We went to see Darkest Hour this last weekend, both myself and Mrs coop thoroughly enjoyed it, some masterful acting, and a truly engrossing subject. Oldman is phenomenal and truly deserves the plaudits he is receiving, for me his best performance since ttss. It was my intention to watch Dunkirk later in the weekend but the kids and Mrs coop had other ideas, the film only covers a short period of Churchills time as pm starting with him getting the job by default and through the hours of the Dunkirk crisis. Honourable mention also to Ben Mendholson who is again superb playing the speech impeded king George.
Totally with you on MI:5, and I'd love to see Chris McQuarrie be given the power to helm a proper Bond film. I'm rather pleased that the producers of MI:6 are sticking with him going forward with the MI series as he's got the right touch for this kind of work.
One thing that I think gets lost in the MI:5 praise is the motorcycle chase. That has a sense of speed and energy to it that I'd love to see carried over to a proper Bond car chase.
Yeah, I mean you can imagine the bike chase in a Bond film, only it would be deathly dull, basically a kind of 'one vehicle tries to catch another one up' type thing that the Bonds often degenerate into. I mean, you just can't compare MI5's bike chase with, say, the car chase around Rome in SP, which I do like on the basis that it shows off the sights and the cinematography is great, but you are not on the edge of your seat ever. That said, there's thin line between then turning it into a generic action film.
One thing: Wasn't Hunt sort of married in a previous film, but unable to see his wife and maybe daughter for fear of exposing them to the crims? I seem to recall that in MI3, but it seems to have been completely dropped now, in favour of Hunt's flirtation with Rebecca Ferguson, who is excellent wonky nose and all. Hmm, does this mirror Cruise's attitude to women in real life - seems to if you believe the negative press. Maybe Hunt's wife is barred from copping off with James Bond unless a few years have passed in between. Still, this film was highly entertaining so I am looking forward to the big screen release this summer.
Totally with you on MI:5, and I'd love to see Chris McQuarrie be given the power to helm a proper Bond film. I'm rather pleased that the producers of MI:6 are sticking with him going forward with the MI series as he's got the right touch for this kind of work.
One thing that I think gets lost in the MI:5 praise is the motorcycle chase. That has a sense of speed and energy to it that I'd love to see carried over to a proper Bond car chase.
Yeah, I mean you can imagine the bike chase in a Bond film, only it would be deathly dull, basically a kind of 'one vehicle tries to catch another one up' type thing that the Bonds often degenerate into. I mean, you just can't compare MI5's bike chase with, say, the car chase around Rome in SP, which I do like on the basis that it shows off the sights and the cinematography is great, but you are not on the edge of your seat ever. That said, there's thin line between then turning it into a generic action film.
One thing: Wasn't Hunt sort of married in a previous film, but unable to see his wife and maybe daughter for fear of exposing them to the crims? I seem to recall that in MI3, but it seems to have been completely dropped now, in favour of Hunt's flirtation with Rebecca Ferguson, who is excellent wonky nose and all. Hmm, does this mirror Cruise's attitude to women in real life - seems to if you believe the negative press. Maybe Hunt's wife is barred from copping off with James Bond unless a few years have passed in between. Still, this film was highly entertaining so I am looking forward to the big screen release this summer.
His wife returns at the end of mi4 when he's sat at the harbour bar with the gang he is observing her.
Unlocked.
Great thriller. Very much like "Spooks , with plenty of
Twists, in the style of Three days of the Condor . An
Agent tries to stop a terrorist biological attack on
London, and directed by Michael Apted.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Lordy, another phoney Churchill film, like it's been directed by the National Trust, all fancy lighting, red pillar boxes and political correctness.
Gary Oldman plays Matt Lucas in make-up playing Robert Hardy as Churchill, with a bit of Bill Nighy thrown in. This is Churchill as a senile drunk, he makes Hitler in Downfall seem like a pretty together statesman in comparison. At least he can string a sentence together. You'd get more sense out of a bloke in a nursing home than you would out of this guy.
The film seems to have been sponsored by Boris Johnson, with various comparisons made: the party hates him, he's a writer, fond of his own voice, doesn't want to be seen to be knifing the incumbent PM etc... Perhaps Churchill did a Boris and drew up a for and against list for taking on Germany in May 1940.
