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Post by morrisondylanfan on Jul 12, 2020 17:40:11 GMT
Terrific reviews Spike. I recently got the Masters of Cinema DVD of Shark Island, your review has made me even more keen on seeing it. I caught Now You See Me after seeing bits of a Bollywood at a friends house which ripped the film off (badly.) From when I saw it in 2015. Whilst the guys do dominate the flick,the two girls shine in magical performances,with the very pretty Isla Fisher (who almost drowned when a scene which has Henley Reeves fail to get out a water tank,turned into Fisher being unable to get out of a faulty tank) giving Reeves a sassy curl of the lips,whilst an elegant Mélanie Laurent gives the title a perfect French New Wave light touch.Always kept one step behind the magicians, Mark Ruffalo gives an excellent performance as Dylan Rhodes,thanks to Ruffalo avoiding the easy option of making Rhodes look like a hapless idiot,by displaying intense desperation in pulling the bottom card from everyone else's pack. Reuniting from the Batman movies,Michael Caine & Morgan Freeman both give charming performances,with Caine barking orders at everyone,whilst Freeman walks across the title with a wide, charismatic grin. Addressing the viewer at the start of the film, Jesse Eisenberg gives a very good performance as J. Daniel Atlas,whose showmanship hides nerves of doubt over their tricks being a success,as Eisenberg's former Zombieland star Woody Harrelson chews the scenery with a hilariously dry wit. Increasing the elaborateness of each magicians act,the screenplay by Ed Solomon/Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt casts a dazzling twist ending over the film,which whilst coming from a rather left-field position,gives the magic an unexpected darkness,as the writers reveal the "final trick" that the magicians have been playing from the very start.Whilst the writers do use magic to make some leaps in logic disappear,they keep the movie moving at a sparkling pace,by turning the magicians into a gang of outlaws,whose heists go from a misdirection bank robbery to transforming into falling money. Capturing every wave of the wand,director Louis Leterrier and cinematographers Mitchell Amundsen & Larry Fong build a thrilling atmosphere with stylish frantic scatter-shot camera moves,as the gang casts their spells in order to stay ahead of the cops. Diving into Las Vegas,Leterrier brilliantly uses vast wide shots to capture the spectacle and every gasp that the audience makes,as Leterrier grips the viewer and casts a spell,which reveals that the closer you think you are, the less you'll actually see. 8. Whilst my favourite track by him is The Cat O'Nine Tails main theme,I've been playing Ennio's tracks for Leone's movies a lot this week. From when I first saw it. Charging into the Wild West to Ennio Morricone's extraordinary score the screenplay by co-writer/(with Agenore Incrocci/Furio Scarpelli and Luciano Vincenzoni) directing auteur Sergio Leone tremendously makes each of the three main characters distinct individuals, whilst gradually threading the films plot round the trio,with the initially three separate plot lines all joining up to create one wonderful thrilling Spaghetti Western as Angel Eyes,Tuco and Blondie's addiction in getting their hands on the gold starts to seep through their veins. Bringing a tough earthiness to the outlaw, Clint Eastwood gives a mesmerizing turn, making "the man with no name" look less a mythical superhero cowboy,and more someone who whilst cunning,is also able to get caught by surprise and left to dry to death in the middle of nowhere.Despite being the one with the least amount of screen time out of the three main actors,Lee Van Cleef gives a menacing performance as Angel Eyes,who even when in the background of scenes gives the film a chilling atmosphere of darkness descending on any area that he is closing in on. On the opposite side of the wicked Van Cleef and the smart,cunning Eastwood is the stunning Eli Wallach as Tuco, as Wallach creates an unforgettable love/hate friendship with Blondie as Tuco shows Blondie that he is far more intelligent than he may appear,and also creates a character that really helps the audience to enter "the world" of the film,due to Tuco having the perfect mix of a good comedic side and also having a charismatic go-with-the-flow attitude. Joined by a classic score,cast and script,director Sergio Leone & cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli bring the films thrilling Wild