Do you need to have seen the first Hellboy to get this one?
No, it's not essential. The big red geezer is Hellboy and he fights evil. That's all you need to know really. It works fine as a stand alone story. But the first film is worth seeing. It's darker, with more menacing villains. The sequel is more like a fairy tale and it has a sense of humour missing from certain other superhero films that shall remain highly profitable.
This is a 1937 gangster film of sorts, set in the Kasbah of Alegeria and more or less remade as Kasbah in the 1950s with Bond connnection Peter Lorre who played Le Chiffre.
It's along the lines of Casablanca in that the Kasbah in a sort of ghetto where 400,000 pack into a space for 40.000 or something, all immigrants, it's like the world in one place. Pépé, played by Jean Gabin, hides out there from the French police who will pounce if he steps out of the Kasbah, so he's a kind of prisoner, albeit a much-loved and respected one within his own circle.
Excellent black and white French film superbly directed but for me it had one big flaw. The gangster openly confides in a detective who hangs around him and makes no secret of his wish to capture him. Why? We see the cop stir things up between his love interest and a rival, but Le Moko is quite unwary about it all. I couldn't figure that one out at all, and the film could have had a few songs in it like Kasbah and Casablanca, but otherwise this is grade A stuff and ahead of its time.
Almost hurt myself laughing at this one...
Serious, Serious Fun !!!!! )
Yeah, I want to see that one...but I can't take the boys And it's hard to get Mom out to the cinema...
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Almost hurt myself laughing at this one...
Serious, Serious Fun !!!!! )
Yeah, I want to see that one...but I can't take the boys And it's hard to get Mom out to the cinema...
Yeah, most definitely not for the kids !!! Mrs. Another Loeffelholz almost laughed her self out of the chair as well though !! ( We actually didn't have a sitter and had to take turns walking little A.L. around the mall while the other viewed the film) This movie is yet more proof that Mr. Downey Jr. is one of the GREAT living actors !!!!! {[] )
Almost hurt myself laughing at this one...
Serious, Serious Fun !!!!! )
Yeah, I want to see that one...but I can't take the boys And it's hard to get Mom out to the cinema...
Yeah, most definitely not for the kids !!! Mrs. Another Loeffelholz almost laughed her self out of the chair as well though !! ( We actually didn't have a sitter and had to take turns walking little A.L. around the mall while the other viewed the film) This movie is yet more proof that Mr. Downey Jr. is one of the GREAT living actors !!!!! {[] )
I absolutely loved this movie, though as you say, it's definitely not for the kids. If you guys just can't get enough of Tropic Thunder, check out this site...
...it's an official site for the movie that gives us an inside look at the film within a film in a documentary style, Hearts of Darkness kind of way. Downey once again dominates, although the narrator's quiet introductions had me in stitches as well.
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
...it's an official site for the movie that gives us an inside look at the film within a film in a documentary style, Hearts of Darkness kind of way. Downey once again dominates, although the narrator's quiet introductions had me in stitches as well.
Thanks for the tip, Tony {[]
For me, most recently, it's been
"Live Free Or Die Hard"
Rather conflicted...I love the Die Hard films, the John McClane character, and the genre as a whole. There's a lot to like here, and I do.
To me, this franchise is very similar to the Indy series: a fourth film in a trilogy, where the original is a Classic, and the rest are merely degrees of less. Great fun, good laughs, nice character moments...I don't mind the young computer hacker character (the 'Mac' guy from the Apple vs PC commercials??), since the storyline really demands his inclusion, and I thought Timothy Olyphant was a very effective villain with a backstory that works. Structurally, the film is sound. Good buttered popcorn.
But---and this is an old story, now---ubiquitous CGI continues to let down the modern film audience, IMRO. It seems to push the writers/producers to put the protagonist(s) into situations of ever-escalating ridiculousness:
...By the time McClane is hanging off the tail of a VTOL jet---with its vertical engine in flameout---the piece has literally burnt out all of its goodwill with this particular audience member... X-(
...and so the inevitable result is that the stakes are automatically lowered, since we know that nothing truly BAD is going to happen---which KILLS any hope of genuine suspense, however transitory.
