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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 5, 2021 10:53:01 GMT
Hello, good folks of FG. I have decided I will keep this weekly thread going on for a few more weeks, see what happens.
The topic under discussion is made clear in the title. 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 - and 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.
My last week's haul (all first viewings):
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One of the most 80s bad action flicks ever. Recommended to the lovers of cheesy bad movies.
3/10
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Watching Patrick Dempsey in Can't Buy Me Love and this, I cannot help thinking that he became much handsomer with age. A little on the stupid side but with plenty of funny slapstick. Harmless fun, overall. This is what Deuce Bigalow was trying to be but failed.
7/10
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Meryl Streep's first comedy and she gives a bloody good performance. When the housewife (Roseanne Barr) repeatedly said that she hated the other woman (Meryl Streep) I started having bad feelings about it. But in the end, it turned out that her revenge campaign was directed more against her straying husband than his mistress and I felt fine.
6/10
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I went into this being sure that it would turn out to be a bore. In the beginning, it did look that way. It's about a former First Lady and the U.S. secret service agents who are assigned to guard her. but good acting by Nicolas Cage and Shirley MacLaine helped me to appreciate the film a little more even when not much was happening. Then in the third act the plot shifted gears and picked up speed. My final rating is mostly due to my positive response to the last act where Cage displays some wonderfully fine acting.
6/10
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Not a good giant insect film but there are worse out there. At least it took itself seriously, never devolving into the campy style, winking at the audience. I had expected much better from Jack Sholder, though.
From the IMDb trivia page:
4/10
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Post by James on Sept 5, 2021 10:58:24 GMT
Not seen any of yours.
First Time Viewings:
Freeway (1996) - 7.5/10
Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return (1999) - 6/10
Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001) - 5.5/10
Repeat Viewings:
Unbreakable (2000) - 8/10
Split (2016) - 8/10
Glass (2019) - 7/10
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Post by Popeye Doyle on Sept 5, 2021 12:51:43 GMT
Raging Bull - 5 out of 5. At the risk of sounding pretentious, it really does elevate the medium in its greatest moments. A directorial tour-de-force.
Goodfellas - 4.5 out of 5. Never lacking for energy throughout, in particular Henry’s day leading up to his arrest.
Casino - 4.5 out of 5. Yes, it can feel derivative of past glories but remains throughly compelling. Martin Scorsese at his most operatic and unforgiving.
Jungle Cruise - 3 out of 5. Can only expect so much from a movie based on a theme park ride. Some decent chemistry between the two leads. Unfortunately, the movie feels awfully derivative of another Disney series based on a theme park ride - ancient curses, all important ancient artifact, convoluted backstory, etc..
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Post by politicidal on Sept 5, 2021 13:49:27 GMT
Pony Soldier (1952) 6/10
Betrayal (1988) 4/10
Santiago (1956) 6/10 News of the World (2020) 7/10 Capone (1975) 5/10 Iron Eagle (1986) 6/10
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Post by theravenking on Sept 5, 2021 14:44:23 GMT
First Time Viewing:
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010; Brandon Vietti) - Animated movie about Batman's encounter with a masked vigilante named Red Hood. Too muc time is wasted in the first half on rather generic action sequences before it eventually gets to the meat of the story. The animation is quite excellent and Bruce Greenwood and Jensen Ackles as Batman and Robin provide good voice acting, but The Joker and Black Mask are wasted. Thankfully the last act still delivers and makes this worth watching.
6.5/10
The Dying Of The Light (2014; Paul Schrader) - This got infamously hacked to death by the producers in the editing room leading to cast and director publicly protesting the release of this heavily compromised version. Despite Cage giving his best effort in the lead it's indeed a very poor film.
3.5/10
Repeat Viewing:
Bad Lieutnant: Port Of Call New Orleans (2009; Werner Herzog) - A weird movie, while the plot seems to build up to a tragedy, it unexpectedly ends on a more gentle, whimsical and melancholic note. Cage is clearly in his element here and delivers a typically unhinged performance.
7/10
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on Sept 5, 2021 15:32:34 GMT
Freddy vs. Jason (2003) - 7/10
My two favorite horror villains in a very mixed bag of a film. The cool fights and gore make it above average though.
Shaun of the Dead (2004) - 6/10
Zombie comedy. Likeable but I never got the large praise it got.
Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman (2021) - 4/10
New film on killer Ted Bundy is OK at best. Feels like a generic slasher than a bio pic.
How High 2 (2019) - 5/10
Very dumb but entertaining comedy is in name only to the original.
Equal Standard (2020) - 3/10
Crime drama is supposed to be a thought provoking film on racism but it fails to bring real emotion to the table. Crash and Do the Right Thing did it far better.
Ouija Room aka Haunting Inside (2019) - 3/10
Really weird horror(?) film.
Juarez 2045 (2017) - 1/10
Danny Trejo stars in this outrageously bad and really dumb drug cartel with robots film. Why did I watch this?
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Post by moviemouth on Sept 5, 2021 20:08:32 GMT
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) - 7.5/10While drag-racing through the American Southwest in a Chevvy 150, a driver (James Taylor) and his mechanic cross paths with an alluring hitchhiker and the inexperienced, tall tale-spinning driver (Warren Oates) of a GTO. Directed by Monte Hellman.  Worth (2020) - 7.5/10An attorney (Michael Keaton, in top form) in Washington D.C. battles against cynicism, bureaucracy and politics to help the victims of 9/11. Also starring Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan. Directed by Sara Colangelo.  La Chienne (1931) - 7.5/10A woman and her pimp exploit a painter (Michel Simon) for money. Directed by Jean Renoir.  Far From Men (2014) - 7/10Algeria, 1954. Two very different men thrown together by a world in turmoil are forced to flee across the Atlas mountains. Daru, the reclusive teacher (Viggo Mortensen), has to escort Mohamed, a villager accused of murder. Directed by David Oelhoffen.  Each Dawn I Die (1939) - 6.5/10A corrupt D.A. with political ambitions is angered by news stories implicating him in criminal activity and decides to frame the reporter (James Cagney) who wrote them for manslaughter in order to silence him. Directed by William Keighley.  No Man of God (2021) - 8/10
The complicated relationship that formed between the FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier (Elijah Wood) and serial killer Bundy (Luke Kirby) during Bundy's final years on death row. Directed by Amber Sealey.  The Last Witch Hunter (2015) - 4/10The last witch hunter (Vin Diesel) is all that stands between humanity and the combined forces of the most horrifying witches in history. Also starring Michael Caine and Elijah Wood. Directed by Breck Eisner.  Belle de Jour (1967) - 7/10A frigid young housewife (Catherine Deneuve) decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute. Directed by Luis Buñuel.  The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) - 7/10
The biography of the pioneering French microbiologist (Paul Muni) who helped revolutionize agriculture and medicine. Directed by William Dieterle.  Ashes and Diamonds (1958) - 7.5/10As WWII and the German occupation ends, the Polish resistance and the Russian forces turn on each other in an attempt to take over leadership in Communist Poland. Directed by Andrzej Wajda.  Penguin Bloom (2020) - 7.5/10A wheelchair bound woman (Naomi Watts) and her family take in an injured Magpie that makes a profound difference in their lives. Directed by Glendyn Ivin. 
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 8, 2021 12:37:02 GMT
Not seen any of yours. First Time Viewings: Freeway (1996) - 7.5/10 Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return (1999) - 6/10 Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001) - 5.5/10 Repeat Viewings: Unbreakable (2000) - 8/10 Split (2016) - 8/10 Glass (2019) - 7/10 Back in 2006-2007 I watched M. Night Shyamalan's first four films. I have never revisited any of them since, nor have I watched any of his subsequent works. Now that he has recovered some of his early form, maybe I should rewatch those and see what I think now.
Freeway has been on my watchlist for a while.
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Post by James on Sept 8, 2021 15:14:05 GMT
Not seen any of yours. First Time Viewings: Freeway (1996) - 7.5/10 Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return (1999) - 6/10 Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001) - 5.5/10 Repeat Viewings: Unbreakable (2000) - 8/10 Split (2016) - 8/10 Glass (2019) - 7/10 Back in 2006-2007 I watched M. Night Shyamalan's first four films. I have never revisited any of them since, nor have I watched any of his subsequent works. Now that he has recovered some of his early form, maybe I should rewatch those and see what I think now.
Freeway has been on my watchlist for a while.
