What ELSE (other than KUNG FU) has everyone been watching?

[nectarsis]

 

REX MANNING DAY!!

 

[DrNgor]

Celular (2004) - I have seen Connected twice, but had never seen its inspiration until last night. They are more or less the same movie, but with a few differences:

- There are more (and longer) action scenes in  Connected. The ones in Celular never quite go as over the top as the ones in Benny Chan's film;
- The airport sequence in Celular is pretty short; in Connected, it's the basis for the last 30-40 minutes;
- Instead of Interpol, we have regular dirty cops in the original;
- In Celular, the retrieval of the incriminating video occurs at a bank; in Connected, it occurs in an open field area (which leads to a rolling-down-a-hill action sequence).

I always find it fascinating in these race-against-time suspense movies where normal people acting like normal people to the hero--i.e. the scene where Chris Evans tries to get the phone charger--makes them look like total jerks and a**holes to us the audience.

[DragonClaws]

Unforgiven – (1992) – Powerful Academy Award Winning Western story that see’s Clint Eastwood working as both star and director. Using an old Western story Eastwood had held onto from the 1970’s. Until he felt he was the right age to play the cast iron aging outlaw William Munny. Then in early 90’s he dusted off the project once titled Whores Gold and assembled a great cast and crew to bring it all to the big screen. Unforgiven was the 16th movie the legendary Hollywood filmmaker directed. With a meloncholy score by Lennie Niehaus and his team, with contributions from Eastwood.

"Unforgiven summerizes everything I think about the Western," -Clint Eastwood (L.A Times).

 

The following Plot, is taken from IMDB.Com - “After escaping death by the skin of her teeth, the horribly disfigured prostitute, Delilah Fitzgerald, and her appalled and equally furious co-workers summon up the courage to seek retribution in 1880s Wyoming's dangerous town of Big Whiskey. With a hefty bounty on the perpetrators' heads, triggered by the tough Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett's (Gene Hackman) insufficient sense of justice, the infamous former outlaw and now destitute Kansas hog farmer, William Munny (Clint Eastwood), embarks on a murderous last mission to find the men behind the hideous crime. Along with his old partner-in-crime, Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman), and the brash but inexperienced young gunman, the "Schofield Kid"(James Woolvett)

 

“I ain’t like that no more kid, whiskey done it as much as anything else, I ain’t had a drop in over ten years, my wife cured me of all that”

 

Where do you start with a classic movie of this calibre? Especially when so much has already been said about this picture already. Like John Ford, Sergio Leone & Sam Peckinpah before him, Clint Eastwood took the well- trodden Western genre and re-worked it. This is by means a fairy tale version of the Old West, its hard brutal and the people are all as tough as the harsh surroundings they live in. Nobody’s presented as a hero in this story, no one is the well-mannered good guy without flaws here. Everybody’s out to survive at all costs. Eastwoods character William Munny pinned down by poverty, must collect needs to collect a large bounty. To help his friend Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) and give his two young children a new start. His character not doing this out of any kind of moral mission. Just like the famous mysterious quick handed characters, that he played in his collaborations with Italian director Sergio Leone.

 

“He’s holding onto his shit, like it was his money”

 

It’s portrayal of screen violence is unflinching without being excessive or done just for shocks. One example of this, is when Sheriff Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) sadistically makes an example of lowly fake aristocrat gun for hire English Bob (Richard Harris). The two men don’t have a quick draw gun battle, Bob’s just pinned down with guns and then kicked within an inch of his life. In the hope it will put off any more guns for hire walking into his town. The scene also features a fine example of Gene Hackman’s acting ability, with his intimating, unpredictable and sly presence as Sheriff Daggett. Who has some great scenes with late Irish born acting talent Richard Harris (The Wild Geese)? Richard Harris & Gene Hackman both said Clint Eastwood was one of the best directors they had worked with. Someone who allowed them a chance to have more creative input, than most directors would usually allow for. According to interviews the pair gave for The Making of Unforgiven (1992).

