Rate The Last Movie You Saw.

[Mattrick]

Shattered Glass is a great movie. I always point it out when people say Hayden Christensen can't act.

[DoctorDodge]

Shattered Glass is a great movie. I always point it out when people say Hayden Christensen can't act.

Yeah, I was very impressed with his performance. Little things like body language and having a slight stammer when he was nervous just added so much more to the role he was playing.

[Still Servant]

I really applaud Fatman for trying to do something different, but the film never fully commits. It doen't fully lean into the cheese factor, not does it fully try to be a serious film. My other issue with the film is that the trailer made it seem like we were getting Santa Wick, with tons of action. That's hardly the film we got. There's really only one action scene at the end. The rest of the film either follows Walton Googins as an eclectic hitman or Gibson being all emo.

I think there's a lot of wasted potential here, a common refrain with many of the films I've seen during the pandemic.

[Iwritecode]

My wife and I watched Last Christmas with Emilia Clarke and Emma Thompson over the weekend. I picked it based on the trailer. I figured it would be a lot like the typical Hallmark movies my wife likes to watch. A girl works in a Christmas shop, her life is a mess, she meets this guy on accident, they fall in love and live happily ever after. The end.

That's not really what this movie was. Honestly the first half was kinda slow. We watched it, then stopped and went to bed so we could finish it the next day. Didn't have a lot of expectations for it. The second half was definitely better and my wife and I picked up on the big "twist" pretty early. I couldn't figure out why the entire soundtrack was nothing but George Micheal songs but after the twist was relieved the song and the title of the movie made more sense.

I'll give it 2.5 stars out of 5. Not bad but nothing I'd want to watch a second time. It won't be in my regular rotation of favorite holiday movies.

[Still Servant]

My wife and I watched Last Christmas with Emilia Clarke and Emma Thompson over the weekend. I picked it based on the trailer. I figured it would be a lot like the typical Hallmark movies my wife likes to watch. A girl works in a Christmas shop, her life is a mess, she meets this guy on accident, they fall in love and live happily ever after. The end.

That's not really what this movie was. Honestly the first half was kinda slow. We watched it, then stopped and went to bed so we could finish it the next day. Didn't have a lot of expectations for it. The second half was definitely better and my wife and I picked up on the big "twist" pretty early. I couldn't figure out why the entire soundtrack was nothing but George Micheal songs but after the twist was relieved the song and the title of the movie made more sense.

I'll give it 2.5 stars out of 5. Not bad but nothing I'd want to watch a second time. It won't be in my regular rotation of favorite holiday movies.

My sister guessed the twist after watching the trailer. I still would like to watch it though.

[Garrell]

My wife and I enjoyed it last Christmas :tongue:

[Merlin1958]

Just saw, "TENET" (purchase) and WOW is all I'm going to say!!! As usual, Nolan delivers. You just have to see it.

Check out "MORTAL" on Amazon (rental) it's a foriegn film done rather well with a frsh take on an old story. I was genuinely surprised at how good it was for aforeign film. Pretty good stuff. I'd give it a 5 out of 6 beers.

Also viewed, "THE CONTRACT" a freebie on Amazon (yeah, I was binging!! lol) pretty solid spy thriller with, Morgan Freeman and John Cusack (were'nt they in "Cell" together?). Typical government/CIA/Cop thriller in the woods where the innocent average guy becomes the hero, but fairly well done and worth the 2 hrs. I give it 4 1/2 beers out of 6 on the Randall Flagg scale.

[Mattrick]

Pretty sure Cell was John and Sam Jackson reuniting after 1408.

[Merlin1958]

Pretty sure Cell was John and Sam Jackson reuniting after 1408.

Ah, yes you are correct. My bad.

[fernandito]

I never bothered with Cell, is it worth the watch?

[St. Troy]

I never bothered with Cell, is it worth the watch?

I enjoyed it a bit, but even I would say it was no great movie.

[Iwritecode]

I never bothered with Cell, is it worth the watch?

Not really. It wasn't a very good adaption of the book and they changed the ending and somehow made it worse than the book.

Even if you had never read the book, I don't think it would be a great movie.

[St. Troy]

I never bothered with Cell, is it worth the watch?

...they changed the ending and somehow made it worse than the book.

...to which I would add: if the novel's ending frustrated the shit out of you (as it did me), the movie's ending isn't likely to piss you off much (I can take it or leave it).

I didn't expect "great," I didn't get "great," I modestly enjoyed the movie; I'll give it as positive a "meh" as you can give something.

[Ricky]

Yeah, Cell's not in the top-tier King adaptations in the way that The Mist or Misery are, but I did enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. I'd say it's worth a watch.

[Shannon]

So ... I saw Tenet last night. As someone that not only thinks The Prestige, Memento, Inception, Interstellar, and the Dark Knight are near perfect movies, but also a fan of time travel, parallel universes, weird shit, etc, I have to say I'm a little disappointed in the movie. This is a movie that's asking you to "just go with it" and has faith that you won't be frustrated that one plus one equals three. And three is a purple banana underwater on Pluto twelve and a half years ago.

The "why are they doing this?" and "How are they doing this?" needed to be better explained, in my opinion.

[Heather19]

Yeah, Cell's not in the top-tier King adaptations in the way that The Mist or Misery are, but I did enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. I'd say it's worth a watch.

Cell is one of the few King adaptations I have yet to watch. I should probably give it a go at some point. I really enjoyed the book, and heard the movie sucked so never cared to watch it. But maybe I should, and just go in with really low expectations :lol: The Dark Tower is another one I haven't seen, which maybe I'll also get to at some point.

[Merlin1958]

The "why are they doing this?" and "How are they doing this?" needed to be better explained, in my opinion.

Yeah, I've heard tell of the physics behind it before and that wa kind of mind boggling. How they could do what thyey could would likely still be a "What if....." proposition. To me it's damn near impossible to apply in reality as they did in the film. As for the "why" they did state through 2 lines of dialogue that the future had fucked up the planet and its resources beyond repair and it "was their only option". Not much other than that.

Still, as usual with, Nolan it was a slickly done exercise in film making. Great action, cinematography and pace. The editing seemed a little chopped at times though.

[Mattrick]

Yeah, Cell's not in the top-tier King adaptations in the way that The Mist or Misery are, but I did enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. I'd say it's worth a watch.

Cell is one of the few King adaptations I have yet to watch. I should probably give it a go at some point. I really enjoyed the book, and heard the movie sucked so never cared to watch it. But maybe I should, and just go in with really low expectations :lol: The Dark Tower is another one I haven't seen, which maybe I'll also get to at some point.

I rewatched The Dark Tower a few months ago. First time since the theatres. It's just all wrong. It has some pretty alright stuff in it, but they stuffed way too much into it and also managed to feel to have not done enough.

It really needs to be a TV series. A streaming service that is willing to invest and let WOM carry it is necessary. They could easily do a miniseries of The Gunslinger. 4 episodes. End it with Roland stumbling across Eddie's Door. Westerns aren't likely to entice a large audience, but Drawing of the Three definitely would. They could also find some creative ways to do Roland's backstory...a separate miniseries, LOST style flashbacks, it would also give them room to expand...I want more Wastelands.

I can see why the movies tried to game The Gunslinger because that's not an easy sell to general audiences. I really did like the gimmick of the film's being Roland's last time, but it was waaaaay too different for it to be effective. I always assumed Roland only changed his course slightly each time. I always imagined Roland could only save himself by not dropping Jake and the movie didn't even contain that pivotal choice.

Really The Dark Tower was just misguided and overly ambitious, which is an awful combination.

[Shannon]

Wonder Woman 1984: Two out of Five.

I didn't HATE it, but I thought it was bland all the way through, with some very strange writing choices. And this is coming from someone that really likes all the other DC movies.

[fernandito]

I just finished WW84. It is a pretty shocking regression from WW1, which was probably the best DC film not named Batman. Bland, contrived, messy, and what's up with SNL style acting from some of the extras? That mall sequence in particular was cringe worthy. Gal Gadot might be the only saving grace, she embodies Diana to perfection.

The first hour is probably the worst first hour of any CBM I've ever seen. The last 30 minutes are decent but by then its already too late. Hope this isn't an ominous sign for the future of DC.

2/5

[allasorte]

I just finished WW84. It is a pretty shocking regression from WW1, which was probably the best DC film not named Batman. Bland, contrived, messy, and what's up with SNL style acting from some of the extras? That mall sequence in particular was cringe worthy. Gal Gadot might be the only saving grace, she embodies Diana to perfection.

The first hour is probably the worst first hour of any CBM I've ever seen. The last 30 minutes are decent but by then its already too late. Hope this isn't an ominous sign for the future of DC.

2/5

I agree. It was pretty boring, slow, poor villains, poor acting, and not a good story at all. It was from the same director so I'm wondering why it fell down hill.

[Ricky]

Oof. I haven't see WW1984 yet but I'm not seeing a lot of good reviews.

[mae]

I loved it, but I posted about it in the DC films thread. Not as good as the first, but what can be?

[webstar1000]

I loved it, but I posted about it in the DC films thread. Not as good as the first, but what can be?

MANY movies have bested their sequels... just look to their main competition.... Marvel

[mae]

I don’t mean sequels in general, the first WW was a masterpiece, my #1 overall movie of that year. I didn’t expect this to be better than that but it was still a whole lot of fun and emotions.

[Merlin1958]

Wonder Woman 1984: Two out of Five.

I didn't HATE it, but I thought it was bland all the way through, with some very strange writing choices. And this is coming from someone that really likes all the other DC movies.


I just finished WW84. It is a pretty shocking regression from WW1, which was probably the best DC film not named Batman. Bland, contrived, messy, and what's up with SNL style acting from some of the extras? That mall sequence in particular was cringe worthy. Gal Gadot might be the only saving grace, she embodies Diana to perfection.

The first hour is probably the worst first hour of any CBM I've ever seen. The last 30 minutes are decent but by then its already too late. Hope this isn't an ominous sign for the future of DC.

2/5



I just finished WW84. It is a pretty shocking regression from WW1, which was probably the best DC film not named Batman. Bland, contrived, messy, and what's up with SNL style acting from some of the extras? That mall sequence in particular was cringe worthy. Gal Gadot might be the only saving grace, she embodies Diana to perfection.

The first hour is probably the worst first hour of any CBM I've ever seen. The last 30 minutes are decent but by then its already too late. Hope this isn't an ominous sign for the future of DC.

2/5

I agree. It was pretty boring, slow, poor villains, poor acting, and not a good story at all. It was from the same director so I'm wondering why it fell down hill.



:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Aremag]

WW84 was just bad as others have stated. I had some hopes for it since I actually enjoyed WW minus the studio forced CGI crapfest that was the final fight and I haven't enjoyed much of the new DC besides Shazam. The only thing I actually enjoyed was the end credits scene. Very disappointing as I thought maybe DC was starting to get stuff right. I do have some hope for Suicide Squad thanks to James Gunn.

[Aremag]

I also watched Soul and will give that 4/5. Not as good as Inside Out in my opinion but a touching, thought provoking Pixar movie. The soundtrack is killer. It boggles my mind that some people are complaining about this movie but I won't discuss that here as it would be spoilerish.

[Randall Flagg]

4 people in my family watched it Xmas day, I was in another room watching sports. The general consensus from people who REALLY wanted it to be good was that it was bloviated, (at least 30 minutes too long) and for the large part fucked up. They all hope Godot moves onto something more suited to her quite good acting chops.

[Garrell]

News of the World. Tom Hanks doing what he is good at. The good guy that we always cheer for. Very good movie, about the middle of the pack in his stuff. Worth seeing and enjoyable.
4/5

[Randall Flagg]

Rewatched "First Reformed" last night. What a divine movie. 6/6 on the RFSRS.

[DoctorZaius]

WW1984 - I will put it out there for all to attack. I really, really, really, liked this sequel. Obviously not as good as the first one, but a very enjoyable time out at the theater was had by all. Our local theater rents out its large theater, so my wife, my two teenage daughters, and myself had the whole theater to ourselves - a great XMAS gift for the family. This was our first movie in a theater since the pandemic began. I just don't get where all the vitriol is coming from on this one. We all enjoyed it immensely. 8/10 - so go ahead, let the attacks begin.

[DoctorZaius]

I loved it, but I posted about it in the DC films thread. Not as good as the first, but what can be?

MANY movies have bested their sequels... just look to their main competition.... Marvel

MANY is so overstated. I appreciate your hyperbole. Rarely do sequels best the original. And Marvel has been like a yo-yo. For every Winter Soldier, there is an Iron Man II. Do some real reflecting here dude.

[Shannon]

I loved it, but I posted about it in the DC films thread. Not as good as the first, but what can be?

MANY movies have bested their sequels... just look to their main competition.... Marvel

MANY is so overstated. I appreciate your hyperbole. Rarely do sequels best the original. And Marvel has been like a yo-yo. For every Winter Soldier, there is an Iron Man II. Do some real reflecting here dude.

Captain America: Winter Soldier
Christmas Vacation
Terminator 2
Evil Dead 2
Logan
Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back
Godfather, Part 2
Dark Knight
Any of the subsequent Mission Impossible movies
Aliens

[webstar1000]

I loved it, but I posted about it in the DC films thread. Not as good as the first, but what can be?

MANY movies have bested their sequels... just look to their main competition.... Marvel

MANY is so overstated. I appreciate your hyperbole. Rarely do sequels best the original. And Marvel has been like a yo-yo. For every Winter Soldier, there is an Iron Man II. Do some real reflecting here dude.

i wasn't only talking marvel.

[fernandito]

WW1984 - I will put it out there for all to attack. I really, really, really, liked this sequel. Obviously not as good as the first one, but a very enjoyable time out at the theater was had by all. Our local theater rents out its large theater, so my wife, my two teenage daughters, and myself had the whole theater to ourselves - a great XMAS gift for the family. This was our first movie in a theater since the pandemic began. I just don't get where all the vitriol is coming from on this one. We all enjoyed it immensely. 8/10 - so go ahead, let the attacks begin.

