2024 MOVIES DISCUSSION THREAD

[(BP)]

11 minutes ago, Brian Fowler said:

Bit late getting to this, but the novels are literally a shared universe.

Also it apparently took just an absurd amount of negotiation, red tape, etc to get Keaton in that cameo because of it being two different studios and whatnot, and Miramax having the rights to Michael Keaton as Ray Nicolette.

I was trying to figure out which Leonard books shared the Karen Sisco character, and because Justified is a huge blind spot for me I didn’t know they had Carla Cugino reprise her role from the single-season ABC Sisco show. Apparently they didn’t even have the rights to the character, so they just alluded that her character had a different last name because she’d been married.  

[Brian Fowler]

3 minutes ago, (BP) said:

I was trying to figure out which Leonard books shared the Karen Sisco character, and because Justified is a huge blind spot for me I didn’t know they had Carla Cugino reprise her role from the single-season ABC Sisco show. Apparently they didn’t even have the rights to the character, so they just alluded that her character had a different last name because she’d been married.  

I think it's just Out of Sight and a short story that I haven't read, but I'm not a Leonard expert so I might be wrong.

[Technico Support]

5 hours ago, Travis Sheldon said:

Megaforce was advertised on every comic I read that year. 

 

Yes!  The only reason I knew about this movie was the comic ads!

[Andrew POE!]

Watched some more movies....

Birth (leaving Criterion on April 30)

Spoiler

Movie is pretty close to perfect despite its creepy subject. Nicole Kidman does a great job as a disconnected socialite who starts believe a kid’s story that he’s her dead husband. The movie does make you wonder how the kid thought of the scheme in the first place.

The director said this movie was about “eternal love,” but really it could be about mental illness.

The soundtrack is happy and hopeful which completely goes against the tone of the film (and is a wise choice).

This movie is almost Kubrick like at times (especially echoing Eyes Wide Shut) but it’s different enough to be it’s own thing.

Cocktail (leaving Criterion on April 30)

Spoiler

The movie is a warning about commercialism and how money shouldn't rule people's lives. Yet, it was made in the '80s where being superficial and money driven was simply acceptable. Reganomics in the movie just simply works. The movie starts out great for the first hour or so - when it turns serious, it turns bad. Tom Cruise has loads of charisma obviously but even he can't rise above the material.

If the movie just focused on bartenders becoming rich somehow, it would have been great. Instead, it turns into melodrama over a bet about a bartender bagging an older woman (which is really gross if you think about it). The women in the movie are bargaining chips until all of a sudden Tom Cruise's character realizes he has genuine feelings for Elizabeth Shue's character (who is the best part of the movie). These genuine feelings happen in the last 25 minutes.

So it's not the worst movie ever but it's bad in the sense that it has drama that wasn't needed.

Quo Vadis, Aida? (leaving Hulu on April 9)

Spoiler

Devastatingly perfect. Probably should have gotten Best International Film at the 2020 Oscars over Another Round (but I guess seeing Mads Mikkelsen dancing does it).

The film tells of the despair and agony from the Srebrenica massacre and how a translator is helpless to try to protect her family from being taken away. You can see the frantic in Jasna Duricic (Aida) as she tries to find a way to save them and deal with the forced bureaucracy from Thom Karremans (Johan Heidenbergh).

The scene where the men are lead to a room and die is chilling. Not in what's shown but what's not shown. The scenes toward the end where Aida visits her old apartment and finally sees the remains of her family is tough to endure at times. The ending showing the schoolkids performing shows a lot in their faces - they are still recovering from what they've endured; some of the kids and adults can't even smile or enjoy themselves anymore.

Definitely seek out this movie before it leaves Hulu or find a Blu Ray copy.

 

[Tabe]

14 hours ago, Andrew POE! said:

Watched some more movies....

Birth (leaving Criterion on April 30)

  Reveal hidden contents

Movie is pretty close to perfect despite its creepy subject. Nicole Kidman does a great job as a disconnected socialite who starts believe a kid’s story that he’s her dead husband. The movie does make you wonder how the kid thought of the scheme in the first place.

The director said this movie was about “eternal love,” but really it could be about mental illness.

