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

[Chairman Maouth]

Enough Said (2013)
Julia Louis Dreyfuss
James Gandolfini

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss was on Hot Ones yesterday and the movie "Enough Said" with James Gandolfini was mentioned.

I don't recall hearing about this movie, and being a Gandolfini fan, it piqued my interest. I discovered that the movie was released only three months after his death in 2013. I then discovered this movie has an excellent rating.

It's not really my cup of tea. Romantic comedies rarely are. I'm more of a Scorsese, Tarantino, Coppola fan. You can then see why I was a huge fan of The Sopranos. I know Gandolfini had done other movies since The Sopranos, but none of the movies really impressed me so his performances in my opinion were a little lost in the movies themselves. With "Enough Said", could Gandolfini move out from behind the considerable shadow of Tony Soprano, and could Gandolfini impress in a much different role than the iconic and uber-violent mob boss? I decided to find out for myself.

This movie has a decent plot and some fine acting. Louis-Dreyfuss is excellent, as are all of the supporting actors, but in my opinion it's Gandolfini who really shines. He essentially plays the polar opposite of Tony Soprano; he plays a quiet-spoken, sensitive, middle-aged man who's just trying to navigate life, love, marriage, children, divorce, and ultimately, a new love. And Gandolfini does all of it with absolute believability. One could almost be forgiven for thinking they're watching hidden camera footage of a man navigating his way through the complications life throws at all of us.

I do recommend this movie, even if your cup of tea is more the corn field scene in Casino, or the Bear Jew from Inglourious Basterds. Gandolfini, in his too-short life, did indeed step out from behind the shadow of Tony Soprano. He was not a one-dimensional actor who excelled only when he was playing the heavy. He was versatile and could also do sensitive and caring characters as well as anyone. I think James Gandolfini would be happy to hear someone say that they no longer think of him at his best only as Tony Soprano. I think if you watch this movie you might say that too.

 

[OzzyFan]

The Apartment (1960)
3.35 out of 4stars

“A Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications ensue.”
An excellent romantic comedy drama satire from Wilder-Lemmon that is as effectively very serious as it is very humorous. It explores the funny and not so funny sides of extramarital affairs, corporate favoritism through immoral exchanges, and being used as a pawn in both of those circles. That’s not to say that all parties aren’t at fault, which they definitely are, but I’d suggest there is a clarity on who has more power and is the aggressor in those situations. It’s essentially a film about moral corruption, and the effects and consequences of it on seemingly good people. Emotional and psychological mind games commence throughout alongside sincerity and sympathy.

Day of the Outlaw (1959)
3.15 out of 4stars

“A ruthless rancher (Robert Ryan) must find a way to save the town of Bitters, Wyoming, its citizenry-and his own soul when a gang of outlaws ride in and take over the town with their stoic leader seeking aid for a gunshot wound.”
A great western that is tough with a highly tense atmosphere. Set in a cold harsh wintry setting that’s shot advantageously in black and white, the film showcases the dark side of a lawless/no-lawmen society. The film’s grand premise and situations within keep the tension constantly palpable with faces of death, sadism, and rape a scarily real possibility. Without someone or something keeping people in check, especially immoral and crazy persons, the world becomes dangerous and chaotic. The leader on each side is a well-constructed morally gray man, one an anti-hero and one an anti-villain. The definition of true courage also seems to be a major theme as well. Of note, watching the horses “walk” in this terrain gives the viewer an idea of how rough the conditions were.

Escape from New York (1981)
2.90 out of 4stars

“In the future of 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber named Snake Plissken with a military background is sent in to rescue him.”
A great sci-fi action that is one fun journey that does leave one wanting, and stands alone enough even if inspired and influenced by many films prior. Well set-up and featuring a group of familiar faces, it’s solidly paced and has Kurt Russell doing his best Clint Eastwood impression in the lead. The film oozes coolness alongside good weird dystopian vibes, occasionally ‘interesting’ special effects, and throws out some nice action movie dialogue as well. And of course tinged with Carpenter’s political underpinnings.

