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Post by darksidebeadle on Apr 1, 2018 11:05:57 GMT
Creature (1985) 1/10 - This was one of the cheesiest and worst rip-off movies I've seen. I'm surprised some people liked it, but it was just terrible, ugly looking, boring, very darkly filmed, bad effects and makeup. Watch Forbidden World (1982) instead, this is how low budget horror/scifi film that Creature should have been made. This movie gets a 1/10. Lady Bird (2017) 10/10 - This is how you feel as an adult, powerful movie. The Gift (2015) 9/10 - Chilling psycholigcal thriller! Joel Edgerton was good on directing, acting and written. Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014) 7.5/10 - The first one is still way better, but it's still good one. Ready Player One (2018) 10/10 - Too bad, I wish I've seen it as a kid. Lady Bird (2017) 5/10 - Competent film but ive seen all of it done before in other movies over the years. The Gift (2015) 6.5/10 - solid thriller. Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014) 6.5/10 - My least fave of the three but still fun enough. Ready Player One (2018) ill probably wait till it plays on tv
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Post by politicidal on Apr 1, 2018 18:35:02 GMT
"All Eyez on Me" made my top ten worst list. Dreadfully flat and dull.
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Post by jcush on Apr 1, 2018 18:48:27 GMT
YOURSRocky - 8.5/10Rocky II - 6.5/10Rocky III - 7/10Rocky IV - 5.5/10Rocky V - 4.5/10Rocky Balboa - 5.5/10Creed - 5.5/10MINEThe Last Hurrah (1958 John Ford) - 7/10Don's Plum (2001 R.D. Robb) - 5.5/10Warcraft (2016 Duncan Jones) - 3/10The Westerner (1940 William Wyler) - 7/10Won't Back Down (2012 Daniel Barnz) - 3/10Ready Player One (2018 Steven Spielberg) - 5.5/10Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018 Wes Ball) - 5.5/10The Heiress (1949 William Wyler) - 9/10The Desperate Hours (1955 William Wyler) - 7.5/10Top Hat (1935 Mark Sandrich) - 7/10The Man from Laramie (1955 Anthony Mann) - 7/10Free State of Jones (2016 Gary Ross) - 6.5/10Marmaduke (2010 Tom Dey) - 4/10TelevisionSeinfeld: Season 2 (1991) - 7/10Seinfeld: Season 3 (1991-1992) - 7.5/10
Film Awards BEST PICTURE BEST ACTOR Spencer Tracy (The Last Hurrah) BEST ACTRESS Olivia de Havilland (The Heiress) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Ralph Richardson (The Heiress) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Miriam Hopkins (The Heiress) BEST DIRECTOR William Wyler (The Heiress) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY The Heiress BEST SCORE Don's Plum - 6/10 The Heiress - 8/10 The Desperate Hours - 7.5/10 The Man from Laramie - 7/10 I used to watch Seinfeld when I was a kid. Always enjoyed it.
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Post by darksidebeadle on Apr 1, 2018 19:29:13 GMT
I’m deep deep on the other end of eisenbergs Luthor. I rememeber that. Oh I’ve seen man from Laramie too, was not a fan 4.5
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stonekeeper
Sophomore
@stonekeeper
Posts: 382
Likes: 24
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Post by stonekeeper on Apr 1, 2018 19:30:16 GMT
Hello!
To be honest I would need to rewatch the first ones since it'S been many years but from memory:
Rocky: 8.5 2: 8 3:8 4:7 5: 7 Rocky Balboa: 6 Creed: 7.5
I'll look up Wild wild country. I hope it's on Canadian Netflix
Mine:
The Ninth Gate (1999 DVD): ’’ A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.’’ I did not expect to like that one that much and like it I did. It’s very well made and I was enthralled for the whole ride, even though it looks absurd on the surface. This guy loves books so much he will hold on to one even though Death follows him everywhere he goes while hot evil women are chasing him around. He faces fire and hot mamas with tattoos, real dangerous stuff. Anyways, this guy loves books and once you accept that fact with your heart this movie is lovable. 7.5/10
The City of Lost Souls (2000 DVD): What I like about Takashi Miike is his unpredictability. What I don’t like about him is the confusion he likes to create with randomness. For this on, he played it safe and went on a more common route while keeping some of his confusing style. As usual, there is lots of cool camera work and effects and some unique editing but it’s definitely not one of my favorites. 5.5/10
Donnie Darko (2001 DVD): The first time I saw it, I thought it was cool but did not get the ending. On rewatch, I still loved the atmosphere very much but now I understand the las part a bit more. Im just confused as to how exactly a dead person use a metal object flying at high speed to travel back in time. And why was this guy able to do it? These types of movie normally give me a braingasm ( Mr Nobody, A beautiful mind, Source Code…) but this one pleases me but does not over-stimulate. 7-7.5/10.
Punch-drunk love (2002 DVD): WOW! I did not expect that! First off, PTA is a hit and miss for me. Secondly, I had a bad feeling about this movie; I thought it was going to be a disappointment like Stupid Crazy Love, I anticipated Sandler to be like The Cobbler and the trailer seemed peculiar. Well, every single scene, every performance and every detail was TOP NOTCH.I also LOL at least 5 times. I can see myself rewatching this one many times again. 8.5/10
Big Fish (2003 DVD): ‘’ A frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father's life.’’ I enjoyed it but I wasn’t fond of it. It was never dull, I had a good time but it lacked a certain spark for me to really feel involved. 7/10
Sideways (2004 DVD): ‘’ Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.’’ I didn’t find it funny and it was too centered on the wine topic for my taste but the characters felt real and that is really important. 6/10
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stonekeeper
Sophomore
@stonekeeper
Posts: 382
Likes: 24
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Post by stonekeeper on Apr 1, 2018 19:34:26 GMT
Rocky - 8/10 Rocky II - Rocky's too stupid in this one for me. 6.5/10 Rocky III - best of the sequels. 7/10 Rocky IV - fun stuff. 7/10 Rocky V - not as bad as people say. 6/10 Rocky Balboa - some good emotional parts in this one. 7/10 Creed - 7/10 First Time Viewings:
Dirty Grandpa (2016, Dan Mazer) I finally decided to check this one out to see how bad it is. The main problem is that it's a comedy, but it's not funny. Some parts are somewhat amusing, but I don't think I ever actually laughed. It just tries way too hard to be funny, so it becomes awkward instead. The cast is actually okay and it's not boring, but it's unfunny, and just really, really stupid. 3.5/10
Secretary (2002, Steven Shainberg) in this one a young woman who was just released from a mental hospital, gets a job as a secretary for a lawyer and their relationship becomes a sexual sadomasochistic one. Maggie Gyllenhaal is really good here and James Spader is quite good too. Both of them play off each other well and it's the relationship between their characters that's the driving force of the movie. 7/10
Mute (2018, Duncan Jones) This one has been getting bad reviews, and though I certainly didn't like it, I thought it had some good stuff in it. The film looks pretty nice at times and has a good score, but the problem is the story is just kind of a mess and I didn't really care enough about it or the characters. 5/10
The Desperate Hours (1955, William Wyler) This one is about three escaped convicts who move in on and terrorize a suburban household. The film is well cast, builds tension pretty nicely, and is engaging throughout. 7.5/10
The Visitors (1972, Elia Kazan) This lesser know Elia Kazan film was the directors second to last film and stars a young James Woods as a man who lives with his girlfriend and son, when one day two men he knew from the Vietnam war show up unexpectedly. The film is nice and short and has a pretty good build up throughout. The cast is good and there are a few really good moments. 7/10
The Oklahoma Kid (1939, Lloyd Bacon) This one stars James Cagney as the title character and Humphrey Bogart plays the main villain. Both actors (along with the rest of the cast) put in some good work, but the film wasn't that interesting as the start. It gets better and better as it goes, but due to the slow start it didn't quite work for me. 6.5/10
