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Post by jcush on Nov 21, 2022 20:16:57 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 FILM VIEWINGAll Quiet on the Western Front (2022, Edward Berger)
NetflixAnother remake of the 1930 classic ww1 movie that I have only seen sections of. It is very well made and acted but quite relentlessly grim which given the subject matter is fitting but might be too much for some. The score was very in the trend of scores for a lot of elevated horror films and took me out of the film from time to time but this is a mild complaint. One of the best films of the year. 7.5/10New York Confidential (1955, Russell Rouse)Pretty tough film noir about the crime families in New York. Could’ve been leaner but had a good finale. 6/10Arabesque (1966, Stanley Donnen)A colourful next offering from the director after his hit film Charade. It’s silly and I can’t help think it would’ve been better with Cary Grant however Peck has a few good moments. 6/10Air Force One (1997, Wolfgang Peterson)
Disney+Well this is Die Hard on a plane but not in the same class at all and made in a naive time when you could sell an American president as a hero. It pretty lazily steals a lot f beats from Die Hard but doesn’t execute them well. Also Harrison Ford doesn’t have that much to do for a lot of the run time and has little presence. Gary Oldman as the villain holds centrar stage and he’s the best part of the film but it’s pretty lopsided between protagonist and antagonist from a storytelling point of view. 4.5/10Nobody’s Fool (1994, Robert Benton)This film has a good cast, is well acted but is so thin that it barely feels like a movie. 4/10REPEAT FILM VIEWINGNone this week. FIRST TIME TV VIEWINGDerry Girls (2022, Season Three)
NetflixGood final season of this funny Irish show. Good TVWEEKLY FILM AWARDSBEST FILM: All Quiet on the Western Front BEST ACTOR: Felix Kammerer - All Quiet on the Western Front BEST ACTRESS: Sophia Loren - Arabesque BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Richard Conte - New York Confidential BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Melanie Griffith - Nobody’s Fool BEST EDITING: Sven Budelmann - All Quiet on the Western Front BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: James Friend - All Quiet on the Western Front BEST SCORE: Henry Mancini - Arabesque BEST SCRIPT: Edward Berger - All Quiet on the Western Front BEST DIRECTOR: Edward Berger - All Quiet on the Western Front 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 Hi, Dark.  Here I am.  I was actually thinking of checking out New York Confidential. Yours: Arabesque 8/10 I liked it more than you, but I do agree on Gregory Peck being a bit msicast. I actually had the feeling the movie was for Cary Grant, but then he passed on it, or something. I think he retired in the early '60s, maybe that's why. Air Force One 5/10 Yeah, I didn't like it much. Gary Oldman was good though.  Nobody's Fool 8/10 I saw it ages ago, but I remember it liking it actually. Mine: Triangle of Sadness 8.5/10 It's the Ruben Ostlund movie with Woody Harrelson, that won at Cannes. It's about a couple, both models, who join an exclusive luxury cruise, where tihngs end up getting pretty wild and insane. Loved it, it's a bit too long maybe, it's a great satire though, I thought it was really fun and dark. Loved Woody Harrelson. I really liked Charlbi Dean too, she plays one of models in the couple, the more successful one. She passed away recently, actually, it's very sad. Sorcerer 10/10 William Friedkin movie, with Roy Scheider. I actually had never seen it before, it's a masterpiece, IMO. It's so visceral and powerful. I'm sorry I didn't get to see it in a cinema. I think it topped The Exorcist as my favourite William Friedkin movie. It's really beautiful visually too. Also, I loved Tangerine Dream score. The Man with the Golden Gun 6/10 It's the 007 movie with Roger Moore, about a top killer who targets Bond. It's so-so, it's a bit weak, IMO. I liked Christopher Lee though, he plays the killer. Crimson Peak 8/10 It's Guillermo Del Toro movie, with Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston. It's about an American young writer able to see ghosts, who marries an English baronet and move with him in his mansion in England, where they live with his sister and things get pretty scary fast. I like it, I mean, too much CGI, I love the crazy Gothic atmosphere though. It gets pretty insane. Also, Jessica Chastain is great. Sorcerer - Due for a rewatch. I liked it though. 7.5/10 The Man with the Golden Gun - Lesser Bond for me, but still mostly enjoyable. 6.5/10 Crimson Peak - 6.5/10
