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

[Nakatomi]

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.

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?

I decided to give this a watch. I had never seen it before, so no chance of nostalgia for me. I really found it awful with few redeeming qualities. The initial protagonist seems like a failed proto-Ryan Reynolds but lacking the charm to pull it off.

I'd rate it around a 3/10, though I could be persuaded to bump it up a notch for the solid soundtrack and apparently it is Renee Zellweger actually singing at the end, which is neat.

It is also interesting how quickly teen movie vibes change. Compare this to 10 Things I Hate About You from just four years later, and they are really totally different worlds. Speaking of different worlds, now I am thinking to track down The Doom Generation to watch another 1995 teen movie I have never seen.

 

[Osprey]

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) - 7/10

Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns to Beverly Hills when his estranged daughter's life is threatened and reunites with his old pals on a corruption case. I had really low expectations for this straight-to-Netflix, 30-years-later sequel and am surprised by how much it exceeded them. It's a pure dose of nostalgia that takes the Top Gun: Maverick approach by not deviating much from the original formula. That includes familiar elements, like reckless car chases and a mansion shootout, and music from the original soundtracks. It's shameless recycling, but I couldn't help but smile while Axel was driving into other vehicles while "Neutron Dance" and "Shakedown" were playing. Moments like those really make it feel like a Beverly Hills Cop movie. Murphy's performance also helps. He gets back in character and gives a little of the fast talking Axel that we fell in love with. The only thing missing is his old laugh. John Ashton and Judge Reinhold return as Taggart and Rosewood and don't have a lot of screen time, but it was nice to see them back. Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot also return for a few scenes. Joining the cast are Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as other cops and Taylour Paige as the daughter that Axel tries to reconnect with. The pacing is good, with action every 20 minutes or so, and I liked how practical much of it looked, especially all of the real cars that were wrecked. I found the comedy hit or miss, with some funny scenes and a few cringey ones. Fortunately, it doesn't rely on comedy as much as on action and callbacks. The plot is unoriginal and predictable, but in an 80s way, such as how it's almost immediately obvious who the villain is going to be. In fact, despite a little modernity here and there, it felt a lot like an 80s action movie, which this child of the 80s appreciated. Is it an objectively good movie? No, probably not. Am I just rating it highly out of nostalgia? Absolutely. It was just fun to see these characters again and a surprise to get what actually felt like a Beverly Hills Cop movie after all of these years. As long as you keep your expectations low and don't mind that it's heavily reliant on nostalgia, it's worth checking out on Netflix, IMO.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Hardball (2001)

This is basically the Bad News Bears meets Dangerous Minds..
Keanu Reeves plays a degenerate gambler who is underwater.. so begrudgingly agrees to take a paying job, coaching little league in the 'hood. And teams up along the way with a school teacher, who is invested in the kids.

The setting is the old, defunct Candyman/Good Times projects in Chicago.
Nice uplifting story. But because of the White Savior, and ghetto, memes I doubt it would be made in 2024. This was kind of the end times of that cinematic genre (if I remember correctly).
I give it a 7 (out of 10). I'm a sucker for underdog stories. On Prime.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Hamlet (1948), Hamlet (1990), Hamlet (1996) and Hamlet (2000). Actually viewing order ... 1996, 2000, 1990, 1948. I wanted to start with the Branagh one, which is a full adaptation of the play. I thought that would be good grounding before comparing and contrasting with some slimmer adaptations.

My preference order ... 1948, 1990, 1996, 2000 (though it's a bit of a coin flip between those last two. Biggest surprise to me was that I liked the 1990 (Franco Zeferelli/Mel Gibson) more than the Branagh.

The thoroughness of Branagh's is impressive and I think the chessboard/mirror palace set is striking. And, I admire the effort and am amused at its screenplay Oscar nomination (I hope Willie was honored). It's got several stunt-casty cameos though that were distracting every time. Branagh is definitely good, but he FEELS too old. The rest of the brits are pros pros and do the job well. The ending though true to the text -- how one of the characters is killed is laughably ridiculous. Genuine LOL from me. I don't think that's what he's going for.

The 2000 version stars Ethan Hawke. Though true to the dialogue, it's in a modern setting. I get that angle. You want to bring something new to a well-worn story. The downside is it really does play kinda corny (Denmark Corp?). It's an EXTREMELY 90s movie with Hawke's scruffy face and knit cap, his artsy filmmaker aspirations, the brand names, the tech that feels like it was immediately out-of-date which dates all the more. Bill Murray is a big miss as Polonius but the rest of the cast is pretty good. Hawke is in fully mopey 90s boy mode and you know what? I think it works. Plus he's the only Hamlet who actually feels age appropriate. It's also the leanest. (Alas poor Yorick, who does not seem to be known by anyone here).