 

[Osprey]

I rarely have the time/energy to watch real films nowadays, I mostly watch those lighter or crappy films at night to fall asleep. Now I'm into a MST3K phase.

But thanks for your concern!

I'm in a similar funk. I've been watching only movies that aren't really up my alley and haven't written a review in nearly two months because it hasn't felt worth it. I just don't have the motivation to write much about them and inundate everyone with a bunch of 3-5/10 reviews that might make it seem like I dislike everything (even if it feels that way at the moment). Maybe I'll eventually just summarize them all in a post, like you did... or maybe not.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

The Apartment (1960)
3.35 out of 4stars

“A Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications ensue.”
An excellent romantic comedy drama satire from Wilder-Lemmon that is as effectively very serious as it is very humorous. It explores the funny and not so funny sides of extramarital affairs, corporate favoritism through immoral exchanges, and being used as a pawn in both of those circles. That’s not to say that all parties aren’t at fault, which they definitely are, but I’d suggest there is a clarity on who has more power and is the aggressor in those situations. It’s essentially a film about moral corruption, and the effects and consequences of it on seemingly good people. Emotional and psychological mind games commence throughout alongside sincerity and sympathy.

Day of the Outlaw (1959)
3.15 out of 4stars

“A ruthless rancher (Robert Ryan) must find a way to save the town of Bitters, Wyoming, its citizenry-and his own soul when a gang of outlaws ride in and take over the town with their stoic leader seeking aid for a gunshot wound.”
A great western that is tough with a highly tense atmosphere. Set in a cold harsh wintry setting that’s shot advantageously in black and white, the film showcases the dark side of a lawless/no-lawmen society. The film’s grand premise and situations within keep the tension constantly palpable with faces of death, sadism, and rape a scarily real possibility. Without someone or something keeping people in check, especially immoral and crazy persons, the world becomes dangerous and chaotic. The leader on each side is a well-constructed morally gray man, one an anti-hero and one an anti-villain. The definition of true courage also seems to be a major theme as well. Of note, watching the horses “walk” in this terrain gives the viewer an idea of how rough the conditions were.

Escape from New York (1981)
2.90 out of 4stars

“In the future of 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber named Snake Plissken with a military background is sent in to rescue him.”
A great sci-fi action that is one fun journey that does leave one wanting, and stands alone enough even if inspired and influenced by many films prior. Well set-up and featuring a group of familiar faces, it’s solidly paced and has Kurt Russell doing his best Clint Eastwood impression in the lead. The film oozes coolness alongside good weird dystopian vibes, occasionally ‘interesting’ special effects, and throws out some nice action movie dialogue as well. And of course tinged with Carpenter’s political underpinnings.

"Day of the Outlaw" is a movie I had not heard of. As someone who grew up on a decent-sized cattle ranch in Western Alberta (400+ head of cattle, around 7-9 horses, on 3 1/2 sections of land), your recommendation and description sounds inviting. If I can find it I'll report back. Thanks!

Edit: Found it. Decent quality too. 991 MB for a one hour and 36 minute black and white film as an MP4 is not bad. Thanks again.

 

[Osprey]

"Day of the Outlaw" is a movie I had not heard of. As someone who grew up on a decent-sized cattle ranch (400+ head of cattle, around 6-8 horses, on 3 1/2 sections of land in western Alberta), your recommendation and description sounds inviting. If I can find it I'll check it out and report back in the not-too-distant future. Thanks!

It looks like it's free on Plex. I'm going to check it out, myself. A Western, in winter, with Robert Ryan and Ginger from Gilligan's Island? Sign me up.

