TheMovieman

JeffTheAlpaca

It was pretty good though another long movie and Rami Malik was the incentive to see it

TheMovieman

Hell Fest (2018) — Pretty ordinary but still entertaining horror movie that has a decent lead actress Amy Forsyth, but otherwise nothing special and does wears itself thin by the end despite the short running time. 3.0/5

The Quake (2018) — Sequel to 'The Wave' (which I have not seen) has some impressive visual effects but even more impressive is its patience with giving characters some actual development. Kind of awkwardly ends, however bypassing the decent back down, but on the whole was an effective disaster-drama. 3.75/5

Norm de Plume

I liked it as well, but thought Side Effects was better.

Hstrybuff1

The story certainly deserves a much better film than this one. IMO Ken Burns' 2016 documentary "Jackie Robinson" is far more effective in conveying what a giant of a man Robinson was, not only as an athlete but also as a family man and as a tireless crusader for racial equality.

Hstrybuff1

Never Let Me Go (2010)

Like the way this one opens: an exterior shot of what appears to be a prestigious English boarding school followed by an interior scene where children dressed not in crisp uniforms but in clothes that appear to be hand-me-downs from generations past are singing the Hailsham song at morning assembly in an auditorium that apparently has not been updated since the early 1900s. Immediately one gets the sense that something is off well before the reveal about 30 minutes in.

This one bothered me when I finished watching it. Not because clones were being raised to provide "spare parts" for others -- I've assumed that's already happening in countries with lax regulation over cloning and genetic engineering and where billionaires may not want organ transplants obtained from the black market or harvested from executed political and criminal prisoners. What bothered me was the clone's acceptance of their fate.

Apparently others also found that troubling. In the bonus features the book's author, Kasuo Ishiguro, suggests that people conditioned to accept their lot in life from infancy often will not attempt to change their fate. Director Mark Ramanek relates a conversation with a physician who mentioned that most people diagnosed with terminal illnesses do not voraciously attack their "bucket list" but rather choose to live their remaining time as close as possible to their normal daily routines. Both are imo plausible explanations for the film characters' acquiescence to their fate based on people I've known.

Hstrybuff1

Drive (2011)

Actor Carey Mulligan's next film after Never Let Me Go. A loner movie stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals falls for his beautiful neighbor (Mulligan) and finds himself in increasingly dangerous situations after a heist goes wrong. Basic premise and little dialog in parts, but liked the film and expect it will grow on me when I rewatch.

Cellar Door

Venom - meh, everything seemed too rushed in this. The story needed more room to breathe--especially with regard to Brock coming to terms with the situation.

Hstrybuff1

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

Another Gosling crime drama. Enjoyed the first act in which a motorcycle stunt performer (Gosling) employs his superior riding skills in a string of bank robberies. For me the second act (policeman from the 1st act attempts to clean up corruption) and third act (about the sons of the 1st act protagonists) felt contrived and a let-down from the first act.

A bit of trivia I found interesting - apparently the bank robbery method Gosling's character uses is based on the real-life exploits of Carl Gugasian, an ROTC graduate who robbed 50 banks of more than $2 million over a 30-year period and who was only brought to justice after two boys playing in the woods stumbled upon his stash of plans & equipment.

Hstrybuff1

Wind River (2017)

A wildlife officer hunting wolves that have killed cattle stumbles upon the body of a young woman and assists a southern FBI agent in determining what happened. Scenic Wyoming winter setting, some insights into indigenous values & customs, and a plot that keeps one guessing about what's going to happen next.

Two flaws spoiled this one for me: 1) the girl's death being attributed to her lungs freezing - anyone who's done long X-country ski runs or winter-camped in -40 temps knows one's lungs do not freeze; 2) the security contractors' readiness to engage in a firefight with FBI and police - imo even the Blackwater contractors who were so casual about Iraqi civilian lives would be reluctant to risk execution in their homeland.

