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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Aug 29, 2021 10:01:44 GMT
Hello, folks. I used to make this thread every week back on old FG. I thought I would post it today on trial basis. If response is favourable, I will consider making this a regular thing.
The topic under discussion is made clear in the thread. I will also make it clear that made-for-TV, direct-to-video, streaming, TV series/episodes, documentaries, short films can also be listed.
The minimum requirement is that a numerical rating out of 5 or 10 be provided - whichever the poster wishes to choose - but it'll be even more helpful if he/she also writes a few thoughts regarding his/her experience with the feature/documentary/short/TV series' season. This will help in starting discussions, which is one of the main intentions of this thread. I also request all those who reply here to go through the whole thread once and see if you can see some common topic to discuss with other posters.
I hope that was helpful. I will begin with the main body of the post now. My last week's haul (all first viewings):
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It received terrible reviews back when it released and also made little money. but it does have a rating of 6.9 on IMDb, so it's clear that it has got its share of nostalgic fans. It was also not easily and widely available for viewing for many years due to rights-related issues, which may have contributed to the mystique around it.
I can understand its allure among BMX fans. I was not impressed. It is a very standard teen-oriented sports drama with barely passable acting and dialogue. Some bicycle stunts are nice to look at and must have been challenging to recreate but that was all I got out of it. Airborne, another similar film targeted at the same demographic, was more enjoyable.
4/10
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Long before the games, long before Uwe Boll's cinematic pile of you-know-what, there was this. A largely forgotten psycho-slasher starring three superb actors: Jack Palance, Martin Landau and Donald Pleasence. Even though this may have been just a paycheque role for them, they still give it their all, which is the hallmark of a true professional. If you wished to see Donald Pleasence play a psychiatrist who was the exact opposite of Dr. Sam Loomis, check this out. It has got some great jump scares and atmosphere. One plot twist will be easy to figure out beforehand if you are even 50% attentive.
6/10
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In this 80s teen-movie riff on High Noon, Casey Siemaszko plays a nerd-ish average teenager who unwittingly runs afoul of a sociopathic delinquent new student played by Richard Tyson, who then challenges him to a fistfight after school at 3 o'clock. Rest of the plot is about what our hero does to avoid this fate and whether he succeeds in it or not.
I had expected this to be a typical 80s teen movie and while it is that, there are also a number of dark, bizarre touches to it. There is a little more swearing and bloodshed than I expected. If you like 80s teen movies, don't miss out on this one.
6/10
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"Desperate" is right. I thought this was a lame-brained farce with very little humour. The director seemed more interested in presenting the look of 80s street life in New York, the fashion and the expressionist lighting than she was in telling a story well. Madonna is not awful like she would become in her later acting career but her character is written in such broad strokes that all she has to do is play someone pretty close to herself and that's enough.
3/10
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This film was made watchable mainly due to the good acting and chemistry between Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler. Their plot to get back at their cheating ex-husbands does not stand up to close scrutiny. There is also a huge argument between them that comes out of nowhere without any preamble and is there simply because every movie of its ilk has to have its lead characters temporarily falling out and then reconciling, signifying their character arc, whether it is properly earned or not.
