Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate it | {Insert Appropriate Seasonal Greeting Here}

[LeafalCrusader]

Joe Versus The Volcano (1990) 3/5

Tom Hanks is a hypochondriac who is conned by a millionaire into believing he is dying so that he'll sacrifice himself by throwing himself into a volcano and saving a small island people.

I remember watching this one 20 years ago and hating it. Watching it for a second time I actually appreciated it more. I enjoyed the silliness, performances, and the messages about finding your soul and enjoying life.

Wouldn't call it a masterpiece but a fun date night flick.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Alcarras (2022) - 5/10

The type of joyless foreign film which puts me off of modern European films because it's a chore to get through. Follows a Catalan family losing their family peach farm to a solar farm because the grandfather never had an actual deed. There are some decent scenes mainly with the a nice grandfather but the film focuses more on angsty family drama especially with the anxious and abrasive presence of the father who looms over the film like a menace, he ends up feeling like more of the villain than the actual situation of the family losing their farm. Doesn't help that the portrayal shown of the family is never really sympathetic to begin with, characters are often shown as dislikable, and the shaky camera sort of drifts in/out of conversations and instead focuses more on emotional expressions which aren't very engaging. The director took 'show don't tell' a bit too seriously.

Unfaithfully Yours (1948) - 7.5/10

Classic which smoothly swings and sways from screwball comedy/romance to drama about a composer who finds out his wife might be cheating on him. Bit slow going at first but it has some great crescendos. There is a 10 minute scene in the final third of the film which ruins the momentum and brings it down....it's a scene where our lead tries to carry out a plan and ends up tripping and falling around his apartment for around a dozen straight minutes of no-dialogue shitty 'comedy'. If you skip past that part though then the rest of the film is up there as one of the better romantic comedies before the 50s.

The Wrong Man (1956) - 7.5/10

Hitchcock's possibly most unemotional and no-nonsense film. It doesn't have detachment to the same extent of something like Le Trou but maybe because it's based on a true story, he presents it almost as a documentary at times and I think it works quite well even if it never achieves the same highs as his other films. It also doesn't bludgen you over the head with suspense the way a film like Rope does. Perfect casting with Henry 'sad eyes' Fonda as the sympathetic lead of the wrong man accused of a crime. There's a really interesting courtroom scene here which focuses not so much on the trial but focuses on the reaction of the accused which is a nice change from usual dialogue-driven classic courtroom scenes.

 

[Unholy Diver]

The Meg 2 : The Trench 7/10 - A throwback to a few years ago when Jason Statham was cranking out the action cheese much more regularly. Combine that with a slew of giant rampaging monsters, and that is a fun popcorn flick for me.


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem - 8/10

I haven't kept up with the TMNT gang since the first couple of movies back in the early 90's. Thoroughly enjoyed the new one, loved the animation style and there was plenty of nostalgia and stuff for parents to get a chuckle from that would go over kids heads. The song played during the battle with the chop shop bad guys was a nice touch

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Oppenheimer. A lot to like, but I feel like I'm a step or two behind the consensus on this one. I know juggling timelines is Nolan's whole thing, but I found it particularly effective here. All the more impressive thanks to the frenetic pace he starts and maintains for most of the three hour runtime. The Trinity test sequence is riveting. That's an impressive feat since we all know what's coming. Murphy is fantastic and holds the screen in every scene he's in. He's magnetic without ever needing to rely on tropes like THE BIG SPEECH. Robert Downey Jr. is probably going to win an Oscar. (Perfect storm of good performance, widely liked actor and an inevitable "he's due" narrative). Deep bench of many familiar faces nearly all of whom came to play. Thought Matt Damon (levity), David Krumholtz (soul) and Casey Affleck (menace) were the most effective. I thought Benny Safdie must have blackmail material on all of our good directors to keep getting acting gigs.

But oh man, Emily Blunt (stand by your man!) and Florence Pugh (manic sexy nightmare girl) deserve so much better than the one-dimensional slop Nolan fed them here. I've seen a defense of it as "Well that's just how Oppenheimer saw women and the movie is his POV" but I think that's a pretty generous concession to a writer-director whose reputation for writing lackluster women characters is only exceeded by Aaron Sorkin. Just because he gives Blunt an snappy Oscar moment late in the movie doesn't negate that all her previous scenes are some version of Takes Drink, Makes Face, Throws Glass, Shouts "WHY DON'T YOU FIGHT???"

