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

[Destor]

9/10

[Lock Jaw]

Gotta save stuff for the sequel

[Destor]

Die My Love (2025) 3/10

Film explores Jennifer Lawrences character as she struggles with postpartum depression and it attempts to foster the same irritation that shes feeling in the audience using constant repetitive audio. So a baby crying underneath the scenes dialogue or a dog barking. For literally 40+ min there's no relief from constant noise.

This is the worst way imaginable to get the audience in the same space as your struggling protagonist. After 5 min i got the point. After 40 im ready to find something else to do.

Then there's the night scenes. The film has many and they shot EXTREMELY dark and blue. You can barely make out whats going on and its clearly not done for effect its just an awful color correction. These scenes are unwatchable.

Slap a vague, abrupt and non literal ending and you have a recipie for a dumpster fire.

On the up and up Lawrence and Pattinson are good here and its a shame the inept film making drowns them out.

[Big Vic]

Apparently youtuber "Alex Meyers" is in "hot water" for siding with the incel in "Obsession"

Never saw the movie to anyone who has, how bad is the "Bear" character?

[Destor]

Im waiting on home release for Obsession

[Destor]

1. Cover Girl (1944) 7/10

A pretty fine narrative. Girl in a small town club catches her big break and is pulled away by fame from her small life and her lover by the lure of all her dreams made true.

What makes this film particularly interesting if youre a fan of the era is this is a columbia picture and the male lead Gene Kelly was on loan from MGM.

Up until this point MGM hadnt figured out what to do with Kelly. Columbia let him cut loose and really show what he could do culminating in a really great dance number where Kelly dances with a phantom of himself.

After this film MGM knew what they had and his 11 year run as a staple of their stable would begin with Anchors Aweigh the next year making it a pretty significant moment in film history.

On its own merits its 1 big classic number away from being a really remarkable film but as is its perfectly solid with some good numbers and a good story. It has some fat that could be trimmed but thats par for the era.

2. The Fearless Hyena II (1983) 3/10

This was rough. Had to actually google wtf was going on. Apparently Chan had a contract dispute and quit fairly early in the production and would later sue to try and get this film shelved. He lost.

So the studio takes Jackies scenes and some unused stuff from the 1st film and then hires... not a look-a-like but more accurately a look-vaguely-similar-if-you-squint to finish the film.

Problem is you cant really replace Jackie Chan. What he does cant be physically done by just anyone. So they conceived a bunch of set pieces and rube goldberg devices to distract the audience but it doesnt work. Its just incredibly confusing. Especially when bouncing between a Jackie scene and. Jackie impersonator scene so frequently.

It does highlight the value Jackie Chan brings but as a film its the worst kung fu film ive seen this side of Bruce Lee's final, and also incomplete, Game of Death.

3. The Outsiders (1983) 5/10

Francis Ford Copela directs Matt Dillon, Ralph Machio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emillio Estavez and Tom Cruise? Youd think this would be a soaring all time classic.

Well it isnt. I can see why. The theatrical cut is 90 min and theres just no interconnectivity between these characters. Theyre poorly established and their relationships even less so.

The film gives you a distinct impression theres 45 min of missing footage. This at its core would be better served as a hang out movie. With the characters just existing in this world and inside his class conflict until enciting incidents occur.

It moves way too fast and for a film that tugs on the nostalgia of the 50s there's not a single piece of licensed music to found and that really holds the picture back.

Acting-wise i think Swayze is the one who comes off the strongest. His role is small but theres a smoldering intensity from the way he moves to the way he doesnt. He really gets some mileage out of what he's given.

All in all i think it climaxes relatively well but i feel like there's entire arcs im getting the back end of and not the set up and thats straight to the credits.

Something tells me the novel covers whats missed here.

4. Malcom X (1992) 8/10

Whats immediately striking is Spike Lee isnt afriad to show Malcom X as the theif and hustler he was. The film spends well over an hour showing him as a common criminal with admittedly very nice suits. A lesser director, a more fearful director, would omit these warts.

