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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on May 14, 2024 8:35:53 GMT
Hello, good folks of FG. The weekly film discussion thread is back. 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. All first viewings for me in the last week :
This one left me with mixed feelings.
The musical numbers were incredible and the cameos by legends such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, John Lee Hooker etc. were well utilized.
However, I could not appreciate the rest of the plot with the action mainly focussed on large-scale wanton destruction. It did not entertain me, it simply left a bad taste in my mouth. I suppose I can appreciate the logistics side of faking all that destruction on camera a little but even so, it's not enough - and the subplot with Carrie Fisher was simply bloody bizarre.
5/10
Trailer :
This one plain sucked outside the musical numbers and the cameos, which were excellent like the last time.
I did not like the first film's plot much but I acknowledge that it knew what it was doing and achieved the intended result as planned.
This one doesn't even pass that bottom line benchmark. The plot is tonally inconsistent and bizarrely all over the place, the returning characters aren't the same and the new characters are plain boring. In the first film, Dan Aykroyd was committed to playing a character, here on the other hand, he is simply playing Dan Aykroyd.
3/10
Trailer :
A rare character drama for Clint Eastwood where he plays a talented but over-the-hill country singer and his affectionate relationship with his nephew (played by his son, Kyle Eastwood). The film reminded me of Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon.
8/10
Trailer :
A film based on a true story about three young brothers who decided to make their own wildlife films, travelling all over the USA. However, the wildlife scenes aren't particularly interesting and Jonathan Taylor Thomas's narration and acting got on my nerves. A potentially entertaining film for children but irritating to me as an adult.
3/10
Trailer :
It is a pleasant light-hearted romp and the cinematography and production design - particularly the colour scheme - are astounding. However, not only is the character of Mr. Yunioshi unnecessary in the story, the attempts to treat him as comic relief are repugnant to say the least.
6/10
Trailer :
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 14, 2024 9:13:37 GMT
The Blues Brothers - 8/10
Blues Brothers 2000 - 5/10
Mine:
You Only Live Twice (1967) - 8/10 Really good Bond film.
Painkiller (2021) - 3/10 Forgettable thriller.
They Turned Us Into Killers (2024) - 1/10 Awful, boring and falsely advertised horror/thriller film. My worst film of the year so far.
Scream Legacy (2022) - 5/10 Scream fan film. Pretty well done for what it is but I didnt love it.
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Post by James on May 14, 2024 12:36:06 GMT
The Blues Brothers - 8/10
All first viewings from me as well.
Lock Up (1989, John Flynn) – 7/10
Curtains (1983, Richard Ciupka) - 7/10
Hospital Massacre/X-Ray (1982, Boaz Davidson) – 6/10
Thanksgiving (2023, Eli Roth) – 8/10
Let It Be (1970, Michael Lindsay-Hogg) – 7.5/10
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Post by jcush on May 14, 2024 19:46:52 GMT
The Blues Brothers - Finally watched this one last year and ended up enjoying it. 7.5/10
Breakfast at Tiffany's - 7/10
I'll get to Honkytonk Man eventually. It's one of the few Eastwood movies I haven't seen.
First Time Viewings:
Unfrosted (2024, Jerry Seinfeld) - 5/10
The Good Mother (2023, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte) - 5/10
Savage Salvation (2022, Randall Emmett) - 5/10
The Beginning: Making Episode I (2001, Jon Shenk) - 7.5/10
From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in Episode II (2002, Jon Shenk) - 7/10
Star Wars: Within a Minute - The Making of Episode III (2005, Tippy Bushkin) - 7/10
Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005, Tippy Bushkin) - 7/10
Pretty Poison (1968, Noel Black) - 8/10
Men of Honor (2000, George Tillman Jr.) - 7/10
Act of Violence (1948, Fred Zinnemann) - 7.5/10
Biosphere (2022, Mel Eslyn) - 6.5/10
Abigail (2024, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett) - 7/10
Repeat Viewings:
Planet of the Apes (1968, Franklin J. Schaffner) - 8.5/10
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970, Ted Post) - 6.5/10
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971, Don Taylor) - 7/10
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972, J. Lee Thompson) - 7/10
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973, J. Lee Thompson) - 6.5/10
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019, Quentin Tarantino) - 9/10
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soggy
Sophomore
@soggy
Posts: 785
Likes: 1,284
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Post by soggy on May 15, 2024 1:30:51 GMT
Hello again.