The soundtrack is happy and hopeful which completely goes against the tone of the film (and is a wise choice).

This movie is almost Kubrick like at times (especially echoing Eyes Wide Shut) but it’s different enough to be it’s own thing.

Cocktail (leaving Criterion on April 30)

  Reveal hidden contents

The movie is a warning about commercialism and how money shouldn't rule people's lives. Yet, it was made in the '80s where being superficial and money driven was simply acceptable. Reganomics in the movie just simply works. The movie starts out great for the first hour or so - when it turns serious, it turns bad. Tom Cruise has loads of charisma obviously but even he can't rise above the material.

If the movie just focused on bartenders becoming rich somehow, it would have been great. Instead, it turns into melodrama over a bet about a bartender bagging an older woman (which is really gross if you think about it). The women in the movie are bargaining chips until all of a sudden Tom Cruise's character realizes he has genuine feelings for Elizabeth Shue's character (who is the best part of the movie). These genuine feelings happen in the last 25 minutes.

So it's not the worst movie ever but it's bad in the sense that it has drama that wasn't needed.

Quo Vadis, Aida? (leaving Hulu on April 9)

  Reveal hidden contents

Devastatingly perfect. Probably should have gotten Best International Film at the 2020 Oscars over Another Round (but I guess seeing Mads Mikkelsen dancing does it).

The film tells of the despair and agony from the Srebrenica massacre and how a translator is helpless to try to protect her family from being taken away. You can see the frantic in Jasna Duricic (Aida) as she tries to find a way to save them and deal with the forced bureaucracy from Thom Karremans (Johan Heidenbergh).

The scene where the men are lead to a room and die is chilling. Not in what's shown but what's not shown. The scenes toward the end where Aida visits her old apartment and finally sees the remains of her family is tough to endure at times. The ending showing the schoolkids performing shows a lot in their faces - they are still recovering from what they've endured; some of the kids and adults can't even smile or enjoy themselves anymore.

Definitely seek out this movie before it leaves Hulu or find a Blu Ray copy.

 

Shue is the only good part of Cocktail. The movie's concept and plot are just so stupid and ridiculous. But she's so hot and interesting that you can forget all that when she's around. 

[Mister TV]

35 minutes ago, Tabe said:

Shue is the only good part of Cocktail. The movie's concept and plot are just so stupid and ridiculous. But she's so hot and interesting that you can forget all that when she's around. 

Haven't seen Cocktail in ages but remember it being total Regan era propaganda like Ferris Bueller, even though Cruise's character turns down a payoff from Shue's dad.

[Tabe]

31 minutes ago, Mister TV said:

Haven't seen Cocktail in ages but remember it being total Regan era propaganda like Ferris Bueller, even though Cruise's character turns down a payoff from Shue's dad.

I honestly don't remember much details about the movie since it wasn't good enough to watch again and I haven't seen it in 30 years. 

[Andrew POE!]

1 hour ago, Tabe said:

I honestly don't remember much details about the movie since it wasn't good enough to watch again and I haven't seen it in 30 years. 

Well, if you want to get Criterion Channel, now's your chance!

I'm surprised it showed up on there. Freddy's Got Fingered is on there too but anything with Tom Green is a turnoff for me completely.

[odessasteps]

1 hour ago, Andrew POE! said:

Well, if you want to get Criterion Channel, now's your chance!

I'm surprised it showed up on there. Freddy's Got Fingered is on there too but anything with Tom Green is a turnoff for me completely.

I presume it was part of Razzies Month, along with Ishtar, Heavens Gate, Xanadu and the rest. 

[Curt McGirt]

Heaven's Gate is shoot awesome no matter what they thought in 1980.

[odessasteps]

12 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

Heaven's Gate is shoot awesome no matter what they thought in 1980.

Not disputing that, but it was part of the promotion this month. As discussed earlier, I am in the camp that thinks Ishtar is not as bad asits reputation. And Xanadu has kitsch AND Gene Kelly roller skating. 

[HarryArchieGus]

21 hours ago, Andrew POE! said:

Watched some more movies....