Heartburn (1986, Mike Nichols) This one is based on a true story about a woman who finds out her husband is cheating while she's pregnant with their second child. It doesn't seem to be very well liked, but I thought it was pretty well done. I liked the score, it moves at a good pace, and Meryl Streep turns in a strong performance in the lead role. Jack Nicholson is good too. 7/10
Sleuth (2007, Kenneth Branagh) I'm a huge fan of the original 1972 film, so I was interested in this one to see Michael Caine play the opposite role that he played in that film. Both Caine and Jude Law put in some good work and the film is fairly entertaining, but it lacks the element of surprise and overall just pales in comparison to the classic original. 6/10
The Quiet Man (1952, John Ford) In this one a retired American boxer returns to the Irish town that he was born in and falls in love. The film does a good job of capturing the beautiful scenery and I really enjoyed the romance between the two leads. Both John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara put in strong performances and there are many memorable sequences. 7.5/10
Repeat Viewings:
The Green Mile (1999, Frank Darabont) This was my second viewing and though I really liked it the first time, I appreciated it even more this time. It has a fantastic ensemble cast, a good score, great sets, and a great story that hits the right emotional beats. It also never feels too long despite being over three hours. Great stuff. 9/10
The Doors (1991, Oliver Stone) This one is really well made and of course has an amazing soundtrack, but it's Val Kilmer's excellent performance as Jim Morrison that really makes it worth watching. 8/10
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944, Frank Capra) This crazy comedy is always a blast to watch. Cary Grant is amazing here and the rest of the cast is pretty damn good too. There are lots of laughs along the way and lots of memorable lines and scenes. 9/10
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966, Mike Nichols) Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor are brilliant here and Sandy Dennis and George Segal aren't too shabby either. This is one of those where the performances make the movie. 8/10
Sleuth (1972, Joseph L. Mankiewicz) There's nothing quite like the first viewing for a film like this, but it still holds up wonderfully after three viewings. It has great sets, good music, an excellent script, and fantastic performances from Michael Caine and especially Laurence Olivier. 9/10
Movie Awards:
BEST FILM - The Green Mile BEST ACTOR - Laurence Olivier (Sleuth) BEST ACTRESS - Elizabeth Taylor (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Sandy Dennis (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Winton C. Hoch (The Quiet Man) BEST SCORE - Thomas Newman (The Green Mile) BEST SCRIPT - Julius J. Epstein & Philip G. Epstein (Arsenic and Old Lace) BEST DIRECTOR - Frank Darabont (The Green Mile) YOURS: Dirty Grandpa: I must admit that I laughed 2-3 times but it was a real shame to see De Niro go so low. 5.5/10 The Green Mile: I loved it. Need to see how it will hold up. 8.5/10 The Doors: In my Top 10. 10/10 MINE: The Ninth Gate (1999 DVD): ’’ A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.’’ I did not expect to like that one that much and like it I did. It’s very well made and I was enthralled for the whole ride, even though it looks absurd on the surface. This guy loves books so much he will hold on to one even though Death follows him everywhere he goes while hot evil women are chasing him around. He faces fire and hot mamas with tattoos, real dangerous stuff. Anyways, this guy loves books and once you accept that fact with your heart this movie is lovable. 7.5/10 The City of Lost Souls (2000 DVD): What I like about Takashi Miike is his unpredictability. What I don’t like about him is the confusion he likes to create with randomness. For this on, he played it safe and went on a more common route while keeping some of his confusing style. As usual, there is lots of cool camera work and effects and some unique editing but it’s definitely not one of my favorites. 5.5/10 Donnie Darko (2001 DVD): The first time I saw it, I thought it was cool but did not get the ending. On rewatch, I still loved the atmosphere very much but now I understand the las part a bit more. Im just confused as to how exactly a dead person use a metal object flying at high speed to travel back in time. And why was this guy able to do it? These types of movie normally give me a braingasm ( Mr Nobody, A beautiful mind, Source Code…) but this one pleases me but does not over-stimulate. 7-7.5/10. Punch-drunk love (2002 DVD): WOW! I did not expect that! First off, PTA is a hit and miss for me. Secondly, I had a bad feeling about this movie; I thought it was going to be a disappointment like Stupid Crazy Love, I anticipated Sandler to be like The Cobbler and the trailer seemed peculiar. Well, every single scene, every performance and every detail was TOP NOTCH.I also LOL at least 5 times. I can see myself rewatching this one many times again. 8.5/10 Big Fish (2003 DVD): ‘’ A frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father's life.’’ I enjoyed it but I wasn’t fond of it. It was never dull, I had a good time but it lacked a certain spark for me to really feel involved. 7/10 Sideways (2004 DVD): ‘’ Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.’’ I didn’t find it funny and it was too centered on the wine topic for my taste but the characters felt real and that is really important. 6/10
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Post by jcush on Apr 1, 2018 20:07:53 GMT
YOURS: Dirty Grandpa: I must admit that I laughed 2-3 times but it was a real shame to see De Niro go so low. 5.5/10 The Green Mile: I loved it. Need to see how it will hold up. 8.5/10 The Doors: In my Top 10. 10/10 MINE: The Ninth Gate (1999 DVD): ’’ A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.’’ I did not expect to like that one that much and like it I did. It’s very well made and I was enthralled for the whole ride, even though it looks absurd on the surface. This guy loves books so much he will hold on to one even though Death follows him everywhere he goes while hot evil women are chasing him around. He faces fire and hot mamas with tattoos, real dangerous stuff. Anyways, this guy loves books and once you accept that fact with your heart this movie is lovable. 7.5/10 The City of Lost Souls (2000 DVD): What I like about Takashi Miike is his unpredictability. What I don’t like about him is the confusion he likes to create with randomness. For this on, he played it safe and went on a more common route while keeping some of his confusing style. As usual, there is lots of cool camera work and effects and some unique editing but it’s definitely not one of my favorites. 5.5/10 Donnie Darko (2001 DVD): The first time I saw it, I thought it was cool but did not get the ending. On rewatch, I still loved the atmosphere very much but now I understand the las part a bit more. Im just confused as to how exactly a dead person use a metal object flying at high speed to travel back in time. And why was this guy able to do it? These types of movie normally give me a braingasm ( Mr Nobody, A beautiful mind, Source Code…) but this one pleases me but does not over-stimulate. 7-7.5/10. Punch-drunk love (2002 DVD): WOW! I did not expect that! First off, PTA is a hit and miss for me. Secondly, I had a bad feeling about this movie; I thought it was going to be a disappointment like Stupid Crazy Love, I anticipated Sandler to be like The Cobbler and the trailer seemed peculiar. Well, every single scene, every performance and every detail was TOP NOTCH.I also LOL at least 5 times. I can see myself rewatching this one many times again. 8.5/10 Big Fish (2003 DVD): ‘’ A frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father's life.’’ I enjoyed it but I wasn’t fond of it. It was never dull, I had a good time but it lacked a certain spark for me to really feel involved. 7/10 Sideways (2004 DVD): ‘’ Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.’’ I didn’t find it funny and it was too centered on the wine topic for my taste but the characters felt real and that is really important. 6/10 The Ninth Gate - 7/10 Donnie Darko - 8/10 Punch-Drunk Love - I've loved this one more every time I've watched it. 9/10