And the sex scene is HOWLINGLY RIDICULOUS.

Followed that with a long overdue rewatch of Danny Boyle's Sunshine where Cillian Murphy again plays a physicist facing off against immensely powerful balls of flame. The traditional complaint against this is how the third act slips into horror movie. I've voiced that in the past too but rewatching now, it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it once did. In fact, it fits much better than I remember. It doesn't totally hang up to the first two-thirds which are near perfect IMO, but I don't think it's as bad a detriment as generally thought. Great cast. First time I ever realized Chris Evans could act. The characters all operate with a practical logic I feel like isn't often deployed in sci-fi. Tight. Good shit-just-keeps-getting worse story. The real magic though is the first ballot Hall of Fame score. Music and sound design in this is spectacular.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

The Club. Early 80s Australian movie about an AFL club at a crossroads. Club legend coach. Is the game passing him by? Hot-shot high-paid new young player. Does he even care? Ambitious but duplicitous owners. Where do their motives really lie? Walks that same gritty drama-comedy line as comparable 70s US sports movies like Slapshot and North Dallas Forty. Entertaining. Themes and stories are universal regardless of sport and country. Aussie Given Sunday.

Sharksploitation. A fun enough documentary about shark attack movies (and related murderous water-based creature films). A lot of surface, but it's a broad surface spanning Creature from the Black Lagoon to Jaws to the Sci-Fi Channel's crap factory. I enjoyed this far more than I'd ever enjoy that whole realm of bad-on-purpose movies, though I have to admit Ghost Shark has me intrigued. Thought the actual real-life scientists in the movie were the best part. Lots of great anecdotes including one about a Burt Reynolds movie where a stuntman was killed on set by a shark and they apparently use the footage in the movie ... yikes.

Frantic. Roman Polanski and Harrison Ford team up for a Hitchcockian wronged man/missing wife story on the streets of Paris. Thought Ford was pretty game. Obviously a nice test run for him in some senses for The Fugitive a few years later. But I kept expecting the intensity of this to ratchet up and it never really does. Movie stays pitched on this middle gear that just didn't work for me. Hits all the beats you want and expect it to, but the whole thing is a bit languid. Frantic is a misnomer of a title.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Room at the Top-1959

Smoker of a drama (literally and figuratively). A brash young man, Joe (Laurence Harvey), arrives in town to start a new job. He takes a fancy to a young girl who happens to be the daughter of one of the most powerful men in town. He is also attracted to Alice, a married woman (Simone Signoret who won the best actress award over the Hepburns, Elizabeth Taylor and Doris Day). Her husband is a philanderer and not a very nice guy. Real strong performance from her, much of it conveyed through her eyes and expressions during a 'Mrs Robinson' type of affair with the younger Joe (although Alice has a heart). Greed, power. lust, passion, infidelity. social climbing and ultimately a morality play. The film covers a lot of ground and does it all so well.

Running on Empty-1988

A family on the run from the FBI for a Vietnam war protest bombing of a Napalm laboratory many years before. Father, mother and their two boys have become used to pulling up stakes and moving on from a town at a moments notice if they feel the law closing in. Liked this film many years ago and it has aged well. Several moving performances, highlighted by a scene with Christine Lahti meeting her father for the first time in many years and the heartfelt emotions exchanged. The script was written by Naomi Foner (mother of Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal). River Phoenix as the older son is so good. Although his piano playing is dubbed, he spent ~6 months learning the keys to give the illusion that it really was him playing the music. One reason that I like Sidney Lumet films is his judicious use of music. He loved classical but had stopped listening for a while because it made him sad. Great film about family.

