"One of us, one of us."
I believe I watched it, but it did not leave that much of an impression on me. That line is probably the only thing I remember from it.
Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Spring 2021 Edition
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"One of us, one of us."
I believe I watched it, but it did not leave that much of an impression on me. That line is probably the only thing I remember from it.
Personally, I have never understood why Salo needed to be made. For me, it serves next to little purpose. Outside of Mamma Roma, I do not get Pasolini's motives.
cupcrazyman
Stupid Sexy Flanders
Started watching some older movies on the movie apps I have never seen before.
Body Double 7/10
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle 4/10
Body Double 7/10
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle 4/10
For some reason that escapes me, Hollywood in the 1970s fell in love with disaster movies. With Airport in 1970, it kicked off a golden age, as many in the genre, such as The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, Earthquake, and Airport '75, dominated the box office. The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno, in particular, had gotten critical acclaims too, and both received numerous nominations at their respective Oscar years. Though I like both of them, and I consider them to be the best of the bunch, I am especially impressed by The Towering Inferno, because even today, it stands up really well, and is just as entertaining now, as it is then.
When one watches the movies, a pattern emerges. All of them pretty much follows the same plot, and they are all examinations of human nature in life-and-death situations. Heroes will always emerge to try to take the survivor to safety, rather they are natural born leaders, or just Average Joes who raise to the occasion, while villains will either be ones who cause the disaster, or selfish cowards who will step over people in order to ensure their own safety. Furthermore, they all make progress to the advancement of surround sound, and even though some of the special effects can feel dated now, it is clear that at the time, it was state-of-the-art, and the scale and magnitude is often very impressive. In short, they are Hollywood at its best, and nobody else in the world could deliver the same presentation. The Towering Inferno, in particular, really stands out in the technical department, because even today, the special effects still look really impressive and for the most part, rather realistic.
However, what sets these movies apart from their modern counterparts, and what maintains their relevance to even today, is the quality of the cast. The Poseidon Adventure is the cream of the crop, as it features 5 past Oscar winners, in Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Jack Albertson, and Shelley Winters. The Towering Inferno, though, is no slouch itself, as it stars Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, and even Fred Astaire, who received his only Oscar nomination from this movie. Due to their talent, they actually make the terror and subsequent angst feel very realistic, and they manage to create real people that audiences subsequently care about, no matter how short the screen time of some of the characters can be.
Today, the budgets are bigger than ever, but special effects have completely dominated the genre, and characters are no more than cliches and caricatures. In fact, female characters are always damsels in distress, and they often dress in skimpy clothing and function no more than eye candy. As a result, they become dime-a-dozen, and many of them are forgettable. It is unfortunate, because they can still be quite fun, but the golden age is long gone, and Hollywood can no longer make disaster movies that people will actually care about.
I give The Towering Inferno 7.25/10, while The Poseidon Adventure stands at 6.75/10, and I highly recommend them. Amazingly, they still look rather realistic, even by today's standards, and they are far superior to what we have today, despite the gulf in special effects.
When one watches the movies, a pattern emerges. All of them pretty much follows the same plot, and they are all examinations of human nature in life-and-death situations. Heroes will always emerge to try to take the survivor to safety, rather they are natural born leaders, or just Average Joes who raise to the occasion, while villains will either be ones who cause the disaster, or selfish cowards who will step over people in order to ensure their own safety. Furthermore, they all make progress to the advancement of surround sound, and even though some of the special effects can feel dated now, it is clear that at the time, it was state-of-the-art, and the scale and magnitude is often very impressive. In short, they are Hollywood at its best, and nobody else in the world could deliver the same presentation. The Towering Inferno, in particular, really stands out in the technical department, because even today, the special effects still look really impressive and for the most part, rather realistic.