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Post by darksidebeadle on Apr 1, 2018 21:49:06 GMT
Hello! To be honest I would need to rewatch the first ones since it'S been many years but from memory: Rocky: 8.5 2: 8 3:8 4:7 5: 7 Rocky Balboa: 6 Creed: 7.5 I'll look up Wild wild country. I hope it's on Canadian Netflix Mine: The Ninth Gate (1999 DVD): ’’ A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.’’ I did not expect to like that one that much and like it I did. It’s very well made and I was enthralled for the whole ride, even though it looks absurd on the surface. This guy loves books so much he will hold on to one even though Death follows him everywhere he goes while hot evil women are chasing him around. He faces fire and hot mamas with tattoos, real dangerous stuff. Anyways, this guy loves books and once you accept that fact with your heart this movie is lovable. 7.5/10 The City of Lost Souls (2000 DVD): What I like about Takashi Miike is his unpredictability. What I don’t like about him is the confusion he likes to create with randomness. For this on, he played it safe and went on a more common route while keeping some of his confusing style. As usual, there is lots of cool camera work and effects and some unique editing but it’s definitely not one of my favorites. 5.5/10 Donnie Darko (2001 DVD): The first time I saw it, I thought it was cool but did not get the ending. On rewatch, I still loved the atmosphere very much but now I understand the las part a bit more. Im just confused as to how exactly a dead person use a metal object flying at high speed to travel back in time. And why was this guy able to do it? These types of movie normally give me a braingasm ( Mr Nobody, A beautiful mind, Source Code…) but this one pleases me but does not over-stimulate. 7-7.5/10. Punch-drunk love (2002 DVD): WOW! I did not expect that! First off, PTA is a hit and miss for me. Secondly, I had a bad feeling about this movie; I thought it was going to be a disappointment like Stupid Crazy Love, I anticipated Sandler to be like The Cobbler and the trailer seemed peculiar. Well, every single scene, every performance and every detail was TOP NOTCH.I also LOL at least 5 times. I can see myself rewatching this one many times again. 8.5/10 Big Fish (2003 DVD): ‘’ A frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father's life.’’ I enjoyed it but I wasn’t fond of it. It was never dull, I had a good time but it lacked a certain spark for me to really feel involved. 7/10 Sideways (2004 DVD): ‘’ Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.’’ I didn’t find it funny and it was too centered on the wine topic for my taste but the characters felt real and that is really important. 6/10 Hey the ninth gate - always been a fan of this one. Love the atmosphere. 7.5-8 donnie darko - it has its moments but both versions have declined on repeat viewings for me 5.5-6 punxh Drunk love - it’s a real pleasure to watch 8/10 sudeways - just saw it once (at the cinema) it was fine 5.5-6
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Post by petrolino on Apr 2, 2018 1:24:53 GMT
Happy Easter everyone (Rocky for the win!) --- 'Splatter Disco' (2007 - Richard Griffin) Shank Chubb (Ken Foree) is in a world of trouble. He has serious family issues, the local council is threatening to close down his fetish club and a maniac seems intent upon killing his clientele. The horror musical 'Splatter Disco' is a comedic slasher set within the fetish scene. It draws ideas from crime horrors like Dario Argento’s ‘Deep Red’ (1975), William Friedkin's 'Cruising' (1980) and Brian De Palma's 'Body Double' (1984) and sprinkles them over a trusted musical template in the tradition of De Palma's 'Phantom Of The Paradise' (1974), Jim Sharman's 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' (1975) & 'Shock Treatment' (1981) and Lucio Fulci's 'Murder-Rock : Dancing Death' (1984). The script's lack of originality doesn't hurt too much as this is an engaging early effort from gifted genre filmmaker Richard Griffin who was still finding his feet. Lively performances, gaudy production design and bouncy musical numbers ensure there's plenty of fun to be had and Sarah Nicklin is typically terrific as tolerant student Danni.
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william
Sophomore
@william
Posts: 513
Likes: 166
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Post by william on Apr 2, 2018 3:01:31 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 hosts (us) posts our weekly movies and you can comment on those and list your movie for the same time frame. We will get back to you on yours and you can talk to other users here about their films. It's a great place to talk about film. FIRST TIME MOVIE VIEWING
All Eyez On Me (2017, Benny Boom) tv
The success of Straight Outta Compton (2016) opened the floodgates for Hip Hop bio-pics. However this bio-pic of the late rapper and actor Tupac Shakur was not greeted that warmly by critics or audiences. To be honest, I am not sure why, as it is just as by the numbers and through rose coloured glasses as the other and is just as well cast too. I rate this just below Compton and sorely hope that if they ever do a film on Public Enemy that it has someone like Spike Lee to elevate it. 5-5.5/10 REPEAT MOVIE VIEWING
Rocky (1976, John G. Alvidsen) blu ray
This classic underdog boxing film was nominated for ten Oscars, winning three, including Best Picture. Stallone wrote and starred in the film, deservedly earning nominations for both whilst creating a timeless classic and a place in common vernacular, not to mention the rousing memorable score from Bill Conti. 8/10 Rocky II (1979, Sylvester Stallone) blu ray
This is a solid sequel that still feels interesting despite following the same path as the first one more or less. Stallones direction might not have been as inspired as Alvidsen's on the original but he has some more money to work with due to it's success. The final fight scene delivers enough to make this an essential sequel. 7/10 Rocky III (1982, Sylvester Stallone) blu ray
The franchise is still moving along strong with another exciting sequel that see's a few welcome changes in structure but unfortunately a change in the way Rocky is portrayed. He seems like quite a different character here despite having the same writer and actor as always. 7/10 Rocky IV (1985, Sylvester Stallone) blu ray
This chapter in the series is quite different, it's still fun to watch but it has some silly stuff like a household robot for Rocky's brother in-law Paulie and literally almost half the film being montages. Another major change is that this is the only film of the six with Rocky in the title that was not scored by Bill Conti which gives it a totally different atmosphere. I am a fan of the composer though but he has a very different and solidly 80's style rather than the timeless style of Conti. Instead the composer Vince Dicola who had worked with Stallone 2 years prior on the underrated Saturday Night Fever sequel 'Staying Alive' and more famously on 'Transformers: The Movie (1986)' brought a lot of synthesizer heavy, power ballad style music to the piece. Also the film is the first and only to be uber patriotic with cold war propaganda that is all a bit funny now. 6.5/10 Rocky V (1990, John G. Alvidsen) blu ray
This film see's the original director return to 'close out' the series in what was a film with some good ideas that ultimately did not come to fruition as well as they could have. At the same time, I don't think this is as bad as its reputation. Interestingly though I will point out that in the first two Rocky films Stallone plays him as a kind of dim guy who has in his own words 'a relaxed brain', then suddenly in the next two chapters he seems much sharper and a different kind of character. After the events of Rocky Iv it is revealed that Rocky has suffered brain damage and for Rocky V the brain damaged Rocky is played just the way he was in the first two films only more forgetful. 6/10 Rocky Balboa (2006, Sylvester Stallone) blu ray
After the poor reception and box office of Rocky V, the franchise stayed dormant, assumed dead until Stallone brought it back on a smaller budget for this belated sequel. The film recaptures a lot of the feel of the original film only adding in slicker 'broadcast style' fight scenes. This was a great come back for the franchise and Stallone himself. 7-7.5/10 Creed (2015, Ryan Coogler) blu ray