Nights of Cabiria-1957 (subtitles)

The film starts out with a scene that seems innocent, a man and woman running in a field, hand in hand, heading towards the riverbank. And then a sudden shocking twist.He's running off with her purse and she's helplessly floating down river. A day in the life of a Rome prostitute and the film grabbed my close attention from the start. Cabiria may be diminutive but she is full of life. Like others in her circle of ladies of the evening, she seeks the dream of a better life. Was trying to think of great films where a director directed their spouse and she starred. There is probably a bunch on looking it up (i.e. Tim Robbins & Susan Sarandon in Dead Man Walking, Joel Coen & Frances McDormand in Fargo etc.). Director Fedrico Fellini's wife Giulietta Masina as Cabiria is a knockout here, what a beautiful smile. A pretty masterful job of sound, the train, church bells, grandfather clock, music nicely mixed in. Memorable film, I could imagine Chaplin giving his thumbs up to the ending.

As a sidenote, I noticed that there is a classic silent Italian film called Cabiria (1914), set in the third century BC. Would like to check it out at some point if I can track down the restored version. Roger Ebert wrote a great review on the film:

The stuff of dreams movie review (1914) | Roger Ebert

On my last night at Cannes 2006, I climbed to the fifth floor of the Palais du Cinema to see a 180-minute silent epic made in 1914. Giovanni Pastrone's

www.rogerebert.com

Both Room at the Top and Running on Empty were two of my favorite new-to-me movies that I've watched in the past year. Great stuff.

 

[Sentinel]

I don't rate them as low as he did but I find 80s blockbusters like Back To The Future (especially 2 & 3), Indiana Jones, etc to be grossly overrated. Like these films show up on lists of the top 100, top 200, etc of all time.

As thrillers, they hold nothing against better thrillers from this millennia or pre-80s. And their dialogue is really poor so you can't call them particularly good dramas either, they're quite campy films.

My own theory, is that they're overrated on a lot of film lists today because the people who grew up in the 80s and 90s loved them as kids/teens and it led to them being overrated when sites like imdb were found and that same generation is Gen X and continued to overrate them through nostalgic glasses in the future.

50 years from now I don't think they'll be considered as highly.

There is a reason why these people loved them as kids/teens. Because they are all masterpieces, start to finish. I showed them all to my kid (and many others).

The "real" ratings:
Raiders of the Lost Ark: 9/10
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: 10/10
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: 10/10
Back to the Future: 10/10
Back to the Future 2: 10/10
Back to the Future 3: 10/10

 

[The Crypto Guy]

There is a reason why these people loved them as kids/teens. Because they are all masterpieces, start to finish. I showed them all to my kid (and many others).

The "real" ratings:
Raiders of the Lost Ark: 9/10
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: 10/10
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: 10/10
Back to the Future: 10/10
Back to the Future 2: 10/10
Back to the Future 3: 10/10

Lol, c'on...

 

[Sentinel]

Lol, c'on...

Don't know what this means, sorry.

 

[frisco]

Dog Day Afternoon (8.5/10)-Pacino is great. Cazale is superb and the supporting cast hit their marks. Well-casted. Pacino's "wife" Chris Sarandon (who was nominated for an Oscar) doesn't come off as a real person, though.

It holds up well after almost 50 years. Crazy plot (mostly true, though) gives Pacino tons to work with. Lots of classic scenes. You can sense the crazed desperation of the Pacino character who is still very empathetic to the audience although he's committing what could be a capital crime. The hostages are played well, too, never stepping into parody.

The humor, while black, never obscures the seriousness of the whole thing and the climatic scene is action packed and tragic. Good snapshot of New York and the general state of America at that time. They don't make them like this anymore.

My Best-Carey

 

[frisco]

