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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jan 21, 2021 23:44:49 GMT
The Rental, Dave Fracno's directorial debut. What a bore.
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Post by MsMovieStar on Jan 22, 2021 18:34:00 GMT
Oh honey, Autumn Leaves (1956), this was a good movie: A older woman is courted by and marries a younger man only to find out that things don't add up. Cliff Robertson as the awkward young man is excellent as he's good looking but creepy. Joan Crawford's acting hasn't dated as much as Bette Davis (who is always much more histrionic) and she was good in the role (especially the scene where she calls another woman a tramp and a slut), but one thing that bugged the hell out of me is her face is never in focus - clearly shot through gauze or some kind of soft focus filter. Despite that I'm surprise this was never remade. 7/10
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 22, 2021 20:29:40 GMT
Double feature of moneyless youths taking on the pace of their place.... The Cool World (1963) 7.5/10 - “When you’re a kid you don’t think: One day you’ll need a coat. You just spin the pennies when you get ‘em.” Shirley Clarke's Harlem docu-drama is alertly done in how it uses its crashing Cassavetes style to thread its observed street struggle to the coming-of-age pressures of reputation. Essential stuff that needs a remastered release. The Basilisks (1963) 7/10 - “They called her Long Legs — who knows how long she's walked on those legs.” Set in a small, napping village a short distance from a thriving Rome, Lina Wertmuller's debut is wry and aware of itself... Made better by the whistling Ennio score and its funny, cleverly blocked visuals.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 23, 2021 1:13:53 GMT
Naboer (Next Door) ........(2005) 7.5/10 Polanski like psychological thriller - and it's an apartment movie too ....... which lays on the sex and violence to a disturbing extent........and this operates on a pretty airtight dream logic framework. It's very thought out even though you'll think it's like others -lesser others - in this genre. Extremely tight at under 80 minutes......pretty impressive and easy to underrate .......
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Post by stabcaesar on Jan 23, 2021 14:53:04 GMT
Bicycle Thieves - I thought it was merely ok, some of the editing was really rough. I liked the dynamic between the father and the son, but it wasn't enough to get me hooked. 7.5/10 probably.
Un flic - A lesser Melville. I thought Crenna was really hot in it and I definitely loved the tradecraft. The train scene was spectacular. The rest of it was slightly underwhelming. The stake didn't feel as high as in Le Samouraï or Le Cercle Rouge. 7.5/10.
Picnic at Hanging Rock - I had very high expectations of it, unfortunately it didn't meet those expectations. It's gorgeous, but also quite flat. The symbolism didn't work for me and most of the cast was extremely stiff. 7/10 if I'm being generous.
Wait Until Dark - The plot was somewhat convoluted, but the cast more than made up for it. Crenna was such a hot daddy (fuck me), Arkin was terrifying, Zimbalist Jr. had such a strong final scene, and Hepburn was simply sublime. Probably my favourite from her out of all I've seen. 9/10.
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on Jan 23, 2021 15:41:17 GMT
The Two Jakes. Stars off promising enough and it’s great to revisit Jake Gittes but the film is ultimately a let down
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Post by cheesecake on Jan 23, 2021 16:15:10 GMT
A rewatch of The Court Jester and a first and only watch of Don't Tell a Soul. My opinion of this film was in a constant pendulum swing on a second to second basis... so completely on board while also hating every single thing this cheesy, cliche-driven turd was throwing at me. Wild ride. I could talk about this movie for hours. I hope they do it for How Did This Get Made. Between Mena Suvari being a diet Coke addicted mom rocking rat's nest hair who says shit like "come sit with me for a spell," to Jack Dylan Grazer either playing this role like he's ten or it was obviously written for a younger character and they changed NOTHING, to Fionn Whitehead giving such an astoundingly Razzie-worthy turn that was so bad I thought he was Canadian, to whatever the hell Rainn Wilson was doing in that hole. The concept is SO good but it makes every single wrong choice along the way. Stinking of first draft nonsense. This movie is nuts!
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 23, 2021 21:40:09 GMT
Dogfight (1991) I'll agree with the IMDb rating of 7.4/10 - at the time, it was dumped into a few theaters by Warner Bros, and the critics who saw it didn't like it which is odd bc it's hard not to like. Nancy Savoca's sophomore effort, after True Love w/ Annabella Sciorra who gives a tender lead perf just like Lili Taylor here. Both are about romantic questioning and false arrangements, but this is better bc it connects our private doubts and games of lure to the country's shifting '60s era - and there's River Phoenix who casts a very interesting, sad presence over it all. He also reminds me of Depp in the way he moves, confirmed after a recent Sneakers watch. Bob Dylan on the soundtrack always a plus, too.