Course it does try and paint his convictions as racist but in all fairness to the piece it is based on an autobiography and is from the perspective of Malcom so you cant really claim its the position of the film as much as its the position of the criminal himself. And there are no guilty men in prison. Just ask em.

Its very honest about Malcom's racism and his repentance is a significant plot point. It also doesnt hide the fact the Islam made him into the man that etched his way into history but the violence of the Islamic community took his life.

Honestly i expected a lot of propaganda and it was pretty light...until the 10 min. Film ends with a weird and out place in memorial that celebrates X and asks us to in turn to do the same because despite his rhetoric he himself post conversion never was linked to violence.

And that misses the point of the film. 1st act is pre-Islam. 2nd act is in Elijah Muhammad's coalition. 3rd act is attempt to spread Islam from the outside of that circle. At which point his life is lost to Islamic violence. Now you can have whatever opinion you want about the religion but thats objectively the narrative presented.

The rhetoric he espoused while in the fold was inherently violent. It overtly called for violence. And that same violent rhetoric was aimed straight at him and cost him his life.

Instead of trying to justify his life by his actions to excuse his words it should have acknowledged the source of his violent rhetoric and his overt racism was directly at the instruction of Elijah Muhammad and it was breaking away from that fold that freed him from both his racist ideals and inclination to violence. And that would have been the fearless telling.

There's a great documentary called I Am Not Your Negro. It pits Maclom X's philosophy against Kings and explores them both in earnest. Id highly reccomend it.

That said Spike Lee has a great vision and he constructs every scene thoughtfully. Denzel Washington is as good as he's ever been. It really is an excellently made film and very much worth a work even at its 3+ hour run time.

5. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (2026) 7/10

Had a real good time with this. Sam Rockwell is a ton of fun here. That might be the films biggest problem.

There's a story structure where we keep taking flashbacks that flesh out the side characters and it gives integral backstory and plot points that absolutely are necessary to the film.

But they loose Sam Rockwell and the energy he brings to the film. These flash backs play out like mini black mirror episodes and they arent bad per se but the entire time youre having to pause a much more fun and interesting movie for their sake.

I dont know if there's a solution to it or its just the nature of the writing but it makes for a very uneven watch and holds the film back.

But it doesnt ruin it. Its still a good time travel movie that deals with modern society on the brink of the birth of AI and has a lot to say about us and society. Some points i agree with and others im more resistant to but it delivers its social commentary with a very black humor that i really appreciate even at its most zany.

Some of the 3rd act ventures into the perposterous...but it always was perposterous so is there such a thing as too perposterous given the premise? Maybe but it gets a pass from me.

[Lock Jaw]

Spider-Man: Brand New Day - 6/10

Was entertaining but some parts fell flat. Probably the weakest of the Holland Spider-Man movies.

SPOILER: show

Also, I am kind of "over" Damage Control. They've been the bad guys in like 3 or 4 things now.

[Destor]

1. Spider-man: Brand New Day (2026) - 10/10*

SPOILER: show

fresh out of the theater jumbled mess thoughts:

Film really nails the feeling that marvel comics brings where any character in new york can suddenly be in the story. It makes the city and world of mcu feel very alive and dynamic.

Having a spider-man thats very much dealing with street level issues and very on his own feels like its finally the spider-man film ive been wanting from the tom holland era. Which isnt to say i havent loved his run cause i have but this feels really good.

The character moves how i want. They have some really iconic images throughout. The action is easily some of the best the MCU has ever done.

And what it sets up long term is great.

And the narrative not boiling down to punching an enemy but interpersonal conflicts and very human elements...breath of freah air for the genre.

My more thoughtfully constructed take:

I really liked it.

Tons of nods to long time fans. Recreating classic comic covers. Having Spidey move in ways that are straight off the page. Finally Holland in a comic costume. Possibly the best action marvel has produced

Tons to love.

If i were to nitpick there is a little lost by not having a spider-man villain be the main antagonist. Spider-man and Batman have the best two rogues gallery on any hero and there's so many that would be cool to see get their time on the big screen.

That said we got 3 that while they were just cameos otherwise wouldnt have gotten any screen time ever. Tombstone, Boomerang and to a lesser extent Scorpion.