Kudos to Eon for pushing for more practical stunts...though it exacts a toll on the performers, budget and stuntmen, it means a lot on the screen.
I recommend it for Die Hard fans who haven't seen it yet...but nothing tops (or even remotely equals) the original B-)
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I revere the Die Hard films (I could do the whole 'I love them as much as Rogue loves Batman etc...' thing but I'll give it a miss this once ) and they are truly among my absolute favourite series. The first one is a masterpiece; one of my all-time favourite films and a major reason why I adore cinema. I also loved the next two films, however I found Die Hard 4.0 to be relatively disappointing, much for the reasons that you mention.
But---and this is an old story, now---ubiquitous CGI continues to let down the modern film audience, IMRO. It seems to push the writers/producers to put the protagonist(s) into situations of ever-escalating ridiculousness:
...By the time McClane is hanging off the tail of a VTOL jet---with its vertical engine in flameout---the piece has literally burnt out all of its goodwill with this particular audience member... X-(
...and so the inevitable result is that the stakes are automatically lowered, since we know that nothing truly BAD is going to happen---which KILLS any hope of genuine suspense, however transitory.
I don't disagree with you on this, except that IMO the end featured one of the greatest moments in the history of action cinema. I'm referring of course to when
John kills Olyphant by shooting himself through the shoulder.
but nothing tops (or even remotely equals) the original B-)
-{
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
[/qoute] I absolutely loved this movie, though as you say, it's definitely not for the kids. If you guys just can't get enough of Tropic Thunder, check out this site...
...it's an official site for the movie that gives us an inside look at the film within a film in a documentary style, Hearts of Darkness kind of way. Downey once again dominates, although the narrator's quiet introductions had me in stitches as well.[/quote]
This site is priceless Tony !! )
Thanks a lot! {[]
Aragesque starring Gregory Peck and Sohia Loren. Great old movie full of twists and turns in which a history professor (Peck) gets involved in a plot with spies, secret ciphers and beautiful girls. And OMG is Sophia Loren gorgeous. I would have loved to see her as a Bond girl.
"A blunt instrument wielded by a Government department. Hard, ruthless, sardonic, fatalistic. He likes gambling, golf, fast motor cars. All his movements are relaxed and economical". Ian Fleming
One of the many Bruce Lee knock-offs that appeared after the great man's death. In this one a guy in a yellow tracksuit gives up kung-fu and hides in a convent dressed as a nun. There he teaches the real nuns how to relate to each other through the power of soul music. It rocks baby. It rocks.
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
edited August 2008
Family night at the Route 66 Drive-In Theatre in Springfield, Illinois, which means a double feature...
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars"
This one benefits from hugely reduced expectations. Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Daniels and Christopher Lee all provide voices for their characters in this animated feature which takes place around the time of the previous animated Clone Wars series (?), but before the events of Episode III.
Not a bad story, but ultimately it's just a featherweight cartoon. My wife (who missed Episodes II and III on general principle) had a good time, and Loeffs Jr and III both enjoyed it.
John Drake, a page ago, had it right. Time for Lucas to do something fresh with this universe...or let it go.
"Journey To The Center Of The Earth"
Starring Brendan Fraser. I yearn for the days of James Mason and Pat Boone. This one, while fun (in the most nondemanding sense of that word), is really one of the silliest and most laughably inane pictures I've seen in my adult life. Really awful...but everyone laughed.
On the bright side: the Route 66 Drive-In has excellent homemade pizza
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Starring Brendan Fraser. I yearn for the days of James Mason and Pat Boone. This one, while fun (in the most nondemanding sense of that word), is really one of the silliest and most laughably inane pictures I've seen in my adult life. Really awful...but everyone laughed.
On the bright side: the Route 66 Drive-In has excellent homemade pizza
Without the original Bernard Herrmann score or James Mason, there was no point in remaking it, let alone seeing it. I'll just order out for pizza.