After six Rocky films, we get a spin off from the series following Rocky's early adversary and later best friend Apollo Creed's son Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan). This is the first film in the series not written by Stallone although he was heavily involved in the production. I think some reverent but fresh eyes really benefited the film as well as the directors amazing high for the combat scenes (which unfortunately did not carry over to Black Panther). 7.5/10 ROCKY FILMS RANKING
Rocky Creed Rocky Balboa Rocky II Rocky III Rocky IV Rocky V FIRST TIME TV VIEWING
Wild Wild Country (2018, Mini-series) Netflix
This six part series is an amazing look at a part of American history where a sect from India tried to set up a city in Oregon which led to a lot of drama and even criminal activity. Highest Recommendation The Defiant Ones (2017, Mini-series) Netflix
This four part documentary examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre - one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton - and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture. Recommended WEEKLY MOVIE AWARDS
BEST FILM: Rocky BEST ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone - Rocky BEST ACTRESS: Talia Shire - Rocky BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone - Creed BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Bridgette Neilsen - Rocky IV BEST SCORE: Bill Conti - Rocky BEST SCRIPT: Sylvester Stallone - Rocky BEST DIRECTOR: John G Alvidsen - Rocky 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. You had a Rocky week. I've seen the first Rocky too, this week. Yours: Rocky 9/10 I hadn't seen it in ages. It's really a great movie. I love the Philadelphia working class vibe. The cast is great too. Stallone definitely deserved his nominations. ::yes.: Rocky II 8/10 I don't remember it much, just that I liked it, though less than the first. I've seen Rocky III but I remember only Mr. T from it. Rocky IV 7.5/10 I liked it as a kid but I have no idea how it would hold up. Haven't seen Rocky V. Rocky Balboa 7.5/10 I liked it. I agree, it reminded me of the first one, in vibe. Creed 8/10 It's pretty good. Sly deserved his Oscar nod, Michael B. Jordan was good too. Mine (besides Rocky): Nothing But Trouble 4.5/10 It's a Dan Aykoyd movie, with Chevy Chase and Demi Moore, there's John Candy too, it's a horror comedy, it's about a businessman ending up prisoner in the mansion of a crazy judge. I didn't like it, I thought it was kind of lame. Dan Aykroyd is not much of a director. 5 Fingers 8.5/10 It's a Joseph L. Mankiewicz movie, it's about the valet of the English ambassador in Turkey trying to sell top secret documents to the Nazi during World War II. It's based on a true story, apparently. James Mason plays the valet. Loved it, the cast is great. Cotton Comes to Harlem 8/10 It's a blaxploitation movie, Ossie Davis directed it, it's about two cops in Harlem investigating a shady, con man preacher with a big following. It's pretty fun, I liked it. It's really not PC.
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Post by darksidebeadle on Apr 2, 2018 5:30:13 GMT
Happy Easter everyone (Rocky for the win!) --- 'Splatter Disco' (2007 - Richard Griffin) Shank Chubb (Ken Foree) is in a world of trouble. He has serious family issues, the local council is threatening to close down his fetish club and a maniac seems intent upon killing his clientele. The horror musical 'Splatter Disco' is a comedic slasher set within the fetish scene. It draws ideas from crime horrors like Dario Argento’s ‘Deep Red’ (1975), William Friedkin's 'Cruising' (1980) and Brian De Palma's 'Body Double' (1984) and sprinkles them over a trusted musical template in the tradition of De Palma's 'Phantom Of The Paradise' (1974), Jim Sharman's 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' (1975) & 'Shock Treatment' (1981) and Lucio Fulci's 'Murder-Rock : Dancing Death' (1984). The script's lack of originality doesn't hurt too much as this is an engaging early effort from gifted genre filmmaker Richard Griffin who was still finding his feet. Lively performances, gaudy production design and bouncy musical numbers ensure there's plenty of fun to be had and Sarah Nicklin is typically terrific as tolerant student Danni. Heya ! Not seen splatter disco
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Post by darksidebeadle on Apr 2, 2018 6:16:43 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 hosts (us) posts our weekly movies and you can comment on those and list your movie for the same time frame. We will get back to you on yours and you can talk to other users here about their films. It's a great place to talk about film. FIRST TIME MOVIE VIEWING
All Eyez On Me (2017, Benny Boom) tv
The success of Straight Outta Compton (2016) opened the floodgates for Hip Hop bio-pics. However this bio-pic of the late rapper and actor Tupac Shakur was not greeted that warmly by critics or audiences. To be honest, I am not sure why, as it is just as by the numbers and through rose coloured glasses as the other and is just as well cast too. I rate this just below Compton and sorely hope that if they ever do a film on Public Enemy that it has someone like Spike Lee to elevate it. 5-5.5/10 REPEAT MOVIE VIEWING
Rocky (1976, John G. Alvidsen) blu ray
This classic underdog boxing film was nominated for ten Oscars, winning three, including Best Picture. Stallone wrote and starred in the film, deservedly earning nominations for both whilst creating a timeless classic and a place in common vernacular, not to mention the rousing memorable score from Bill Conti. 8/10 Rocky II (1979, Sylvester Stallone) blu ray
This is a solid sequel that still feels interesting despite following the same path as the first one more or less. Stallones direction might not have been as inspired as Alvidsen's on the original but he has some more money to work with due to it's success. The final fight scene delivers enough to make this an essential sequel. 7/10 Rocky III (1982, Sylvester Stallone) blu ray
The franchise is still moving along strong with another exciting sequel that see's a few welcome changes in structure but unfortunately a change in the way Rocky is portrayed. He seems like quite a different character here despite having the same writer and actor as always. 7/10 Rocky IV (1985, Sylvester Stallone) blu ray
This chapter in the series is quite different, it's still fun to watch but it has some silly stuff like a household robot for Rocky's brother in-law Paulie and literally almost half the film being montages. Another major change is that this is the only film of the six with Rocky in the title that was not scored by Bill Conti which gives it a totally different atmosphere. I am a fan of the composer though but he has a very different and solidly 80's style rather than the timeless style of Conti. Instead the composer Vince Dicola who had worked with Stallone 2 years prior on the underrated Saturday Night Fever sequel 'Staying Alive' and more famously on 'Transformers: The Movie (1986)' brought a lot of synthesizer heavy, power ballad style music to the piece. Also the film is the first and only to be uber patriotic with cold war propaganda that is all a bit funny now. 6.5/10 Rocky V (1990, John G. Alvidsen) blu ray
This film see's the original director return to 'close out' the series in what was a film with some good ideas that ultimately did not come to fruition as well as they could have. At the same time, I don't think this is as bad as its reputation. Interestingly though I will point out that in the first two Rocky films Stallone plays him as a kind of dim guy who has in his own words 'a relaxed brain', then suddenly in the next two chapters he seems much sharper and a different kind of character. After the events of Rocky Iv it is revealed that Rocky has suffered brain damage and for Rocky V the brain damaged Rocky is played just the way he was in the first two films only more forgetful. 6/10 Rocky Balboa (2006, Sylvester Stallone) blu ray