6/10
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Post by jonesjxd on Aug 29, 2021 11:03:46 GMT
Shock Treatment (1981)
Terrible sequel to Rocky Horror Picture Show suffers from incoherent plot, almost no relevance to the original movie, in fact, for a movie that follows one of the horniest movies ever made, this movie feels nearly castrated and lacking any heat whatsoever. I will say that though it only has a few good songs, those few good songs are really good and Jessica Harper's casting as Janet Majors does add some nice pedigree to the film. 3/10
Candyman (1992)
I've always liked this movie but it seems every time I return to it I find more to like about it and revere it even more. This is a "slasher" movie that came out the year after Freddy's Dead and the year before Jason Goes To Hell, that craze of slasher films was reaching it's climax and yet Candyman never feels like it's offering anything up to those franchises, it never falls to tropes, never feels like it's taking influence from Carpenter, or Hitchcock, or even horror films at all. In hindsight you can say if it feels like any horror movies at all, it feels like The Ring/Ringu franchise, J/K horror in general, and it predates all of those films. It's dramatic, it's nuanced, it has an amazing score by Philip Glass and great performances by Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen. Another thing I really love about this movie is it's Chicago setting. I tend to like movies that feel like their setting is important to their story and this movie sulks in being a Chicago movie. 9/10
Candyman 2: Farewell To The Flesh (1995)
Even though I've seen Candyman at least a dozen times in my life I had never sat down and watched the sequels aside from seeing little bits here and there on television. I'll say what I do like about this movie is that I like how it still feels a connection to the first film and isn't treading entirely into the cash grab slasher sequel. I do really like the characters in this movie, I like that it brings back the Purcell character from the original movie, I like Kelly Rowan and Timothy Carhart in this movie, and of course Tony Todd, but that's where the praise kind of ends. I mentioned how Candyman '92 is such a Chicago movie, well Candyman 2 feels more like it chose New Orleans because of tax incentives so they just decided to add in as much Mardi Gras a possible because that's what people associate with New Orleans. Also it saddens me that the movie falls so quickly to supernatural movie tricks. Candyman in the original film feels infinite, he feels limitless, he can't be stopped only satisfied, here they say he is what he is because his soul is trapped in a fucking mirror and breaking the mirror kills him. It's Freddy Krueger stuff and it's just lame and boring. 6/10
Candyman 3: Day of the Dead (1999)
This movie is genuinely difficult to sit through and I really enjoyed no part of it. It's cheaply made, in fact maybe one of the worst looking movies I've ever seen, and it's derivative to vulgar extremes. I think Donna D'Errico looks more like they pulled her off a 90's porn movie set, and Candyman has just entered the place of being annoying. Candyman has a good MO, he appears behind his female protagonist, gently caresses her, shows her his disgusting hook and whispers his smooth chocolate into her ear. It's a good gimmick, but after seeing it happen for the 12th time, I'm just like "Just be his victim so he shuts up about it, please". By this point he doesn't feel like an infinite metaphysical spirit anymore, he just feels like an abusive ex boyfriend stalking his ex. 3/10
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on Aug 29, 2021 12:19:47 GMT
We actually do this on the Best and Worst thread every week.
Wrath of Man (2021) - 6/10
Guy Ritchie's newest film has its flaws and slow spots but still its a pretty good crime thriller.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) - 4/10
A really good and freaky start is ruined by a slow and dull follow through. The least of the 3 films.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) - 9/10
Wes Craven re imagining of Freddy is a entertaining and freaky film.
Party Night (2017) - 6/10
Simple but fun slasher film.
Deadpool (2016) - 9/10
Very fun comedic superhero flick.
Deadpool 2 (2018) - 10/10
Even better and more fun than the first.
Spiral Drive (2020) - 5/10
OK and trippy horror comedy.
Fall Time (1994) - 2/10
Terrible crime thriller with Micky Rourke.
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Post by politicidal on Aug 29, 2021 12:46:10 GMT
A Cold Hard Truth (2019) 4/10
The Blob (1988) 7/10
The Father (2020) 6/10
Nightmare Alley (1947) 7/10
Walk on the Wild Side (1962) 5/10
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Post by jamesbamesy on Aug 29, 2021 14:51:45 GMT
All first time viewings for me.
