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Post by darksidebeadle on Aug 2, 2020 6:23:12 GMT
Welcome back to another week of the BEST & WORST edition of 'what movies did you see last week?' thread. For those who haven't been part of it before, basically your host (me) posts my weekly movies and you can comment on those and list your movie for the same time frame. I will get back to you on yours and you can talk to other users here about their films. It's a great place to talk about film.
FIRST TIME MOVIE VIEWING
The Young Lions (1958, Edward Dmytryk) This is a star studded epic WW2 drama that follows the lives of three young men, one German and two Americans, during wartime. Marlon Brando plays the German officer while Montgomery Clift and Dean Martin play the Americans. The film has the expansive wandering style of The Human Condition films but obviously not as morose. An interesting but not always successful film with Brando's performance being the shining light set against the stunning black and white cinematography. 7/10
Career (1959, Joseph Anthony) Anthony Franciosa (A Face in the Crowd) plays a New York hopeful who wants to be a successful actor. Is he willing to sacrifice his wife, happiness and personal reputation to achieve his goal? This film has kind of stuck with me and I appreciate it more a few days after seeing it than I did when watching it. 6.5/10
Morituri (1965, Bernhard Wicki) Brando plays a war pacifist who is blackmailed to pose as an SS officer and to disable the scuttling explosives on freighter carrying rubber cargo to be captured by the Allies. Brando is good and the film has some good sections but others that could have been tightened up. 6.5/10
REPEAT MOVIE VIEWING
The Godfather Part II (1974, Frances Ford Coppola) blu ray The follow up to the highly successful original two years earlier serves as both prequel and sequel. It has a bigger budget and larger scope but is still very character focused. This film is a marvel and arguably the greatest film ever made. 10/10
X-Men (2000, Bryan Singer) blu ray This film revolutionised superhero films by taking a more grounded approach with real characters and a real social message. Even though it was shot on a lower budget, they made it work and it really well made and interesting. So much better than the formulaic visually bland MCU films we are getting now. 8/10
X2: X-men United (2003, Bryan Singer) blu ray The story continues here and again its full of great character moments and action with personal stakes and social relevance. It has a much bigger budget here after the success of the original but the third act feels a little rushed and even has some bad continuity errors. However this is still a great entry in the genre. 7.5/10
Prime Cut (1972, Michael Ritchie) blu ray Gene Hackman plays a vicious Kansas City slaughterhouse owner who is having a bloody "beef" with the Chicago crime syndicate over profits from their joint illegal operations. A top enforcer (Lee Marvin) is sent to straighten things out. Some great scenery chewing scenes, combined with some gorgeous shots plus the film debut of Sissy Spacek makes this one to check out however it does have some sections that do not quite work and has gone down a little on this viewing. 6.5/10
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006, Brett Ratner) blu ray Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2) left the franchise to direct the ill fated Superman Returns. In stepped Brett Ratner who helmed an okay third entry in the series. The characters lack the depth in this film and it is trying to be a much bigger spectacle and ends up being much less investing. It is not as bad as its reputation but it is a step down and with its visual/directional blandness and formulaic approach to story structure (plus cheap jokes) it feels more like an MCU film than the rest of the franchise. 6/10
WEEKLY FILM AWARDS
BEST FILM: The Godfather Part II BEST ACTOR: Al Pacino - The Godfather Part II BEST ACTRESS: Famke Jansen - X-Men: The Last Stand BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Robert De Niro - The Godfather Part II BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Diane Keaton - The Godfather Part II BEST EDITING: Barry Malkins - The Godfather Part II BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Joseph MacDonald - The Young Lions BEST SCRIPT: Frances Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo - The Godather Part II BEST SCORE: Nino Rota - The GOdfather Part II BEST DIRECTOR: Frances Ford Coppola - The Godfather Part II
10/10 - Perfection (or as close to it as possible) 09/10 - An Excellent film 08/10 - A VERY Good film 07/10 - A Good film 06/10 - A Solid film 05/10 - An Average film 04/10 - Below Average film 03/10 - A mostly bad film 02/10 - A mostly terrible film 01/10 - Awful through and through 00/10 - Not only awful but offensive too
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on Aug 2, 2020 7:11:21 GMT