Yours
The Blues Brothers (1980, John Landis)
Personally I like it. It's my second favorite from Landis (after American Werewolf in London). I find it very funny and like the characters. 8/10
Mine:
I Flunked, But... (Yasujirô Ozu, 1930)
I love Ozu but I have a lot of trouble getting into his silent films (the only exception has been The Lady and the Beard which I liked, but still can't say that I loved). I find that his later films work partially because of his unique style and because of the dialogue/family interactions. Well, obviously dialogue is not in his silent films and most of his early work has more traditional camera movements rather than his stationary cameras. Of all of his silents I've seen, this is easily my least favorite. I didn't find the humor to work very well with the exceptions of the opening scenes and the "drama" aspect felt unearned as I didn't care about the character at all. I actively disliked this one and actually had to watch it in two parts despite it's short run time as after 40 minutes I didn't feel like I could stand another minute of it the first time. It kills me to go this low for Ozu, but honestly the only reason it gets that much is the opening scenes. 2/10
Ashes and Diamonds (Andrzej Wajda, 1958)
Very good movie that just didn’t fully click for me. I respect it a lot more than I liked it, and I am glad I watched it, but I don’t see it as the masterpiece that many seem to see. 7/10
Monster Hunter (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2020)
Well, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Also for PG-13 movie that was intended to be a summer action flick (but, well... you know... 2020 happened) its first 30 minutes or so are surprisingly brutal and honestly more of a horror movie than Anderson's Resident Evil films ever felt. That said, it's still not good. It also has one of the most surprisingly bold "no ending except setting up a sequel" closes that made it feel completely pointless. 2/10
W. (Oliver Stone, 2008)
I see why this movie was not incredibly well received when it came out. As an inherently political film, people want to take a side; where I honestly feel this film tries to remain as neutral as possible. People on the Right will look at this and see a criticism of Bush. People on the Left will see it as too sympathetic. I found it an interesting if flawed film (for reasons other than neutrality). Unlike the other Oliver Stone films I've seen, this is the only one where I was alive to really witness the events as they were happening (well, at least old enough to remember them happening). I remember these unfolding, seeing the papers and the TV reports. I remember watching it happen and forming my own opinions. I doubt this is the sort of film that would change anyone's opinions (especially being released while still so much of it was going on), but it made for a deeper connection than some of his other films did for me. It’s not a masterpiece, but I liked it. 7/10
She Is Conann (Bertrand Mandico, 2023)
A weird, weird, WEIRD French arthouse movie in which we follow various incarnations of a female version of Conan the Barbarian as she travels through stories, time and the afterlife. I found it compelling, but certainly not for everyone. 7/10
Dr. Lamb (Danny Lee, 1992)
An over the top and very violent Cat III film. Almost feels like a combination of classic serial killer meet John Waters dark/gross out comedy. I enjoyed it for the most part, but I found it had some big pacing issues. The most interesting aspect to me is a common convention of the Cat III film,which is its complete disregard for many "cinematic rules". Not that they're poorly made, but the was they make it feels like something you would NEVER see in any other country. 6/10
Dying of the Light (Paul Schrader, 2014)
This is week seven of my examination of the films of Paul Schrader. For some reason, this week I decided to go with the film the director himself disowned. While I do not know the full situation, what I do know is that the movie was taken from his hands after filming wrapped and was edited by the studio. He and apparently Cage have since both disowned the film and there is supposedly another cut on the internet that was edited by Schrader but never officially released called Dark (which I have not seen). First I will say that I was surprised while watching it that I didn't think it was anywhere near as bad as what that origin story lead me to believe. The film is completely watchable, and honestly both Schrader and Cage have made much worse movies than this (hell, they made Dog Eat Dog together and that was worse than this and Schrader had final cut of it). It is entirely possible that Schrader's cut is a better film as there are some interesting ideas here but honestly... well, it's just not a movie that I really see an alternate cut saving. It's a movie that's just not very good from start to finish. The performances are decent, but not impressive (though Cage does get a few "full Cage" yelling moments). The plot really doesn't feel, well, worth it and overall it's kind of a boring film. Again, pacing changes could help, sure. Perhaps scenes were left out that made things work better... but I don't know. It just feels like a direct to video or cable movie and I don't think that would ever really change. It's not awful, but it's very skippable. 4/10