I appreciate the martyrdom lol, but honestly it's not that difficult to grasp. Myself and others have already covered it itt: a major step down from the first film. It rang hollow in comparison. Sloppy writing (everything regarding Chris Pine's return was pandering, especially the way he's reintroduced into the film), poorly written villains, a long run time that doesn't nearly fill its time with meaningful moments.

To top it all off, the film is just boring. We went from the emotional stakes of WW1 and the literal God of War as Diana's adversaries to a hammy villain with bad prosthetic that says things like "your father is a loser guy" and a nerdy geologist whose ultimate wish is to be an apex predator so we can see her cringy CGI-transformation.

I'm at the other end of the spectrum, I think - I can't comprehend how people could see this film and tell themselves that it's anything but painfully average at best. I think people so badly want this to be good escapism because of what's happened in 2020 that they overlook its many, many flaws.

[webstar1000]

WW1984 - I will put it out there for all to attack. I really, really, really, liked this sequel. Obviously not as good as the first one, but a very enjoyable time out at the theater was had by all. Our local theater rents out its large theater, so my wife, my two teenage daughters, and myself had the whole theater to ourselves - a great XMAS gift for the family. This was our first movie in a theater since the pandemic began. I just don't get where all the vitriol is coming from on this one. We all enjoyed it immensely. 8/10 - so go ahead, let the attacks begin.

I appreciate the martyrdom lol, but honestly it's not that difficult to grasp. Myself and others have already covered it itt: a major step down from the first film. It rang hollow in comparison. Sloppy writing (everything regarding Chris Pine's return was pandering, especially the way he's reintroduced into the film), poorly written villains, a long run time that doesn't nearly fill its time with meaningful moments.

To top it all off, the film is just boring. We went from the emotional stakes of WW1 and the literal God of War as Diana's adversaries to a hammy villain with bad prosthetic that says things like "your father is a loser guy" and a nerdy geologist whose ultimate wish is to be an apex predator so we can see her cringy CGI-transformation.

I'm at the other end of the spectrum, I think - I can't comprehend how people could see this film and tell themselves that it's anything but painfully average at best. I think people so badly want this to be good escapism because of what's happened in 2020 that they overlook its many, many flaws.

Having a theatre ALL to your family would heighten the experience of any film though.

[Mattrick]

I remember when my mom worked for Pizza Hut and all the commodity rented a movie theater for late night showings for all employees in the area, and their families. Me and my friend got to see Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within two days early and no one else watched it. It lived up to all the hype for us. Crazy that the film is only recently starting to look dated in its animation. Still a good film too.

[Ricky]

I watched Wonder Woman 1984 last night and really enjoyed it. I'm not a die-hard WW fan (though I did like the first movie), but I had a great time with it and thought it was a lot of fun. It was long, and even as I was watching some scenes I knew they should've been cut, but I was never bored. I thought it moved pretty quickly and I really appreciated that the climax was more grounded than the CGI climax of the first movie (the fight with Ares). Gadot, Pine, and Wiig all gave great performances, I thought the score was pretty great, and the end credit scene was pretty neat.

Unfortunately, WW1984 suffers from the same issue as many of the DC films: it's got a big villain problem. Max Lord was too over-the-top as the antagonist and the few emotional character insights given to him in the climax was too little too late. If they had instead focused entirely on Cheetah as the villain, it would've been way more successful...especially since Barbara didn't get nearly enough character development as she should've.

Miscellaneous: Steve Trevor's return (especially his first scene with Diana) wasn't handled as deftly as it could've and should've been. Setting the movie in 1984 was cool and fun but ultimately didn't offer much to the final product and seemed more of a marketing/nostalgia gimmick than story necessity. And I really wish the whole plot of the movie didn't revolve around a magic wishing stone. I understand the whole "evil god created it" thing, and it makes sense in the WW universe, but it just felt like lazy storytelling.

My criticisms might make it seem like I didn't enjoy it, but I really did. It was fun, escapist entertainment, especially since I don't think I've seen a good popcorn movie since before the pandemic. Overall, I think I'd give Wonder Woman 1984 a B.

[mae]

WW1984 - I will put it out there for all to attack. I really, really, really, liked this sequel. Obviously not as good as the first one, but a very enjoyable time out at the theater was had by all. Our local theater rents out its large theater, so my wife, my two teenage daughters, and myself had the whole theater to ourselves - a great XMAS gift for the family. This was our first movie in a theater since the pandemic began. I just don't get where all the vitriol is coming from on this one. We all enjoyed it immensely. 8/10 - so go ahead, let the attacks begin.

I'm totally with you, no idea why it's being received so lukewarmly. I loved the original, the No Man's Land scene made me cry so hard, I remember, but I cried multiple times during 84. It was much more emotional. And that mid-credits scene! The wink killed me, I was bawling my eyes out!

I saw some negative comments saying this was like the old Wonder Woman show with Lynda Carter, as if that's a bad thing! I think it was in part a conscious homage to that show, obviously!

I think a lot of the people having a negative reaction is the movie being not what they wanted it to be. Well, tough luck. Movies are what they are, and they should be judged on what they are, not what we would've wanted them to be. I'm really tired of this argument, actually. "They should've done this, why didn't they do this? The trailers promised something else...." The movie is the movie, there is no should. The trailers are irrelevant.

[fernandito]

Wonder Woman made me cry too, but because of how terrible it was :lol:

[Still Servant]

Wonder Woman 1984 was painfully dry at times. It's not a complete turd like some are making it out to be, but as Fernando said, I find it hard to wrap my head around how anyone could consider it anything but average at best. Honestly, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I thought some of the CGI was really bad. Nobody is talking about it, but Wiig's character looked just as bad as the CGI in Cats.

I really think many people were so desperate to have a mainstream film to enjoy that they have blinders on.

[DoctorZaius]

I loved it, but I posted about it in the DC films thread. Not as good as the first, but what can be?

MANY movies have bested their sequels... just look to their main competition.... Marvel

MANY is so overstated. I appreciate your hyperbole. Rarely do sequels best the original. And Marvel has been like a yo-yo. For every Winter Soldier, there is an Iron Man II. Do some real reflecting here dude.

Captain America: Winter Soldier
Christmas Vacation
Terminator 2
Evil Dead 2
Logan
Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back
Godfather, Part 2
Dark Knight
Any of the subsequent Mission Impossible movies
Aliens

So, are we judging all sequels or just direct sequels. You seem to have a hodgepodge of examples. You can't have it both ways, if you want all of them, as in your Mission Impossible movies, then you have to take into account Godfather: Part 3. Still not buying your list as covering "many," which was the statement. Keep listing.

[webstar1000]

I loved it, but I posted about it in the DC films thread. Not as good as the first, but what can be?

MANY movies have bested their sequels... just look to their main competition.... Marvel

MANY is so overstated. I appreciate your hyperbole. Rarely do sequels best the original. And Marvel has been like a yo-yo. For every Winter Soldier, there is an Iron Man II. Do some real reflecting here dude.

Captain America: Winter Soldier
Christmas Vacation
Terminator 2
Evil Dead 2
Logan
Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back
Godfather, Part 2
Dark Knight
Any of the subsequent Mission Impossible movies
Aliens

So, are we judging all sequels or just direct sequels. You seem to have a hodgepodge of examples. You can't have it both ways, if you want all of them, as in your Mission Impossible movies, then you have to take into account Godfather: Part 3. Still not buying your list as covering "many," which was the statement. Keep listing.

Hey it’s my opinion and not looking for an argument with ya. Glad you enjoyed your movie too:) however, there are many sequels that are better in my eyes! Not just the ones listed.


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[fernandito]

Idk if I'd say there are many direct sequels that are better than the original, but to Web's point there are more than a few sequels - regardless if direct or legacy- that surpassed the original. Some of them have been listed in the post above.

In any case, I'm hoping WW3 is a return to form. Luckily Geoff Johns has been fired as head of DCU and he won't be around to taint further films with his subpar writing. They really need to reload and figure things out because Diana/Gal deserve much better than this.

[allasorte]

Wonder Woman 1984 was painfully dry at times. It's not a complete turd like some are making it out to be, but as Fernando said, I find it hard to wrap my head around how anyone could consider it anything but average at best. Honestly, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I thought some of the CGI was really bad. Nobody is talking about it, but Wiig's character looked just as bad as the CGI in Cats.

I really think many people were so desperate to have a mainstream film to enjoy that they have blinders on.

Agreed. I saw better CGI in the original Jaws :)

[DoctorZaius]

I loved it, but I posted about it in the DC films thread. Not as good as the first, but what can be?

MANY movies have bested their sequels... just look to their main competition.... Marvel

MANY is so overstated. I appreciate your hyperbole. Rarely do sequels best the original. And Marvel has been like a yo-yo. For every Winter Soldier, there is an Iron Man II. Do some real reflecting here dude.

Captain America: Winter Soldier
Christmas Vacation
Terminator 2
Evil Dead 2
Logan
Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back
Godfather, Part 2
Dark Knight
Any of the subsequent Mission Impossible movies
Aliens

So, are we judging all sequels or just direct sequels. You seem to have a hodgepodge of examples. You can't have it both ways, if you want all of them, as in your Mission Impossible movies, then you have to take into account Godfather: Part 3. Still not buying your list as covering "many," which was the statement. Keep listing.

Hey it’s my opinion and not looking for an argument with ya. Glad you enjoyed your movie too:) however, there are many sequels that are better in my eyes! Not just the ones listed.


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No "arguments" here - we're always good. I like the debate. I was just wondering/looking for more titles. I just find there are so few sequels that are any good, while you cite many. I was looking for dialog on sequels, not a fight.

[DoctorZaius]

Wonder Woman 1984 was painfully dry at times. It's not a complete turd like some are making it out to be, but as Fernando said, I find it hard to wrap my head around how anyone could consider it anything but average at best. Honestly, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I thought some of the CGI was really bad. Nobody is talking about it, but Wiig's character looked just as bad as the CGI in Cats.

I really think many people were so desperate to have a mainstream film to enjoy that they have blinders on.

Agreed. I saw better CGI in the original Jaws :)

There was no CGI in Jaws, or is that your point? Incidentally, Jaws is my favorite film of all time, one holds up about as a well as any film can.

[Merlin1958]

STOP!!!!!

DO NOT RENT/BUY "HONEST THIEF"!!!!


OMG!!! Lian Neeson should be ashamed that he agreed to star in this film. I suppose its a testament to gard times for Hollywood that it would even be given consideration for production. The Screenwriter, Allrich must have dashed this one off while sitting on the toilet. This movie has one of the dumbsest plots I have ever had the misfortune of viewing. The actors, and there are a few top line guys in it, must really need the money or the studio did anyway.

Neeson, an honest bank robber, falls in love and decides to turn himself in to the most incompenet FBI agents ever to wear the badge. Neeson, has been robbing banks clean as the "In n Out Bandit" for 9 years. He amasses a total of $9 million and meets a girl, falls in love and quits robbing for an entire year. He never spends any of the money and decides in order to marry the girl he must come clean and turn himself in to the authorities with a deal for light punsihment. No one believes him, but 2 agents go to get his confession and sieze the money. The two agents decide to go rogue, take the money and kill Neeson. Shit goes sideways and another agent is killed and the rogue agents blame it on, Neeson.

What follows is a ridiculous romp through, Boston. While our hero tries to clear his name, confess and marry the girl. All this occurs while, Neeson calmly goes about his plan with no, FBI manhunt or real pursuit whatsoever!! I won't go any further with the plt, but I'm sure you can guess what transpires. There really isn't much action or FX. I guess those guys save their money for the future and any dire circumstances like the Pandemic.Needless to say I give this film -3 on the RF movie review scale.

[Merlin1958]

I just saw a film titled "Dark Waters", which is cureently running on, Showtime. It's a "based on atrue story" film about a lawyer and his firm that take on, Dupont over a chemical called "C-8" which is tegral in the manufacturing of, Teflon. I thought it was an execellent production with a star studded cast. It's also probably something you SHOULD watch given the wide spread use of Teflon. It's entertaining and very informative with great acting. I give it a "7" on the RF movie rating scale of "0-6" beers.

I know my wife and I are in the process of reviewing all our cooking pans and you probably should as well. Watch it if you can!!

[Still Servant]

Dark Waters was fantastic. I really loved Mark Ruffalo in that. That one kind of got lost in the shuffle of 2019 films last year.

[webstar1000]

Promising Young Woman. Has anyone seen this?!!??


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[Ricky]

I want to (but am not willing to go to the theater just yet)!

[webstar1000]

I want to (but am not willing to go to the theater just yet)!

What a HIDDEN gem. I freakin loves this movie. 8.5/10 for me. Really high up there. This is filmed and done in such a way that has you just sitting on the edge of the seat. Amazing!


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[Still Servant]

I want to (but am not willing to go to the theater just yet)!

What a HIDDEN gem. I freakin loves this movie. 8.5/10 for me. Really high up there. This is filmed and done in such a way that has you just sitting on the edge of the seat. Amazing!


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LOVED it! My #4 film of the year.

Promising Young Woman

Carey Mulligan might just be the most underappreciated actress working today. If you can find another one, let me know. I will wait here. She continues to pump out quality work in films that nobody really talks about. Films like Wildlife, Mudbound, Suffragette and Shame come to mind.

In Promising Young Woman she literally commands your attention as Cassie, a woman looking to get even at men who prey on women. It becomes clear early on that her motivations for her actions are very personal in nature.

Promising Young Woman is a very different kind of revenge film and if you saw the trailer, you might be expecting something completely different. In short, this is not Kill Bill, so don’t go in expecting some kind of killing spree. Cassie’s way too clever for that. The film does a great job of showing how a traumatic event can literally consume someone’s life.

The end of the film is sure to polarize many people, but I thought it was deliciously perfect.

[webstar1000]

I want to (but am not willing to go to the theater just yet)!

What a HIDDEN gem. I freakin loves this movie. 8.5/10 for me. Really high up there. This is filmed and done in such a way that has you just sitting on the edge of the seat. Amazing!


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LOVED it! My #4 film of the year.

Promising Young Woman

Carey Mulligan might just be the most underappreciated actress working today. If you can find another one, let me know. I will wait here. She continues to pump out quality work in films that nobody really talks about. Films like Wildlife, Mudbound, Suffragette and Shame come to mind.