West- Civil War setting to vivid life with his gripping stylisation. Leone holds the trio from getting pulled into the total bleakness of the Civil War that is taking place around them., by placing the main focus on the chase for the gold,as Leone keeps the movie moving at a lightning fast pace, from the almost three dimensional,fantastic endless sets to the nail-biting gun battles where Leone uses his elegant wide shots to show the distant between each character and his beautiful extreme close-ups to build up a huge amount of tension between the good the bad,and the ugly. 10. On Gemini Man, whenever I see Ang Lee mentioned, the first thing which now comes to mind is Stewart Lee's encounter with Angry Ang: |
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Post by mikef6 on Jul 12, 2020 18:15:50 GMT
hitchcockthelegend The Prisoner of Shark Island looks interesting. Warner Baxter had as many (or more) “comebacks” than John Travolta. An interesting career. I still remember When and Where I first saw The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (winter (Jan or Feb) of 1968, Ft. Benj Harrison base theater, Indianapolis, Indiana). I was THAT impressed. Contempo critics of Cobra made fun of its cartoonish violence and, as you say, OTT villains. But it is still a lot of fun and car crashes and gun fights and blowin’ stuff up. Classic Line: a evildoer with a bomb threatens to blow up a store. “Don’t care,” drawls Stallone. “I don’t shop here.” Road To Perdition. Wonderful film. Jude Law turns in an early notice getting performance. Tom Hanks again shows his range. Paul Newman is magnificent in a late career triumph. Directed by Sam Mendes. Max Allen Collins is one of the credited writers. Cinematography by Conrad L. Hall (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, American Beauty, Marathon Man). Road To Perdition was Hall’s last. He died the next year. As a casual fan of magic (both large illusions and close-up slight of hand, both of which feature in this movie) and magicians, I was interested in Now You See Me. It mostly didn’t disappoint except for a stretch in the middle when the main characters are off-screen (e.g. an eight-minute FBI raid on an apartment house with a resulting car chase through the streets of New York City that I could have done without). I liked it and hurried on to Now You See Me 2.
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Post by MrFurious on Jul 12, 2020 19:45:18 GMT
Custody(17) Spenser Confidential(20) Hearts and Minds(74)(doc)  ^^^ Daphne(17) |
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Post by wmcclain on Jul 12, 2020 23:40:28 GMT
Great mix of old and new by the way! I seldom manage that. My secret: I don't pick out all the films at our house. |
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Jul 13, 2020 5:21:16 GMT
Hi all,I hope everyone had a good weekend,and my viewing duo:  Tanya's Island (1980) Fantastic trash! 8. Splashing credits on the screen as waves wash over a naked Vanity against Jean Musy's dark synch score, director Alfred Sole & future Scream (1996) cinematographer Mark Irwin place on the island a gloriously bonkers atmosphere of sleazy Canuxploitation flesh and a downer freeze frame,with New Age Freudian (!) babbling, amped up by Pierre Brousseau's screenplay hilarious stumbling dialogue attempting a sincere psychoanalysts of Tanya and the beast within man, leading to a fantastic,utterly strange twist ending. Swinging from a blood-socked Tanya, (played by a charmingly rubbish Vanity, whose awkward, flat line delivery adds to the weird delights) and Lobo (played by a delightfully gruff Richard Sargent) to a jungle containing a Rick Baker and Rob Bottin designed frisky gorilla, Sole happily piles the weird atmosphere high, thanks to sliding from one extreme of Psychotronic in Lobo's turn into a screeching savage, to the other,in the sight of the howling gorilla called Blue, shaking the cage with a lust to get his hands on Tanya's islands.  