The Living Magoroku (Keisuke Kinoshita, 1943)
Very well shot, but extremely preach Japanese propaganda film from the WWII era. You will hear what an honor it is to die for one's country many times. You will hear how the American and British cowards need to be cut down. You will hear about the ancestor's fighting spirit is what makes Japan the greatest. Kinoshita would go on to make many great films later, but you can see he's struggling with this as it's filled with several sub-plots which he wants to tackle, but man, that propaganda just keeps getting in the way. 4/10
Nosferatu in Venice (Augusto Caminito, 1988)
One of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. The plot is garbage, the script is atrocious, the pacing a disaster, and the acting laughable. It’s a mess in every way shape and form… and after viewing it I discovered that the scene of sexual assault may actually be real because Kinski was a true monster and actually did go off script without letting the actress know and started tearing her clothes. I suggest this to absolutely no one. 1/10
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Stanley Kramer, 1967)
Obviously dated, but a good social commentary on America in the 60s. Amazing performances all around (particularly by Spencer Tracy in what would be his final role). 8/10
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Post by moviemouth on May 15, 2024 3:06:29 GMT
W. (Oliver Stone, 2008) I see why this movie was not incredibly well received when it came out. As an inherently political film, people want to take a side; where I honestly feel this film tries to remain as neutral as possible. People on the Right will look at this and see a criticism of Bush. People on the Left will see it as too sympathetic. I found it an interesting if flawed film (for reasons other than neutrality). Unlike the other Oliver Stone films I've seen, this is the only one where I was alive to really witness the events as they were happening (well, at least old enough to remember them happening). I remember these unfolding, seeing the papers and the TV reports. I remember watching it happen and forming my own opinions. I doubt this is the sort of film that would change anyone's opinions (especially being released while still so much of it was going on), but it made for a deeper connection than some of his other films did for me. It’s not a masterpiece, but I liked it. 7/10 Dying of the Light (Paul Schrader, 2014) This is week seven of my examination of the films of Paul Schrader. For some reason, this week I decided to go with the film the director himself disowned. While I do not know the full situation, what I do know is that the movie was taken from his hands after filming wrapped and was edited by the studio. He and apparently Cage have since both disowned the film and there is supposedly another cut on the internet that was edited by Schrader but never officially released called Dark (which I have not seen). First I will say that I was surprised while watching it that I didn't think it was anywhere near as bad as what that origin story lead me to believe. The film is completely watchable, and honestly both Schrader and Cage have made much worse movies than this (hell, they made Dog Eat Dog together and that was worse than this and Schrader had final cut of it). It is entirely possible that Schrader's cut is a better film as there are some interesting ideas here but honestly... well, it's just not a movie that I really see an alternate cut saving. It's a movie that's just not very good from start to finish. The performances are decent, but not impressive (though Cage does get a few "full Cage" yelling moments). The plot really doesn't feel, well, worth it and overall it's kind of a boring film. Again, pacing changes could help, sure. Perhaps scenes were left out that made things work better... but I don't know. It just feels like a direct to video or cable movie and I don't think that would ever really change. It's not awful, but it's very skippable. 4/10 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Stanley Kramer, 1967) Obviously dated, but a good social commentary on America in the 60s. Amazing performances all around (particularly by Spencer Tracy in what would be his final role). 8/10 We are mostly on the same page with all those. Dying of the Light is my least favorite Paul Schrader movie btw. I actually just finished his filmography last week.
