Blondie,Parallel Lines
I like good docs about interesting people.
8/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WodSSuZvPjY
I like good docs about interesting people.
8/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WodSSuZvPjY
-
Features
Which movie did you watch today and how would you rate it?
- Thread starter C_Mucius_Scaevola
- Start date
Bacillus anthracis
Member
The Iceman
This is a movie about Richard Kuklinski, a mob hit man who killed somewhere between 100-250 people. He got the nickname "Iceman" because after he killed someone he'd store their body in a freezer for a couple of years so that the police couldn't figure out the time of death. The guy was utterly ruthless.
But he was also a family man.
This is such a good movie as long as you don't know much or anything about Kuklinski before seeing it. It portrays him as a dark, murderous, and sociopathic man, who is the product of a tragic upbringing. Yet it also portrays him as a living tragedy--a divided human being who loves his family. There is this sense of inevitability about him--that he couldn't have been anything other than what he was.
The dude was also super creative in how he killed people. Seeing him in action is like admiring an advanced piece of military equipment. Yeah, it's a fucking death machine, but man--just look at it!
The movie inspired me to look him up and let's just say that the movie portrays him in what could only be described as the best light possible. However, it is just one side of a story and one that isn't told often enough. It's somewhat of a Sympathy for The Devil story, and the movie does a really great job of it. As I was once told by a literature professor, "Just because a story isn't told exactly how it was in real life, it doesn't mean it isn't true." If that's true, and I think it is, then this might be the best example I've ever seen of it.
This flick got mediocre reviews from the critics, but rave reviews from the lay person who went to see it. One professional critic wrote (I'm paraphrasing), "The performances are impressive and the storyline gripping. But somehow you just don't care." In other words, "I liked the movie but I'm not going to admit it because Kuklinski was such a horrible human being." The people who made this movie and the actors in it deserved better. It's one of the best movies I've seen years.
8.5/10
This is a movie about Richard Kuklinski, a mob hit man who killed somewhere between 100-250 people. He got the nickname "Iceman" because after he killed someone he'd store their body in a freezer for a couple of years so that the police couldn't figure out the time of death. The guy was utterly ruthless.
But he was also a family man.
This is such a good movie as long as you don't know much or anything about Kuklinski before seeing it. It portrays him as a dark, murderous, and sociopathic man, who is the product of a tragic upbringing. Yet it also portrays him as a living tragedy--a divided human being who loves his family. There is this sense of inevitability about him--that he couldn't have been anything other than what he was.
The dude was also super creative in how he killed people. Seeing him in action is like admiring an advanced piece of military equipment. Yeah, it's a fucking death machine, but man--just look at it!
The movie inspired me to look him up and let's just say that the movie portrays him in what could only be described as the best light possible. However, it is just one side of a story and one that isn't told often enough. It's somewhat of a Sympathy for The Devil story, and the movie does a really great job of it. As I was once told by a literature professor, "Just because a story isn't told exactly how it was in real life, it doesn't mean it isn't true." If that's true, and I think it is, then this might be the best example I've ever seen of it.
This flick got mediocre reviews from the critics, but rave reviews from the lay person who went to see it. One professional critic wrote (I'm paraphrasing), "The performances are impressive and the storyline gripping. But somehow you just don't care." In other words, "I liked the movie but I'm not going to admit it because Kuklinski was such a horrible human being." The people who made this movie and the actors in it deserved better. It's one of the best movies I've seen years.
8.5/10
MarkW
Senior Member
Elvis and Anabelle
9/10
A romantic drama with a small fantasy element that does not detract from its overall believability. A mortician and a beauty pageant contestant might seem unlikely to fall in love, but the real obstacle to be overcome is that he's a hardened cynic while she's strongly idealistic. Excellent performances from Max Minghella and Blake Lively.
9/10
A romantic drama with a small fantasy element that does not detract from its overall believability. A mortician and a beauty pageant contestant might seem unlikely to fall in love, but the real obstacle to be overcome is that he's a hardened cynic while she's strongly idealistic. Excellent performances from Max Minghella and Blake Lively.