The Godfather Part II - 8/10 X-Men - 7/10 X2: X-men United - 6/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - 7/10 Prime Cut - 5/10 Mine: Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 10/10 - Blu RayOn my top 10 films. First time seeing it on Blu Ray. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - 10/10 - DVDExcellent Bond adventure. One of the best. A View to a Kill (1985) - 10/10 - DVDAlthough many dont care for this one, I love it. Its a great fun Bond film. Jackass Number Two (2006) - 8/10 - DVDFun, nasty and very funny. Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020) - 3/10 - Blu RayPretty lame entry in the shark series. No real likable characters. Backcountry (2014) - 4/10 - Blu RayTrue story of a couple getting lost in the woods then get hunted. The Swing of Things (2020) - 1/10 - DVDAwful in every way and very unfunny comedy about a couple getting married and schedule a stay at a swingers hotel. Terror on the Beach (1973) - 5/10 - DVDfamily gets terrorized on a beach trip. Its OK. High Voltage aka Hollow Body (2018) - 3/10 - DVDSilly horror drama about a singer who gets struck by lightning then kills guys by kissing them. Massacre at Central High (1976) - 5/10 - DVDOK teen killer flick. Stalking Laura aka I Can Make You Love Me (1993) - 6/10 - DVDPretty good true life story of mass killer Richard Farley. Shining Through (1993) - 3/10 - VHSPretty dumb WW2 spy story. Best Film this Week: Worst Film this Week:
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Post by darksidebeadle on Aug 2, 2020 8:12:37 GMT
The Godfather Part II - 8/10 X-Men - 7/10 X2: X-men United - 6/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - 7/10 Prime Cut - 5/10 Mine: Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 10/10 - Blu RayOn my top 10 films. First time seeing it on Blu Ray. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - 10/10 - DVDExcellent Bond adventure. One of the best. A View to a Kill (1985) - 10/10 - DVDAlthough many dont care for this one, I love it. Its a great fun Bond film. Jackass Number Two (2006) - 8/10 - DVDFun, nasty and very funny. Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020) - 3/10 - Blu RayPretty lame entry in the shark series. No real likable characters. Backcountry (2014) - 4/10 - Blu RayTrue story of a couple getting lost in the woods then get hunted. The Swing of Things (2020) - 1/10 - DVDAwful in every way and very unfunny comedy about a couple getting married and schedule a stay at a swingers hotel. Terror on the Beach (1973) - 5/10 - DVDfamily gets terrorized on a beach trip. Its OK. High Voltage aka Hollow Body (2018) - 3/10 - DVDSilly horror drama about a singer who gets struck by lightning then kills guys by kissing them. Massacre at Central High (1976) - 5/10 - DVDOK teen killer flick. Stalking Laura aka I Can Make You Love Me (1993) - 6/10 - DVDPretty good true life story of mass killer Richard Farley. Shining Through (1993) - 3/10 - VHSPretty dumb WW2 spy story. Best Film this Week: Worst Film this Week: Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 8/10 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - 4.5 a lot of problems here A View to a Kill (1985) - 5.5 Jackass Number Two (2006) a lot of fun
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Post by jcush on Aug 2, 2020 9:33:12 GMT
The Young Lions - Strong performances. 7/10
Morituri - Another well acted movie lead by Brando. 7.5/10
The Godfather Part II - 10/10
X-Men - 8/10
X2 - 8/10
Prime Cut - 7/10
X-Men: The Last Stand - A definite step down from the first two, but yeah, it's not too bad. 6/10
First Time Viewings:
Hard to Get (1938, Ray Enright) Olivia de Havilland is really good here and the rest of the cast are good too. I enjoyed the story as well. 7/10
Gloria (1980, John Cassavetes) This one has a bit of an odd tone that doesn't always work, but Gena Rowlands is really good here and gives the film the boost it needed. 7/10
Alphaville (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) A good one from Godard with an interesting storyline that is well executed. 7.5/10
Casper (1995, Brad Silberling) I thought I'd seen this when I was a kid, but after watching it I'm really not sure. It's nothing too memorable, but the cast is solid. 5.5/10
Dinner at Eight (1933, George Cukor) A strong ensemble cast and a pretty good script make this one work. 7/10
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970, Elio Petri) This one tells an engaging story and is elevated by a very strong lead performance from Gian Maria Volonte. 7/10
The Nun (1966, Jacques Rivette) Anna Karina puts in some good work in this one and the film held my interest throughout. 7/10
Twister (1996, Jan de Bont) A movie that is elevated by its cast. It's alright. 6/10
Pierrot le Fou (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) Another good one from Godard. 7/10
Repeat Viewings:
Hancock (2008, Peter Berg) Hadn't seen this one is several years. Will Smith gives a good performance and the first two thirds or so are pretty good, but I think it kind of falls apart in the last act. 6/10
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005, Tim Burton) Johnny Depp's performance is a bit too strange for me at times,which holds it back, but the film is still fairly enjoyable for the most part and I do like the added backstory for the Willy Wonka character. 6.5/10
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971, Mel Stuart) Fun movie with an awesome turn from Gene Wilder. 7/10
Stuart Little (1999, Rob Minkoff) Hadn't seen this in years. The cast elevates it for sure. 5.5/10