Network (1976)
3.25 out of 4stars

“A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor's ravings and revelations about the news media for its own profit, but finds that his message may be difficult to control.”
A great satirical drama that is/was prophetic of the future of media and its impact on society as a whole and individually. An Oscar darling, receiving 10 nominations and accumulating 4 wins: Best Actor (Finch), Best Actress (Dunaway), Best Supporting Actress (Straight), and Best Screenplay (Chayefsky). On that note, Peter Finch is electric any time he’s on the screen, many thanks to his delivery of a character that has lost his mind in a “crazy like a fox” way. Material one needs to walk a fine line with, Finch knocks out of the park. Finch is the frustrated man speaking sad truths of the news and world, issues and oppressive forces that seem unchangeable or controllable. Some other nice notes of how money and satisfaction are humanity’s God at the end of the day, and the only way money is trumped is if opinion-pushing/propaganda choices outweigh it for top of the pyramid peoples. The film also has hints or notions on the future of media becoming more fast-paced, sensationalized, crude, and “realistic”, with connections to tabloid shows/tabloid talk shows, reality shows, and personal footage use/publication all for the sake of money and more audience viewers. And society’s overconsumption and attachment to this media/style as their main source of entertainment, translated to even the immediacy and rapidity of TikTok’s and Cell Phone usage now with the younger generation, leads to a “dehumanization” of humanity, shrinking reality for people and turning them into insensitive and indifferent beings with minimal functioning abilities in reality/the-real-world with real people. Personal and functional relationships suffer, and psychological/mental/emotional dysfunctions occur from this now inhuman instant satisfaction. Technology itself has become such a double edged sword even beyond this that it’s frightening of where the future may lead for humanity as a whole.

Great review of an exceptional, visionary, relevant motion picture.

My Best-Carey

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Barbie - thumbs up

A surprisingly solid and entertaining film that was just a lot of fun. Healthy doses of social commentary throughout, but never got obnoxious and was in many parts exaggerated for effect and never to actually vilify anyone.

Ryan Baby Goose still looked especially weird as an exposed chest Ken to me, though. There's my dude appearance hot take of hot takes, along with Robert Patinson not having a good enough jaw line for batman. That all being said, the bro fights, to me, were the most entertaining aspect of the movie. They felt like a seven year-old's idea of how men are supposed to be, which was just a great source of comedy.

Fully expecting WB and Mattel to just assume Barbie's success was based off the brand rather than the actual qualities of the film itself and to thereby churn out a load of random toys as real people movies while completely missing what made this work.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

To Live and Die in L.A.
As I mentioned in the RIP William Friedkin thread, I’m real tempted to call this his best movie. It’s probably not. But I do entertain the thought in a genuine, not trolling way. I think The Exorcist likely has the best case. I am confident in saying at the very least this is my favorite Friedkin movie.

Great on its own merits. From its slick style to the amped performances to yet another god-tier car chase from Friedkin — one that takes on an almost video game like quality thanks to its escalating challenges. It’s a slice of L.A. neon and orange sunset and synth magic with a very 80s appropriate “it’s just business, baby” attitude. I don’t know that any characters in this actually do drugs (despite the era) but it certainly feels like everyone is on cocaine (They might have been! Again, the era).

But what really kicks this up a level is how in conversation this is with The French Connection. It’s a reexamination if not an outright reckoning with law enforcement blowing past any sort of line for the sake of doing their job. The times have changed. In multiple ways. You certainly can have one without the other, but they make for fascinating tandem when put together.

This doesn’t have the gravity of Gene Hackman’s (Oscar winning) performance in The French Connection, but being a child of the ‘80s I’m naturally drawn to more gloss than grit so I have an affinity for this versus its more heralded spiritual predecessor.

 

[Sentinel]

Licorice Pizza (2021). A fairly decent teenage romance tale (even though the main heroine Alana claims to be 25, she might’ve as well be 18) set in 1973 California. There is a large degree of perceived realism here, given that the Alana’s real name is also Alana and her entire real life family is cast as themselves. Her opposite Gary is played by Cooper Hoffman (Philipp Seymore’s son), a 15 y.o. hustler jumping on various opportunities for success (water beds, pinball machines, etc.). A bunch of cute misadventures occur, and the film is pleasant to watch. The main problem is: these misadventures don’t seem to go anywhere, there is no cohesion, and the character development is minimal. Director Paul Thomas Anderson (not be confused with Wes) is known for his love for the 70s (Boogie Nights). The best parts, however, belong two heavyweights: Sean Penn (as an aging Hollywood star) and Tom Waits (as a restaurant entertainer). Their one episode is the brightest of the film. Strangely enough, I cannot say the same thing about Bradley Cooper (not to be confused with Cooper Hoffman): he overacts quite a bit. The title (a slang word for a vinyl record) feels a little misplaced: I expected a movie about the 70s music scene but got none of it. Still, it’s an entertaining one. Unfortunately, I followed it with another film that takes place in the 70s, Manhattan, and it blows LP out of the water. 7/10