Birth (leaving Criterion on April 30)

  Reveal hidden contents

Movie is pretty close to perfect despite its creepy subject. Nicole Kidman does a great job as a disconnected socialite who starts believe a kid’s story that he’s her dead husband. The movie does make you wonder how the kid thought of the scheme in the first place.

The director said this movie was about “eternal love,” but really it could be about mental illness.

The soundtrack is happy and hopeful which completely goes against the tone of the film (and is a wise choice).

This movie is almost Kubrick like at times (especially echoing Eyes Wide Shut) but it’s different enough to be it’s own thing.

Cocktail (leaving Criterion on April 30)

  Reveal hidden contents

The movie is a warning about commercialism and how money shouldn't rule people's lives. Yet, it was made in the '80s where being superficial and money driven was simply acceptable. Reganomics in the movie just simply works. The movie starts out great for the first hour or so - when it turns serious, it turns bad. Tom Cruise has loads of charisma obviously but even he can't rise above the material.

If the movie just focused on bartenders becoming rich somehow, it would have been great. Instead, it turns into melodrama over a bet about a bartender bagging an older woman (which is really gross if you think about it). The women in the movie are bargaining chips until all of a sudden Tom Cruise's character realizes he has genuine feelings for Elizabeth Shue's character (who is the best part of the movie). These genuine feelings happen in the last 25 minutes.

So it's not the worst movie ever but it's bad in the sense that it has drama that wasn't needed.

Quo Vadis, Aida? (leaving Hulu on April 9)

  Reveal hidden contents

Devastatingly perfect. Probably should have gotten Best International Film at the 2020 Oscars over Another Round (but I guess seeing Mads Mikkelsen dancing does it).

The film tells of the despair and agony from the Srebrenica massacre and how a translator is helpless to try to protect her family from being taken away. You can see the frantic in Jasna Duricic (Aida) as she tries to find a way to save them and deal with the forced bureaucracy from Thom Karremans (Johan Heidenbergh).

The scene where the men are lead to a room and die is chilling. Not in what's shown but what's not shown. The scenes toward the end where Aida visits her old apartment and finally sees the remains of her family is tough to endure at times. The ending showing the schoolkids performing shows a lot in their faces - they are still recovering from what they've endured; some of the kids and adults can't even smile or enjoy themselves anymore.

Definitely seek out this movie before it leaves Hulu or find a Blu Ray copy.

 

Yeah, Birth is perfection. One of Kidman's best performances during an (off/on) incredible run with the aforementioned Eyes Wide Shut, (underrated) The Others, The Hours, Dogville and Margot at the Wedding. Glazer's films have been can't miss events since Sexy Beast. 

Oh, I caught The Devils before it left the channel. It was not what I had expected. Forgetting the title, but the accompanying doc on CC was a nice companion piece. After seeing that and reading about the film it feels like we're being cheated by all the longstanding cuts. Such a shame that the film is still being held hostage after all these years. That said, what Is the film we're able to watch is pretty terrific. Beautiful Gemma Jones radiated from the screen and stole all her scenes. Oliver Reed was excellent in the lead. Redgrave too. Such an inventive and interesting score by Peter Maxwell Davies. This was my first outing with director Ken Russell, and I'm thoroughly impressed. I've been holding onto a copy of Women In Love for many years, and look forward to making that my second voyage.

I also rewatched Kubrick's grossly underrated second feature 'The Killer's Kiss'. I love watching the raw Master left to his devices, his words, his camera., a tiny budget. The result is an absolutely beautiful movie. Always overlooked in his sparkling canon. I've been on a Stanley kick. Along with the Killers Kiss I watched an hour long doc called Kubrick by Kubrick featuring an audio interview by the man himself. Well worth a watch (on Kanopy). Off to see a screening of Clockwork Orange tomorrow. Very excited. Been at least 10 years. 

Edited April 4 by HarryArchieGus

[Andrew POE!]

I started on The Boy Friend (which came out the same year as The Devils) but just wasn't enjoying it. Marathon movie watching can be taxing at times lol especially if there's a time deadline. I don't really want to force myself to watch something - so if I'm not finding something interesting or not feeling it, I may skip the movie.