I think why I favor the Gibson one over these two is simply a matter of tradition. As interesting as changing the setting and time is ... there was just something about seeing this shit go down in a dank castle, as the Bard intended, that really worked for me. I think Gibson is the worst of the four Hamlets I watched but ... he's pretty solid. Better than you might think. He ranks 4 only because I think the other three are just better. Not really faults for him. This one really steers toward incestuous vibes with his mom, more than the others. Good Ennio Morricone score. I don't know that this one is a standout at anything, but it just does everything pretty well.

I honestly did not expect to like the Olivier one the best. I certainly love old movies but my guess was that there would be a static staginess to it that would constrain it. After the much more open worlds of the previous three though, those shadowy sets and corridors suddenly felt like a positive to me. It was constrained, but suddenly that felt so thematically appropriate for the story at hand. It is the most stagey, but it is a stage play after all. And yet it's fully a film, not a filmed performance. It's spooky and foggy (and I feel like Joel Coen's recent The Tragedy of Macbeth owes more than a little debt to this one's style). While I liked and/or appreciated the other three adaptations, I genuinely loved this one. My only real reservation? Stop me if you heard this before but Olivier feels too old.

Superlatives!
Best Hamlet: Olivier (1948)
Best Claudius: Derek Jacobi (1996) in a coin flip over Alan Bates (1990)
Best Gertrude: Julie Christie (1996)
Best Ghost: Sam Shepherd (2000)
Best Polonius: Ian Holm (1990)
Best Ophelia: ehhhh ... not sure I loved any of them. Bit of a thankless role IMO.
Best 'To Be or Not to Be' speech: 1948, but 2000's decision to set it in a Blockbuster Video is silly and bold and dumb and I kinda love it.
Best play within a play: 1996. I bagged on the movies' stunt casting, but the one exception is Charlton Heston who is really an inspired choice here.

Time to watch Hamlet 2.

 

[Chili]

Wings-1927

Named the Outstanding Picture for that year as part of the first Academy Awards ceremony. The story of two young men (Buddy Rogers & Richard Arlen) who love the same girl and join up to become flyers in WWI. And the other girl who loves one of the guys (Clara Bow). The type of story that has been told what seems like countless times, what sets this film apart is the spectacular air battle footage.

William Wellman had been a flyer in WWI, so he brought a great deal of knowledge to directing the film. Cameras were mounted on the planes that take you right into the action. The two male leads both flew their own planes, Richard Arlen had experience, but Buddy Rogers had to learn how to fly. So many impressive birds eye shots of the landscape and battlefields below. Imagine some ooos and awws when this was first shown in the theatre. Gary Cooper was only on screen for a minute or two, but this film helped to kickstart his career. The only comparable film that I've seen was Howard Hughes film Hell's Angels. Was considered a lost film for many years until a copy was found in archives in Paris in 1992. Impressive achievement, it's in public domain if it interests anyone.

The Story of GI Joe-1945

Another Wild Bill Wellman film. The film is based on Pulitzer Prize winning war correspondent Ernie Pyle's view of the day-to-day life of the foot soldiers in WWII Europe as he travels with them into battle zones. From the down time to the actual battles, the hardships and comradery, young men trying to survive dealing with what the day brings. Wild Bill didn't want big stars in the film. Burgess Meredith was a Captain in the military who got his release to play the role of Ernie Pyle. Robert Mitchum, who had been in the military as well, was the other lead. He was early in his career at the time (he got his only academy award nomination for The Story of GI Joe). The rest of the cast was mostly real soldiers. It was Ernie Pyle's story, and he was a consultant on the film, but he never got a chance to see it before he lost his life covering the war in the Pacific. Some nice touches like the little pooch who is the squad's mascot. There is a wedding en route, the bride played by Bill's wife Dottie. One of the most realistic war films I have seen, which includes Objective Burma, Men in War, Hell is for Heroes, The Big Red One...

William Wellman was an interesting dude. His path to Hollywood actually started when he was playing semi-pro hockey in Boston. He was a talented player with an aggressive style which won over one fan who attended games. Douglas Fairbanks introduced himself and told Bill if he needed a job to look him up which he did a few years later after WWI. Some of my favorite films of his: Wild Boys of the Road, Beau Geste, The Ox-Bow Incident & Yellow Sky. Great career.