Great Gatsby (1974). Young Robert Redford is objectively gorgeous. He is very fitting as Gatsby but, to me, that part fits DiCaprio even more perfectly. Mia Farrow is a tad too hysterical even for a hysterical part of Daisy Buchanan. The movie is very faithful to the book but just too slow. Doesn’t quite boast the same flash, the same bite, or the same energy as the Luhrmann flick. Skippable. 5/10

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 (1984).
A great and very funny comedy about a small-time entertainment agent (Allen himself), whose main client, a washed-up singer (Nick Apollo Forte), gets involved with a suspicious woman (a barely recognizable Mia Farrow) with mafia ties. TBH this subject was better explored in 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐲 ten years later but let’s not get too picky. It's a feast of humor: situational, dialogue, and straight-up slapstick (some moments would not look out of place in 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫). My main gripe is the cinematography. For the love of it, I can’t understand why Allen opted to make this movie black-and-white. This is not a Bergman tribute or 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐧, where the sentimentality of the relationships is exposed against the backdrop of beautiful New York City. I don’t see what was there to be gained by losing all color. But it is what it is, and what it is, is very funny. "Guilty? I've been feeling guilty all my life and I didn't do anything!" 9/10

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Ahí está el detalle/You're Missing The Point (1940) - 7.5/10

Did I watch some random Mexican screwball classic just because it had good ratings? Yes I did, and it was worth it. This one is not as polished or sanitized as similar Hollywood screwball comedies of the time but its dialogue is just as fast and often as funny even though much of the gags probably get lost in translation to English subtitles. It can honestly be a bit dizzying to watch if you aren't in the right mood but if you're into dialogue heavy silly scripts then it's a good film.

Random Harvest (1942) - 7.5/10

A nice American-made British-set film which follows a man having amnesia after the war. Amnesia itself is a pretty convenient and really dumb plot device and the plot itself is reflected in that but the movie is less about the plot and more about some fairly well acted and earnestly expressed emotion. Also has a really nice solid ending even though the beginning is a bit bumpy/boring and one of the better earned kisses I've seen in a film.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Hidden Blade (2004) - 7.5/10

This is a well crafted Samurai version of an Anti-Western by the same director who made Twilight Samurai earlier. It's very restrained, bittersweet, and emotional but also has a couple solid duels as good as I've ever seen in a Samurai film. Really excellent controlled pacing as well. It feels well acted which I don't normally say for Japanese films and does a decent job of using its scenery though it doesn't have the most colourful or vivid cinematography. Worth seeking out imo but anyways here's Parker Posey ordering a falafel with hot sauce and a side order of baba ganoush.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

A Vincent Price-Roger Corman-Edgar Allan Poe double header. This trio of legends joined forces on seven movies. I'd seen a few of them before, most prominently the stellar adaptation of The Masque of the Red Death (featuring some vibrant Nicholas Roeg cinematography). Wanted to catch up on a few of the other adaptations I hadn't seen.

House of Usher. Price is more mystery than malevolent here. No one puts mustard on a line delivery quite like him ... "merchant of flesh," "harlot," "EEEEE-vil." Dated but enjoyable nightmare sequence with colorful mists and 60s trippiness. A quick, good time at the movies and among the best of this collaboration.

The Raven. Much more notable than good. Notable for 1) putting Price, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre on screen together. 2) Climaxing with an often imitated wizard/magic fight. 3) Young Jack Nicholson! But the movie itself? It's pitched at a silly romp pace. Lots of comedic mugging. Just not my thing. Though I prefer serious Price, I don't mind when he does comedy, but there's a fine line between his grand hamminess (good!) and outright goofballing. Not Lorre's finest moment either. I like the old fashioned FX though, especially in that big fight.

