• ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️



    Film & Television

    Welcome Guest


    ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
  • ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
    Forum Rules Film Chit-Chat
    Recently Watched Best Documentaries
    ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
  • Film & TV Moderators: ghostfreak

Film What's the last film you saw? v. Why doesn’t Peter Jackson wear shoes?

Serpico (1973) starring Al Pachino.

I can’t believe I missed out on this movie for so long. Touching moving about an honest cop among a systemically corrupt and bureaucratic system. Great story line, great character development, Pachino’s performance was great. Based on a true story making me look up the biography of Detective Serpico, really touching life story.
 
Serpico (1973) starring Al Pachino.

I can’t believe I missed out on this movie for so long. Touching moving about an honest cop among a systemically corrupt and bureaucratic system. Great story line, great character development, Pachino’s performance was great. Based on a true story making me look up the biography of Detective Serpico, really touching life story.

Pacino is probably my favourite actor (not based on looks hehe). I last saw him in The Irishman as Jimmy Hoffa and he was hilarious. Got Scarface lined up to watch soon as well.
 
The Lighthouse (2019) - 5/5, honestly one of the best pieces of cinema I've ever seen

This film makes me so incredibly uncomfortable. It may be one of the most cinematically accurate depictions of delusional psychosis I've ever seen.

There is quite a bit to examine in the movie, lots of symbolism.

The first time I watched this movie I had to turn it off, it was disturbing me...

It's fairly disturbing in some parts, and not a feel good movie.... but amazingly dark and memorable. This movie makes you feel as if you are going insane yourself while watching it.

10/10, amazing performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson

 
a very odd comedy/horror called Tusk, it was profound and ludicrous just the way i like `em

Oh my goodness I watched that a few months ago and it's nutz. For those that wanna know it's a horror film where a guy abducted this dude and then slowly over time did surgery on the person's body to make him a human walrus. It's such a crazy movie and is quite captivating and will make you squirm in your seat and laugh to yourself at the same time.
 
The Sting [1973] by George Roy Hill

This is a good example of "they don't make 'em like they used to". Just a solid film with two great performances by Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The dialogue is sharp and there doesn't seem too much 'fat', everything advances the plot or is a 'twist' in some way. There's nothing here that will blow you away or innovate any new techniques, but there isn't anything to complain about either. Recommended for fans of The Hustler. 4.25/5

It's a Gift [1934] by Norman Z. McLeod

Just another W.C. Fields joint. The humor may be a bit dated but some of the stuff is timeless. There's the familiar trope of "man down on his luck, nagging wife and bratty children in tow". The whole thing feels like a stage play at times, very vaudevillian. A lot of the jokes are really driven to the ground at times, but there are enough yuks to make it not feel like a complete waste of time. Speaking of, this one is a little over an hour long but felt longer somehow. Imagine that. 2.75/5

Popiół i diament AKA Ashes and Diamonds [1958] by Andrzej Wajda

A little Polish cinema for that ass. Aside from the opening scene, it starts a little slow. Actually, most of the film is like this and I'd be lying if I didn't feel a little zoned out at times. Historical dramas will do that. Or maybe social media truly is ruining my brain. Anyways, as the film unfolds, there are some pretty damn cool shots sprinkled throughout. The kind of scenes that make you raise both eyebrows, purse your lips, and nod in surprised appreciation (try it). The more I think about the plot, the deeper is seems than off my initial viewing. I feel like that's always the sign of a good film, if it 'stays' with you. In a way where it almost has to marinate in your subconscious for a bit. So yeah, I liked aspects of this film. But it did not make it on my permanent e-shelf, because ultimately there wasn't . . . enough. What's crazy is when I read about a film after having seen it (and personally rated it as less than mindblowing-ly stellar) then I read "Martin Scorsese, Hayao Miyazaki, and Francis Ford Coppola all list this film as one of their favorites of all time". Like, really? I mean, they are old. This film is old. Maybe I had to be there? Who am I to argue with those 3 tho. Eh, it's all subjective anyway. 4/5
 
Last edited:
bonus about Ashes and Diamonds. Name me a cooler lead character:


Ashes.jpg


Almost make me want to post a screen capture with every review. Don't we have a thread for that stuff? :unsure: I remember when I used to mod this forum lol.

