Re: Last Movie You Watched Thread
 

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Continental Divide Kino Lorber Blu-Ray
John Belushi, Blair Brown. Directed by Michael Apted. 1981
A hard-nosed Chicago journalist has an unlikely love affair with an eagle researcher.

"Continental Divide" is from a script by Lawrence Kasdan, before he became a filmmaker ("The Big Chill") and the scriptwriter of "Raiders of the Lost Ark". It's an homage to the classic Romantic Comedies, and in a different time it would star Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn or Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. It allowed John Belushi to portray a mellower, more identifiable screen character, and he reportedly remained clean and sober during filming. Blair Brown was an excellent actress whose film career never really took off and NBC's attempt to turn into another Mary Tyler Moore didn't work out. It takes a while to set up romance between Belushi and Brown, playing more to Fish-Out-Of-Water Comedy, and the second half of the film takes twice as long as it should as the couple works out a long-distance relationship. Even though I'm being critical, it remains a pleasant enough film, and it left me with a smile.

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Recently bought 4K UHD Steelbook, first time watching :thumbsup:

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The Flash Warner Bros 4K
Ezra Miller. Directed by Andy Muschietti. 2023
Worlds collide when the Flash uses his superpowers to travel back in time to change the events of the past.

Though "The Flash" was a very divisive movie, I generally enjoyed it in the theater. Revisiting the film, the first hour is a lot sillier than I remembered. I preferred "The Flash" I got in "Zack Snyder's Justice League" rather than this zanier version. The film improves once Michael Keaton's "Batman" is introduced, and I enjoyed Sasha Calle's one-and-done appearance as "Supergirl". I will say that Ezra Miller and the filmmakers created a very effective illusion of two separate Barry Allens appearing together in the film. I just wish Andy Mushietti has taken a different approach to the CGI "Chrono-Bowl" sequences and made the various versions of "Superman" and other characters more credible and life-like, rather than appearing like video game characters.

For a recent WB disc, it features a surprising amount of well-produced "Bonus" material.

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Goldfinger (1964)

"My name is Pussy Galore."
"I must be dreaming ..."

My favorite of the Bond films and the one that shot the franchise into the stratosphere. I love everything about this movie ... from the title sequence to John Barry's score, to Shirley Bassey's theme song, to the opening aerial tracking shot in Miami, to the Aston Martin DB5, to Oddjob's bemused smile, to Gert Fröbe's dubbed voice, to Tilly Masterson's suitcase, to the border guard gate granny, to the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and Joe's Drive-In near Goldfinger's stables ... this third-entry in the series is still the standard bearer, IMO. It's enjoyable from start to finish and endlessly rewatchable for me. Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Solo and I have a very pressing engagement to attend to.

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Power of Grayskull Peacock, Tubi
Directed by Robert McCallum, Randall Lobb. 2017
The history of Mattel's definitive action figure toy line.

I was too old for the "Masters of the Universe" toys or animated series. However, I did enjoy the 1987 Live-Action film, schlocky though it may be. The history of the "He-Man" toy line has been covered in episodes of various Netflix and Discovery toy series, but this documentary goes into much more depth. There is a ton of terrific development art shown, and personal favorite William Stout talks about his art and designs for the film version. Dolph Lungren and Frank Langella are also interviewed about the film and discuss both their motivations and regrets. One of the more interesting topics is the development of the "She-Ra" toys and the animated spin-off series, and how the sexism of the time played a hand. Completed in 2017, the documentary does not mention Kevin Smith's recent Netflix series that offended some die-hard fans by tossing "He-Man" to the side in the first episode to emphasize a cliched "Girl Boss". There's a new film version in production that features "He-Man" but changes the storyline to more of a "Wizard of Oz" Fantasy.

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Looker Warner Archive Blu-Ray
Albert Finney. Directed by Michael Crichton. 1981
Plastic surgeon Larry Roberts performs a series of minor alterations on a group of models who are seeking perfection. But when someone starts killing his beautiful patients, Dr. Roberts becomes suspicious and starts investigating. What he uncovers are the mysterious - and perhaps murderous - activities of a high-tech computer company called Digital Matrix.

As a writer and occasional director Michael Crichton was often ahead of his time, predicting technology that would eventually become commonplace. "Looker" deals with computers creating believable digital doubles, -what we would now call "Motion Capture", -for nefarious purposes. There's an interesting idea here, and a good cast led by Albert Finney and James Coburn, but the film is just a little too silly for me.