I highly recommend Split. It's definitely his best since Unbreakable IMO. |
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 8, 2021 16:33:00 GMT
Raging Bull - 5 out of 5. At the risk of sounding pretentious, it really does elevate the medium in its greatest moments. A directorial tour-de-force. Goodfellas - 4.5 out of 5. Never lacking for energy throughout, in particular Henry’s day leading up to his arrest. Casino - 4.5 out of 5. Yes, it can feel derivative of past glories but remains throughly compelling. Martin Scorsese at his most operatic and unforgiving. Jungle Cruise - 3 out of 5. Can only expect so much from a movie based on a theme park ride. Some decent chemistry between the two leads. Unfortunately, the movie feels awfully derivative of another Disney series based on a theme park ride - ancient curses, all important ancient artifact, convoluted backstory, etc.. I haven't watched Raging Bull, Goodfellas or Casino in many years. It might be a good idea to give RB another go now that I have watched Body and Soul, one of its major influences. It is highly recommended to you in case you haven't watched it.
Do you have any thoughts on the titles I watched?
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 8, 2021 16:34:02 GMT
Pony Soldier (1952) 6/10
Betrayal (1988) 4/10
Santiago (1956) 6/10 News of the World (2020) 7/10 Capone (1975) 5/10 Iron Eagle (1986) 6/10 I haven't seen any of those yet. Only the last two titles I had heard of before now.
Do you have any thoughts on the titles I watched?
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 8, 2021 16:40:24 GMT
First Time Viewing:
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010; Brandon Vietti) - Animated movie about Batman's encounter with a masked vigilante named Red Hood. Too muc time is wasted in the first half on rather generic action sequences before it eventually gets to the meat of the story. The animation is quite excellent and Bruce Greenwood and Jensen Ackles as Batman and Robin provide good voice acting, but The Joker and Black Mask are wasted. Thankfully the last act still delivers and makes this worth watching. 6.5/10
The Dying Of The Light (2014; Paul Schrader) - This got infamously hacked to death by the producers in the editing room leading to cast and director publicly protesting the release of this heavily compromised version. Despite Cage giving his best effort in the lead it's indeed a very poor film. 3.5/10 Repeat Viewing:
Bad Lieutnant: Port Of Call New Orleans (2009; Werner Herzog) - A weird movie, while the plot seems to build up to a tragedy, it unexpectedly ends on a more gentle, whimsical and melancholic note. Cage is clearly in his element here and delivers a typically unhinged performance. 7/10 I haven't seen any of those yet. Haven't seen anything animated with Batman except a few off episodes of Batman TAS long ago on Cartoon Network.
Do you have any thoughts on the titles I watched?
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Post by theravenking on Sept 8, 2021 22:06:47 GMT
First Time Viewing:
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010; Brandon Vietti) - Animated movie about Batman's encounter with a masked vigilante named Red Hood. Too muc time is wasted in the first half on rather generic action sequences before it eventually gets to the meat of the story. The animation is quite excellent and Bruce Greenwood and Jensen Ackles as Batman and Robin provide good voice acting, but The Joker and Black Mask are wasted. Thankfully the last act still delivers and makes this worth watching. 6.5/10
The Dying Of The Light (2014; Paul Schrader) - This got infamously hacked to death by the producers in the editing room leading to cast and director publicly protesting the release of this heavily compromised version. Despite Cage giving his best effort in the lead it's indeed a very poor film. 3.5/10 Repeat Viewing:
Bad Lieutnant: Port Of Call New Orleans (2009; Werner Herzog) - A weird movie, while the plot seems to build up to a tragedy, it unexpectedly ends on a more gentle, whimsical and melancholic note. Cage is clearly in his element here and delivers a typically unhinged performance. 7/10 I haven't seen any of those yet. Haven't seen anything animated with Batman except a few off episodes of Batman TAS long ago on Cartoon Network.
Do you have any thoughts on the titles I watched?
Haven't seen any of yours this week.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 9, 2021 7:27:50 GMT
Freddy vs. Jason (2003) - 7/10My two favorite horror villains in a very mixed bag of a film. The cool fights and gore make it above average though. Shaun of the Dead (2004) - 6/10Zombie comedy. Likeable but I never got the large praise it got. Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman (2021) - 4/10New film on killer Ted Bundy is OK at best. Feels like a generic slasher than a bio pic. How High 2 (2019) - 5/10Very dumb but entertaining comedy is in name only to the original. Equal Standard (2020) - 3/10Crime drama is supposed to be a thought provoking film on racism but it fails to bring real emotion to the table. Crash and Do the Right Thing did it far better. Ouija Room aka Haunting Inside (2019) - 3/10Really weird horror(?) film. Juarez 2045 (2017) - 1/10
Danny Trejo stars in this outrageously bad and really dumb drug cartel with robots film. Why did I watch this? I have seen first six of Jason series and only the first of the Freddy series, so it will be a while before I finish with those and get around to Freddy vs. Jason.