In Promising Young Woman she literally commands your attention as Cassie, a woman looking to get even at men who prey on women. It becomes clear early on that her motivations for her actions are very personal in nature.

Promising Young Woman is a very different kind of revenge film and if you saw the trailer, you might be expecting something completely different. In short, this is not Kill Bill, so don’t go in expecting some kind of killing spree. Cassie’s way too clever for that. The film does a great job of showing how a traumatic event can literally consume someone’s life.

The end of the film is sure to polarize many people, but I thought it was deliciously perfect.
I’m trying to think of a better film this year. She is great by the way. Huge fan!

[Randall Flagg]

I'd like to see it, but the nearest showing is at a Drive-In theater 50 miles away.

[webstar1000]

I'd like to see it, but the nearest showing is at a Drive-In theater 50 miles away.

RF it is THAT good. I was on the edge of my seat RIGHT till 'fade to black'. Since I seen this in 2021... it is at the top of the list AND a hard one to beat in my mind.

[Aremag]

Just watched Tenet and I'd give it 3/5. Some decent set pieces but it's Nolan trying to be "smart" again. It wasn't hard to follow after I learned the rules Nolan established and pretty much knew who was inverted very early on and the twist wasn't much of one as that was hinted at too much to really be a twist. It was better than Interstellar and on par with Inception. I still think Nolan hit his peak with The Dark Knight but I'm sure he's got a few more pictures in him and he might still surprise me.

[fernandito]

Yeah, Tenet was pretty messy. Agreed that TDK is still his best film, with Inception being a close second. Like I've mentioned before though, we have to applaud his willingness to give us original blockbusters.

I'm of the mind that he should take a break from mind/time-bending high concept and do something a little more intimate. Idk if his mind works like that tho lol.

[webstar1000]

Yeah, Tenet was pretty messy. Agreed that TDK is still his best film, with Inception being a close second. Like I've mentioned before though, we have to applaud his willingness to give us original blockbusters.

I'm of the mind that he should take a break from mind/time-bending high concept and do something a little more intimate. Idk if his mind works like that tho lol.

I liked Tenet a LOT more than 3/5... But can understand that score from some. TDK is his best... I agree. I think he is a breath of fresh air though. I am a fan of every film he has done though.

[Garrell]

I agree with the 3/5. I have seen better and I have seen worse. I will continue to see his movies as I know that they seem not to disappoint.

[Merlin1958]

Saw this film with Charlize Theron called "The Old Guard". Think "Highlander/Seal Team" and you get the premise. These immortals go on high level high risk missions to save the world for centuries. Now there's new member born into the fraternity and a meglo-maniacal Pharma CEO who has discovered their secret and wants to "help all of humanity" by studying their blood and developing anti-aging medicines'

Pretty good film with loads of action. Martial arts and sword fighting abound. I thought it a pretty entertaining watch and give it a 3.5 beers out of 5 on the old RF Movie rating system. Give it a shot, it's worth the time IMHO

[Still Servant]

Yeah, Tenet was pretty messy. Agreed that TDK is still his best film, with Inception being a close second. Like I've mentioned before though, we have to applaud his willingness to give us original blockbusters.

I'm of the mind that he should take a break from mind/time-bending high concept and do something a little more intimate. Idk if his mind works like that tho lol.

Watch it twice. It's shockingly not messy. The film should not be judged on one viewing.

[Aremag]

Yeah, Tenet was pretty messy. Agreed that TDK is still his best film, with Inception being a close second. Like I've mentioned before though, we have to applaud his willingness to give us original blockbusters.

I'm of the mind that he should take a break from mind/time-bending high concept and do something a little more intimate. Idk if his mind works like that tho lol.

Watch it twice. It's shockingly not messy. The film should not be judged on one viewing.

I didn't think it was messy. I just thought a lot of the reveals were fairly obvious if you understood the rules Nolan established. I was entertained but like other Nolan flicks...Interstellar, The Prestige, Inception...not entertained enough that I need to watch them again.

[Shannon]

lol, I love how you guys are defending a movie like, "it's not messy" and "watch it twice, you'll get it" where a line of dialogue in said movie literally says, "Don't try to understand it."

You remind me of the people who say they fully understand what's going on in Mulholland Drive. Allow me to let you in on a little secret, not even the David Lynch knows what's going on.

Tenet and Mulholland Drive are both enjoyable movies with great scenes and characters, but that's about it.

[Shannon]

And The Prestige was his best movie. :)

love that movie, lol

[Merlin1958]

lol, I love how you guys are defending a movie like, "it's not messy" and "watch it twice, you'll get it" where a line of dialogue in said movie literally says, "Don't try to understand it."

You remind me of the people who say they fully understand what's going on in Mulholland Drive. Allow me to let you in on a little secret, not even the David Lynch knows what's going on.

Tenet and Mulholland Drive are both enjoyable movies with great scenes and characters, but that's about it.


:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[allasorte]

And The Prestige was his best movie. :)

love that movie, lol

I loved it. The dark element of the lengths people will go to one up each other as rivals and hurt one another. The journey one takes to destroy another for fame. The hubris to win at all costs to be the best. The lies people will go through to be on top. The horrors of humanity and the steps they take to achieve their goals. Throw in great actors, and Nolan and the cast out performed with a supernatural element coming out of nowhere. Might watch it again tonight!

[allasorte]

Dark Waters was fantastic. I really loved Mark Ruffalo in that. That one kind of got lost in the shuffle of 2019 films last year.

I was pushing for people to watch this. I have loved Ruffalo for awhile now. It was very detailed orientated and it kills me with the lengths big companies will go to make money at the expensive of lives of all spectrums and the destruction of the planet for the almighty dollar. A must watch.

[Heather19]

So we rewatched Pee Wee's Big Adventure last night. I haven't seen this one since I was young, loved it then, and wasn't sure if I would enjoy it as much now. But I was wrong, that film was hilarious, much more so than I remembered. Also I knew that Elvira and Phil Hartman were both friends with him, but had no clue they both had cameos in the film.

[Ricky]

I'm on board with The Prestige love!

And yeah, Mulholland Drive was not very...understandable. :lol:

[Still Servant]

lol, I love how you guys are defending a movie like, "it's not messy" and "watch it twice, you'll get it" where a line of dialogue in said movie literally says, "Don't try to understand it."

You remind me of the people who say they fully understand what's going on in Mulholland Drive. Allow me to let you in on a little secret, not even the David Lynch knows what's going on.

Tenet and Mulholland Drive are both enjoyable movies with great scenes and characters, but that's about it.

So you're saying it's impossible to find more enjoyment and understanding the second time you watch a film?

Tenet is easy to understand on the surface, and that's how it should be watched. People who are going to try to scientifically solve every aspect of the film are going to probably not like it as much. I just found it to be a really fun, original, Sci-fi action film. We don't get many of those.

[Still Servant]

Pieces of a Woman

Pieces of a Woman tells the story of Martha, played wonderfully by Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, Mission Impossible: Fallout) and her partner, played by Shia LaBeouf, as a young couple who have chosen to have a home birth. When the home birth turns to tragedy, the couple must deal with the impact it has on their relationship.

The film features one of the more excruciating opening sequences I've ever seen in a film. The labor is such a realistic depiction of childbirth that I actually felt like I was intruding. What enhances the scene even more is the fact that it's shot in one take.

As you can tell from the subject matter, Pieces of a Woman is not an easy watch, but it's one of the best films of the year. The film is a powerful look at how tragedy can cause a relationship to spiral out of control.

Vanessa Kirby is the real star here and gives one of the best performances of the year. Her portrayal of a woman coming to terms with the death of her child is truly heart-breaking.

Pieces of a Woman is one of the best films of 2020, but be warned, it's a very difficult watch.

[divemaster]

I've seen several David Lynch films, and Mulholland Dr., to me, is one of his most straightforward to understand, comparatively speaking. It's in my top 10 of all time and my "desert island" movie. That is, if I was stuck on a desert island with a magical way to watch just one movie for the rest of my life, it would be Mulholland Dr. There are so many layers and I get something new out of it every time I've watched it (well over 10 times). Sure, it took me several viewings to piece it all together, and realizing that some scenes were part of a failed TV pilot inserted into a movie with a different main narrative also helped. But ultimately, it's a movie about a failed starlet wannabe and how her reality and her fantasy can't reconcile.

The scene where the Naomi Watts character auditions for the movie is one of my favorite scenes of all time, in any film. What makes it even more powerful is the previous scene where you get a hint of the ridiculous dialogue and you assume how you expect the audition to play out, but then--WOW. There are no words.

[webstar1000]

Pieces of a Woman

Pieces of a Woman tells the story of Martha, played wonderfully by Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, Mission Impossible: Fallout) and her partner, played by Shia LaBeouf, as a young couple who have chosen to have a home birth. When the home birth turns to tragedy, the couple must deal with the impact it has on their relationship.

The film features one of the more excruciating opening sequences I've ever seen in a film. The labor is such a realistic depiction of childbirth that I actually felt like I was intruding. What enhances the scene even more is the fact that it's shot in one take.

As you can tell from the subject matter, Pieces of a Woman is not an easy watch, but it's one of the best films of the year. The film is a powerful look at how tragedy can cause a relationship to spiral out of control.

Vanessa Kirby is the real star here and gives one of the best performances of the year. Her portrayal of a woman coming to terms with the death of her child is truly heart-breaking.

Pieces of a Woman is one of the best films of 2020, but be warned, it's a very difficult watch.
Where can you see this?

[Still Servant]

Pieces of a Woman

Pieces of a Woman tells the story of Martha, played wonderfully by Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, Mission Impossible: Fallout) and her partner, played by Shia LaBeouf, as a young couple who have chosen to have a home birth. When the home birth turns to tragedy, the couple must deal with the impact it has on their relationship.

The film features one of the more excruciating opening sequences I've ever seen in a film. The labor is such a realistic depiction of childbirth that I actually felt like I was intruding. What enhances the scene even more is the fact that it's shot in one take.

As you can tell from the subject matter, Pieces of a Woman is not an easy watch, but it's one of the best films of the year. The film is a powerful look at how tragedy can cause a relationship to spiral out of control.

Vanessa Kirby is the real star here and gives one of the best performances of the year. Her portrayal of a woman coming to terms with the death of her child is truly heart-breaking.

Pieces of a Woman is one of the best films of 2020, but be warned, it's a very difficult watch.
Where can you see this?

Netflix. I have to remember to incorporate that into reviews. It's helpful.

[fernandito]

Cool. I'll try to watch that today, sounds promising.

Also Vanessa Kirby is fine as hell.

[webstar1000]

Pieces of a Woman

Pieces of a Woman tells the story of Martha, played wonderfully by Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, Mission Impossible: Fallout) and her partner, played by Shia LaBeouf, as a young couple who have chosen to have a home birth. When the home birth turns to tragedy, the couple must deal with the impact it has on their relationship.

The film features one of the more excruciating opening sequences I've ever seen in a film. The labor is such a realistic depiction of childbirth that I actually felt like I was intruding. What enhances the scene even more is the fact that it's shot in one take.

As you can tell from the subject matter, Pieces of a Woman is not an easy watch, but it's one of the best films of the year. The film is a powerful look at how tragedy can cause a relationship to spiral out of control.

Vanessa Kirby is the real star here and gives one of the best performances of the year. Her portrayal of a woman coming to terms with the death of her child is truly heart-breaking.

Pieces of a Woman is one of the best films of 2020, but be warned, it's a very difficult watch.
Where can you see this?

Netflix. I have to remember to incorporate that into reviews. It's helpful.

Powerful. And I’ll tell ya this... Shia was very smart to transition from bjg budget to Indie films. He is really impressive I think. This and the last two he did (Honey and Falcon) have really shown he can act. This is a sad movie... but it’s very well done.


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[Still Servant]

He's such a great actor. I loved him in Peanut Butter Falcon. Unfortunately, I think he's a scumbag in real life. There are recent allegations of abuse that really bums me out.

[webstar1000]

He's such a great actor. I loved him in Peanut Butter Falcon. Unfortunately, I think he's a scumbag in real life. There are recent allegations of abuse that really bums me out.

oh really?

[Still Servant]

He's such a great actor. I loved him in Peanut Butter Falcon. Unfortunately, I think he's a scumbag in real life. There are recent allegations of abuse that really bums me out.

oh really?

Yeah, unfortunately, there are some recent allegations of abuse with a former girlfriend. Netflix removed his name from the "For Your Consideration".

[Merlin1958]

Well, can't believe I'm saying this, but I just happened to click onto "Snow White and The Huntsman" with, Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Thor. Gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised!!! Kristen Stewart, isn't much of an actor IMHO, but the plot was good and an interesting take on the Disney version for sure. Thor was well, Thor. However that was a good thing and Charlize almost always satisfies (Growl lol). I enjoyed it and I believe you would as well. I give it a strong 4.5 out of 6 beers on the RFRS.

Monster Is running on the pay channels. I didn't recognize the actors, but this was a pretty good monster feature a little reminisent of the feel in "TGWLTG" and "Geralds Game", but with an actual, Monster who's properly nasty looking with HUGE teeth and claws. Centers around a, Mother & Daughter who break down on a rarely used, wooded highway. Rescuers come, but suffer a grim fate. Nicely tense and the Mother/Daughter characters actually use their heads a bit. I give it a solid 4 out of 6 beers on the RFRS

Also, in light of our tournament, I have also viewed, The Godfather, Jaws and Two Mules for Sister Sara (One of Clint's better westerns, but grossly under estimated). I'm gonna continue to view as many as I can as we go. I think next will be, The Return of The Pink Panther and Blazing Saddles. I saw Young Frankenstein, Jaws and High Plains Drifter a month or so ago when one of the pay channels was featuring them. I don't think we need to bring the RFRS into these films dow we? lol

[Heather19]

So I saw Tenet last night, thanks to Ricky :) I think I was expecting something a bit more from it based on people's reviews. Something along the lines of Inception, or even a beefed up version of his earlier films like Memento or Following. I liked the premise, but I don't know it seemed like it was lacking something, not sure what that was though. I also agree with others about the sound, that really annoyed me. I finally turned on the subtitles partway through so that I didn't have to have the tv blasting. And I did find it fascinating how they choreographed some of those fight or chase scenes.

