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Thread: Going Through The Backlog Or I Bought Way Too Many Movies

  1. #26
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Skitch (view post)
    I thought the trailer for Oblivion looked mediocre at best. I wont underestimate Kosinski again. Even the fire fighting movie he made was really good.
    That one is up next for me from him. He is also making the new Top Gun so yey!
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  2. #27
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    The Great Escape (1963)



    Despite liking the entire cast for this movie and knowing that this film is highly acclaimed I was unsure if I would like The Great Escape. Well this film exceeded my high expectations, and then some: especially the acting, direction, and that very catchy theme. Including everyone from Steve McQueen to James Garner sure helps, as does the underlying humor that at times eases the film's strong underlying feel of suspense. Also there are moments when even after witnessing triumphs those parts are followed up by crushing failures.

    Naturally there is an escape, otherwise the title would be a lie. Even though like so many Hollywood movies the facts are elaborated a bit-ok, a lot-that doesn't detract from the overlying message. Nor does it obscure the desperate bravely of those who still fought for their country even behind enemy lines. What a picture.

    Overall Verdict: Fantastic movie. However this copy is an old $5 one from Best Buy, and will be replaced by that shinny Criterion copy that came out recently.
    Last edited by MadMan; 05-27-2020 at 03:55 AM.
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  3. #28
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)



    Years ago I discovered The Ramones thanks to their greatest hits, which I found at Best Buy when I was still in college. Since then I have listened to several of their albums and other hits, and I consider myself a fan of their music. Naturally when I found a steelbook Blu-ray copy of Rock 'n' Roll High School at Best Buy last December, I had to buy it. Yes The Clash and The Sex Pistols are more beloved by me when it comes to classic punk rock, however The Ramones speak to me a bit more. Also they are American, existing as a tribute to a New York City punk scene long gone by.

    The Shout Factory special edition looks marvelous, and this movie heavily involved one of my favorite directors, Joe Dante. P.J. Soles and Dey Young are a lovely pair of rebellious teens, and I was amused that The Ramones finally showed up only 40 some minutes in. Reminds me of how often Godzilla takes his sweet time popping up on screen in most of his movies.

    Any movie that has Mary Woronov and Paul Bartel as part of the school staff will automatically get a favorable rating from me. Rock 'n' Roll High School works as a delightful film vehicle for The Ramones to play a bunch of songs, and there happens to be a teen rebellion subplot crammed in there somewhere. My favorite part has to be the giant mouse at the rock concert, simply because it is a joke that would only work in a 70s movie as goofy as this one.

    Overall Verdict: Lots of fun, and the steelbook has tons of bonus features. Easily worth it. "Things sure have changed since we got kicked out of high school."
    Last edited by MadMan; 05-27-2020 at 04:20 AM.
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  4. #29
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)



    Unlike the hilariously outlandish sequel, Silent Night, Deadly Night is a nasty, brutal and straightforward slasher movie. I had to find it after learning that the movie was driven from theaters. Huh imagine that: people got angry over a killer Santa movie. Lame, yet expected. Even though the acting isn't the greatest in this one, I still think this is one of the better 1980s slasher movies.

    Poor Billy sees his parents murdered by a guy dressed as Santa, then grows up abused in an orphanage. He grows up, takes a job at a store, and things are going well until he is forced to dress up as Santa. To say that things go south after that is an understatement. "NAUGHTY! PUNISH!" becomes his mission, and revenge pops up in his crazed mind. I liked the second movie ok, however I doubt I will bother with the other sequels. It is probably all diminishing returns anyways.

    Overall Verdict: Good movie, lots of violence, slasher movie 101 stuff. The actual copy looked good on Blu-ray, but there was hardly any bonus features. I might keep it though since it is hard to find.
    Last edited by MadMan; 05-27-2020 at 04:35 AM.
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  5. #30
    Since 1929 Morris Schæffer's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting MadMan (view post)
    The Great Escape (1963)



    Despite liking the entire cast for this movie and knowing that this film is highly acclaimed I was unsure if I would like The Great Escape. Well this film exceeded my high expectations, and then some: especially the acting, direction, and that very catchy theme. Including everyone from Steve McQueen to James Garner sure helps, as does the underlying humor that at times eases the film's strong underlying feel of suspense. Also there are moments when even after witnessing triumphs those parts are followed up by crushing failures.

    Naturally there is an escape, otherwise the title would be a lie. Even though like so many Hollywood movies the facts are elaborated a bit-ok, a lot-that doesn't detract from the overlying message. Nor does it obscure the desperate bravely of those who still fought for their country even behind enemy lines. What a picture.