The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme) One of the greats. 10/10
Stuart Little 2 (2002, Rob Minkoff) On par with the first one. 5.5/10
Movie Awards:
BEST FILM: The Silence of the Lambs BEST ACTOR: Gian Maria Volontè (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) BEST ACTRESS: Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brooke Smith (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tak Fujimoto (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCORE: Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCRIPT: Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST DIRECTOR: Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs)
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Post by Xcalatë on Aug 2, 2020 10:37:23 GMT
27/07 Guava Island (2019) 4/10 The Flesh and the Fiends (1960) 8/10
28/07 Seven Doors to Death (1944) 5/10 The Swing of Things (2020) 2/10
29/07 Muppets Most Wanted (2014) 5/10 A Nice Girl Like You (2020) 4/10
30/07 De eetclub (2010) 4/10 Amulet (2020) 3/10
31/07 King of Thieves (2018) 5/10 De dødes tjern (2019) 6/10
01/08 Shield for Murder (1954) 7/10 The Rental (2020) 7/10
02/08 Pete's Dragon (1977) 6/10 The Short History of the Long Road (2019) 4/10
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Post by James on Aug 2, 2020 10:52:33 GMT
The Godfather Part II - 8/10 X-Men - 8/10 X2 - 8/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - 7/10
First Time Viewings:
I Am Legend (2007) - TV 7/10
Wayne’s World (1992) - TubiTV 8/10
Wayne’s World 2 (1993) - TubiTV 7/10
Anger Management (2003) - Netflix Decent Sandler flick. Nicholson does a good job. 7/10
The Rocketeer (1991) - Disney+ Heard about some buzz with this movie on this forum. Was going in expecting to love it, but ended up just liking it. It’s a pretty good comic book based, period piece, action adventure. 7/10
Animal House (1978) - Netflix 8/10
Constantine (2005) - Netflix 7/10
Repeat Viewings:
Birds of Prey (2020) - Blu-ray Has some issues but otherwise a fun DC movie. 7/10
Pet Sematary Two (1992) - Blu-ray Ordered the Scream Factory edition for this. Still enjoy it as a guilty pleasure even if it isn’t a technically good movie all around. 6/10
Indian in the Cupboard (1995) - Netflix Saw this a long time ago on VHS and remember enjoying it. I still ended up quite liking it now and it remains a special place in my heart. 7/10
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Post by darksidebeadle on Aug 2, 2020 11:51:13 GMT
The Young Lions - Strong performances. 7/10 Morituri - Another well acted movie lead by Brando. 7.5/10 The Godfather Part II - 10/10 X-Men - 8/10 X2 - 8/10 Prime Cut - 7/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - A definite step down from the first two, but yeah, it's not too bad. 6/10 First Time Viewings: Hard to Get (1938, Ray Enright) Olivia de Havilland is really good here and the rest of the cast are good too. I enjoyed the story as well. 7/10 Gloria (1980, John Cassavetes) This one has a bit of an odd tone that doesn't always work, but Gena Rowlands is really good here and gives the film the boost it needed. 7/10 Alphaville (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) A good one from Godard with an interesting storyline that is well executed. 7.5/10 Casper (1995, Brad Silberling) I thought I'd seen this when I was a kid, but after watching it I'm really not sure. It's nothing too memorable, but the cast is solid. 5.5/10 Dinner at Eight (1933, George Cukor) A strong ensemble cast and a pretty good script make this one work. 7/10 Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970, Elio Petri) This one tells an engaging story and is elevated by a very strong lead performance from Gian Maria Volonte. 7/10 The Nun (1966, Jacques Rivette) Anna Karina puts in some good work in this one and the film held my interest throughout. 7/10 Twister (1996, Jan de Bont) A movie that is elevated by its cast. It's alright. 6/10 Pierrot le Fou (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) Another good one from Godard. 7/10 Repeat Viewings: Hancock (2008, Peter Berg) Hadn't seen this one is several years. Will Smith gives a good performance and the first two thirds or so are pretty good, but I think it kind of falls apart in the last act. 6/10 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005, Tim Burton) Johnny Depp's performance is a bit too strange for me at times,which holds it back, but the film is still fairly enjoyable for the most part and I do like the added backstory for the Willy Wonka character. 6.5/10 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971, Mel Stuart) Fun movie with an awesome turn from Gene Wilder. 7/10 Stuart Little (1999, Rob Minkoff) Hadn't seen this in years. The cast elevates it for sure. 5.5/10 The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme) One of the greats. 