But thats a nitpick. After The Punisher debuted as a spider-man foe and he's objectively as much as an antagonist (even though he's friendly hes actively working against Spider-man's interests) as Jean Grey. More so. You could make a real case The Punisher is this films "villain."

PLUS spidey has fought hulk tons of times in his own books. Its hardly a departure.

It doesnt really have one though. Its spider-man solving a case that fell into his lap and thats exactly the kind of story i want from the character. Things unravel. He finds himself in increasingly stressful situations all while balancing peter Parkers bullshit if he's lucky.

As to Jean: loved it. It really demonstrates that without Xaviers influence she's one chance meeting away from joining the Brotherhood.

More over it places the X-Men in a spot to fully explore mutants. Singers x-men famously (and very well) explorers mutants as a metophor for racism.

Which sure is one aspect of their story but its richer than that.

Its and racism and gun control. Humans have very real reasons to fear mutants. Humans are objectively inferior and powerless in the face a 1 little girl whos over the edge. Jean held control over, what? Several thousand people? Never mind the possesion she was doing before that.

That level of unchecked power, the ability to remove all free will at a whim? If you think you would march in the streets to kill all mutants youve not taken the situation seriously enough.

And thats the set up to establish Xaviers mission. To calm a world facing that kind of power. Where any stranger walking down the street could be one of them. A nuke unchecked in classroom with your children.

Now there's an x-men story worth telling.

The post credit sequence was huge...for me at least. Im pretty sure theyre setting up battle world and... BIG IF TRUE.

*I am completely bias when it comes to Spider-man and cannot accurately judge it.

2. The Band Wagon (1953) 6/10

Fred Astair plays an actor whos aged out of fame and looks to hitch his star to an up and comer played by Cyd Charrise. Astair, as good as he is (and admittedly he's no Gene Kelly) struggles to hold the screen down while we wait for Charrise. At 35 min it finally happens though and she bursts into the film with a beautiful ballet number that shows her top level dancing and impeccable figure. Immediately the film has new life and its very much as true to the narrative as it is as a meta commentary.

Astair and his character need Charrise and her character. But i dont want to throw Astair under the bus. He more than keeps up with her when they dance together. It just that she captivates the screen you can forget she isnt dancing alone. Hes not at fault for that, she's just an angel on earth.

Where it diverges is the play they put on is quite terrible and makes for some decent comedy where as this film is pretty solid. Not exactly an all timer but a fine film with a lot of charm and some memorable scenes including a very nice top hat and cane tap number.

3. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) 8/10

A top tier train movie and a top tier heist movie. The film revolves around 4 men who hijack a new york subway train. What makes the film so good is how the story unravels and how it explores the cities infrastructure. It could easily have been a predictable paint by numbers caper but it isnt.

I honestly dont want to save much about it since its the writing that carries the movie. Less you know the better not that its a film built on twists or anything. Just know if you like train movies or heist movies this is top tier and you should give it a go.

4. Young Master (1980) 7/10

Jackie Chans second feature as director. Immediately you can see he's getting more comfortable using the camera to explore space and draw attention. Initially this also the a more serious role for Chan. His early work is very cartoonish with him playing a bugs bunny type. And it certainly gets to that point but early on theres an attempt for Chan to explore some broader emotions.

Early on this film has a more serious tone and Chans performance/character is more of a human than many of his previous outings. Wouldnt call it deep but deeper than he's played to this point. Its not too long after this picture that he moves from comedy kung fu to action kung fu (with comedic beats.) But wacky comedy cartoon man has his day in the sun for sure and its as fun as ever.

Choreography is great. Chan delivers a visual spectacle as always. His balance and precision are truly elite. But its not just Chan. The supporting cast is quite good too. Theres a 3 v 15 fight that sets up the antagonist thats real solid.

A real highlight comes from Chans famous bench combat on full display here and as good as ever. How a person can be so creative with whay is fundamentally a tiny saw horse is well beyond me.

