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

KallioWeHardlyKnewYe

Hey! We won!
May 30, 2003
15,772
3,808
Taps. Another revisit from my youth. Military school kids take over their beloved institution after its leader accidentally kills a townie and the school is to be shut down. There's a surface level reason to watch this for movie fans. That's the now counterintuitive casting of a young Sean Penn as the moral center and a young Tom Cruise as an unhinged psycho. But the real reason to check this out is Timothy Hutton, who is the actual star. He's their young leader wrestling to do what he believes is right and honorable. (Penn and Cruise are the respective angel and devil on his shoulders). Hutton already had won an Oscar at this young age and would be nominated for a Golden Globe here. It's a really stellar performance of a complex, conflicted character who realizes too late that he might have been sold a bill of goods. These are kids playing dress up. Brash youth. We (and the older characters in the movie) see the oncoming tragedy. But they can't. Solid little drama. Oh, and there's a pretty good LOL when George C. Scott, as their mentor, bemoans how movies portray military leaders as being insane.

Inside Man. The first time I saw this, I had a weird hangup. I thought the preview gave away too much of the movie and when I sat down to watch it, things that I thought should have been held back aren't. Elements of the story that could be big third-act surprises are casually dolled out through the first hour. This annoyed me then. But I was stupid and wrong and judging the movie in my head, not the one on the screen. Finally coming back to it, I had a much greater appreciation for how sophisticated the story telling actually is. While the big surprise I thought I wanted might have been a great initial sugar rush, I don't know that it would have lasted. Instead, what they do here is much more of a gradual drip, a trail of crumbs. It does start revealing the who, why and how early, but it never gives you the full picture. Everything is really expertly spooled out in a way that drives momentum and satisfies in the end. I completely whiffed on that the first time. Hitchcock is always right.

Even beyond that I also let my annoyances cloud the most basic pleasure of this film, which is that it's stacked with real pros (in front of and behind the camera) who are giving it 100% Everyone is overqualified for this, which has every reason to be a generic paycheck job. But it isn't. They treat it as high class and it shows.
 
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flyersnorth

Registered User
Oct 7, 2019
4,692
7,159
Get Out (2017)
Horror/Mystery/Thriller


A young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.

Wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I found it quite good in terms of creating an unsettling atmosphere and avoiding most horror / thriller movie cliches. It also had a pretty disturbing social commentary.

No jump scares, and not really a "horror" in the traditional sense, but more because of the subject matter.

7.5/10.
 

KallioWeHardlyKnewYe

Hey! We won!
May 30, 2003
15,772
3,808
Liquid Sky. Been wanting to see this cult classic for a while. I don't know if it was my mood or what, but I was not vibing with it at all. There's an open gender and sexual fluidity that wasn't as common at the time, so i can see why it holds a special place for some. There are a couple of monologues about sex and sexuality and feminism that I'm sure generated some interesting writing, but it never really clicked in for me. Is it me? Is it the movie? I'll probably circle back in a few years and retry.

Best of the Best. It's hard for me to pick out what is the best of the Best of the Best. Is it that it's darn near every sports movie cliche thrown into a blender and pulsed into a perfectly lumpy concoction? Is it that there's so much info in this movie that the characters absolutely should know — both small details about their sport and large revelations about multiple characters — but they some how do not? Is it that there's a cowboy from Miami (not Texas), an auto worker from Oregon (not Detroit) an Italian from Detroit (not New York) a Buddhist hippie from Maine (not California) and James Earl Jones playing a man named Cuzzo? It's all that! And so much more. Enjoyed the hell out of this oddly earnest and completely ridiculous movie.
 

Pranzo Oltranzista

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
3,981
2,900
Liquid Sky. Been wanting to see this cult classic for a while. I don't know if it was my mood or what, but I was not vibing with it at all. There's an open gender and sexual fluidity that wasn't as common at the time, so i can see why it holds a special place for some. There are a couple of monologues about sex and sexuality and feminism that I'm sure generated some interesting writing, but it never really clicked in for me. Is it me? Is it the movie? I'll probably circle back in a few years and retry.
It's not you. It's just a terrible movie. But yeah, as you said, it does have themes and ideas that were daring enough to warrant some (deserved) attention. It doesn't make it watchable.
 