Cruella (2021) - 7/10
Tenet (2020) - 7/10
Looper (2012) - 8/10
Eye See You (2002) - 6.5/10
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Post by moviebuffbrad on Aug 29, 2021 19:48:28 GMT
Candyman (1992) -Rewatch, 8/10 Candyman (2021) -FTV, 7/10 The Kid Detective -FTV, 8/10 Ted -Rewatch, 6/10 The Editor -FTV, 7/10 Not Another Teen Movie -Rewatch, 7/10 Paris, Texas -FTV, 7/10 Watching the original Candyman and it's soft reboot back to back is something I'm glad I did. I completely forgot the baby storyline which the new one centers on. The Editor was a near perfect perfect homage/parody of giallo films. Always had a soft spot for NATM and it still holds up for me. Ted isn't as funny the second time. Kid Detective is an interesting idea that goes into some crazy directions, lead by a great performance from Adam Brody. Paris, Texas was beautifully shot, but that extended peep show scene seems to either make the movie or break it for people. For me, it broke it. "I was 106 and you were 12. I loved you so much I refused to get a job. Then you got knocked up so I did. Then we became different, I tied you to a fucking stove, and you lit me on fire. Anyway, here's your bastard. He had some nice parents but I think it'd be better if you raised him...on your own, of course. I myself am gonna heroically drive off into the sunset. Kinda surprised you didn't recognize my voice or where I was going with that story until like 35 minutes into it, but whatever." |
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Post by moviemouth on Aug 29, 2021 19:56:57 GMT
Candyman (1992) -Rewatch, 8/10 Candyman (2021) -FTV, 7/10 The Kid Detective -FTV, 8/10 Ted -Rewatch, 6/10 The Editor -FTV, 7/10 Not Another Teen Movie -Rewatch, 7/10 Paris, Texas -FTV, 7/10 Watching the original Candyman and it's soft reboot back to back is something I'm glad I did. I completely forgot the baby storyline which the new one centers on. The Editor was a near perfect perfect homage/parody of giallo films. Always had a soft spot for NATM and it still holds up for me. Ted isn't as funny the second time. Kid Detective is an interesting idea that goes into some crazy directions, lead by a great performance from Adam Brody. Paris, Texas was beautifully shot, but that extended peep show scene seems to either make the movie or break it for people. For me, it broke it. "I was 106 and you were 12. I loved you so much I refused to get a job. Then you got knocked up so I did. Then we became different, I tied you to a fucking stove, and you lit me on fire. Anyway, here's your bastard. He had some nice parents but I think it'd be better if you raised him...on your own, of course. I myself am gonna heroically drive off into the sunset. Kinda surprised you didn't recognize my voice or where I was going with that story until like 35 minutes into it, but whatever." Isn't 7/10 a positive rating? I will keep The Editor in mind. As a huge Family Guy and American Dad fan, Ted didn't really work for me. I rate it 6.5/10. A lot of hits in the movie, but a lot of misses. I don't think Seth McFarland's style translates that well to live-action.
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Post by moviebuffbrad on Aug 29, 2021 20:14:06 GMT
Candyman (1992) -Rewatch, 8/10 Candyman (2021) -FTV, 7/10 The Kid Detective -FTV, 8/10 Ted -Rewatch, 6/10 The Editor -FTV, 7/10 Not Another Teen Movie -Rewatch, 7/10 Paris, Texas -FTV, 7/10 Watching the original Candyman and it's soft reboot back to back is something I'm glad I did. I completely forgot the baby storyline which the new one centers on. The Editor was a near perfect perfect homage/parody of giallo films. Always had a soft spot for NATM and it still holds up for me. Ted isn't as funny the second time. Kid Detective is an interesting idea that goes into some crazy directions, lead by a great performance from Adam Brody. Paris, Texas was beautifully shot, but that extended peep show scene seems to either make the movie or break it for people. For me, it broke it. "I was 106 and you were 12. I loved you so much I refused to get a job. Then you got knocked up so I did. Then we became different, I tied you to a fucking stove, and you lit me on fire. Anyway, here's your bastard. He had some nice parents but I think it'd be better if you raised him...on your own, of course. I myself am gonna heroically drive off into the sunset. Kinda surprised you didn't recognize my voice or where I was going with that story until like 35 minutes into it, but whatever." Isn't 7/10 a positive rating? I will keep The Editor in mind. As a huge Family Guy and American Dad fan, Ted didn't really work for me. I rate it 6.5/10. A lot of hits in the movie, but a lot of misses. Not as positive as 10/10, which a lot of other film buffs give it. It's a fine movie with an unsatisfying ending. Stanton's speech was supposed to knock it into masterpiece territory but I found the whole scene inane. The only parts I really laughed at in Ted were the Bourne-style hotel fight and Giovanni Ribisi's dancing...that guy is a treasure.
