donny
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Post by donny on Feb 10, 2021 20:37:14 GMT -5
In.
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1godzillafan
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I like pie!
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Post by 1godzillafan on Feb 10, 2021 21:45:00 GMT -5
So in other words, never. yup
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Feb 11, 2021 11:52:46 GMT -5
Luce (2019)
This angsty teen drama is about a preppy Black dude who seeks revenge on a Black teacher for targeting (and busting) his best friend (the school’s other Black kid) for smoking dope. Black on black crime in the white neighborhoods. Tragic. This movie is overly dramatic and the equivalent of people starting shit on Twitter. “Oh no, I got caught with weed and lost my sports scholarship.” Bitch, if you weren’t a bench warmer, colleges would look the other way. Stop crying and go start a rap career. Dumb movie.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 15, 2021 11:13:43 GMT -5
donny - thebtskinkPhantomKnight - DoomsdayPG Cooper - Neverending Dracula - IanTheCoolIf we can get one or two more reviews in I'll get the next round up and running.
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Feb 15, 2021 13:57:59 GMT -5
Mikey and Nicky (1976)
After a short career as a comedy duo with Mike Nichols in 1959-1962, starting earlier from their time together in college and comedy troupe, Elaine May took to playwrighting for a time before entering her film writing and directing debut with A New Leaf in 1971. Her comedy bonafides were strengthened even more with 1972's The Heartbreak Kid, considered one of the best comedies of all time. When May took to a drama effort in 1976 for Mikey and Nicky, she brought her improvisational skills to the director's chair in a marriage of styles in way which both the studio and audiences were unprepared.
I didn't really know much about this film going in. With the title cards, I was shocked that this was a Paramount release. Yes, the movie stars Peter Falk, John Cassavetes, and Ned Beatty -- but frankly it looks like crud. The production details tell an interesting story. May shot 1.4 million feet of film, using three cameras and letting the film run as Falk and Cassavetes walked out of frame. She had difficulty in the editing room which delayed the release from summer to December, kicking off litigation with the studio ultimately receiving final cut privilege. Hiding some reels at a family friends' garage out of state to keep them from the hands of the studio, May fought to keep her vision of the film for as long as she could before negotiating the reels' return to the studio, who only released the film with the bare minimum of support to satisfy contractual obligations. The film was panned on release, and ultimately May was able to buy the rights back with the help of Falk and producer Julian Schlossberg in 1980, releasing a director's cut in 1986 and another Criterion version in 2019, which I watched here.
From the jump, the two main performances in this film suck you in. We first meet Cassavetes' Nicky holed up in a cheap Philadelphia motel, convinced there is a contract on his life. Ripping cigarettes, eyes shifty, paranoid as all hell, he's called Falk's Mikey to bail him out of trouble for what we deduce is the umpteenth time. Nicky has stolen $1000 from the mob outfit they both work for, another crook on his scheme has already been whacked, and Nicky think maybe Mikey has ratted him out himself. It takes a lot of convincing (and a switch of coats at Nicky's insistence), but Mikey is able to persuade Nicky to leave the room and go to a local bar with him.
Here's where the brilliance of the film starts. When they reach the bar, Mikey immediately calls someone on the payphone, we see Ned Beatty taking notes and giving vague instructions, but we don't immediately suspect Mikey has ratted Nicky out. For the first 20 minutes of the film, Mikey has spent time trying to convince Nicky everything will be ok, and even making an emergency run to a coffee shop for cream to prevent Nicky dying from a stomach ulcer. Every minute of interplay between Mikey and Nicky from here on out is an intermittent pull and push of friendship, and it's utterly fascinating to watch. Falk is warm and charming, then he's showing wounded pride; Cassavetes is wholly believing in his complete doom, then he's a man-child not concerned with whom he hurts or or at what cost.
More than anything, the film is an examination of machismo. It's all so believable, and even if each scene is a little too long, you get the sense you wouldn't be seeing these wonderful performances without May's directorial style. Aside from the ending, I'm not sure I could even spoil this film if I tried to. And what a goddamn ending it is.
8/10
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 15, 2021 14:38:13 GMT -5
frankyt do you want in next round? And Neverending are you behind one or two now? If you think you can manage do you want in next round?
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Feb 15, 2021 14:50:29 GMT -5
Sure
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Feb 16, 2021 21:03:53 GMT -5
The Red Shoes (1948)
The Red Shoes is a movie that, being in film discussion circles, has popped up more than once as an important one. Hell, I believe Martin Scorsese has said numerous times that it's one of his favorite films. So, now I can finally say I've crossed it off the list, and it's...good. Definitely good. Did it wow me? Not necessarily, but there's still all sorts of undeniable craft and skill on display in this thing, even if the material never outright connected with me in the same way it has for so many others. The most obvious thing to praise here is the extended ballet sequence just over an hour into the film. It goes on for nearly twenty minutes, but is completely captivating -- and I don't really care for ballet to begin with -- because it's such an impressive sequence on a filmmaking level, especially considering the time in which the movie was made. The use of color obviously stands out in that regard, but also the choreography is top-notch and energetic, not to mention the editing and cinematography. It's the one aspect of The Red Shoes I'd frequently heard referenced and praised endlessly before, and that sequence sure lives up to the hype. Now, that's not to say that the rest of the film is lackluster or anything; not at all. In fact, the overall story is fairly interesting. It's just not as engaging as I would've hoped. Maybe because it's based on a story by Hans Christian Anderson, so as a result, it kind of leaves strict logic by the wayside like the more fantastical tales he wove. On that level, I can respect what the movie's doing here and certainly see what it's doing with themes of obsession and pushing yourself for perfection and dedication -- I have to think Darren Aronofsky drew some inspiration for Black Swan from this -- and what it says concerning those themes feels effective. I just don't know how caught up in the characters I ever was. The Red Shoes still has plenty to offer beyond just its characters and their arcs, though, and it's those elements that really make it worth watching.