Lousy 90's gangster film with the ever-tiresome Sean Penn, and a gibbering daftie of a performance from Gary Oldman. Lots of people shouting "f*** you," at each other. I agree entirely. F*** em for making this movie.
The Crying Game 10/10 still the best international film to come out of the 90's, and nothing but a top rate performance by Stephan Rea. One film like this every 2 years, would make up for all the superhero movies I have to endure.
Just finished it (since I'm making my way for the first time through all the bond films i haven't had much time to watch anything else!) and really enjoyed it! The theme song is stuck in my head, which is a good thing. I liked the action and it was much more realistic than the previous film (Moonraker).
But, outside of the Bond movies - I saw the Dark Knight - although a great movie with amazing acting, I walked away feeling dirty. Although the actual violence wasn't much, my mind created graphic pictures of the various scenerios the Joker would talk about so I felt very yuck. But even so, I did like the movie and recommend everyone see it.
I was a bit shocked to see a kids' advert on telly for the toy Batmobile from The Dark Knight, with Joker figure. I mean, under eights wanting to see the film to tie in with the movie...
I was a bit shocked to see a kids' advert on telly for the toy Batmobile from The Dark Knight, with Joker figure. I mean, under eights wanting to see the film to tie in with the movie...
I can remember going to see Freddy versus Jason on opening day (don't ask...), and there were like 20-30 kids in the audience under the age of 10, their dumbass parents dragging them in to see the flick... sadness.
Well, you can walk through any toy aisle in a store and find a whole line of TDK action figures, cars, etc. Even my Cheerios came with miniature Batmen and Jokers who can karate-chop, punch, and kick!
Anyway, back on topic. It was another Netflix weekend. On Friday I watched Vantage Point, which was pretty much Roshomon by way of 24. The gimmick of "rewinding" the action and showing it again through the POV of a different character got very tiresome very quickly; and the movie came to one of the silliest climaxes I've ever seen. But on Saturday I saw The Bank Job, which was incredible. Good on its own terms as a sly caper movie, and wonderful at evoking the look and feel of the kind of cynical crime movie Michael Caine would have made forty years ago.
Vox clamantis in deserto
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
"10,000 B.C."
I enjoyed this one a bit more than Hardy did, perhaps because I haven't yet seen Apocalypto Also, my natural inclination for films such as this one is relax and just let it 'flow over' me (to quote William Hurt from The Big Chill ).
Visually, I really enjoyed it; this is one of those situations where pervasive CGI is unavoidable, and IMRO it (mostly) all works...
...except, ironically, for the sabretooth tiger, which looked very much animated and 'not really there'...
...which is unfortunate, because it proves to be a pivotal plot point. The locations looked great, the performances were up to the material (faint praise? Perhaps), and the story was enjoyable. Didn't care for the
happy
ending---too much 'movie magic' there. A marginal recommend; put some extra butter on that popcorn!
It's probably just me, but IMO Roland Emmerich peaked with "The Patriot"...and I'm not just saying that because Centropolis refuses to read my scripts X-(
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Exorcist III. 8/10. Good creepshow with lots of build and undie-soiling moments. Also loads of great character actors in cool bits- Brad Dourif, Scott Wilson, Viveca Lindfors, Don Gordon, amongst others. There's even cameos by Sam Jackson, Fabio and basketball star Patrick Ewing, as angels. Unfortunately, the 2 weakest parts of the film are the Exorcist, played by Nicol Williamson(who looks like a discount Von Sydow) and George C. Scott, who turns every role he plays into Patton. Fortunately, there's enough suspense to get past them. I think I like it better than the original. And it has the sicko factor, inspiring real-life serial killer Danny Rollings.
This adaptation of a Philip Roth novel was far better than I expected. Well who knew academics got so much action? Sir Ben of Kingsley is in fine form as an ageing lothario whose dalliance with Cuban student Penelope Cruz triggers a crisis of sorts in his well-ordered life. My only quibble is that Cruz's character seemed far too perfect and far too much like a wish-fulfillment conjured up by a lonely old man, than an actual flesh and blood human being.