None of it really rings true in the dialogue or presentation. As for George VI, well, they always get an actor who mangles his words to play him, don't they? ) Alright, but it reminds me of Michael Palin or Graham Chapman in The Life of Brian. 'I request your resignation, I require it at once' - no wonder the King was reluctant to say that, no wonder he liked Winston - his was a name he could pronounce. I suppose I shouldn't say all this, but somehow the acting/presentation is a bit distracting. It's like, here's a bit of The King's Speech for you!
Kristin Scott Thomas is good as Churchill's wife Primmie but she's hardly stretching herself is she.
The scene where Churchill goes on the London Underground to canvas opinion has been widely derided, I mean they seem like a load of Brexit voters, telling someone what they want to hear. Perhaps the side of the Tube train boasted of £350m a week for the NHS if they took Germany. (Thinks...) Actually that's not far wrong, as it was the war effort that prompted Britain to create the NHS afterwards...
At one point the ministers talk about getting the fat flamboyant Italian to mediate between England and Germany on terms. That's right, Mr Go Compare! "Ugh... what's that?" "I know, he's been carving up most of Europe by himself and I can't seem to stop him. He's driving me bananas!" Enter Mussolini to everyone's delight: "Go compare! Go compare!"
I too have seen The Darkest Hour. I think the movie was good as film craft (editing, photography, acting etc.) But I agree with NP that the history is shoddy at best. Churchill pre-WWII has been compared to Boris Johnson by historians, but he wasn't quite the lose cannon described in the movie. The Darkest Hour gives the impression that people wondered who other than Halifax could be PM, but at the time Churchill was the clear alternative. The London underground scene is riddicolus. But worse of all: Churchill is shown as very insecure, often ineffective and much of the time lacking in charisma. He must have felt the pressure, he was human. But it was the energy, sense of purpose and charisma that made Churchill so important in 1940. I don't see the political correctness Napoleon Pluralisme mention - please explain?
I don't think the acting is bad at all. It's the script that's the problem in my opinion. Good movie - bad history. I still think Joe Wright is a fine candidate to direct Bond in the future.
I’m in bed at the moment watching The Enforcer munching on a box of cheese footballs
The Enforcer is my least watch Dirty Harry flick, I should rewatch it.
Saw parts of Magnum Force recently, a personal favourite behind the original.
Sudden Impact follows in my ranking with the dead pool getting the short end of the stick.
I have most recently watched Magnum Force and Sudden Impact.
However Dead Pool is my clear favorite while the original is by far my least favorite. Go figure.
Dirty Harry 5/10 Too much of the film takes place at night. No origins of Harry’s character and thus feels more like a mindless sequel.
Magnum Force 10/10 Best overall Dirty Harry movie.
Enforcer 7/10 Weak badguys, but great female partner and locations. Alcatraz!
Sudden Impact 8/10 Inconsistent but saved by some classic scenes. Go ahead make my Day.
Dead Pool 10/10 The coolest and most fun DH movie. Delivers the goods with plenty of action and great cast. You are s*** out of luck!
My current 10 favorite:
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
I too have seen The Darkest Hour. I think the movie was good as film craft (editing, photography, acting etc.) But I agree with NP that the history is shoddy at best... I don't see the political correctness Napoleon Pluralisme mention - please explain?
I don't think the acting is bad at all. It's the script that's the problem in my opinion. Good movie - bad history. I still think Joe Wright is a fine candidate to direct Bond in the future.
Well, the National Trust has been accused of being PC of late, and this film seems to do the same. It's the soft focus look of the thing, the pillar boxes, nothing wrong with that but I dunno. You have the young secretary thinking he's wonderful, and helping him pull through, like he needs a chit of a girl to help him out, still a fellow needs a woman's help doesn't he? I mean, didn't Churchill have a few mistresses on the go? Might have made more sense to put them in but of course that doesn't really endear one to him in modern terms.
I think his wife only took him to task over his brusque manner several months after he was PM, he did piss people off a lot.
I suppose the black kid on the Tube is another bit of PC-dom - I mean, never mind Churchill, the commuters would have been staring at the black kid, v unusual I'd have thought in 1940 London. (Though I could be wrong on this, can't be sure.) It shows what a lovely non-racist bloke Churchill was, and I bet he could be like that, but really, you never really knew with that kind of guy, the only people he really stuck at hating was the Gestapo and the Socialists.