 

“No ones gonna come now, not after what Little Bill did to that English man”

 

There are multiple finer details going on this simple story, but it all eventually boils down to William Munny finally crossing paths with Sheriff Little Bill Daggett. As the now fever ridden William Munny gets closer to the lightly populated town of Big Whiskey. The closer he and his companions get to the town, the heavier the storm becomes. The combination of Eastwoods direction and Bill Cox’s tight editing, along with the actor’s performances. Really helps to build up the tension before everything starts to spiral violently out of control.

 

- “Still think it’s gonna be easy to kill them cowboys?”

- “If we don’t drown first”

 

Violence is never portrayed as the answer in this story and its only just one part of its many themes. No Unforgiven themed ramble would be complete with mentioning Morgan Freemans performance as tough loyal aging gunslinger Ned Logan. There are so many fine performances in this production, I can’t list them all. The former teacher and Air Force mechanic conveys some scene stealing performances here. Such as the scene, when he loses his ability to shoot without remorse. Freeman’s character barely utters a word, but he conveys his feelings with the expression in his eyes. His character is crucial to the story, and it wouldn’t have worked half as effectively without him.

 

“What the hell is that kid shooting at us for?”

 

This storys nwilling catalyst is the physically and mentally scarred Delilah Fitzgerald, played with style by actress Anna Thomson (The Crow). Who has little choice but to watch everything going out of control? Miss Thomson delivers a touching performance that holds up to her fellow more experience cast members. Not forgetting veteran Clint Eastwood movie regular Frances Fisher, who is on her usual top acting form as no nonsense prostitute Strawberry Alice. Cherrelene Cardinal has a small cameo, as Ned Logans Native American wife who gives William Munny (Eastwood) a cold hard stare. James Woolvett holds his own with co-stars Eastwood and Morgan in his portrayal of the young and naive Schofield Kid, who believes he can shoot his way out of any problem.

 

- “I can shoot your canteen”

- “Kid we ain’t going to shoot at canteen’s”

 

The authentic looking Big Whiskey town set was built in just thirty-two days, on location in Alberta Canada. A fifty-two-day shoot, consisting of six-day weeks with night shoots until 2.00am. “Harry Burmstead’s set for Big Whiskey, the miserable little Wyoming country seat circa 1880, where most of the action was staged, contained no false fronts. Its buildings were solidly, expensively rooted on this land; every structure was fully practical, and all the films interiors were made here and not on a soundstage, above all you could measure Clints seriousness by the remoteness and discomfort of the location” -Source: Clint Eastwood A Biography by Richard Schikel. Adding the icing to the cake, is the realistic looking costume work done by Carla Hetland, Joanne Hansen, & Valerie T O’Brien.

 

- “You just shot an unarmed man”

- “He should have armed himself when he decided to decorate his saloon with my friend”

 

David Webb Peoples corking script, is visceral, unnerving and touching all at the same time. Laced with some dark humour and realistic touches, such a William Munny’s issues with getting back in the saddle in some early scenes. Peoples script doesn’t glamorize violence even though it plays a big part in the story telling. Skip this final section to avoid plot spoilers- William Munny refuses to drink alcohol, even when he’s suffering from a fever that almost kills him during a storm. It takes his friends unnecessary death to trigger his desire to drink and weaken his willpower to fight his violent tendencies. Leading to one of the best movie finales ever filmed, and one that still holds up well today. If you enjoy Westerns, and would like to see one of the best in the genre. Then you can’t go wrong with viewing Unforgiven.

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by DragonClaws

[AlbertV]

I see this Afrikaans film as a cross between Agent Cody Banks and Fight Back to School in terms of the central character. A 14-year-old homeschooled spy is hired to go undercover to stop a notorious bully at a public high school. The film sees our hero both trying to keep the mission at hand while he has to adjust to a world he's never seen, with sometimes embarrassing results. Paul Loots does relatively well in the titular role and his father, played by David James, reminds me of Bas Rutten in Here Comes the Boom (tough as nail exterior, gentle side on the inside). Fun family film and Loots gets to show some pretty good fight skills when needed.