Chili

Time passes when you're not looking
Jun 10, 2004
8,788
4,924
AceInTheHole2.png

Ace in the Hole-1951 (aka The Big Carnival)

Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) as an opportunist newspaperman. He sees the chance to take advantage of a man trapped in a cave-in in New Mexico and sensationalizes the story. This brings huge interest including reporters and many people to the site, like when a crowd forms to watch a blaze only this will go on for days. The trapped man's wife (Jan Sterling) sees her own opportunity to escape her life in a remote location. It was inspired by a couple of real-life stories, including William Floyd Collins who was trapped in a cave in Kentucky in 1925. It's an uncompromising, tragic, dark film from Billy Wilder.

FuneralinBerlin4.png

Funeral in Berlin-1966

Michael Caine as Harry Palmer, who became a spy to avoid prison. He's been sent to West Berlin to help a would-be defector escape to the West. From there, it gets complicated as who can be trusted? There are a couple of nice twists to the story. Some fine location shooting around Berlin and the Wall, especially the opening escape scene. Directed by Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, The Colditz Story...). Pretty good thriller, more laid back then a Bond film, there are pretty girls though (i.e. Eva Renzi).

Changeling2.png

Changeling-2008

A true story from late 1920's Los Angeles. A mother's young son disappears without a trace. Months later in Illinois a boy is found claiming to be Walter, Christine Collins' (Angelina Jolie) missing son. Mother and son are re-united. Or are they? A mother's nightmare is compounded by a corrupt police department focused on their image. Somewhat surprising this story isn't more well known, the eventual scope caused a town to change its name from Wineville to Mira Loma, California. Angelina Jolie is very good as a mother who just wants her son back while having to deal with opposition who wants her to go away and takes measures to make that happen. I like how Clint Eastwood dealt with a very painful story in a sensitive manner. Good score and great attention to period detail down to the streetcars. Well done.

DetectiveStory3.png

The Detective Story-1951

'Do you have a two-way wristwatch like Dick Tracy?'

A day in the life of the 21st precinct squad room in New York. The various folks who end up there include a shoplifter, a man who took money from his employer, a pair of burglars and a doctor who Detective McLeod (Kirk Douglas) believes is responsible for the death of a woman. McLeod is a kind of 1950's Dirty Harry, with his own set of rules when confronting the accused. He is also dealing with his own demons which are affecting his judgement as a law officer. Douglas is convincing and is supported by a strong cast, a number of whom were in the successful play. The film got a list of Academy Award nominations, although no one won. Tough year to be up against films like A Streetcar Named Desire and The African Queen. Very well done and influential.

For fans of Barney Miller, the 1970's sitcom, this film was the inspiration for the show, although the film is pure drama.
 
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SniperHF

Rejecting Reports
Mar 9, 2007
42,821
22,201
Phoenix
My wife put on "Trigger Warning" as background noise and oh boy it's not even sufficient for that. One of the most nonsensical movies I've ever seen. Your average 90's TNT made for tv movie was better. I hate the streaming content churn so much.

The plot? Some hybrid of Walking Tall and one of the Rambos. Except it lacks all the gravity of the 1973 version, the humor of The Rock's version, or the quality action sequences of a First Blood. It's shit don't watch it.
 

CDJ

Registered User
Nov 20, 2006
57,346
47,906
Hell baby
Reno 911: Miami 7.2/10

It ones of my fav shows I’m gonna like the movie even if it’s just basically a long episode featuring The Rock and Paul Rudd

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior 7.7/10

would’ve been in the 8’s but they killed a dog, those are the rules. Brutal crimes against humanity- ok. Murdering dogs? No
 

Babe Ruth

Looks wise.. I'm a solid 8.5
Feb 2, 2016
1,595
697
Reno 911: Miami 7.2/10

It ones of my fav shows I’m gonna like the movie even if it’s just basically a long episode featuring The Rock and Paul Rudd
I thought this was a very funny movie. Been a while since I (re)watched it, but..
I liked the scenes where a Scarface-like Rudd is attempting to torture some of the Reno cops. Wasn't there one where Rudd's henchmen were threatening/menacing 'em with a weedeater? (laughter)
 