However, what sets these movies apart from their modern counterparts, and what maintains their relevance to even today, is the quality of the cast. The Poseidon Adventure is the cream of the crop, as it features 5 past Oscar winners, in Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Jack Albertson, and Shelley Winters. The Towering Inferno, though, is no slouch itself, as it stars Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, and even Fred Astaire, who received his only Oscar nomination from this movie. Due to their talent, they actually make the terror and subsequent angst feel very realistic, and they manage to create real people that audiences subsequently care about, no matter how short the screen time of some of the characters can be.
Today, the budgets are bigger than ever, but special effects have completely dominated the genre, and characters are no more than cliches and caricatures. In fact, female characters are always damsels in distress, and they often dress in skimpy clothing and function no more than eye candy. As a result, they become dime-a-dozen, and many of them are forgettable. It is unfortunate, because they can still be quite fun, but the golden age is long gone, and Hollywood can no longer make disaster movies that people will actually care about.
I give The Towering Inferno 7.25/10, while The Poseidon Adventure stands at 6.75/10, and I highly recommend them. Amazingly, they still look rather realistic, even by today's standards, and they are far superior to what we have today, despite the gulf in special effects.
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I know the entire Harold & Kumar series is terrible, but I have a soft spot for at least the first one. It was the first time that a mainstream Hollywood movie feature stars two Asian characters that I can remember, and though very low-brow, some of the antics gave me a chuckle or two.
To be fair, I am unlikely to recommend it, but I will readily admit that it is a guilty pleasure that I strangely rather enjoy.
Pranzo Oltranzista
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
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I imagine that audiences were getting a little tired of WWII movies and war, in general, thanks to the Vietnam War, but still wanted movies with large casts, big action and high stakes. Disaster movies were a perfect escape from war, social unrest and political scandals and largely involved people working together, rather than fighting amongst themselves. That's my theory.
The 70s is probably my least favorite decade for movies, but I do love the disaster movies (and other escapism movies, like Jaws and Star Wars, of course). I like how Airport signaled the start of the disaster craze and its parody, Airplane!, signaled the end. My favorite of the bunch is The Poseidon Adventure, which, sadly, didn't get a parody, unless you count its sequel. I have a few lesser known disaster movies from the decade that I've never seen and have been looking forward to watching soon.
Since you like The Towering Inferno, you might care to check out 2018's Skyscraper, with Dwayne Johnson, if you haven't already seen it. It's half The Towering Inferno and half Die Hard, but half as good.
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I imagine that audiences were getting a little tired of WWII movies and war, in general, thanks to the Vietnam War, but still wanted movies with large casts, big action and high stakes. Disaster movies were a perfect escape from war, social unrest and political scandals and largely involved people working together, rather than fighting amongst themselves. That's my theory.
I'm generally not very high on 70s movies because many reflect the serious, depressed mood of society, but I love the disaster movies (and other escapism movies, like Jaws and Star Wars, of course). I like how Airport signaled the start of the disaster craze and its parody, Airplane!, signaled the end. My favorite of the bunch is The Poseidon Adventure, which, sadly, didn't get a parody, unless you count its sequel. I have a few lesser known disaster movies from the decade that I've never seen and have been looking forward to watching soon.
Since you like The Towering Inferno, you might care to check out 2018's Skyscraper, with Dwayne Johnson, if you haven't already seen it. It's half The Towering Inferno and half Die Hard, but half as good.
Your theory is sound.
I am high on The Poseidon Adventure too. It is definitely the best acted of the bunch, with 5 Oscar winners in the cast. Also, that cameo from Leslie Nielson is everything.
That said, I just think it lacks drama. Everyone is too benevolent and works towards the greater good, which is rather unrealistic. Plus, even though it makes very good use of the enclosed space, it lacks the spectacular special effects that comes to define the genre.
I watched Skyscraper, but I hated it. That movie is both dumb and boring. The only good thing I can say about it is that it is set at where I was born, but filmed in my home town of Vancouver.