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Post by moviemouth on Aug 29, 2021 20:20:33 GMT
Isn't 7/10 a positive rating? I will keep The Editor in mind. As a huge Family Guy and American Dad fan, Ted didn't really work for me. I rate it 6.5/10. A lot of hits in the movie, but a lot of misses. Not as positive as 10/10, which a lot of other film buffs give it. It's a fine movie with an unsatisfying ending. Stanton's speech was supposed to knock it into masterpiece territory but I found the whole scene inane. The only parts I really laughed at in Ted were the Bourne-style hotel fight and Giovanni Ribisi's dancing...that guy is a treasure. I rate it 8/10. I rate very few movies 10/10, or even 9/10 for that matter. I think there are about 150-200 movies I rate 9/10.
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Post by moviemouth on Aug 29, 2021 20:28:52 GMT
Larceny, Inc. (1942 Lloyd Bacon) - 7/10
Oxygen (2021 Alexandre Aja) - 8/10
Malevolent (2018 Olaf de Fleur Johannesson) - 5/10
Annette (2021 Leos Carax) - 7/10
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005 Garth Jennings) - 5.5/10
A Slight Case of Murder (1938 Lloyd Bacon) - 5.5/10
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Post by moviebuffbrad on Aug 29, 2021 20:53:56 GMT
Not as positive as 10/10, which a lot of other film buffs give it. It's a fine movie with an unsatisfying ending. Stanton's speech was supposed to knock it into masterpiece territory but I found the whole scene inane. The only parts I really laughed at in Ted were the Bourne-style hotel fight and Giovanni Ribisi's dancing...that guy is a treasure. I rate it 8/10. I rate very few movies 10/10, or even 9/10 for that matter. I think there are about 150-200 movies I rate 9/10. I don't really keep track, but I imagine there's a lot.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 3, 2021 6:47:54 GMT
Shock Treatment (1981) 3/10 Candyman (1992) 9/10 Candyman 2: Farewell To The Flesh (1995) 6/10 Candyman 3: Day of the Dead (1999) 3/10
I have never seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It just does not seem my thing, though I might end up watching it eventually, in far future.
I agree with you about Candyman I and III. I don't remember much of Part II at all, which implies to me that it is neither excellent nor aggressively awful like the other two films of the series. Just forgettable.
I have seen the trailers of the reboot and while they seem rather preachy and pro-Black to me, at least they are doing something different with the concept.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 3, 2021 6:51:12 GMT
Wrath of Man (2021) - 6/10 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) - 4/10 Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) - 9/10 Party Night (2017) - 6/10 Deadpool (2016) - 9/10 Deadpool 2 (2018) - 10/10 Spiral Drive (2020) - 5/10 Fall Time (1994) - 2/10 I am a fan of Ritchie's first two films but haven't seen anything he made later. Probably for the best.
Never saw anything of James Wan's work after 2007/2008 either.
I have only seen the first NoES, need to watch the sequels soon.
Deadpool looks dull, predictable and unfunny to me based on a few clips I have glimpsed.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 3, 2021 9:16:26 GMT
A Cold Hard Truth (2019) 4/10 The Blob (1988) 7/10 The Father (2020) 6/10 Nightmare Alley (1947) 7/10 Walk on the Wild Side (1962) 5/10 The Blob is a rare remake that is way better than the original. The Steve McQueen one had too many dead patches and was like a 50s delinquent flick for half its duration. The remake kicks ass in FX department and has some different from the norm characters too. Like Shawnee Smith wielding that machine gun like a pro in the end.