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Post by darksidebeadle on Nov 21, 2022 22:38:26 GMT
Hey billy  Sorcerer - so glad you liked this. Have you seen the original? I go back and forth between this and the exorcist for his best. That bridge scene right? 9/10 the man with the golden gun - pretty silly stiff 5/10 The bridge scene of course, but also the scene where they blow up the giant tree, the meticolous preparation. And even near the end, with Roy Scheider driving the truck in the desolate landscape, almost hallucinating, as the night falls. Amazing stuff. I thought you had seen Crimson Peak. No not seen crimson oh yeah so many wonderful scenes in Sorcerer and such a great score. I love the original too, both in my top 100
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william123
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Post by william123 on Nov 21, 2022 23:22:52 GMT
The bridge scene of course, but also the scene where they blow up the giant tree, the meticolous preparation. And even near the end, with Roy Scheider driving the truck in the desolate landscape, almost hallucinating, as the night falls. Amazing stuff. I thought you had seen Crimson Peak. No not seen crimson oh yeah so many wonderful scenes in Sorcerer and such a great score. I love the original too, both in my top 100 I haven't seen the original, but definitely plan to. I know it's a classic too.
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william123
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@william123
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Post by william123 on Nov 21, 2022 23:26:17 GMT
Hi, Dark. Here I am. I was actually thinking of checking out New York Confidential. Yours: Arabesque 8/10 I liked it more than you, but I do agree on Gregory Peck being a bit msicast. I actually had the feeling the movie was for Cary Grant, but then he passed on it, or something. I think he retired in the early '60s, maybe that's why. Air Force One 5/10 Yeah, I didn't like it much. Gary Oldman was good though. Nobody's Fool 8/10 I saw it ages ago, but I remember it liking it actually. Mine: Triangle of Sadness 8.5/10 It's the Ruben Ostlund movie with Woody Harrelson, that won at Cannes. It's about a couple, both models, who join an exclusive luxury cruise, where tihngs end up getting pretty wild and insane. Loved it, it's a bit too long maybe, it's a great satire though, I thought it was really fun and dark. Loved Woody Harrelson. I really liked Charlbi Dean too, she plays one of models in the couple, the more successful one. She passed away recently, actually, it's very sad. Sorcerer 10/10 William Friedkin movie, with Roy Scheider. I actually had never seen it before, it's a masterpiece, IMO. It's so visceral and powerful. I'm sorry I didn't get to see it in a cinema. I think it topped The Exorcist as my favourite William Friedkin movie. It's really beautiful visually too. Also, I loved Tangerine Dream score. The Man with the Golden Gun 6/10 It's the 007 movie with Roger Moore, about a top killer who targets Bond. It's so-so, it's a bit weak, IMO. I liked Christopher Lee though, he plays the killer. Crimson Peak 8/10 It's Guillermo Del Toro movie, with Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston. It's about an American young writer able to see ghosts, who marries an English baronet and move with him in his mansion in England, where they live with his sister and things get pretty scary fast. I like it, I mean, too much CGI, I love the crazy Gothic atmosphere though. It gets pretty insane. Also, Jessica Chastain is great. Sorcerer - Due for a rewatch. I liked it though. 7.5/10 The Man with the Golden Gun - Lesser Bond for me, but still mostly enjoyable. 6.5/10 Crimson Peak - 6.5/10 Yeah, definitely a lesser one for me too. My least favourite Bond movie is The Living Daylight, I think.