After the poor reception and box office of Rocky V, the franchise stayed dormant, assumed dead until Stallone brought it back on a smaller budget for this belated sequel. The film recaptures a lot of the feel of the original film only adding in slicker 'broadcast style' fight scenes. This was a great come back for the franchise and Stallone himself. 7-7.5/10 Creed (2015, Ryan Coogler) blu ray
After six Rocky films, we get a spin off from the series following Rocky's early adversary and later best friend Apollo Creed's son Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan). This is the first film in the series not written by Stallone although he was heavily involved in the production. I think some reverent but fresh eyes really benefited the film as well as the directors amazing high for the combat scenes (which unfortunately did not carry over to Black Panther). 7.5/10 ROCKY FILMS RANKING
Rocky Creed Rocky Balboa Rocky II Rocky III Rocky IV Rocky V FIRST TIME TV VIEWING
Wild Wild Country (2018, Mini-series) Netflix
This six part series is an amazing look at a part of American history where a sect from India tried to set up a city in Oregon which led to a lot of drama and even criminal activity. Highest Recommendation The Defiant Ones (2017, Mini-series) Netflix
This four part documentary examines the partnership between Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre - one the son of a Brooklyn longshoreman, the other straight out of Compton - and their leading roles in a chain of transformative events in contemporary culture. Recommended WEEKLY MOVIE AWARDS
BEST FILM: Rocky BEST ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone - Rocky BEST ACTRESS: Talia Shire - Rocky BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone - Creed BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Bridgette Neilsen - Rocky IV BEST SCORE: Bill Conti - Rocky BEST SCRIPT: Sylvester Stallone - Rocky BEST DIRECTOR: John G Alvidsen - Rocky 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. You had a Rocky week. I've seen the first Rocky too, this week. Yours: Rocky 9/10 I hadn't seen it in ages. It's really a great movie. I love the Philadelphia working class vibe. The cast is great too. Stallone definitely deserved his nominations. ::yes.: Rocky II 8/10 I don't remember it much, just that I liked it, though less than the first. I've seen Rocky III but I remember only Mr. T from it. Rocky IV 7.5/10 I liked it as a kid but I have no idea how it would hold up. Haven't seen Rocky V. Rocky Balboa 7.5/10 I liked it. I agree, it reminded me of the first one, in vibe. Creed 8/10 It's pretty good. Sly deserved his Oscar nod, Michael B. Jordan was good too. Mine (besides Rocky): Nothing But Trouble 4.5/10 It's a Dan Aykoyd movie, with Chevy Chase and Demi Moore, there's John Candy too, it's a horror comedy, it's about a businessman ending up prisoner in the mansion of a crazy judge. I didn't like it, I thought it was kind of lame. Dan Aykroyd is not much of a director. 5 Fingers 8.5/10 It's a Joseph L. Mankiewicz movie, it's about the valet of the English ambassador in Turkey trying to sell top secret documents to the Nazi during World War II. It's based on a true story, apparently. James Mason plays the valet. Loved it, the cast is great. Cotton Comes to Harlem 8/10 It's a blaxploitation movie, Ossie Davis directed it, it's about two black cops in Harlem investigating a shady, con man preacher with a big following. It's pretty fun, I liked it. It's really not PC. Hey, cool that we both rewatched Rocky. Nothing But Trouble is such a mess of a film, Ackroyd needs to be filtered through someone with more talent 3/10
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Post by sjg on Apr 2, 2018 9:53:26 GMT
Yo Dark,
Yours: Rocky (1976, John G. Alvidsen) 9/10
Rocky II (1979, Sylvester Stallone) 9/10
Rocky III (1982, Sylvester Stallone) 8/10
Rocky IV (1985, Sylvester Stallone) 8/10
Rocky V (1990, John G. Alvidsen) 8/10
Rocky Balboa (2006, Sylvester Stallone) 9/10
Creed (2015, Ryan Coogler) 8/10
Mine: 1) Breathless 1960 (3/10)
2) Annihilation 2018 (6/10)
3) Friday 1995 (4/10)
4) The Double Life of Veronique 1991 (4/10)
5) Friday the 13th 1980 (6/10)
6) Downsizing 2017 (7/10)
7) The Frighteners 1996 (6/10)
8) The Full Monty 1997 (7/10)
9) Friday the 13th Part 2 1981 (5/10)
10) Friday the 13th Part III 1982 (4/10)
11) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter 1984 (6/10)
12) Frozen 2013 (8/10)
13) Friday the 13th: A New Beginning 1985 (5/10)
14) Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI 1986 (5/10)
15) 3-Iron 2004 (7/10)
16) The Cutting Edge 1992 (5/10)
17) Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood 1988 (5/10)
18) Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan 1989 (4/10)
19) Dersu Uzala 1975 (7/10)
20) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday 1993 (4/10)
21) Jason X 2001 (5/10)
22) Fun Mom Dinner 2017 (6/10)
23) Freddy vs. Jason 2003 (6/10)
24) Friday the 13th 2009 (4/10)
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Post by darksidebeadle on Apr 2, 2018 11:06:29 GMT
Yo Dark, Yours: Rocky (1976, John G. Alvidsen) 9/10 Rocky II (1979, Sylvester Stallone) 9/10 Rocky III (1982, Sylvester Stallone) 8/10 Rocky IV (1985, Sylvester Stallone) 8/10 Rocky V (1990, John G. Alvidsen) 8/10 Rocky Balboa (2006, Sylvester Stallone) 9/10 Creed (2015, Ryan Coogler) 8/10 Mine: 1) Breathless 1960 (3/10) 2) Annihilation 2018 (6/10) 3) Friday 1995 (4/10) 4) The Double Life of Veronique 1991 (4/10) 5) Friday the 13th 1980 (6/10) 6) Downsizing 2017 (7/10) 7) The Frighteners 1996 (6/10) 8) The Full Monty 1997 (7/10) 9) Friday the 13th Part 2 1981 (5/10) 10) Friday the 13th Part III 1982 (4/10) 11) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter 1984 (6/10) 12) Frozen 2013 (8/10) 13) Friday the 13th: A New Beginning 1985 (5/10) 14) Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI 1986 (5/10) 15) 3-Iron 2004 (7/10) 16) The Cutting Edge 1992 (5/10) 17) Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood 1988 (5/10) 18) Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan 1989 (4/10) 19) Dersu Uzala 1975 (7/10) 20) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday 1993 (4/10) 21) Jason X 2001 (5/10) 22) Fun Mom Dinner 2017 (6/10) 23) Freddy vs. Jason 2003 (6/10) 24) Friday the 13th 2009 (4/10) yooooo 1) Breathless 1960 (4/10) 2) Annihilation 2018 (7.5/10) 3) Friday 1995 (5/10) 4) The Double Life of Veronique 1991 (8/10) 5) Friday the 13th 1980 (7/10) 7) The Frighteners 1996 (6/10) 8) The Full Monty 1997 (6.5/10) 9) Friday the 13th Part 2 1981 (6.5/10) 10) Friday the 13th Part III 1982 (6.5/10) 11) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter 1984 (7.5/10) 12) Frozen 2013 (6/10) 13) Friday the 13th: A New Beginning 1985 (2/10) 14) Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI 1986 (6/10) 17) Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood 1988 (6/10) 18) Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan 1989 (5.5/10) 19) Dersu Uzala 1975 (6/10) 20) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday 1993 (6/10) 21) Jason X 2001 (5.5/10) 23) Freddy vs. Jason 2003 (6/10) 24) Friday the 13th 2009 (5.5/10)
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Post by mikef6 on Apr 2, 2018 15:32:32 GMT