[Merlin1958]

So I saw Tenet last night, thanks to Ricky :) I think I was expecting something a bit more from it based on people's reviews. Something along the lines of Inception, or even a beefed up version of his earlier films like Memento or Following. I liked the premise, but I don't know it seemed like it was lacking something, not sure what that was though. I also agree with others about the sound, that really annoyed me. I finally turned on the subtitles partway through so that I didn't have to have the tv blasting. And I did find it fascinating how they choreographed some of those fight or chase scenes.

Yeah, me too. In retrospect it was good, but it was no "Inception" or "Dark Knight". It wasn't even as good as "Interstellar". I gotta admit that the premise, while very interesting, was a little in-plausible IMHO.


I just watched "Synchronic" and was very disappointed. The trailer made it look like a great Sci-Fi flick dealing with time travel, which I generally dig. However, it let me down in several ways. First, the premise. Second, what they delivered in a plot inspired by that premise and the way it ended. It wasn't the worst SF film I've ever seen. It was extremely mediocre. Anthony Mackie was billed as giving the performance of a lifetime. He was good, but he's done much better as "Falcon" in the MCU IMHO.

I gave this film a 2.0 out of 6.0 beers on the Randall Flagg Rating System (RFRS). It's $5.99 I'll never see again!!!!! LOL

[fernandito]

Yeap. It shines in moments but it is by no means a complete film. Still, middle of the pack Nolan is still better than a lot of other films out there.

And as I've mentioned before, recognition must go his way for attempting to always give us something original.

[Heather19]

And as I've mentioned before, recognition must go his way for attempting to always give us something original.

Yes, he's always good at that. And that's hard to come by these days.

[Still Servant]

Yeap. It shines in moments but it is by no means a complete film. Still, middle of the pack Nolan is still better than a lot of other films out there.

And as I've mentioned before, recognition must go his way for attempting to always give us something original.

I thought it was pretty darn good and enjoyed it even more the second time. The narrative for that film is shockingly tight.

[Merlin1958]

Yeap. It shines in moments but it is by no means a complete film. Still, middle of the pack Nolan is still better than a lot of other films out there.

And as I've mentioned before, recognition must go his way for attempting to always give us something original.

I thought it was pretty darn good and enjoyed it even more the second time. The narrative for that film is shockingly tight.

You guys are right, of course. Any, Nolan beats the crap out of most of the other stuff we are seeing these days. You guys may want to check out the trailer video's I posted in the "General Movie Discussion" thread. By the look of it there are some good and great films to look forward to listed in the two Vids. Venom II, Top Gun II, Dune, Shadow in the Clouds, Morbius, Black Widow and a cool looking Monster movie I for get the name of at the moment with the Resident Evil Lady, Milla Jovovich(?) as well as a host of others. It appears that even, Adam Sandler may be making a "Happy Gilmore" caliber flick called "Hugo Halloween".

[Garrell]

I want to be shot before watching Hugo Halloween again.

[fernandito]

@Bill there is definitely some great blockbuster fare coming out this year, and I'm here for all of it! :thumbsup:

[Still Servant]

I want to be shot before watching Hugo Halloween again.

I think it's Hubie, but I agree. It was painful to watch.

[Ricky]

Hubie Halloween was not great. Great cast, but not great movie.

[Still Servant]

My Sundance films so far:

One For the Road - 4/5

A really beautiful film about friendship and loss. The film might be a tad overstuffed and the narrative changes halfway through, but it's a really well-made film in the same mold as a Wong Kar-wai film, who is one of the producers.

How It Ends - 3/5

A light and fun romp through the Hollywood hills. The film has almost no plot, but it holds your interest by constantly introducing a series of quirky characters. The main character, played by Zoe Lister-Jones, who also co-directed the film, is being followed around by her metaphysical younger self. The film was shot on location during the pandemic.

On the Count of Three - 3.5/5

This one is a black comedy that feels sort of like a Safdie Brothers film. It's directed by comedian Jerrod Carmichael, who makes his directorial debut and also stars in the film. For me, Christopher Abbott is the real standout here. I'm not sure why he hasn't become a household name yet.

[mae]

Have you checked out In the Earth?

https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/in-the-earth-review-ben-wheatley-1234895908/

[Bev Vincent]

We enjoyed THE DIG, new on Netflix. Based on a true story, with Carey Mulligan, Lily James and Ralph Fiennes.

[webstar1000]

Wonder Woman..... :(. I’m so bummed. I loved the first one and the first 40 mins of this one. But it was a huge drop off from the first.... damm. I had high hopes and was so pumped for a Patty Jenkins STAR wars movie! Little hesitant now:(


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[Still Servant]

Have you checked out In the Earth?

https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/in-the-earth-review-ben-wheatley-1234895908/

One small issue. I think Ben Wheatley is one of the worst contemporary directors out there right now. I'm not saying I won't see it, but I had to pass for Sundance.

Unfortunately, I had a midnight showing of Knocking last night that I fell asleep for before I could start it and I ended up losing it, which sucks.

[Still Servant]

Sundance Update:

Strawberry Mansion - 2.5/5

I really love the premise of this one. In the future, our dreams are taxed. If you don't pay your dream tax, you are visited by an auditor. In this case, the main character visits an elderly woman who hasn't switched over to the new technology. Her dreams are still being recorded on VHS tapes. The auditor is tasked with watching all her tapes. In doing so, he falls in love with her younger self that he sees in her dreams.

Most people are going to either love or hate his one, for me, I'm kind of in the middle. The first two-thirds of the film are really good. The atmosphere and aesthetic that is created are really unique. Unfortunately, the last third of the film takes place almost exclusively in the dream state. That section is a little too cheesy and abstract for my liking. Regardless, I applaud the filmmakers for doing something different.

Eight For Silver - 3/5

I could see this one amassing a nice following. Eight For Silver is a gothic horror film with a different twist on a werewolf film. The first half of the film did a magnificent job of world-building and fleshing out the lore, but the second half lingers a little too much. I would have liked to see a bit more innovation when it came to the creatures and their attack on the humans. It was a little too basic: run, hide, shoot. Rinse and repeat.

For fans of genre mashups, this one might be a real treat.

[webstar1000]

Wow.
Palmer is so heart warming. JT can act. Loved this film. 8.5/10

Little Things.... I love Denzil. But Leto stole the show. He was unreal but the move? Better than I expected after reading the reviews. The ending was a bit flat. BUT the whole time leading up to it? Amazing. 7/10


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[Still Servant]

Sundance Update:

Together Together - 4/5

This is a really beautiful film. I'm not sure I've seen anything like it. The film revolves around a single straight man played by Ed Helms who wants to be a father through a surrogate. Unlike most Hollywood films where the two main characters fall in love, that never happens, which was a breath of fresh air. What we get is a great depiction of a platonic relationship. The film also deals with how our society looks at men differently when it comes to becoming a single father.

Prisoners of the Ghostland - 1/5

What a complete waste of time. The film makes no sense and is all over the place, but the biggest sin is that it's just plain boring. There's little to no action until the very end. I love the idea of a samurai western set in a Mad Max world, but this was a complete miss for me.

Cusp - 2.5/5

A fly-on-the-wall documentary that follows a trio of teenage girls as they navigate through their everyday life of boos and boys. When it comes to docs, I need to feel like I learned something after watching it. That doesn't happen in Cusp. Boys only want one thing - sex. That's not a news flash. What is really apparent to me is how the lack of a positive male role model in the family has such a negative impact on the lives of these young women. They end up finding that love in the arms of horny teen boys who only want one thing.

[fernandito]

The Little Things

Stuck between wanting to be an effective procedural and dark character study, and not doing either as well as it could have. Effective performances by Washington, Malek and Leto elevated the material somewhat, but not enough to escape the gravitational pull of mediocrity.

2.5/5

[MikeDuke]

The Little Things

Stuck between wanting to be an effective procedural and dark character study, and not doing either as well as it could have. Effective performances by Washington, Malek and Leto elevated the material somewhat, but not enough to escape the gravitational pull of mediocrity.

2.5/5
That's a shame. I was looking forward to this one.

[Still Servant]

The Little Things

Stuck between wanting to be an effective procedural and dark character study, and not doing either as well as it could have. Effective performances by Washington, Malek and Leto elevated the material somewhat, but not enough to escape the gravitational pull of mediocrity.

2.5/5

I felt the same way. I wanted a taught thriller with tons of mystery and got none of that. I love Malek, but he's miscast here.

[webstar1000]

The Little Things

Stuck between wanting to be an effective procedural and dark character study, and not doing either as well as it could have. Effective performances by Washington, Malek and Leto elevated the material somewhat, but not enough to escape the gravitational pull of mediocrity.

2.5/5

I felt the same way. I wanted a taught thriller with tons of mystery and got none of that. I love Malek, but he's miscast here.
Leto was the best thing here. By far. The ending was terrible and really missed the mark.

[Merlin1958]

The Little Things

Stuck between wanting to be an effective procedural and dark character study, and not doing either as well as it could have. Effective performances by Washington, Malek and Leto elevated the material somewhat, but not enough to escape the gravitational pull of mediocrity.

2.5/5

I felt the same way. I wanted a taught thriller with tons of mystery and got none of that. I love Malek, but he's miscast here.
Leto was the best thing here. By far. The ending was terrible and really missed the mark.

yeah, Malek seemed to be really out of his element in this film.

[Still Servant]

Sundance update:

The World to Come - 4.5/5

My favorite of Sundance. The World to Come is an achingly beautiful film. Vanessa Kirby and Katherine Waterston have a chemistry that threatens to leap off the screen. These forbidden love films have almost become a sub-genre of their own. The World to Come is destined to be compared to a recent masterpiece that dealt with similar subject matter, Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Where the films differ is in their settings. The World to Come depicts the harsh lifestyle of living in the 1800s, but what it also shows is the utter isolation of frontier life. The film also does an excellent job of portraying the role of a woman during that time period. A wife was essentially an indentured servitude as opposed to an equal partner. Casey Affleck and Christopher Abbott round out the cast.

Night of Kings - 3.5/5

Night of Kings is a really tricky film to describe and rate. The film takes place in a prison in Abidjan where the inmates essentially run the entire prison and they subscribe to a set of rules and age-old traditions. When the leader of the prison falls ill and nears his death, one inmate is chosen to tell a story to the other prisoners the entire night. A new inmate is chosen and little does he know that when he finishes his story he will be sacrificed. The film feels a little like City of God at times, in fact, the film is referenced. As the night unfolds, the story being told becomes more and more embellished as the young prisoner tries to buy time. Night of Kings emphasizes the power of story and how it can transport and captivate even the most hardened individuals.

Passing - 3/5

I've had a really hard time sorting through my feelings about this one since the credits rolled. I feel like I should have loved it, but I didn't. I recognize the fantastic performances by the two lead Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson, but there's something missing here that I still can't quite put my finger on. Passing is directed by actress Rebecca Hall who makes her directorial debut. The choice was made to shoot the film in black and white, as well as display it in a 4:3 aspect ratio. The black and white is an obvious choice as the film is literally about being black and white. The square aspect ratio also was a wise choice as it forces the viewer to focus on the faces of the two leads. Considering the faces of the two actresses are being scrutinized so much, it's a bold choice.

That being said, there's a coldness to the film. There's not much music throughout, nor is there much ambient sound, which gives the film a sterile feel. The film is based on a 1929 book and I'm interested to check it out.

1) The World to Come
2) Together Together
3) One for the Road
4) On the Count of Three
5) Eight for Silver
6) Night of the Kings
7) How It Ends
8) Passing
9) Strawberry Mansion
10) Cusp
11) Prisoners of the Ghostland

[Still Servant]

Here's one for you that nobody is talking about.

Beasts Clawing at Straws

Maybe the most exciting filmmaking happening right now is the Korean New Wave cinema. Long before Parasite took the world by storm, Korean cinema has been on fire. Directors like Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook have been pumping out amazing work for over a decade, but they better make room because I'm not sure I've seen a stronger debut film by a director than Kim Yong-hoon's Beasts Clawing at Straws. The film feels like early Coen brothers mixed with early Guy Ritchie and a dash of Tarantino.

Yes, the subject matter isn't original, we've seen pieces of it before in countless other films - a bag of cash and a string of lowlife eclectic characters looking to track it down. But it's the style and care in which Yong-hoon weaves the story that really elevates it. There are tons of twists and turns and you're never quite sure where it's going, but Yong-hoon somehow sticks the landing in the end. The steady hand he shows in his direction is impressive for a first-time director. I can't wait to see what he does next.

My main issue with the film is that it has a bit of a protagonist problem. There's really nobody you really want to root for. The character with the most redeeming qualities doesn't get a lot of screentime, but that's a nitpick. If you're into Korean cinema and you like Neo-Noir black comedies, then track this one down.

[divemaster]

Here's one for you that nobody is talking about.

Beasts Clawing at Straws

Maybe the most exciting filmmaking happening right now is the Korean New Wave cinema. Long before Parasite took the world by storm, Korean cinema has been on fire. Directors like Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook have been pumping out amazing work for over a decade, but they better make room because I'm not sure I've seen a stronger debut film by a director than Kim Yong-hoon's Beasts Clawing at Straws. The film feels like early Coen brothers mixed with early Guy Ritchie and a dash of Tarantino.

Yes, the subject matter isn't original, we've seen pieces of it before in countless other films - a bag of cash and a string of lowlife eclectic characters looking to track it down. But it's the style and care in which Yong-hoon weaves the story that really elevates it. There are tons of twists and turns and you're never quite sure where it's going, but Yong-hoon somehow sticks the landing in the end. The steady hand he shows in his direction is impressive for a first-time director. I can't wait to see what he does next.

My main issue with the film is that it has a bit of a protagonist problem. There's really nobody you really want to root for. The character with the most redeeming qualities doesn't get a lot of screentime, but that's a nitpick. If you're into Korean cinema and you like Neo-Noir black comedies, then track this one down.

Thanks for the heads up! Pre-ordered!

Beasts Clawing at Straws (DVD) (Korea Version) DVD Region 3
Yoon Yeo Jeong (Actor) | Jung Woo Sung (Actor) | Jung Ga Ram (Actor) | Jeon Do Yeon (Actor)
Expected Release Date: 2021-03-04

[fernandito]

Sounds like a solid flick, I'm adding to my Prime list now.