Story itself is fairly light. Mostly a mistaken identity story with a bit of rescuing a wayward brother spiced on top. Its all about the choreography though and its high end stuff. If you want dumb fun kungfu youll be happy with this one. Definitely could've benefited from some higher stakes and taking itself just a bit more seriously. Especially at the finish but it doesnt ruin the picture.

[Destor]

Ran (1985) 9/10

"As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport."

Probably Shakespeare's best line. Ran is based on The Tragedy of King Lear and at the time was Japans most expensive film to date and goes down as Akira Kurosawa's final large scale epic.

I wont harp on the narrative too much. If you know the play then you know what we're dealing with here. Pride leads to ruin. The fleeting nature of power. Madness vs wisdom. Appearances vs truth. Its all perfectly preserved but filtered through a culturally Buddhist lense.

Kurosawa shows that he truly was a master here. A film on par with the grandest of war epics and not just especially for its day but ever.

The costuming and attention to detail is not lost no matter how far you zoom out. A soldier on the front line is as authenticly dressed as a bannerman in the back flanks. You see very clearly where the budget went. Every inch of every frame is painstakingly cared for.

Its shot at the highest level. Its performances are at the highest level. Especially Lady Kaede who has some real show stealing scenes and stands and one of the more interesting aspects of the film as she seems to be an amalgamation of Lears two eldest daughters Edmund. Rolling all of their negative emotions and motives into one hyper malevolent character.

If you have 2.5 hours and anything here sounds good its a must watch.

[Destor]

Originally Posted by Lock Jaw Spider-Man: Brand New Day - 6/10 Was entertaining but some parts fell flat. Probably the weakest of the Holland Spider-Man movies. SPOILER: show Also, I am kind of "over" Damage Control. They've been the bad guys in like 3 or 4 things now.

brutal

[Lock Jaw]

Could also be my dislike for The Punisher creeping in. First time I ever liked him was in Daredevil and the first season of his show was really good too. Working with someone like Spider-Man just doesn't work though (I know they have a long history together in the comics, but in general I hate heroes working with Punisher instead of tossing him in jail)

[Destor]

1. Driving Miss Daisy (1989) 8/10

Really beautiful film. The writting is splended. No character has to lecture the other. Theres no speach about lessons learned. Its in the unspoken rough edges that the characters find commonality. The film is saying if we would only live alongside one another we could find a richer life.

The film goes further than race though. Aging and the inevitable of death and what life looks like from the rear view mirror. Certainly a film that is better the older you are.

Its also really interesting to see Morgan Freeman play a character. Im so accustomed to seeing him play Morgan Freeman i forget he was a character actor first. And Dan Akroid gives the best acting performance ive seen of his.

2. The Town (2010) 7/10

Good and intense crime caper but it botched its ending holding the film back from being excelent. I watched the theatrical cut and then watched the extended cuts ending so honestly im sure how to or not to value its ending. Im rating the theatrical i guess but the extended cut add a point.

Zoomed out its a tropey "they keep pulling me back in" gentlemen theif story but the characters and the setting make it feel very fresh. The antagonist fbi agent played by John Hamm is a real scene stealer. He has a commanding presence and some very good lines. Jeremy Renner is real good here too.

Film is shot in fairly well...most of the time. You can definitely tell Afleck shot a huge ammount of coverage with the cuts being all over the place in many scenes. When it takes its time though there are some well thought out shots in the film.

3. Dead Man's Wire (2026) 7/10

My kind of movie right here. If you dont know the premise its a true story from 1977. Man feels jilted by a loan office on a land deal. Goes to take the president hostage but he's out and gets his son instead.

Walks him several blocks with a wire around his throat anda shotgun to his neck. Peacefully comendeers a police cruiser and drives him back to his apartment with every cop in Indianapolis in tow and proceeds to hole-up there for a week or so while he waits for an apology from the hostages father.

The film adds very little sensationalism to the narrative as the true story is fucking insane in its perposterousness without the need for any writing shenanigans.

The dressing for the period is masterful and its not just wardrobe and cars and sets. The color correcting of the film. The way certain shots are framed. Some of the editing style. Its very of the period.