I have been meaning to watch Nightmare Alley. I have seen Tyrone Power in Witness for the Prosecution but never in anything where he was the lead.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 3, 2021 16:31:02 GMT
All first time viewings for me. Cruella (2021) - 7/10 Tenet (2020) - 7/10 Looper (2012) - 8/10 Eye See You (2002) - 6.5/10 and Looper are in my watchlist. I liked Glenn Close as Cruella in 101 Dalmatians. She was the brightest spot in that otherwise spotty flick. I have only seen Emma Stone in Zombieland, a film I despised.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 3, 2021 16:35:51 GMT
Candyman (1992) -Rewatch, 8/10 Candyman (2021) -FTV, 7/10 The Kid Detective -FTV, 8/10 Ted -Rewatch, 6/10 The Editor -FTV, 7/10 Not Another Teen Movie -Rewatch, 7/10 Paris, Texas -FTV, 7/10 Watching the original Candyman and it's soft reboot back to back is something I'm glad I did. I completely forgot the baby storyline which the new one centers on. The Editor was a near perfect perfect homage/parody of giallo films. Always had a soft spot for NATM and it still holds up for me. Ted isn't as funny the second time. Kid Detective is an interesting idea that goes into some crazy directions, lead by a great performance from Adam Brody. Paris, Texas was beautifully shot, but that extended peep show scene seems to either make the movie or break it for people. For me, it broke it. I am holding off Not Another Teen Movie until I have watched everything that inspired it.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 3, 2021 16:39:26 GMT
Larceny, Inc. (1942 Lloyd Bacon) - 7/10Oxygen (2021 Alexandre Aja) - 8/10Malevolent (2018 Olaf de Fleur Johannesson) - 5/10Annette (2021 Leos Carax) - 7/10The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005 Garth Jennings) - 5.5/10
A Slight Case of Murder (1938 Lloyd Bacon) - 5.5/10
Co-incidentally, I was planning to watch a bunch of Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney films soon myself, including Smart Money, the only film they made together (I think).
I loved the BBC TV series on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The movie fell rather flat in comparison, despite their best efforts.
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Post by jamesbamesy on Sept 3, 2021 19:15:48 GMT
All first time viewings for me. Cruella (2021) - 7/10 Tenet (2020) - 7/10 Looper (2012) - 8/10 Eye See You (2002) - 6.5/10 and Looper are in my watchlist. I liked Glenn Close as Cruella in 101 Dalmatians. She was the brightest spot in that otherwise spotty flick. I have only seen Emma Stone in Zombieland, a film I despised. I remember seeing the first 101 Dalmatians remake, but it was a while ago and don't remember what my thoughts were. I've revisited a few snippets of Close's performance and it's pretty insane, that movie is due for a revisit. I really liked Zombieland, but that's me.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 4, 2021 3:50:11 GMT
Tenet and Looper are in my watchlist. I liked Glenn Close as Cruella in 101 Dalmatians. She was the brightest spot in that otherwise spotty flick. I have only seen Emma Stone in Zombieland, a film I despised. I remember seeing the first 101 Dalmatians remake, but it was a while ago and don't remember what my thoughts were. I've revisited a few snippets of Close's performance and it's pretty insane, that movie is due for a revisit. I really liked Zombieland, but that's me. Close really gives the role her all and almost matches the energy and mania of Cruella from the animated film.
Do you have any thoughts on the titles I watched?
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Post by jamesbamesy on Sept 4, 2021 9:48:52 GMT
I remember seeing the first 101 Dalmatians remake, but it was a while ago and don't remember what my thoughts were. I've revisited a few snippets of Close's performance and it's pretty insane, that movie is due for a revisit. I really liked Zombieland, but that's me. Close really gives the role her all and almost matches the energy and mania of Cruella from the animated film.
Do you have any thoughts on the titles I watched?
Haven't seen any of them, but was always interested in Alone in the Dark (1982).
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