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Post by moviemouth on May 15, 2024 3:49:24 GMT
Ranked from favorite to least favorite. Promise (1986 Glenn Jordan) - 7.5/10When his mother dies, Bob (James Garner) not only inherits her house, but also the custody of his younger brother (James Woods), who suffers from schizophrenia and epilepsy. At the age of 21, Bob promised to look after his brother. Although he has barely seen him in the many years since then and strives against the commitment, he doesn't dare to put him in a home either. Also starring Piper Laurie. No Down Payment (1957 Martin Ritt) - 7.5/10In California, four couples who have bought houses near one another face problems, alcoholism, racism, promiscuity, and discrimination against lack of education, until a tragic event forces them to reassess their lives. Starring Jeffrey Hunter, Patricia Owens, Cameron Mitchell, Sheree North, Tony Randall, Pat Hingle, Barbara Rush and Joanne Woodward. LaRoy, Texas (2023 Shane Atkinson) - 6.5/10When Ray (John Magaro) discovers that his wife (Megan Stevenson) is cheating on him, he decides he's going to kill himself. His plans suddenly change when a stranger mistakes him for a low-rent hitman. Also starring Steve Zahn and Dylan Baker. Abigail (2024 Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett) - 6.5/10After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they're locked inside with no normal little girl. Starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, William Catlett, Angus Cloud and Giancarlo Esposito. Desk Set (1957 Walter Lang) - 6.5/10
Two extremely strong personalities (Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn) clash over the computerization of a television network's research department. Also starring Joan Blondell and Gig Young. ...First Do No Harm (1997 Jim Abrahams) - 6.5/10The story of one mother's (Meryl Streep) struggle against a narrow-minded medical establishment. Also starring Fred Ward, Margo Martindale, Seth Adkins, Oni Faida Lampley and Allison Janney. Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 Henry Levin) - 6/10An Edinburgh professor (James Mason) and assorted colleagues follow an explorer's trail down an extinct Icelandic volcano to the earth's center. Also starring Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl, Peter Ronson and Thayer David. Light of Day (1987 Paul Schrader) - 5.5/10
A pair of siblings (Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett) must choose whether to pursue their dream of touring with their rock band or support their family and stay in Cleveland, Ohio. Also starring Gena Rowlands, Michael McKean, Cherry Jones and Jason Miller. The Major and the Minor (1942 Billy Wilder) - 4.5/10A frustrated city girl (Ginger Rogers) disguises herself as a youngster in order to get a cheaper train ticket home. But little "Sue Sue" finds herself in a whole heap of grown-up trouble when she hides out in a compartment with a handsome Major (Ray Milland). Feds (1988 Daniel Goldberg) - 3.5/10While Ellie (Rebecca De Mornay) is strong, streetwise, practical, social but scholarly weak, Janis (Mary Gross) is the opposite and thus make ideal room and team mates at a tough 16 week FBI training course. Also starring Fred Dalton Thompson. 10 Best Performances of the week.1. James Woods, Promise 2. James Garner, Promise 3. Joanne Woodward, No Down Payment 4. Meryl Streep, ...First Do No Harm 5. Cameron Mitchell, No Down Payment 6. Patricia Owens, No Down Payment 7. Steve Zahn, LaRoy, Texas 8. Gena Rowlands, Light of Day 9. Pat Hingle, No Down Payment 10. Alisha Weir, Abigail
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Post by moviemouth on May 15, 2024 3:53:23 GMT
Hello, good folks of FG. The weekly film discussion thread is back. 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. All first viewings for me in the last week :
This one left me with mixed feelings.
The musical numbers were incredible and the cameos by legends such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, John Lee Hooker etc. were well utilized.
However, I could not appreciate the rest of the plot with the action mainly focussed on large-scale wanton destruction. It did not entertain me, it simply left a bad taste in my mouth. I suppose I can appreciate the logistics side of faking all that destruction on camera a little but even so, it's not enough - and the subplot with Carrie Fisher was simply bloody bizarre.
5/10
Trailer :
This one plain sucked outside the musical numbers and the cameos, which were excellent like the last time.
I did not like the first film's plot much but I acknowledge that it knew what it was doing and achieved the intended result as planned.
This one doesn't even pass that bottom line benchmark. The plot is tonally inconsistent and bizarrely all over the place, the returning characters aren't the same and the new characters are plain boring. In the first film, Dan Aykroyd was committed to playing a character, here on the other hand, he is simply playing Dan Aykroyd.
3/10
Trailer :
8/10
Trailer :
6/10
Trailer :
Other than Honkytonk Man (4.5/10), we are more or less on the same page. Honkytonk Man is a very bland movie imo, and I don't find Eastwood very convincing in the role.