[Still Servant]

Dive, I was hoping you would see this post. I know how much you love Asian cinema. I can't wait to hear your thoughts.

[Ricky]

Was looking forward to The Little Things and was very disappointed. Slow, boring, lacking suspense and thrills. I kept checking the clock, waiting for it to be over, and thinking that I was glad I didn't pay to see it. Acting was fine, I guess, but that's really the only thing I can give it points for. I didn't really care about/for any of the characters, and the ending was incredibly unfulfilling. The skeleton is there for a good movie, but it doesn't live up to its potential at all.

[fernandito]

Yeah, definitely a shame it squandered that fantastic cast.

[Shannon]

Little Things: 2/5. Leto good, ending bad.

[Garrell]

Palmer 5/5. Do yourself a favor and watch an incredible movie. Timberlake was amazing but Juno was even better. They both should get nominations.

[webstar1000]

Palmer 5/5. Do yourself a favor and watch an incredible movie. Timberlake was amazing but Juno was even better. They both should get nominations.

We LOVED IT.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Still Servant]

Palmer 5/5. Do yourself a favor and watch an incredible movie. Timberlake was amazing but Juno was even better. They both should get nominations.

Juno Temple is in this? I love her.

[Garrell]

She is amazing in it.

[Shannon]

I didn't think Palmer was as fantastic as ya'll are praising it to be. It was good, it was enjoyable, I gave it a 3/5. 3.5/5 if I did halves, which I don't. I've seen much better acting from Justin Timberlake in other movies: In Time, Alpha Dogs, Southland Tales.

Rewatched all three Fantastic Four movies recently. The first two really aren't that bad, especially compared to the 2015 movie. The 2015 version felt ... wrong. It was a weird movie. Like, if it were a TV season, the 2015 movie would be the first three episodes in a 10 episode season.

[webstar1000]

RED DOT. A Netflix flick we caught on the weekend. Wow.
It was super intense. A must see. Loved every minute of it. 9/10

[Merlin1958]

Not a new film by any means, but I recently caught "Hitchcock" which was thoroughly engaging, entertaining and informative. Rather than a biography it's really a stylized rendition of the making of the famous film, "Pyscho". It stars Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren as Mr. & Mrs Hitchcock. There is some revealing information about the challenges he faced bringing the film to theaters, as well as detailing the brillance and technique behind filming and marketing the film which was generally thought to be a flop by the studio's. I enjoyed it and give it 5 out of 6 beers on the RFMRS. It's available on demand from, Cinemax.

[Ricky]

I love Hitchcock. The book was pretty great, too, if you're looking for more.

[Mattrick]

I finally watched the Black and Chrome edition of Mad Max and it was fucking awesome.

[DoctorZaius]

I finally watched the Black and Chrome edition of Mad Max and it was fucking awesome.

Unfamiliar with this - do tell.

[webstar1000]

I finally watched the Black and Chrome edition of Mad Max and it was fucking awesome.

Unfamiliar with this - do tell.

It’s the ONLY way I’ve watched it. I have not seen it in Color. I didn’t even know it was in Color. 😂 our theatre showed this version. I don’t think I’d want to watch it any other way!!!

[Still Servant]

My Sundance Film Festival mini-reviews (https://tinyurl.com/QuickFlicks2021)

[Still Servant]

Is nobody watching movies anymore?

I watched the Netflix film with Rosamund Pike and I have to say I had a lot of issues with it. Mainly the fact that the film features an entirely unlikeable protagonist that I was actually rooting against the entire time. The acting is great and the film looks amazing, but you have to give your main character some redeeming qualities. Just one.

[Merlin1958]

Check out "Safety not Guaranteed". Very good film, love, sci-fi, comedy you'll enjoy it!!!

[mae]

Check out "Safety not Guaranteed". Very good film, love, sci-fi, comedy you'll enjoy it!!!

When I nominated it during our previous tournament, nobody seconded it :cry:

[Ricky]

Is nobody watching movies anymore?

I watched the Netflix film with Rosamund Pike and I have to say I had a lot of issues with it. Mainly the fact that the film features an entirely unlikeable protagonist that I was actually rooting against the entire time. The acting is great and the film looks amazing, but you have to give your main character some redeeming qualities. Just one.

I Care a Lot? I saw the trailer a couple weeks ago and was struck by how mean-spirited it felt to me. I'm sure Pike is great but I don't really have an interest in watching it.

And yeah, I haven't been watching many movies this year. :(

[Still Servant]

Check out "Safety not Guaranteed". Very good film, love, sci-fi, comedy you'll enjoy it!!!

When I nominated it during our previous tournament, nobody seconded it :cry:

I should have seconded it, I don't know what I was thinking. I remember regretting that.

[Heather19]

Add me to the list of non movie watchers this past year. But if there's a plus I've been catching up on lots of great shows.

[fernandito]

Same here, Heather. Shows and sports have pretty much consumed all of my television-watching bandwidth for the past year.

[Randall Flagg]

For me, Movies are viewed in a theater. Unmolested by phones, outside noises, doorbells, dogs barking etc. An added bonus is superior sound.

[Mattrick]

Add me to the list of non movie watchers this past year. But if there's a plus I've been catching up on lots of great shows.

I wish I could say I caught up on a lot of TV, but I've mostly rewatched sitcoms...Fresh Prince, That 70s Show, Seinfeld. Currently rewatching TNG. I did watch Deep Space 9 (approx 225 episodes) and The Office (approx 270 episodes). I was mostly watching while catching up on years of video games.

The Queens Gambit was the only actually new TV I watched, along with the final season of Schitt's Creek.

I did watch a fair amount of movies but a lot of those were movies I haven't seen in 15-20 years. It was fun re-experiencing childhood favorites as close as possible to the first time again.

[Still Servant]

For me, Movies are viewed in a theater. Unmolested by phones, outside noises, doorbells, dogs barking etc. An added bonus is superior sound.

Agreed. Thankfully, I've been able to see at least one film in theaters every week. Most times, I'm the only person there.

[Ricky]

Got my second shot on Saturday (which really knocked me down), so after my two week "waiting for it to take full effect" period, I am hopefully going to go to the movies for the first time in over a year. :)

[webstar1000]

Man I LOVED... “I Care A Lot”. It made me angry. I couldn’t take my eyes off it though. I loved it.... 8.5/10
For me.

Bone Tomahawk. Brutal..... one scene was arguably the most brutal in any film I’ve seen. I liked it a lot! 8/10.
Thanks to Still Servant for the recommendation.

[Mattrick]

Watched an independent UK flick called Bait. It was a decent movie, made more impressive by how it was made. They used the same Bolex silent film cameras I used in school. They then did Foley work and added sound effects to the footage. The most impressive feat was how damn good the ADR on all that dialogue was. It was pretty flawless.

7/10

[Still Servant]

Man I LOVED... “I Care A Lot”. It made me angry. I couldn’t take my eyes off it though. I loved it.... 8.5/10
For me.

Bone Tomahawk. Brutal..... one scene was arguably the most brutal in any film I’ve seen. I liked it a lot! 8/10.
Thanks to Still Servant for the recommendation.

I know exactly which scene you are talking about! :lol: You're welcome.

I had a hard time with I Care a Lot. I don't mind antiheroes, Walter White is one of my favorite characters of all-time, but you have to have some redeeming qualities. Actually, you need one redeeming quality. Pike's character in that film has zero and that makes it really hard to root for. And yes, you were supposed to root for her.

[webstar1000]

Man I LOVED... “I Care A Lot”. It made me angry. I couldn’t take my eyes off it though. I loved it.... 8.5/10
For me.

Bone Tomahawk. Brutal..... one scene was arguably the most brutal in any film I’ve seen. I liked it a lot! 8/10.
Thanks to Still Servant for the recommendation.

I know exactly which scene you are talking about! :lol: You're welcome.

I had a hard time with I Care a Lot. I don't mind antiheroes, Walter White is one of my favorite characters of all-time, but you have to have some redeeming qualities. Actually, you need one redeeming quality. Pike's character in that film has zero and that makes it really hard to root for. And yes, you were supposed to root for her.

I agree. She was impossible to root for. BUT that’s exactly why I loved it. It was like no other film I’ve ever seen becasue of it.

[Merlin1958]

Man I LOVED... “I Care A Lot”. It made me angry. I couldn’t take my eyes off it though. I loved it.... 8.5/10
For me.

Bone Tomahawk. Brutal..... one scene was arguably the most brutal in any film I’ve seen. I liked it a lot! 8/10.
Thanks to Still Servant for the recommendation.

I know exactly which scene you are talking about! :lol: You're welcome.

I had a hard time with I Care a Lot. I don't mind antiheroes, Walter White is one of my favorite characters of all-time, but you have to have some redeeming qualities. Actually, you need one redeeming quality. Pike's character in that film has zero and that makes it really hard to root for. And yes, you were supposed to root for her.

I agree. She was impossible to root for. BUT that’s exactly why I loved it. It was like no other film I’ve ever seen becasue of it.

You know, I gotta say that I was very disappointed in "Bone Tomahawk". Was it brutal and probably very spot on with regard to accuracy for the times? Yes it was, but to me that didn't quite carry it through. I was so hopeful too especially when I saw the cast. A lot of really good actors, but overall I thought it was very slow, the dialogue onlt "so-so" and also short on explanation of the Indians/Cannibals. So plot wise it wasn't very good IMO. I kept waiting for it to pick up and become a great western, but it just seemed to crawl to the precipice and then fall away. I stuck with it though and watched through the end. It wasn't a bad movie by any means, but it certainly doesn't rank any where near my top ten list of westerns. Stll Servant, I have found to be on the mark with his recommendations more times than not, but this one just didn't do it for me. Maybe it was too much hype (?) I don't know, but I give it a solid 3 out of 6 beers on the RFFRS

[Ricky]

I watched Saint Maud last night. I think it did a good job at playing up the religious fanaticism angle and had an unsettling atmosphere, but it was very slow and I had a hard time caring about either of the main characters. I was expecting full-on horror, but I think I'd categorize it as more psychological. Anyone else here see it?

[Merlin1958]

"Doctor Strangelove"!!! Need I say more????? Watch it and be better for it!!! lol

[St. Troy]

Recently rewatched Frozen and then watched Frozen II for the first time. These are actually very good (decent stories, decent humor) and not merely effective merchandise sales vehicles.

[St. Troy]

I recently saw The Hollars, a basic family drama starring Margo Martindale (if you don't know that name, you'd probably know her if you saw her; she's great in everything), Richard Jenkins (ditto), John Krasinski (who also directed), and Anna Kendrick, with amusing smaller roles done right by Josh Groban (!) and Charlie Day. There's nothing outrageous here, it's a simple story, but moving; I recommend it.

Take a look:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDm-hMnvB44

[webstar1000]

The Mauritanian is a great movie. Well worth it and nice to go to a theatre to see it. 8/10 for me!

Oh and Guantánamo Bay should be fuckin closed forever.

[allasorte]

The Mauritanian is a great movie. Well worth it and nice to go to a theatre to see it. 8/10 for me!

Oh and Guantánamo Bay should be fuckin closed forever.

I enjoyed it as well and I'm tired of how the government acts and teats people without facts.
Crisis also came out at the same time and it is also a pretty good movie. It ties three stories together in regards to the drug industry, but it is a descent watch too. 3/5.

[Randall Flagg]

I haven't rated a movie that I have viewed in a theater in months.
Today I viewed "Promising Young Woman"- Dark, funny, and wickedly sarcastic, the culmination of events is a cinematic triumph.
5/6 Beers on the RFSRS.

[Ricky]

After 1 year, 1 month, and 12 days, I finally went back to the movies today. :)

Saw Nomadland (reminded me of Wild in a van) and enjoyed it, though it was much more of a slower, quieter, more contemplative film than I was expecting. Great cinematography and understated performance by Frances McDormand (I thought her performance and character in Three Billboards a few years ago was much better and more Oscar-worthy, though).

I liked the characters, the different settings with real places and people, but the film is very much a road trip/slice of life film with little in the way of narrative juiciness, developed plot, or character arcs. It's in no hurry to get where it's going (which is nice, in some respects, that Zhao lets scenes and character moments breathe), but I do think that the slow pace ultimately hurts the film by not giving it much focus.

I'm glad I saw it (and it being my first theater trip in over a year made the experience even more enjoyable than watching at home), but I wouldn't necessarily consider it worthy of winning Best Picture.


. . .

I also saw The United States vs. Billie Holiday last night and really enjoyed it. Fantastic performance by Andra Day, who absolutely carries the film with her great acting and vocals. Without her, there is no film. The range of emotions that she is asked to display is quite wide, and Day nails them all with authenticity and finesse. It's hard to believe that this is her first acting role.

The film tackles many events and months from Billie's life, but mostly revolves around her drug use and how she was pursued by the FBI (something I had no idea about until I watched the movie) for singing her anti-lynching protest song "Strange Fruit." The FBI considered it a threat and feared its potential to incite an uprising in the African American community. The way Holiday was treated was awful, and the film does a great job at showing how Billie was a victim of circumstances (being framed for drug possession by the US government, among them), but never allowed her life to be defined by it. Here, Billie Holiday is allowed to be a fully realized person, with strengths and weaknesses, loves and fears. It's what the film does so well.

At 2 hours and 10 minutes, it also covers a lot of ground. While everything shown is worthy of being in the film, it does lead to an unfocused narrative and screenplay. As I was watching, I kept thinking that the story would be better served as a miniseries.

There's some strange, uneven editing choices that didn't quite work for me, but ultimately the film is incredibly successful in what it sets out to do: creating a vivid portrait of Billie Holiday the singer as well as the person, and reminding us that those speaking the truth will never truly be silenced.

[Still Servant]

Yay! I'm so glad you made it back to the theater.

[fernandito]

So me and 15 co workers rented a private auditorium to see Godzilla vs King Kong for $150. With fees or w/e it's going to be about $10 and change.

An entire auditorium to ourselves! I'm sure they'll shut this program down once things open back up again, but for now we're going to take advantage of this deal for as long as we can! :excited:

[webstar1000]

Have Nobody booked Friday AND Godzilla next Wednesday............... YES MOVIES ARE BACK BABY.