But that scene in the Tube is phoney all round. I didn't mind these touches in Atonement, which I really did like, because there are reasons why that approach works for that film.
Joe Wright did film a very expensive scene that got cut - it was the Dunkirk landing; it has some crack SAS troops going in ahead of the little boats, surfing a huge wave - heading them up front was Churchill naked save his garish swimming trunks and puffing on a big cigar. However, it was thought to be just too brazen an application to direct a Bond film, and in any case using the pts of Die Another Day was seen as not a great idea...
I agree on the black man on the Tube. I understand there was a small black minority i Britain at the time, but I too doubt the passengers (and particularely Churchill) would have treated him that well.
The secretary was a bit exagerated too, especially since the woman the role was buildt on didn't meet Churchill untill a year or two later.
I guess the last part of you post is a joke
In my opinion political correctness isn't the problem with this movie. PC thinking are only in some details in The Darkest Hour. The problem is the desire to give Churchill an "arch" who goes from an underdog and insecure doubter to a man who wins in the end. While he had weaknesess and must gave doubted at least a bit in those weeks, the script went much too far and sacrificed too much historical fact to do it. The direction and acting is superb, it's what the script asked them to do I don't like.
Folks, there's a useful phrase that has been applied to historical drama: "God writes lousy theater." ANY dramatization is going to make changes--simplify complex issues, telescope events that occurred over long periods, make up characters, and ESPECIALLY see the history through the lens of our own era. I thought Darkest Hour was great DRAMA that provided a SENSE of what was going on in history and why it remains important today. If I want the unvarnished record, there are plenty of history books I can crack open.
Folks, there's a useful phrase that has been applied to historical drama: "God writes lousy theater." ANY dramatization is going to make changes--simplify complex issues, telescope events that occurred over long periods, make up characters, and ESPECIALLY see the history through the lens of our own era. I thought Darkest Hour was great DRAMA that provided a SENSE of what was going on in history and why it remains important today. If I want the unvarnished record, there are plenty of history books I can crack open.
Agree with this in regards to Dunkirk's criticisms. It's a movie not a documentary. No war film has ever been 100% accurate anyway. For instance Saving Private Ryan has loads of inaccuracies. Dunkirk shot on the actual beach, rebuilt the mole on the exact spot it was, filmed on the same days the evacuation took place and used boats that took part in the evacuation back in 1940. Short of getting a time machine and going back to May 1940 it's as close to recreating the exact environment as we'll likely ever get.
Folks, there's a useful phrase that has been applied to historical drama: "God writes lousy theater." ANY dramatization is going to make changes--simplify complex issues, telescope events that occurred over long periods, make up characters, and ESPECIALLY see the history through the lens of our own era. I thought Darkest Hour was great DRAMA that provided a SENSE of what was going on in history and why it remains important today. If I want the unvarnished record, there are plenty of history books I can crack open.
Agree with this in regards to Dunkirk's criticisms. It's a movie not a documentary. No war film has ever been 100% accurate anyway. For instance Saving Private Ryan has loads of inaccuracies. Dunkirk shot on the actual beach, rebuilt the mole on the exact spot it was, filmed on the same days the evacuation took place and used boats that took part in the evacuation back in 1940. Short of getting a time machine and going back to May 1940 it's as close to recreating the exact environment as we'll likely ever get.
Wow, I've not seen it yet but I I never knew that the filmmakers went to such lengths to create an a accurate portrayal. Kudos to them! -{
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
On the subject of bad historical films, I saw a bad one on Netflix, Viceroy's House. This is the end of the British Raj, given the Downton Abbey treatment of showing the lives of the upper-crust Brits juxtaposed with the Indian natives who work in the kitchen, serve as maids, etc. Downton paterfamilias Hugh Bonneville is even cast as Mountbatten. What makes this so bad is the goody-goody treatment of the Mountbattens (Gillian Anderson even gets to do her rawthah upper-class accent as Lady Mountbatten) who are just so terribly concerned to leave India in good shape, and the inclusion of a Romeo-and-Juliet love story between a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl. Everything seemed grossly simplified and frequently patronizing. But that's just my opinion.