Re: Last Movie You Watched Thread
 

I have very rarely posted here, but last year I had a lot of fun participating in the Rank'em as You See'em thread, and I'm doing it again this year. I posted the following list in that thread earlier today:

January 1-4, 2025:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/4.gifMichael Clayton (2011) - First-time viewing, and I liked this. It seems a B story in a big movie, but putting it center stage with such detail and good acting, maybe that's why it works.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/3.5.gif Patriot Games (1992) - I enjoyed this a lot more this time. For years, I liked the sequel much better but this time around, I enjoyed this probably the most that I ever have.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/3.5.gif Clear and Present Danger (1994) - Years ago, I would've rated this higher but it's a little clunkier than I remember. The political intrigue is intricate and interesting, the alleyway ambush is top-notch.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/4.5.gif Three Days of the Condor (1975) - Man, I love this movie. I love the plot, pace, acting, cinematography, music. The 70s "my seams are showing" aspect is distracting, but it's a solid movie.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/2.gif The Pledge (2001) - I liked this a lot when it first came out, and I haven't seen it since. I really didn't like it this time. It felt overwrought and overacted. Others say Nicholson was overlooked, I disagree.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/3.gif Adventureland (2009) - First-time viewing, and this was okay, but not great. Halfway through I got into the leads' relationship and they stuck that landing. This is a building block of things to come.

Re: Last Movie You Watched Thread
 

Again, very rarely posted here, but because I'm, enjoying the 2025 Rank'em as You See'em thread, here's a list I posted in that thread earlier today:

For the week of January 5-11, 2025, I ended up watching at least one movie per day for 12 movies total. I haven't done that in a long time! Here are my movie reviews, in chronological order:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/2.5.gifThe Longest Yard (1974) - First-time viewing, and it was okay. It had that 70s clunky/violent vibe that's of its time and doesn't always work for me. Decent.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/3.gifThe Longest Yard (2005) - First-time viewing, and I was surprised that I enjoyed it more than the original. It had more laugh out loud moments for me. Less brutality worked.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/3.5.gifVarsity Blues (1999) - First-time viewing, and I thought it was way too melodramatic, but by the third act I was hooked and it had a very satisfying ending.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/4.gifAn Officer and a Gentleman (1982) - First-time viewing, and I really enjoyed this. A little long, but well-acted and I felt the feelings for each character.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/0.gifTwisted (2004) - First-time viewing and my first 0-star rating between last year and this year. Just awful. Bad acting all around, made worse because they are good actors.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/2.gifThe Mexican (2001) - First-time viewing and I have no reason to revisit this.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/4.gifFirst Blood (1982) - I technically saw this as a very young kid but didn't remember much. I thought this was really good, it's well-done and the ending is great.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/3.gifRambo: First Blood Part II (1985) - First-time viewing and I thought it was pretty good. I can see how this set an action movie benchmark!
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/1.5.gifRambo III (1988) - First-time viewing and this had a direct-to-video feel compared to the other two. The first one is a film compared to this "video."
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/1.5.gifFaster (2010) - First-time viewing and eh. Not great. I fast-forwarded a bit and didn't end up missing much of anything.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/3.5.gifSignificant Other (2022) - First-time viewing and like Varsity Blues, this got better for me as it went along, and I liked the ending, it works.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/4.5.gifThe Untouchables (1987) - Watched this with my youngest kid and she liked it. I wish it wasn't so clunky and there's tons of terrible ADR, but it's a classic.

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The Apprentice (2024, Dir. Ali Abbasi) – DISCLAIMER: When watching a movie as political as this, you must at least admit to any biases you might have. And while I do NOT consider it a bias, I consider it more as a well reasoned fact, I do NOT like Trump. I don’t support him. I’ve never supported him. I never will support him. But here is a review of a movie about his gradual rise to the person we now know as Donald Trump: Well, first off I loved the ‘80s visual aesthetic. I thought it was well-shot, and it really did a great job establishing its New York City setting and historical context. And as has been pointed out by countless critics, Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong are superb as Donald Trump and Roy Cohn, respectively. Both were deservedly nominated for various awards and delivered performances that were justly acclaimed. Maria Bakalova, however, is a very weak link. I thought she was generally awful in this. I know Ivana Trump had a strong Czechoslovakian accent, but it really feels like Bakalova’s poor imitation made it seem more like a caricature. But it’s not all her fault; the dialogue she was given was piss-poor, for the most part. Obviously not the dialogue that was taken verbatim from countless interviews and public appearances she made, as that was duly documented and is a matter of public record, but the dialogue that was strictly between her and Donald sounded extremely forced and inauthentic. And the whole movie just kind of devolves as it soldiers on, and the points made by Abbasi and the screenwriter Gabriel Sherman seem rather obvious and on-the-nose. Like, tell me something I don’t already know about the Donald? Merely having him essentially repeat (sometimes slightly altered or rephrased) various talking points he’s made over the course of the past decade or so, and trying to prove that his behavior was all foreshadowed? Um, yeah, I get that. All you’d have to do is read one of the several dozen books about Trump that have come out over the past several years, or watched any of the hundreds and hundreds of clips that dominate the Internet and cable news. So you don’t really learn anything from this movie. You get some nice performances, sure. But it feels kind of like an exercise in futility. So I can somewhat applaud the filmmakers for having the balls to make this. I just don’t see the overall point they were trying to make. Aside from the publicity and shock value a “semi-fictionalized” movie about Trump’s rise to power and infamy would bring. And thus, as the end credits rolled, I simply asked myself one question: Was this movie actually necessary?