10/10 Stuart Little 2 (2002, Rob Minkoff) On par with the first one. 5.5/10 Movie Awards: BEST FILM: The Silence of the Lambs BEST ACTOR: Gian Maria Volontè (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) BEST ACTRESS: Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brooke Smith (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tak Fujimoto (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCORE: Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCRIPT: Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST DIRECTOR: Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) Alphaville (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) Interesting for sure, especially on first viewing but I found it a bit tiresome on 2nd view 6/10 Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970, Elio Petri) on my watchlist, in fact tried to find it last week Twister (1996, Jan de Bont) 5/10 Pierrot le Fou (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) For the most part I do not care for Godard, this was no different 4.5 Hancock (2008, Peter Berg) 5/10 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971, Mel Stuart) The classic, gene is exceptional 7.5 Stuart Little (1999, Rob Minkoff) okay kids film 5/10 The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme) 8/10
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Post by darksidebeadle on Aug 2, 2020 11:53:10 GMT
27/07Guava Island (2019) 4/10The Flesh and the Fiends (1960) 8/1028/07Seven Doors to Death (1944) 5/10 The Swing of Things (2020) 2/1029/07Muppets Most Wanted (2014) 5/10A Nice Girl Like You (2020) 4/1030/07De eetclub (2010) 4/10Amulet (2020) 3/1031/07King of Thieves (2018) 5/10De dødes tjern (2019) 6/1001/08 Shield for Murder (1954) 7/10The Rental (2020) 7/1002/08Pete's Dragon (1977) 6/10The Short History of the Long Road (2019) 4/10 Muppets Most Wanted (2014) 5/10 Pete's Dragon (1977) 6/10
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Post by darksidebeadle on Aug 2, 2020 11:55:19 GMT
The Godfather Part II - 8/10 X-Men - 8/10 X2 - 8/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - 7/10 First Time Viewings:I Am Legend (2007) - TV 7/10Wayne’s World (1992) - TubiTV 8/10Wayne’s World 2 (1993) - TubiTV 7/10Anger Management (2003) - Netflix Decent Sandler flick. Nicholson does a good job. 7/10The Rocketeer (1991) - Disney+ Heard about some buzz with this movie on this forum. Was going in expecting to love it, but ended up just liking it. It’s a pretty good comic book based, period piece, action adventure. 7/10Animal House (1978) - Netflix 8/10Constantine (2005) - Netflix 7/10Repeat Viewings:Birds of Prey (2020) - Blu-ray Has some issues but otherwise a fun DC movie. 7/10Pet Sematary Two (1992) - Blu-ray Ordered the Scream Factory edition for this. Still enjoy it as a guilty pleasure even if it isn’t a technically good movie all around. 6/10Indian in the Cupboard (1995) - Netflix Saw this a long time ago on VHS and remember enjoying it. I still ended up quite liking it now and it remains a special place in my heart. 7/10I Am Legend (2007) 4/10 Wayne’s World (1992) - TubiTV 7/10 Wayne’s World 2 (1993) - TubiTV 6.5/10 Anger Management (2003) - Netflix 6/10 The Rocketeer (1991) - Disney+ Good fun, like adventures set in this era 7/10 Animal House (1978) - Netflix 3/10 Constantine (2005) 5/10
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Post by darksidebeadle on Aug 2, 2020 11:57:30 GMT
The Young Lions - Strong performances. 7/10 Morituri - Another well acted movie lead by Brando. 7.5/10 The Godfather Part II - 10/10 X-Men - 8/10 X2 - 8/10 Prime Cut - 7/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - A definite step down from the first two, but yeah, it's not too bad. 6/10 First Time Viewings: Hard to Get (1938, Ray Enright) Olivia de Havilland is really good here and the rest of the cast are good too. I enjoyed the story as well. 7/10 Gloria (1980, John Cassavetes) This one has a bit of an odd tone that doesn't always work, but Gena Rowlands is really good here and gives the film the boost it needed. 7/10 Alphaville (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) A good one from Godard with an interesting storyline that is well executed. 7.5/10 Casper (1995, Brad Silberling) I thought I'd seen this when I was a kid, but after watching it I'm really not sure. It's nothing too memorable, but the cast is solid. 5.5/10 Dinner at Eight (1933, George Cukor) A strong ensemble cast and a pretty good script make this one work. 7/10 Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970, Elio Petri) This one tells an engaging story and is elevated by a very strong lead performance from Gian Maria Volonte. 7/10 The Nun (1966, Jacques Rivette) Anna Karina puts in some good work in this one and the film held my interest throughout. 7/10 Twister (1996, Jan de Bont) A movie that is elevated by its cast. It's alright. 6/10 Pierrot le Fou (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) Another good one from Godard. 7/10 Repeat Viewings: Hancock (2008, Peter Berg) Hadn't seen this one is several years. Will Smith gives a good performance and the first two thirds or so are pretty good, but I think it kind of falls apart in the last act. 6/10 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005, Tim Burton) Johnny Depp's performance is a bit too strange for me at times,which holds it back, but the film is still fairly enjoyable for the most part and I do like the added backstory for the Willy Wonka character. 6.5/10 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971, Mel Stuart) Fun movie with an awesome turn from Gene Wilder. 