Babe Ruth

Looks wise.. I'm a solid 8.5
Feb 2, 2016
1,595
697
The Promotion (2008)

Story of two grocery store middle managers vying for a new location to manage.
Basically a slice-of-life comedy, and has its comedic moments of competition.. like a parking lot slapfight, etc. But i liked that its humor was mostly subtle and relatable. Didn't have a lot of dumb, over the top, scorced earth competition scenarios.
It was a pretty realistic depiction of two regular guys trying to survive and remain honorable, in a competitive world. And how that does have moments of comedy, especially in retail.
John C Reilly & 'Stifler' play the dueling assistant managers.. (on Tubi, for another week).
 
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Legionnaire11

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Jul 12, 2007
14,307
8,464
Fort Wayne
atlantichockeyleague.com
Ghost: Rite Here, Rite Now (2024)

If you haven't been able to see this band live, the movie is the next best thing. It really captures their performance very well. A little bit of lore intertwined but nothing that takes away from the performance and if you don't know the prior lore it doesn't diminish the film at all. It's hard to think of anything that would have really improved this one other than having a longer run (it has extended twice) and limited number of theaters showing it.
 

kihei

McEnroe: The older I get, the better I used to be.
Jun 14, 2006
43,875
11,145
Toronto
roger-federer-the-dancer.jpg


Federer: Twelve Final Days (2024) Directed by Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia (documentary) 5B

I hate panning a documentary about my all-time favourite athlete, but Federer: Twelve Final Days seemed pretty much a waste of time to me. Does Roger, a tennis player of rare grace, elegance, and legendary excellence on and off a tennis court, deserve a documentary of some kind? Sure. But why focus only on the announcement of his retirement and the twelve days that followed, including an emotional farewell at the Laver Cup where Federer officially ended his playing career surrounded by the great players of his era, including Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and, most especially, his dear friend and great rival, Rafa Nadal? While the documentary may interest Federer fans and many serious tennis fans as well, I can't imagine that it will hold anybody else's attention for long. For Federer fans, however, watching these final days unfold again will be an emotional experience. Seldom has an athlete on the world stage meant so much to so many. One of the most likeable things about Federer: Twelve Final Days is that there is absolutely no macho posturing of any kind and, indeed, a great many tears are shed by Roger and his fiercest competitors. Not surprisingly Federer comes across as the class act that he has always been, an athlete who travelled with his wife and four kids on the road with him and still won a zillion championships. In his nifty tuxedo, I thought he looked like he would have made a great James Bond.

Prime Video
 

Babe Ruth

Looks wise.. I'm a solid 8.5
Feb 2, 2016
1,595
697
Smiley Face (2007)

This felt like it missed the Half Baked, Dude Where's My Car zeitgeist by almost a decade.
The story of a female stoner's moronic quest to cross LA and get to a Venice weed festival, to pay her delinquent (weed) debt.
Anna Faris plays the stoner/aspiring actress.. 'Jim' from the Office is her nerdy admirer & sometimes co-pilot. Pretty good cast, basically entertaining.. but it really felt like a script that was written, but left un-produced, back in the late 90s..
I watched on Freevee.
 

KallioWeHardlyKnewYe

Hey! We won!
May 30, 2003
15,772
3,808
The Bikeriders (2024)

Maybe I just f***in love Tom Hardy but this movie was awesome. Vintage Sons of Anarchy vibes, but without the over the top violence. Kind of shows the evolution of biker gangs in America too.

8.7/10
I'm pretty in the bag for Jeff Nichols so I came in primed to love this ... and I did.

There's a critic I like and I am often in agreement with and he did not dig this at all. Called it "cosplay" and I completely get where he's coming from. It is dress-up. Hardy's Johnny admits the inspiration, literally citing Marlon Brando in The Wild One. He's our Brando here, sensitive and tough. Austin Butler is our James Dean, beautiful, an angelic rebel. They're more myths than characters. Why do they do what they do? Camaraderie, freedom, even in some cases maybe love. The movie doesn't answer, but it's all there to be pondered if you choose.

It's not a world I know or would have any desire to be a part of it, but the themes resonate -- the creation of something beautiful, the loss of that beauty. Nostalgia for things we cannot reclaim. It's an episodic, elegiac film.