Yeah, I'll have to track down the early Kubrick movies he did. I tried to watch Paths of Glory one time and it didn't click with me at all. Jealous about seeing a screening of A Clockwork Orange. That would have been wild to have seen in theaters when it first came out.

Here's what I saw today:

The Man Who Sold His Skin (earlier this week, it was leaving Hulu but now I'm not sure):

Spoiler

The premise of the movie is sadly Oscar bait - let's talk about regions of the world that are tragic and unspeakable with groups of people that have no choice and let's make it a melodramatic film. The acting at times is decent - Yahya Mahayni (Sam) and Dea Liane (Abeer) are great in their roles.

But the film is sadly kinda dull once you get past the premise. There isn't much to compel the story forward - Sam loves Abeer but she marries a rich jerk because of the fact that he can leave Syria freely and works at an embassy. The only bit of tension is between Sam and her husband. When Sam is attacked at an exhibition, he strangely doesn't want to press charges - despite not owing the guy a single thing. Sam's characterization is all over the place - yes, he must regret getting a tattoo of a visa for an art exhibit but it doesn't explain his behavior. Sam's behavior towards the end and having Abeer as a translator was too much of an easy coincidence.

The movie attempts to make a statement about art and human lives in war torn countries but it misses the target. The Square did a better job of satiring this subject matter and was a more compelling movie. The ending was again another easy coincidence; it would have been more true to life if Sam died and his actual back became an exhibit rather than "wow science" of recreating his skin.

I will say the film is shot well and there is beautiful cinematography throughout. Scenery in Brussels is especially enjoyable.

Ministry of Fear (leaving Criterion at the end of the month)

Spoiler

Movie starts intriguingly enough but by the end isn't very interesting. The movie picks up in the last 20 minutes of the movie.

I wondered if it would be become a macabre film noir movie with the seance, but those elements lead nowhere. Instead, it's a basically a "good guy is trying to prove his innocence while outrunning Nazis."

Probably not one of Fritz Lang's best movies.

Sorry To Bother You (leaving Mubi next week)

Spoiler

For about 8 years after graduating from college, I worked jobs I barely enjoyed to make ends meet. I worked at call centers. Some of the call center work I did, I couldn't stand on a personal, moral and ethical level. I answered the phones for a state revenue agency and lied to people about their tax returns. It was lying in the sense that the state decided to cut funding and delay returns; the head of the agency barely cared and his argument was that 'his agency didn't have the money' and 'he wasn't going to spend the money' (never mind the fact that the state was at a budget surplus).

Another job I worked, I had to drive a Cutlass Ciera that barely started and when it did, it was in danger of stalling out. One time on the way to work, it did at least twice. The smell coming from the car was raucous and nauseating; it smelled like rotten eggs. Finally, it just stopped working and I left it on the side of the road. I had it towed to my house.

The point is, a movie like Sorry To Bother You spoke to me on that level. I understood what Cassius Green (LaKeith Stanfield) went through to take a job at Regalview in telemarketing.

The movie works on the level of being an incredible metaphor for today's times. Coupled with it speaking about the black experience in the US is great; it can help a white guy like me relate and understand (however small) something that black people have to deal with daily. They have to appear to be 'acceptable' to white society (the 'white voice' talked about in this movie) while juggling being true to themselves. A life spent living more honestly and more free is more amazing than worrying about pleasing white people that can't begin to understand (myself included).

The last 20 minutes or so is completely insane - but again speaks on that level. Those with money and control over people's lives would want them to work endlessly - thus is capitalism. So why not inject people with a serum that turns them into horse people too?

Sorry To Bother You is our generation's Office Space, our Idiocracy. I really can't wait to see what the director Boots Riley does next for a movie.

 

Edited April 5 by Andrew POE!

[Curt McGirt]

I started to watch Paths of Glory recently but had to turn it off. I was right in the middle of the trial and I could see it was gonna make me very, very mad. 

[Curt McGirt]

Oh man, didn't notice Sorry To Bother You up there. Don't remember what it's up against but that was probably my favorite movie of that year.

[zendragon]

19 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Heaven's Gate is shoot awesome no matter what they thought in 1980.