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Post by jcush on Nov 21, 2022 23:54:26 GMT
Sorcerer - Due for a rewatch. I liked it though. 7.5/10 The Man with the Golden Gun - Lesser Bond for me, but still mostly enjoyable. 6.5/10 Crimson Peak - 6.5/10 Yeah, definitely a lesser one for me too. My least favourite Bond movie is The Living Daylight, I think. Die Another Day is my least favorite of the official Bond movies. I like most of them and the few I don't fully like, I still like more than dislike.
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Post by sjg on Nov 22, 2022 8:30:59 GMT
First Time Viewings: Orca (1977, Michael Anderson) - 7/10The Old Man and the Sea (1958, John Sturges) - 7/10As They Made Us (2022, Mayim Bialik) - 7/10The Survivor (2021, Barry Levinson) - 7.5/10Odd Man Out (1947, Carol Reed) - 8/10Johnny Eager (1941, Mervyn LeRoy) - 9/10This Gun for Hire (1942, Frank Tuttle) - 7.5/10Manhattan Melodrama (1934, W.S. Van Dyke) - 8/10Disenchanted (2022, Adam Shankman) - 5.5/10Repeat Viewings: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017, Martin McDonagh) - 8/10The Guns of Navarone (1961, J. Lee Thompson) - 8.5/10Dersu Uzala (1975, Akira Kurosawa) - 8.5/10Anatomy of a Murder (1959, Otto Preminger) - 9/10The Hidden Fortress (1958, Akira Kurosawa) - 8.5/10TV Viewings: Planet Earth (2006) - 9/10Movie Awards: BEST FILM: Anatomy of a MurderBEST ACTOR: Ben Foster - The SurvivorBEST ACTRESS: Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriBEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Van Heflin - Johnny EagerBEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lee Remick - Anatomy of a MurderBEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dersu UzalaBEST SCORE: Ennio Morricone - OrcaBEST SCRIPT: Wendell Mayes - Anatomy of a MurderBEST DIRECTOR: Otto Preminger - Anatomy of a Murder Hey Cush, The Old Man and the Sea (1958, John Sturges) 5/10 Odd Man Out (1947, Carol Reed) 6/10 Johnny Eager (1941, Mervyn LeRoy) 5/10 Manhattan Melodrama (1934, W.S. Van Dyke) 6/10 The Guns of Navarone (1961, J. Lee Thompson) 6/10 Dersu Uzala (1975, Akira Kurosawa) 7/10 Anatomy of a Murder (1959, Otto Preminger) 6/10 The Hidden Fortress (1958, Akira Kurosawa) 5/10
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Post by theravenking on Nov 22, 2022 11:58:48 GMT
Hello again! Only one of yours this week: Air Force One (1997, Wolfgang Peterson) Haven't seen it since it first came out. Remember thinking it was entertaining but nothing special. 5/10 Mine: Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell (Shinichi Fukazawa, 1995) This movie is all over the place. It's clearly trying to be the Japanese version of the Evil Dead with possession, over the top violence, and splatstick comedy… but it adds a body builder into it who uses his MUSCLES to fight evil. The special effects alternate from genuinely impressive considering it's microscopic budget to awful. It's a weird movie and one I can only suggest to die hard Japanese horror fans. Personally I was amused by it but will never watch it again. 5/10 Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1974) I needed a turn off your brain sort of movie and decided to continue the Sister Street Fighter series. In many ways I think this is actually a better movie than the first. It's better paced and slightly better plotted (neither are exactly plot driven movies, but this one tries a bit harder even if it is a bit of a rehash), the martial arts are better staged and while it's just as silly and over the top, it's a little darker of a film. 6/10 The Hero (Satyajit Ray, 1966) Ray is another of those directors who I keep feeling like I've been needing to check out his films. This may seem an odd choice for my first view, but something about the concept drew me in. An actor is taking a train to accept an award, but he knows his current film is about to flop. He's getting some bad press for having been involved in a brawl and is starting to feel insecure with his status. On the train he meets a young woman who would like to interview him for a magazine she publishes, at first he refuses, but as he begins to have nightmares on the train, he feels the need to confess. It's a slow drama about fear, about insecurity and about how a celebrity's status can fall so easily if not careful. It's an extremely well constructed film, though many may walk away feeling that not much happened. Personally I loved it and found it enthralling from start to finish. 