. Apparently people hated this movie when it came out.

I thought people loved it when it came out?

I did not... it was ok, but a lot of the concepts could have been done in a much better way.

[Destor]

The Iron Claw (2023) - 7/10

I really enjoyed this. Ill keep this brief in fear of the forums:

I feel like cutting chris out was distasteful but i understand there are time constraints. Still it makes me feel gross. A human life erased somehow.

The wrestling is poor but its better than most movie wrestling. It comes off bizarrely though. Its a work and it isnt and it doesnt do any work to differentiate. It doesnt affect the film though. These points will only impact wrestling fans, maybe even workers specifically in many instances. Stuff where guys arent grabbing wrists properly etc. It strikes me visually but thats only because i know too much.

That said when i heard of a Von Erich movie i assumed Efron was playing Kerry. Turns out Kevin is the lead. Makes sense in hindsight. Efron is outstanding in this. Its the performance of his career. Easy. The film is gripping and hits some high emotional moments that really resonate.

I think this is a fine wrestling film for general audiences.

[Seanny One Ball]

I liked “The Paperboy” with Zac Efron but his performance was better in “The Iron Claw” even if the film as a whole has an awful lot wrong with it. Cutting Chris out is unforgivable. They really should have made it a miniseries.

[Destor]

Double Indemnity (1944) - 8/10

Classic film noir is very much a guilty pleasure of mine. This has all the tropes one would expect from the genre but its not a hard nosed detective instead we get the culprits as the protagonist. This allows us tto drift into a Crima and Punishment/Tell Tale Heart space. The dialogue is sharp and beats are compelling. I really enjoyed this and i think for people who arent necessarily into this peroid of film or genre if they were to like anything of this ilk this film would be one I'd recommend to try and sway them.

[Lock Jaw]

Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire - 4/10

Got dragged to it by some friends. Was not a good movie at all. Almost fell asleep after I ran out of popcorn. The second MonsterVerse movie I have seen after the original Godzilla in the series which I also didn't care for... but which was probably better than this one.

[Seanny One Ball]

If you haven’t seen “Shin Godzilla” give it a go, original audio though.

It’s Godzilla with bureaucrats.

[OssMan]

"Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story"

funny,,, love "steve coogan"

need a Briton to tell me how well known this story is though... "tristram shandy"... had never heard of the words

[Lock Jaw]

Good movie I did watch while forums were down was "American Fiction" - 8.5/10

[Seanny One Ball]

"Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story"

funny,,, love "steve coogan"

need a Briton to tell me how well known this story is though... "tristram shandy"... had never heard of the words


It’s one of those books that you hear about but likely never actually read, in fact if you asked 100 people if they had ever heard of it you’d maybe get three that had.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

The Three Musketeers: Milady 6.5/10

I liked it, but the film ends on a cliff-hanger that is unlikely to be resolved by a third film, which is why I've deducted half or a full point from my score.

[Destor]

Boy Kills World - 7/10

Solid revnege flick. Good sense of humor. Never bad action. Sometimes very good action but mostly standard. Surprisingly good story if youre willing to look deeper than the surface.

there is a subtle statement on the morality of revenge here that pretty sophisticated but the film never overtly preaches. Its all there in the broadstrokes but never in the dialogue.

[Seanny One Ball]

Thanksgiving - 2.5/4

So many bad accents. The lead has a great rack though.

Arcadian - 2/4

The monsters are weird lookin’ and there are no babes but Nicolas Cage was pretty decent.

The Price We Pay - 2.5/4

Unsurprisingly this is a very poor film but Emile Hirsch is in it pretending to be a tough guy so it’s pretty fun.

[OssMan]

It’s one of those books that you hear about but likely never actually read, in fact if you asked 100 people if they had ever heard of it you’d maybe get three that had.

in america even less so... we watched it for "movies club" and all had never heard of it but agreed we wanted to read it

[ClockShot]

Civil War - 4/5

[OssMan]

Six String Samurai - real product of gen x here, a little funny

[Destor]

Matrix 4 - 3/10

Terrible film. The action is completely generic. Not a frame is worth your time. The retcons to the lore are a joke but to be fair youve always been better off just watching the 1st film and stopping there and that isnt going to change now.

The plot is at odds with itself. The 1st acts "subtext" (and fuck do i use that loosely) is about itself and why it shouldnt exist and its ALMOST an interesting allegory about modern film and vacuum of new ideas using nostalgia as a plot device. It almost works even if what makes it work is the film overtly saying "this is shit and it shouldnt exist and id rather be the architectof its bastardization that watch someone esle do it." Going as far to call out it own studio by name. And it almost works. It doesnt, but almost.