Day of the Outlaw

In a tense standoff, rancher Blaise Starrett faces his own prejudices as desperate outlaws descend on a frail town. With their fierce leader mortally wounded, alliances are tested, and survival hinges on confronting rivalries before chaos erupts.

watch.plex.tv

It looks like it's also on Tubi and Pluto, but in lower quality.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

It looks like it's free on Plex. I'm going to check it out, myself. A Western, in winter, with Robert Ryan and Ginger from Gilligan's Island? Sign me up.

Day of the Outlaw

In a tense standoff, rancher Blaise Starrett faces his own prejudices as desperate outlaws descend on a frail town. With their fierce leader mortally wounded, alliances are tested, and survival hinges on confronting rivalries before chaos erupts.

watch.plex.tv

It looks like it's also on Tubi and Pluto, but in lower quality.

I updated and edited my above post before I saw yours. Thanks!

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I'm in a similar funk. I've been watching only movies that aren't really up my alley and haven't written a review in nearly two months because it just doesn't seem worth it. I don't have the motivation to write and inundate everyone with a bunch of 3-5/10 reviews which will just make it seem like I hate everything (which feels true at the moment). Maybe I'll eventually just summarize them all in post, like you did... or maybe not.

Well... Normally at 4/10 I have something to say about a film, and I don't hate anything above 3 - and some 3s are still entertaining, even if bland. 5/10 to me is a film that's not a waste of time, and usually has some "juice" (which is absolutely the case with Soft & Quiet). I'm just not watching anything with my normal brain right now. Triangle of Sadness should have deserved a comment at least, but it's been two weeks and I don't feel like it no more. I enjoy reading everybody else's takes though.

 

[Chili]

The Crowd-1928 (Intertitles)

'Take it from me, marriage isn't a word, it's a sentence.'

Beautifully told, the life of an average man from the first slap on the backside to adulthood & marriage. The dreams & disappointments, the joys and agonies. Great shots of the era, a bit similar to Man With a Movie Camera. Especially enjoyed the skyline shots of NY, the beach, Niagara Falls and the night time views of an amusement park, all light up. Was reading 7 different endings were shot. Was able to relate to alot of the story, a gem of another era.

Tenet-2020

Inventive futuristic view of saving the world. I don't watch alot of these type of films, certainly the cast, scale and cinematography are impressive. Plenty of action, effects and stunts.Thought there was too much music throughout, especially when there was dialogue. Found the story interesting until it got complex later on. A real reversal of fortune. Nice suits!

Folly To Be Wise-1952

Seldom go wrong with a British comedy of the era. An army chaplain (Alastair Sim) has the job of base entertainment officer. After a recent concert of the string quartet was enjoyed by a room full of empty chairs, he comes up with another idea. A Q&A with a panel of diverse backgrounds. Was slow to start but builds nicely. Sim was a funny dude, enjoyed it.

Panic in the Streets-1950

Starts out as a typical noir, someone not happy about losing some money leads to murder. A twist, the dead man would have died anyway within 12 hours of a deadly virus. Set in New Orleans, no sets, all real locations and many of the people who appear in the film were not actors. For a police round up, 80 locals from a rough part of town were recruited. Solid cast including Walter 'Jack' Palance in his first film. Scary, imposing dude and pretty athletic here. The director, Elia Kazan went for realism. Thought the film was much better then Wolfgang Petersen's Outbreak (which was the working title of this film). Very well done.

 

[kihei]

I'm in a similar funk. I've been watching only movies that aren't really up my alley and haven't written a review in nearly two months because it just doesn't seem worth it. I don't have the motivation to write and inundate everyone with a bunch of 3-5/10 reviews which will just make it seem like I hate everything (which feels true at the moment). Maybe I'll eventually just summarize them all in post, like you did... or maybe not.

There is a lull every year between February and July, but this year it seems to me worse than normal. There seems to me to be nothing but junk coming out, especially in the multiplexes, but internationally, too. Usually there are a few interesting oddball works that distributors don't know what to do with that are released, but even those kind of films seem missing in action this year.