9/10 Pearl (Ti West, 2022) X was a pleasant surprise for me and hearing Ti West had a companion film/prequel on the way same year was a bit of a shock. I wasn't so sure about it but the trailer looked appealing and I decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did. I actually think I like it just as much as X. It's the perfect companion film as it feels tonally very different, yet covers a lot of the same themes (some lines are even repeated). Instead of the 70s Grindhouse look though, this one has an early technicolor visual with some colors extremely while other colors are muted. I liked the look, I liked that it was almost a drama for a good portion and I liked Goth's performance which is very impressive here. 8/10 Cries & Whispers (Ingmar Bergman, 1972) After not caring for Summer with Monika that much, I needed another Bergman (and my spouse was darling enough to buy me the Bergman Box set from Criterion as a late birthday gift). This one is a movie made of white and red in terms of almost all visuals and it is beautiful. It's a sad movie of a woman dying, and her two sisters and a servant come to care for her. The sisters are disgusted by her and her state and only the servant seems to truly be caring for her. Very sad, but beautiful. 9/10 Return of the Sister Street Fighter (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, 1975) Okay, this is movie three, and frankly every single one of these essentially has the same plot. Yakuza kidnaps one of her friends or loved ones, she flies from Hong Kong to Japan, kills a few people. Rinse and repeat. Don't get me wrong, it's not exactly the sort of film watched for a great plot, but at this point I sit there shaking my head going "Jesus people, you'd think the Yakuza would learn all her loved ones just to not involve them in ANYTHING." The formula is starting to lose me, but there's only one more to go so at this point I'll hope for the best but expect the same. 4/10 Sister Street Fighter: Fifth Level Fist (Shigehiro Ozawa, 1976) And then there's the fourth movie. It doesn't follow the same plot! Huzza! It's not really one of the movies in the series though. You see it was an attempt at a reboot staring the same actress using the title to capitalize off her most known role, but she plays an entirely different character. Well changing things up didn't really work and the series did not improve from this change (it's a much slower serious film, trying to be more realistic and dramatic, but it does so by taking away most of the action and not telling that great of a plot). Interestingly though this one was directed by the director of the original Street Fighter trilogy thus finally making a connection to the originals again. It gets one more star than the last just for having the best fight scene in the series. 5/10 Sadly none of yours this week.
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william123
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Post by william123 on Nov 22, 2022 18:24:44 GMT
Yeah, definitely a lesser one for me too. My least favourite Bond movie is The Living Daylight, I think. Die Another Day is my least favorite of the official Bond movies. I like most of them and the few I don't fully like, I still like more than dislike. I actually didn't mind Die Another Day, it's definitely not great or anything, but I thought it was kind of fun when I watched it. I'm not sure how it would hold up now. I feel the same for the one with Sophie Marceau as the villain.
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Post by jcush on Nov 22, 2022 20:34:45 GMT
Die Another Day is my least favorite of the official Bond movies. I like most of them and the few I don't fully like, I still like more than dislike. I actually didn't mind Die Another Day, it's definitely not great or anything, but I thought it was kind of fun when I watched it. I'm not sure how it would hold up now. I feel the same for the one with Sophie Marceau as the villain. I've always liked that one. It was actually my favorite when I was a kid. I don't like it nearly as much now, but still think it's fun.
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william123
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Post by william123 on Nov 23, 2022 18:53:50 GMT
I actually didn't mind Die Another Day, it's definitely not great or anything, but I thought it was kind of fun when I watched it. I'm not sure how it would hold up now. I feel the same for the one with Sophie Marceau as the villain.I've always liked that one. It was actually my favorite when I was a kid. I don't like it nearly as much now, but still think it's fun. Well, I have to say, I just saw it once back then, I don't even remember the plot too well, it's very possible it wouldn't hold up for me, but who knows...
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