Treasure of the Sierra Madre- Saw this one at the cinema. First time I have seen an old classic on the big screen. This film is pretty gnarly. I’m impressed the #1 movie star was unceremoniously killed with a machete and left him in the mud.
I give this one 10/10
Uncommon Valor- This must be the original Vietnam POW movie as it predates Missing in Action and Rambo II.
Was that a serious issue in the 80’s? why was Vietnam not releasing prisoners?
I give this one 7/10
Invasion USA - One of the few Chuck Norris movies that actually lives up to the hype and mythology surrounding the man.
I give this one an 8/10
Johnny Guitar - An unusual western starring Joan Crawford. I'm not sure quite what to make of it yet, but I would watch it again.
Jezebel- Henry Fonda and Bette Davis do a much better and shorter version of Gone with the Wind.
All About Eve- Continuing with Bette Davis. Reminds me of when an outsider infiltrates a tight knit social group. Get rid of her and group goes back to normal.
I give this one 10/10
Now, Voyager- More Bette Davis. A good emotional affair story but came to the wrong conclusions about some highly inappropriate behavior.
I give this one 5/10
Grapes of Wrath- One of the all-time classics and my favorite films ever. The only thing that troubled me on this viewing was the character of Casy:
1. John Carradine was and looks the same age as Henry Fonda, yet is playing a character at least 25 years older.
2. Casy admits to being a sex offender but the story still portrays him as a likable guy
Seven Year Itch- Ouch this one was painful to watch. I’ve never wanted a movie character to die so badly than Richard as he constantly talks to himself for the entire film. Billy Wilder should get worst director for this and for underutilizing Marilyn Monroe. example: Marilyn takes a shower offscreen and then we get to experience the annoying Richard taking a shower and talking to himself for like 10 minutes.
They did 40 takes of marilyn’s skirt blowing over the subway vent and we dont even get to see the iconic full body shot. it’s just her legs.
I give it a 2/10
Bell, Book and Candle. If you love Vertigo, you should check this one out because it has James Stewart and Kim Novak. Add a cat and some witchcraft.
I give it a 7/10
My current 10 favorite:
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
This movie is based on a true story from WWII and id directed by Harald Zwart (One night at McCool's, Karate Kid).
In 1943 the Special Operations Executive sent 12 Norwegian agents to conduct sabotage in northern Norway. A civilian informed on them, the fishing boat they crossed the North Sea in was shot to pieces and eleven of them were caught and executed.
Jan Baalsrud, the titular 12th man, managed to get away and started on a epic escape to neutral Sweden. This was in the middle of the winter, North of the Polar Circle and through a landscape of steep mountains and deep fjords. Baalsrud got injured and was dependent on the help of local civilians in on remote farms and villages. These civilians risked the their lives and the lives of their families.
This movie is well made and should be perfect for for those who are interested in WWII, the resistance and stories about survival. The story is based on SOE reports and what Baalsrud's helpers has told, but the movie is somewhat "Hollywoodized". Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays the regional head of Gestapo and learnt German for the film.
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
Atomic Blonde, with Charlize Theron :x
I was expecting a much sillier OTT romp, but this is an excellent plot-driven period spy story (set in East Berlin just before the wall came down). The hand-to-hand combat was just the right amount of OTT Very enjoyable.
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
you know what's going to happen Gymkata?
you're going to forget all you decided about the first 13 Bond films, then when you watch a View to a Kill its going to seem like the best film ever made!
And then the Beach Boys will kick in and I'll be like 'oh yeah, now I remember how brilliant this film is'.
Cameron storyboarded the entire movie himself and it really shows from its excellent flow.
T1 may be lower budget but a lot of love and care has been put into it and there's a certain likeability that really sinks through the entire film.
While I don't usually talk about such things, there are many great details in the TECH NOIR sequence and I share your love for it but I disagree on the production values etc.
This is a great video for both of these, even if it's a bit of a long-shot for some details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x43LfTJyQM
Did you opt for the blu-ray copy with the edited gunshots or a mono mix (which would understandably take away from the experience but the former sucks)?
About Stallone...
This movie is essentially a modern western. Two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) in Texas try to save the family farm by robbing banks. Two Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) try to catch or kill them. While being really entertaining, the movie also comments on society and the times. Just look at these two qoutes:
"I've been poor my whole life, like a disease passing from generation to generation. But not my boys, not anymore."
