Cinema and Movie Thread: I like to remember things my own way.

[Amentep]

 

[Lexx]

Rewatched Drive last weekend. Movie still holds up so well. Honestly wouldn't mind watching it again.

I also kind of want to watch The Place Beyond the Pines again, but all I remember from it is that it made me feel real down, and I'm not sure if I want to go there again right now.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Lexx

[Bartimaeus]

One year after his traumatic run-ins with trouble during the events of Home Alone and Home Alone II, lovable but violent child prankster Macaulay Culkin...

Spoiler

...is smoking cigarettes, smashing windows, wearing completely normal masks like these, shooting cats and dogs with his homemade crossbow, drowning his little sister by pushing her into a hole in the ice, and pushing his mom off a cliff before dropping a boulder on her...but don't worry, his mom gets her revenge by crawling back up the cliff and letting him drop to his death because she loves her nephew Elijah Wood more than her own demon child.

In some universe, specifically this universe, important people who were responsible for letting this happen apparently thought having American sweetheart child star Macaulay Culkin play this role fresh off his success of the Home Alone films was actually a good idea. Well, all I can say is...bravo. I mean, the movie is sort of terrible on the whole, but these kinds of moments were usually hilarious because it was Macaulay Culkin performing them, so I can't complain too much.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Bartimaeus

[majestic]

I'm going to let @Make a contract with KP post his trademark David Lynch video reaction in response to that.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

1 hour ago, Bartimaeus said:

One year after his traumatic run-ins with trouble during the events of Home Alone and Home Alone II, lovable but violent child prankster Macaulay Culkin...

  Reveal hidden contents

...is smoking cigarettes, smashing windows, wearing completely normal masks like these, shooting cats and dogs with his homemade crossbow, drowning his little sister by pushing her into a hole in the ice, and pushing his mom off a cliff before dropping a boulder on her...but don't worry, his mom gets her revenge by crawling back up the cliff and letting him drop to his death because she loves her nephew Elijah Wood more than her own demon child.

In some universe, specifically this universe, important people who were responsible for letting this happen apparently thought having American sweetheart child star Macaulay Culkin play this role fresh off his success of the Home Alone films was actually a good idea. Well, all I can say is...bravo. I mean, the movie is sort of terrible on the whole, but these kinds of moments were usually hilarious because it was Macaulay Culkin performing them, so I can't complain too much.

 

51 minutes ago, majestic said:

I'm going to let @Make a contract with KP post his trademark David Lynch video reaction in response to that.

[Tale]

Everything Everywhere All At Once

I laughed out loud throughout the film. It's an utterly bizarre film in a great imaginative way. And very touching.

[Sarex]

https://deadline.com/2022/11/cailee-spaeny-alien-movie-20th-century-scott-free-1235174184/

[Maedhros]

https://variety.com/lists/best-martin-scorsese-movies-ranked/

Controversial pick for #1, but it really is a phenomenal film.

[Hurlshort]

Huh. I haven't even seen #1. I have trouble with any list that doesn't put Goodfellas at the top. 

I suppose I am partial to the gangster flicks though. 

[ShadySands]

I've only seen a few of those movies

But I don't like crime/cop/gangster stuff

[Bartimaeus]

46 minutes ago, ShadySands said:

I've only seen a few of those movies

But I don't like crime/cop/gangster stuff

Yeah, I've only seen The Gangs of New York and I'm pretty whatever about it. Now I'm sure that I would enjoy probably at least a couple of these, but the only one I read that interested me was Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

(e): Oops, I've actually seen The Aviator as well...but doesn't change much: I was pretty whatever about that one as well. Maybe if Leonardo DiCaprio hadn't been the lead...

Edited November 17, 2022 by Bartimaeus

[ShadySands]

I've seen The Color of Money and The Aviator. I liked the former more than the latter by a decent margin

[Hurlshort]

Leo/Scorsese rankings for me:

1. Wolf of Wall Street

2. The Departed

3. Gangs of NY

4. Aviator

5. Shutter Island

Gangs of NY has actually grown on me. I watched it in theaters and thought it was too much, but subsequent viewings helped me appreciate it more. I should probably re-watch Shutter Island.

[Bartimaeus]

10 minutes ago, ShadySands said:

I've seen The Color of Money and The Aviator. I liked the former more than the latter by a decent margin

It really doesn't help that I don't care much for schmaltzy Hollywood junk, and both of those films that I've seen were just that. Not to say that they're terrible because of it, but...ergh, it's just not for me, and it's going to heavily limit how much I enjoy them. Maybe Taxi Driver is the exception and worth a watch, I don't know. In my experience, if it feels like you strongly dislike the style of a particular director, you should probably stop trying to watch their stuff....because while a given film may do more or less to appeal to you with its premise, themes, and characters, if you dislike the director's style, that's typically just not going to change too much from film to film.

Also, I am definitely not going to watch any of the ones starring Leonardo DiCaprio - that ship has already sailed and I have had more than enough of Leonardo DiCaprio for one lifetime, thank you very much.

Edited November 17, 2022 by Bartimaeus

[majestic]

I watched The Departed because I used to make the effort to watch movies winning best picture, and back in the 90ies that usually meant films that were worthwhile more often than not. Browsing through the list of movies that won best picture, I seem to have stopped after 2007. I wonder, can't quite put my finger on why...