But yeah, the actor (Zbigniew Cybulski, what a name) was apparently known as the Polish James Dean. I can see it.

I want those sunglasses, dammit.

781b03b9-de26-4a95-9365-95834e45da5b.62ac69a6e4e92fbbbd37cf37d694c8e2.jpeg
 
Don't we have a thread for that stuff? :unsure:
We do, somewhere... I'm a bit distracted today to find it but I know the thread exists lol
But yeah, the actor was known as the Polish James Dean. I can see it.
I can definitely see it.

I want a pair of sunglasses like the lead character wears in Leon: The Professional. Watched that again last night and thought, "Dare I move away from my 80s style aviators?"
 
Prey - 2021



At last a decent Predator film!! Well I have a soft spot for 2 and the previous entry but this one blows them but the original (of course) out of the water.

The style of the ‘prehistoric’ predator was very much a surprise and the fight sequences absolutely rocked - more of this please!

4.5/5
 
Last edited:
^ I've heard good things about Prey so far. Will have to check out.



Uomini si nasce poliziotti si muore AKA Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man AKA The Terminators [1976] by Ruggero Deodato

What a title tho. Back on my 70s Italian crime thriller bullshit. Heard about this one via the infamous Edgar Wright/Tarantino commentary. Low budget, edgy, exploitation flick. Starts off with a 10 minute bike chase through the streets of Rome, where I'm not totally sure they got permission to shoot. Guerilla. I like it, Picasso. Usual buddy cop film following two "secret special-op super cops" who operate "above the law" and "play by their own rules". You know the vibes. They work hard and party harder. Expect to see a fair amount of boobs and bush and gore and shootouts in this one. Classic funk/jazz score. Like 2am taco bell, so bad it's good, guilty pleasure type beat. 3.5/5


Le Trou AKA The Night Watch AKA The Hole [1960] by Jacques Becker

I'm a fan of prison shows/documentaries (60 Days In, Locked Up, etc). So seeing how they portray jail life in this film takes some suspension of belief and took me a bit out of the story, tbh. The inmates are buddy buddy with the guards and bffs with the warden? No one is ever handcuffed and are able to walk around freely? WTF? Maybe prison in 50s Paris was really like that, I don't know. That aside, the story is solid. It starts off a bit slow (5 minute close up continuous take showing them just try to hammer the floor with no dialogue? Umm...) but it picks up in the latter half. Bit of a heartbreaking end and the scene where the mirror shows all the guards literally made me gasp out loud, holy!! This could have been a stage play and it feels very much like a Twilight Zone episode for some reason, minus any weird or paranormal shit. 3.75/5


The Guilt Stricken Audio Recorder Trilogy!

The Conversation [1974] by Francis Ford Coppola

First up, we got what might be my favorite Gene Hackman performance. Plus a bonus young Harrison Ford. A lot to unpack in this one. In a good way. The religious angle. The privacy angle. The ending!! Woof, that ending. Even at two hours, there isn't a lot of fat here. Some may argue the plot meanders at times, but the character development is worth it in this case, IMO. The directing has just enough 'spice' to keep things interesting. I'll have to rewatch this someday for sure. Would love to see this remade with an NSA update and Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. 4.25/5

Das Leben der Anderen AKA The Lives of Others [2006] by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Are all spies lonely sad saps? Based on the this one and The Conversation it would appear so. Like other movie, guy has done this a million times and is the "best of the best" but when he learns his actions have consequences he has a change of heart. Convo was a lot more frantic paced, where this is a slow burn. Ulrich Mühe did a great job here, very subtle in his role. I read he somewhat lived through the same things in this film so that makes sense. Hard to believe his character would flip that quickly though? He seemed to be a very hardcore government lackey so? They didn't really explain what was building up to this moment where he flipped. I understand the trigger, per se, but not why it was so triggering. This was *highly* hyped but I don't agree. The acting was good and the plot was solid. Overall ethical theme checks out. But I don't see any WOW moments. Another slow burn but not quite that burning. Maybe dramas like this just aren't my bag. 3.5/5