7/10 Stuart Little (1999, Rob Minkoff) Hadn't seen this in years. The cast elevates it for sure. 5.5/10 The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme) One of the greats. 10/10 Stuart Little 2 (2002, Rob Minkoff) On par with the first one. 5.5/10 Movie Awards: BEST FILM: The Silence of the Lambs BEST ACTOR: Gian Maria Volontè (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) BEST ACTRESS: Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brooke Smith (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tak Fujimoto (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCORE: Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCRIPT: Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST DIRECTOR: Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST FILM: The Silence of the Lambs BEST ACTOR: Peter ostrum- Willy wonka BEST ACTRESS: Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lamb) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brooke Smith (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tak Fujimoto (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCORE: Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCRIPT: Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST DIRECTOR: Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs)
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Post by darksidebeadle on Aug 2, 2020 12:08:04 GMT
The Young Lions - Strong performances. 7/10 Morituri - Another well acted movie lead by Brando. 7.5/10 The Godfather Part II - 10/10 X-Men - 8/10 X2 - 8/10 Prime Cut - 7/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - A definite step down from the first two, but yeah, it's not too bad. 6/10 BEST FILM: The Silence of the Lambs BEST ACTOR: Gian Maria Volontè (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) BEST ACTRESS: Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brooke Smith (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tak Fujimoto (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCORE: Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCRIPT: Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST DIRECTOR: Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) Almost a clean sweep of my weeks viewing, any interest in Career?
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Post by politicidal on Aug 2, 2020 13:52:32 GMT
Night of the Creeps (1986) 7/10
What We Do in the Shadows (2014) 5/10
The Las Vegas Story (1952) 6/10
Burden (2018) 7/10
The Tall Stranger (1957) 4/10
Lure of the Wilderness (1952) 6/10
Uncut Gems (2019) 8/10
Trespass (2011) 3/10
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Post by darksidebeadle on Aug 2, 2020 14:31:10 GMT
Night of the Creeps (1986) 7/10 What We Do in the Shadows (2014) 5/10 The Las Vegas Story (1952) 6/10 Burden (2018) 7/10 The Tall Stranger (1957) 4/10 Lure of the Wilderness (1952) 6/10 Uncut Gems (2019) 8/10 Trespass (2011) 3/10 Night of the Creeps (1986) 5/10 What We Do in the Shadows (2014) 7/10 Uncut Gems (2019) 8/10
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Post by moviemouth on Aug 2, 2020 15:09:34 GMT
First Time Viewings: Gloria (1980, John Cassavetes) This one has a bit of an odd tone that doesn't always work, but Gena Rowlands is really good here and gives the film the boost it needed. 7/10 6/10Alphaville (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) A good one from Godard with an interesting storyline that is well executed. 7.5/10Casper (1995, Brad Silberling) I thought I'd seen this when I was a kid, but after watching it I'm really not sure. It's nothing too memorable, but the cast is solid. 5.5/10 6/10 Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970, Elio Petri) This one tells an engaging story and is elevated by a very strong lead performance from Gian Maria Volonte. 7/10 7.5/10Twister (1996, Jan de Bont) A movie that is elevated by its cast. It's alright. 6/10 6.5/10Repeat Viewings: Hancock (2008, Peter Berg) Hadn't seen this one is several years. Will Smith gives a good performance and the first two thirds or so are pretty good, but I think it kind of falls apart in the last act. 6/10 4.5/10
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005, Tim Burton) Johnny Depp's performance is a bit too strange for me at times,which holds it back, but the film is still fairly enjoyable for the most part and I do like the added backstory for the Willy Wonka character. 6.5/10 7/10Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971, Mel Stuart) Fun movie with an awesome turn from Gene Wilder. 7/10Stuart Little (1999, Rob Minkoff) Hadn't seen this in years. The cast elevates it for sure. 5.5/10 6/10The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme) One of the greats. 10/10Movie Awards: BEST FILM: The Silence of the Lambs BEST ACTOR: Gian Maria Volontè (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) BEST ACTRESS: Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brooke Smith (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tak Fujimoto (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCORE: Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCRIPT: Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST DIRECTOR: Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) I agree with your wins.