Skarsgård is outstand as the lead. Al Pacino, though limited in screen time, is right proper cunt. And Cary Elwis is lost in his wardrobe and accent i didnt realize it was him till the credits rolled.

Wonderful film. I was annoyed to have missed it in theater but its release was so limited i couldnt manage to make time for it.

[Destor]

Originally Posted by Lock Jaw Could also be my dislike for The Punisher creeping in. First time I ever liked him was in Daredevil and the first season of his show was really good too. Working with someone like Spider-Man just doesn't work though (I know they have a long history together in the comics, but in general I hate heroes working with Punisher instead of tossing him in jail)

there's a scene in the civil war comic where castle tries to join Caps group only for Cap to tell Punisher he digusts him and throws him out.


Always felt it was one of Marvels more thoughtful interactions.

[Destor]

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle pt.1 (2025) 5/10

Well his is rough to rate. Firstly the film is beautiful. Some of the most beautiful animation put to screen. Its always a treat to look at.

The 1st hour and a half of the film is just average shonen action. Great to look at. But generic. Narratively uninstering at least not particularly special. The final hour is narratively outstanding.

The two acts dont relate or impact one another and are very much seperate films that in no way justify being under the same run time. Moreover you can feel where the issue/episode break should be. This doesnt justify itself as a film at all. It should be a season and would be better for it

A lot of it needs more room to breathe. The show is wrapping up its narrative through event films but doesnt bother to structure a film script. It just throw two or three unrelated battles in the same run time and calls it a movie.

Nothing about whats on the screen is bad it just shouldnt be on the screen at all. Maybe if you watched it in thirds...

[Lock Jaw]

The End of Oak Street - 8/10

Decided to see it on a whim. Was entertained throughout. I like how they presented everything.

[Destor]

It looked pretty fun. Might not do a theater run but if you liked ill check it out when it comes to home viewing

[M-A-G]

Originally Posted by Big Vic Apparently youtuber "Alex Meyers" is in "hot water" for siding with the incel in "Obsession" Never saw the movie to anyone who has, how bad is the "Bear" character?

He's a sack of shit. He's made very aware of what the victim is going through and that he's the cause of it, but he continually brushes it aside, thinking he can manage it because he has what he wants.

[M-A-G]

Also, I wouldn't really call him an incel. We're not really made privy of his sex life prior to everything. He's just a selfish opportunist.

[Destor]

1. Busboys (2026) 5/10

Honestly i think if you liked Joe Dirt you'll probably like this. Its not as good but it has a similar comedic voice. At least enough to mildly amuse you for 90 min. Frequently nonsensical. Didnt hate it. Mo clue why Spade chose to wear a wig though. Its like he thinks we could buy him as white trash without a disguise.

2. Omega Man (1971) 6/10

Not a masterpiece but a solid film from the era. The premise is well known. Charlton Heston is the last man on earth. If you've seen the mordern adaptation starring Will Smith "I am Legend" then you know the hitch. Well in the modern vesrion theyre vampires here theyre a cult of albino luddites.

Film doesnt dwell on the isolation too long. Half an hour at most. Probably less. Instead it funcions more like an action film of its era. Its not bad just a bit generic.

Some wildly bad stunt work thats worth ridicule. Well thats not the right way to word it. The stunts are performed adequately enough. There's a scene on a motor cycle however thats shot so poorly you can clearly see the stuntmans face plainly and even when you cant his full head of grey hair gives him away as a dupe. And to make it worse the "woman" holding on is clearly a crash test dummy. Comically bad.

[Destor]

1. My Lucky Stars (1985) 6/10

Jackie Chan film set in the modern era. Marks a big turning point in his career from the period pieces he primarily had been doing. 85 i believe is also the same year Police Story 1 released which was a huge launch pad for his career.

Absolutely outstanding car stun in the 1st 5 min. We see a very compact Hong Kong car drive up the pack of an empty car hauler using it as a ramp to sail across moving traffic clearing 2 or 3 vehicles damn near straight on its nose. Absolutely wild stunt drivers.

