- Joined
- Jun 2, 2006
- Posts
- 6,515
exactly. he never had to deal with a smol pns and all the baggage that comes with it. maybe I should tramp my way to Alaska.
Movie opinions thread (what have you seen, what did you think?)
- Thread starter aria
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2004
- Posts
- 6,435
Alaska is a fantastic place to kill yourself or someone else. Its kinda built for it
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2004
- Posts
- 47,787
My 10th grade English teacher loaned me her book because she thought I was similar to Chris. I read it and was enthralled with it and it really did resonate with me.
The movie coincidentally came out a few years later and I didn't like it nearly as much as the book. Good Eddie Vedder soundtrack. I would really like to re-read it again. Surely I would feel very different about it now.
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2006
- Posts
- 6,515
book is probably better, I assume. the movie was fine, but my jaded mind couldn't get past the naive perspective of the main character.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2001
- Posts
- 10,065
Assassination - 1987 thriller from Cannon, starring Charles Bronson as a Secret Service Agent assigned to protect the First Lady, played by Bronson's wife Jill Ireland. The First Lady becomes the target of an assassination plot, with forces inside the government wanting her dead so that she cannot divorce the President while he is in office.
Very ably directed by Peter Hunt, the man who brought us On Her Majesty's Secret Service, this is a well paced thriller, and Bronson and Ireland, naturally, have a strong on-screen chemistry. Sadly made when Cannon's finances were well and truly fucked, it doesn't suffer too much, but the use of stock footage in certain scenes is obvious, and soundtrack is awful - like something you'd expect from a bad 70s TV film. The stunt doubles for the aging Bronson are quite noticeable in places as well. For this type of film, it's a little odd that the main villain gets almost no screen time, there's a few continuity errors; and a very strange edit, where the films cuts to a bomb squad at Bronson's hotel room where a body is wired with explosives - but you never see the body being discovered by Bronson, and it's difficult to make out who the victim was!
Something of a curio nowadays, Assassination is worth a watch, and I'm sure Bronson fans will like it even if its far more grounded than some of the other films he was making during this period. It's also notable as the last film Ireland and Bronson appeared in together prior to her death 3 years later from cancer; and it was also Hunt's final feature film as director.
Very ably directed by Peter Hunt, the man who brought us On Her Majesty's Secret Service, this is a well paced thriller, and Bronson and Ireland, naturally, have a strong on-screen chemistry. Sadly made when Cannon's finances were well and truly fucked, it doesn't suffer too much, but the use of stock footage in certain scenes is obvious, and soundtrack is awful - like something you'd expect from a bad 70s TV film. The stunt doubles for the aging Bronson are quite noticeable in places as well. For this type of film, it's a little odd that the main villain gets almost no screen time, there's a few continuity errors; and a very strange edit, where the films cuts to a bomb squad at Bronson's hotel room where a body is wired with explosives - but you never see the body being discovered by Bronson, and it's difficult to make out who the victim was!
Something of a curio nowadays, Assassination is worth a watch, and I'm sure Bronson fans will like it even if its far more grounded than some of the other films he was making during this period. It's also notable as the last film Ireland and Bronson appeared in together prior to her death 3 years later from cancer; and it was also Hunt's final feature film as director.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2014
- Posts
- 4,361
The Gorge - Recent Apple streaming movie from Scott Derrickson (Sinisters, Doctors Strange, Black Phone, etc.) about a pair of expert snipers tasked with guarding opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor Hammerhead are American and Russian soldiers with sad backstories who get placed by their respective governments in the middle of nowhere Eastern Europe to protect the world from monsters who live down in the titular gorge that are trying to escape. Despite being told not to engage with one another, they almost immediately do and form a bond. Plot things happen, action scenes occur and explosions save the day.
This one was really a tale of two movies for me. The first half where they set up the (admittedly interesting) premise and backstory, the two characters get to know each other and meet-cute through sniper scopes and pads of paper and do the first couple of waves of monster attacks is a lot of fun. Once the big 2nd act pivot happens and the movie goes in to exposition dump mode and moves to more standard action movie sequences, it completely lost me. Ignoring the implausibility of much of the main characters' survival throughout the last 45 minutes, the movie goes from being a relatively quiet character piece with an engaging central mystery punctuated by occasional action sequences to just endless CG drivel with characters running from one bland computer background to the next, 67 "saved at the last second in the most predictable way possible" moments and the most boiler-plate explanation and resolution of an otherwise interesting mystery you could have. It's like the writer got a severe concussion halfway through the script and wrote the rest in a medicated haze while watching Michael Bay movies. The bad ones.