Blow Out [1981] by Brian De Palma

Travolta does really well here. In my mind, young Travolta is Grease and Saturday Night Fever. So seeing him in a role like this is impressive. There are some big plot holes, especially with the ending. What happened to the killers body? How did Travolta get away with ramming his car through a parade and not get jail time? How did he know where the girl was being taken to after he woke up in the ambulance?? Tough. Anywho, those things aside, visually its a great movie. It's shot mostly at night and has that neo-noir vibe I love. All of the lead roles (Franz, Lithgow, Allen) all just really nail it. It's funny I originally know Lithgow from Third Rock but after seeing his work here and in Dexter it's crazy how stark the differences are and how versatile he is. The ending is a bit abrupt (which I normally kinda like tbh) and it's pretty fucking sad. As far as how it ties into The Conversation and Lives of Others, its a character who comes across a tape and he has doubts about turning in its contents based on trust issues. Oh, and of course, he feels guilt stricken. Anyway, really enjoyed this one. The pacing was nail biting and twisty til the end. I read afterward that De Palma was on his Hitchcock shit in this one and I can totally see it. 4/5

Blow-Up [1966] by Michelangelo Antonioni was supposed to make this a four film marathon but it did not pan out. Ah well.
 
So I finally got around to watching Matrix Resurrections again. It didn't quite resonate with me as much the second time around and I think it is the weakest of the franchise.

My chief complaint was the production itself. Some of the scenes seemed to be kind of thrown together or something. I don't know if it was the lighting or what but I could almost tell they were filming in a fake Hollywood set. I do not recall this feeling in the other films. There were a couple of new characters but the character-building didn't seem as compelling either. Even old characters like the Merovingian only had a cameo, like one scene and that was it. Why even include him if he is only in one 5 minute scene. The guy who played Morpheus' reincarnation did not appear to be confident in his role either. If someone is going to play an old character, I don't expect their personality to be so different like with all the joking around and stuff. Kind of like how the Oracle changed between Reloaded and Revolutions because the actress passed away between filming movies, her personality and mannerisms didn't seem to differ much.

Overall the movie left me unimpressed and a little disappointed. Maybe if the other Wachowski sister was involved or if they had a bigger budget the film would have been better. It just felt like the quality control was a little off track compared to the previous films.

Other than Niobe and the couple of times Sati appeared as well as the Merovingian cameo, it seemed like Resurrections was more of a direct sequel to the first Matrix movie. It did not feel like it picked up where Revolutions left off. Maybe if they make a sequel to Resurrections in order to tie up loose ends it will help the franchise as a whole. But I'm not holding my breath. lol
 
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (6/10)
Jumanji: The Next Level (5/10)

They were okay. I remember seeing the first one when it came out and instantly hating it because it didn't have Robin Williams in it, but they didn't try to replace him like they did with the live-action Aladdin reboot. It's a completely different movie.

I watched it with my little girl this time, which always helps. Kids are great companions for basically any (family-friendly) activity because they love doing everything. It's nice being around these tiny people that love you and everything you say and do... I'm getting side-tracked.

Doesn't quite equal the sum of it's cast's talents (Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black and Danny DeVito and Danny Glover) but there are some funny moments and some good old school blockbuster action.

The Rock's impersonation of Danny DeVito in the second film is very distracting. It's the biggest misfire of The Rock's acting career. I'm not sure if it's meant to be a joke. The accent is appalling.
 
I watch it this two with my daughter also.And we have a good time.She became fan of Star Wars also...Master of the rings,Warcraft....same was with me...start to read my mum's library at 18-20...."Catch 22,Birdy,One flew over cuckoo's nest,On the road.....the first edition translated in my language.....the story is repeating....but the parent now is me....very strange,very kind.....such thing is life,..just incredible
 
Killing of a Sacred Deer, i liked it, Kidman again was fantastic, wild ending, haunting.
 
Top