The Breakfast Club
5/10
I'm sure a movie like this needs no real introduction
And overall I found it an ok watch
Not great
Not bad
Just......ok
Liar Liar
6/10
So this is the movie where Jim Carrey plays a slimey lawyer who suddenly can't lie anymore
Hilarity ensues
And it is a fun film
The overall plot is simple and moves along well with some likeable characters
The acting is all pretty solid
And the film has a good set of laughs throughout it's runtime
So if you want a good solid comedy, then I would say this fits
Lupin III
3/10
So this is the new live action Lupin III movie
And overall it is kinda a mess
The acting is all generally solid but unfortunately the characters are all kinda hollow and hard to root for
The plot has a good core but is weighed down with alot of fluff that really doesn't work or is just plain not interesting
And someone turn on the lights (The movie is kinda hard to see because everything takes place in dim rooms etc)
There are some good parts, parts that were well shot and fun
But they are a small part of the movie and you are more then likely gonna get bored long before you reach them
I would just skip this movie
5/10
I'm sure a movie like this needs no real introduction
And overall I found it an ok watch
Not great
Not bad
Just......ok
Liar Liar
6/10
So this is the movie where Jim Carrey plays a slimey lawyer who suddenly can't lie anymore
Hilarity ensues
And it is a fun film
The overall plot is simple and moves along well with some likeable characters
The acting is all pretty solid
And the film has a good set of laughs throughout it's runtime
So if you want a good solid comedy, then I would say this fits
Lupin III
3/10
So this is the new live action Lupin III movie
And overall it is kinda a mess
The acting is all generally solid but unfortunately the characters are all kinda hollow and hard to root for
The plot has a good core but is weighed down with alot of fluff that really doesn't work or is just plain not interesting
And someone turn on the lights (The movie is kinda hard to see because everything takes place in dim rooms etc)
There are some good parts, parts that were well shot and fun
But they are a small part of the movie and you are more then likely gonna get bored long before you reach them
I would just skip this movie
TSwizzle
I am unburdened by what has been.
There is a really good documentary about Kuklinski that appeared on HBO and may be available on Netflix or youtube. The documentary has interviews with Kuklinksi and a psychiatrist. Without a doubt Kuklinski is a cold blooded killer but I think he tended to exaggerate his numbers and methods to garner some celebrity.
I enjoyed the movie of his life too, it was really well done.
MarkW
Senior Member
Spectre
7/10
As the James Bond films go, this one is decidedly middle of the pack--it's neither one of the standouts nor one of the turkeys of the series. The action sequences are good but there's nothing mind-blowing. The villains are not among the most memorable from the series although they're at least not overdosing on ham. The cast in general are giving a good solid effort, but they're stuck with a script that's more than a little pedestrian.
There have been hints that this is Daniel Craig's final Bond film; should that prove to be the case, he will have at least managed to exit the role in a reasonably satisfactory film, something the other long-runners in the role (Connery, Moore, Brosnan) were not able to do.
7/10
As the James Bond films go, this one is decidedly middle of the pack--it's neither one of the standouts nor one of the turkeys of the series. The action sequences are good but there's nothing mind-blowing. The villains are not among the most memorable from the series although they're at least not overdosing on ham. The cast in general are giving a good solid effort, but they're stuck with a script that's more than a little pedestrian.
There have been hints that this is Daniel Craig's final Bond film; should that prove to be the case, he will have at least managed to exit the role in a reasonably satisfactory film, something the other long-runners in the role (Connery, Moore, Brosnan) were not able to do.
Horatio Parker
Veteran Member
Kuklinski was an abusive tyrant to his family. His wife married him because he threatened to kill her father if she didn't. She was worried that he would kill their son. Fortunately Kuklinski was busted before his son reached his difficult teenage years.
The movie whitewashed all that apparently to convey the message that Kuklinsky loved his family. He did love them, but being loved by a psychopathic killer isn't a cup of tea. In that the movie was a gigantic fail.
I did enjoy the movie, but it's little more than gangster porn.
James Brown
Veteran Member
I sure couldn't.
I liked it. Following the timeline was easy.
TSwizzle
I am unburdened by what has been.
Wild, 4/10: Stars Reese Witherspoon as a basket case going on a very long hike. Losts of flashbacks to a troubled past, some nice scenery but not much going for this rather pedestrian movie.
Lucy, 3/10: SciFi thriller starring Scarlett Johansson who becomes a drug mule for a synthetic wonder drug that enhances the brain. Tied in with some weird "humans only use 10% of their brain power" theory espoused by Morgan Freeman's character. I bailed halfway through.
The Grand Budapest Hotel, 6/10: An impressive cast in this cartoonish murder mystery. The story unfolds at a fair clip and is narrated throughout. It's OK but I wouldn't rave about it.
Lucy, 3/10: SciFi thriller starring Scarlett Johansson who becomes a drug mule for a synthetic wonder drug that enhances the brain. Tied in with some weird "humans only use 10% of their brain power" theory espoused by Morgan Freeman's character. I bailed halfway through.
The Grand Budapest Hotel, 6/10: An impressive cast in this cartoonish murder mystery. The story unfolds at a fair clip and is narrated throughout. It's OK but I wouldn't rave about it.
Pitch Perfect - 6/10
A fairly funny comedy about a singing competition. It follows a fairly standard format, but some elements of the plot were clearly tossed out in order to make more time for the musical numbers. Worth watching for a few chuckles, but the kind of film you forget about ten minutes after seeing it.