Un succès commercial (1970) 8 Causing the 1974 Canadian Film Awards to be cancelled after the 1973 event was protested against by fellow film makers angry about the Ontario Censor Board demanding explicit content in this title to be cut, leading to the 1973 Film Awards event being slimmed down to just a press conference where the winners names were read, writer/director Jean Pierre Lefebvre & cinematographer set off a whirlwind of surrealist dark Comedy spun in French New Wave-inspired stylisation, all wrapped up in Quebec nationalism. Split into various disconnected sketches, Lefebvre smoothly blends different comedic styles together to express the belief of Quebec being a country, from personifications of (Uncle) Sam "Washington" and Peter "Ottawa" barking orders at Q-Bec like cartoon generals as they move toy guns and tanks over Q-Bec's naked body, (the toys making a mockery of Washington's macho mumbling)and discussions of posters of Canadian politicians lining the wall, which is sliced down to satirical maps making it look like all the areas surrounding Quebec are adversary. Opening with cryptic voice over against credits and phrases put together by lettering from newspapers,Lefebvre launches an anarchic Punk atmosphere of FNW- style whip-pans, jump-cuts and stark, surrealist hard cuts to Q-Bec (played by a enticing Anne Lauriault in her lone film credit) being a starkly naked and free Q-Bec. |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 13, 2020 17:22:01 GMT
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 13, 2020 17:33:08 GMT
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Post by wmcclain on Jul 13, 2020 17:42:46 GMT
Now that we've had the Loom of Fate, I suggest sequels with the Magic 8-Ball of Doom and the Fortune-Telling Weight Scale of Destiny. |
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Jul 13, 2020 17:46:10 GMT
Ascenseur Pour L’Échafaud (Elevator To The Gallows) / Louis Malle (1958). What a great film this is! You know it is going to be good when it opens on an extreme close-up of Jeanne Moreau’s face and she is saying, “I love you.” Malle tells a crime story with noir implications, yet looks forward to the New Wave with plenty of outdoor, location shooting and a fine jazz score that was partially improvised by Miles Davis. I am not a big jazz fan, but I never found Davis’ trumpeting to be intrusive and it always fit what was happening on screen. Moreau and her lover (Maurice Ronet who, two years later, would play the victim whose identity was taken by Tom Ripley in “Plein Soleil”) conspire to murder her arms dealing husband and make it look like suicide. But right after the killing things start to go wrong. Ronet gets stuck between floors in the elevator while leaving the murder site, a young couple steals his car and goes on a crime spree using Ronet’s gun, and Moreau believes that he has wimped out and dumped her. The plot takes a thousand twists, we get a nice view of night time Paris in crisp black and white, and a look at an early French motel. “A motel! I’ve read about these!” exclaims the young female car thief. I really shouldn’t tell you any more about this film except that you will love it, too.   The stolen car is a 1953 Lambretta Triporteur 125 FD  A excellent review of Gallows,Mike,a film which I come back to at least once a year (the opening 30 minutes is so well done.) One thing I'm really taken with is how versatile Malle is, with him doing the Fantasy of Black Moon with the same confident ease he showed doing Noir. From when I first saw it. For his eye-catching directing of what is one of the first French New Wave films, Louis Malle (who also wrote the screenplay adaptation of Noel Calef's novel with Roger Nimer)starts the new era off with a "bang", as the film opens on a extreme close up of a beautiful Jeanne Moreau. One of the very best decisions that Malle made was to show Moreau's face with no make up on at all,which along with allowing Moreau to give Florencea a real femme fatale edge, who is more than ready to walk through the shadows of the city to catch the smallest glimpse of her murdering lover,which is linked by Moreau in an elegant performance, as she shows Florence to go from being self assured of her and Julian's murder plot,to shivering with fear as Florence realises that the situation has gotten completely out of her control. Whilst Moreau unforgettable face does open this fantastic film,the rest of the cast easily deserve equal praise,with the sadly under rated Maurice Ronet giving a terrific performance as Julian Tavernier who along with showing a chilling precision of executing the murder is also able to show an increase feeling of dread as the walls of the lift start to close in on him as his fear of getting found really starts to take its toll on him,and also gives the audience of great sense of isolation. After opening his New Wave Film Noir on a stunning shot and a rolling score from Miles Davis,Malle brilliantly creates a world of darkness as he goes from a truly edge of the seat,gripping murder sequence to making the city filled with wonderful characters who go from an edgy teenage rebel who steals a car from under everyone's nose,to a cop,who like the audience finds the activates of Florence and Julian something that he will never forget. 10. |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 13, 2020 17:46:58 GMT