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Post by Pavan on Jan 24, 2021 11:46:07 GMT
Hollywoodland (2006)-
Not a great mystery and neither a good fable on movie stardom but i wasn't bored to death coz i have a soft spot for movies about Hollywood and the actors were pretty good. Probably the only time i liked Ben Affleck- 6.5/10
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Post by stabcaesar on Jan 24, 2021 16:15:15 GMT
Short Cuts (1993) - Not as great as Nashville, but other than the abrupt ending, it was very strong across the board. It was more than 3 hours along but the seamless editing and interwoven short stories were interesting enough to keep me hooked, and it was actually really funny. MVP is DEFINITELY Jack Lemmon in his few brief scenes. 8.5/10.
In America (2002) - It was sappy and slight, but also grounded enough to not fall into hallmark territory. Sarah Bolger in particular totally blew me away. One of the best child performances in recent memory. I feel like all of her scenes would be perfect for a supporting actress compilation video. Morton and Cassidine were solid. Hounsou felt really out of place, though. 7.5/10.
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Post by jakesully on Jan 24, 2021 17:17:00 GMT
Kick Ass (re watch)- Gave this a re watch and forgot how hilarious it is (I seriously forgot so many of the funny moments in this as I haven't seen it since it came out in theaters, Just so entertaining all around). . Also loved the musical score (esp the use of that Sunshine score). Cage is fucking awesome in this as Big Daddy. solid 8/10
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 24, 2021 19:54:41 GMT
Thin Ice (2011) - Nearly 7/10, it's entertaining, the actors deliver, and I like the running theme: other people as opportunities. It kinda wants to be Fargo, but at least it's aiming high - also brought to mind The Ice Harvest, Owning Mahowny, Criminal w/ John C Reilly, Matchstick Men. I don't mind the twist, a rug-pull (in one detail, literally), but it's presented in an iffy, Adrian Messenger-winking way. Director of the great Clockwatchers... wish she'd do another movie!
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Post by wilcinema on Jan 24, 2021 22:35:50 GMT
Sacco and Vanzetti: Powerful, angry retelling of one of the most shameful miscarriages of justice in the history of the United States. Riccardo Cucciolla as Sacco gives one of the best Italian performances of the 1970s.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jan 24, 2021 23:44:14 GMT
Moneybal rewatch, which I think might just have to be an annual thing now. It's become my most-rewatched Miller project and I fall back in love with it every time. It's the closest Miller has ever gotten to docudrama and embodies why I love documentaries so much. There's something electrifying about straight-up facts and statistics as part of a human story, and Moneyball knocks it out of the park. The archival footage, the radio commentators, the hypnotic thrumming of "the Mighty Rio Grande" -- portions of this film feel like a documentary. Miller could've taken this story and made a documentary out of it but the resulting product is the best of both worlds. A fictional psychological character study merged with a meticulousness and realism that sustains an electrifying illusion of exact truth while cultivating emotional ones. I want more docudramas like this in my life.
Beyond the filmmaking itself, which is visionary, this is powerfully compelling human story about being afraid of success and being hounded by past failures. The movie is all business straight down the line with its statistics and no-nonsense dialogue but they mask the emotional core of Beane's insecurities the way Pitt masks them in the swagger of his performance. The "real Billy" is the one crying alone on the field at the end of the film. He hit a home run, and he didn't even realize it.
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Javi
Badass
Posts: 1,536
Likes: 1,626
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Post by Javi on Jan 24, 2021 23:49:53 GMT
Three Brothers / Tre fratelli (1981) - We're fast becoming orphans, this movie seems to say. It's one thing to grow up in a chaotic society: one can develop an attachment even to chaos. But growing up in a world where everything made sense (no matter the hardship, or in this case, WWII) and then get thrown into "modern society" is another matter entirely. This is the cultural tragedy addressed by the film. Only one generation separates the father in the countryside from his three modern children, but as shown by Francesco Rosi, it's more of an abyss. A great, deepening film on the most pervasive of postwar maladies, but with details specific to the maddening Italy of the 70s.
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Post by stabcaesar on Jan 25, 2021 14:39:35 GMT
A History of Violence (2005) - The action scenes were incredibly satisfying as the dead/beaten guys were such jerks, and the final exchange between Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello’s characters aced, but the rest of the film was kind of … dare I say basic? I guess Cronenberg just isn’t my cup of tea. 7/10 if I'm being generous. Probably 6.5 in a couple of days.