Oh, right, because crime dramas were starting to win all the time (yes, yes, an exaggeration), and best picture for Return of the King was a joke - and I say that as someone who enjoyed the trilogy overall. The Departed, to quote the first line that comes from IMDB when googling it: 'And there's not a boring moment in it's two and a half hour running time.' I think I would like to tacitly disagree with the assessment. It's more like not one interesting moment in its runtime...

Edited November 17, 2022 by majestic

[Amentep]

 

 

[LadyCrimson]

Scorsese is one of those director's where I can understand the long-term respect but his themes or style apparently doesn't resonate or entertain me much. Departed was probably the one I liked the most of the ones I've seen. Everything else, despite often high caliber casts, ranges from "passed the time" to "it's ok, some pretty good scenes here and there."  His name as director doesn't motivate me to see a film at all.

As to The Color of Money - I saw that in the theater largely because of Paul Newman. I suppose it was all right, but I liked The Hustler a ton better. Plus I've never liked Tom Cruise in more dramatic roles (vs. adrenaline/action)

*The Scorsese films I've seen, listed in release year order:
--After Hours, The Color of Money, Last Temptation of Christ, Cape Fear, Casino, Gangs of NY, The Departed, Shutter Island (last three were home-watched, not in a theater).  (I also am not generally into The Mob or general USA period organized gangster type of movies)

Edited November 17, 2022 by LadyCrimson

[Hurlshort]

1 minute ago, LadyCrimson said:

As to The Color of Money - I saw that in the theater largely because of Paul Newman. I suppose it was all right, but I liked The Hustler a ton better. Plus I've never liked Tom Cruise in more dramatic roles (vs. adrenaline/action)
 

[Gromnir]

16 minutes ago, Amentep said:

 

am a smidge confused. are the four octogenarians (am thinking sally ain't quite eighty, but am not curious enough to check) playing themselves or are they four other women 'cause they do not appear to be treated as movie icons in the trailer, but their announced education and other comments seem to suggest they is play themselves?

can't imagine seeing this in a theatre, but we will watch at least three o' the four leads in just 'bout anything, so chances are we break down and check this out at some point in spite o' fact is ez to predict all the jokes ahead o' time.

HA! Good Fun!

 

[Amentep]

I'm not sure why they started with introducing themselves, that was weird. But they should be playing characters (Field is 76 and Moreno is 90, FWIW).

[Amentep]

UNMASKING THE IDOL (1986) - what happens when you cross James Bond with 80s Ninja-mania and add in a ninja baboon.  Ludicrous, but fun film if you like ludicrous 80s action ninja bond cheese with baboons.

and some of my Halloween watching -

HUMAN LANTERNS (Ren pi deng long - 1982) - Run Run Shaw's attempt to meld their martial arts film factory with the 80s slasher films from the US and Italy.  There's a really striking sequence showing the killer using the martial arts abilities typical of the genre to infiltrate and kidnap a woman at night that is effectively creepy.

ALONE IN THE DARK (1982) - Not the Uwe Boll adaption of the video game, but an odd 1982 entry into slasher films.  Dwight Schultz plays a psychiatrist hired to help Donald Pleasance with his psychiatric hospital.  Schultz just moves into his house with his wife and daughter in time for a black-out to allow the escape of the 4 most dangerous inmates (Jack Palance, Martin Landau, Erland Van Lidth, and Phillip Clark) from Pleasance's hospital.  The big names all do well, but there's a basic plot problem

Spoiler

it'd make more sense over one night, not two based on how things played out

RAWHEAD REX (1986) - a doofus unleashes an ancient creature / diety; a shifty priest goes full maniac to earn a golden shower and a historian fights to kill the monster / diety.  There are some moments that shine, but the film has a basic problem of not really deciding if Rex is a mindless monster or a creature with a definitive goal and a cunning strategy.  This leads to some contradictory elements in the film that never really reconcile.

[ShadySands]

21 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

As to The Color of Money - I saw that in the theater largely because of Paul Newman. I suppose it was all right, but I liked The Hustler a ton better. Plus I've never liked Tom Cruise in more dramatic roles (vs. adrenaline/action)

I saw it because my mom liked Paul Newman and it was available for rent at our local video store. I think I saw the Aviator because the girl I was dating at the time wanted to rent it. None were my choice though I do like Paul Newman.

Edited November 18, 2022 by ShadySands

[Malcador]

Out of all the Scorcese films I like Goodfellas the best.  Was interesting to note how many Sopranos actors were also in that.

[Amentep]

 

[Hurlshort]

Greatest Beer Run Ever - This is a drama. Sure, the premise sounds silly (albeit very real), but I cried like a little baby. I haven't actually cried that much in awhile. In college, I took a lot of classes on the Vietnam War and read a lot of literature (ie The Quiet American, 4 Hours in My Lai, In Pharaoh's Army.) This movie felt like those books. It was deeply unsettling. I'm not sure why it isn't considered an important piece of filmmaking, but then again I'm not sure why Graham Greene's Quiet American isn't required reading. Anyways, go watch it with a beer in hand. It will give you something to cry into.

Spoiler

The depiction of the Tet Offensive was very well done.

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by Hurlshort