My movie watching week started with superheroes and ended with a Christmas movie (in July). Superman II (1980) - The Richard Donner Cut. Superman Returns (2006). Watchmen (2009). Beautiful Kate (2009). The Shape of Water (2017). Uncharted: Live Action Fan Film (2018). Oh, Christmas Tree (2013). I not long ago purchased The Donner Cut of S2. Haven't reviewed yet as only seen it the once, but I liked it - even if the one scene is a bit crude (screen test splice). Superman Returns, I like it plenty, but there was a time when I was very much a lone voice back when it was released - www.imdb.com/review/rw1913586/?ref_=tt_urv 8/10 Watchmen D/C - www.imdb.com/review/rw4953254/?ref_=tt_urv 8/10 The Shape of Water - www.imdb.com/review/rw4530533/?ref_=tt_urv 6/10 |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 13, 2020 17:48:01 GMT
Now that we've had the Loom of Fate, I suggest sequels with the Magic 8-Ball of Doom and the Fortune-Telling Weight Scale of Destiny. Yeah it's pretty nuts, but I have such a great time with it, a real switch off from the world job. |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 13, 2020 17:54:48 GMT
Ascenseur Pour L’Échafaud (Elevator To The Gallows) / Louis Malle (1958). What a great film this is! You know it is going to be good when it opens on an extreme close-up of Jeanne Moreau’s face and she is saying, “I love you.” Malle tells a crime story with noir implications, yet looks forward to the New Wave with plenty of outdoor, location shooting and a fine jazz score that was partially improvised by Miles Davis. I am not a big jazz fan, but I never found Davis’ trumpeting to be intrusive and it always fit what was happening on screen. Moreau and her lover (Maurice Ronet who, two years later, would play the victim whose identity was taken by Tom Ripley in “Plein Soleil”) conspire to murder her arms dealing husband and make it look like suicide. But right after the killing things start to go wrong. Ronet gets stuck between floors in the elevator while leaving the murder site, a young couple steals his car and goes on a crime spree using Ronet’s gun, and Moreau believes that he has wimped out and dumped her. The plot takes a thousand twists, we get a nice view of night time Paris in crisp black and white, and a look at an early French motel. “A motel! I’ve read about these!” exclaims the young female car thief. I really shouldn’t tell you any more about this film except that you will love it, too. The stolen car is a 1953 Lambretta Triporteur 125 FD Sneakers / Phil Alden Robinson (1992). Security expert Martin Bishop (Robert Redford) has a secret past. He has been wanted for the last 20 years by the Feds for his ‘60s activism. He gets busted by the NSA but they promise him a wipe of his record if he helps them out with a caper. Of course, double and triple crosses ensue. The fun in this picture is Bishop’s team of misfits and nerds and their interaction with on another. There’s Mother (Dan Aykroyd), Crease (Sidney Poitier) a former CIA agent, Carl (River Phoenix), Whistler (David Strathairn) blind but with powerful use of touch and hearing, Liz (Mary McDonnell), Bishops former squeeze and a reluctant addition to the team. The McGuffin is a “black box” that can crack any code or hack any encrypted website. The early ‘90s computers with their dial-up modems are a fun nostalgic trip into the not-so-distant past. Poitier and Ben Kingsley (who turns up as the chief antagonist) are, of course, powerhouse actors and screen attention grabbers. They add a lot to the film. It is a kind of wistful sadness to see River Phoenix who only had about a year to live. He gets the movie’s best line. When the NSA, showing up armed at Bishop’s office, wants to know what reward the team wants (Bishop wants cash, Crease a European vacation for himself and his wife), Phoenix only says, “If the young lady with the Uzi is single, I would like her phone number.”   - I do love it, too - www.imdb.com/review/rw2971792/?ref_=tt_urv 9/10 Sneakers - www.imdb.com/review/rw1833308/?ref_=tt_urv 7.5/10 |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 13, 2020 18:01:07 GMT
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 13, 2020 18:16:23 GMT