Thanks for your journey across all the Rockies. I love I and III and the two latest ones: Rocky Balboa and Creed. MINE The Babe Ruth Story / Roy Del Ruth (1948). Journalist Bob Considine’s greatest fame today is as an admitted “ghost” writer, taking a “with” or “told to” credit on his books. A famous one is the WWII memoir “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.” The other one was Babe Ruth’s autobiography, issued in 1948. He also co-wrote the screenplay to the movie with the same title as his book so, in my mind, takes most of the blame for the result, an almost total work of fiction which often insulted its subject. Babe Ruth and his wife Claire attended the premiere but left the theater in the early going. History does not – as far as I can tell – record at what point they made their exit. I got through the first half of the film by trying to guess which episode sent them home. I might be the performance by William Bendix who makes the Babe into a naïve childlike hick. Or maybe it was when the movie-Babe realized that opposing teams where hitting his curve ball because he stuck his tongue out whenever he threw one. Or how about his pursuit of his future wife, a nightclub chorus performer, which included a “comic” piece where he enters the women’s dressing room (maybe the current White House resident saw this movie) to find her and then follows her out on stage and does a dance for the audience. Or, I bet this is it, he cures a crippled young boy by saying, “Hiya kid,” as he walked by. Anyway, the second half turns more serious as Babe becomes one of baseballs greatest (if not THE greatest) players, topping out with 60 homeruns in 1927. The film also conflates two well known Babe Ruth myths: the promise to hit a home run made to a sick child and the calling of a home run in the 1932 World Series. As the Babe’s abilities decline, so does his health. The film’s ending is ambiguous, showing Ruth to be very ill but still alive. The second half is, admittedly, sentimental and manipulative but I also admit to be a sucker for some of it. Babe Ruth died on August 16, 1948 at only 53 years old, before the movie of his life had been put into general release. Commentary on the “called” home run in 1932 The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice / Orson Welles (1951). In what became a typical Orson Welles film shoot, this picture took three years to complete because of underfunding that created delays while Welles raised money elsewhere, often by taking roles in other people’s movies (this includes “The Third Man”). The result is a mixed blessing. Welles himself takes the title role in blackface but, in cutting the three hour play down to about 90 minutes, he eliminated most (but not all) of the references to Othello’s “blackness” and outsider status as a General of the Venetian military, leaving him simply a man overcome by insecurity in love resulting in deadly jealousy. For his Iago, Welles chose Irish theater actor Micheál MacLiammóir (who wasn’t really Irish), a friend Welles had worked with at The Gate theater in Dublin but who was inexperienced in movie acting. Simon Callow, actor (“Room With A View” “Amadeus”) and Welles biographer, calls the performances of both Welles and MacLiammóir “old fashioned.” Welles, says Callow, is sonorous and slow while MacLiammóir is weaselly in voice and looks, with his long greasy hair. Welles, though, put that sonorous voice to good use. His first speech – Othello’s defense in front of the Venice council – is quite wonderful and the “Farewell the tranquil mind” speech late in the story is so stunning that I immediately scanned back to the beginning and watched it again, and when the movie was over I skipped back and watched the speech a third time. Even in the restored print on the Criterion DVD the sound is bad in many places. MacLiammóir’s lines, especially, sometimes gets lost in other noise. Robert Coote, who a few years later premiered the role of Col. Pickering in “My Fair Lady,” plays Roderigo. All of Coote’s lines were overdubbed by Welles himself. For all its faults (and all its pluses), this movie is a key moment in the development of independent film making in the United States. Micheál MacLiammóir as Iago with some interesting facial hair Orson Welles Chimes At Midnight (Falstaff) / Orson Welles (1966). Another hard won Orson Welles film that was shot over an extended period of time and different places because of lack of proper funding. The script was a highly edited version of, mainly, the Falstaff sections of Shakespeare’s history plays “Henry IV parts I and II” – although Welles did not hesitate to use dialog from “Richard II,” “Henry V,” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” Welles, in addition to directing and adapting, starred as the fat knight, Sir John Falstaff. If you remember your English history (filtered through The Bard), Prince Henry (Keith Baxter), heir to the throne of England in the early 15th century, spent his youth in the company of the lowest in London, drunkards, prostitutes, and career criminals in addition to his substitute father, the dissolute knight, Falstaff, who refers to the Prince of Wales as “Hal.” Prince Hal’s father, King Henry IV (John Gielgud), is at the end of his patience, especially since some of his noble subjects are starting to talk back to him and, he suspects, are plotting revolution and overthrow. The movie begins in the middle of this Royal dust-up and audiences not familiar with the play may be left wondering who these people are and what it is all about. Even if you have brushed up on your Shakespeare, you might be left a little befuddled. Even so, we are soon in the company of Hal, Falstaff, and their peeps, Bardolph and Poins. The main problem with the film is sound, especially the dialog. It can alternately be boxy, with an echo, or simply too rushed at too low a volume to be understood. The main reason may be that Welles dubbed all of the dialog in post-production, doing many of he voices himself. Keith Baxter confessed to dubbing three other characters after Hal. Welles, shooting abroad, had to use some actors for whom English was not their first language such as Spanish star Fernando Rey and French star Jeanne Moreau, looking lovely and very leggy, as the original hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold, Doll Tearsheet. “Chimes at Midnight” should not be your first experience of Shakespeare’s history plays, but careful viewings of the film yield some riches, mainly Welles’ Falstaff which could of, should of – with adequate funding and proper film shoot – been definitive. Orson Welles and Jeanne Moreau Murder On The Orient Express / Sidney Lumet (1974). I gave a positive review and recommendation to the 2017 Kenneth Branagh film of the Agatha Christie novel, but this earlier film, faithful to Dame Agatha’s storytelling, trusting her to ravel and then unravel her own plot, is one of movie’s great mystery thrillers. The thrills, however, are not thrills of action, as in running and fighting, but in clever writing and a perfect telling. Lumet’s staging of the re-creation of the crime still gives me chills. Albert Finney is master detective Hercule Poirot with Martin Balsam as his “Watson.” Acting is uniformly good through the rest of the cast with special notice to Windy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, John Gielgud, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, and Richard Widmark. Poirot gathers all the suspects together to reveal the solution to the mystery The Death Of Stalin / Armando Iannucci (2017). When Joseph Stalin suddenly died in 1952 he left behind a power vacuum that was open for drama, tragedy, and comedy. The emphasis is on both the horror of the Stalin years and the comedy of errors that followed his death. Stalin’s council, consisting of some famous and infamous names in Russian history, immediately begin to plot for their own benefit and survival, often acting like spoiled, frightened children but whose actions ended up costing thousands of lives. The film is relentless in portraying the horrible events of Stalin’s regime and the aftermath of his death but it is also wildly funny with laughs coming thick and fast. Often, the horror is part of the comedy. The heroes of the story (if there are any) are Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) and Field Marshall Zhukov (Jason Isaac, “Harry Potter”). Acting honors are shared by Buscemi and Simon Russell Beale as Stalin’s sadistic head of security Lavrentiy Beria, who is Khrushchev’s major rival. Also in the cast is Michael Palin as Vyacheslav Molotov, whose name was attached to the makeshift explosive device. Rupert Friend and Andrea Riseborough (“Battle Of The Sexes”) as Stalin’s grown children – an alcoholic full of conspiracy theories even crazier than what is really going on and a sensible young woman who doesn’t realize how much danger she is in. This is, maybe, the best movie of 2017. …Continuing a watch straight through the 10 seasons of Doctor Who: New Series in anticipation of next year’s introduction of the 13th Doctor. S. 10, Ep. 9 “Empress Of Mars” June 10, 2017. The Doctor, Bill, and Nardole visit Mars after a strange message has been spotted on the surface. In underground caverns they find a platoon of Victorian era soldiers mining for precious gems. They awaken Empress Iraxxa and a hive of hibernating Ice Warriors. Not quite, but almost, a remake/adaptation of the 1967 2nd Doctor story “Tomb Of The Cybermen” from the Classic Series. Nevertheless the new story has pleasures of its own.