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Post by theravenking on Aug 2, 2020 18:11:29 GMT
Welcome back to another week of the BEST & WORST edition of 'what movies did you see last week?' thread. For those who haven't been part of it before, basically your host (me) posts my weekly movies and you can comment on those and list your movie for the same time frame. I will get back to you on yours and you can talk to other users here about their films. It's a great place to talk about film. FIRST TIME MOVIE VIEWINGThe Young Lions (1958, Edward Dmytryk)
This is a star studded epic WW2 drama that follows the lives of three young men, one German and two Americans, during wartime. Marlon Brando plays the German officer while Montgomery Clift and Dean Martin play the Americans. The film has the expansive wandering style of The Human Condition films but obviously not as morose. An interesting but not always successful film with Brando's performance being the shining light set against the stunning black and white cinematography. 7/10 Career (1959, Joseph Anthony)
Anthony Franciosa (A Face in the Crowd) plays a New York hopeful who wants to be a successful actor. Is he willing to sacrifice his wife, happiness and personal reputation to achieve his goal? This film has kind of stuck with me and I appreciate it more a few days after seeing it than I did when watching it. 6.5/10 Morituri (1965, Bernhard Wicki)
Brando plays a war pacifist who is blackmailed to pose as an SS officer and to disable the scuttling explosives on freighter carrying rubber cargo to be captured by the Allies. Brando is good and the film has some good sections but others that could have been tightened up. 6.5/10 REPEAT MOVIE VIEWINGThe Godfather Part II (1974, Frances Ford Coppola) blu ray
The follow up to the highly successful original two years earlier serves as both prequel and sequel. It has a bigger budget and larger scope but is still very character focused. This film is a marvel and arguably the greatest film ever made. 10/10 X-Men (2000, Bryan Singer) blu ray
This film revolutionised superhero films by taking a more grounded approach with real characters and a real social message. Even though it was shot on a lower budget, they made it work and it really well made and interesting. So much better than the formulaic visually bland MCU films we are getting now. 8/10 X2: X-men United (2003, Bryan Singer) blu ray
The story continues here and again its full of great character moments and action with personal stakes and social relevance. It has a much bigger budget here after the success of the original but the third act feels a little rushed and even has some bad continuity errors. However this is still a great entry in the genre. 7.5/10 Prime Cut (1972, Michael Ritchie) blu ray
Gene Hackman plays a vicious Kansas City slaughterhouse owner who is having a bloody "beef" with the Chicago crime syndicate over profits from their joint illegal operations. A top enforcer (Lee Marvin) is sent to straighten things out. Some great scenery chewing scenes, combined with some gorgeous shots plus the film debut of Sissy Spacek makes this one to check out however it does have some sections that do not quite work and has gone down a little on this viewing. 6.5/10 X-Men: The Last Stand (2006, Brett Ratner) blu ray
Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2) left the franchise to direct the ill fated Superman Returns. In stepped Brett Ratner who helmed an okay third entry in the series. The characters lack the depth in this film and it is trying to be a much bigger spectacle and ends up being much less investing. It is not as bad as its reputation but it is a step down and with its visual/directional blandness and formulaic approach to story structure (plus cheap jokes) it feels more like an MCU film than the rest of the franchise. 6/10 WEEKLY FILM AWARDSBEST FILM: The Godfather Part II BEST ACTOR: Al Pacino - The Godfather Part II BEST ACTRESS: Famke Jansen - X-Men: The Last Stand BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Robert De Niro - The Godfather Part II BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Diane Keaton - The Godfather Part II BEST EDITING: Barry Malkins - The Godfather Part II BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Joseph MacDonald - The Young Lions BEST SCRIPT: Frances Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo - The Godather Part II BEST SCORE: Nino Rota - The GOdfather Part II BEST DIRECTOR: Frances Ford Coppola - The Godfather Part II 10/10 - Perfection (or as close to it as possible) 09/10 - An Excellent film 08/10 - A VERY Good film 07/10 - A Good film 06/10 - A Solid film 05/10 - An Average film 04/10 - Below Average film 03/10 - A mostly bad film 02/10 - A mostly terrible film 01/10 - Awful through and through 00/10 - Not only awful but offensive too X-Men (2000, Bryan Singer) “So much better than the formulaic visually bland MCU films we are getting now.” – I think I agree with this. 7/10 X2: X-men United (2003, Bryan Singer) I like this a bit better than the first one. 7.5/10 X-Men: The Last Stand (2006, Brett Ratner) I agree that this is better than its reputation 6/10