 

[OzzyFan]

"Day of the Outlaw" is a movie I had not heard of. As someone who grew up on a decent-sized cattle ranch in Western Alberta (400+ head of cattle, around 7-9 horses, on 3 1/2 sections of land), your recommendation and description sounds inviting. If I can find it I'll report back. Thanks!

Edit: Found it. Decent quality too. 991 MB for a one hour and 36 minute black and white film as an MP4 is not bad. Thanks again.

It looks like it's free on Plex. I'm going to check it out, myself. A Western, in winter, with Robert Ryan and Ginger from Gilligan's Island? Sign me up.

Day of the Outlaw

In a tense standoff, rancher Blaise Starrett faces his own prejudices as desperate outlaws descend on a frail town. With their fierce leader mortally wounded, alliances are tested, and survival hinges on confronting rivalries before chaos erupts.

watch.plex.tv

It looks like it's also on Tubi and Pluto, but in lower quality.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I found it free on youtube. I suggest not watching the colorized version, it takes away from the film imo.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I found it free on youtube. I suggest not watching the colorized version, it takes away from the film imo.

There's always something funny about coming across Burl Ives being an SOB in a movie since the most popular association with him is the narrator of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I found it free on youtube. I suggest not watching the colorized version, it takes away from the film imo.

I may get to it tomorrow. Thanks again.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I found it free on youtube. I suggest not watching the colorized version, it takes away from the film imo.

One cowboy to another: "We'll pleasure ourselves at the head of the trail."

Did not see that coming.

I've never seen anyone wear bandanas over top of their hats like we see in this movie. Like I said, I grew up on a cattle ranch. If I wore a bandana over my cowboy hat I'd have been disowned. Was it because of the cold maybe - to keep their ears warm? The Ricinus district northwest of Calgary is pretty cold in the winter too.

I didn't even recognize Tina Louise at first, but she looks even better than she did as Ginger.

Burl Ives was a decent actor. Case in point: when he was having the bullet removed.

Bruhn's men were were like male characters in a 1960s or '70s teen exploitation film, drooling over the women like rabid dogs.

I enjoyed it overall, but I didn't find that there was a clearly defined positive protagonist though - no one you could get behind and say - that's the good guy and that's who I'm rooting for. The kid though did assume that role by the end, but he was kind of a minor character in the film.

I did find this movie to be a gif-rich environment though, and I love me a good gif.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Tokyo Twilight (1957) - 6/10

The older I get the lower my patience for boring overly long films. This is the eigth Ozu one I've seen and pretty much feels like just a slightly different version of what he's already done but without much captivation. His best film featured an adorable little kid and kids in general just being funny but this one is more of a mopey affair. Cleanly filmed and all but it's just very dull.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) - 6/10

Got tricked into watching a musical because Letterboxd listed the genres as comedy/romance and didn't mention the musical scenes. Which didn't even have particularly good choreography. Anyways quite a weird movie with its messaging being both materialistic and romantic and Marilyn Monroe really was not a good actress but mamma mia....

Anyways here's a clip of Parker Posey ordering a falafel with hot sauce, a side order of baba ganoush, and some seltzer water.

 

[Bahama Mama]

Never saw it before recently,absolutely a delightful film.Hepburn won for best actress,can easily see why as she was so endearing.

Ein Herz und eine Krone (1953) ⭐ 8.0 | Comedy, Drama, Romance

1h 58m | 12

www.imdb.com

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Terrifier 2. Hated the first one so went in pretty skeptical. Pretty much hated this one too. I'll say a few nice things — there's a piece of synth music I dug, the acting is better than average for this type of production and the gore is well done. On those grounds alone, it's better than the first. But the only selling point for this movie is the gore and on that front I didn't find any of it to be that clever or original ... it's just MORE. A killing that might take 30 seconds to a minute in another movie takes 2-3 minutes (maybe more?) here. I'm not a pearl clutcher about these things. It's just that that's all there is. I've done this rant before but there's a whole generation (or two) of horror creatives who watched Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson and the only lesson they learned was shock and extremity. It's a bummer.