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Post by darksidebeadle on Apr 2, 2018 18:57:48 GMT
Thanks for your journey across all the Rockies. I love I and III and the two latest ones: Rocky Balboa and Creed. MINE The Babe Ruth Story / Roy Del Ruth (1948). Journalist Bob Considine’s greatest fame today is as an admitted “ghost” writer, taking a “with” or “told to” credit on his books. A famous one is the WWII memoir “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.” The other one was Babe Ruth’s autobiography, issued in 1948. He also co-wrote the screenplay to the movie with the same title as his book so, in my mind, takes most of the blame for the result, an almost total work of fiction which often insulted its subject. Babe Ruth and his wife Claire attended the premiere but left the theater in the early going. History does not – as far as I can tell – record at what point they made their exit. I got through the first half of the film by trying to guess which episode sent them home. I might be the performance by William Bendix who makes the Babe into a naïve childlike hick. Or maybe it was when the movie-Babe realized that opposing teams where hitting his curve ball because he stuck his tongue out whenever he threw one. Or how about his pursuit of his future wife, a nightclub chorus performer, which included a “comic” piece where he enters the women’s dressing room (maybe the current White House resident saw this movie) to find her and then follows her out on stage and does a dance for the audience. Or, I bet this is it, he cures a crippled young boy by saying, “Hiya kid,” as he walked by. Anyway, the second half turns more serious as Babe becomes one of baseballs greatest (if not THE greatest) players, topping out with 60 homeruns in 1927. The film also conflates two well known Babe Ruth myths: the promise to hit a home run made to a sick child and the calling of a home run in the 1932 World Series. As the Babe’s abilities decline, so does his health. The film’s ending is ambiguous, showing Ruth to be very ill but still alive. The second half is, admittedly, sentimental and manipulative but I also admit to be a sucker for some of it. Babe Ruth died on August 16, 1948 at only 53 years old, before the movie of his life had been put into general release. Commentary on the “called” home run in 1932 The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice / Orson Welles (1951). In what became a typical Orson Welles film shoot, this picture took three years to complete because of underfunding that created delays while Welles raised money elsewhere, often by taking roles in other people’s movies (this includes “The Third Man”). The result is a mixed blessing. Welles himself takes the title role in blackface but, in cutting the three hour play down to about 90 minutes, he eliminated most (but not all) of the references to Othello’s “blackness” and outsider status as a General of the Venetian military, leaving him simply a man overcome by insecurity in love resulting in deadly jealousy. For his Iago, Welles chose Irish theater actor Micheál MacLiammóir (who wasn’t really Irish), a friend Welles had worked with at The Gate theater in Dublin but who was inexperienced in movie acting. Simon Callow, actor (“Room With A View” “Amadeus”) and Welles biographer, calls the performances of both Welles and MacLiammóir “old fashioned.” Welles, says Callow, is sonorous and slow while MacLiammóir is weaselly in voice and looks, with his long greasy hair. Welles, though, put that sonorous voice to good use. His first speech – Othello’s defense in front of the Venice council – is quite wonderful and the “Farewell the tranquil mind” speech late in the story is so stunning that I immediately scanned back to the beginning and watched it again, and when the movie was over I skipped back and watched the speech a third time. Even in the restored print on the Criterion DVD the sound is bad in many places. MacLiammóir’s lines, especially, sometimes gets lost in other noise. Robert Coote, who a few years later premiered the role of Col. Pickering in “My Fair Lady,” plays Roderigo. All of Coote’s lines were overdubbed by Welles himself. For all its faults (and all its pluses), this movie is a key moment in the development of independent film making in the United States. Micheál MacLiammóir as Iago with some interesting facial hair Orson Welles Chimes At Midnight (Falstaff) / Orson Welles (1966). Another hard won Orson Welles film that was shot over an extended period of time and different places because of lack of proper funding. The script was a highly edited version of, mainly, the Falstaff sections of Shakespeare’s history plays “Henry IV parts I and II” – although Welles did not hesitate to use dialog from “Richard II,” “Henry V,” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” Welles, in addition to directing and adapting, starred as the fat knight, Sir John Falstaff. If you remember your English history (filtered through The Bard), Prince Henry (Keith Baxter), heir to the throne of England in the early 15th century, spent his youth in the company of the lowest in London, drunkards, prostitutes, and career criminals in addition to his substitute father, the dissolute knight, Falstaff, who refers to the Prince of Wales as “Hal.” Prince Hal’s father, King Henry IV (John Gielgud), is at the end of his patience, especially since some of his noble subjects are starting to talk back to him and, he suspects, are plotting revolution and overthrow. The movie begins in the middle of this Royal dust-up and audiences not familiar with the play may be left wondering who these people are and what it is all about. Even if you have brushed up on your Shakespeare, you might be left a little befuddled. Even so, we are soon in the company of Hal, Falstaff, and their peeps, Bardolph and Poins. The main problem with the film is sound, especially the dialog. It can alternately be boxy, with an echo, or simply too rushed at too low a volume to be understood. The main reason may be that Welles dubbed all of the dialog in post-production, doing many of he voices himself. Keith Baxter confessed to dubbing three other characters after Hal. Welles, shooting abroad, had to use some actors for whom English was not their first language such as Spanish star Fernando Rey and French star Jeanne Moreau, looking lovely and very leggy, as the original hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold, Doll Tearsheet. “Chimes at Midnight” should not be your first experience of Shakespeare’s history plays, but careful viewings of the film yield some riches, mainly Welles’ Falstaff which could of, should of – with adequate funding and proper film shoot – been definitive. Orson Welles and Jeanne Moreau Murder On The Orient Express / Sidney Lumet (1974). I gave a positive review and recommendation to the 2017 Kenneth Branagh film of the Agatha Christie novel, but this earlier film, faithful to Dame Agatha’s storytelling, trusting her to ravel and then unravel her own plot, is one of movie’s great mystery thrillers. The thrills, however, are not thrills of action, as in running and fighting, but in clever writing and a perfect telling. Lumet’s staging of the re-creation of the crime still gives me chills. Albert Finney is master detective Hercule Poirot with Martin Balsam as his “Watson.” Acting is uniformly good through the rest of the cast with special notice to Windy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, John Gielgud, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, and Richard Widmark. Poirot gathers all the suspects together to reveal the solution to the mystery The Death Of Stalin / Armando Iannucci (2017). When Joseph Stalin suddenly died in 1952 he left behind a power vacuum that was open for drama, tragedy, and comedy. The emphasis is on both the horror of the Stalin years