Jackie is no slouch though. At one point he scales a ferris wheel climbing from the geound half way up in one very nimble and lightning fast take. A true stunt man if there ever was one. And his decent is twice as balsy and just as fast.

The entire stunt team is outstanding though taking so very fearless bumps. Unfortunately though its not that movie most of the time. After the very promising opening we spend most of the film with a crew of bumbling doofs organizing an Oceans 6 that in theory is supposed to go find Jackie but instead do diarrea jokes and stage a robbery as a facade to comically burry their heads in an attractive house guests tits.

The climax pulls itself together though and delivers some very respectable kung-fu even if a bit over edited for my tastes with some decent comedy beats. If the 1st 10 and the last 20 where the quality of the entire film it would be an easy 8.

2. Contact (1997) 8/10

This film is incredibly well constructed and very deep and it would take a fool on considerable size to think a single viewing is enough to realy have a grasp on it but I'll suffer my way through my thoughts:

The immediate thing i notice is how exploratory the camera is. Zemeckis really has a nose for how each scene is constructed and he is EXTREMELY dynamic with how the camera moves. He uses it to echo a central tenent of the films ethos which is science itself. The nature of investigation.

There is also a significant ammount of interplay with that exploratory nature of the cameras movement and mirrors. Often a scene or shot will start with the camera fixed only to reveal to us later we were seeing through a reflection.

This brings a lot into the forefront thematically most chiefly the films insistence on the duality between faith and reason. The film very plainly claims that pushing science into battle with religon is a fools errand and claims theyre the same thing. The duality of self.

The film, through this point, runs into what Kubrick ran straight into with 2001 and what the quantum physicists are now running into: if you go deep enough you find yourself at the metaphysical. The final boss of the rationalists becomes the one they thought long slain.

The parallels between Contact and 2001 are significant and frankly i think theyre meant to be viewed as a continuation of the conversation. Perhaps a rebuttle perhaps and agreement perhaps a conciet. I know the next time i watch either I'll do it as a double feature.

As far as to how this sits in Zemeckis' filmography this is the least Zemeckis lile film ive seen...until the last 5 min. What he excells at is finding the spark of the human at the center of his film. He can shine a light into a characters heart for an audience to see it clear as day.

Here Jodie Fosters heart is very walled off from us. Both narratively and practically. We cant really feel any attachment to her as person until she finds faith. Its at the 2hr and 10min marker that finally she drops the shield of objectivity and finds humanity and in thay moment Zemeckis pokes his head out and you get a feel for the master who made Forrest Gump and Back to the Future. Its brief. But its there.

That said Foster's character is a bit tough to root for. McConaugheys performance is a bit flat. James Woods is very good here though.

Lot to think about with this one and one id highly reccomend.

[Destor]

The Drama (2026) 3/10

This film is very well made. The visual language, the acting, the directing and the writing are all very good. I particularly enjoyed how it coveyed anxiety and the stress of the mind working out scenarios. The issue is the premise. Its just fucking stupid.

SPOILER: show

Two couples are on a double date. The protag couple are about to get married in a few days. The non protag couple reflect on something that they did before they got married. They told one another the worst things theyd ever done.

Heavily drunk the 4 of them share their stories. The 1st 3 tell fairly mundane tales about insignificant things they feel guilty about. Zendaya announces at 15, now in her 30s btw, she planned and nearly executed a school shooting.

Everyone freaks and the rest of the film is about the fallout of people judging and reviling her for a crime that was never commited. And its just so fucking stupid i can't be even partially invested in it.

Its basically minority report except everyone thinks its valid. Normally id weigh the execution of an idea against the idea itself but im so uninterested in this core idea i cant honestly take it seriously. I genuinely like how this film conveys its narrative i just think the narrative is remarkably brainless. I cant buy that a single adult would not be able to process is vs ought. Moreover is vs didnt.

SPOILER: show

It shouldve been she actually DID something. Thats the bare minimum needed to make this scenario work. Instead however it unironically contends that sometimes lieing is better. Thats its honest to goodness central thesis. Pro-lies. The ethical justification for being a liar. By presenting a premises that is stupid.