[Iwritecode]

Watched The Dead Don't Die the other day. Stars Bill Murray and Adam Driver. I didn't really know much about it other than the one trailer I had watched previously. I was thinking it would be along the lines of Shaun of the Dead in a zombie/comedy movie. I was wrong. It was awful.

30 minutes of nothing happening, then 5 minutes of action. Then another 30 minutes of nothing. Then the last half of the movie there is quite a bit of action but no real explanation for anything. Also somehow aliens are involved.

There's a hint at a small "twist" in the first few minutes that's really more of a 4th wall break.

Overall I'd give it a 1 out of 4 zombies. Would not recommend.

[Garrell]

Watched The Dead Don't Die the other day. Stars Bill Murray and Adam Driver. I didn't really know much about it other than the one trailer I had watched previously. I was thinking it would be along the lines of Shaun of the Dead in a zombie/comedy movie. I was wrong. It was awful.

30 minutes of nothing happening, then 5 minutes of action. Then another 30 minutes of nothing. Then the last half of the movie there is quite a bit of action but no real explanation for anything. Also somehow aliens are involved.

There's a hint at a small "twist" in the first few minutes that's really more of a 4th wall break.

Overall I'd give it a 1 out of 4 zombies. Would not recommend.

I didn't even finish it. I was excited by the trailer and the people in it.

[Iwritecode]

Watched The Dead Don't Die the other day. Stars Bill Murray and Adam Driver. I didn't really know much about it other than the one trailer I had watched previously. I was thinking it would be along the lines of Shaun of the Dead in a zombie/comedy movie. I was wrong. It was awful.

30 minutes of nothing happening, then 5 minutes of action. Then another 30 minutes of nothing. Then the last half of the movie there is quite a bit of action but no real explanation for anything. Also somehow aliens are involved.

There's a hint at a small "twist" in the first few minutes that's really more of a 4th wall break.

Overall I'd give it a 1 out of 4 zombies. Would not recommend.

I didn't even finish it. I was excited by the trailer and the people in it.

Same. There were actually a lot of A-list actors in it but they didn't really get to do much.

[Still Servant]

It's directed by Jim Jarmusch. He's kind of an acquired taste.

[Ricky]

So me and 15 co workers rented a private auditorium to see Godzilla vs King Kong for $150. With fees or w/e it's going to be about $10 and change.

An entire auditorium to ourselves! I'm sure they'll shut this program down once things open back up again, but for now we're going to take advantage of this deal for as long as we can! :excited:

That sounds awesome! I don't think I know 15 people in my real life who would be down for Godzilla vs. Kong. :lol:

[Still Servant]

So me and 15 co workers rented a private auditorium to see Godzilla vs King Kong for $150. With fees or w/e it's going to be about $10 and change.

An entire auditorium to ourselves! I'm sure they'll shut this program down once things open back up again, but for now we're going to take advantage of this deal for as long as we can! :excited:

That sounds awesome! I don't think I know 15 people in my real life who would be down for Godzilla vs. Kong. :lol:

Same! I'm not sure I know 15 people who would want to go to the movies even before the virus.

[St. Troy]

It's directed by Jim Jarmusch. He's kind of an acquired taste.

Is that the guy Elaine dated?

[webstar1000]

Omf.
BAD TRIP on Netflix is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years. 9/10.... what a brilliant comedy.

NOBODY. I wouldn’t tell John Wick to best it...but I’d tell him to take a watch. Saul... hard to believe it’s the actor who plays him. The soundtrack, the movie, the action... loved every minute of this. A bit artsey at times but it totally worked! 9/10 as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ricky]

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

It's not typically the kind of film I'd seek out but the Oscar buzz and nominations made me check it out. It's based on the play by August Wilson and while I'm not a big fan of plays, I can appreciate that sometimes staging a film like a play can work to its advantage by giving the viewer the feeling that they're a fly on the wall, observing characters, scenes, and secrets.

Ma Rainey is definitely staged like a play, with the majority of the film comprised of lengthy scenes in the same three or so rooms of the recording studio where "Mother of the Blues" Ma Rainey (who I learned was, in fact, a real person) is making a new record. This stylistic choice is beneficial to doing some of the things it sets out to do, like bringing us closer to the characters and anchoring us to one location, but it's almost too contained--to the point of being claustrophobic (which could absolutely be what director George C. Wolfe was going for, but it didn't work for me).

Despite some successful production design and costuming, Viola Davis is the real draw here and gives a great performance as Ma Rainey. However, throughout the film I got the feeling that she (and the screenplay) only scratched the surface of Ma's character. It seems like there's so much more to tell, so it's baffling why there's not more of her. Ma Rainey's name is in the title of the film, but it goes many lengthy scenes without her being mentioned or appearing. Instead, there's a large focus placed on her bandmates. Ranging from the pragmatic Cutler to the naïve and high-dreaming Levee (Chadwick Boseman), they're given just enough details to flesh them out, though it's Levee who has the meatiest role. Chadwick Boseman gives a good performance here (his last on screen performance, it would turn out) as the tormented trumpeter who's determined to make a name for himself. It's a good part and Boseman puts a lot of raw emotion into it, but if I had watched it without knowing he was nominated for an Oscar for the role, I wouldn't have thought it anything remarkable.

The film is only one hour and thirty minutes, but the lengthy, tangential, and occasionally irritating monologues slow down the pace. As smart as the language and passionate as the performances, it just reminds you that people don't talk that way in real life. There's also an incredibly jarring scene in the film's final few minutes that is shocking in its violence and doesn't feel completely earned.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom didn't receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, and it's not hard to see why. The story just isn't robust enough. There's enough good material in August Wilson's play and the real-life story of Ma Rainey herself to make for a compelling biopic, but shackling the film to the framework and staging of its play source material keep it from elevating it to greatness.

[Still Servant]

Nice review, Ricky and I feel very much the same way. My other issue was I didn't think the ending fit well with the narrative.

I would say it's a great companion piece with One Night in Miami which also felt like a stage play.

[Ricky]

Thanks, Mike! I checked out RT after I watched it and was surprised to see the critic reviews were pretty enthusiastically positive.

[DoctorZaius]

Nice review, Ricky and I feel very much the same way. My other issue was I didn't think the ending fit well with the narrative.

I would say it's a great companion piece with One Night in Miami which also felt like a stage play.

I would argue that the true companion pieces are Fences, and a Hallmark Hall of Fame version of The Piano Lesson. August Wilson is one of the great American playwrights of this century. Wilson's decology, often referred to as The Century Cycle, is series of 10 plays all set in Pittsburgh, that collectively present aspects of the African American experience decade by decade. It's a marvelous achievement that Denzel Washington has made a mission out of as he plans to produce a film of each one. The first two he produced are Fences and Ma Rainey. Next up is his film version of The Piano Lesson starring Samuel Jackson and Washington's son, John David Washington (Tenet & Ballers) - preceding the film is a planned broadway run with the same actors (I can't wait to see this) - the Hallmark version of The Piano Lesson starring Charles Dutton and Alfre Woodard is great, but it does have that Hallmark feeling. If it sounds like I am excited, it's because I just finished teaching The Piano Lesson to my sophomores. I hear the frustrations of the adherence to the original source material and how it feels like a play, but I can't help but think that is very much a part of Washingon's overall intent.

[Still Servant]

I really enjoyed Nobody. It's certainly not anything that we haven't seen before, but it's Bob Odenkirk's performance that really elevates the film. Nobody is written and produced by some of the same guys who brought us John Wick and it shows. The film really feels like a John Wick film. It's light on story and the action is often shot wide and uncut.

Nobody could have used a little bit of a beefed-up role for the villain. It would have been nice if he was fleshed out a little bit more. Regardless, this is Bob Odenkirk's film and he's amazing as a regular guy who just happens to have all the skills of your everyday action hero. In some ways, his performance feels a little like Michael Douglas in Falling Down. Odenkirk's Hutch is a seemingly normal guy who keeps getting pushed to the brink, very much like Douglas in Falling Down. The main difference is that Hutch has the ability to be very, very dangerous.

The film is set up for a sequel and I for one would be more than happy if this turns into a franchise.

[Randall Flagg]

Saw Nobody yesterday and rather enjoyed it. Dark humour played against some ingeniously choreographed fight scenes made for great entertainment.



I give it 5/6 beers on the RFSRS

[Ricky]

I watched Swallow recently which I absolutely loved and would consider one of the best I've seen in a while. I was expecting something more horror-y and outlandish, but it was very grounded while still maintaining incredible suspense and story progression in a lean and mean 90 minutes. Highly recommended.

And also...

Mank

I’ll preface this review by saying that I’ve never seen Citizen Kane (gasp!)

Mank is the story of Herman Mankiewicz, a prominent Old Hollywood screenwriter arguably most famous for Citizen Kane, which many film critics and historians cite as the greatest film of all time. While Mank’s writing of Kane is the backdrop of the film, little focus is paid to his actual writing process. This is a shame, since it would’ve allowed the audience more insight into his psyche than we were given. (Plus, I’m always into movies about writers and the process of writing.) Instead, director David Fincher chooses to focus a large portion of the film on the governmental and Hollywood studio politics of the 1930s, which I found hard to care about and be fully invested in, especially since the characters involved in the political arguments, sandals, and intrigue weren’t fully realized.

While the film is decidedly focused on Mank, he really isn’t given the chance to develop as a character despite a fully committed performance from the always reliable Gary Oldman. As the alcoholic Mankiewicz finds himself battling with political and professional adversaries in his personal life, there’s more than enough fertile ground for creating drama and high stakes. However, the narrative structure is so jumpy as it flashes back to events in Mankiewicz’s past that slow down the film and really don’t serve a greater purpose. I understand that Fincher’s intent was to mirror the jumping-around-in-time aspect of Citizen Kane—and in that respect he succeeds—but it really doesn’t work here to propel the narrative or allow us to get fully invested in any of the characters. The pieces are there but they remain jumbled instead of clicking together.

The rest of the performances are fine (though not of the flashy Oscar-bait variety as some of the others in this year’s crop of nominees), with the other standout being Amanda Seyfried as actress Marion Davies. But despite the clear acting chops on display, the performances can’t make up for a poor screenplay without true character arcs or growth. I suppose you could argue that Mank going from not caring about receiving screenwriting credit for Kane at the beginning of the film to desiring it at the end counts as growth, but even then it’s flimsy.

I will say that Fincher did a good job making Mank look and feels like a film straight out of the 1930s, with great attention to detail paid to production design, sound, and costuming. It’s also a handsome looking film, with deep blacks and sharp, crisp whites. Unfortunately, though, Mank is another film in this year’s batch of Oscar-nominated films that I’d qualify as Just Okay. There’s solid source material and the framework of interesting characters, but little attention is paid to developing them into fully realized people or creating an engaging plot with real stakes.

While some viewers will no doubt be swept away by the film’s Old Hollywood charm and technical successes, solid production values can’t make up for a poor story. Had Mankiewicz himself written the film, I wonder if he would be so eager to take credit?

6/10

[Heather19]

I’ll preface this review by saying that I’ve never seen Citizen Kane (gasp!)


Ricky... This needs to be rectified immediately

[Ricky]

I did add it to my Netflix queue after I watched Mank, so that's a step in the right direction, right? :lol:

[Heather19]

It's a good step, but you should bump it up to the top of the list :D

[webstar1000]

Is Citizen Kane good and would I enjoy it if I’m not a fan of older movies? I find the way they are filmed jarring and I’m not a fan but I know this is considered one of the greatest of all time.

[Mattrick]

Is Citizen Kane good and would I enjoy it if I’m not a fan of older movies? I find the way they are filmed jarring and I’m not a fan but I know this is considered one of the greatest of all time.

Citizen Kane fucking great. It's not just great, it's fuckingly so. It's way before it's time

[Heather19]

I agree, although I'm not sure if you'll enjoy it. Mike might be a better judge. I definitely think it's worth a watch though, just for the filmmaking alone. The way the shots are composed, the cinematography... It's such a beautiful film. And I would argue that it is the best film ever made.

[mae]

I’m very curious to see how Citizen Kane wil fare in our tournament when the time comes for it.

[Merlin1958]

Is Citizen Kane good and would I enjoy it if I’m not a fan of older movies? I find the way they are filmed jarring and I’m not a fan but I know this is considered one of the greatest of all time.

Citizen Kane fucking great. It's not just great, it's fuckingly so. It's way before it's time

It's a classic film. Watch it, you will not be disappointed.

[Heather19]

I’m very curious to see how Citizen Kane wil fare in our tournament when the time comes for it.

Hopefully it'll win. I do wonder when you combine decades and it faces newer movies how it would do. Hopefully it would still win. I can't think of anything I would put above it. But then again it most like won't and it'll be a newer movie.

[Tommy]

Is Citizen Kane good and would I enjoy it if I’m not a fan of older movies? I find the way they are filmed jarring and I’m not a fan but I know this is considered one of the greatest of all time.

I've seen it at least 40 times in my life. See if you can spot the pterodactyls.

[fernandito]

@Webstar - I don't think Citizen Kane is your kinda film, but it's definitely a film every film buff needs to have under his/her belt.

Lots of techniques it used were unconventional at the time, and they're things we now take for granted. Cinema as we know it today might not be the same if it wasn't for CK, and that's not hyperbole either.

[Merlin1958]

@Webstar - I don't think Citizen Kane is your kinda film, but it's definitely a film every film buff needs to have under his/her belt.

Lots of techniques it used were unconventional at the time, and they're things we now take for granted. Cinema as we know it today might not be the same if it wasn't for CK, and that's not hyperbole either.

Good analysis, Ferny. I think you hit the target with this one. Kris, watch it. You will definitely not be wasting your time. It's a film that still holds up to this day.

[Still Servant]

@Webstar - I don't think Citizen Kane is your kinda film, but it's definitely a film every film buff needs to have under his/her belt.

Lots of techniques it used were unconventional at the time, and they're things we now take for granted. Cinema as we know it today might not be the same if it wasn't for CK, and that's not hyperbole either.

Agreed. There are other films from that era that you might like. One of my personal favorites is Arsenic and Old Lace.