The fourth, and presumably last, of Woody Allen's "European quartet" -- this one set not in London but in the Catalan city of the title. Nowhere near as good as Match Point (Woody's best since the '80s) but a good enough way to spend a couple of hours. Woody lovingly shoots Barcelona the way he shoots Manhattan, and there's lots of dialogue among people who have at best a vague sense of what they really want in life. Typical Allen stuff.
Pretty good acting all around. Javier Bardem is perfect as a bohemian Spanish painter. Rebecca Hall (whom I had not heard of) plays in many ways the pivotal role in the film as a semi-repressed straight shooter whose, um, wilder side gets let out in Spain. Scarlett Johansson, while wonderfully sultry as always, has actually become a one-note actress with Woody as her handler -- she needs to become someone else's muse quickly. For me, the performance of the film belongs to Penelope Cruz, who has always bored me in her English-speaking roles. Here, back in her native country and speaking mostly in her native tongue, she is nothing short of spectacular. It's the kind of supporting performance in a Woody Allen film that Dianne Wiest and Mira Sorvino took home hardware for.
Just rewatched this, hadn't seen it in a while. A lot of the characters still hold up fairly well, but I credit that more to Q. Tarantino's writing skills at the time(he was hungrier then) than Baloney Squats directing skills. Considering this is an action flick, the action scenes seem to be it's biggest failing, robbing copiously from Sam Peckinpah. And ludicrously, at that. As far as I know, cops don't come bursting into a major drug deal 3 or 4 strong. They usually prefer to bring half the force. But most of it can be forgiven, because of nice bits by Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman and Christopher Penn. The rest is a clambake at best, and I'll rewatch it 10 years from now, to see if my opinion changes any.
Quel maledetto treno blindato or Inglorious *******s
This 1978 Italian war thriller is of course set to be revamped by Tarantino, with Brad Pitt in the lead. However, if the imdb is anything to go by, it won't be the same story at all.
Some confusion with Italian films. This one seemed to be dubbed over at first into English, then it settled down and the voices matched the mouth movements. What gives?
It's about a bunch of soldiers up for court martial, for a variety of crimes from murder to desertion; they're not specified too much actually. Their lorry is bombed and we start to have sympathy when their officers, who have fled to safety, threaten to have them shot if they leave the van.
Soon five of the remaining soldiers are 'free' and making a break for Switzerland some 150 miles away. Initially it seemed a nastier, more fly movie than it goes on to be. All the soldiers are real characters, the way they gripe at each other, you warm to them quickly. After a while it settles down into a Dirty Dozen/Where Eagles Dare/Great Escape romp. Any war film where scruffy Yanks get to dress up in German uniform and pass themselves off as the enemy has to be somewhat unbelievable. It gets more ludricous as it goes on.
But it's never less than entertaining and there's a real good twist half way through the film. The finale is all guns out, doesn't disappoint. The 'romance' is very perfunctory however and there are a couple of instances where you go 'huh?' Some decent production values for a movie you've never seen though.
I drove my mom to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She hasn't been feeling well as of late and we had a pleasant family outing. The movie is not aimed at my target audience but moms enjoyed it.
The best thing for both of us though, was the Santorini locale. This tourist attraction is adjacent to the island I was raised on. In my opinion 007 really should travel the Aegean Cyclades islands region more. It's the most beautiful region in the world.
Great quirky satirical gangster flick, in which, the Chicago syndicate takes on a rural Kansas City mob who have been errant in paying their dues. It's kind of a predecessor to Witness and Next of Kin, but without all the angst. Lee Marvin is the Chi-town enforcer, tasked with collecting a tab owed by good ol' boy Gene Hackman, who fronts a drug/prostitution ring with a meat products company(the title credits are a great sick joke). Marvin, is at his cool best, in one of his final action film roles. Hackman does one of his first comical villain parts, and you can see a lot of Unforgiven in the role. Sissy Spacek(film debut)plays a junkie white slave trade victim, and is actually a cute little hippie child, before they started weirding her up in films like Carrie. Director Michael Ritchie has a really good knack for presenting a warts-and-all look at America's heartland. Excellent actioner- give it a watch.