[Drunken Monk]

300: Rise of an Empire (2014) - Wrongfully maligned. No, it doesn't quite live up to the first film but that film was just so unique and special. The sequel (prequel) walks in the first film's footsteps very, very well and delivers fantastic action. Most importantly, the action is DIFFERENT. This one gives us water-based battles with every one being as big and balls to the walls as possible. There is a shit ton of bloodshed, fantastic choreography and a lot of all round inventiveness. 

The cast doesn't quite match the first film either. Don't get me wrong, it's solid. But Sullivan Stampleton doesn't have the same level of gravitas as Gerard Butler. Eva Green does give it her all though and she really pulls off an incredible level of both menace and allure.

If you're expecting the magic of Zack Snyder's 300, you're not going to get it here. But if you just want to see sweaty, bare chested men fuck each other up with giant spears and razor sharp swords, you're in for a treat. I'd honestly say that this is one of the most underrated sequels of all time.

[DragonClaws]

 

The Eiger Sanction - (1975) – Clint Eastwood stars as a mountain climber, college professor, rare art collector and some-time assassin. In his tense third movie as Director, with a screen play by Warren Murphy, Hal Dresner & author of the 1972 Eiger Sanction novel Rodney Whitaker. It was the first time Eastwood, took an established story then an adapted it for the big screen. Plot- “A retired professional assassin Jonathan Hemlock (Clint Eastwood), who has turned to the calmer pursuit of art collecting, is suddenly forced out of retirement to hunt down a deadly double agent who murdered a close friend. The hunt takes Hemlock on a breathtaking journey up the Swiss Alps, with an international team of mountain climbers – one of whom is the man he seeks, though his identity is unknown”.

 

- “Jesus Christ John, don’t you ever say anything?”

- “I was waiting for your mouth to get tired”

 

Clint Eastwood wanted this to be the first film, to not use any studio sets or special visual effects for many mountain climbing sequences. Tragically twenty-six-year-old British climber David Knowles, who was working on the film as a cameraman and double. Lost his life while trying to capture footage for just one of the many high-risk scenes. An incident that left American climber Mike Hoover (The productions climbing advisor) with a fractured pelvis. “Clint considered cancelling the production. The climbers, however, urged him to go on. They knew the risks of their trade, ran them habitually, and felt moviemaking added nothing to them” – Clint Eastwood: A biography by Richard Schickel.

 

“Don’t call me buddy, pal, or sweetheart”

 

According, to the book Clint Eastwood by Gerald Cole & Peter Williams, Eastwood despite being in his mid-forties at the time. Underwent three weeks of intensive climbing training in Yosemite National Park. Which is situated in the California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. The Eiger mountain itself, was doubled for the close-up shots, by another mountain in the Zion National Park in Utah. Which was a much more practical place to film that footage. The north section of the Eiger mountain in which the story’s finale takes place. Has been referred to by veteran climbers as the Murder Wall. When veteran Scottish born Alpine climber Dougal Haston heard some of the film crews plans, he responded with “Your out of your fucking minds”.

 

“Either through the window, or through the door, it’s your choice?”

 

One of the film highlights, see’s Eastwoods character and his climbing trainer Ben Knowles (George Kennedy) climbing the 640 feet high - 18 feet wide, prehistoric rock formation known as the ‘Totem Pole’ located in Monument Valley Arizona. The picture accompanying this write-up, is taken from this shoot. This also marked the last time anyone was legally allowed to climb the sacred Navajo site. The Navajo are an ancient tribe who’s reservation merges with rock formations of Monument Valley. They allowed the film crew to shoot there, on the agreement that the film crew remove all the pits/hardware previous climbers had left pinned on the rock face.

 

“Dragon, you have the ability to describe the indescribable”

 

You could describe Eastwoods character, as James Bond meets Harry Callahan. There are clear nods to both characters/pictures, and some of the stories more far out settings. Thayer David’s is excellent performances as the creepy light sensitive reclusive Bond inspired villain Dragon. The Eiger Sanction book, was just the first in a series of stories featuring fictional international assassin Jonathan Knowles. Then there’s the fitting European style soundtrack by composing giant John Williams. Along with some striking Swiss Alp scenery, providing the knockout back drop to the story. When stories protagonist is required to get into shape. His trainer Ben Knowles, brought to life by ace character actor George Kennedy. Has some unusual training methods, getting his friend to chase a lighting fast nimble footed climber George played by Brenda Venus. Who makes mountain running look easier than brushing your teeth? Venus was a friend of Bruce Lee’s in the 1960’s, when she was dating his then Student and fellow Martial Artist Joe Lewis (Jaguar Lives).