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Post by theravenking on Aug 2, 2020 18:45:21 GMT
The Godfather Part II - 8/10 X-Men - 7/10 X2: X-men United - 6/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - 7/10 Prime Cut - 5/10 Mine: Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 10/10 - Blu RayOn my top 10 films. First time seeing it on Blu Ray. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - 10/10 - DVDExcellent Bond adventure. One of the best. A View to a Kill (1985) - 10/10 - DVDAlthough many dont care for this one, I love it. Its a great fun Bond film. Jackass Number Two (2006) - 8/10 - DVDFun, nasty and very funny. Deep Blue Sea 3 (2020) - 3/10 - Blu RayPretty lame entry in the shark series. No real likable characters. Backcountry (2014) - 4/10 - Blu RayTrue story of a couple getting lost in the woods then get hunted. The Swing of Things (2020) - 1/10 - DVDAwful in every way and very unfunny comedy about a couple getting married and schedule a stay at a swingers hotel. Terror on the Beach (1973) - 5/10 - DVDfamily gets terrorized on a beach trip. Its OK. High Voltage aka Hollow Body (2018) - 3/10 - DVDSilly horror drama about a singer who gets struck by lightning then kills guys by kissing them. Massacre at Central High (1976) - 5/10 - DVDOK teen killer flick. Stalking Laura aka I Can Make You Love Me (1993) - 6/10 - DVDPretty good true life story of mass killer Richard Farley. Shining Through (1993) - 3/10 - VHSPretty dumb WW2 spy story. Best Film this Week: Worst Film this Week: On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) – 8/10 Even though the first half is rather uneventful, this is an excellent Bond movie. A View to a Kill (1985) – 7.5/10 Rewatched this recently, thought it was pretty good and underrated.
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Post by theravenking on Aug 2, 2020 19:04:58 GMT
The Young Lions - Strong performances. 7/10 Morituri - Another well acted movie lead by Brando. 7.5/10 The Godfather Part II - 10/10 X-Men - 8/10 X2 - 8/10 Prime Cut - 7/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - A definite step down from the first two, but yeah, it's not too bad. 6/10 First Time Viewings: Hard to Get (1938, Ray Enright) Olivia de Havilland is really good here and the rest of the cast are good too. I enjoyed the story as well. 7/10 Gloria (1980, John Cassavetes) This one has a bit of an odd tone that doesn't always work, but Gena Rowlands is really good here and gives the film the boost it needed. 7/10 Alphaville (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) A good one from Godard with an interesting storyline that is well executed. 7.5/10 Casper (1995, Brad Silberling) I thought I'd seen this when I was a kid, but after watching it I'm really not sure. It's nothing too memorable, but the cast is solid. 5.5/10 Dinner at Eight (1933, George Cukor) A strong ensemble cast and a pretty good script make this one work. 7/10 Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970, Elio Petri) This one tells an engaging story and is elevated by a very strong lead performance from Gian Maria Volonte. 7/10 The Nun (1966, Jacques Rivette) Anna Karina puts in some good work in this one and the film held my interest throughout. 7/10 Twister (1996, Jan de Bont) A movie that is elevated by its cast. It's alright. 6/10 Pierrot le Fou (1965, Jean-Luc Godard) Another good one from Godard. 7/10 Repeat Viewings: Hancock (2008, Peter Berg) Hadn't seen this one is several years. Will Smith gives a good performance and the first two thirds or so are pretty good, but I think it kind of falls apart in the last act. 6/10 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005, Tim Burton) Johnny Depp's performance is a bit too strange for me at times,which holds it back, but the film is still fairly enjoyable for the most part and I do like the added backstory for the Willy Wonka character. 6.5/10 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971, Mel Stuart) Fun movie with an awesome turn from Gene Wilder. 7/10 Stuart Little (1999, Rob Minkoff) Hadn't seen this in years. The cast elevates it for sure. 5.5/10 The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme) One of the greats. 10/10 Stuart Little 2 (2002, Rob Minkoff) On par with the first one. 5.5/10 Movie Awards: BEST FILM: The Silence of the Lambs BEST ACTOR: Gian Maria Volontè (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) BEST ACTRESS: Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brooke Smith (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tak Fujimoto (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCORE: Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCRIPT: Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST DIRECTOR: Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) Casper (1995, Brad Silberling) This is one of those cases where I’m not sure whether I’ve seen the actual film or just the trailer. I do recall disliking the look of the titular ghost though. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970, Elio Petri) While I haven’t seen the movie, it has a pretty interesting score from the late Ennio Morricone. Hancock (2008, Peter Berg) I guess this was ruined by turning originally R-rated material into a family movie. It’s nothing too bad, but it could’ve been much better. 6/10 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005, Tim Burton) This is the only version of the story I’m familiar with having never seen the Gene Wilder movie. I remember receiving the book as a gift when I was a kid, but I never got along to reading it. I know that Depp’s performance is polarizing, personally I managed to block out the Michael Jackson comparisons and thought he was pretty funny. The child actors were really good too. 7.5/10 Stuart Little (1999, Rob Minkoff) It’s a sweet family movie. Not something I would consider rewatching though. 5.5/10 The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme) I know people are going to laugh, but I actually prefer the sequel, Hannibal to this. Still a good film, just not my favourite Lecter movie. 7.5/10
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Post by theravenking on Aug 2, 2020 19:11:24 GMT
The Godfather Part II - 8/10 X-Men - 8/10 X2 - 8/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - 7/10 First Time Viewings:I Am Legend (2007) - TV 7/10Wayne’s World (1992) - TubiTV 8/10Wayne’s World 2 (1993) - TubiTV 7/10Anger Management (2003) - Netflix Decent Sandler flick. Nicholson does a good job. 7/10The Rocketeer (1991) - Disney+ Heard about some buzz with this movie on this forum. Was going in expecting to love it, but ended up just liking it. It’s a pretty good comic book based, period piece, action adventure. 7/10Animal House (1978) - Netflix 8/10Constantine (2005) - Netflix 7/10Repeat Viewings:Birds of Prey (2020) - Blu-ray Has some issues but otherwise a fun DC movie. 7/10Pet Sematary Two (1992) - Blu-ray Ordered the Scream Factory edition for this. Still enjoy it as a guilty pleasure even if it isn’t a technically good movie all around. 6/10Indian in the Cupboard (1995) - Netflix Saw this a long time ago on VHS and remember enjoying it. I still ended up quite liking it now and it remains a special place in my heart. 7/10I Am Legend (2007) – Bad CGI and the happy ending is a cop-out. It has some gripping moments though and the dog gives the best performance in the movie. 6.5/10 Anger Management (2003) - I walked out of this when I saw this at the movie theatre back in the day. Not a big Adam Sandler fan I’m afraid. 2/10 The Rocketeer (1991) It’s about time I rewatched this, if only for Jennifer Connelly. 6.5/10 Constantine (2005) This may well be the most underrated DC comic book movie in my opinion. 7.5/10
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Post by theravenking on Aug 2, 2020 19:24:54 GMT
First Time Viewing:
The Fourth Protocol (1987; John MacKenzie) – Solid Frederick Forsyth adaptation. Apparently Michael Caine had been friends with the author and had been looking for a project they could make together. It wasn’t a huge hit when it came out, Caine blamed it on the movie being too talky and having too little action. It’s about a rogue Soviet spy (Pierce Brosnan) planning to detonate a nuclear bomb in Britain, while Caine plays the British agent trying to stop him. It’s an unusual role for Brosnan, but he’s pretty convincing as a stone cold killer. The plot is nothing too original, but it’s well-directed by the underrated MacKenzie. 7/10
The Bridesmaid (2004; Claude Chabrol) – While faithful to the source material by Ruth Rendell this thriller focuses more on the social commentary aspect and Chabrol’s direction is a bit too distant and aloof to really convincingly portray the story of an obsessive love between two unlikely partners. 5.5/10
Self/Less (2015; Tarsem Singh) – More like Point/Less and tragically dull. What the hell is happening to Tarsem? His films are getting worse and worse. 3/10
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Post by jcush on Aug 2, 2020 19:26:09 GMT
The Young Lions - Strong performances. 7/10 Morituri - Another well acted movie lead by Brando. 7.5/10 The Godfather Part II - 10/10 X-Men - 8/10 X2 - 8/10 Prime Cut - 7/10 X-Men: The Last Stand - A definite step down from the first two, but yeah, it's not too bad. 6/10 BEST FILM: The Silence of the Lambs BEST ACTOR: Gian Maria Volontè (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) BEST ACTRESS: Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brooke Smith (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Tak Fujimoto (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCORE: Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST SCRIPT: Ted Tally (The Silence of the Lambs) BEST DIRECTOR: Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) Almost a clean sweep of my weeks viewing, any interest in Career? Yeah, Career sounds interesting.
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