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

[Lock Jaw]

That was pretty much the only part I took issue with as well, how it was so fast to get a working AI translator... but I can turn my brain off

[Frank Drebin]

I'm so proud of you

[Lock Jaw]

Thanks mom

[OssMan]

Avocado Toast


Pure shite... 1 of those movies that Letterbox users would "eviscerate"... it sucks though

[Destor]

Frank DreBUM has a heart of ice

[Destor]

1. Two Lane Blacktop (1971) 8/10

Clearly born of the same spirit of Jack Kerouac's The Road. A pair of hippies, The Driver and The Mechanic, travel the country racing cars. For them there is nothing but the road. They are singularly focused. As the film introduces its other two leads, The Girl and The GTO, we begin to explore the morality that underpins this very stoic film.

Initially the film agrees. Theres nothing but the road. Our protagonists have the right of it. The Girls needs are superficial. And it juxtaposes against the antagonist The GTO as he represents more mainstream life.

He too is on the road but he appears to be running from his past unlike our protagonists who are truly at home on the road.

As the film unravels though it challenges these two hippies not from a right wing standpoint but a left wing standpoint. Ultimately posing serious questions on them like the value of their care free hedonic lives and asks them to truly make the case that moment to moment happiness is actually what life is about.

2. Toxic Avenger (2023) 3/10

This film is nothing but problems not least of all that its incredibly unfunny but its biggest issue is the casting. Not a single role is served well by its actor. Top to bottom. No exceptions. I watched it for free and i overpaid.

3. The Bad News Bears (1976) 7/10

Certainly a film that would jive with modern sensibilities but it really does shine as a great sports movie that really highlights how athletics enriches us and it does it with a cast of memorable characters and an excellent 3rd act.

4. All That Jazz (1979) 10/10

Important to note that i dont think this technically is a musical. Its builds to a major nondiegetic number most of the film about a choreography trying to create. These scenes serve a more utilitarian purpose to the narrative as opposed to being emotional expression.

That said it does build to a climax that is indeed a huge musical number that is nondiegetic and its certainly a show stopper. The film is about death and life and the alchemy of a life well (and poorly) lived. In that regard its made for me. Most my life has been spent thinking about what makes a life a good one ao i cant really understand what is driving Fosse here.

The film is as a personal introspection as deep and critical as Fosse can muster made with a touch that could only have been made with Fosse's unique skill sets and life. It would be impossible for anyone else to have made this work and it really seems impossible that it would work. But it does and bigly. A must see for film fans.

[Destor]

1. Armour of God (1986) 8/10

Kung Fu Indiana Jones staring Jackie Chan? Yes please.

This is Jackie as his action star peak. Up there with Super Cop but not his Kung Fu peak. Theres some quality Kung Fu here dont get me wrong. The 3rd act has two really sequences but nothing at the absolute top tier as say Wheeles on Meals.

What this does is has huge stunt work and a fun adventure with that trademark Jackie style humor. Climatic sequence has a jaw dropping stunt where we see skydiving onto the top of a hot air balloon. Really ballsy stunt work. And the fight sequences, though a bit (but only a bit) choppy have some really impressive physical stunts that really need to be seen to appreciate.

The story itself is light but light in the way Indiana Jones or The Mummy is light. We know the goals of the adventure and the goals of the antagonists and we go through a series of set pieces until climax occurs. Its what you want this type of film to be.

A nitpick, and i stress nitpick, goes out to thebprops department. The titular armour of god is quite poor. Looking like late 60s early 70s B tier sword and sorcery props at best. Comically low effort work that would barely pass as a halloween costume.

Certainly does ruin anything but its bad enough to call it out on principle.


2. Ocean's 13 (2007) 5/10

Well...it was a lot better than 12. These films really have little going for them outside of star power. They arent clever capers. They arent intense heists. They arent funny ensamble comedies. They just film charming actors being charming and hope thats all you need between the title and the credits. And looking at the box office returns...i guess it is.

3. Unstoppable (2010) 10/10

This is right up there with Speed. It doesnt have Joss Whedons snappy dialogue but Tony Scott makes sure we feel connected to these characters in a human way.

It works in the way only great movies can. Its a guys 1st day at work. He has a runaway train. Then we find out the train is carrying chemicals. Then we find the train is carrying combustables. Then we find out its heading toward the town where his estranged with and son live and its set to derail there. Its the perfect "Runaway Semi Driven by The Incredible Hulk" movie.

Its that escalation of danger that climaxes into the personal. The stakes are human and thats the level of emotion Scott tries to ground us in and Chris Pine, Denzel Washington and Rosario Dawson all really shine through.

Excellent set pieces sprinkle ld exactly when the script needs and some really clever visual choices. At one point Chris Pine has his leg caught between two trains and Scott cuts to the TV footage seen from the perspective of his worried wife. In that moment she and the audience are both shifting our vies trying to see how bad he's hurt. And she is mirroring the audience. Really exceptional.

Action/suspense at its highest level.

4. What We Do In the Shadows (2014) 7/10

Pretty fun movie. What i liked best is how it played with the mockumentary visual langued and how it used the special effects inside that narrative device. The general premise and rhe execution though are pretty fun throughout. Not laugh out load hysterically funny but more smirky i see what you did there funny.

5. I, Tonya (2017) 8/10

Liked this more than i thought i would. It has a 4th wall narrative device where the characters are telling the story interview style that allows for some comedy beats that otherwise couldnt exist but also does away with the need for the film to try and be truthful instead it can live inside the lies of the narrators even to the point of absurdity.

Sebastian Stan is really good here and Margot Robbie is an absolute star and a powerhouse actress. She has a scene looking into the mirror (camera) putting on make up thats maybe...30 seconds...no dialogue. And she conveys a magnitude in this one take that definitely earned her oscar nomination.

Not a much watch but you could do far worse on a Sunday afternoon

6. Hamnet (2025) 8/10

3 very different acts and the pacing in the 1st two can leave a little to be desired its working toward a goal and the 3rd act really delivers. Jessie Buckley is great in the lead and the young actor playing Hamnet is surprisingly good.

The films effort is to strip away the allegory and metophor from Hamlet so when we get to the play in the 3rd act we can feel the subtext of the play as text in the film. Its an interesting idea and i think they pulled it off well.