Hardy is his normal mumbly self (used to good effect here). He grumbles something at one point and a character actually says "What?" and I did the Leonardo DiCaprio meme in the theater. I liked Butler, but he's definitely more of an idea than a person. The rest of the gang is a great collection of dudes you've seen elsewhere. I particularly liked Boyd Holbrook in a role where he's not playing evil, Emory Cohen as the gang's resident goofball and Nichols' regular Michael Shannon who gets a couple of good Michael Shannon scenes.

I suspect that Jodie Comer (who narrates much of the movie) is going to be divisive. Her accent and energy are BIG. I thought she was fantastic. But I won't be surprised if it's a turn off for others.
 

Supermassive

HISS, HISS
Feb 19, 2007
14,629
1,117
Sherwood Park
Empire Records (1995)



I'm going back to the 90's to watch the movies I missed the first time around.

Plot: A record store employee steals the daily bank deposit and blows it all in Atlantic City, and then realizes that the store is about to be absorbed by a "Big Music" store chain. Quirky teenage hijinks ensue. Probably based on a true story, but embellished into silliness. I remember the soundtrack from the nineties, but never bothered to watch the movie. No big loss. 4/10.

That soundtrack, though.

1 Til I Hear It From You - Gin Blossoms
2 Liar - The Cranberries
3 A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins
4 Free - The Martinis
5 Crazy Life - Toad The Wet Sprocket
6 Bright As Yellow - The Innocence Mission
7 Circle Of Friends - Better Than Ezra
8 I Don't Want To Live Today - Ape Hangers
9 Whole Lotta Trouble - Cracker
10 Ready, Steady, Go - The Meices
11 What You Are - Drill
12 Nice Overalls - Lustre
13 Here It Comes Again - Please
14 The Ballad Of El' Goodo - Evan Dando
15 Sugarhigh - Coyote Shivers
 

PK Cronin

Bailey Fan Club Prez
Feb 11, 2013
34,533
23,964
Empire Records (1995)



I'm going back to the 90's to watch the movies I missed the first time around.

Plot: A record store employee steals the daily bank deposit and blows it all in Atlantic City, and then realizes that the store is about to be absorbed by a "Big Music" store chain. Quirky teenage hijinks ensue. Probably based on a true story, but embellished into silliness. I remember the soundtrack from the nineties, but never bothered to watch the movie. No big loss. 4/10.

That soundtrack, though.

1 Til I Hear It From You - Gin Blossoms
2 Liar - The Cranberries
3 A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins
4 Free - The Martinis
5 Crazy Life - Toad The Wet Sprocket
6 Bright As Yellow - The Innocence Mission
7 Circle Of Friends - Better Than Ezra
8 I Don't Want To Live Today - Ape Hangers
9 Whole Lotta Trouble - Cracker
10 Ready, Steady, Go - The Meices
11 What You Are - Drill
12 Nice Overalls - Lustre
13 Here It Comes Again - Please
14 The Ballad Of El' Goodo - Evan Dando
15 Sugarhigh - Coyote Shivers


I also watched this recently but I did see it back in the 90's when I was the appropriate age to enjoy the movie. It's weird, not nearly as good as I remembered, but the nostalgia was strong for me so I still enjoyed it. I'd say 6/10 for me.
 
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Supermassive

HISS, HISS
Feb 19, 2007
14,629
1,117
Sherwood Park
I also watched this recently but I did see it back in the 90's when I was the appropriate age to enjoy the movie. It's weird, not nearly as good as I remembered, but the nostalgia was strong for me so I still enjoyed it. I'd say 6/10 for me.
+2 points for nostalgia and relatability is fair.
I wish I was as chill dealing with a shoplifter with a gun. Maybe the 90's were a more innocent time (to be white, lol).
 

PK Cronin

Bailey Fan Club Prez
Feb 11, 2013
34,533
23,964
+2 points for nostalgia and relatability is fair.
I wish I was as chill dealing with a shoplifter with a gun. Maybe the 90's were a more innocent time (to be white, lol).