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All About My Mother (1999, Dir. Pedro Almodovar) – I absolutely love Pedro Almodovar. Every single film of his has been great and almost an honor to see. He doesn’t mess around. He makes good movie after good movie. This one? Man…I was not digging the first forty or so minutes. I was big-time disappointed, especially cause I effing love the other films of his on Criterion, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! And Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. So I was anticipating greatness and I wasn’t getting it. Then, smack dab mid-way through the movie there’s these two scenes. One in the waiting room of a clinic. The other, in the actual doctor’s office. The dialogue between the two is deep, profound, hilarious, and heart-warming. And their interplay with each other while the doctor questions them is fucking hilarious. Her and Penelope Cruz have so much chemistry it is jaw-dropping. And it might sound weird, but watching just those two scenes made me love the movie a thousand times more. After those two scenes? I was just like, game on, mofos. Like, this is it. It’s on. The movie really picked up after that and then there is yet another breath-taking, amazing monologue from the lead actress. Explaining her connection to another main character. And you’re just like? What? How did Almodovar capture the perfect dialogue for this scene? How? How? It’s frustrating. But my God, is that a great scene. There are many ways I view dialogue. Ingmar Bergman? Amazing, deep felt, and profound. Like, if he wasn’t a filmmaker, Bergman could easily be a psychologist, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, whatever the fuck. That could be him just based on his dialogue. Woody Allen? Also great with dialogue, and has openly and frequently homaged or expressed Bergman as a primary influence on his work. And his dialogue? Amazing. But towards the comedic side. Where Bergman went dark, Allen went light. And that’s nothing against that approach. Allen’s dialogue is terrific just like Bergman’s is. Different approaches. And while I lean to Bergman in the grand scheme of things, Woody Allen is no slouch (and all those so-called Hollywood actors that tried to distance themselves from him can go f**k themselves; READ UP ON A STORY before passing judgment; He’s dealing with an ultra-bitch of an ex-wife, who is hellbent on destroying him even though all of the ACTUAL FACTS PROVE OTHERWISE. Those actors that denounced him? Fuck you. Each and every one of you.). Moving on. So if Bergman is deep and Allen is comedic than what is Almodovar? PLAYFUL. Playful. His comedic way of phrasing things, and the way he has the actresses (perhaps on their own comedic timing) deliver their lines is just JOYOUS. And PLAYFUL. It almost feels like a ventriloquist is pulling the strings when he directs largely dialogue-driven scenes. There’s one particular scene which uses foul language and will generate a laugh in EVERYONE who is watching. But again, it’s a relatively innocent line but spoken from the person it is spoken from, and gauging on the reaction from the three other women, it’s HILARIOUS. And Almodovar just delivers heartfelt, meaningful dialogue. I’m actually so impressed by the goddamn dialogue-driven humor that I wanna find the screenplay and just download it. Cause that dialogue couldn’t have been ad-libbed. I mean, it was spot-the-fuck-on. Perfect. And it’s almost pointless relaying the plot of the film, as the stories are all so intertwined in such a way that you just go, “…um, the fuck?” It’s crazy how Almodovar weaves all of these tales together. It ends on an uplifting note. Well done, Almodovar.

I apologize for the two films being back-to-back but I figured if I’m dealing with two delicate subject matters, might as well deal with them both at the same time. In the first case, I felt I did a good job at least appearing to be apolitical. The second one, I tried to avoid sensitive material but it was pointless. And my diatribe about Woody Allen remains true. Anybody that doubts me is probably way young and would do good to read Wallace Shawn’s wonderful break down of the whole thing. To the youth I would say don’t just listen to Twitter or X or Instagram or whateverthfuck. Read. Research. Then form opinions. Don’t be a kneejerk reactionary douchebag.

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Recently purchased German Steelbook

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Dr. Cyclops Kino Lorber Blu-Ray
Albert Dekker. Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack 1940
A mad scientist working in the South American jungle miniaturizes his colleagues when he feels his megalomania is threatened.

The producer and director of "King Kong" re-teamed for "Dr. Cyclops", a quaint but fun Sci-Fi "B" movie. I haven't watched the film since I was a kid, when it played on local Television; I probably saw it in black-and-white. To my surprise, "Dr. Cyclops" was an early technicolor film, and Kino's disc looks terrific, with eye-catching color saturation (only some of the rear projection footage looks soft). The effects to portray the miniaturized characters in a now giant-sized world are quite clever.

