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

[PK Cronin]

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.

 

[Supermassive]

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]

+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.

 

[Babe Ruth]

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]

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]

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.

 

[Babe Ruth]

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.

 

[Bahama Mama]

Saw this recently based on a true events, very touching and disturbing but enjoyed it as sad as it was.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0253474/

 

[NyQuil]

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.

It's like the Breakfast Club only without a point.

 

[Bahama Mama]

I have a book on Jim Morrison which have yet to read - Break on Through by James Riordan and Jerry Prochnicky. Riordan was a consultant on the Doors' film. Flipping through, there is a picture of Jim's dad, Admiral Morrison. Some shots of JM getting arrested on stage in New Haven. Interesting, Vincent Furnier of Alice Cooper was a drinking buddy. Will check out Top Secret, see that it was made by the Airplane gang.

I read '' Know one here gets out alive'' when it came out, don't remember much though. Whence read, how about a critique? Was not aware Jim and Vinny were buds, way before Vin go into golf I suspect.

Here's a doc on Jim seen some time ago. Never realized that I had stayed in the same Hotel a few times over the decades. Never noticed any plaque or anything, nice place though.

If you're familiar with ''Airplane '' you kind of know what to expect, silly but good enough and funny enough to merit watching it. IIRC, it's first run on release lasted over a year in the cinemas, very popular back then.

The biggest problem with the Doors movie is the Doors really sucks as a band and I can't sit through a three hour movie about their trash music.

The Doors suck? is that why they have tens of millions of fans? Music is a personal palate and so easy to crap on music not in ones own area of preference. So much music sucks but que sera sera. Guess you some how managed to see an extended version of the movie that I certainly was not aware of.

 

[Chili]

Saw this recently based on a true events, very touching and disturbing but enjoyed it as sad as it was.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0253474/

Memorable film, liked Adrien Brody in Detachment too.

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

Police Story 2 Well I loved the first, so I had to give the sequel a shot. I don't get why they went this angle with it. There's less action, less slapstick, it's longer, and the plot is overly serious. Just really missed the mark here. The action that's there is still fantastic (playground...

forums.hfboards.com

 

[Babe Ruth]

Traveling Light (2021)

Anyone else see this?

Candyman (Tony Todd) is a new Uber driver, who searches the streets of Hollyweird for his homeless son while he drives..
It's set in the midst of COVID hysteria, and at the (exact) start of the George Floyd riots.. Todd encounters a strange cult as he taxis members to their meeting spot (looked like up on Mulholland).

This felt like it had a lot of potential.. but was very slow at times, and depressingly pointless. I shouldn't have been surprised, because it has Stephen Dorff, who I feel hasn't been in a good movie since The Gate.
It was an intriguing setting, just not a good Tubi watch in my opinion. Because of how unique it was, I am curious to hear other takes tho?