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soggy
Sophomore
@soggy
Posts: 785
Likes: 1,284
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Post by soggy on May 15, 2024 13:27:37 GMT
W. (Oliver Stone, 2008) I see why this movie was not incredibly well received when it came out. As an inherently political film, people want to take a side; where I honestly feel this film tries to remain as neutral as possible. People on the Right will look at this and see a criticism of Bush. People on the Left will see it as too sympathetic. I found it an interesting if flawed film (for reasons other than neutrality). Unlike the other Oliver Stone films I've seen, this is the only one where I was alive to really witness the events as they were happening (well, at least old enough to remember them happening). I remember these unfolding, seeing the papers and the TV reports. I remember watching it happen and forming my own opinions. I doubt this is the sort of film that would change anyone's opinions (especially being released while still so much of it was going on), but it made for a deeper connection than some of his other films did for me. It’s not a masterpiece, but I liked it. 7/10 Dying of the Light (Paul Schrader, 2014) This is week seven of my examination of the films of Paul Schrader. For some reason, this week I decided to go with the film the director himself disowned. While I do not know the full situation, what I do know is that the movie was taken from his hands after filming wrapped and was edited by the studio. He and apparently Cage have since both disowned the film and there is supposedly another cut on the internet that was edited by Schrader but never officially released called Dark (which I have not seen). First I will say that I was surprised while watching it that I didn't think it was anywhere near as bad as what that origin story lead me to believe. The film is completely watchable, and honestly both Schrader and Cage have made much worse movies than this (hell, they made Dog Eat Dog together and that was worse than this and Schrader had final cut of it). It is entirely possible that Schrader's cut is a better film as there are some interesting ideas here but honestly... well, it's just not a movie that I really see an alternate cut saving. It's a movie that's just not very good from start to finish. The performances are decent, but not impressive (though Cage does get a few "full Cage" yelling moments). The plot really doesn't feel, well, worth it and overall it's kind of a boring film. Again, pacing changes could help, sure. Perhaps scenes were left out that made things work better... but I don't know. It just feels like a direct to video or cable movie and I don't think that would ever really change. It's not awful, but it's very skippable. 4/10 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Stanley Kramer, 1967) Obviously dated, but a good social commentary on America in the 60s. Amazing performances all around (particularly by Spencer Tracy in what would be his final role). 8/10 We are mostly on the same page with all those. Dying of the Light is my least favorite Paul Schrader movie btw. I actually just finished his filmography last week. Nice! Of the one's I've finished, I would rank them as follows:
Mishima - 9/10 Auto Focus - 8/10 Cat People - 7/10 First Reformed Touch Dominion - 6/10 Dying of the Light - 4/10 Dog Eat Dog - 2/10
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soggy
Sophomore
@soggy
Posts: 785
Likes: 1,284
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Post by soggy on May 15, 2024 13:30:03 GMT
Ranked from favorite to least favorite. Promise (1986 Glenn Jordan) - 7.5/10When his mother dies, Bob (James Garner) not only inherits her house, but also the custody of his younger brother (James Woods), who suffers from schizophrenia and epilepsy. At the age of 21, Bob promised to look after his brother. Although he has barely seen him in the many years since then and strives against the commitment, he doesn't dare to put him in a home either. Also starring Piper Laurie. No Down Payment (1957 Martin Ritt) - 7.5/10In California, four couples who have bought houses near one another face problems, alcoholism, racism, promiscuity, and discrimination against lack of education, until a tragic event forces them to reassess their lives. Starring Jeffrey Hunter, Patricia Owens, Cameron Mitchell, Sheree North, Tony Randall, Pat Hingle, Barbara Rush and Joanne Woodward. LaRoy, Texas (2023 Shane Atkinson) - 6.5/10When Ray (John Magaro) discovers that his wife (Megan Stevenson) is cheating on him, he decides he's going to kill himself. His plans suddenly change when a stranger mistakes him for a low-rent hitman. Also starring Steve Zahn and Dylan Baker. Abigail (2024 Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett) - 6.5/10After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they're locked inside with no normal little girl. Starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, William Catlett, Angus Cloud and Giancarlo Esposito. ...First Do No Harm (1997 Jim Abrahams) - 6.5/10The story of one mother's (Meryl Streep) struggle against a narrow-minded medical establishment. Also starring Fred Ward, Margo Martindale, Seth Adkins, Oni Faida Lampley and Allison Janney. Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 Henry Levin) - 6/10An Edinburgh professor (James Mason) and assorted colleagues follow an explorer's trail down an extinct Icelandic volcano to the earth's center. Also starring Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl, Peter Ronson and Thayer David. Light of Day (1987 Paul Schrader) - 5.5/10
A pair of siblings (Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett) must choose whether to pursue their dream of touring with their rock band or support their family and stay in Cleveland, Ohio. Also starring Gena Rowlands, Michael McKean, Cherry Jones and Jason Miller. The Major and the Minor (1942 Billy Wilder) - 4.5/10A frustrated city girl (Ginger Rogers) disguises herself as a youngster in order to get a cheaper train ticket home. But little "Sue Sue" finds herself in a whole heap of grown-up trouble when she hides out in a compartment with a handsome Major (Ray Milland). Feds (1988 Daniel Goldberg) - 3.5/10While Ellie (Rebecca De Mornay) is strong, streetwise, practical, social but scholarly weak, Janis (Mary Gross) is the opposite and thus make ideal room and team mates at a tough 16 week FBI training course. Also starring Fred Dalton Thompson. 10 Best Performances of the week.1. James Woods, Promise 2. James Garner, Promise 3. Joanne Woodward, No Down Payment 4. Meryl Streep, ...First Do No Harm 5. Cameron Mitchell, No Down Payment 6. Patricia Owens, No Down Payment 7. Steve Zahn, LaRoy, Texas 8. Gena Rowlands, Light of Day 9. Pat Hingle, No Down Payment 10. Alisha Weir, Abigail Of yours I've only seen The Major and the Minor (1942 Billy Wilder). I liked it a little more than you did, but it's still one of Wilder's lesser films. 6/10
Interested in both Light of Day and Abigail.