***/****
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 16, 2021 21:36:51 GMT -5
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Feb 16, 2021 21:47:13 GMT -5
IanTheCoolAll these on Canadian Netflix A Simple Favor (2018) Christine (2016) Logan Lucky (2017) Dope (2015)
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 17, 2021 0:23:19 GMT -5
PG Cooper you're basically in the Dracula class where I suspect you've seen a lot of stuff I've seen and I'm throwing out stuff that I'm hoping you haven't seen. Let me know if you need a new list. Ain't Them Bodies Saints - I just watched this and your 5-star Badlands review on Letterboxd inspired me to put this on. Nevermind the IMDb rating, it's a good watch. The Caine MutinySorcererUnder Siege The Killer
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on Feb 17, 2021 11:58:24 GMT -5
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frankyt
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Post by frankyt on Feb 17, 2021 12:36:12 GMT -5
Appreciate it Doomsday but I'll wait until next round. And get my 2 movies I owe reviews for as well.
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Feb 17, 2021 12:53:57 GMT -5
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Feb 17, 2021 13:50:49 GMT -5
THE PERFECTION (2019)Oh, how generous of IanTheCool to allow me to watch lesbian porn during my lunchtime. Oh, wait. That girl is puking bugs in a bus. Well, there goes lunch. I don’t know how to discuss this movie without spoiling it, so let’s just say it’s a MeToo era horror flick. I have nothing against that and I believe the themes in this movie are worth exploring, but I think the way they handled it here is kinda dumb. It reminded me of that scene in Pulp Fiction where Ving Rhames is getting fucked in the ass and then Bruce Willis shows up with a sword to rescue him. There’s a time and place for this kind of entertainment, but it’s important to establish a tone. If you wanna do exploitative revenge porn then be upfront with it. This movie started as one thing and then it felt like it went off the rails for no reason. But... I was entertained at least. It’s certainly interesting to watch and kept my attention. So not a failure. I just questioned its decision. Also, the line “I hope your cu nt can handle it”, should have been nominated for Dracula’s Golden Stake Award.
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on Feb 17, 2021 14:35:56 GMT -5
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 17, 2021 14:48:51 GMT -5
THE PERFECTION (2019)Oh, how generous of IanTheCool to allow me to watch lesbian porn during my lunchtime. Oh, wait. That girl is puking bugs in a bus. Well, there goes lunch. I don’t know how to discuss this movie without spoiling it, so let’s just say it’s a MeToo era horror flick. I have nothing against that and I believe the themes in this movie are worth exploring, but I think the way they handled it here is kinda dumb. It reminded me of that scene in Pulp Fiction where Ving Rhames is getting fucked in the ass and then Bruce Willis shows up with a sword to rescue him. There’s a time and place for this kind of entertainment, but it’s important to establish a tone. If you wanna do exploitative revenge porn then be upfront with it. This movie started as one thing and then it felt like it went off the rails for no reason. But... I was entertained at least. It’s certainly interesting to watch and kept my attention. So not a failure. I just questioned its decision. Also, the line “I hope your cu nt can handle it”, should have been nominated for Dracula ’s Golden Stake Award. Ohhhhh I remember hearing about this and completely forgot about it. I still don't know if I ever want to watch it now. Well done, Neverending storming back with a vengeance.
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Feb 17, 2021 15:04:30 GMT -5
I've seen Never Rarely Sometimes Always, and with no strong preference or disinterest on the others, random.org has given me You Can Count on Me
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Feb 17, 2021 17:03:02 GMT -5
No idea what you've seen, so let me know if you need other options.
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Feb 17, 2021 17:41:26 GMT -5
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Feb 17, 2021 17:46:11 GMT -5
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donny
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Post by donny on Feb 18, 2021 10:00:22 GMT -5
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PG Cooper
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And those who tasted the bite of his sword named him...The DOOM Slayer
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 18, 2021 10:00:38 GMT -5
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Feb 18, 2021 10:35:45 GMT -5
I've definitely seen Under Siege. My Dad showed me the film when I was a little kid and it was the first time I saw boobs in a movie. Thanks again, Dad. Erika Eleniak > Pamela Anderson
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1godzillafan
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Post by 1godzillafan on Feb 18, 2021 10:52:06 GMT -5
You son of a bitch. First boobs I saw in a movie was Linda Hamilton's brief titty flash in King Kong Lives. That doesn't Evan compare to Under Seige's boobs.
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