[Ricky]

It's a good step, but you should bump it up to the top of the list :D

I watched Citizen Kane last night. :)

I liked it better than Mank, and can appreciate some of the technical aspects it has been lauded for, but I wasn't head-over-heels for it. Like Mank, I wasn't really invested in any of the characters or the overall story. I wish it would've delved deeper into Kane's psyche and how his childhood/past affected him. I think that would've given it a much-needed boost in the characterization and emotion department. I'm glad I watched it, though, and do think it's the kind of film that I'd appreciate and enjoy more the second time around. It reminded me of It's a Wonderful Life in some ways.

[Heather19]

So happy to hear you watched it Ricky :D I definitely think it's one you'll appreciate the more you see it. I can agree that I don't think the story is the strongest, but man that camera work is amazing.

[mae]

So happy to hear you watched it Ricky :D I definitely think it's one you'll appreciate the more you see it. I can agree that I don't think the story is the strongest, but man that camera work is amazing.

Yeah definitely, and now you're more ready for our 1940s tournament coming up!

[Ricky]

I can guarantee I haven't seen many from the 40s. :lol:

[Ricky]

I started doing a quick write-up but it turned into a full review: Godzilla vs. Kong (https://reviewsfromthecouch.wordpress.com/2021/04/11/godzilla-vs-kong/).

[Still Servant]

Great review as always, Ricky! I felt pretty much exactly as you did. I thought it was an enjoyable film, although my expectations were fairly low.

I will say this is the best of the recent Kong/Godzilla films for me.

[Ricky]

Thanks, Mike! I appreciate that. :)

And I think if I were ranking the MonsterVerse installments from most successful/favorite to least successful/favorite it would be:

1. Godzilla: King of the Monsters
2. Godzilla vs. Kong
3. Kong: Skull Island
4. Godzilla

[Ricky]

Watched Stowaway last night and wasn't really a fan. It wasn't bad, it was just very bland. I was intrigued by the premise of a stowaway on board a space shuttle, which had so much potential, but the execution left a lot to be desired. Instead of playing up the suspense and mystery angle of how did this person come to be on the ship, it's answered pretty early on and the rest of the film deals with the crew facing uncertainty when they discover that, with an extra person on board, there's not enough oxygen to sustain them. There's plenty of room to tell a kind of morality tale here, but the film doesn't do much with it. Ultimately, Stowaway is a relatively slow, quiet film that unfortunately lacks much suspense. Even though the stakes are literally life and death, the situation of running out of oxygen in space never feels dire because the characters aren't fully developed (which is one of the reasons I didn't care too much for the ending).

[webstar1000]

MONSTER. Netflix. I love the actor from Tenet. He was not in this enough but you can tell he is gonna be huge like his dad. It’s an ok movie.. could have been better. He was my favourite part.


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[Still Servant]

Watched Stowaway last night and wasn't really a fan. It wasn't bad, it was just very bland. I was intrigued by the premise of a stowaway on board a space shuttle, which had so much potential, but the execution left a lot to be desired. Instead of playing up the suspense and mystery angle of how did this person come to be on the ship, it's answered pretty early on and the rest of the film deals with the crew facing uncertainty when they discover that, with an extra person on board, there's not enough oxygen to sustain them. There's plenty of room to tell a kind of morality tale here, but the film doesn't do much with it. Ultimately, Stowaway is a relatively slow, quiet film that unfortunately lacks much suspense. Even though the stakes are literally life and death, the situation of running out of oxygen in space never feels dire because the characters aren't fully developed (which is one of the reasons I didn't care too much for the ending).

Wow! This might be the worst thing I could say about a film, but until I just read your post, I completely forgot that I started watching this last week and fell asleep. Usually, I go back and finish it the next day, but I completely had no memory of this film until 2 seconds after reading Ricky's post.

Anyway, check out The Kid Detective. I didn't really hear anyone talk about it last year, but it's a really fun and well-made mystery film.

[allasorte]

Watched Stowaway last night and wasn't really a fan. It wasn't bad, it was just very bland. I was intrigued by the premise of a stowaway on board a space shuttle, which had so much potential, but the execution left a lot to be desired. Instead of playing up the suspense and mystery angle of how did this person come to be on the ship, it's answered pretty early on and the rest of the film deals with the crew facing uncertainty when they discover that, with an extra person on board, there's not enough oxygen to sustain them. There's plenty of room to tell a kind of morality tale here, but the film doesn't do much with it. Ultimately, Stowaway is a relatively slow, quiet film that unfortunately lacks much suspense. Even though the stakes are literally life and death, the situation of running out of oxygen in space never feels dire because the characters aren't fully developed (which is one of the reasons I didn't care too much for the ending).

Wow! This might be the worst thing I could say about a film, but until I just read your post, I completely forgot that I started watching this last week and fell asleep. Usually, I go back and finish it the next day, but I completely had no memory of this film until 2 seconds after reading Ricky's post.

Anyway, check out The Kid Detective. I didn't really hear anyone talk about it last year, but it's a really fun and well-made mystery film.

Your best bet is to watch the first 10 minutes, nap, then watch the last 10 mins. :)

[Ricky]

Wow! This might be the worst thing I could say about a film, but until I just read your post, I completely forgot that I started watching this last week and fell asleep. Usually, I go back and finish it the next day, but I completely had no memory of this film until 2 seconds after reading Ricky's post.

Wow, that's pretty bad. :lol:

In the film's defense, maybe you were tired. In your defense, it is a slower, "sleepy" film. You're really not missing anything if you don't go back to finish it, but I'd feel like I have to to complete it. Haha.

[Randall Flagg]

Viewed Casablanca for the first time ever. Damn good film. 5/6 beers on the RFSRS.

[fernandito]

While I'm flabbergasted that you hadn't seen it yet Jerome, I'm glad you rectified the mistake. That is a timeless classic that every serious film lover needs to watch.

The cinematography in that film is just breath taking. ♥

[mae]

Viewed Casablanca for the first time ever. Damn good film. 5/6 beers on the RFSRS.

Someone's getting ready for our 1940s tournament next year!

[Merlin1958]

Viewed Casablanca for the first time ever. Damn good film. 5/6 beers on the RFSRS.

Nice!!! Ever viewed "Boondock Saints" or "The Pope of Greenwich Village"? They are great films as well, El Stubborn Jefe!!! lol

[allasorte]

Viewed Casablanca for the first time ever. Damn good film. 5/6 beers on the RFSRS.

Absolute classic. Bogart is an icon. He has this aura about him. If you haven't seen, then you should look into Maltese Falcon and African Queen.

[Still Servant]

Viewed Casablanca for the first time ever. Damn good film. 5/6 beers on the RFSRS.

Nice!!! Ever viewed "Boondock Saints" or "The Pope of Greenwich Village"? They are great films as well, El Stubborn Jefe!!! lol

"They took my thumb, Charlie! They took my fucking thumb!"

[Merlin1958]

Viewed Casablanca for the first time ever. Damn good film. 5/6 beers on the RFSRS.

Nice!!! Ever viewed "Boondock Saints" or "The Pope of Greenwich Village"? They are great films as well, El Stubborn Jefe!!! lol

"They took my thumb, Charlie! They took my fucking thumb!"

Yep! A freaking classic, N.Y. film.

[Randall Flagg]

Viewed Saw-Spiral.
Gory as to be expected. Nice to see Chris Rock and Samuel Jackson in it. I saw the twist coming quite early. Still, an enjoyable 90 minutes. I give it 3/6 beers on the RFSRS

[webstar1000]

Viewed Saw-Spiral.
Gory as to be expected. Nice to see Chris Rock and Samuel Jackson in it. I saw the twist coming quite early. Still, an enjoyable 90 minutes. I give it 3/6 beers on the RFSRS

I can’t wait to see this... nothing open here though sadly I did get to see ARMY OF THE DEAD. It was awesome!! What I expected but they put a cool on the zombie take. It’s def worth a watch. Gory as hell. Lol


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[Merlin1958]

Viewed Saw-Spiral.
Gory as to be expected. Nice to see Chris Rock and Samuel Jackson in it. I saw the twist coming quite early. Still, an enjoyable 90 minutes. I give it 3/6 beers on the RFSRS

I can’t wait to see this... nothing open here though sadly I did get to see ARMY OF THE DEAD. It was awesome!! What I expected but they put a cool on the zombie take. It’s def worth a watch. Gory as hell. Lol


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Yeah, AOTD wasn't bad at all. I mean there was some stupid stuttered plot line to it, but as a "Zombie Flick" it was fun and about what you would expect. Somereally cool Zombie effects and powers too.

[Randall Flagg]

Viewed Army of the Dead yesterday. Tons of gore, and new takes on different levels of zombies. Wasn't even aware the actress who played the helicopter pilot was "green screened" in after the original guy was dumped for sexual harassment charges. She was the funniest thing in the movie. I give it 4/6 beers on the RFSRS.

[webstar1000]

Viewed Army of the Dead yesterday. Tons of gore, and new takes on different levels of zombies. Wasn't even aware the actress who played the helicopter pilot was "green screened" in after the original guy was dumped for sexual harassment charges. She was the funniest thing in the movie. I give it 4/6 beers on the RFSRS.

Wow really!? I never knew that


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[Still Servant]

Army of the Dead was fun. I appreciate that it's not based on a comic book or something.

I have to say though, for a zombie action film, the first part of the film after the opening is fairly light with action. Speaking of that opening, I thought those were some of the best opening credits I've seen in a long time.

I loved the premise, Ocean's 11 with zombies. That's pretty cool. Also, two words: Zombie tiger.

[Garrell]

Those Who Wish Me Dead. Really surprising and good. Didn’t know Michael Koryta wrote it til the closing credits. He has been on my to read list for awhile and now goes to the top.

[Merlin1958]

"Point Blank", on Netflix was pretty good. Frank Grillo & Anthony Mackie star about a nurse and a criminal who team up vs corrupt cops. Not bad as these films go. I gave it a solid 4 out of 6 beers on the RFMRS

[allasorte]

Army of the Dead was fun. I appreciate that it's not based on a comic book or something.

I have to say though, for a zombie action film, the first part of the film after the opening is fairly light with action. Speaking of that opening, I thought those were some of the best opening credits I've seen in a long time.

I loved the premise, Ocean's 11 with zombies. That's pretty cool. Also, two words: Zombie tiger.

Totally agree. I kind of felt the opening was similar to Zombieland. Overall not bad, but it did drag at times and a run time of 2.5 hours, Snyder sure loves to take his time telling a story.

[Ricky]

Those Who Wish Me Dead. Really surprising and good. Didn’t know Michael Koryta wrote it til the closing credits. He has been on my to read list for awhile and now goes to the top.

I went to see it this weekend as well and loved it. I think I liked it better than the book (though I would've liked a little more info./background about the Big Conspiracy). The action and suspense was great (especially the first cabin scene), the performances were grounded, the score was killer, and the dual threats of man-versus-man and man-versus-nature was done really well. I'm very glad I saw it on the big screen. Unfortunately, I don't think its box office totals will end up reflecting its quality.

[Merlin1958]

I feel I would be remiss if I didn't mention "Charlie Wilson's War". It has become another "Shawshank" in that whenever I see it in the guide, I switch to it. Stars, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Truly great flick concerning the initial fight to get the Russians out of Afghanistan. I give it a 6 out of 6 beers on the RFMRS. It's certainly not a current film, it came out in 2007, but if you haven't seen it or, haven't seen it in awhile, DO IT!!! Trust me, it will be a treat for the day and ypu'll want to thank me, but that is not necessary. lol

I'm watching it right now on DTV channel 526 (Starz, so you can probably also view it on Amazon streaming service.

[Still Servant]

That's one I always pass over when I find the DVD at a used store. I will have to pick it up.

[webstar1000]

That's one I always pass over when I find the DVD at a used store. I will have to pick it up.

Me too. Never seen it. Gotta now


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[Still Servant]

The other Hanks film I always pass over is Larry Crowne.

[Randall Flagg]

I just watched the movie "Nobody" I felt like this was the movie we needed and deserved after the train wreck of 2020. Very much reminiscent of John Wick / the Equalizer. Also Bob Odenkirk AkA Saul Goodman, if you are a Breaking Bad fan, held his own throughout the movie. I give it 4.5 beers out of 5. Highly recommend!
I loved the movie. The fight choreography was done by the same people who did John Wick.

[Garrell]

I hope they do a few more. Nobody was quietly a great movie and so fun.

[Still Servant]

Nobody is also written by Derek Kolstad, who wrote all 3 John Wick films.

[Still Servant]

If you're into animated films, do yourself a favor and check out The Mitchells vs the Machines on Netflix. I know most animated films not produced by Disney and Pixar are largely ignored, but Mitchells vs. The Machines should not be overlooked. It's easily one of the best-animated films I've seen in years.

[Merlin1958]

If you're into animated films, do yourself a favor and check out The Mitchells vs the Machines on Netflix. I know most animated films not produced by Disney and Pixar are largely ignored, but Mitchells vs. The Machines should not be overlooked. It's easily one of the best-animated films I've seen in years.

Watched it with my grandson. Not bad at all. Worth the time indeed.

[allasorte]

That's one I always pass over when I find the DVD at a used store. I will have to pick it up.

Me too. Never seen it. Gotta now


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I never heard of it and my neighbor told me to watch it. I was surprised, it was pretty good.

[RUBE]

I feel I would be remiss if I didn't mention "Charlie Wilson's War". It has become another "Shawshank" in that whenever I see it in the guide, I switch to it. Stars, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Truly great flick concerning the initial fight to get the Russians out of Afghanistan. I give it a 6 out of 6 beers on the RFMRS. It's certainly not a current film, it came out in 2007, but if you haven't seen it or, haven't seen it in awhile, DO IT!!! Trust me, it will be a treat for the day and ypu'll want to thank me, but that is not necessary. lol

I'm watching it right now on DTV channel 526 (Starz, so you can probably also view it on Amazon streaming service.

I definitely second this one. You'll find yourself cheering for their efforts to get Russia out of Afghanistan while at the same time realizing how the US created a future enemy for itself in the process. While the movie deals with such heavy material it is still a lot of fun because it doesn't take itself very seriously.