By the time we're in the 2nd act all of that is gone and forgotten and the film shifts gears in tearing down its protagonist until Neo is completely impotent. Which would be fine except the 3rd act doesnt have him restored to his glory but instead leaves him weak and in shambles because Trinity is The One now while giving mouth service that its them together that is The One (lol) but not actually allowing them both to share in the visual glory of that claim. Because that claim is a lie and she is The One now.

Everything that happens in the real world is dull as ever but now its also stupid with machines acting like floating puppies because.. who fucking knows. Theyre cute now. Isnt that great? Hooray. The 2nd act is 90% this and its ass. Jada Smith gives the most flat performance of her career and boy is that a record we didnt need broken.

All the new "characters" are just scarecrows. And visually the aesthetic of the wardrobes makes me long for the originals shiny black latex in a way i would have rejected as impossible.

And the new agents are literally just zombies and visually the 3rd act fight against them is laid out like an episode of the walking dead. Its the 3rd or 4th complete tonal shift where you feel like by the time credits roll youve watched 35 min episodes of 4 different shows. Its disjointed and bizarre.

Its not full of technical errors. Its shot like a professional would put together a film. And thats the only reason i wouldnt rate it lower.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I never saw Matrix 4. There was no need for it.

The first film is a classic, and I'll watch it any time. The original sequels were blah; just overblown fight sequences that became tiresome after a few minutes.

[Lock Jaw]

But, see, the fourth one pointed out how unnecessary it was in a meta way inside the movie... so it has to be brilliant!

[Destor]

Like i said...that almost work. It doesnt. But almost

[Destor]

I did chuckle that the meta narrative was the matrix trilogy was a classic. If they were going to be honest it shouldve been the first game was a classic the the rest of the trilogy was serviceable at best

[Seanny One Ball]

“The Matrix Resurrections” the film about the film brought to you by the women who used to be the men who ripped the concept from a comic book in the first place.

Retconned by the retconned.

It’s just a shame that neither of them is called Rhett.

[Seanny One Ball]

Anyone else seen “Sasquatch Sundown” yet?

Surprisingly watchable, surprisingly sad.

I had no idea who was playing who.

[Seanny One Ball]

Boy Kills World - 7/10

Solid revnege flick. Good sense of humor. Never bad action. Sometimes very good action but mostly standard. Surprisingly good story if youre willing to look deeper than the surface.

there is a subtle statement on the morality of revenge here that pretty sophisticated but the film never overtly preaches. Its all there in the broadstrokes but never in the dialogue.


It was very entertaining even if the Bob’s Burgers voice was a crazy choice.

I felt it lost it’s way after act two, precisely when the part you spoilered really begins.

What has Famke Janssen done to herself… I know she has had that face for a few years now but dolling her up like that in the film is leaning in in a way that only Mickey Rourke could relate to.

[Destor]

Anatomy of a Fall (2023) - 9/10

Its a film you cant really speak on because everything is a spoiler. Its a court drama that is actively ambiguous and challanges the nature of assumption itself and never at any point shows its hand and never gives the audience answers.

This is deliberate because the film isnt about what happened. Its about how we struggle with what we dont know and how we add to our unknowing until we can have a reality we can live with.

It centers around a death that occurs off camera, a fall, and the court case to decide if it was an accident or murder.

What it does do is deliver the strongest acting performances of last year inside a smart and intriguing script.

I think Past Lives was the best picture of 2023 and this doesnt change that but its easily no2.

As far as speculation goes the film offers 4 scenarios.

1. The mother killed the father

2. The father slipped

3. The father jumped

4. The father jumped and tried to frame the mother

I propose that he slipped. The film begins with the dog snoop chasing his ball down the stairs. The son daniel is drawing a bath for snoop. This leaves me to believe the father is the one who is playing ball with the dog. Its my take that he slipped on the ball which then rolled away from the scene.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Brats 5/10

I watched this documentary on the 'Brat Pack,' and how this label impacted upon the lives/careers of those that lumped into this group. It's made by Andrew McCarthy, one of the 'brats.'

For the most part, it just felt like a therapeutic outlet for McCarthy. Even though he interviews Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Rob Lowe, and others; it always seemed to be about McCarthy. I think it's partly down to McCarthy just not being a very good interviewer, from the few interview segments that we see.