The Last Voyage of the Demeter - 5/10
To Die For - 8/10
Open Water - 7/10
Dead Calm - 7.5/10
My Cousin Vinny - 9/10
Swingers - 8/10
All Is Lost - 8/10
I find it interesting that others have reflected on Oppenheimer and found more in it, because the more I reflect on it the more I think of all the things that it wasn’t, and the things that didn’t happen.
You would barely know there was a war happening at the time. Quite a large one.
Yes, I understand that the point of the project was to get there first, but…this was also kind of a big deal.
The debate about the H bomb was so oddly dispassionate. I thought it was very odd that they circled Moscow, discussed US cities but refused to name one, let alone circle it, or given that the two A Bombs were dropped on Japan, not considering a city that was Not Russian or US.
The concerns about spies, which was also supposed to be kind of a big deal(?), was left to people offscreen dealing with it, shady men in suits and hats doing the grunt work but no sense of…paranoia among anyone.
I’ve seen interviews with soldiers who witnessed bomb tests, and they were all immediately and deeply disturbed. I saw the barest hint of that.
It wasn’t until very late in the movie when his wife said they would lose their house over the result of the board’s decision…and that was when I was like…okay, so this actually Does have some personal ramification.
Overall, I thought it was a very, very odd movie.
I don’t know what it was trying to say.
I don’t know what it was trying to show.
I have no idea how I was supposed to feel about it.
If it was a character exploration, then I have to say The Imitation Game did that far, far better.
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I have a personal observation about Christopher Nolan movies…the ones I liked the most (Memento, The Prestige, the Batman films) were all co-written with Jonathan Nolan.
I’m wondering whether both brothers are needed to really hit the heights.
For those who enjoy bad-but-good 70s and 80s schlock, and probably also for general film buffs, I watched this documentary last night…
We used to really dig some of these Cannon movies in our house when I was a kid in the 80s. They actually made some good things, and this doco had some truly weird and wacky looking stuff that has gone on my list…
Oh, and speaking of entertaining 80s flicks. Someone above mentioned To Live and Die in LA. Directed by the recently passed away William Friedkin. A highly entertaining film, recommended. And it’s available in full on YouTube at present.
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This one probably the better bet, unless you really like Hanks and Amercanised softening of the edges. Source material is good, book and film, I’m sure they haven’t Hanksed it up too much
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I loved it ……was long……great acting and great cast. Was gripped by the whole thing. Didn’t know all of the history in detail (only high level)…….I was entertained. Mrs Lawry fell asleep- but she’s pregnant so she had an excuse ha
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My name is Otto is one of my favourite movies from this year.
Top 5 is probably
Gran Tourismo
My name is Otto
Oppenheimer
Spider-Man across the Spider-Verse
Mission impossible
I think it’s fair to say that I’ve been turned off Hollywood movies for a while now.
Except popcorn like Guardians 3.
Actually, no, I’m really just making excuses for it.
I didn’t find it engaging at all.
I didn’t feel any tension.
I honestly didn’t feel Anything.
And when I say I went in without expectations, I guess that means that’s not entirely true.
I expected to feel at least some sort of sense of foreboding. And I expected to care.
I don’t…think those are outrageous expectations, or that the film’s failure to meet them is on me.
But, I’m glad others enjoyed it.
Yeah that was me. To Live and Die in L.A. is one of the 5 Friedkin masterpieces for mine. It’s one of if not the most ‘80s’ looking and sounding movies of all time but has the nastiness and cynicism of that great 70s cinema. I’ve no doubt that was intentional on Friedkins part. Its like he was trying to do Miami Vice with bad vibes. Canon produced mountains of schlock with the odd classic thrown in, but most of their movies are at least watchable. They were one of the last studios to give directors carte blanche to do as they please when other studios were moving away from that model until the indie rebirth in the 90s.
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Lol.
This film is making me cross, now.
I’m starting to think that it’s not just not great, but that it’s actually terrible.
Mostly agree. The first 2 hours were riveting in particular. The last hour dragged slightly for me, but that was more on me because im kind of allergic to courtroom dramas which it essentially becomes. But overall it is an outstanding achievement on just about every level and I haven’t liked a Nolan movie since Insterstellar.
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I’m trying to think who wrote the book…Gerald or Gerard something.
Ex-Secret Service from the counterfeiting section, not the personal protection bit.
Gerald Petievich…I liked all his books.
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Yep, it is so very, very 80s. I can’t quite explain why, but that really works in its favour, in my opinion. What are the other four films on your Friedkin classics list? I’ve only seen The French Connection, The Exorcist and Sorcerer apart from To Live and Die in LA. Cruising and Rampage have been on my list for a while, but are not easy to track down…
Cannon made quite a lot of entertaining movies, for sure. Golan and Globus obviously didn’t have an artist’s sensibility, but I think many directors are on record as saying they enjoyed working with them.
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Sorcerer, The Exorcist, The French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A. & Cruising are the five I referred to, but ‘Bug’ & ‘Killer Joe’ are two late era Friedkins which are also terrific after a rough time of it in the 90s. ‘Rampage’ is worth a watch, especially if you’re a fan of Michael Biehn. A little underrated, and certainly better than The Rock movie of the same name. I’ve heard his remake of 12 Angry Men is also really good but i’ve not seen it.
Yeah the 80s cheese of To Live & Die was a hinderance for me when I first saw it as a teenager but now I eat it up. It makes it such a time capsule of its era yet also subverts the gnarliness and ugliness of that movie in a really interesting way. You feel like you’re watching Cobra or something and having a laugh and then it turns and nope this is the same guy who made The Fench Connection.
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I will keep trying to track Rampage down, it definitely sounds interesting. Any idea where I might get hold of it? Killer Joe was on SBS on Demand recently, but I procrastinated and didn’t get around to watching it before it was taken down.
Your observation about To Live and Die in LA being a time capsule is probably right, and while it’s massively 80s, I don’t think it’s aged badly. Which in itself is really odd for something from that decade. Or maybe it’s just my lack of good taste. I think part of its attraction for me is the setting, I get the feeling that LA was a really fascinating place (not necessarily in a positive way) in that era.
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Three older movies I’ve enjoyed rewatching lately
Fargo
The Dish
The Score
All fun and well made
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Theres no legal way I can point you in the direction of watching Rampage but if you send me a private message I can point you in the direction to watch a good quality version of it.
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Fargo is so great. I’ve seen it a million times but it always feels fresh. Beautiful cinematography & score and William H Macy’s best performance. He so slimey and pathetic but in a believable everyman sort of way. Its a difficult role and he nails it.
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I’ve seen The Score several times and always enjoyed it. I’m not really a fan of de Niro, but he’s good in this one, and then you have Ed Norton, who’s always compelling, and Marlon Brando in a smaller part that he manages to make unforgettable. Add in a tight plot, a good double twist at the end, and an excellent heist sequence, and you have a really entertaining movie. It only rates 6.8 on IMDB and the critics don’t like it, but as far as I’m concerned that just shows how dumb critics can be.
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The Dish is a gem.
Had a lot of hype when released but feels a little forgotten now. Great movie, lighthearted yet hits the right notes at the right times
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