Tsotsi-2005 (subtitles)

A young tough in Johannesburg shoots a woman and steals her car. To his surprise, he soon realizes she had her infant son in the backseat and crashes the vehicle. He's part of a gang from Shanty Town that violently preys on others to make their way. A story of a ruthless young man who begins to find his humanity. The film had Kurosawesque feel for me, impressed with the direction of Gavin Hood and the young lead Presley Chweneyagae. Good score, interesting and well played characters, excellent moving film.

The History of The World Part 1-1981

Thought I should end with a comedy here to lighten the mood a bit. I find it hard to describe comedies, they often have little plot or a silly one. They are either funny or hard to watch. Anyway, Mel Brooks has brought us some classics and The History of the World Part 1 has a few moments. And there is some history here. Probably mostly for fans of Mel, I got a few laughs from it. Love Madeline Kahn.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

View attachment 892743
Wings-1927

Named the Outstanding Picture for that year as part of the first Academy Awards ceremony. The story of two young men (Buddy Rogers & Richard Arlen) who love the same girl and join up to become flyers in WWI. And the other girl who loves one of the guys (Clara Bow). The type of story that has been told what seems like countless times, what sets this film apart is the spectacular air battle footage.

William Wellman had been a flyer in WWI, so he brought a great deal of knowledge to directing the film. Cameras were mounted on the planes that take you right into the action. The two male leads both flew their own planes, Richard Arlen had experience, but Buddy Rogers had to learn how to fly. So many impressive birds eye shots of the landscape and battlefields below. Imagine some ooos and awws when this was first shown in the theatre. Gary Cooper was only on screen for a minute or two, but this film helped to kickstart his career. The only comparable film that I've seen was Howard Hughes film Hell's Angels. Was considered a lost film for many years until a copy was found in archives in Paris in 1992. Impressive achievement, it's in public domain if it interests anyone.

View attachment 892744
The Story of GI Joe-1945

Another Wild Bill Wellman film. The film is based on Pulitzer Prize winning war correspondent Ernie Pyle's view of the day-to-day life of the foot soldiers in WWII Europe as he travels with them into battle zones. From the down time to the actual battles, the hardships and comradery, young men trying to survive dealing with what the day brings. Wild Bill didn't want big stars in the film. Burgess Meredith was a Captain in the military who got his release to play the role of Ernie Pyle. Robert Mitchum, who had been in the military as well, was the other lead. He was early in his career at the time (he got his only academy award nomination for The Story of GI Joe). The rest of the cast was mostly real soldiers. It was Ernie Pyle's story, and he was a consultant on the film, but he never got a chance to see it before he lost his life covering the war in the Pacific. Some nice touches like the little pooch who is the squad's mascot. There is a wedding en route, the bride played by Bill's wife Dottie. One of the most realistic war films I have seen, which includes Objective Burma, Men in War, Hell is for Heroes, The Big Red One...

William Wellman was an interesting dude. His path to Hollywood actually started when he was playing semi-pro hockey in Boston. He was a talented player with an aggressive style which won over one fan who attended games. Douglas Fairbanks introduced himself and told Bill if he needed a job to look him up which he did a few years later after WWI. Some of my favorite films of his: Wild Boys of the Road, Beau Geste, The Ox-Bow Incident & Yellow Sky. Great career.

View attachment 892748
Tsotsi-2005 (subtitles)

A young tough in Johannesburg shoots a woman and steals her car. To his surprise, he soon realizes she had her infant son in the backseat and crashes the vehicle. He's part of a gang from Shanty Town that violently preys on others to make their way. A story of a ruthless young man who begins to find his humanity. The film had Kurosawesque feel for me, impressed with the direction of Gavin Hood and the young lead Presley Chweneyagae. Good score, interesting and well played characters, excellent moving film.

View attachment 892749
The History of The World Part 1-1981

Thought I should end with a comedy here to lighten the mood a bit. I find it hard to describe comedies, they often have little plot or a silly one. They are either funny or hard to watch. Anyway, Mel Brooks has brought us some classics and The History of the World Part 1 has a few moments. And there is some history here. Probably mostly for fans of Mel, I got a few laughs from it. Love Madeline Kahn.

"You flunked flank?! Get the flunk out of here!"

 

[Chili]

"You flunked flank?! Get the flunk out of here!"

I like to post quotes from films. The one I remember from that one though probably wouldn't pass the censors ha ha (after the bumpy carriage ride).

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

I like to post quotes from films. The one I remember from that one though probably wouldn't pass the censors ha ha (after the bumpy carriage ride).

Don't be saucy with me Bearnaise.