The half Comanche Texas Ranger: "Your people did too. A long time ago your ancestors was the indians until someone came along and killed them. Broke em down made you into one of them. 150 years ago all this was my ancestors land. Everything you could see, everything you saw yesterday. Until the grandparents of these folks took it. Now it's been taken from them. Cept it ain't no army doin' it, it's those sons of bitches right there." (points at Texas Midland Bank.)
It's great to see people and not just superheroes in a movie these days. The story, script, acting, score (by Nick Cave) and directing looks first rate to me. David Mackenzie has been mentioned quite often as a future Bond director. He hasn't made a real action movie or big-budget movie yet, but you can't question his talent.
While I would prefer British screen writers for Bond movies, I would love to see a Bond movie written by Ben Sheridan. He wrote both "Hell or high water" and "Sicario", two wold-class thrillers.
As an example of how tense Ben Sheridan's writing is, look at this scene from Sicario (directed by Denis Villeneuve, another director who should make Bond movies). The FBI and Delta Force escort a Drug Czar into the US from Mexico:
As an example of how tense Ben Sheridan's writing is, look at this scene from Sicario (directed by Denis Villeneuve, another director who should make Bond movies). The FBI and Delta Force escort a Drug Czar into the US from Mexico:
Meaning to see it, I love me some Benicio Del Toro.
Speaking of which, it was a national holiday today and I saw some Usual Suspects-post Spacey allegations.
Line-up scene, x1000 times creepier.
Comments
Yeah, I mean you can imagine the bike chase in a Bond film, only it would be deathly dull, basically a kind of 'one vehicle tries to catch another one up' type thing that the Bonds often degenerate into. I mean, you just can't compare MI5's bike chase with, say, the car chase around Rome in SP, which I do like on the basis that it shows off the sights and the cinematography is great, but you are not on the edge of your seat ever. That said, there's thin line between then turning it into a generic action film.
One thing: Wasn't Hunt sort of married in a previous film, but unable to see his wife and maybe daughter for fear of exposing them to the crims? I seem to recall that in MI3, but it seems to have been completely dropped now, in favour of Hunt's flirtation with Rebecca Ferguson, who is excellent wonky nose and all. Hmm, does this mirror Cruise's attitude to women in real life - seems to if you believe the negative press. Maybe Hunt's wife is barred from copping off with James Bond unless a few years have passed in between. Still, this film was highly entertaining so I am looking forward to the big screen release this summer.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Great thriller. Very much like "Spooks , with plenty of
Twists, in the style of Three days of the Condor . An
Agent tries to stop a terrorist biological attack on
London, and directed by Michael Apted.
Enjoyable film. Great dialog and performances. Okay direction.
It plays a little fast and loose with the actual timeline of events and mixes real and fictional characters but still a good film.
Darkest Hour? Darkest Shower, more like.
Lordy, another phoney Churchill film, like it's been directed by the National Trust, all fancy lighting, red pillar boxes and political correctness.
Gary Oldman plays Matt Lucas in make-up playing Robert Hardy as Churchill, with a bit of Bill Nighy thrown in. This is Churchill as a senile drunk, he makes Hitler in Downfall seem like a pretty together statesman in comparison. At least he can string a sentence together. You'd get more sense out of a bloke in a nursing home than you would out of this guy.
The film seems to have been sponsored by Boris Johnson, with various comparisons made: the party hates him, he's a writer, fond of his own voice, doesn't want to be seen to be knifing the incumbent PM etc... Perhaps Churchill did a Boris and drew up a for and against list for taking on Germany in May 1940.
None of it really rings true in the dialogue or presentation. As for George VI, well, they always get an actor who mangles his words to play him, don't they?
Kristin Scott Thomas is good as Churchill's wife Primmie but she's hardly stretching herself is she.
The scene where Churchill goes on the London Underground to canvas opinion has been widely derided, I mean they seem like a load of Brexit voters, telling someone what they want to hear. Perhaps the side of the Tube train boasted of £350m a week for the NHS if they took Germany. (Thinks...) Actually that's not far wrong, as it was the war effort that prompted Britain to create the NHS afterwards...