I have seen Shaun of the Dead twice and liked it a little more the second time because between the first and second viewing, I had watched a number of zombie films it was sending up. My rating is the same as yours, though.
The only film on Ted Bundy I knew of was the one directed by Matthew Bright.
Do you have any thoughts on the titles I watched?
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 9, 2021 7:35:37 GMT
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) - 7.5/10While drag-racing through the American Southwest in a Chevvy 150, a driver (James Taylor) and his mechanic cross paths with an alluring hitchhiker and the inexperienced, tall tale-spinning driver (Warren Oates) of a GTO. Directed by Monte Hellman. Worth (2020) - 7.5/10An attorney (Michael Keaton, in top form) in Washington D.C. battles against cynicism, bureaucracy and politics to help the victims of 9/11. Also starring Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan. Directed by Sara Colangelo. La Chienne (1931) - 7.5/10A woman and her pimp exploit a painter (Michel Simon) for money. Directed by Jean Renoir. Far From Men (2014) - 7/10Algeria, 1954. Two very different men thrown together by a world in turmoil are forced to flee across the Atlas mountains. Daru, the reclusive teacher (Viggo Mortensen), has to escort Mohamed, a villager accused of murder. Directed by David Oelhoffen. Each Dawn I Die (1939) - 6.5/10A corrupt D.A. with political ambitions is angered by news stories implicating him in criminal activity and decides to frame the reporter (James Cagney) who wrote them for manslaughter in order to silence him. Directed by William Keighley. No Man of God (2021) - 8/10
The complicated relationship that formed between the FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier (Elijah Wood) and serial killer Bundy (Luke Kirby) during Bundy's final years on death row. Directed by Amber Sealey. The Last Witch Hunter (2015) - 4/10The last witch hunter (Vin Diesel) is all that stands between humanity and the combined forces of the most horrifying witches in history. Also starring Michael Caine and Elijah Wood. Directed by Breck Eisner. Belle de Jour (1967) - 7/10A frigid young housewife (Catherine Deneuve) decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute. Directed by Luis Buñuel. The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) - 7/10
The biography of the pioneering French microbiologist (Paul Muni) who helped revolutionize agriculture and medicine. Directed by William Dieterle. Ashes and Diamonds (1958) - 7.5/10As WWII and the German occupation ends, the Polish resistance and the Russian forces turn on each other in an attempt to take over leadership in Communist Poland. Directed by Andrzej Wajda. Penguin Bloom (2020) - 7.5/10A wheelchair bound woman (Naomi Watts) and her family take in an injured Magpie that makes a profound difference in their lives. Directed by Glendyn Ivin. I had read about Two-Lane Blacktop but had no idea that singer James Taylor was in it. Looks like I need to watch it soon in memoriam Monte Hellman.
I found Renoir's La Chienne to be dull. Interesting that I watched Fritz Lang's American remake Scarlet Street soon after and found it to be absolutely riveting. I remember Michel Simon's constipated acting to be the main culprit for my indifference towards La Chienne. He (and Renoir) later surprised me with their solid work in Boudu Saved from Drowning. I have not seen many French comedies and have read some negativity about them, but this one was very well made.
Ashes and Diamonds and Belle de Jour are in my watchlist. I suppose I have to add The Story of Louis Pasteur there as well.
