asianxcore

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

As someone who enjoyed Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), I didn't enjoy this film very much.

It felt overstuffed and performances felt oddly wooden/flat.

Even so, there was enough Proton Pack usage to sustain my attention for 115 minutes.

asianxcore

Immaculate (2024)

Although the film beautifully shot, even Sydney Sweeney can't save how absolutely dull the entirety of the film is.

The final 10-12 minutes of the film splatter & chaos similar to beloved Italian Horrror classics but by then the film has already spun its wheels (and run-time).

asianxcore

Enys Men (2022)

Director Mark Jenkin's experimental Folk Horror film isn't for everyone but is beautifully shot in 16mm and delightfully strange.

DWilson

Anatomy of A Fall Hulu
Sandra Huller. Directed by Justine Triet. 2023
A woman is suspected of her husband's murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the sole witness.

A long, subdued film, but fortunately it becomes more engrossing as it goes along. Some of the French court scenes were confusing, as they differ from what I'm familiar with in the US courtroom dramas. I was also distracted because the Prosecuting Attorney looked like a "Skinhead", or perhaps that's my problem.

I will say that for a film I spent two hours and thirty minutes with, I was hoping for a more satisfying conclusion than I got (or perhaps I missed the point).

JeffTheAlpaca

New to Netflix


A provocative and edgy radio host (Mel Gibson) must play a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a mysterious caller who's kidnapped his family and is threatening to blow up the whole station.

Maybe the ending for most might be WTF and what was I watching and was it a waste of time or maybe something new and original?

Cellar Door

Road House (2024) - worth a watch for the fight scenes, but not as satisfying as the original.

JeffTheAlpaca

The Godfather

I finally opened this bad boy

It is sad and strange watching it for the first time with James Caan no longer with us.

Maybe in one meeting scene nobody is still alive except Robert Duvall.

It looks a lot cleaner than the restoration blu-ray and not as much grain showing like it did with that release.

JeffTheAlpaca

And probably zero or less nudity compared to the original

Cellar Door

Well, you do see



Toby Dramit

Cleaner and not as much grain is probably not a good thing. I thought Robert Harris did an excellent job on the restoration blu-ray.

DWilson

Immaculate
Sydney Sweeney. Directed by Michael Mohan. 2024
Cecilia, a woman of devout faith, is warmly welcomed to the picture-perfect Italian countryside where she is offered a new role at an illustrious convent. But it becomes clear to Cecilia that her new home harbors dark and horrifying secrets.

Not particularly an undiscovered gem, but not a fugazi, either. I liked that it had an idea in its head, and wasn't just a PG-13 jump-scare Horror movie. I wish the director had a bit more edginess, but there's some good stuff here, and any film that seems to reference "Mark of the Devil" can't be all bad.

DWilson

The China Syndrome Powerhouse Films Blu-Ray
Jack Lemmon, Jane Fonda. Directed by James Bridges. 1979
While doing a report on energy sources, ambitious reporter Kimberly Wells witnesses a near-accident at a nuclear power plant. Attempting to publicize the incident, Wells soon finds herself entangled in an inquiry by a senior engineer at the plant into possible faults that the power company refuses to acknowledge.

I remember seeing this on its opening weekend, back in March 1979. I thought it was an excellent Thriller. I remember a moment in the Third Act that was truly scary, -I had no idea where "The China Syndrome" was going at that moment, -and I was really exhilarated by the film. The story is elevated by having terrific actors and familiar faces for even the smaller roles. Both Wilfred Brimley and Michael Douglas bring credibility to their supporting roles (Douglas was a producer on the film).

However, watching it all these years later, knowing how it all plays out in the end, "The China Syndrome" doesn't work quite as well for me anymore. As I expected, the suspense was pretty much gone. I mostly saw them selling The Message, and they do it exceedingly well. It's a good film, and a good package, but it was also not quite the experience I had hoped for.

JeffTheAlpaca

Not a big UFC fan but he comes across as a major douche

JeffTheAlpaca

HBO Max

I am glad Cage is working with the good directors and scripts again and is out of his slump

DWilson

Road House Amazon Prime
Jake Gyllenhaal. Directed by Doug Liman. 2024
Ex-UFC fighter Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.

I expected a lot of call-backs to the original, -hell, I wanted a few call-backs, -but I appreciate that the film is firmly its own thing. I also appreciate its quirkiness. It's an entertaining film, though it exists in an "Action Film" kind of Reality, if you know what I mean. Like so many current films, I think it overdoes the carnage in the Third Act.

JeffTheAlpaca

I want to see Road House but waiting for a free prime for a week or discount

DeFan

If you'd like to see more of Annette Bening you should check out The Grifters - 1990.




A satisfyingly twisty neo noir with low rent con artists playing cons on each other. From a Jim Thompson novel. Annette Bening has said her performance was inspired by the classic noir actress Gloria Grahame and she pulls it off. I saw it on Criterion a couple of months ago but it seems to be gone.

DeFan

The Criterion Channel has a Razzie collection so I thought I would catch up on a couple.


The choreography seems awkward although dancing on roller skates is probably difficult.. The costumes are so awful they make Olivia Newton John look dowdy. Gene Kelly fares ok although somewhat of a downer for his last movie. The male lead is terrible. I don't like ELO so the soundtrack is blah. It's flashy and might make a fun midnight movie with the proper chemical enhancement.

DeFan

Second Razzie movie - Ishtar 1987


It's amusing to see the attempt to rescue its reputation but it really is awful. I didn't laugh once and neither actor can sing. They establish that in the first act so no need to pound it in. The CIA "Satire" is less than juvenile. It deserves its reputation as a bomb.

JANK

Journey To The Center Of The Earth (1960)

DWilson

I was tempted to post something similar after reading the original "Bugsy" comment. I was a big fan of "The Grifters" and Annette Bening made a huge impression on me (I'm sure you can imagine why). Seeing her just a few years later, she almost seems like a different actress.

Cellar Door

I was smitten with Olivia Newton-John when I was ~10-12 years old. Grease and Xanadu were in heavy rotation on HBO and I watched both more times than I can remember, and her Physical album came out around then, too. I thought the whole gods and muses part of Xanadu was cool back then, but I haven't rewatched it in a long, long time.

DWilson

I originally saw "Xanadu" in the theater back in the day. It was at a "twin theater", and I snuck in after I watched the movie I actually paid for. "Xanadu" was awful, though I enjoyed the music, and still do. Michael Beck was mis-cast, Gene Kelly was punching below his weight, and Olivia was ...pleasant. I watched it again few years back late one night on TCM and it played more as a "guilty pleasure" for me, and I rather enjoyed it. It still has a dopey script, but it landed more as nostalgia. The big roller disco number is one big mess, but I enjoy the talent on display within it; the same with Kelly's simple dance number with Olivia.

TheMovieman

Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary (2019) — Decent documentary that could've been edited better as it felt, at least a bit disjointed. However, nice to see they managed to get the cast who each had fondness for the movie along with the director and writer. I'm wondering if under a more skillful documentarian this could've been great, instead it's a nice watch and appreciation for a greats sci-fi comedy. ***½/***** (Blu-ray)

JeffTheAlpaca

I saw that before but a long time ago but it will be like a new movie again thanks