 The Sorcerers 1967, a movie I remember from my old horror movie books. It's Swinging London era and young people party's all night long, and old eldery couple (Karloff, Lacey) has an idea, lure a youngster to take a cure, and they can mind control him. A bored youngster is lured into the trap, and via equipment that even a 14 y/o could have done better (It's that kind of budget), the old couple mind control a young man (Ian Ogilvy). Karloff character has ideas when developed it could help elder people stuck in hopeless eldery homes, but his wife (Lacey) suddenly get's a thrill, controlling a youngsters mind to make him kill other people... Karloff is always Karloff! London locations was interesting. Story not bad if developed better. The old couple reads sorcery books, but the story has nothing to do with sorcery, but I guess producers thought it was a good title.  North West Frontier aka Flame over India 1959, watched the over 2 hours version. This movie has been bugging me since the early days of IMDB2 and spiderwort Trains thread, at what version I had actually seen. Since I remember having seeing it. Well case closed now I've seen what I think is the complete version, and it's a great reminder of what a great director J. Lee Thompson once was. Saving a young Prince by railways through hostile territory in India during the glory of British Rule is offcourse ancient sentiments, but that does not take away that this is a great and well made thrilling movie. Though it takes place in India and some scenes were made in India, most railway scenes were made in Spain. Enjoyed this ride very much, Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall makes good company. The person who made this poster...obviously hadn't seen the movie.  Scared Stiff 1953. always been a big fan of Dean Martin, and this is Martin and Lewis only foray into horror comedy, that is why was interested. I tried, patience, keeping calm. No I can't stand them. A few bright spots though, Carmen Miranda and the other Paramount comedy couple cameo. It took too long to get to the spooky island and then it turned out to be an anticlimax. Other's might have other opinions but this was not for me. - www.imdb.com/review/rw2689369/?ref_=tt_urv 8/10 North West Frontier - www.imdb.com/review/rw1940961/?ref_=tt_urv 9/10 Scared Stiff - www.imdb.com/review/rw2128242/?ref_=tt_urv 7/10 |
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Post by OldAussie on Jul 13, 2020 23:45:34 GMT
re Now You See Me =
I'm a voice crying alone in the wilderness.
Yes, I loved the first half of the movie. I felt it building to something special....and then THAT ending. Made NO sense. I was angry and betrayed. Then I realised the film had treated its audience with so much contempt, I was offended.
And a film which makes me feel offended is an automatic 1/10 regardless of any positive qualities.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 14, 2020 12:35:08 GMT
Sunday ROGUE ONE (2016) STAR WARS One-shot Tragedy set before Episode IV, explaining how the Death Star plans got to Princess Leia. Although I have watched all the Prequels and Sequels when they were released, I never watched the One-shots (THE CLONE WARS, SOLO). Watched this film (first time) on a TBS Broadcast. IVANHOE (1982) 200TH ANNIVERSARY The second major adaptation of Scott’s Novel is this TV-film from Literary-Classic-TV Producer Norman Rosemont (The Richard Chamberlain THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK), starring Anthony Andrews, James Mason, Sam Neill, Olivia Hussey, Lysette Anthony, Michael Hordern, Stuart Wilson, John Rhys Davies, Julian Oliver (who, like the director Douglas Camfield had handled Richard & Crusades before in a 1960s DOCTOR WHO Serial), and Ronald Pickup (who will appear in the 1997 TV Serial). John Guy’s Adaptation is more faithful than the MGM version, although he omits the ‘House of Cedric’ introduction, beginning the film with Ivanhoe rescuing Isaac from a Norman Ambush. This is Sweden’s Annual XMAS season film. I first saw this production on VHS in Christmas 1996. Sony DVD. Monday BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960) 60TH ANNIVERSARY Hammer’s second Vampire film; despite the title, the film is not on Dracula (Lee was avoiding the part to avoid typecasting until that became the case in 1965) but on a disciple, although Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing is back. Like a lot of the Universal horror films, my first glimpse of this film was a trailer in the preview compilation COMING SOON (1982). I saw the full film on the SciFi Channel (when we first got the channel) on Holy Week 1995. Tuesday THE SLAYERS (1995) “NAVIGATION! An Invitation to Sairaag!” 