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I have not seen the Apprentice but maybe it is entertaining like Nixon with Anthony Hopkins.

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1995

I own this

Maybe this inspired Aaron Sorkin to further explore politics and create the West Wing a couple of years later.

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2024

Netflix

It was better than what I expected though did not change the fact Blake Lively is not a really good actress.

It was weird watching this after the Lively and Justin Baldoni scandal.

He directed a bunch of movies but rarely saw him act in a movie.

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2020

AMC+

"A strange VHS tape allows a lonely bachelor named David to find companionship with Andy (Wil Wheaton) -- its charming and charismatic host. However, Andy's friendship comes at a cost, and David desperately struggles to afford the price of admission."

I liked it and the lead and Wheaton were great.

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2011

Starz

"A reformed criminal named Jack Malloy (Ray Liotta) tries to live an honest life after a near-death experience, but his past comes back to haunt him when his former criminal partner, Drake (Dominic Purcell), is released from prison and blackmails him into one last job, forcing Jack to confront the dark consequences of his past actions and the potential for violence if he doesn't comply"

A little cheesy but I was entertained.

It was made and shot in Australia so probably did not get a big release in the States.


Still sucks Ray Liotta is part of the past :(

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2024

Hulu

"A Boston detective returns to duty after an injury leaves him with permanent hearing loss. Tasked with interpreting for a deaf witness to a brutal gang murder, they find themselves cornered in a soon-to-be-condemned apartment building where the killers try to eliminate her."

I liked Silent Night but this prequel was unnecessary

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2024

AMC+

"Famed aesthetician Hope Goldman (Elizabeth Banks) is about to take her career to the next level by launching her very own skin care line. However, she soon faces a new challenge when a rival opens a boutique directly across from her store. Suspecting that someone is trying to sabotage her, she embarks on a quest to unravel the mystery of who's trying to destroy her life."

I thought it was pretty good and Banks



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2024

I used my Amazon digital credits and rented this.

"An aging Boston gangster tries to reconnect with his family and fix the mistakes from the past, but his criminal lifestyle soon threatens to destroy everything he holds dear."

Maybe it is like any of the other movies Liam Neeson has done lately but I liked it.

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2024

MGM+

"Two estranged friends (Naomi Harris and Natalie Dormer) unveil a dangerous and deceptive plot that forever changes their lives."

This was intense and based on a play though with the wasps in the beginning I thought it would have a horror or Sci-Fi element but just pure drama.

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Anna Amazon Prime 4K
Sasha Luss. Directed by Luc Besson. 2019
Beneath Anna Poliatova's striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world's most feared government assassins.

Sometimes it happens this way. I remember seeing "Anna" right after it hit Home Video; it was definitely Netflix, either disc or stream. I was rather disappointed; I'm not sure why, but it just evaporated from my memory. I took a chance and gave it another try, and I really enjoyed it this time. It's definitely Besson's second bite at "Nikita", but this time it's a bit craftier, with lots of time-shifts back-and-forth to reveal its many twists. Sasha Luss is fine in the action-figure lead role, but the films strength comes from supporting players Cillian Murphy, Luke Evans, and Dame Helen Mirren (who gets a dark wig, some cigarettes, and a Russian accent). It's not quite one of Besson's "Signature" films, -in fact, it's hard not to be reminded more of "Atomic Blonde" than "Nikita", -but I ended up having a good time.

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For Your Consideration Amazon Prime
Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer. Directed by Christopher Guest. 2006
A trio of actors' lives are turned upside down when they discover that their performances in an independent film are generating a sizable buzz in the entertainment industry.

I've enjoyed Christopher Guest's previous "Mockumentaries" (in particular "Best in Show"), but I hadn't watched "For Your Consideration" all the way through until now. This time the film is a Spoof with a storyline rather than presented as a "documentary". The cast is mostly made up of veterans of Guest's previous films and allows a terrific ensemble of comic actors to riff on a script that's more of a guideline. Since it's Actors spoofing Actors it's all very "inside", and the characters are somewhat two-dimensional. I can't say that I laughed out loud, but it's generally amusing.

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Rogue Starz
Radha Mitchell. Directed by Greg McClean. 2007
An American journalist on assignment in the Australian outback encounters a man-eating crocodile while trapped on a rapidly flooding mud island.

"Rogue" is an Australian Crocodile Thriller directed by Greg McClean, who previously directed the gruesome Outback torture movie "Wolf Creek". It's one of those Australian films that has an Aussie cast and one American star (in this case, it's Michael Vartan from "Alias"). Another crocodile movie named "Primeval" beat "Rogue to the box office and wasn't very successful. I suppose that's why "Rogue" played in just ten American theaters and immediately went to home video. It's a shame because it's a tense, brutal Horror Film that takes no prisoners.