    Overall Verdict: Fantastic movie. However this copy is an old $5 one from Best Buy, and will be replaced by that shinny Criterion copy that came out recently.
    The original source is not in the best shape, so Criterion basically had little to work with. The first MGM blu-ray did not garner high scores for its video presentation at all, but the restorative work done by Criterion is apparently a major improvement on the MGM one. Screenshots reveal as much. I'm hoping Criterion will release it for European regions as well.

    https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?go=1&...142908&i=0&l=0

    And despite its adventurous tone, you are right that there are crushing defeats too. [
    ] on that hilltop is cold as fuck, and really messed me up when I was a little kid.
    [+] closer to next rating / [-] closer to previous rating

    • Dark (S3) ✦✦✦½ [-]
    • Fall (Mann, 2022) ✦✦✦½ [-]
    • Ms. Marvel (S1) ✦½ [+]
    • Dark (S2) ✦✦✦✦
    • Moon Knight (S1) ✦✦½ [-]
    • Get Carter (Hodges, 1971) ✦✦✦½ [+]
    • Prey (Trachtenberg, 2022) ✦✦✦ [-]
    • Black Bird (S1) ✦✦✦✦
    • Better Call Saul (S6) ✦✦✦½ [+]
    • Halo (S1) ✦✦✦ [-]
    • Slow Horses (S1) ✦✦✦½ [+]
    • H4Z4RD (Govaerts, 2022/BE) ✦✦½ [-]
    • Gangs of London (S1) ✦✦✦½ [+]
    • We Own This City (S1) ✦✦✦½ [+]
    • Thor: Love and Thunder (Waititi, 2022) ✦✦ [+]


  6. #31
    collecting tapes Skitch's Avatar
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    I adore SNDN. It's so insane.

  7. #32
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Morris Schæffer (view post)
    The original source is not in the best shape, so Criterion basically had little to work with. The first MGM blu-ray did not garner high scores for its video presentation at all, but the restorative work done by Criterion is apparently a major improvement on the MGM one. Screenshots reveal as much. I'm hoping Criterion will release it for European regions as well.

    https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?go=1&...142908&i=0&l=0

    And despite its adventurous tone, you are right that there are crushing defeats too. [
    ] on that hilltop is cold as fuck, and really messed me up when I was a little kid.
    Yes the DVD I own kind of looks really grainy. After upgrading to Blu-ray and getting a smart TV I notice the difference in picture quality a lot. Criterion is really good at film restoration which is a plus.

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  8. #33
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Skitch (view post)
    I adore SNDN. It's so insane.
    The second one, which I watched on Shudder last December for Joe Bob's Red Christmas, is even more insane and hilarious. But yes the first one has it's own brand of unique crazy.

    BTW I wish B-Side still posted here. He loves John Ford.
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  9. #34
    collecting tapes Skitch's Avatar
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    Isnt part 2 mostly flashbacks of part1?

  10. #35
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Skitch (view post)
    Isnt part 2 mostly flashbacks of part1?
    Yes, but then the rest of the movie gets into gear and crazy shit happens.
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  11. #36
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Fort Apache (1948)



    John Ford deservedly caught flack for his portrayal of American Indians in his westerns. However in Fort Apache he tried to treat them with some degree of respect. Henry Fonda and John Wayne clash in this gloriously shot black and white classic, featuring those marvelous shots of the American Southwest. In Ford's movies the desert looks splendid, even if it hides the dangers found within the caynons and beyond the mountains.

    Having Fonda be the more rigid and hostile character was a smart move, although one could argue that Wayne does not really play against type here. In catching up with another famous western I realized that I still have far way too many left to see, and that my previous list on this site was horribly inadequate. The themes of duty, loyalty and honor would be revisited by Ford many other times, particularly in his other awesome and influential western The House Soldiers a decade later.

    Shirley Temple felt out of place in this movie though, and the female characters kind of get shoved to the background. Ford's westerns still contained that unflinching masculine element. Oh and Ward Bond is probably one of the more under-rated character actors of his time.

    Overall Verdict: Fantastic and the Blu-ray transfer is pretty good. I need to track down the rest of the Calvary trilogy.
    Last edited by MadMan; 06-13-2020 at 06:49 PM.
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  12. #37
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
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    Love that one. Fonda knocks it out of the park.