25TH ANNIVERSARY Japanese with English Subtitles. Thus begins a number of filler episodes as Lina, Gourry, and Amelia go through a number of side adventures as they reach Sairaag to clear their names. Japanese with English Subtitles (despite my watching the original version, I should note that when this series was dubbed in America, there was a year-long distance between the first batch of episodes and the remainder. When dubbing resumed, Amelia’s Voice Actress Joan Baker was replaced by Veronica Taylor (Ash from POKEMON). This is her debut episode as Amelia). Sculptor Software DVD. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING (1995) “The Order to Destroy 01” 25TH ANNIVERSARY This episode introduces the Big Bad- the Romefeller Foundation, a group of aristocratic Bigwigs who- through OZ- are seeking universal domination. Also, Relena embraces her birthright as a Peacecraft of the Sanc Kingdom and Zechs’ estrangement with OZ continues to build. Japanese with English Subtitles. Bandai DVD. DRAGON BALL Z: THE ULTIMATE DECISIVE BATTLE TO SAVE EARTH (1990) 30TH ANNIVERSARY Referred to in its American Title as THE TREE OF MIGHT. This is the third DBZ film, introducing the polarizing pet character Highya Dragon. Also one of the few films of the series to include Yamucha, Tenshinhan, and Chaozu. This movie always had my fondness, with its emphasis of Goku and Gohan’s relationship. I first saw this film in a very edited form (lots of digital reframing, new lines) on Cartoon Network in December 2000. A few months later I saw the Uncut Dubbed version on VHS. Japanese with English Subtitles. Pioneer DVD. Wednesday DADDY LONG LEGS (1990) “Beauty and Sadness” 30TH ANNIVERSARY Japanese with English Subtitles. Bootleg DVD. Thursday THE ROSE OF VERSAILLIES (1980) “The Tennis Oath” 40TH ANNIVERSARY June 1789. The Third Estate, rudely treated and ignored by the other Estates, finally forbidden from the Estates room, forms the National Assembly, demand to be heard at a Tennis Court. The arrogant nobility’s decision to violently remove the Assembly (not to mention arrest and execute any of the military that sides with them) decisively changes Oscar's allegiance. Japanese with English Subtitles. The Right Stuf DVD. TENCHI MUYO TV (1995) “No Need for an Escape!” 25TH ANNIVERSARY On learning the source of their trouble is the New Jurai Emperor Yosho, the Gang- ominously spurred on by Tenchi’s grandfather Lord Katsuhito- decide to head to Planet Jurai to prove Ayeka and Sasami’s innocence (as well as Ryoko’s- in the sense that she is considered an accomplice). Japanese with English Subtitles. Pioneer DVD. Friday NARUTO SHIPPUDEN (2013) “Two Man Team.” English Dubbed. Viz Media DVD. Saturday HIGH AND DIZZY (1920) 100th ANNIVERSARY Harold Lloyd’s second ‘Highrise thriller’ comedies, although that aspect only appears briefly in the story. The majority is Lloyd’s doctor character getting drunk from his friend’s Liquor-creation (a reference to the recent passing of Prohibition) and having misadventures from his inebriated condition. I first saw this short on American Movie Classics in October 1995 (the channel’s Annual Film Preservation Festival that year highlighted comedies- the majority being Buster Keaton films in view of the Centennial- with some shorts of Chaplin and Lloyd). This is a Carl Davis-scored short. Criterion Blu-Ray. THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE (1994) Film version of Alan Bennett’s play about George III’s first bout of mental illness, starring Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Rupert Everett, and Ian Holm. I first heard of this film in 1995 when the Academy Awards nominated the film for Best Actor (Hawthorne), Best Actress (Mirren), and Best Art Direction (the only winner). I saw the film on PayPerView in November of that year. This was probably my first acknowledged introductions to Hawthorne, Mirren, and Holm, although in my recent viewing I found out it was my first (unacknowledged) intros to actors I got to know later: Rupert Everett, Rupert Graves, John Wood, and Adrian Scarborough. Hallmark Entertainment VHS. Saw Parts of: THE SCARLET COAT (1955) MGM Historical film dealing with a friendly battle of wits between a Continental Spy (Cornel Wilde) and John Andre (Michael Wilding) in Benedict Arnold’s Treason plot. One of Bobby Driscoll’s last films before his fateful slide. I had seen the ending of this before on an Independence Day broadcast on Turner Classic Movies. I watched 80% of the film (save for the first 20 minutes) on TCM. THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (1968) MPI Video DVD. - Been threaded this last week if you so wish to peruse > IMDB2.freeforums.net/post/4085409/thread |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 14, 2020 12:42:05 GMT