The Rock is the Schwarzenegger of our time. Everyone knows what his brand is, and he never gives more than advertised, but as the audience, I am perfectly content with pure escapism.
I just watched A Serbian Film. I don't think that calling it offensive and vile was sufficient warning. What I've seen cannot be unseen. I'm scarred for life. Thanks, guys. I need a shower... or three.
ProstheticConscience
Check dein Limit
Deadheads
with people and zombies
Zombies come alive! And go on road trips. Mike escapes from some horrible lab/zombie warehouse and discovers he's been dead for three years...bummer! He's also got a couple of bullet holes in his head courtesy of his girlfriend's evil dad, who's some muckety muck in an evil corporation that's experimenting with creating zombies. While the other zombies shamble, groan and eat people like you'd expect, Mike retains his personality. So does Brent, another sentient zombie who's much more exuberantly at home with their circumstances. The evil corporation sends its hazmat-suited minions to clean up the outbreak, and Mike and Brent do their best to stay ahead of them. Mike discovers a ring he carries, and they decide to go find his estranged girlfriend. Along the way they adopt a loose zombie and name him Cheese. Chuckles are had, heads are blown off, and much gore ensues.
Manages to find its own little niche in the zom-com genre. Nowhere near the standards of Shawn of the Dead or anything, but still better than I had expected. Finds a few wrinkles of originality in a stale genre. These zombies can eat, drink, and urinate, and losing an arm isn't the inconvenience you'd think it is normally. Meh. It's a giggle on an otherwise boring Sunday night.
On Prime.
No, not these Deadheads. Although it's a toss-up which group smells worse.
with people and zombies
Zombies come alive! And go on road trips. Mike escapes from some horrible lab/zombie warehouse and discovers he's been dead for three years...bummer! He's also got a couple of bullet holes in his head courtesy of his girlfriend's evil dad, who's some muckety muck in an evil corporation that's experimenting with creating zombies. While the other zombies shamble, groan and eat people like you'd expect, Mike retains his personality. So does Brent, another sentient zombie who's much more exuberantly at home with their circumstances. The evil corporation sends its hazmat-suited minions to clean up the outbreak, and Mike and Brent do their best to stay ahead of them. Mike discovers a ring he carries, and they decide to go find his estranged girlfriend. Along the way they adopt a loose zombie and name him Cheese. Chuckles are had, heads are blown off, and much gore ensues.
Manages to find its own little niche in the zom-com genre. Nowhere near the standards of Shawn of the Dead or anything, but still better than I had expected. Finds a few wrinkles of originality in a stale genre. These zombies can eat, drink, and urinate, and losing an arm isn't the inconvenience you'd think it is normally. Meh. It's a giggle on an otherwise boring Sunday night.
On Prime.
No, not these Deadheads. Although it's a toss-up which group smells worse.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
Gangster no 1 2000
5/10
Directed by Paul McGuigan
Staring Malcolm McDowell and Paul Bettany
Fun fact: Jamie Foreman who plays Lennie Taylor is the son of mobster Freddie Forman
Personal connection: The movie is based upon a stage play that is loosely based upon the life of Mad Frankie Fraser. Before he died, Fraser ran a couple of mob tours here in London and I paid to go on two of them. Nuts does not start to describe the guy. Very good story teller. But you can tell he was a hard man in his day
The movie is one of those movies where it could have been great. McDowell plays the older version of the Bettany character. It might have been a better movie if they would have kept it mostly in 69/70 and how Bettany took over the gang from David Thewlis who played Freddie Mays. I saw the stage play and for what they did it worked better on the stage than how they did it in the movie.. If you have seen Bettany as Vision in the Marvel universe, you will be shocked in how he is in the movie. He is a psycho. If you liked Lock, stock and two smoking barrels and other Guy Ritchie movies, you might like this one.