This one was really a tale of two movies for me. The first half where they set up the (admittedly interesting) premise and backstory, the two characters get to know each other and meet-cute through sniper scopes and pads of paper and do the first couple of waves of monster attacks is a lot of fun. Once the big 2nd act pivot happens and the movie goes in to exposition dump mode and moves to more standard action movie sequences, it completely lost me. Ignoring the implausibility of much of the main characters' survival throughout the last 45 minutes, the movie goes from being a relatively quiet character piece with an engaging central mystery punctuated by occasional action sequences to just endless CG drivel with characters running from one bland computer background to the next, 67 "saved at the last second in the most predictable way possible" moments and the most boiler-plate explanation and resolution of an otherwise interesting mystery you could have. It's like the writer got a severe concussion halfway through the script and wrote the rest in a medicated haze while watching Michael Bay movies. The bad ones.
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2003
- Posts
- 28,936
gundang it, I never authorized a biopic
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2001
- Posts
- 5,141
Have you watched any of the Cannon comedies? I just watched Making the Grade the other day.
- First appearance of Andrew Clay as Diceman
- Pre St Elmos Fire Judd Nelson, I believe his second acting credit
- First appearance of Dan Schneider pre scandal in anything.
Last American Virgin is worth watching too
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2001
- Posts
- 5,141
Yes it does. On the Electric Boogaloo documentary Menham Golan says the oranges he brought her in the end was a Jewish tradition.
I love making the Grade its the whole 80s preppies vs the slobs
Ralph Lauren was nouveau preppy when Making the Grade cane out
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2001
- Posts
- 10,065
Nah... unless it's got guns, explosions, Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson, or ninjas, or a combination thereof, I'm not interested.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2001
- Posts
- 10,065
There are four Cannon pics I'd really like to see sooner rather than later:
Hero & The Terror
POW: The Escape
Street Knight
The Hitman
None of which appear to be streaming anywhere in Canada, other than Street Knight, but only the French dub - so, yeah, fuck that.
Hero & The Terror
POW: The Escape
Street Knight
The Hitman
None of which appear to be streaming anywhere in Canada, other than Street Knight, but only the French dub - so, yeah, fuck that.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2001
- Posts
- 5,141
No Sylvia Kristel Cannon tiddie movies then?
How about the Wicked Lady? You get to see Marina Sitrisās boobs, action adventure
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2001
- Posts
- 5,141
- Joined
- May 4, 2004
- Posts
- 13,894
The Endless- This is by the same guys that did Synchronic and is part of their time travel trilogy. I didnāt realize the movies were going to actually be connected, I thought it would just be a themed trilogy. This actually explains where the drug from Synchronic comes from and directly crosses over with Resolution.
Itās about 2 brothers who escaped from a UFO cult a decade earlier. One day they receive a video tape from one of cult members talking about their coming ascension. The brothers decide to go back and visit the cult for some sort of resolution.
The younger bother immediately starts to get pulled back into the cult but the older brother is suspicious of everyone and everything. He knows there is definitely something very strange and potentially dangerous going on. The longer they stay the more apparent it becomes that the laws of space and time are being manipulated by someone or something.
This is obviously not on the same level as Synchronic production value wise but it manages to get the job done well enough. Especially considering the plot/concept is rather ambitious. The atmosphere is pretty solid and they convey the cult vibe and trippy time looping stuff quite well. The acting is nothing write home about for the most part but again it gets the job done.
Considering its budget itās a well made little movie and you can see Benson and Moorheadās potential and style taking shape. Definitely worth a watch.
Now I need to watch Resolution.
Itās about 2 brothers who escaped from a UFO cult a decade earlier. One day they receive a video tape from one of cult members talking about their coming ascension. The brothers decide to go back and visit the cult for some sort of resolution.
The younger bother immediately starts to get pulled back into the cult but the older brother is suspicious of everyone and everything. He knows there is definitely something very strange and potentially dangerous going on. The longer they stay the more apparent it becomes that the laws of space and time are being manipulated by someone or something.
This is obviously not on the same level as Synchronic production value wise but it manages to get the job done well enough. Especially considering the plot/concept is rather ambitious. The atmosphere is pretty solid and they convey the cult vibe and trippy time looping stuff quite well. The acting is nothing write home about for the most part but again it gets the job done.
Considering its budget itās a well made little movie and you can see Benson and Moorheadās potential and style taking shape. Definitely worth a watch.
Now I need to watch Resolution.
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2015
- Posts
- 2,204
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2005
- Posts
- 12,946
Being laid up, I've watched quite a few of moves over the past month...some I haven't seen, or haven't seen in decades.
The Bikeriders: I may be missing something, but this movie seemed pointless, slow, and boring.
Casino: This is, and always will be a guilty pleasure of mine...I only watch it once ever couple of years, but I always love it.
Dune 1&2: I still like Pt 1 much better...but only saw 2 in the theater and didn't like it much, at the time. I will say that I enjoyed Pt 2 more the second time around, but 1 is still much better. Honestly, Zendaya was a large part of that. Her sitting around, scowling and acting like a bitch the entire time killed the role. Reminded me a ton of cameron diaz in gangs of new york.
Dirty Harry & Magnum Force: I still love the original and haven't seen it in years, it is still absurd and fun. Magnum Force? Eh...not all that great.
Karate Kid 1 and 2: 1, no need to go over that again, it's an ok 80's film, I did enjoy it. 2? I haven't seen that one in easily 30 years, and honestly, it was far better than I remember. It's no masterpiece...but it wasn't terrible.