 

[OzzyFan]

The Raven. Much more notable than good. Notable for 1) putting Price, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre on screen together. 2) Climaxing with an often imitated wizard/magic fight. 3) Young Jack Nicholson! But the movie itself? It's pitched at a silly romp pace. Lots of comedic mugging. Just not my thing. Though I prefer serious Price, I don't mind when he does comedy, but there's a fine line between his grand hamminess (good!) and outright goofballing. Not Lorre's finest moment either. I like the old fashioned FX though, especially in that big fight.

The Raven has some funny backstory/behind-the-scenes notes for a big name horror collaboration. If you didn't know: Karloff didn't like working with Lorre, Nicholson hated working with Lorre, Nicholson hated working with the animal raven that kept crapping on him, Price's sorcerer in the film was the inspiration for Marvel's Dr. Strange, and Lorre was a big improviser. Given Lorre's history, you kind of wonder if he was a little buzzed during filming. Not so surprising that Price was the easiest and most easy going person to work with of the group. There are also other little fun tid bits on it, but those are the major ones. And of course you can't go wrong with Corman/Price/Poe adaptations, even the ones not mentioned above.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

The Raven has some funny backstory/behind-the-scenes notes for a big name horror collaboration. If you didn't know: Karloff didn't like working with Lorre, Nicholson hated working with Lorre, Nicholson hated working with the animal raven that kept crapping on him, Price's sorcerer in the film was the inspiration for Marvel's Dr. Strange, and Lorre was a big improviser. Given Lorre's history, you kind of wonder if he was a little buzzed during filming. Not so surprising that Price was the easiest and most easy going person to work with of the group. There are also other little fun tid bits on it, but those are the major ones. And of course you can't go wrong with Corman/Price/Poe adaptations, even the ones not mentioned above.

This all makes perfect sense after watching it.

 

[shadow1]

A Vincent Price-Roger Corman-Edgar Allan Poe double header. This trio of legends joined forces on seven movies. I'd seen a few of them before, most prominently the stellar adaptation of The Masque of the Red Death (featuring some vibrant Nicholas Roeg cinematography). Wanted to catch up on a few of the other adaptations I hadn't seen.

House of Usher. Price is more mystery than malevolent here. No one puts mustard on a line delivery quite like him ... "merchant of flesh," "harlot," "EEEEE-vil." Dated but enjoyable nightmare sequence with colorful mists and 60s trippiness. A quick, good time at the movies and among the best of this collaboration.

The Raven. Much more notable than good. Notable for 1) putting Price, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre on screen together. 2) Climaxing with an often imitated wizard/magic fight. 3) Young Jack Nicholson! But the movie itself? It's pitched at a silly romp pace. Lots of comedic mugging. Just not my thing. Though I prefer serious Price, I don't mind when he does comedy, but there's a fine line between his grand hamminess (good!) and outright goofballing. Not Lorre's finest moment either. I like the old fashioned FX though, especially in that big fight.

Agree completely!

In Sept-Oct 2020, I watched 26 Vincent Price movies, all for the first time. House of Usher was my favorite, while The Raven underwhelmed me (but was far from the worst Price film I watched... *cough* Cry of the Banshee *cough*).

 

[OzzyFan]

Rebecca (1940)
3.30 out of 4stars

“A self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his dead wife's spectral presence.”
An excellent romantic psychological thriller that tells a gothic horror tale about angst, secrets, and bubbling tensions. The film has mood, mystery, and suspense in spades with turns and twists that astonish. All the actors go above and beyond in the expression and definement of their respective characters, especially Joan Fontaine in the lead (with her, Olivier, and Anderson all rightfully receiving Oscar nominations). The major theme here seems to be about how greatly our memories and past (peoples) in our lives can shape us. Rebecca, even though one year deceased, has such lingering life-changing power and impact on those left behind, and new to the situation, that she controls the lives of our 3 main protagonists and haunts them in different ways. Essentially still living on post-mortem psychologically. Power dynamics and gender roles are other major themes explored in the film. Two other major themes exist as well, but I can’t explain them without ruining some surprises. The film is overall all sorts of excellent. Also, there seems to be some sexual undertones on multiple fronts here as well, but their depths are a bit murky. This Hitchcock film here is definitely not overhyped .