hitchcockthelegend The Prisoner of Shark Island is on my list from now on. The Good the Bad and the Ugly, should see soon, if only to celebrate the memory of the great Morricone Prime Cut, didn't understand, maybe was too young once, but apparently needs a re-watch some day Lusty Men, like the actors, but somehow didn't yell with me. Now You See, I have on DVD but never got around to watch, you're positive review will put it forward - Do try and see it before it gets banned for being non PC 
The Good the Bad and the Ugly - Yep, I gave it a spin because of Morricone passing Prime Cut - TBH, I think if it doesn't hit first time then I don't think a revisit will improve things - it's a real marmite movie Lusty Men - You were the reason I tracked it down, you reminded me I hadn't seen it and Rodeo movies are few and far between Now You See Me - The ending could make or break it for you... |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 14, 2020 13:52:30 GMT
Ghostbusters is my first cinema movie since the shutdown 4 months ago - re-opened last week with a bunch of popular 80s/90s movies - off to see Predator tomorrow. Was there many in the theatre? |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 14, 2020 14:02:40 GMT
Wound up having a Friday the 13th marathon with someone who has never seen them, slashed away at my chances of seeing much else this week, but I enjoyed it. Room For Rent (2017)  Radioactive Dreams (1985)  Friday the 13th (1980)  Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)  Friday the 13th Part 3D (1982)  Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)  Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)  Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)  Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)  Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)  Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993)  Jason X (2001)  Freddy vs. Jason (2003)  Friday the 13th (2009)  The Assent (2019)  Our House (2018)  I actually saw Part 3 in 3D at the theatre with my brother, I still remember jumping out my seat with the eyeball scene! - I was young back then... What you think of Jason X? - I really like it yet it is frowned upon by the Friday purists. Freddy vs. Jason, it's ok, but it rocks through the home cinema, the sound work is outstanding. Not seen New Blood, Beginning and Goes to Hell, will catch them when they show up eventually on cable. |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jul 14, 2020 14:15:26 GMT
Terrific reviews Spike. I recently got the Masters of Cinema DVD of Shark Island, your review has made me even more keen on seeing it. I caught Now You See Me after seeing bits of a Bollywood at a friends house which ripped the film off (badly.) From when I saw it in 2015. Whilst the guys do dominate the flick,the two girls shine in magical performances,with the very pretty Isla Fisher (who almost drowned when a scene which has Henley Reeves fail to get out a water tank,turned into Fisher being unable to get out of a faulty tank) giving Reeves a sassy curl of the lips,whilst an elegant Mélanie Laurent gives the title a perfect French New Wave light touch.Always kept one step behind the magicians, Mark Ruffalo gives an excellent performance as Dylan Rhodes,thanks to Ruffalo avoiding the easy option of making Rhodes look like a hapless idiot,by displaying intense desperation in pulling the bottom card from everyone else's pack. Reuniting from the Batman movies,Michael Caine & Morgan Freeman both give charming performances,with Caine barking orders at everyone,whilst Freeman walks across the title with a wide, charismatic grin. Addressing the viewer at the start of the film, Jesse Eisenberg gives a very good performance as J. Daniel Atlas,whose showmanship hides nerves of doubt over their tricks being a success,as Eisenberg's former Zombieland star Woody Harrelson chews the scenery with a hilariously dry wit. Increasing the elaborateness of each magicians act,the screenplay by Ed Solomon/Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt casts a dazzling twist ending over the film,which whilst coming from a rather left-field