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Post by moviemouth on May 15, 2024 13:58:11 GMT
We are mostly on the same page with all those. Dying of the Light is my least favorite Paul Schrader movie btw. I actually just finished his filmography last week. Nice! Of the one's I've finished, I would rank them as follows:
Mishima - 9/10 Auto Focus - 8/10 Cat People - 7/10 First Reformed Touch Dominion - 6/10 Dying of the Light - 4/10 Dog Eat Dog - 2/10
The Card Counter - 8.5/10 Adam Resurrected - 8/10 Affliction - 7.5/10 Auto Focus Blue Collar First Reformed Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - 7/10 Master Gardener Hardcore The Comfort of Strangers Cat People - 6.5/10 Patty Hearst American Gigolo - 6/10 Light Sleeper Touch - 5.5/10 The Walker Light of Day The Canyons - 5/10 Dog Eat Dog Dominion Forever Mine - 4.5/10 Dying of the Light
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 15, 2024 16:03:22 GMT
The Honkeytonk Man - 7/10 A Wonderfully balanced coming of age/road movie with a good Eastwood performance, and an even better performance by his son. The Blues Brothers - 8/10 I love Landis’ randomly chaotic style (probably why I like his ‘Into the Night’ even more), and the cast do match the energy. Last week; Sin City (2005) repeat 6/10. Maybe gimmicky & one-note in its novelty, but the comic visuals had its moments. Rather enjoy the Mickey Rourke chapter, and the Bruce Willis story was okay. However wasn’t feeling much for the Clive Owen story. It slows everything up, and Owen is easily overshadowed by everyone else in his story. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) repeat 9/10 Maybe a little too long in the tooth where it meanders before reaching its climax, however I really enjoy the journey and characters along the way. It has really grown on me over time. Night Vision (2011) 2/10 Cheap, and simple-minded shot on digital erotica/kidnapping/hostage psycho thriller. Neither titillating, nor suspenseful.
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Post by Roberto on May 16, 2024 3:25:08 GMT
The Blues Brothers (1980) 9/10
Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) 8/10
Mine:
Fools Rush In (1997) A pretty unoriginal and generic rom com, but Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek are good and make it watchable. 4/10
The Muppet Movie (1979) Excellent puppetry and voice work as to be expected (I did not notice a single wire), and it has some very nice music, my favourite being Movin' Right Along. But I found the story to be pretty basic and not all that interesting unfortunately. 5/10
The Pink Panther (1963) Peter Sellers was fantastic, very funny. I went in assuming he would be the lead, and didn't realise he wasn't until later. So he definitely steals the show. I really liked the italian lady as well. The story is pretty simple and kind of meandering but is to be expected for an old movie I guess. I do look forward to checking out the sequels. 5/10
Dragnet (1987) Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks are both very funny and work well together. There are quite a lot of funny one liners in the movie. I'm not very familiar with the original TV series outside of being spoofed in other movies/shows, so perhaps I would have liked it more if I was. But as a standalone movie this was quite enjoyable. 6.5/10
Short Circuit 2 (1988) This was even better than the first one. The story is much more interesting here, it's funnier, and also more moving. Some of the cast missing was a concern but that was quickly alleviated, as Ben was the perfect character to continue with. I found him to be the standout human character from the first one, and they really do a great job with his character here and make him very relatable. Michael McKean's an excellent addition and I really liked his character as well. Not sure who played the girl but I found her to be even prettier than Ally Sheedy, I just wish she had more to do. The villains were okay, nothing too standout there. Johnny Five is amazing and full of many hilarious one liners throughout the movie. Really good original score as well, the theme song is quite catchy. 7.5/10
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) A really nicely filmed movie, with some great atmosphere and decent music, but I didn't really understand the point of it, and didn't like the ending. It also didn't make sense to me how people could go missing at the rock, as if it were a maze or something. They may have tried to make it look bigger by using different camera angles and such, but it's clearly not a very big location. I thought the most interesting part was the side story with the Sarah character, but hated the ending to that as well. I did not recognise John Jarratt until after the movie! I knew Jackie Weaver was in it, and assumed she was the main girl who went missing but wasn't sure, until she showed up later. I found this one a bit difficult to rate. 4.5/10
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Post by theravenking on May 16, 2024 8:58:50 GMT
Hello, good folks of FG. The weekly film discussion thread is back. 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. All first viewings for me in the last week :
This one left me with mixed feelings.