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Post by moviemouth on Sept 9, 2021 8:07:52 GMT
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) - 7.5/10While drag-racing through the American Southwest in a Chevvy 150, a driver (James Taylor) and his mechanic cross paths with an alluring hitchhiker and the inexperienced, tall tale-spinning driver (Warren Oates) of a GTO. Directed by Monte Hellman. Worth (2020) - 7.5/10An attorney (Michael Keaton, in top form) in Washington D.C. battles against cynicism, bureaucracy and politics to help the victims of 9/11. Also starring Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan. Directed by Sara Colangelo. La Chienne (1931) - 7.5/10A woman and her pimp exploit a painter (Michel Simon) for money. Directed by Jean Renoir. Far From Men (2014) - 7/10Algeria, 1954. Two very different men thrown together by a world in turmoil are forced to flee across the Atlas mountains. Daru, the reclusive teacher (Viggo Mortensen), has to escort Mohamed, a villager accused of murder. Directed by David Oelhoffen. Each Dawn I Die (1939) - 6.5/10A corrupt D.A. with political ambitions is angered by news stories implicating him in criminal activity and decides to frame the reporter (James Cagney) who wrote them for manslaughter in order to silence him. Directed by William Keighley. No Man of God (2021) - 8/10
The complicated relationship that formed between the FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier (Elijah Wood) and serial killer Bundy (Luke Kirby) during Bundy's final years on death row. Directed by Amber Sealey. The Last Witch Hunter (2015) - 4/10The last witch hunter (Vin Diesel) is all that stands between humanity and the combined forces of the most horrifying witches in history. Also starring Michael Caine and Elijah Wood. Directed by Breck Eisner. Belle de Jour (1967) - 7/10A frigid young housewife (Catherine Deneuve) decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute. Directed by Luis Buñuel. The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) - 7/10
The biography of the pioneering French microbiologist (Paul Muni) who helped revolutionize agriculture and medicine. Directed by William Dieterle. Ashes and Diamonds (1958) - 7.5/10As WWII and the German occupation ends, the Polish resistance and the Russian forces turn on each other in an attempt to take over leadership in Communist Poland. Directed by Andrzej Wajda. Penguin Bloom (2020) - 7.5/10A wheelchair bound woman (Naomi Watts) and her family take in an injured Magpie that makes a profound difference in their lives. Directed by Glendyn Ivin. I had read about Two-Lane Blacktop but had no idea that singer James Taylor was in it. Looks like I need to watch it soon in memoriam Monte Hellman.
I found Renoir's La Chienne to be dull. Interesting that I watched Fritz Lang's American remake Scarlet Street soon after and found it to be absolutely riveting. I remember Michel Simon's constipated acting to be the main culprit for my indifference towards La Chienne. He (and Renoir) later surprised me with their solid work in Boudu Saved from Drowning. I have not seen many French comedies and have read some negativity about them, but this one was very well made.
Ashes and Diamonds and Belle de Jour are in my watchlist. I suppose I have to add The Story of Louis Pasteur there as well.
Interesting, because Michel Simon's performance is the main reason I like the movie as much as I do. Also has a clever script imo. Boudu Saved from Drowning is on my watchlist, because of how much I like Michel Simon in La Chienne. Yours. She-Devil - 5/10 Didn't care much for it. Guarding Tess - 6.5/10 I like the first half, but I think it takes a dip in the second half. I'll keep Loverboy in mind if I am in the mood for a '80s teen comedy. I am a fan of Can't Buy Me Love.
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Post by lenlenlen1 on Sept 9, 2021 22:53:02 GMT
Shang Chi. Not bad. Enjoyable.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on Sept 10, 2021 2:42:07 GMT
I had read about Two-Lane Blacktop but had no idea that singer James Taylor was in it. Looks like I need to watch it soon in memoriam Monte Hellman.
I found Renoir's La Chienne to be dull. Interesting that I watched Fritz Lang's American remake Scarlet Street soon after and found it to be absolutely riveting. I remember Michel Simon's constipated acting to be the main culprit for my indifference towards La Chienne. He (and Renoir) later surprised me with their solid work in Boudu Saved from Drowning. I have not seen many French comedies and have read some negativity about them, but this one was very well made.
Ashes and Diamonds and Belle de Jour are in my watchlist. I suppose I have to add The Story of Louis Pasteur there as well.
Interesting, because Michel Simon's performance is the main reason I like the movie as much as I do. Also has a clever script imo. Boudu Saved from Drowning is on my watchlist, because of how much I like Michel Simon in La Chienne. Yours. She-Devil - 5/10 Didn't care much for it. Guarding Tess - 6.5/10 I like the first half, but I think it takes a dip in the second half. I'll keep Loverboy in mind if I am in the mood for a '80s teen comedy. I am a fan of Can't Buy Me Love. That's the general critical consensus on Guarding Tess. I, for one, welcomed the additional events and change of pace in the third act.
Can't Buy Me Love did not impress me much but it has a few good scenes. Such as in the end when the bully is trying to beat up Courtney Gains and Dempsey stands up for him.
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