The Gentleman: God, do I love Guy Ritchie, and this one is, in my opinion, one of his best. On that note, I landed up watching the Series with the same name...and it too was awesome.
28 Days Later: Haven't seen this one in a very long time. I still love it, but the close up graininess of it kinda hurts the film. It seems, for lack of better terms, blurry.
Escape from New York: Always good, every time.
Big Trouble in Little China: Same as above, one of my favorites.
King of New York: Funny, I had never seen this one...and I found it to be superb. Christopher Walken is always good as a "bad guy"...and the overall theme of the film was something I wasn't expecting.
The Bikeriders: I may be missing something, but this movie seemed pointless, slow, and boring.
Casino: This is, and always will be a guilty pleasure of mine...I only watch it once ever couple of years, but I always love it.
Dune 1&2: I still like Pt 1 much better...but only saw 2 in the theater and didn't like it much, at the time. I will say that I enjoyed Pt 2 more the second time around, but 1 is still much better. Honestly, Zendaya was a large part of that. Her sitting around, scowling and acting like a bitch the entire time killed the role. Reminded me a ton of cameron diaz in gangs of new york.
Dirty Harry & Magnum Force: I still love the original and haven't seen it in years, it is still absurd and fun. Magnum Force? Eh...not all that great.
Karate Kid 1 and 2: 1, no need to go over that again, it's an ok 80's film, I did enjoy it. 2? I haven't seen that one in easily 30 years, and honestly, it was far better than I remember. It's no masterpiece...but it wasn't terrible.
The Gentleman: God, do I love Guy Ritchie, and this one is, in my opinion, one of his best. On that note, I landed up watching the Series with the same name...and it too was awesome.
28 Days Later: Haven't seen this one in a very long time. I still love it, but the close up graininess of it kinda hurts the film. It seems, for lack of better terms, blurry.
Escape from New York: Always good, every time.
Big Trouble in Little China: Same as above, one of my favorites.
King of New York: Funny, I had never seen this one...and I found it to be superb. Christopher Walken is always good as a "bad guy"...and the overall theme of the film was something I wasn't expecting.
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2000
- Posts
- 19,980
You're definitely missing something if that's your takeaway from The Bikeriders. Maybe do a little research to try and understand the film's message. Then watch it again, aware of what it's really about.
That's not an insult. You'll appreciate the film more if you see the essential truths it presents.
That's not an insult. You'll appreciate the film more if you see the essential truths it presents.
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2005
- Posts
- 12,946
No insult taken. I guess what I took from it was the origins of bike clubs being for social outcasts, giving them a place to belong...before they became corrupted and turned into violent crime syndicates. Perhaps there's more than that...but that was my take.
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2023
- Posts
- 1,272
Solid Choices. Casino is great but goddamn Sharon Stone does too good of a job playing a crazy bitch. Always wanted to try watching that fan edit where they just cut Ginger out completely lol. https://fanedit.org/casino-destoned/
- Joined
- May 4, 2004
- Posts
- 13,894
Diary of the Dead- I could have sworn Iād seen this before but Iām pretty sure Iād remember something this awful. I knew it was bad and I hate to shit on Romero but goddamn is this a dumpster fire. Like I get that itās supposed to be a student film and it does a good job of being a hacky, pretentious, cringe mess like an actual student film but thatās literally what it is. Thereās absolutely nothing to back that up, itās like Romero forgot he was supposed to also be making a real movie. Itās honestly embarrassing.
The dialogue is what really did me in, itās some of the most awkward cringe shit Iāve ever heard. Again that would make sense if the movie was actually made by film students but everyone talks like that all the time. Again absolutely embarrassing especially when combined with the terrible acting. Donāt even get me started on the social messaging, more film school level pseudo intellectual ham fisted junk.
Unfortunately I think Romero like so many other important guys from the era is one of those people that time left behind and trying to keep up with it just does not work.
The dialogue is what really did me in, itās some of the most awkward cringe shit Iāve ever heard. Again that would make sense if the movie was actually made by film students but everyone talks like that all the time. Again absolutely embarrassing especially when combined with the terrible acting. Donāt even get me started on the social messaging, more film school level pseudo intellectual ham fisted junk.
Unfortunately I think Romero like so many other important guys from the era is one of those people that time left behind and trying to keep up with it just does not work.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2008
- Posts
- 12,453
Seven Samurai
I watched this all in one setting last night. Itās a fantastic movie and essentially formed the template for the ābuild a team to get people out of a seemingly impossible predicamentā concept. Lots of character depth, tons of attention to detail, and fantastic background soundtrack. If you have three and a half hours to kill, this is the way to do it.
I watched this all in one setting last night. Itās a fantastic movie and essentially formed the template for the ābuild a team to get people out of a seemingly impossible predicamentā concept. Lots of character depth, tons of attention to detail, and fantastic background soundtrack. If you have three and a half hours to kill, this is the way to do it.