 

- “If you carried beer up here, you’re crazy”

- “I didn’t carry it, you did”

 

Character actor Jack Cassidy is great as devious quick-witted Miles Mellough, Hemlocks former Military friend and also a major thorn in his side. His on-screen boyfriend/bodyguard is played by hulking former Mr. America 1966 Dan Howard. He also ran the famous Golds Gym for four years, he’s there to put Clints character over with the audience. It wouldn’t have the same visual effect, if Woody Allen or Dustin Hoffman was given Howard’s part. Both Eastwood and Dan Howard trained at the same California gym. Special mention goes to charismatic veteran actress Vonetta McGee, who came to cinema audiences’ attentions in the 1972 Blaxploitation film Blacula.

 

- “No known infections?”

- “Nothing out of the unusual, syphilis, running sores, and Clap”

 

At two hours, this films slower 1970’s pace might not suit some movie fans. That said The Eiger Sanction still delivers a tense, edgy adventure that leaves you guessing right until the very final scenes. The cast and crew risked their lives to deliver some outstanding cinematography throughout, but it really shines during the climax. Clint Eastwood performed many of his own stunts, this along with his refusal to use Hollywood sets. Means the film stills look authentic, even if its fashions and visual style is looking dated now. Climber, soundman, stuntman and cameraman Peter Pilafian. designed a lightweight camera that only used batteries. Technology like this had never been employed on a movie set before. It allowed the crew to capture the riskier scenes, set at dizzying heights. If you’re a fan of 1970’s movies, then you want to give this one a try. If you’re a Clint Eastwood fan who hasn’t viewed it yet, get yourself a copy.

 

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by DragonClaws

[Koravec]

Took the ‘if you liked The Batman you may also like these’ titles route.

Spawn-Watchable and entertaining. Would say itd be a decent one to throw on around halloween or whatever. Not as bad as people say.

The Crow- 2nd viewing. I get why I didnt care for it much the first time around. But with a better appreciation of goth aesthetics that was lacking the time I first watched it I enjoyed it more. Is badass in its own ways.

Sin City- Wow, first time seeing this. Blew me away, the stories and atmospheric noir cinematography. What a great film. 

Cosmopolis- Robert Pattinson starring based on a don delillo book. Didnt know what the hell I was watching when I rented this when it came out and turned it off right away when I saw it was just pattinson sitting in a limo for so long. Ended up regretting never watching it later. And the regret is justified, this is a great story. The protagonists existential meandering and then end confrontation with an assassin out for him is top notch. 

Morbius- Again not as bad as people say, very watchable enjoyable vampire flick. I dont even care for vampires whatsoever and thought this was a nice little popcorner. I enjoyed it at the theater.

40s black&white Batman series- only got so far into this. Was planning on watching it for this little post here, and would still be interested but havent gone back to it for whatever reason and dont plan to too soon now. 

 

[Super Ninja]

1 hour ago, Koravec said:

Cosmopolis- Robert Pattinson starring based on a don delillo book. Didnt know what the hell I was watching when I rented this when it came out and turned it off right away when I saw it was just pattinson sitting in a limo for so long. Ended up regretting never watching it later. And the regret is justified, this is a great story. The protagonists existential meandering and then end confrontation with an assassin out for him is top notch. 

For me Cronenberg's worst movie. And I thought nothing can beat the painfully boring Spider. 

[Coliseum1972]

Selskapsresan 5/6 , classic swedish vacation comedy

[Koravec]

Lost City- I liked the premise, realizing daniel radcliffe was in it pushed me over the fence to check it out. Side note: seems daniel either does dark supernatural movies or wilderness movies, this falling into the latter category. 

Some surprisingly badass fight scenes with brad pitt, but only lasts for so long as his character does. 

The jokes are decent, somehow better than the ones in ‘everything everywhere all at once’ and marvel movies put together, but thats a very low bar.