The uncut 4 hour version is great. I've only read Roger Ebert's review of the other version but I understand they butchered it

[Contentious C]

Well, I guess if they had to get someone for a Ben Franklin movie, Michael Douglas is probably the right call, since he knows the travails of STDs as well as anyone.

[Curt McGirt]

I've seen the original and it feels truncated, but still great. If I had to put it in one word, I'd call it "unique". Need to catch that 4 hour cut someday.

[Andrew POE!]

Some more movies today....

The Plains (leaving Mubi on April 17)

Spoiler

Honestly, this film is either the most paddling boring waste of 3 hours or interesting in its premise despite bouts of tedium. If you're expecting loads of action, drama, or excitement, you're in the wrong place. If you're expecting the guy to ram his car into the annoying traffic and people who don't know how to get out of the way, that won't happen here. If you expect radio commentators to not try to trigger a rise of their listeners, that won't happen. If you're thankful that the driver doesn't listen to American conservative radio, you're in luck with that too.

Let's not kid ourselves either - it's not the 'greatest film ever made.' But it's good enough.

But the premise is boring - yet the execution of it works simply with the main focus of the movie being the driver and the fragments of life you see and hear through the movie. I found myself enjoying the 3 hour run time as it's broken up by separate drives from the office, conversations on the phone, conversations in the car, radio talk show segments, and seeing businesses and billboards on the drive.

Experience this movie once.

Viola (leaving Mubi on April 17)

Spoiler

Rather short but confusing at times as to what the story is. Is it actors doing rehearsals or actors living their lives? The main character just sorta pops in and rides around on Buenos Aires on a bicycle.

The women are pretty so it has that going for it.

The song at the end is absolute dogshit. They should keep their day jobs of bicycling around Buenoes Aires selling stuff. Guy singing sounds like a Spanish Kermit the Frog.

Wicked Little Letters (saw at the theater)

Spoiler

Once you get past the setup (prim proper English people having to read swearing), it's a solid movie. It will not set the world on fire but it executes the story well.

Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley just carry the movie - Jessie Buckley's character Rose has equal parts humor and seriousness. The supporting characters did their parts and lifted the movie up beyond what would be expected as a weak movie.

The only drawback I have with the movie is it telegraphs a bit too early who actually did it. The rest of the movie was just catching the culprit. At first, I thought it was the father or the police chief that wrote the letters. But alas that wasn't the case.

The final line was hilarious.

Defending Your Life (leaving Criterion Channel at the end of the month)

Spoiler

Great movie. To me, this is what Woody Allen thinks his movies are like before people actually watch them and realize how unlikable and neurotic Woody Allen is.

Absolutely pitch perfect comedy with philosophical elements that simply just work. Albert Brooks is able to talk about things that a lot of people think about - fear, death, finding love, and having your life have meaning.

Great ending as well and Meryl Streep is wonderful as well. Some genuine funny moments througout.

"How did you die?" "On stage, like you."

"Do I know you?" "I hope so."

 

 

Edited April 6 by Andrew POE!

[Andrew POE!]

Movies today:

Benediction (leaving Hulu on April 15)

Spoiler

I have mixed feelings about this movie - it almost feels like two separate movies. The portions with Peter Capaldi as an older Siegfried Sassoon just glances on his life and his conversion to Catholicism; the bulk of the time is spent with the excellent Jack Lowden in Siegfried's younger days as it shows memories of his love affairs, his desire to object to WW1 and the society days he was a part of. In a lot of ways, both portrayals are like two completely different people.

If the movie was more focused on either of the two, it would have been better. I found myself liking the movie but finding my interest waning at times due to the length and certain sections not appearing interesting to me. The initial desertion and stay at the military hospital were the most interesting for me. When it got to his relationships, my interest started to wan. Sassoon's relationships seem to run about the same through the course of the movie - he likes men that grow easily impatient with him after a time and moves on to the next man, who does the same. I somewhat wished the movie showed how the younger Siegfried became like the older Siegfried in his portrayal (beyond the passage of time and age of course). More scenes of the young Siegfried in his home life that planted seeds for the angry, bitter old man he became rather than “he has a baby and presents himself as being a happy family man.” At some point as well Hester Gatty simply disappears toward the end where the older Siegfried shouts at his son George (where you have to presume it’s due to her death but it’s never spelled out).