[Merlin1958]

I feel I would be remiss if I didn't mention "Charlie Wilson's War". It has become another "Shawshank" in that whenever I see it in the guide, I switch to it. Stars, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Truly great flick concerning the initial fight to get the Russians out of Afghanistan. I give it a 6 out of 6 beers on the RFMRS. It's certainly not a current film, it came out in 2007, but if you haven't seen it or, haven't seen it in awhile, DO IT!!! Trust me, it will be a treat for the day and ypu'll want to thank me, but that is not necessary. lol

I'm watching it right now on DTV channel 526 (Starz, so you can probably also view it on Amazon streaming service.

I definitely second this one. You'll find yourself cheering for their efforts to get Russia out of Afghanistan while at the same time realizing how the US created a future enemy for itself in the process. While the movie deals with such heavy material it is still a lot of fun because it doesn't take itself very seriously.

Yep, it's a true diamond in the rough.

Another "Oldie, but a goodie" that doesn't get much hype is "The Pope of Greenwich Village". It stars, Mickey Rourke before he went nuts, Eric Roberts (Classic role for him) and Burt Young. A real, true to life "New York" film that also involves the Mob. "They took my thumb, Charlie"!!! lol This film brings back many memories for me in all the subtle nuances of life in NYC pre-turn of the century. Sadly, it's a by gone era as the city just ain't what it used to be anymore.

[Still Servant]

The Quite Place II wait is over and it was worth every second!

[Heather19]

The Quite Place II wait is over and it was worth every second!

I was hoping to make it to the drive in this weekend to see it, but the weather has been horrible. Hopefully it'll still be playing there for a bit.

[webstar1000]

Wrath of Man is Guy Ritchie’s best movie. Hands down. 9/10

[Ricky]

Finally saw Promising Young Woman. I really enjoyed it but hated, hated, hated that Cassie died. I get that she got her revenge from beyond the grave (and I like how she got the last word even in death), but the tone of that ending didn't 100% work for me. I mean, she wins in a sense, but only after being brutally murdered. :|

[Still Servant]

Wrath of Man is Guy Ritchie’s best movie. Hands down. 9/10

That's impossible.

I find it hard to believe it's better than The Gentlemen, let alone Lock Stock and Snatch. That said, I will give it a fair shake.

[webstar1000]

Wrath of Man is Guy Ritchie’s best movie. Hands down. 9/10

That's impossible.

I find it hard to believe it's better than The Gentleman, let alone Lock Stock and Snatch. That said, I will give it a fair shake.

It’s a well crafted show. I liked it better than all those. It’s my favourite Guy Movie. Such a great way he tells this story. Highly recommend seeing this ASAP!

[Still Servant]

Finally saw Promising Young Woman. I really enjoyed it but hated, hated, hated that Cassie died. I get that she got her revenge from beyond the grave (and I like how she got the last word even in death), but the tone of that ending didn't 100% work for me. I mean, she wins in a sense, but only after being brutally murdered. :|

I disagree completely and I've had this discussion before. For me, the film was made by the ending. Cassie couldn't move on. There are some things in life that happen to a person that some people just can't overcome. Cassie was doing pretty well for a little while, but everything came flooding back to her. I truly felt that it was going to be impossible for Cassie to live a happy, productive life knowing what happened to her best friend.

The ending is something that really pissed off a lot of people, but I thought it was perfect.

[webstar1000]

Finally saw Promising Young Woman. I really enjoyed it but hated, hated, hated that Cassie died. I get that she got her revenge from beyond the grave (and I like how she got the last word even in death), but the tone of that ending didn't 100% work for me. I mean, she wins in a sense, but only after being brutally murdered. :|

I disagree completely and I've had this discussion before. For me, the film was made by the ending. Cassie couldn't move on. There are some things in life that happen to a person that some people just can't overcome. Cassie was doing pretty well for a little while, but everything came flooding back to her. I truly felt that it was going to be impossible for Cassie to live a happy, productive life knowing what happened to her best friend.

The ending is something that really pissed off a lot of people, but I thought it was perfect.

Im 100000000000% with you on this. The ending was what I consider.. flawless.

[Ricky]

For me, There are some things in life that happen to a person that some people just can't overcome. I truly felt that it was going to be impossible for Cassie to live a happy, productive life knowing what happened to her best friend.

Oh, I 100% agree with you. But I really liked and felt for her so naturally I hated what happened to her. I stand by what I said about the tone, though. Who knows, maybe it will play better on a re-watch.

[Still Servant]

Same. I really love Cassie as a character. I would be interested to hear what you think after another viewing.

[allasorte]

Wrath of Man is Guy Ritchie’s best movie. Hands down. 9/10

That's impossible.

I find it hard to believe it's better than The Gentlemen, let alone Lock Stock and Snatch. That said, I will give it a fair shake.

The Gentlemen is by far a superior better written film. Wraith of Man wasn't bad, but the dialogue was meh.

[allasorte]

For me, There are some things in life that happen to a person that some people just can't overcome. I truly felt that it was going to be impossible for Cassie to live a happy, productive life knowing what happened to her best friend.

Oh, I 100% agree with you. But I really liked and felt for her so naturally I hated what happened to her. I stand by what I said about the tone, though. Who knows, maybe it will play better on a re-watch.

I'm torn between the ending. At one point, like Ricky, I feel the exact same way.
On the other side, Cassie throws has herself to blame for living the life that she did and I feel it never really amounted to anything except being a bitter woman who never finished med-school while "other characters" succeeded in life. Now, if Cassie would have finished school and used those finances and knowledge, she could have fought head to head with what she was striving for in a more unique and diabolical way.
I will add, like so many villains, she talked to much in the end. If you know what I mean. Not saying she was the villain, but...

[webstar1000]

Wrath of Man is Guy Ritchie’s best movie. Hands down. 9/10

That's impossible.

I find it hard to believe it's better than The Gentlemen, let alone Lock Stock and Snatch. That said, I will give it a fair shake.

The Gentlemen is by far a superior better written film. Wraith of Man wasn't bad, but the dialogue was meh.

The dialogue was nil reallt which made it so interesting. I loved Stathams character!

[Merlin1958]

Wrath of Man is Guy Ritchie’s best movie. Hands down. 9/10

That's impossible.

I find it hard to believe it's better than The Gentlemen, let alone Lock Stock and Snatch. That said, I will give it a fair shake.

The Gentlemen is by far a superior better written film. Wraith of Man wasn't bad, but the dialogue was meh.

I agree. I usually just LUV, his films, but this felt like an American trying to make a Guy Ritchie film. Know what I mean?

He also should have given a nod to, QT with the FB style.

[Heather19]

I had no idea he had another movie out now. I wasn't big on The Gentlemen, hopefully I like this one better. I'm not sure anything will top Lock, Stock and Snatch for me though.

[fernandito]

Snatch for me is his crown jewel.

[Merlin1958]

Conjuring 3 - 2 out of 6 beers on the RFMRS

[Heather19]

Went to the drive-in last night to see A Quiet Place 2. I enjoyed it although not as much as the first. Also that ending... are there plans for a third? It was wrapped up well enough if there isn't but we have no real conclusion with the family.

[fernandito]

I can watch Conjuring for 'free' on HBO Max, and even then I can't be bothered to check it out.

[DoctorDodge]

I watched Cruella last night, and I was really surprised by it. The main criticism I heard about it was that no one asked for a Cruella De Vil origin movie. Which ironically made me intrigued to watch it. It's easy to create demand around a live-action version of an animated classic (it's one of those things that sounds like a good idea, but usually isn't). But ideas that shouldn't work means a lot more incentive to get creative. And they certainly got creative with this one.

The first thing that stands out about Cruella is the sheer style of it. It really embraces 60s and 70s London and has so much fun with it, especially during the second half of the film. There's often a visual feast whenever Cruella decides to put on a show.

Aiding the sense of style is the soundtrack. Holy crap, this has to be one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard used in a Disney film. So many great songs used that compliment the visuals nicely, so I certainly approved of that.

But the most surprising aspect of Cruella is the genre: revenge movie. Not always the most PG-13 of genres. In fact, by almost its very nature, it requires darkness and violence. Cruella has that, but it also knows how to use them in a slightly more...family friendly style. It was interesting to watch. Rather than feeling subdued, it felt (and I know I'm using this word again, but it's true) creative. I respected the story and the way it was told.

Was an origin movie about a villain famous for wanting to skin over a hundred dogs really necessary? Not at all, but I certainly enjoyed the movie I watched. If you take Cruella on its own terms, it's a movie you can have a lot of fun with. One of the better live-action Disney movies I've seen in a long time.

[Lookwhoitis]

I can watch Conjuring for 'free' on HBO Max, and even then I can't be bothered to check it out.

it is pretty meh...

the 1st 10 minutes are good though!

[Lookwhoitis]

Nomadland really punched my in the gut, emotionally

[Lookwhoitis]

Those Who Wish Me Dead. Really surprising and good. Didn’t know Michael Koryta wrote it til the closing credits. He has been on my to read list for awhile and now goes to the top.

Taylor Sheridan is a hell of a director

[divemaster]

Just watched a Belgian film from 2009 called Mr. Nobody. I'm not sure how it ended up in my Netflix queue, b/c I swear I've never heard of it. Perhaps from a recommendation from this site?

In a time where it seems 90% of movies are either 9th iterations of car chases or superheroes searching for magic rocks, it's so refreshing to see something intelligent, fresh, clever, and thought-provoking.

Anyway, within the first 5 minutes I realized this was not a run-of-the-mill movie. I was all in from the get go. What a fantastic movie. Immediately moved into my "top 25 of all time."

[Heather19]

That movie has been in my list forever (probably since it was released) and I still have not watched it yet. I guess I'll have to bump it up the list.

[Still Servant]

I watched Cruella last night, and I was really surprised by it. The main criticism I heard about it was that no one asked for a Cruella De Vil origin movie. Which ironically made me intrigued to watch it. It's easy to create demand around a live-action version of an animated classic (it's one of those things that sounds like a good idea, but usually isn't). But ideas that shouldn't work means a lot more incentive to get creative. And they certainly got creative with this one.

The first thing that stands out about Cruella is the sheer style of it. It really embraces 60s and 70s London and has so much fun with it, especially during the second half of the film. There's often a visual feast whenever Cruella decides to put on a show.

Aiding the sense of style is the soundtrack. Holy crap, this has to be one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard used in a Disney film. So many great songs used that compliment the visuals nicely, so I certainly approved of that.

But the most surprising aspect of Cruella is the genre: revenge movie. Not always the most PG-13 of genres. In fact, by almost its very nature, it requires darkness and violence. Cruella has that, but it also knows how to use them in a slightly more...family friendly style. It was interesting to watch. Rather than feeling subdued, it felt (and I know I'm using this word again, but it's true) creative. I respected the story and the way it was told.

Was an origin movie about a villain famous for wanting to skin over a hundred dogs really necessary? Not at all, but I certainly enjoyed the movie I watched. If you take Cruella on its own terms, it's a movie you can have a lot of fun with. One of the better live-action Disney movies I've seen in a long time.

Totally agree, James! Cruella was a huge surprise for me as well. It didn't feel like a Disney film at all.

As for Quiet Place 2, there will most certainly be a third film. I'm not sure if it will continue the story, or if we will get a prequel or not, but it's a huge franchise at this point. It sounds like Krasinski will step away from directing, which is always concerning, but as long as he produces, I'm hopeful. I believe he said he already has an idea for a 3rd film.

[Merlin1958]

I watched Cruella last night, and I was really surprised by it. The main criticism I heard about it was that no one asked for a Cruella De Vil origin movie. Which ironically made me intrigued to watch it. It's easy to create demand around a live-action version of an animated classic (it's one of those things that sounds like a good idea, but usually isn't). But ideas that shouldn't work means a lot more incentive to get creative. And they certainly got creative with this one.

The first thing that stands out about Cruella is the sheer style of it. It really embraces 60s and 70s London and has so much fun with it, especially during the second half of the film. There's often a visual feast whenever Cruella decides to put on a show.

Aiding the sense of style is the soundtrack. Holy crap, this has to be one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard used in a Disney film. So many great songs used that compliment the visuals nicely, so I certainly approved of that.

But the most surprising aspect of Cruella is the genre: revenge movie. Not always the most PG-13 of genres. In fact, by almost its very nature, it requires darkness and violence. Cruella has that, but it also knows how to use them in a slightly more...family friendly style. It was interesting to watch. Rather than feeling subdued, it felt (and I know I'm using this word again, but it's true) creative. I respected the story and the way it was told.

Was an origin movie about a villain famous for wanting to skin over a hundred dogs really necessary? Not at all, but I certainly enjoyed the movie I watched. If you take Cruella on its own terms, it's a movie you can have a lot of fun with. One of the better live-action Disney movies I've seen in a long time.

Totally agree, James! Cruella was a huge surprise for me as well. It didn't feel like a Disney film at all.

As for Quiet Place 2, there will most certainly be a third film. I'm not sure if it will continue the story, or if we will get a prequel or not, but it's a huge franchise at this point. It sounds like Krasinski will step away from directing, which is always concerning, but as long as he produces, I'm hopeful. I believe he said he already has an idea for a 3rd film.

Got to "Ditto" here. I have been tracking our joint choices throughout the site I generally "Agree" with, Steve' picks. So he's my "Blockbuster Video of the month(s) Guy" (lol) on films he likes/dislikes the last 3 mos or so. Pretty impressive arc, right? :thumbsup::thumbsup::cool::cool:

At the same time a "little scary" as well, right? lol :crow burp:

[Mattrick]

I haven't seen Cruella but I got into an argument with someone on Facebook because I said Cruella looks to follow a heroes journey because every villain is the hero of their own story and they took a typical framework for heroes and applied it to Cruella...and apparently that's impossible because she wants to make a coat out of dogs so she's a villain. I tried explaining that characters have their own perceptions of themselves that differs from the reader's perception, but apparently I didn't know what I was talking about.



I recently FINALLY watched Dracula because they dropped an episode of Re:View on it so I figured I may as well watch it and then watch that. If you like Dracula (or hate it) this is a terrific discussion on it that really made me appreciate the filmmaking even more.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mESbAwiCaTw&