 

Father Stu- Yea Im just watching it all. Almost considered making an appreciation post for the theater rn, while nothing great, everything is of interest to me and watchable, save for bad guys.

This isnt a boxing movie by any means which I had partially hoped for. Its a quirky story inspired by the life of an actual person. While its quirkiness in its adaptation I found a bit strange, it still manages to be very endearing and quite the tear jerker at parts.

[Django]

I watched The Blazing Temple today, and I must say that I was disappointed. With the heavy weight cast of Chang Yi, Carter Wong and Kam Kong, this film could have been so much more. But in the end it’s just a poor mans Shaolin Tempe

Edited April 30, 2022 by Django

[Super Ninja]

5 hours ago, Django said:

I watched The Blazing Temple today, and I must say that I was disappointed. With the heavy weight cast of Chang Yi, Carter Wong and Kam Kong, this film could have been so much more. But in the end it’s just a poor mans Shaolin Tempe

Em.. wrong thread buddy 

[AlbertV]

The Furnace (Darrell Roodt, 2019): This film on Tubi is from the director of The Lullaby (Siembamba), To the Death, and Sarafina! It stars horror movie actress Jamie Bernadette (4/20 Massacre, I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu) as a woman whose dream and life are destroyed when a car accident claims the life of her husband and she losing a lung, ending her dream to race in Africa. With the help of a doctor turned grace digger, she is able to run again but after an isolated incident, the grave digger goes home to Africa and a year passes. The woman has come to Africa to live her dream and race in Africa as she attempts to overcome the odds. Bernadette is an amazing actress who tends to play the "survivalist final girl" and now, she gets the chance to do it again in a different genre and this IMO is one of her best performances. 

Director Darrell Roodt is one of the most versatile filmmakers in the world. He can make films of any genre and make them still enjoyable.

Edited April 30, 2022 by AlbertV

[Coliseum1972]

V for Vendetta 4.5/6 , comic book movie

Batman artist Neal Adams just died , met him in Lon many yrs ago

 

[Drunken Monk]

After hearing so much about it for so long, I watched Irreversible (2002) yesterday. It's an interesting film, though not always in a positive sense.
The first half of the film is Gaspar Noe trying to disorient, unsettle and flat out offend his audience. It's actually pretty obnoxious. His intensions are so obvious that is becomes eye roll inducing after a while. And this before I even talk about the two "big" moments in the film.
The second half is far more enjoyable. It's fun and horny and silly. A great look at two or three humans just being humans. It's very endearing even if we do know what comes next. This is a film with two very different halves.
Since I'm reviewing this film and it's notorious for its two big "shock" scenes, I have to talk about them. Firstly, the fire extinguisher murder is more brutal than I thought it would be. It's VERY well shot and the camera never moves away from the carnage. I didn't find it particularly shocking or offensive but as far as on screen violence goes, it's up there as one of the more visceral moments.
Then we have the rape of Monica Bellucci's character. I've seen a lot of "shock" movies. I've seen some of my most gruesome scenes committed to film, I think. But this scene may top them all. It is a unflinching, nine minute long, single shot rape scene and it's as nasty as it gets. Utterly harrowing thanks to Bellucci's performance. I understand why the film is brought up when offensive films are mentioned. I think it's a wonderfully captured scene and actually less obnoxious than Noe's earlier, vomit inducing camera work. I couldn't look away.
All in all, it's a good film I'll never re-watch. Good, not great. If I were to rate it, I'd give it 3/5.

[DrNgor]

9 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said:

I've seen some of my most gruesome scenes committed to film, I think. But this scene may top them all. It is a unflinching, nine minute long, single shot rape scene and it's as nasty as it gets.

Have you seen the original I Spit on you Grave? That one has a rape sequence that lasts entire second act of the movie.

[Drunken Monk]

1 hour ago, DrNgor said:

Have you seen the original I Spit on you Grave? That one has a rape sequence that lasts entire second act of the movie.

I may need to revisit it. I remember the film fairly well but I don't remember the rape scene being worse than Irreversible's. Not that I'm in the habit of comparing rape scenes.