And that's the biggest issue with the movie ... there's nothing else there. Art The Clown (dumb name) is a zero. He's not scary. He's not funny. Worst of all he's not interesting. There is no rules or logic to how he operates and lacking that, there's nothing to actually ground you in the movie. He's going to do what he does regardless of what happens because the script demands it. There's no stakes. There's no tension. I often hate explanations in horror but you need SOMETHING. This isn't a "we didn't explain it because it's much SCARIER in your mind" scenario. This is "we didn't explain it because it would make us actually have to make decisions about how things work." It's without rules for the lamest reason possible ... laziness.

Adding insult to injury, it's in an interminable 2 hours and 20 minutes.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Paperhouse. Never heard of this late 80s fantasy-horror film (despite being about the right age for it when it came out) until I heard it discussed on a podcast recently. A young girl's sketches come to life in her dreams — a creepy house, a sick boy, a looming monster of some sort. Simple but effective. Good child's-eye-view story which makes the scary parts all the more frightening. There's a specific sequence here that probably would've scared the hell out of me if I had seen this as a kid. Cool concept. Good production design.

 

[Osprey]

Terrifier 2. Hated the first one so went in pretty skeptical. Pretty much hated this one too. I'll say a few nice things — there's a piece of synth music I dug, the acting is better than average for this type of production and the gore is well done. On those grounds alone, it's better than the first. But the only selling point for this movie is the gore and on that front I didn't find any of it to be that clever or original ... it's just MORE. A killing that might take 30 seconds to a minute in another movie takes 2-3 minutes (maybe more?) here. I'm not a pearl clutcher about these things. It's just that that's all there is. I've done this rant before but there's a whole generation (or two) of horror creatives who watched Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson and the only lesson they learned was shock and extremity. It's a bummer.

And that's the biggest issue with the movie ... there's nothing else there. Art The Clown (dumb name) is a zero. He's not scary. He's not funny. Worst of all he's not interesting. There is no rules or logic to how he operates and lacking that, there's nothing to actually ground you in the movie. He's going to do what he does regardless of what happens because the script demands it. There's no stakes. There's no tension. I often hate explanations in horror but you need SOMETHING. This isn't a "we didn't explain it because it's much SCARIER in your mind" scenario. This is "we didn't explain it because it would make us actually have to make decisions about how things work." It's without rules for the lamest reason possible ... laziness.

Adding insult to injury, it's in an interminable 2 hours and 20 minutes.

You'll be happy to hear that a Terrifier 3 has been announced with a budget this time of over a million dollars. That's 4x the budget, 4x the "MORE."

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

You'll be happy to hear that a Terrifier 3 has been announced with a budget this time of over a million dollars. That's 4x the budget, 4x the "MORE."

Think I might be out.

 

[Chili]

Never saw it before recently,absolutely a delightful film.Hepburn won for best actress,can easily see why as she was so endearing.

Ein Herz und eine Krone (1953) ⭐ 8.0 | Comedy, Drama, Romance

1h 58m | 12

www.imdb.com

Great film. The studio wanted to use their back lots but William Wyler insisted they go on location to Rome. One flaw, which Wyler acknowledged, would be an even better film in colour.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Escape from New York (1981)
2.90 out of 4stars

“In the future of 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber named Snake Plissken with a military background is sent in to rescue him.”
A great sci-fi action that is one fun journey that does leave one wanting, and stands alone enough even if inspired and influenced by many films prior. Well set-up and featuring a group of familiar faces, it’s solidly paced and has Kurt Russell doing his best Clint Eastwood impression in the lead. The film oozes coolness alongside good weird dystopian vibes, occasionally ‘interesting’ special effects, and throws out some nice action movie dialogue as well. And of course tinged with Carpenter’s political underpinnings.

