Saturday, May 19, 2018

Weekend Open Thread

Maximum effort!

Happy weekend, everyone! Have you checked out our new podcast HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW with Lexy Van Dyke and Mike Delaney? We're hoping you can subscribe in iTunes soon; still working on that behind the scenes. In the meantime, you can check out the debut episode here.

And now the floor is yours!

31 comments:

  1. I usually enjoy these comic book movies, but sometimes one comes out that really gets my heart and makes me fall in love with it. Last year it was Wonder Woman. This year, it's Deadpool 2. I'm so surprised. I thought the first was ok, but it was too concerned with being raunchy and ironic and not concerned enough with being a good movie. This one was a far better film. The plot was far more interesting, the action and humor were incredible, and I just found it to be so sweet and have so much heart. I really love it. I recognize I'm in a small club on this though... I think.

    I've still been going through Pure Cinema recommendations, as well. Innerspace was amazing. The Hitcher was pulp perfection. And Critters was disappointing. It's hard to forgive casting Dee Wallace and giving her nothing to do. Still, gotta check out Critters 2!

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    1. Critters 2 is waaaaaayyy better

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    2. I've heard that! Perhaps it's a prime Junesploitation pick.

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    3. I liked Deadpool 2 a lot too. I thought the jokes had a good but rate, action was solid, and the story was surprisingly intriguing. I think I like it just about as well as any other superhero movie in the last few years.

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  2. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN REVISITED: the first one is a classic (i refer you to the great article written by JB on this site), and sounding more and more relevant each day. the other one is a documentary, made in 2013, that explore the subject and the aftermath of the events portrayed in the film. it was on the 2nd disc of the special edition blu-ray i got. i haven't watched the other extras on the first disc, but just these 2 films are worth the price

    SON OF A GUN: this is basically 3 movies in one. start as a prison drama, continue as a heist thriller, end as a lovers on the run movie. Ewan McGregor is good, but the writer seem to not be sure what to do with the character. the main character is fine, but not the best i've ever seen. as a whole, this would be considered as a top tier RedBox movie.

    HARRY BROWN: could be titled Geriatric Death Wish. i joke, but the movie is really good. things get increasingly more violent as the movie progress. Michael Caine is great as usual. this is not a happy movie, do not watch this if you're down. but if you're looking for a good movie, get this one.

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  3. Saw Deadpool 2 & it was fine. If you liked Deadpool you most likely will like Deadpool 2. A lot of the jokes are recycled & the beats are pretty much the same as the first. There's a lot of jokes that miss & few that hit but if your audience is into it I think you'll have more fun with this film. Domino was the breakout star. TJ Miller's jokes were all the same from the first Deadpool. I'm not sure if that was the joke but it wasn't funny. A couple surprise cameos that I didn't know about were fun. Overall, if you have nothing to do it's worth matinee price.

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  4. The first word that came to mind when seeing Deadpool 2 was "bloated". There was more comedy, more action, more drama, more characters, more plot twists... Not that any of those aspects was handled badly, but after a while I just felt full and stopped caring. Liked the first one much more.

    And a day before DP2, I saw Jurassic Park at a 25th anniversary special showing. I know I don't have to tell anyone here how awesome Jurassic Park is. But it's awesome.

    Tomorrow I'm planning to see a double feature of Isle of Dogs and a Japanese movie called Radiance. And right now I'm putting on Fletch and cracking open a beer. Have a great weekend, everyone!

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  5. Quick thoughts on what I have watched so far this weekend:

    The Rift - Didn't interest me. The use of bombastic music throughout was unconventional and probably a bad choice but that was my highlight of the film.

    The 15:17 to Paris - Awful. The actors were so bad. The studio should've paid the original people the same as the "actors" to star in it, then promoted "featuring the original three" and the film would have been a MASSIVE success.

    The Hollow Child - "fog machine" the movie. it's not good.

    Annihilation - Ugh. Geoff Barrow's score was great! The last 15-ish minutes with no dialog were fantastic.

    Shhhh - Low budgeter with a cool concept. Lloyd Kaufman cameo cheapens it (as always). It's fine. I applaud the filmmakers and had a good enough time with it.

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    1. not the greatest bunch of movies for you. i hate when that happen

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    2. Annihilation is still my #1 of this year. ;)

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    3. @kunider - For sure. Oh well, it happens every now and then.

      @Daniel Epler - Awesome, man! I'm glad you loved it!

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    4. Chaybee, am I to understand that you produce music?

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    5. Yes sir. You can find my stuff here www.brahmbroadcasting.bandcamp.com My music is also on all streaming services e.g. Spotify, iTunes, etc...under "Brahm"

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    6. Thank you for the interest!

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    7. If me and my brother ever get any of our short films off the ground would we be able to use your music?

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    8. You can certainly contact me to discuss. https://www.facebook.com/brahmofficial/ Follow me there and send a message when you are ready to roll. Thanks!

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    9. That's incredible to hear. Thank you so much.

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    10. So I was just made aware that 15 17 to Paris DID use the real people as actors I feel like an idiot. I can't diss the acting now and I kind of like the film in a weird way now that I know this

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    11. Chaybee, i wanted to say something, but i thought i was misreading something in your sentence.

      i haven't seen the movie yet, but i hear it's really bad and the 'actors' don't help. but i am curious about it.