Like many UK movies from the early 2000's, it has several actors who became better known later, Andrew Lincoln (the walking dead), Eddie Marsan (Ray Donaven) and David Thewlis (harry potter)
Niggly part. McDowell is 5 foot 8 and Bettany is 6 foot 4--it can be slightly distracting when they bounce back and forth between eras
5/10
Directed by Paul McGuigan
Staring Malcolm McDowell and Paul Bettany
Fun fact: Jamie Foreman who plays Lennie Taylor is the son of mobster Freddie Forman
Personal connection: The movie is based upon a stage play that is loosely based upon the life of Mad Frankie Fraser. Before he died, Fraser ran a couple of mob tours here in London and I paid to go on two of them. Nuts does not start to describe the guy. Very good story teller. But you can tell he was a hard man in his day
The movie is one of those movies where it could have been great. McDowell plays the older version of the Bettany character. It might have been a better movie if they would have kept it mostly in 69/70 and how Bettany took over the gang from David Thewlis who played Freddie Mays. I saw the stage play and for what they did it worked better on the stage than how they did it in the movie.. If you have seen Bettany as Vision in the Marvel universe, you will be shocked in how he is in the movie. He is a psycho. If you liked Lock, stock and two smoking barrels and other Guy Ritchie movies, you might like this one.
Like many UK movies from the early 2000's, it has several actors who became better known later, Andrew Lincoln (the walking dead), Eddie Marsan (Ray Donaven) and David Thewlis (harry potter)
Niggly part. McDowell is 5 foot 8 and Bettany is 6 foot 4--it can be slightly distracting when they bounce back and forth between eras
Pranzo Oltranzista
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
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Ahah, you'll need to reconsider your rating scale...
9/10 (loved it)
7/10 (liked it)
4/10 (didn't like it)
2/10 (hated it)
/10 (need a shower)
Pranzo Oltranzista
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
- 3,981
- 2,900
WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT 
La teta y la luna (The Tit and the Moon, Luna, 1994) - I love films that do their own thing, and Bigas Luna is a master at this. Bordering on magical realism, this is a children fantasy about the beauty of women, the powers of the moon, and where farts are the grandiose highlight of the circus show. It is a beautiful film, with superb imagery and a fair dose of arrogance - I guess that if it was better known, the breast-feeding ending would have generated a little scandal (the kid was 10 y/o). I had it at 9/10, it might be a 8.5, still a great film.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) directed by James Gunn
Peter “Starlord” Quill (Chris Pratt) and his gang, The Guardians of the Galaxy return on a quest to save the galaxy after Quill reunites with his long-lost dad, Ego (Kurt Russell), who ends up being a god/planet (just go with it) is hell bent on destroying a bunch of planets. The first Guardians of the Galaxy film was a breath of fresh air in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its goofball humour, wacky characters and species, heavy dose of nostalgia, and setting in an outer space filled with marvellous colours. The second addition to the series is more of the same but runs even smoother. Against all odds this series just works, it really doesn’t deserve to be as successful as it is with its oddball and corny humour, but for whatever reason it just works and is exceptionally charming. From the films I’ve seen in the MCU, these are the only ensemble movies that has actually been successful in my eyes so far. The series continues to be a breath of fun and personality in the MCU.
Also was a great test for my new 4k TV.
The Marvel Moment: My Ongoing Rankings of the Marvel Movies
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Captain America: The First Avenger
4. Iron Man
5. Doctor Strange
6. Thor
7. Ant-Man
8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
9. The Avengers
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron
11. Iron Man 3
12. Thor: The Dark World
13. Captain America: Civil War
14. Iron Man 2
15. The Incredible Hulk
Peter “Starlord” Quill (Chris Pratt) and his gang, The Guardians of the Galaxy return on a quest to save the galaxy after Quill reunites with his long-lost dad, Ego (Kurt Russell), who ends up being a god/planet (just go with it) is hell bent on destroying a bunch of planets. The first Guardians of the Galaxy film was a breath of fresh air in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its goofball humour, wacky characters and species, heavy dose of nostalgia, and setting in an outer space filled with marvellous colours. The second addition to the series is more of the same but runs even smoother. Against all odds this series just works, it really doesn’t deserve to be as successful as it is with its oddball and corny humour, but for whatever reason it just works and is exceptionally charming. From the films I’ve seen in the MCU, these are the only ensemble movies that has actually been successful in my eyes so far. The series continues to be a breath of fun and personality in the MCU.