Still, it's pretty amazing to see a big budget drama about a gay man in the times of Covid.

The First Omen (saw at a theater)

Spoiler

Immaculate walked so The First Omen could run. Conceptually, thematically and artistically, it improves so much on what Immaculate was trying to do. At times, it would have parallelism to Immaculate. The differences are readily apparent above watching both films though (Nell Tiger Free doesn't scream in your face for over a minute near the end).

I'm not sure which shot I liked better: Immaculate's shot following Sydney Sweeney leading to the spot of a nun's suicide or The First Omen's tracking shot inside the car as protestors swarm around it.

A lot of The First Omen stuck with me and there are times in the movie that are genuinely scary and suspenseful.

Also, Ralph Ineson should star in a Severus Shape prequel movie or if they re-do Die Hard he can be Hans Gruber.

Crimson Peak (leaving Netflix on April 15)

Spoiler

Wonderful Gothic horror movie that's similar to older Vincent Price movies. Oozes with style and Guillermo Del Toro is just a great director. Movie doesn't really telegraph what Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain's characters will do but it's obviously the direction it may go.

The only drawback is the almost comical way people towards the end get stabbed but stay alive somehow. I halfway expected Jessica Chastain's character to get up somehow from getting hit with the shovel.

 

[Andrew POE!]

Movies today...

Jonaki (leaving Netflix next week)

Spoiler

Simply watching the movie, nothing is interesting or makes sense. But images keep repeating and later have a meaning behind it. From what I can tell with the way the movie tells its story, the woman in the movie is remembering her life and is in a coma. During her life, she had gotten married but her mother was angry at her over the marriage. Her husband was working all the time to the point that he wasn't eating. They tried to have children, but she suffered a miscarriage and they later had a son. Oranges appear quite a bit and the last image of the movie was her husband visiting her with a bag of oranges.

A lot of the movie is simply in what's shown but oftentimes it appears disconnected.

I'd love to see what Aditya Vikram Sengupta does next. Maybe he can have the kind of luck Denis Villeneuve has had with mainstream cinema and make artistic films with vast commercial appeal.

Once Upon A Time in Anatolia (leaving Mubi next week)

Spoiler

@HarryArchieGusI watched a Nuri Bilge Ceylan movie on Mubi!

Movie isn't really engaging but the far-off shot at the beginning was great. I love how it presents a subject matter that other film makers would imprint with drama as a routine job (investigation of a murder scene). They talk about random topics like a woman giving birth then deciding to die (or really taking enough dosage of a medicine to give herself a heart attack), one of the guy's wife is from the village they're visiting, how the village needs a morgue and suffer a power out, and the police chief feeling like he's being jerked around by the murder suspect.

In fact when the police chief starts to beat up the murder suspect, it's actually stopped. Other movies would have kept going.

Very dry subject matter. I'll try to check out the director's other works (including About Dry Grasses).

 

[Curt McGirt]

Holy crap I never knew this existed, read about it just today on the Trailers from Hell site and THERE IT IS ON MY TV. One of the random streamer channels has it on, for absolutely no reason except to blow my mind. It's...

Spoiler

SANTA CLAUS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OYs4meJULM

[Mister TV]

3 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

Holy crap I never knew this existed, read about it just today on the Trailers from Hell site and THERE IT IS ON MY TV. One of the random streamer channels has it on, for absolutely no reason except to blow my mind. It's...

  Hide contents

SANTA CLAUS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OYs4meJULM

MST3K riffed it back in the day, think it was one of the first Mike Nelson episodes. 

[odessasteps]

No, Lupita. 

Even though I was a Joel guy, I love Santa Claus. Used the "nations of the world" bit as part of a conference paper on MST. 

[Curt McGirt]

I'll forever hate the Marion, IL cable system we had for not having the Sci-Fi Channel so I could grow up watching MST3K like I always wanted to.

EDIT: They did have the cable box that was easily wired for HBO, however

Edited April 8 by Curt McGirt