At one point the ministers talk about getting the fat flamboyant Italian to mediate between England and Germany on terms. That's right, Mr Go Compare! "Ugh... what's that?" "I know, he's been carving up most of Europe by himself and I can't seem to stop him. He's driving me bananas!" Enter Mussolini to everyone's delight: "Go compare! Go compare!"
I hated this film.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I don't think the acting is bad at all. It's the script that's the problem in my opinion. Good movie - bad history. I still think Joe Wright is a fine candidate to direct Bond in the future.
I have most recently watched Magnum Force and Sudden Impact.
However Dead Pool is my clear favorite while the original is by far my least favorite. Go figure.
Dirty Harry 5/10 Too much of the film takes place at night. No origins of Harry’s character and thus feels more like a mindless sequel.
Magnum Force 10/10 Best overall Dirty Harry movie.
Enforcer 7/10 Weak badguys, but great female partner and locations. Alcatraz!
Sudden Impact 8/10 Inconsistent but saved by some classic scenes. Go ahead make my Day.
Dead Pool 10/10 The coolest and most fun DH movie. Delivers the goods with plenty of action and great cast. You are s*** out of luck!
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
Well, the National Trust has been accused of being PC of late, and this film seems to do the same. It's the soft focus look of the thing, the pillar boxes, nothing wrong with that but I dunno. You have the young secretary thinking he's wonderful, and helping him pull through, like he needs a chit of a girl to help him out, still a fellow needs a woman's help doesn't he? I mean, didn't Churchill have a few mistresses on the go? Might have made more sense to put them in but of course that doesn't really endear one to him in modern terms.
I think his wife only took him to task over his brusque manner several months after he was PM, he did piss people off a lot.
I suppose the black kid on the Tube is another bit of PC-dom - I mean, never mind Churchill, the commuters would have been staring at the black kid, v unusual I'd have thought in 1940 London. (Though I could be wrong on this, can't be sure.) It shows what a lovely non-racist bloke Churchill was, and I bet he could be like that, but really, you never really knew with that kind of guy, the only people he really stuck at hating was the Gestapo and the Socialists.
But that scene in the Tube is phoney all round. I didn't mind these touches in Atonement, which I really did like, because there are reasons why that approach works for that film.
Joe Wright did film a very expensive scene that got cut - it was the Dunkirk landing; it has some crack SAS troops going in ahead of the little boats, surfing a huge wave - heading them up front was Churchill naked save his garish swimming trunks and puffing on a big cigar. However, it was thought to be just too brazen an application to direct a Bond film, and in any case using the pts of Die Another Day was seen as not a great idea...
Roger Moore 1927-2017
The secretary was a bit exagerated too, especially since the woman the role was buildt on didn't meet Churchill untill a year or two later.
I guess the last part of you post is a joke
In my opinion political correctness isn't the problem with this movie. PC thinking are only in some details in The Darkest Hour. The problem is the desire to give Churchill an "arch" who goes from an underdog and insecure doubter to a man who wins in the end. While he had weaknesess and must gave doubted at least a bit in those weeks, the script went much too far and sacrificed too much historical fact to do it. The direction and acting is superb, it's what the script asked them to do I don't like.
Wow, I've not seen it yet but I I never knew that the filmmakers went to such lengths to create an a accurate portrayal. Kudos to them! -{
I have watched these from Jan 16 to Jan 21st:
Treasure of the Sierra Madre- Saw this one at the cinema. First time I have seen an old classic on the big screen. This film is pretty gnarly. I’m impressed the #1 movie star was unceremoniously killed with a machete and left him in the mud.
I give this one 10/10
Uncommon Valor- This must be the original Vietnam POW movie as it predates Missing in Action and Rambo II.
Was that a serious issue in the 80’s? why was Vietnam not releasing prisoners?
I give this one 7/10
Invasion USA - One of the few Chuck Norris movies that actually lives up to the hype and mythology surrounding the man.
I give this one an 8/10
Johnny Guitar - An unusual western starring Joan Crawford. I'm not sure quite what to make of it yet, but I would watch it again.
Jezebel- Henry Fonda and Bette Davis do a much better and shorter version of Gone with the Wind.
All About Eve- Continuing with Bette Davis. Reminds me of when an outsider infiltrates a tight knit social group. Get rid of her and group goes back to normal.