Also was a great test for my new 4k TV.
The Marvel Moment: My Ongoing Rankings of the Marvel Movies
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Captain America: The First Avenger
4. Iron Man
5. Doctor Strange
6. Thor
7. Ant-Man
8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
9. The Avengers
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron
11. Iron Man 3
12. Thor: The Dark World
13. Captain America: Civil War
14. Iron Man 2
15. The Incredible Hulk
ItsFineImFine
Registered User
- Aug 11, 2019
- 3,745
- 2,389
Modern Romance aka it wouldn't be possible to highlight how outdated 80s phone communication now seem in a film more if you tried (1981) - 7/10
Albert Brooks acts neurotically obsessed and jealous with his toxic on/off relation with his girlfriend and we're supposed to find following him around funny (sometimes it is). Thankfully it's a 90 minute length so it doesn't outstay itself or have pacing issues or this would be painful to watch. The director could've gone with a lighter tone here to emphasize the comedy more I feel but it was decent enough. I'm just never a fan of these 80s films starring a guy like Brooks or Murphy or Williams where the director basically just goes 'here look at how funny this guy is'.
Also since I've now seen 10 films from 1981, ranking for that year. I'd say none of them were bad except Mad Max 2.
1. Das Boot
2. Gregory's Girl
3. Thief
4. Raiders of The Lost Ark
5. Stripes
6. Blow Out
7. Modern Romance
8. On Golden Pond
9. My Dinner With Andre
10. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Albert Brooks acts neurotically obsessed and jealous with his toxic on/off relation with his girlfriend and we're supposed to find following him around funny (sometimes it is). Thankfully it's a 90 minute length so it doesn't outstay itself or have pacing issues or this would be painful to watch. The director could've gone with a lighter tone here to emphasize the comedy more I feel but it was decent enough. I'm just never a fan of these 80s films starring a guy like Brooks or Murphy or Williams where the director basically just goes 'here look at how funny this guy is'.
Also since I've now seen 10 films from 1981, ranking for that year. I'd say none of them were bad except Mad Max 2.
1. Das Boot
2. Gregory's Girl
3. Thief
4. Raiders of The Lost Ark
5. Stripes
6. Blow Out
7. Modern Romance
8. On Golden Pond
9. My Dinner With Andre
10. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT
La teta y la luna (The Tit and the Moon, Luna, 1994) - I love films that do their own thing, and Bigas Luna is a master at this. Bordering on magical realism, this is a children fantasy about the beauty of women, the powers of the moon, and where farts are the grandiose highlight of the circus show. It is a beautiful film, with superb imagery and a fair dose of arrogance - I guess that if it was better known, the breast-feeding ending would have generated a little scandal (the kid was 10 y/o). I had it at 9/10, it might be a 8.5, still a great film.
I saw this one over 20 years ago, because I thought the title is a blast, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was moved by the sentimentality and humour of the movie. The controversial parts did not bother me, because they are integral to the story. Unfortunately, as a film novice back then, I was confused by the device of magical realism, so I had it in the 6.25 to 6.75/10 range. Perhaps I will pick it up again, to see if my perception changed.
I didn’t think GOTG2 was terrible, but I definitely have it a notch below the original. I thought the humor in the 2nd film often felt forced whereas it flowed very naturally in the 1st. Maybe that’s just because it was new and we hadn’t gotten to know the characters yet, but I found myself rolling my eyes a few times during the 2nd film.