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. I actually liked the first H & K movie--it was gross, but it was unpretentious and funny. This one is gross and tries to be political, so it's really not all that funny. It doesn't even break any new ground with its stereotypes: southerners as inbred Klansmen? Yawn.
Comments
No, it's not essential. The big red geezer is Hellboy and he fights evil. That's all you need to know really. It works fine as a stand alone story. But the first film is worth seeing. It's darker, with more menacing villains. The sequel is more like a fairy tale and it has a sense of humour missing from certain other superhero films that shall remain highly profitable.
This is a 1937 gangster film of sorts, set in the Kasbah of Alegeria and more or less remade as Kasbah in the 1950s with Bond connnection Peter Lorre who played Le Chiffre.
It's along the lines of Casablanca in that the Kasbah in a sort of ghetto where 400,000 pack into a space for 40.000 or something, all immigrants, it's like the world in one place. Pépé, played by Jean Gabin, hides out there from the French police who will pounce if he steps out of the Kasbah, so he's a kind of prisoner, albeit a much-loved and respected one within his own circle.
Excellent black and white French film superbly directed but for me it had one big flaw. The gangster openly confides in a detective who hangs around him and makes no secret of his wish to capture him. Why? We see the cop stir things up between his love interest and a rival, but Le Moko is quite unwary about it all. I couldn't figure that one out at all, and the film could have had a few songs in it like Kasbah and Casablanca, but otherwise this is grade A stuff and ahead of its time.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Dear George Lucas,
Stop it. Just stop.
Almost hurt myself laughing at this one...
Serious, Serious Fun !!!!!
Yeah, I want to see that one...but I can't take the boys
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Yeah, most definitely not for the kids !!! Mrs. Another Loeffelholz almost laughed her self out of the chair as well though !! ( We actually didn't have a sitter and had to take turns walking little A.L. around the mall while the other viewed the film) This movie is yet more proof that Mr. Downey Jr. is one of the GREAT living actors !!!!! {[]
I absolutely loved this movie, though as you say, it's definitely not for the kids. If you guys just can't get enough of Tropic Thunder, check out this site...
http://www.rainofmadness.com
...it's an official site for the movie that gives us an inside look at the film within a film in a documentary style, Hearts of Darkness kind of way. Downey once again dominates, although the narrator's quiet introductions had me in stitches as well.
Thanks for the tip, Tony {[]
For me, most recently, it's been
"Live Free Or Die Hard"
Rather conflicted...I love the Die Hard films, the John McClane character, and the genre as a whole. There's a lot to like here, and I do.
To me, this franchise is very similar to the Indy series: a fourth film in a trilogy, where the original is a Classic, and the rest are merely degrees of less. Great fun, good laughs, nice character moments...I don't mind the young computer hacker character (the 'Mac' guy from the Apple vs PC commercials??), since the storyline really demands his inclusion, and I thought Timothy Olyphant was a very effective villain with a backstory that works. Structurally, the film is sound. Good buttered popcorn.
But---and this is an old story, now---ubiquitous CGI continues to let down the modern film audience, IMRO. It seems to push the writers/producers to put the protagonist(s) into situations of ever-escalating ridiculousness:
...and so the inevitable result is that the stakes are automatically lowered, since we know that nothing truly BAD is going to happen---which KILLS any hope of genuine suspense, however transitory.
Kudos to Eon for pushing for more practical stunts...though it exacts a toll on the performers, budget and stuntmen, it means a lot on the screen.
I recommend it for Die Hard fans who haven't seen it yet...but nothing tops (or even remotely equals) the original B-)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I don't disagree with you on this, except that IMO the end featured one of the greatest moments in the history of action cinema.