and the comedy of errors that followed his death. Stalin’s council, consisting of some famous and infamous names in Russian history, immediately begin to plot for their own benefit and survival, often acting like spoiled, frightened children but whose actions ended up costing thousands of lives. The film is relentless in portraying the horrible events of Stalin’s regime and the aftermath of his death but it is also wildly funny with laughs coming thick and fast. Often, the horror is part of the comedy. The heroes of the story (if there are any) are Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) and Field Marshall Zhukov (Jason Isaac, “Harry Potter”). Acting honors are shared by Buscemi and Simon Russell Beale as Stalin’s sadistic head of security Lavrentiy Beria, who is Khrushchev’s major rival. Also in the cast is Michael Palin as Vyacheslav Molotov, whose name was attached to the makeshift explosive device. Rupert Friend and Andrea Riseborough (“Battle Of The Sexes”) as Stalin’s grown children – an alcoholic full of conspiracy theories even crazier than what is really going on and a sensible young woman who doesn’t realize how much danger she is in. This is, maybe, the best movie of 2017. …Continuing a watch straight through the 10 seasons of Doctor Who: New Series in anticipation of next year’s introduction of the 13th Doctor. S. 10, Ep. 9 “Empress Of Mars” June 10, 2017. The Doctor, Bill, and Nardole visit Mars after a strange message has been spotted on the surface. In underground caverns they find a platoon of Victorian era soldiers mining for precious gems. They awaken Empress Iraxxa and a hive of hibernating Ice Warriors. Not quite, but almost, a remakeer /adaptation of the 1967 2nd Doctor story “Tomb Of The Cybermen” from the Classic Series. Nevertheless the new story has pleasures of its own. Must murder on the orient express which isn’t least favorite Poirot adaption and I didn’t care for Finney as Poirot at all 4:10
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william
Sophomore
@william
Posts: 513
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Post by william on Apr 2, 2018 19:17:59 GMT
Hi, Dark. You had a Rocky week. I've seen the first Rocky too, this week. Yours: Rocky 9/10 I hadn't seen it in ages. It's really a great movie. I love the Philadelphia working class vibe. The cast is great too. Stallone definitely deserved his nominations. ::yes.: Rocky II 8/10 I don't remember it much, just that I liked it, though less than the first. I've seen Rocky III but I remember only Mr. T from it. Rocky IV 7.5/10 I liked it as a kid but I have no idea how it would hold up. Haven't seen Rocky V. Rocky Balboa 7.5/10 I liked it. I agree, it reminded me of the first one, in vibe. Creed 8/10 It's pretty good. Sly deserved his Oscar nod, Michael B. Jordan was good too. Mine (besides Rocky): Nothing But Trouble 4.5/10 It's a Dan Aykoyd movie, with Chevy Chase and Demi Moore, there's John Candy too, it's a horror comedy, it's about a businessman ending up prisoner in the mansion of a crazy judge. I didn't like it, I thought it was kind of lame. Dan Aykroyd is not much of a director. 5 Fingers 8.5/10 It's a Joseph L. Mankiewicz movie, it's about the valet of the English ambassador in Turkey trying to sell top secret documents to the Nazi during World War II. It's based on a true story, apparently. James Mason plays the valet. Loved it, the cast is great. Cotton Comes to Harlem 8/10 It's a blaxploitation movie, Ossie Davis directed it, it's about two black cops in Harlem investigating a shady, con man preacher with a big following. It's pretty fun, I liked it. It's really not PC. Hey, cool that we both rewatched Rocky. Nothing But Trouble is such a mess of a film, Ackroyd needs to be filtered through someone with more talent 3/10 He hasn't directed anything since, I noticed, he probably feels the same way too. I also noticed on his IMDB page that he's involved in a Blues Brothers tv show, right now, as writer/producer. I love the movie but I'm not sure about it. You should check out 5 Fingers.
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Post by James on Apr 2, 2018 21:15:05 GMT
Yours: Rocky - 8.5/10 (the ultimate underdog story) Rocky II - 7.5/10 Rocky III - 8/10 Rocky IV - 7.5/10 Rocky V - 6/10 Rocky Balboa - 7.5/10 Creed - 7.5/10
My ranking: 1, 3, Creed, 4, 2, Balboa, 5
Mine:
First Time Viewings:
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Manace (1999) - Stream Well, now I gotten to the prequel trilogy. This one is pretty dull I'll admit, but the climactic battle w/ Darth Maul is the show stealer and easily the part that saves this movie. Though I didn't find JJB as annoying as most did. 6/10
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) - Stream Kind of the same as Ep I, but more boring. It has its moments but it has the worst acting in alll the films and there really isn't a truly great or memorable scene here TBH. 6/10
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) - Stream The best of the trilogy. It actually feels a bit like the OT at times and it's also pretty damn dark. 7/10
Repeat Viewings:
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) - Netflix Just a fun and exciting action sequel. 8/10
Scarface (1983) - Netflix Great film, one of De Palma and Pachino's best. 8/10
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Post by darksidebeadle on Apr 2, 2018 21:50:36 GMT
Hey, cool that we both rewatched Rocky. Nothing But Trouble is such a mess of a film, Ackroyd needs to be filtered through someone with more talent 3/10 He hasn't directed anything since, I noticed, he probably feels the same way too. I also noticed on his IMDB page that he's involved in a Blues Brothers tv show, right now, as writer/producer. I love the movie but I'm not sure about it. You should check out 5 Fingers. Did you ever see blues brothers 2000?truly abysmal, I wouldn’t trust him with anythinh
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Post by darksidebeadle on Apr 2, 2018 23:26:00 GMT
Yours: Rocky - 8.5/10 (the ultimate underdog story) Rocky II - 7.5/10 Rocky III - 8/10 Rocky IV - 7.5/10 Rocky V - 6/10 Rocky Balboa - 7.5/10 Creed - 7.5/10 My ranking: 1, 3, Creed, 4, 2, Balboa, 5 Mine: First Time Viewings: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Manace (1999) - Stream Well, now I gotten to the prequel trilogy. This one is pretty dull I'll admit, but the climactic battle w/ Darth Maul is the show stealer and easily the part that saves this movie. Though I didn't find JJB as annoying as most did. 6/10Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) - Stream Kind of the same as Ep I, but more boring. It has its moments but it has the worst acting in alll the films and there really isn't a truly great or memorable scene here TBH. 6/10Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) - Stream The best of the trilogy. It actually feels a bit like the OT at times and it's also pretty damn dark. 7/10Repeat Viewings:Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) - Netflix Just a fun and exciting action sequel. 8/10Scarface (1983) - Netflix Great film, one of De Palma and Pachino's best. 8/10Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Manace (1999) - Stream the final light sabre threeway duel sends you off with a good feeling but the rest is pretty awful 4/10 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) - Stream I prefer this one, where as i dislike about 85% of ep 1, I only dislike about 45% of this one 6/10 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) - Stream 7.5/10 Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) - Netflix Does not feel like it exists in the same world as the brilliant original but it is a fun action sequel.. however it is bogged down by the annoying Ed Furlong 6.5/10 Scarface (1983) 6/10
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