I give this one 10/10
Now, Voyager- More Bette Davis. A good emotional affair story but came to the wrong conclusions about some highly inappropriate behavior.
I give this one 5/10
Grapes of Wrath- One of the all-time classics and my favorite films ever. The only thing that troubled me on this viewing was the character of Casy:
1. John Carradine was and looks the same age as Henry Fonda, yet is playing a character at least 25 years older.
2. Casy admits to being a sex offender but the story still portrays him as a likable guy
Seven Year Itch- Ouch this one was painful to watch. I’ve never wanted a movie character to die so badly than Richard as he constantly talks to himself for the entire film. Billy Wilder should get worst director for this and for underutilizing Marilyn Monroe. example: Marilyn takes a shower offscreen and then we get to experience the annoying Richard taking a shower and talking to himself for like 10 minutes.
They did 40 takes of marilyn’s skirt blowing over the subway vent and we dont even get to see the iconic full body shot. it’s just her legs.
I give it a 2/10
Bell, Book and Candle. If you love Vertigo, you should check this one out because it has James Stewart and Kim Novak. Add a cat and some witchcraft.
I give it a 7/10
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
This movie is based on a true story from WWII and id directed by Harald Zwart (One night at McCool's, Karate Kid).
In 1943 the Special Operations Executive sent 12 Norwegian agents to conduct sabotage in northern Norway. A civilian informed on them, the fishing boat they crossed the North Sea in was shot to pieces and eleven of them were caught and executed.
Jan Baalsrud, the titular 12th man, managed to get away and started on a epic escape to neutral Sweden. This was in the middle of the winter, North of the Polar Circle and through a landscape of steep mountains and deep fjords. Baalsrud got injured and was dependent on the help of local civilians in on remote farms and villages. These civilians risked the their lives and the lives of their families.
This movie is well made and should be perfect for for those who are interested in WWII, the resistance and stories about survival. The story is based on SOE reports and what Baalsrud's helpers has told, but the movie is somewhat "Hollywoodized". Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays the regional head of Gestapo and learnt German for the film.
Trailer: https://www.filmweb.no/trailere/article1337671.ece
I was expecting a much sillier OTT romp, but this is an excellent plot-driven period spy story (set in East Berlin just before the wall came down). The hand-to-hand combat was just the right amount of OTT
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
you're going to forget all you decided about the first 13 Bond films, then when you watch a View to a Kill its going to seem like the best film ever made!
Cameron storyboarded the entire movie himself and it really shows from its excellent flow.
T1 may be lower budget but a lot of love and care has been put into it and there's a certain likeability that really sinks through the entire film.
While I don't usually talk about such things, there are many great details in the TECH NOIR sequence and I share your love for it but I disagree on the production values etc.
This is a great video for both of these, even if it's a bit of a long-shot for some details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x43LfTJyQM
Did you opt for the blu-ray copy with the edited gunshots or a mono mix (which would understandably take away from the experience but the former sucks)?
About Stallone...
This movie is essentially a modern western. Two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) in Texas try to save the family farm by robbing banks. Two Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) try to catch or kill them. While being really entertaining, the movie also comments on society and the times. Just look at these two qoutes:
"I've been poor my whole life, like a disease passing from generation to generation. But not my boys, not anymore."
The half Comanche Texas Ranger: "Your people did too. A long time ago your ancestors was the indians until someone came along and killed them. Broke em down made you into one of them. 150 years ago all this was my ancestors land. Everything you could see, everything you saw yesterday. Until the grandparents of these folks took it. Now it's been taken from them. Cept it ain't no army doin' it, it's those sons of bitches right there." (points at Texas Midland Bank.)
It's great to see people and not just superheroes in a movie these days. The story, script, acting, score (by Nick Cave) and directing looks first rate to me. David Mackenzie has been mentioned quite often as a future Bond director. He hasn't made a real action movie or big-budget movie yet, but you can't question his talent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBJbqV3IROM
Ahh the Border scene, it's sooo good! Definitely one of my favourite scenes in recent film; I love it, and love Sicario as a whole!
Speaking of which, it was a national holiday today and I saw some Usual Suspects-post Spacey allegations.
Line-up scene, x1000 times creepier.