I actually saw this one twice, because there was a projector issue at my first screening, but I did enjoy it, and thought it is at about the same level as the first one.
Chili
Time passes when you're not looking
- Jun 10, 2004
- 8,788
- 4,924
Did you notice the opening credits? There was a serious squabble about who's name would appear first. Steve McQueen had an axe to grind with Paul Newman (from a film they did together years before Somebody Up There Likes Me). The compromise reached was McQueen's name first but Newman's higher. I saw a copy the letter of agreement that had detailed dimensions of how high!
McQueen ended up with ~12$ million from that movie. The Irwin Allen disaster era.
Shortly before The Towering Inferno started filming there was a fire at Goldwyn Studios. I guess McQueen wanted to get some first hand experience for his role so he showed up, crawled inside a window and manned a hose. He had been told to stand away from the burning building. Came out an hour later, red faced and gasping for air (35 crew and technicians hospitalized). Impressed the real firemen.
Agree about special effects, interesting to see many pre cgi films. There was an early Frank Capra film, Rain or Shine where the circus tent catches fire, some real life dramatics for the stuntmen.
Edit: If anyone is interested in Rain or Shine there are two versions: a 90 minute sound version and a 68 minute mostly silent version. I watched both and was not a fan of the longer one, was a much better film with a lot of dialogue removed.
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Thanks for the information. I read about that, and realized stars can be divas, even someone like McQueen.
Here is the blub from wiki:
McQueen, Newman, and William Holden all wanted top billing. Holden was refused, his long-term standing as a box office draw having been eclipsed by both McQueen and Newman. To provide dual top billing, the credits were arranged diagonally, with McQueen lower left and Newman upper right. Thus, each appeared to have "first" billing depending on whether the credit was read left-to-right or top-to-bottom. This was the first time this "staggered but equal" billing was used in a movie although it had been considered earlier for the same two actors regarding Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid until McQueen turned the Sundance Kid role down. McQueen is mentioned first in the film's trailers. In the cast list rolling from top to bottom at the film's end, however, McQueen and Newman's names were arranged diagonally as at the beginning; as a consequence, Newman's name is fully visible first there.
I thought that A Serbian Film was hard to get to the end of last night, but it turns out that it was just a warmup for the real challenge tonight: sitting through Rock of Ages (Extended Edition, no less). I don't know if I can handle another hour and a half of 80s cover song karaoke.
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Pranzo Oltranzista
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
- 3,981
- 2,900
I have this crap at 2/10. Saw it in theater with the gf when it came out, absolutely atrocious!
Pranzo Oltranzista
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
- 3,981
- 2,900
Fright Night (Holland, 1985) - First film by the original Tom Holland (who is first an actor too), from a time when horror comedies weren't necessarily complete watered down mess. A little gore, a little nudity, and a little 8o's fun. It even has a self-reflexive layer that ain't completely dumb. Me likey! 6/10
Oh, and the death of Evil Ed is one of the more touching creature death I've seen, maybe second to only that deformed creature in The Fly II.
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Pranzo Oltranzista
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
- 3,981
- 2,900
Huevos de oro (Golden Balls, Luna, 1993) - Looks like I'm re-watching Bigas Luna's Iberian Trilogy, in reverse order... Too bad the last part with the 4th woman brings a (too) predictable closure to this American dream fable (where everything that goes up - and I mean everything - must come down), because the ride there is as much fun as you'll get in a serious film. It's a comedy without any jokes or gags, where everything is almost-absurd and almost-too-much - and where eccentricity is passion's only vehicle. Bardem's kitsch macho is one of my favorite characters ever. De Medeiros and Maribel Verdu are perfectly over-the-top too, and you even get a small role by Benicio Del Toro. I had it at 8 and it seems fair. 8/10
Maybe I missed it but did not see any post here re. the Oscars 2021.
Here Are the Oscars Nominees for the 2021 Academy Awards
Here Are the Oscars Nominees for the 2021 Academy Awards
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