-{
http://www.rainofmadness.com
...it's an official site for the movie that gives us an inside look at the film within a film in a documentary style, Hearts of Darkness kind of way. Downey once again dominates, although the narrator's quiet introductions had me in stitches as well.[/quote]
This site is priceless Tony !!
Thanks a lot! {[]
One of the many Bruce Lee knock-offs that appeared after the great man's death. In this one a guy in a yellow tracksuit gives up kung-fu and hides in a convent dressed as a nun. There he teaches the real nuns how to relate to each other through the power of soul music. It rocks baby. It rocks.
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars"
This one benefits from hugely reduced expectations. Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Daniels and Christopher Lee all provide voices for their characters in this animated feature which takes place around the time of the previous animated Clone Wars series (?), but before the events of Episode III.
Not a bad story, but ultimately it's just a featherweight cartoon. My wife (who missed Episodes II and III on general principle) had a good time, and Loeffs Jr and III both enjoyed it.
John Drake, a page ago, had it right. Time for Lucas to do something fresh with this universe...or let it go.
"Journey To The Center Of The Earth"
Starring Brendan Fraser. I yearn for the days of James Mason and Pat Boone. This one, while fun (in the most nondemanding sense of that word), is really one of the silliest and most laughably inane pictures I've seen in my adult life. Really awful...but everyone laughed.
On the bright side: the Route 66 Drive-In has excellent homemade pizza
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Without the original Bernard Herrmann score or James Mason, there was no point in remaking it, let alone seeing it. I'll just order out for pizza.
Lousy 90's gangster film with the ever-tiresome Sean Penn, and a gibbering daftie of a performance from Gary Oldman. Lots of people shouting "f*** you," at each other. I agree entirely. F*** em for making this movie.
Just finished it (since I'm making my way for the first time through all the bond films i haven't had much time to watch anything else!) and really enjoyed it! The theme song is stuck in my head, which is a good thing. I liked the action and it was much more realistic than the previous film (Moonraker).
But, outside of the Bond movies - I saw the Dark Knight - although a great movie with amazing acting, I walked away feeling dirty. Although the actual violence wasn't much, my mind created graphic pictures of the various scenerios the Joker would talk about so I felt very yuck. But even so, I did like the movie and recommend everyone see it.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I can remember going to see Freddy versus Jason on opening day (don't ask...), and there were like 20-30 kids in the audience under the age of 10, their dumbass parents dragging them in to see the flick... sadness.
Anyway, back on topic. It was another Netflix weekend. On Friday I watched Vantage Point, which was pretty much Roshomon by way of 24. The gimmick of "rewinding" the action and showing it again through the POV of a different character got very tiresome very quickly; and the movie came to one of the silliest climaxes I've ever seen. But on Saturday I saw The Bank Job, which was incredible. Good on its own terms as a sly caper movie, and wonderful at evoking the look and feel of the kind of cynical crime movie Michael Caine would have made forty years ago.
I enjoyed this one a bit more than Hardy did, perhaps because I haven't yet seen Apocalypto
Visually, I really enjoyed it; this is one of those situations where pervasive CGI is unavoidable, and IMRO it (mostly) all works...
...which is unfortunate, because it proves to be a pivotal plot point. The locations looked great, the performances were up to the material (faint praise? Perhaps), and the story was enjoyable. Didn't care for the
ending---too much 'movie magic' there. A marginal recommend; put some extra butter on that popcorn!
It's probably just me, but IMO Roland Emmerich peaked with "The Patriot"...and I'm not just saying that because Centropolis refuses to read my scripts X-(
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
This adaptation of a Philip Roth novel was far better than I expected. Well who knew academics got so much action? Sir Ben of Kingsley is in fine form as an ageing lothario whose dalliance with Cuban student Penelope Cruz triggers a crisis of sorts in his well-ordered life. My only quibble is that Cruz's character seemed far too perfect and far too much like a wish-fulfillment conjured up by a lonely old man, than an actual flesh and blood human being.