The musical numbers were incredible and the cameos by legends such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, John Lee Hooker etc. were well utilized.
However, I could not appreciate the rest of the plot with the action mainly focussed on large-scale wanton destruction. It did not entertain me, it simply left a bad taste in my mouth. I suppose I can appreciate the logistics side of faking all that destruction on camera a little but even so, it's not enough - and the subplot with Carrie Fisher was simply bloody bizarre.
5/10
Trailer :
This one plain sucked outside the musical numbers and the cameos, which were excellent like the last time.
I did not like the first film's plot much but I acknowledge that it knew what it was doing and achieved the intended result as planned.
This one doesn't even pass that bottom line benchmark. The plot is tonally inconsistent and bizarrely all over the place, the returning characters aren't the same and the new characters are plain boring. In the first film, Dan Aykroyd was committed to playing a character, here on the other hand, he is simply playing Dan Aykroyd.
3/10
Trailer :
A rare character drama for Clint Eastwood where he plays a talented but over-the-hill country singer and his affectionate relationship with his nephew (played by his son, Kyle Eastwood). The film reminded me of Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon.
8/10
Trailer :
A film based on a true story about three young brothers who decided to make their own wildlife films, travelling all over the USA. However, the wildlife scenes aren't particularly interesting and Jonathan Taylor Thomas's narration and acting got on my nerves. A potentially entertaining film for children but irritating to me as an adult.
3/10
Trailer :
6/10
Trailer :
Blues Brothers 2000 (1998, John Landis) : Since I'd never seen the first movie, I wasn't sure what to make of the sequel. But then I've never really been a blues fan in the first place, so it could be, that these movies are simply not for me.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1960, Blake Edwards) : A lovely classic. When it comes to Audrey Hepburn I would prefer Charade and How to Steal a Million though.
8/10
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Post by theravenking on May 16, 2024 9:00:16 GMT
First Time Viewing:
The Sentinel (1977; Michael Winner) – Demonic horror with an interesting concept and a stellar cast, but director Winner shows little flair for the genre. The attempts to shock came over as gross or downright silly. This is the sort of movie which could be significantly improved by a remake. 4/10
Repeat Viewing:
Starship Troopers (1997; Paul Verhoeven) – Still a fun action movie, even though it’s overlong and I thought the satire got a bit repetitive after a while. Some of the effects work is still impressive, the giant bugs look especially convincing. 7/10
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Post by theravenking on May 16, 2024 9:07:14 GMT
The Honkeytonk Man - 7/10 A Wonderfully balanced coming of age/road movie with a good Eastwood performance, and an even better performance by his son. The Blues Brothers - 8/10 I love Landis’ randomly chaotic style (probably why I like his ‘Into the Night’ even more), and the cast do match the energy. Last week; Sin City (2005) repeat 6/10. Maybe gimmicky & one-note in its novelty, but the comic visuals had its moments. Rather enjoy the Mickey Rourke chapter, and the Bruce Willis story was okay. However wasn’t feeling much for the Clive Owen story. It slows everything up, and Owen is easily overshadowed by everyone else in his story. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) repeat 9/10 Maybe a little too long in the tooth where it meanders before reaching its climax, however I really enjoy the journey and characters along the way. It has really grown on me over time. Night Vision (2011) 2/10 Cheap, and simple-minded shot on digital erotica/kidnapping/hostage psycho thriller. Neither titillating, nor suspenseful. Sin City (2005) - I haven't seen this since watching it at the theater, and I wasn't too impressed by it at the time. It felt too much like a comic-book, lacking the flow of a movie and also seemed to miss the entire point of noir fiction (characters in noir are supposed to be inhabiting a moral grey area with all of them flawed and possibly corrupt, whereas here you get these very simplified good or evil characters where it's basically obvious from the beginning what is going on.)
5/10
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) - I liked it better than Pale Rider, but High Plains Drifter still remains my favorite Clint-directed western.