The Odd Couple (1968)
3.05 out of 4stars

“A New Yorker newly separated from his wife moves in with his best friend, a divorced sportswriter, but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day.”
A great “buddy” comedy with great actors, great chemistry, and a great script. Based on the play, Lemmon and Mathau are a pitch perfect Yin and Yang combo, bringing great energy to the very funny dialogue and good fun situations, while working off each other excellently with their love-hate relationship. Starts off with a serious predicament that’s highlighted more by realistic undertones throughout, on subject matter almost entirely involving relationships/friendships. A harmless joy of a film that almost all should relate to in some way.

Day of Anger (1967)
2.90 out of 4stars

“A scruffy garbage boy becomes the pupil of a famed gunfighter, and later the stage for confrontation is set when the gunman becomes unhinged and overruns the boy's town through violence and corruption.”
A great spaghetti western starring Van Cleef that is action filled. One of those films that shows the darker side of old west gunslingers. While they are envied, feared, and respected, gunslingers are also shown to be murderous and wicked as well. Some interesting contrasting was made, thanks to the fact that higher end townsfolk were also seen as corrupt and nasty but with a much different outward appearance and public character. Altogether giving the audience a good question on what is the greater evil and what one should do or aim for when given the abilities or choice to become anything along that spectrum or beneath it. Some nice tidbits on gunslinger “tricks'' that can help build their skills and reputation. Has a decent variety of action and a good score too.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

A trio of Empire Pictures flicks ... Cannon, New World and Troma are more beloved in the realm of very 80s genre production houses. Both had more money and relatively better taste than Charles Band's Empire. But there are a fair amount of genre jewels to be mined from Empire. There's a lot of the so-bad-it's-good variety, but on occasion you come across something legit and unambiguously good.

Galactic Gigolo ... is not that. It's very very far from that. Cheap was to be expected. Even a certain level of badness was to be expected. But this sorta sci-fi sex comedy manages to fly under that already low bar. Worst of the worst stuff. I have no tolerance for bad and cheap that constantly winks at you about how bad and cheap it is. It's why I struggle with the whole Sharknado thing (second time this week I'm taking shots at Sharknado). I can think of very few movies I've seen that are this bad.

Mutant Hunt. Still cheap. Budget can't have been much more than Galactic Gigolo. BUT, there's a commitment to the bit here that makes it fun. The acting isn't great and the SFX are bad. But nothing feels INTENTIONALLY bad. It's circumstantially bad. That's a meaningful difference. As low-budget midnight sci-fi (and at a blissful 76 minutes!) it adequately scratches a very certain itch.

Enemy Territory. I mentioned Empire will sometimes stumble into a legit good movie ... this is one A lean urban thriller about a white insurance salesman who runs afoul of a gang who dominates a housing project tower and has to rely on residents to help him survive. Similar night-from-hell seige stories told many times over. This is a good example (and better than many higher profile, higher budget versions). Pulpy, entertaining storytelling with a few before-they-were-famous surprises including a very menacing Tony Todd as the gang leader and cinematography by Ernest Dickerson. A genuine gem of a small action movie. And waaaay better than any movie with Ray Parker Jr. in the second lead role has any right to be.

(This quality gaps in these movies was not planned by me. Just moving through a watch list. Just a funny coincidence that the three movies I picked happened to nicely embody three key flavors of Empire productions: Bad-bad, bad-good and good-good. Maybe I should try to find one that could be considered good-bad?)

 

[Mike C]

watched "about my father". very funny. deniro is great

also saw "the man" with samuel l jackson and eugene levi again. another very funny flick

 

[Ghoste]

Insidious: The Red Door - I felt it went too slow and didn’t have a lot of ‘creepiness’. Maybe a result of Wilson’s directorial debut, not sure.

2/5 if I’m being generous.

 

[93gilmour93]

Natty Knocks (2023) 6/10

New horror movie about a serial killer whose mother was killed in front of him as a child and he grows up to have his life cross paths with a few teens that witness him attacking someone. The thing that attracted me to watch this movie is that it stars Bill Moseley, Danielle Harris and Robert Englund so for horror fans it’s got some of the bigger names from the genre in the movie. Fun watch…..