  13. #38
    I'll have to watch Fort Apache again. On first viewing, it seemed to me weirdly incoherent, like Ford couldn't make up his mind whether Fonda was the villain of the story or the hero, although Jean-Marie Straub's defence of the film makes me think I should revisit it:

    Quote Quoting Jean-Marie Straub
    John Ford is till the most Brechtian of all film-makers, because he shows things that make people think damn it, is that true or not, for instance at the end of Fort Apache, which was completely misunderstood, even by Sadoul, it doesn't have a happy ending and this is correct to make the audience collaborate on the film: in the middle of the battlefield you can see general Custer, he dies there and all his soldiers have been shot, then a few moments later John Ford says, John Waye looks at it and says, 'This man is crazy', literally. Then finally we have the so-called happy ending, one sees John Ford [sic], he is sitting there, behind him you can see a huge historical picture, representing the battle. And in front of John Ford [sic], in a circle, there are journalists taking notes, and asking questions; somebody asks, 'Is that correct? Was it really like that?' Then John Wayne turns around, startled and surprised, looks at it, wants to answer, turns around again to answer and one notices for a fraction of a second that he is about to say, 'It is all crap, it has been made too heroic, it is false, etc.', but then he says instead, 'Yes, gentlemen, it was really like that'. Then John Ford goes another step further, and John Wayne says, 'Right now I haven't got any time. I must go back to work'. And then he puts on his cap—until then he had on quite a different one exactly like the one Fonda had earlier in the battle. And then one sees him ride away on horseback, they are going to another battle. That is what I call a Brechtian film.
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  14. #39
    The Pan megladon8's Avatar
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    I prefer the sequel that takes place in the Bronx.

  15. #40
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    Quote Quoting baby doll (view post)
    like Ford couldn't make up his mind whether Fonda was the villain of the story or the hero
    He's both. A pencil necked lifer --- the kind later skewered by Altman's "MASH" --- but also someone who [
    ].

    PS: Can you link to Straub's full essay? I googled but could not find it. I'd like to read the whole thing.
    Last edited by Irish; 06-13-2020 at 11:53 PM.

  16. #41
    Quote Quoting Irish (view post)
    He's both. A pencil necked lifer --- the kind later skewered by Altman's "MASH" --- but also someone who [
    ].

    PS: Can you link to Straub's full essay? I googled but could not find it. I'd like to read the whole thing.
    It's from Andi Engel's interview with Straub and Huillet in the first (and only) issue of the journal Enthusiasm, which is available online here (the quote about Fort Apache is on page 12).
    Just because...
    The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg, 2022) mild
    Petite maman (Céline Sciamma, 2021) mild
    The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh, 2022) mild

    The last book I read was...
    The Complete Short Stories by Mark Twain


    The (New) World

  17. #42
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    Quote Quoting baby doll (view post)
    It's from Andi Engel's interview with Straub and Huillet in the first (and only) issue of the journal Enthusiasm, which is available online here (the quote about Fort Apache is on page 12).
    Great resource. Thank you.

  18. #43
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Grouchy (view post)
    Love that one. Fonda knocks it out of the park.
    I am woefully behind on Fonda's work. Gotta rectify that.
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  19. #44
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting baby doll (view post)
    I'll have to watch Fort Apache again. On first viewing, it seemed to me weirdly incoherent, like Ford couldn't make up his mind whether Fonda was the villain of the story or the hero, although Jean-Marie Straub's defence of the film makes me think I should revisit it:
    I like that Fonda is both, really. Which is why he has the better role than Wayne does in the movie.
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  20. #45
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting megladon8 (view post)
    I prefer the sequel that takes place in the Bronx.
    Hehe. I will see that one at some point.
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  21. #46
    Here till the end MadMan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Irish (view post)
    He's both. A pencil necked lifer --- the kind later skewered by Altman's "MASH" --- but also someone who [
    ].

    PS: Can you link to Straub's full essay? I googled but could not find it. I'd like to read the whole thing.
    Pretty much. Also baby doll that essay is really well done.
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  22. #47
    I'm the problem it's me DFA1979's Avatar
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    The land hurricane has actually resulted in me buying a portable DVD player (all the Blu-ray ones were sold out) and getting some cheap DVDs. So my backlog has increased to three more movies plus the Criterions I bought that I haven't watched yet.
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    And it's happened once again
    I'll turn to a friend
    Someone that understands
    And sees through the master plan
    But everybody's gone
    And I've been here for too long
    To face this on my own
    Well, I guess this is growing up

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