The Purge - 5/10
America gets one night a year when everyone can commit any crime they want in order to get the violence out of their system. One rich family is hiding in their barricaded home until their kid lets in a homeless guy that a group of preppies wants to slaughter for fun and then the preppies want to get into their house and kill them all. It's a decent film, but it spends too much time whacking the audience over the head with the social message it's discussing as opposed to letting that message come out through the plot. It's decent, but it could have been a lot more.
A fairly funny comedy about a singing competition. It follows a fairly standard format, but some elements of the plot were clearly tossed out in order to make more time for the musical numbers. Worth watching for a few chuckles, but the kind of film you forget about ten minutes after seeing it.
The Purge - 5/10
America gets one night a year when everyone can commit any crime they want in order to get the violence out of their system. One rich family is hiding in their barricaded home until their kid lets in a homeless guy that a group of preppies wants to slaughter for fun and then the preppies want to get into their house and kill them all. It's a decent film, but it spends too much time whacking the audience over the head with the social message it's discussing as opposed to letting that message come out through the plot. It's decent, but it could have been a lot more.
MarkW
Senior Member
The Glass Key (1942 version)
8/10
This adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel of the same title is a bit dated, but it holds up fairly well. It's probably the most memorable teaming of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake--while neither was really in the front rank when it came to acting talent, the two had a unique, slow-burn chemistry onscreen that was surprisingly effective. William Bendix and Joseph Calleia are also effective and the pace is nice and tight.
8/10
This adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel of the same title is a bit dated, but it holds up fairly well. It's probably the most memorable teaming of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake--while neither was really in the front rank when it came to acting talent, the two had a unique, slow-burn chemistry onscreen that was surprisingly effective. William Bendix and Joseph Calleia are also effective and the pace is nice and tight.
Colonel Sanders
Veteran Member
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
"Oh my god, you have to see this movie, it's soooo good," said my Persian female friend.
So I did. And it sucked. Maybe creepy women in black are a new thing to Persian/Iranian cinema, but somehow I doubt it.
Anyway, it's filmed in black and white and it's about female vampires taking revenge on asshole men--or at least one asshole man. I got about 45 minutes into it and turned it off. I think 45 minutes is fair. Some movies begin slow and begin to build, but this one was going nowhere. Basically, it's a foreign film that gets just as much credit for being a foreign film than it does for being a good film. Or maybe the themes in it are especially daring for modern day Persia. Maybe it gives a glimpse into the life of the everyday Iranian. But it didn't strike me that way.
4/10
Djinn
Having nothing to do with a sudden urge to watch horror movies from Middle East, I finally began to watch this film late one night based on the idea that it was late, and fuck it, I'm going to just pick this movie because it's late and I don't want to spend half an hour looking for another mediocre flick.
It has garnered an entire one star rating, but it stubbornly sticks around. So I checked it out.
It's about desert ghosts. Pretty much. They're mad and if you don't throw sparkly things into a fire they come and kill you. It's basically the same formula that Spongebob and Patrick use to keep away Sea-bears (when will Squidward ever learn?).
The amount of expository dialogue in this film would be enough to whiten the hair of a 30 year-old middle school drama teacher over-night. From the opening sentence to the time I turned it off, it was one awful piece of dialogue after the next.
Give it a miss
2/10
"Oh my god, you have to see this movie, it's soooo good," said my Persian female friend.
So I did. And it sucked. Maybe creepy women in black are a new thing to Persian/Iranian cinema, but somehow I doubt it.
Anyway, it's filmed in black and white and it's about female vampires taking revenge on asshole men--or at least one asshole man. I got about 45 minutes into it and turned it off. I think 45 minutes is fair. Some movies begin slow and begin to build, but this one was going nowhere. Basically, it's a foreign film that gets just as much credit for being a foreign film than it does for being a good film. Or maybe the themes in it are especially daring for modern day Persia. Maybe it gives a glimpse into the life of the everyday Iranian. But it didn't strike me that way.
4/10
Djinn
Having nothing to do with a sudden urge to watch horror movies from Middle East, I finally began to watch this film late one night based on the idea that it was late, and fuck it, I'm going to just pick this movie because it's late and I don't want to spend half an hour looking for another mediocre flick.
It has garnered an entire one star rating, but it stubbornly sticks around. So I checked it out.
It's about desert ghosts. Pretty much. They're mad and if you don't throw sparkly things into a fire they come and kill you. It's basically the same formula that Spongebob and Patrick use to keep away Sea-bears (when will Squidward ever learn?).
The amount of expository dialogue in this film would be enough to whiten the hair of a 30 year-old middle school drama teacher over-night. From the opening sentence to the time I turned it off, it was one awful piece of dialogue after the next.
