I don't want to get specific in case I spoil the movie for someone who wants to watch it. There were a number of tropes in the movie that made it a lesser film than it might have been.
Death Race- 7/10 Guess this is a remake of (or maybe a prequel to) that old Death Race 2000 movie, which I haven't seen so I can't compare 'em. But I liked this flick. Just one big, dumb (but fun and well-shot) action scene after another. Jason Statham was awesome as usual. Another one of my favorites, Jason Clarke, is great as well. Joan Allen seemed like an odd casting choice for her role as a prison warden but she was fairly convincing. Gonna watch the inevitably worse sequels next. No Statham means they'll probably suck.
Maverick Top Gun - 10 all the way! Fantastic movie. Best I've seen in years. Deserved Best Picture hands down.
Color of Outer Space (Lovecraft horror story with Nick Cage). Watched via 4K disc. Pretty well done, excellent visuals, just a few small quips with some of the writing and acting, otherwise 3/4 stars. I can see this movie hanging on to cult status twenty years from now thanks to director Richard Stanley’s supreme over the top presentation.
The Three Musketeers (1973) The Four Musketeers (1974) Watched as a double-bill, I have fond memories of these from my childhood/adolescence, but they really haven't aged well. Both films have lots to recommend them, especially the sets/costumes/cinematography* - but the scripts are far too tongue-in-cheek, and after a time the juvenile humour really grates. The Four Musketeers scores slightly higher because it takes a long overdue dramatic turn towards the end. If the source material had been treated a little more seriously, both films could have been classics. But for me they got it wrong tonally. TTM 5/10 TFM 6/10 * really good actors, too - although most of them are wasted...
I remember that one. Thought it was funny for the most part. I found it amusing that the actress playing Ward's Wife who everyone hates, is Patrick Wilson's real life wife. Quite a looker, imo, and she was great at playing a totally hateful witch here. I remember something about a funny scene with cake.
That one's a gem, along with the similarly styled Waiting For Guffman and A Mighty Wind. Great run, there. Something went seriously awry with For Your Consideration, which was a real dud, imo.
The Menu 8/10. Not what I was expecting-at all. With such a great cast I knew the acting would be fine. But that story-horrific as it was-was fascinating to watch unfold. Macabre and weird, yet a satisfying view.
The Old Dark House (1932) - 8.9/10 Wow, I was blown away! I wasn't expecting the movie to be this good. I thought this film was an afterthought to Whale's Frankenstein (1931), but no, this film is a grown ass individual. In fact, I think it's just as good as Frankenstein, but for entirely different reasons. The "Old House" trope was relatively new to Hollywood, and this film turned the house into a character in the story, along with each person's genuine madness. The spaciousness of the house, plus the player's individual quirks, made this feel very close to a Poe tale, only in modern times. As each character is introduced, we find the more mad they are, leading to the house's last resident, the craziest of them all. The movie is a meditation on madness. It didn't need a central monster to carry it, because the idea is that we are all monsters, individually and collectively.
Watched The Fabelmans last night. Beautiful film. Michelle Williams is so captivating. Story is maybe a little straight forward. Overall a solid 8/10.
we thought she was fabulous! Witch extraordinaire! Cake? one of the guys smashed her face into the cake.
Tar (2022) - 8/10 I found the whole movie fascinating. It is 2.5 hours long but I hardly noticed. There were two minor plot points relevant for this forum. Lydia Tar wanted her new recording released on vinyl but felt that MP3 was fine for everyone that would be streaming it.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) - 4K UHD 8/10 Enjoyed this even more the second time. I got a little emotional during parts of the second half. I've purchased every MCU up to this point but this may be it as I'm getting tired of it all. The only movie I'm really looking forward to is the next Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950) John Dall and Lee J Cobb as police detective brothers, Jane Wyatt and Lisa Howard as their girlfriends. I'm a sucker for early 50's b&w crime dramas, this one gets 6+ of 10. Good year for John Dall who was also featured in Gun Crazy.
The Godfather: Coda Shown on TV here last week in the UK, watched on 4OD. Maybe it's the TV version, but I didn't like this cut. A better opening scene, but the trimmed scenes were jarring in a film I'm so familiar with. The ending is terrible. Also, it may be my set up, but the soundtrack seems to emphasise sound effects over dialogue. I have this same problem with the full Coppala Restoration set from 2012 (which doesn't have a stereo soundtrack option). 5/10 (the Coppala Restoration is 8/10)
Backstabbing for Beginners. 2018 Oil for food in Iraq 2003 I liked this movie . 9/10 Jacqueline Bisset was in this movie She looked great. Movie cost 8 million to make and it made 367,000 I guess no has seen it. A good reminder of how bad the kurds have been treated.
Key Largo (1948) - Blu-ray 8/10 Excellent film noir crime drama directed by John Huston. Starring Bogart and Bacall in their last film together. Also start Edward G Robinson as the gangster Johnny Rocco. Claire Trevor won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as washed up nightclub singer Gaye Dawn.
I felt the same way you did. I enjoyed them as a kid and I wanted to enjoy them this time - couldn't. When I first saw them I was ok with the lighter take but the films are actually poorly written and executed. Comedy is hard.
Many moons ago (well, not that many), this was the first film I saw Edward G. Robinson in. I thought he was only a one-note gangster type. Then I saw him in Scarlet Street (1945), recently, directed by Fritz Lang. 7/10 - but Eddy could act! It shows a vastly different side of him.