Very underrated action film, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It also inspired one of my favorite media characters of all-time, Solid Snake. In the 2nd Metal Gear game he actually goes by the code name "Snake Plisken". Carpenter said the only reason he didn't sue the creator of Metal Gear is because he likes him lol.

 

[Bounces R Way]

John Wick 4(2023) - 7/10

I gotta be honest the first half hour of this movie I was kind of thinking this was going to be a bust. Really bad dialogue, some rehashed half baked plot, very little cohesive movie and I was wondering what it was that I liked in these films. Then for the rest of it I was reminded how much gratuitous violence stimulates my ape-brain and fires my animal synapses. Does answer the question: what if they made a testosterone booster into a movie. It really was mostly that and very little else but if you have an appreciation for how difficult it is to choreograph these stunts and fight scenes then I would suggest you'll enjoy it. You already know that though if you've watched the other Wick movies.

Really not much to review here other than the violence and how it looked which for me managed to be both true to traditional action movie roots and on the visual cutting edge. It looked good. Really good. Also managed to work in a nice tribute to Lance Reddick without doing some deepfake BS which I appreciated. I think it accomplishes what it sets out to. See it in theaters and see it good and baked.

 

[JackSlater]

The Apartment (1960)
3.35 out of 4stars

“A Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications ensue.”
An excellent romantic comedy drama satire from Wilder-Lemmon that is as effectively very serious as it is very humorous. It explores the funny and not so funny sides of extramarital affairs, corporate favoritism through immoral exchanges, and being used as a pawn in both of those circles. That’s not to say that all parties aren’t at fault, which they definitely are, but I’d suggest there is a clarity on who has more power and is the aggressor in those situations. It’s essentially a film about moral corruption, and the effects and consequences of it on seemingly good people. Emotional and psychological mind games commence throughout alongside sincerity and sympathy.

Day of the Outlaw (1959)
3.15 out of 4stars

“A ruthless rancher (Robert Ryan) must find a way to save the town of Bitters, Wyoming, its citizenry-and his own soul when a gang of outlaws ride in and take over the town with their stoic leader seeking aid for a gunshot wound.”
A great western that is tough with a highly tense atmosphere. Set in a cold harsh wintry setting that’s shot advantageously in black and white, the film showcases the dark side of a lawless/no-lawmen society. The film’s grand premise and situations within keep the tension constantly palpable with faces of death, sadism, and rape a scarily real possibility. Without someone or something keeping people in check, especially immoral and crazy persons, the world becomes dangerous and chaotic. The leader on each side is a well-constructed morally gray man, one an anti-hero and one an anti-villain. The definition of true courage also seems to be a major theme as well. Of note, watching the horses “walk” in this terrain gives the viewer an idea of how rough the conditions were.

Escape from New York (1981)
2.90 out of 4stars

“In the future of 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber named Snake Plissken with a military background is sent in to rescue him.”
A great sci-fi action that is one fun journey that does leave one wanting, and stands alone enough even if inspired and influenced by many films prior. Well set-up and featuring a group of familiar faces, it’s solidly paced and has Kurt Russell doing his best Clint Eastwood impression in the lead. The film oozes coolness alongside good weird dystopian vibes, occasionally ‘interesting’ special effects, and throws out some nice action movie dialogue as well. And of course tinged with Carpenter’s political underpinnings.

Nice to see some talk of Day of the Outlaw. There was a thread a year ago or so about top ten Westerns and that was one of the movies I listed. I really enjoy the snowy setting and the unique way the protagonist is presented.

 

[OzzyFan]

Nice to see some talk of Day of the Outlaw. There was a thread a year ago or so about top ten Westerns and that was one of the movies I listed. I really enjoy the snowy setting and the unique way the protagonist is presented.

May I ask what your list of top ten westerns is/was? I could try to look it up, but given my luck with the search engine, those words aren't going to get me far.