Give it a miss
2/10
MarkW
Senior Member
The Professionals
8/10
A well-executed action Western from 1966, with some very solid set-piece sequences, especially a big rescue at the middle of the film. At times Richard Brooks' script gets a little pretentious, with the characters trying to wax philosophical and usually not convincing. But Conrad Hall's cinematography (Oscar-nominated) and Maurice Jarre's score are both first-rate. Fans of Burt Lancaster will be particularly interested in this one--while nominal lead Lee Marvin and the rest of the cast are all solid, Lancaster's charismatic performance as the sort of roguish adventurer that he excelled at is the one that sticks in the memory.
8/10
A well-executed action Western from 1966, with some very solid set-piece sequences, especially a big rescue at the middle of the film. At times Richard Brooks' script gets a little pretentious, with the characters trying to wax philosophical and usually not convincing. But Conrad Hall's cinematography (Oscar-nominated) and Maurice Jarre's score are both first-rate. Fans of Burt Lancaster will be particularly interested in this one--while nominal lead Lee Marvin and the rest of the cast are all solid, Lancaster's charismatic performance as the sort of roguish adventurer that he excelled at is the one that sticks in the memory.
Colonel Sanders
Veteran Member
50 Shades of Grey
Not as bad as I thought it would be. But then again, this is so not my genre of flick, so it's hard to give an accurate judgment.
Lots of cliches, lots of melodrama, lots of staring. The main characters in this movie stare at each other enough to give a judge cause to issue restraining orders to both of them.
But besides its obvious faults, is it a good movie?
Ask a female age 16-24, they'd know a lot better.
I don't know.
5/10
Not as bad as I thought it would be. But then again, this is so not my genre of flick, so it's hard to give an accurate judgment.
Lots of cliches, lots of melodrama, lots of staring. The main characters in this movie stare at each other enough to give a judge cause to issue restraining orders to both of them.
But besides its obvious faults, is it a good movie?
Ask a female age 16-24, they'd know a lot better.
I don't know.
5/10
Jimmy Higgins
Contributor
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2001
- Messages
- 46,788
- Basic Beliefs
- Calvinistic Atheist
Oklahoma!
Saw this on the big screen today. Philosophers may ask one day, how far can you stretch a simple love story plot with song and music? Then they'll watch Oklahoma! and find the answer. Even the beginning of the story seems to betray itself. Two young adults acting like 10 year olds, then the love is undoubtable. The film was good music and dance and setting (in Arizona!), but the story was about as thin as Kate Moss. There are moments of genuine levity in the film, but this is more a romance than a comedy. I've now seen it, with no need to ever see it again.
2.5 of 4
Saw this on the big screen today. Philosophers may ask one day, how far can you stretch a simple love story plot with song and music? Then they'll watch Oklahoma! and find the answer. Even the beginning of the story seems to betray itself. Two young adults acting like 10 year olds, then the love is undoubtable. The film was good music and dance and setting (in Arizona!), but the story was about as thin as Kate Moss. There are moments of genuine levity in the film, but this is more a romance than a comedy. I've now seen it, with no need to ever see it again.
2.5 of 4
angelo
Deleted
CAPTAIN. PHILLIPS. About the Somali pirates taking hostage an American cargo ship some years ago.
A big disappointed to me at least. The acting, including from Tom Hanks was atrocious.
As was the plot. I know it was based on fact, and I suppose the director was trying to make it look authentic.
6/10
A big disappointed to me at least. The acting, including from Tom Hanks was atrocious.
As was the plot. I know it was based on fact, and I suppose the director was trying to make it look authentic.
6/10
TSwizzle
I am unburdened by what has been.
Focus, 3/10: Stars Wil Smith as a very successful conman. The plot settles on Smith's character stealing software from a formula 1 racing and selling it on to multiple teams on the circuit. There is a lot of stuff going on in this movie and the twists and turns are so stupid. Nothing of note to see here.
The Drop, 5/10: Stars Tom Hardy as a loner barman working in a bar that functions to collect gangster money. The guy that runs the bar (played by James Gandolfini) tries to rip off the gangsters by staging a robbery. The gangsters, Chechen, don't care about that of course and will get their money one way or another which causes Gandolfini to try an even more reckless stunt. Bodies start to mount up as his scheme slowly unravels. This movies was ok but it is excruciatingly slow. Some of the dialogue is utter drivel and pointless.
The Drop, 5/10: Stars Tom Hardy as a loner barman working in a bar that functions to collect gangster money. The guy that runs the bar (played by James Gandolfini) tries to rip off the gangsters by staging a robbery. The gangsters, Chechen, don't care about that of course and will get their money one way or another which causes Gandolfini to try an even more reckless stunt. Bodies start to mount up as his scheme slowly unravels. This movies was ok but it is excruciatingly slow. Some of the dialogue is utter drivel and pointless.