The fourth, and presumably last, of Woody Allen's "European quartet" -- this one set not in London but in the Catalan city of the title. Nowhere near as good as Match Point (Woody's best since the '80s) but a good enough way to spend a couple of hours. Woody lovingly shoots Barcelona the way he shoots Manhattan, and there's lots of dialogue among people who have at best a vague sense of what they really want in life. Typical Allen stuff.
Pretty good acting all around. Javier Bardem is perfect as a bohemian Spanish painter. Rebecca Hall (whom I had not heard of) plays in many ways the pivotal role in the film as a semi-repressed straight shooter whose, um, wilder side gets let out in Spain. Scarlett Johansson, while wonderfully sultry as always, has actually become a one-note actress with Woody as her handler -- she needs to become someone else's muse quickly. For me, the performance of the film belongs to Penelope Cruz, who has always bored me in her English-speaking roles. Here, back in her native country and speaking mostly in her native tongue, she is nothing short of spectacular. It's the kind of supporting performance in a Woody Allen film that Dianne Wiest and Mira Sorvino took home hardware for.
All in all, worth a look-see.
Just rewatched this, hadn't seen it in a while. A lot of the characters still hold up fairly well, but I credit that more to Q. Tarantino's writing skills at the time(he was hungrier then) than Baloney Squats directing skills. Considering this is an action flick, the action scenes seem to be it's biggest failing, robbing copiously from Sam Peckinpah. And ludicrously, at that. As far as I know, cops don't come bursting into a major drug deal 3 or 4 strong. They usually prefer to bring half the force. But most of it can be forgiven, because of nice bits by Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman and Christopher Penn. The rest is a clambake at best, and I'll rewatch it 10 years from now, to see if my opinion changes any.
This 1978 Italian war thriller is of course set to be revamped by Tarantino, with Brad Pitt in the lead. However, if the imdb is anything to go by, it won't be the same story at all.
Some confusion with Italian films. This one seemed to be dubbed over at first into English, then it settled down and the voices matched the mouth movements. What gives?
It's about a bunch of soldiers up for court martial, for a variety of crimes from murder to desertion; they're not specified too much actually. Their lorry is bombed and we start to have sympathy when their officers, who have fled to safety, threaten to have them shot if they leave the van.
Soon five of the remaining soldiers are 'free' and making a break for Switzerland some 150 miles away. Initially it seemed a nastier, more fly movie than it goes on to be. All the soldiers are real characters, the way they gripe at each other, you warm to them quickly. After a while it settles down into a Dirty Dozen/Where Eagles Dare/Great Escape romp. Any war film where scruffy Yanks get to dress up in German uniform and pass themselves off as the enemy has to be somewhat unbelievable. It gets more ludricous as it goes on.
But it's never less than entertaining and there's a real good twist half way through the film. The finale is all guns out, doesn't disappoint. The 'romance' is very perfunctory however and there are a couple of instances where you go 'huh?' Some decent production values for a movie you've never seen though.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
The best thing for both of us though, was the Santorini locale. This tourist attraction is adjacent to the island I was raised on. In my opinion 007 really should travel the Aegean Cyclades islands region more. It's the most beautiful region in the world.
Great quirky satirical gangster flick, in which, the Chicago syndicate takes on a rural Kansas City mob who have been errant in paying their dues. It's kind of a predecessor to Witness and Next of Kin, but without all the angst. Lee Marvin is the Chi-town enforcer, tasked with collecting a tab owed by good ol' boy Gene Hackman, who fronts a drug/prostitution ring with a meat products company(the title credits are a great sick joke). Marvin, is at his cool best, in one of his final action film roles. Hackman does one of his first comical villain parts, and you can see a lot of Unforgiven in the role. Sissy Spacek(film debut)plays a junkie white slave trade victim, and is actually a cute little hippie child, before they started weirding her up in films like Carrie. Director Michael Ritchie has a really good knack for presenting a warts-and-all look at America's heartland. Excellent actioner- give it a watch.
Coo - it doesn't half go on...
Roger Moore 1927-2017