6.5/10
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 17, 2024 1:57:42 GMT
The Honkeytonk Man - 7/10 A Wonderfully balanced coming of age/road movie with a good Eastwood performance, and an even better performance by his son. The Blues Brothers - 8/10 I love Landis’ randomly chaotic style (probably why I like his ‘Into the Night’ even more), and the cast do match the energy. Last week; Sin City (2005) repeat 6/10. Maybe gimmicky & one-note in its novelty, but the comic visuals had its moments. Rather enjoy the Mickey Rourke chapter, and the Bruce Willis story was okay. However wasn’t feeling much for the Clive Owen story. It slows everything up, and Owen is easily overshadowed by everyone else in his story. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) repeat 9/10 Maybe a little too long in the tooth where it meanders before reaching its climax, however I really enjoy the journey and characters along the way. It has really grown on me over time. Night Vision (2011) 2/10 Cheap, and simple-minded shot on digital erotica/kidnapping/hostage psycho thriller. Neither titillating, nor suspenseful. Sin City (2005) - I haven't seen this since watching it at the theater, and I wasn't too impressed by it at the time. It felt too much like a comic-book, lacking the flow of a movie and also seemed to miss the entire point of noir fiction (characters in noir are supposed to be inhabiting a moral grey area with all of them flawed and possibly corrupt, whereas here you get these very simplified good or evil characters where it's basically obvious from the beginning what is going on.)
5/10
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) - I liked it better than Pale Rider, but High Plains Drifter still remains my favorite Clint-directed western.
6.5/10
I’m not familiar with the source material of Sin City. But the whole comic book styling of the film’s narrative did feel only surface level and without nuance. But was it deliberate? I mainly rewatched it, as I was sitting on an ex-rental copy of its sequel. However the bluray was faulty, and skipped and jumped throughout the Josh Brolin/Eva Green story. Other chapters played fine. Really enjoyed Powers Boothe’s performance. So in the end, I didn’t bother logging it. I too would give the slight edge to High Plains Drifter. I tend to rewatch Pale Rider more often though. I seem to do that with Eastwood’s lesser westerns. Same for Joe Kidd. Maybe because they’re basic, and comfy westerns. Curious if Eastwood was a shadow director for ‘Joe Kidd’, since all of the behind the scenes issues with that feature?
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 17, 2024 2:17:03 GMT
First Time Viewing: The Sentinel (1977; Michael Winner) – Demonic horror with an interesting concept and a stellar cast, but director Winner shows little flair for the genre. The attempts to shock came over as gross or downright silly. This is the sort of movie which could be significantly improved by a remake. 4/10 Repeat Viewing: Starship Troopers (1997; Paul Verhoeven) – Still a fun action movie, even though it’s overlong and I thought the satire got a bit repetitive after a while. Some of the effects work is still impressive, the giant bugs look especially convincing. 7/10 Been sometime since I’ve watched Michael Winner’s ‘The Sentinel’. I remembering liking it. Intriguing set-up with some creepy touches and unpleasant shocks. For me Sylvia Miles and Beverly D'Angelo (as the unnerving lesbian neighbours) probably stood out from the star studded cast. Always thought the film had some similar parallels to Lucio Fulci’s ‘The Beyond’. Agree on ‘Starship Troopers’. Fun outlandish action sci-fi with moments of effective humour and satire. The special effects were rather good too. Though definitely could’ve tighter the pacing/story.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on May 17, 2024 5:07:43 GMT
The Blues Brothers - 8/10 Blues Brothers 2000 - 5/10 Mine: You Only Live Twice (1967) - 8/10Really good Bond film. Painkiller (2021) - 3/10Forgettable thriller. They Turned Us Into Killers (2024) - 1/10Awful, boring and falsely advertised horror/thriller film. My worst film of the year so far. Scream Legacy (2022) - 5/10Scream fan film. Pretty well done for what it is but I didnt love it. You Only Live Twice: I remember it being good but not top-tier good.
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Post by Hurdy Gurdy Man on May 17, 2024 5:11:17 GMT
The Blues Brothers - 8/10 All first viewings from me as well. Lock Up (1989, John Flynn) – 7/10Curtains (1983, Richard Ciupka) - 7/10Hospital Massacre/X-Ray (1982, Boaz Davidson) – 6/10Thanksgiving (2023, Eli Roth) – 8/10Let It Be (1970, Michael Lindsay-Hogg) – 7.5/10My thoughts on Lock Up from the weekly thread dated June 27, 2022 :
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