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Post by ingmarhepburn on Jan 25, 2021 21:46:29 GMT
Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006). Quite good, actually. Those costumes certainly are a feast for the eyes. And the soundtrack is amazing, I'm obsessed by it.
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Post by wilcinema on Jan 25, 2021 21:52:00 GMT
Schindler’s List (REWATCH): I hate to say it, but I hadn’t seen it in a VERY long time, and rewatching it I found it... ok? The first act is still terrific, but once it gets to the camp I’m just not into it anymore. I think my main issues are with the script and with Liam Neeson’s performance, but I realize I’m in a tiny minority. As far as Holocaust movies go, I find The Pianist much more powerful.
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Jan 26, 2021 18:41:36 GMT
Da 5 Bloods (again) - I still don't get it. It's a good half hour too long and the last act is laughable. Lindo is great (and with his Oscar win he will no longer be the second lead in my Predator movie), Peters shine, and I'm still puzzled by Boseman's wins for this since I'd have him behind all of the present time actors.
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 26, 2021 19:25:06 GMT
Jesus Son (1999) 7-7.5/10. Very much like Drugstore Cowboy and while not as good, it's funnier and has a better soundtrack. Crudup is phenomenally charismatic here and there's a great cast around him - Jack Black, Samantha Morton, Michael Shannon, Holly Hunter, Denis Leary, Will Patton who doesn't give a shit about swans, and a one scene masterclass with Dennis Hopper opposite Crudup that's like magic.
This was praised at the time but had a delayed, limited release and it's become tough to find now. Most shocking is how accessible, hilarious, and deceptively free this movie feels - coming from Alison Maclean who made the moody, provocative, Egoyan-esque kiwi noir Crush (1992). After Jesus Son she didn't make a feature for 17 years....She should've had a richer career.
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Post by jakesully on Jan 26, 2021 19:36:38 GMT
Crazy Heart 8/10 (well deserved Oscar win for the Dude!)
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 26, 2021 22:21:34 GMT
The Pledge (2001) - 6.5/10 re-watchI should love this movie, it's exactly the kind of plot I like, starring one of my favorite actors - Jack Nicholson in quite good and untypical form - with astonishing one scene wonders too. I love the book - the short novel by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. It just doesn't work for me - it comes close but doesn't quite hang together - and I've seen this a lot .......it's just too obvious and heavy-handed on a directorial level by Sean Penn. It's one thing to destroy your lead but you better not tip it off this much. It starts tipping it's hand in the first third even - around the scene below. One of the bleakest studio pictures of the new century though.
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Post by mhynson27 on Jan 27, 2021 1:22:59 GMT
Da 5 Bloods (again) - I still don't get it. It's a good half hour too long and the last act is laughable. Lindo is great ( and with his Oscar win he will no longer be the second lead in my Predator movie), Peters shine, and I'm still puzzled by Boseman's wins for this since I'd have him behind all of the present time actors.
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 27, 2021 3:50:02 GMT
The Truth Beneath (2016) 7/10. On Prime. Hurdling psychological missing-person thriller set during a political election, when the daughter of a major candidate disappears. Like a lot of recent Korean movies in the genre there are too many plot twists that tangle it up and numb it without needing to. Very entertaining tho. Cowritten by Chan-wook Park and it shows - you can't imagine how this would look on the page bc it's so fast paced and constantly overlapping scenes with non-linear fill ins and an absurd amount of off-screen dialogue. So in other words, at times brilliantly constructed. But it shouldn't feel like a feature-length montage. It never pauses. And the ending tries to do an Oldboy and doesn't quite pull it off.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 27, 2021 12:01:07 GMT
Hounds of Love (2016) - 7+/10Another one of those movies I should have seen years ago but didn't.......this is an example of a movie you don't think you'll "like" and maybe shouldn't - its plot is essentially a homicidal couple kidnap, torture and murder young girls. A lot of this is essentially like "Saw" - all kind of horrendous situations you don't want to see. But there's a psychological component to this that is undeniably true and conveyed clearly - and this is one of those movies you'll see get 1 star from some and 4 stars from others - like Henry : Portait of a Serial Killer............or Cruising.....,where the rating, the content, and the intent all are jumbled up and you ask "how distasteful can a movie be and still work?" .......and also that you can't recommend to your casual acquaintances or else they'll think you endorse the content. Oh and a spectacular performance from the lead - Emma Booth - which is often the case in these movies - except the lead isn't who you'd expect here on paper or from the picture on the poster.
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