[WangYu]

3 hours ago, DrNgor said:

Have you seen the original I Spit on you Grave? That one has a rape sequence that lasts entire second act of the movie.

I remember the scene in the bath 🥹

[AlbertV]

On 5/3/2022 at 10:55 AM, Drunken Monk said:

I may need to revisit it. I remember the film fairly well but I don't remember the rape scene being worse than Irreversible's. Not that I'm in the habit of comparing rape scenes.

There is an official sequel, I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu, which has the now elder Jennifer and her daughter being targeted by the family of Johnny, the guy from the bath. I have spoken with Camille Keaton a few years ago about her film Cry for the Bad Man (which she plays a widow who takes on home invaders with a shotgun)) and the actress who plays her daughter, Jamie Bernadette, and the villain Becky Stillman, Maria Olsen. Jamie and Maria were part of my "Ladies of Horror" special in March and we talked about the sequel. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by AlbertV

[Drunken Monk]

43 minutes ago, AlbertV said:

There is an official sequel, I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu, which has the now elder Jennifer and her daughter being targeted by the family of Johnny, the guy from the bath. I have spoken with Camille Keaton a few years ago about her film Cry for the Bad Man (which she plays a widow who takes on home invaders with a shotgun)) and the actress who plays her daughter, Jamie Bernadette, and the villain Becky Stillman, Maria Olsen. Jamie and Maria were part of my "Ladies of Horror" special in March and we talked about the sequel. 

I have to say it but I think I turned off Deja Vu. It just didn't do much for me. Maybe I should revisit it. There's a third movie now: I Spit on Your Grave: Vengeance is Mine.

[DrNgor]

18 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said:

I have to say it but I think I turned off Deja Vu. It just didn't do much for me. Maybe I should revisit it. There's a third movie now: I Spit on Your Grave: Vengeance is Mine.

Kinda weird. They made the movie. It was remade. The remake got two sequels. Then the original got two sequels.

[AlbertV]

19 hours ago, DrNgor said:

Kinda weird. They made the movie. It was remade. The remake got two sequels. Then the original got two sequels.

Vengeance is Mine is actually the second sequel of the remake. I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu (2019) is the only official sequel to the original as it not only starred Camille Keaton in her iconic role, but it was directed by the original film director (and Keaton's ex-husband) Meir Zarchi. 

Zarchi was executive producer of the remake and its two sequels, but the original has only one sequel. 

@Drunken Monk one point of being turned off by Deja Vu is that the film is 2 and a half hours. 

Edited May 5, 2022 by AlbertV

[Drunken Monk]

9 minutes ago, AlbertV said:

Vengeance is Mine is actually the second sequel of the remake. I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu (2019) is the only official sequel to the original as it not only starred Camille Keaton in her iconic role, but it was directed by the original film director (and Keaton's ex-husband) Meir Zarchi. 

Zarchi was executive producer of the remake and its two sequels, but the original has only one sequel. 

@Drunken Monk one point of being turned off by Deja Vu is that the film is 2 and a half hours. 

Oh, it looks like I've only seen the remake and the sequel to the remake. I'm going to try and squeeze Deja Vu in either today or tomorrow, if I can. Is it as exploitational as the first?

[DrNgor]

24 minutes ago, AlbertV said:

but it was directed by the original film director (and Keaton's ex-husband) Meir Zarchi. 

I wonder how well they got along while filming the sequel, considering they have a failed marriage as baggage...unless they actually separated amicably, as some couples claim to do.

[Drunken Monk]

I'm trying to catch up on a lot of classics I've missed over the years so this morning I say down to a first-time viewing of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Judge me all you want but this film is an absolute chore to get though. It's well made. I'll give it that. But it's boring, aimless and filled with so much "nothingness" that is becomes insulting.
I hated sitting through this. I wanted to turn it off with 40 minutes to go, but I powered through it. I wish I would have given up. Visually very impressive but otherwise, one of the dullest films I've ever had the displeasure of watching.

If you like this film and can get something out of it, I respect you. I'm happy you like it and you might very well say "You just don't get it" to me. That's fair. But at this point, I don't want to get it.