When you write out all the storylines it's insane that anyone actually approved that movie to be made. It's even crazier to think that there's something about it that teens found relatable or endearing given all the wackiness. Now that I'm thinking about it (and am going to ramble), it's probably because they grab different archetypes that they know teens would find relatable, the weird one, the smart one, the slutty one, the stoner, etc. and then just throw them into a weird array of things teens might encounter or feel. The very loose cohesion to the story doesn't matter as much in that case I guess.

I know adults who "celebrate" Rex Manning day so it does have some lasting power, though I'm still not sure why.
 
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Babe Ruth

Looks wise.. I'm a solid 8.5
Feb 2, 2016
1,595
697
When you write out all the storylines it's insane that anyone actually approved that movie to be made. It's even crazier to think that there's something about it that teens found relatable or endearing given all the wackiness. Now that I'm thinking about it (and am going to ramble), it's probably because they grab different archetypes that they know teens would find relatable, the weird one, the smart one, the slutty one, the stoner, etc. and then just throw them into a weird array of things teens might encounter or feel. The very loose cohesion to the story doesn't matter as much in that case I guess.

I know adults who "celebrate" Rex Manning day so it does have some lasting power, though I'm still not sure why.
Good post.. and I remember how this movie was received in real time.. it was mostly ignored, and hated by people who went to see it. If I remember right, it made back less than 10% of its budget. At the time, I felt like it was betting on Liv Tyler becoming a bankable star..

But I think it has aged well, for the nostalgic explanation you mentioned earlier. Because there were so many superficial 9os stereotypes.. it's fun to look back on now. But at the time, their fading, early 9os stereotypes were so conveniently contrived it seemed dumb/uncool?
 

PK Cronin

Bailey Fan Club Prez
Feb 11, 2013
34,533
23,964
Good post.. and I remember how this movie was received in real time.. it was mostly ignored, and hated by people who went to see it. If I remember right, it made back less than 10% of its budget. At the time, I felt like it was betting on Liv Tyler becoming a bankable star..

But I think it has aged well, for the nostalgic explanation you mentioned earlier. Because there were so many superficial 9os stereotypes.. it's fun to look back on now. But at the time, their fading, early 9os stereotypes were so conveniently contrived it seemed dumb/uncool?

A cult classic lite that did better outside of the theaters than it did upon initial release. Funny how that happens sometimes.
 

KallioWeHardlyKnewYe

Hey! We won!
May 30, 2003
15,772
3,808
Alexander. (Oliver Stone's big honkin' 3.5 hour final cut). I saw the original version in the theater and remember being bored to tears and feeling like Colin Farrell was horribly miscast. I wondered if I was just historical epic'd out at that point with this near the end of the run long, dusty-ass antiquity-set pics that began with Gladiator. Stone eventually got around to expanding and reworking the movie into his true vision. It still mostly bored me and I still feel like Colin Farrell is horribly miscast. But at least it's longer.

Zandalee. You can squint at this erotic thriller and almost see how it could have worked. It's almost sexy but Nicolas Cage is too intensely silly. He's like a skeevy scuzzball cousin of his Moonstruck character. It's almost dramatic but poor Judge Reinhold just can't keep up. You see why this good-natured goober rarely did serious movies. But you can kinda see it. Feels like it could've been a good book. Alas, the only lasting legacy of this is the scene where Cage covers himself in black paint and yells. (He's in emotional pain). This does also have Steve Buscemi and Marisa Tomei in small, before-they-were famous parts and Joe "Joey Pants" Pantoliano doing a good job in a supporting role that's very unlike his normal parts.
 
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Babe Ruth

Looks wise.. I'm a solid 8.5
Feb 2, 2016
1,595
697
The Grim Sleeper (2014)

This was a surprisingly good Lifetime movie.. basically a crash course on LA's 'Grim Sleeper' serial killings.. and the aspiring reporter breaking the story.

I really only had one complaint.. they had a problem with film location continuity. Some of the scenes were faithful to LA. There are some recognizable LA landmarks, and street signs etc.. but in mid scene they would cutaway, to scenes where it was wet, gray, and cold enough to see the actors' breath. My guess is they split time filming some in British Columbia. But, literally they'd show a car driving thru a sunny, dry LA street..and when they'd get out of the car.. it was cold, damp, and suddenly all the dying palm trees & barred windows would disappear from the street shots.
 
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