position,gives the magic an unexpected darkness,as the writers reveal the "final trick" that the magicians have been playing from the very start.Whilst the writers do use magic to make some leaps in logic disappear,they keep the movie moving at a sparkling pace,by turning the magicians into a gang of outlaws,whose heists go from a misdirection bank robbery to transforming into falling money. Capturing every wave of the wand,director Louis Leterrier and cinematographers Mitchell Amundsen & Larry Fong build a thrilling atmosphere with stylish frantic scatter-shot camera moves,as the gang casts their spells in order to stay ahead of the cops. Diving into Las Vegas,Leterrier brilliantly uses vast wide shots to capture the spectacle and every gasp that the audience makes,as Leterrier grips the viewer and casts a spell,which reveals that the closer you think you are, the less you'll actually see. 8. Whilst my favourite track by him is The Cat O'Nine Tails main theme,I've been playing Ennio's tracks for Leone's movies a lot this week. From when I first saw it. Charging into the Wild West to Ennio Morricone's extraordinary score the screenplay by co-writer/(with Agenore Incrocci/Furio Scarpelli and Luciano Vincenzoni) directing auteur Sergio Leone tremendously makes each of the three main characters distinct individuals, whilst gradually threading the films plot round the trio,with the initially three separate plot lines all joining up to create one wonderful thrilling Spaghetti Western as Angel Eyes,Tuco and Blondie's addiction in getting their hands on the gold starts to seep through their veins. Bringing a tough earthiness to the outlaw, Clint Eastwood gives a mesmerizing turn, making "the man with no name" look less a mythical superhero cowboy,and more someone who whilst cunning,is also able to get caught by surprise and left to dry to death in the middle of nowhere.Despite being the one with the least amount of screen time out of the three main actors,Lee Van Cleef gives a menacing performance as Angel Eyes,who even when in the background of scenes gives the film a chilling atmosphere of darkness descending on any area that he is closing in on. On the opposite side of the wicked Van Cleef and the smart,cunning Eastwood is the stunning Eli Wallach as Tuco, as Wallach creates an unforgettable love/hate friendship with Blondie as Tuco shows Blondie that he is far more intelligent than he may appear,and also creates a character that really helps the audience to enter "the world" of the film,due to Tuco having the perfect mix of a good comedic side and also having a charismatic go-with-the-flow attitude. Joined by a classic score,cast and script,director Sergio Leone & cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli bring the films thrilling Wild West- Civil War setting to vivid life with his gripping stylisation. Leone holds the trio from getting pulled into the total bleakness of the Civil War that is taking place around them., by placing the main focus on the chase for the gold,as Leone keeps the movie moving at a lightning fast pace, from the almost three dimensional,fantastic endless sets to the nail-biting gun battles where Leone uses his elegant wide shots to show the distant between each character and his beautiful extreme close-ups to build up a huge amount of tension between the good the bad,and the ugly. 10. On Gemini Man, whenever I see Ang Lee mentioned, the first thing which now comes to mind is Stewart Lee's encounter with Angry Ang: - That's the copy I have, it's excellent, the booklet is superb. You are going to love the cinematography in it  yeah I only got TGTBATU out for a spin because of the great man passing away, great film boosted by an amazing score. Wallach owns that movie! Hee, Ang! - He really was the wrong man for that job, fine director he be for sure, but that material is beyond him. As for haters with the votes. My darling ex girlfriend put me straight once when I was moaning about negative votes (I always felt they should have had a system where negative voters had to give a reason why), she said only focus on the positive ticks, it's those that matter - and she's right. My worst response is for Scream 4, hee, I came under fearful attack on the film's board back on IMDb, within 2 days I got hit with 17 negs - LOL. I'm proud of that review, did they think I was going to delete it? - www.imdb.com/review/rw2486187/?ref_=tt_urvThanks for the reviews mate, great work as usual and ticked accordingly  |
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