Hstrybuff1

The Prey (2011)

French crime drama about a prisoner who managed to hide the proceeds from a bank robbery before being caught. Found the first part of the film engaging as one learns about the backgrounds of the main characters and the corruption within the high-security prison. Following the main character's escape the film degenerates into a series of highly implausible chase sequences that even the eye candy police lieutenant (who seems to be the only competent one among the police forces arrayed) cannot make interesting.

Hstrybuff1

This World, Then the Fireworks (1997)

Screen adaptation of a Jim Thompson novella with Billy Zane and the gorgeous Gina Gershon in the roles of amoral twins whose early lives were marred by a family tragedy and whose status as childhood outcasts contributed to a bond closer than most twins have. Even by Jim Thompson standards these characters are over the top.

Hstrybuff1

The Grifters (1990)

Screen adaption of a Jim Thompson novel that is perhaps the most faithful to its source material. Perfect casting with Anjelica Huston as the cold-eyed race odds fixer who from the age of 14 fended for herself and her son, John Cusack as her estranged, innocent-looking son who has supported himself via the short con from the age of 17, and Annete Bening as the sex interest who is marking time until she can find a suitable partner for her next long con operation (one can almost smell the musk scent emanating from her pores each time she's onscreen!).

A couple of trivia items I found interesting: apparently Cusack was a huge fan of the Thompson novel and tried to option the film rights while still in high school; both he and Huston accepted less than their usual fees in order to appear in the film.

Hstrybuff1

Good to hear that some young people accustomed to the virtual reality of gameboys and playstations can still appreciate well-done SF produced without zillions of dollars spent on special effects. First saw the film when it aired on TV in my early teens and found it engaging and thought-provoking despite the occasional commercial interruptions. As you mentioned the film holds up well nearly a half century after its theatrical run.

TheMovieman

Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975) — Despite the tantalizing title, not a very good Italian gialo-like movie that is more of a sexploitation film with the crime-mystery being secondary. Has the usual tropes though with characters acting irrationally, though. Otherwise it's rather dull. 2.5/5

inri222

inri222

The Untamed (La Region Salvaje) - 4/5

A mysterious woman enters the lives of a gay nurse, his unhappily married sister and his unfaithful brother-in-law. The woman introduces them to a mysterious force that lives in the woods that may hold the key in changing their lives for the better, or for the worse. Amat Escalante who’s films are socially conscious slice of life dramas about working class Mexicans, gives us a refreshing and interesting take on the subject matter by adding elements of science fiction.

TheMovieman

The Street Fighter (1974) — Not great, though admittedly never been a big fan of these martial arts flicks, but kind of enjoyed this one especially for some of the brutality (ripping that one guy's junk out was especially painful). Look forward to checking out the sequels and 'Sister Streetfighter' spin-off movies. 3.75/5

inri222

JeffTheAlpaca

I like the original Planet of the Ape more than the 2000 Remake and the trilogy of movies that came out recently.

JeffTheAlpaca

Usually I don't like these type of movies but anything with Ronan I will usually watch.

JeffTheAlpaca

I thought it was ok the first time but for some reason I enjoyed it even more the second time.

Wish Al would do more movies.

inri222

JeffTheAlpaca

Maybe it would have worked better as a drama and not a comedy.

Tessa Thompson is in a lot of movies lately or she has a really good agent.

Hstrybuff1

I do too. Don't recall whether we finished watching the 2000 remake when we rented it many years ago, but noticed I rated it 1/10 on imdb. After that disappointment I never bothered with the trilogy that came after, but see that those currently have decent 7.5 - 7.6 ratings on imdb.


Planet of the Apes (1968), Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)

Had been a few years since I last re-watched the film.

Bonus features include the ~ 2 hr "Behind the Planet of the Apes" documentary narrated by Roddy McDowall. The doc's first hour has interesting & informative info (for me) on the making of the original film; the second hour deals with the four early-70's sequels, all of which apparently had successful theatrical runs. I watched those sequels on video many years ago, but did not care for any of them.