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  6. I saw DEADPOOL 2 last night and had a blast. Your mileage may vary, but if you liked the first there's a lot to love here. Zazie Beetz is a show stealer. She makes everything look effortless and cool – I can't wait to see more from her.

    I also watched Michael Mann's THIEF for the first time. I've had the Criterion Blu-ray for years and finally sat down with it. It's incredible. I know Mann had done some shorts, documentaries and TV work, but for a first feature this is astounding. It's directed so confidently, like the work of a master. He and Caan did some special work, but Robert Prosky is the standout, in his first film role at 50 years old.

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    1. Yes!! Happy to not be totally alone on DP2.

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    2. Thief is great. i love the music in it. and the rest too, of course.

      i only wish somebody would release The Keep, but i read somewhere that Michael Mann is basically denying the movie. which is too bad, because the movie is good.

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  7. Having to work this weekend I watched a few that had been sitting in a queue or two.

    Dolls (1987) - Somehow I missed this growing up but I added it to a list after hearing Patrick et al mention it on a Corpse Club podcast a ways back. Tons of fun. I am not a huge Puppet Master fan (sorry Patrick) but I loved the fairy tale and child-like atmosphere this doll-horror brings. Stuart Gordon is the best.

    The Cockfighter (1974) - Recommend by Pure Cinema, this film is worth it for Warren Oates alone. The subject matter is a bit rough for me as I don't really care for seeing animals hurt, but the-man-the-myth-the-legend gives a hell of a performance with so few words.

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  8. i'm not happy right now. i bought Almost Human (from UK distributor Shameless), which according to blu-ray.com was supposed to be region free. well guess what, it's not. now i have to buy a region free blu-ray player to watch it. which i hope to be able to do soon.

    anyway, instead i watched Psychomania and Silver Bullet. both very well worth it.

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  9. My week in movies:

    The Unseen, dir. "Peter Foleg" aka. Danny Steinmann (1980)

    Time for some early 80's sleaze and you can't go wrong when said sleazy horror is directed by the late great Danny Steinmann who began in hardcore pornography before heading into 80's trash cinema with this, albeit under the pseudonym "Peter Foleg", Savage Streets and my personal favourite Friday the 13th; part V! Whilst the film is ultimately a bunch of ideas looking for a plot, the clear influence being The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, it has a creepiness and weirdness that works and whilst it isn't gory, it makes up with the atmosphere and icky themes of incest, abuse and... well to spoil what The Unseen of the title is would be to ruin the films perverse "charms".

    Night of the Scarecrow, dir. Jeff Burr (1995)

    A bit of 90's direct to video horror that I've meant to check out for quite sometime! Recall reading about this in my beloved Fangoria magazine and yes at the time I thought "just another cheapo horror film designed to fill the shelves of the local Blockbuster" BUT then I got into the work of director Jeff Burr (Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw III amongst other great and underrated genre pictures!) and have finally got myself around to watching it... Sure at times the low budget shows through, hello 90's CGI, yes there are plot holes and at times too much plot YET thanks to an above average cast, script and some excellent practical F/X and of course Jeff Burr directing the heck out of it, what could be just another VHS shelf filler is actually a really fun blast!

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  10. My week of films:

    The Sandlot: One of those classics I've heard quoted many times, but never saw as a kid. I greatly enjoyed the humor and nostalgic feel of this one. Add this to the list of movies that I wish I had watched as a kid (where's that time machine?). Also didn't know Vader broke the color barrier almost 20 years before Jackie Robinson.

    The Guest: Ho boy this is a fun one. I know 80's nostalgia is big around here and if you enjoy that sort of thing, check this one out for sure. Part psychological thriller, part action flick, this thing hits all the right beats. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, they sort of tip their hat one way, and then it never plays anything by the numbers.

    Black Panther: Little late to the party on this one, but this is one of the best MCU films to come out so far. The best thing I have say about it is we finally get a villain that is believable in their quest and that you can almost root for, but is still the evil character. Glad to see a studio finally taking some chances.

    A Woman Under the Influence: Had this one sitting around for a while. The length and plot description didn't exactly drive me towards, but I'm trying to clear out some of the "need to watch" pile. So I'm a big fan of 70's cinema, personally I think it's the best decade of American film making, but I never truly got into this one. If someone could explain the appeal that would be great. Aside from the final 10 minutes I just had a difficult time connecting.

    Stray Dogs: Another film that I had on the pile that I was unsure on. This is a difficult watch. There is very little dialogue and very few cuts. I like films that adopt long takes, but this was unbearable. However, I believe that was the point. The film focuses on four homeless people in a metropolitan area of Taiwan. Generally people look away and avoid homeless people in order to avoid the guilt, but this film kept the eye right there. Unfortunately, it just isn't something I can recommend. I recommend films I think people will enjoy, and this just isn't an enjoyable watch, but I believe that was the point.

    Deadpool: I'm sure plenty was said on this one, I enjoyed it for what it is.

    Deadpool 2: A bit more sloppy and more meta than the first. I enjoyed parts, but can't say it was overall anything special. Worth the $4 ticket.

    The Villainess: If you haven't already gotten on the Korean bandwagon, now is as good a time to join as ever. This is one of the most incredible action movies I've watched. The way things are shot is so inventive. The film plays around with time and flashbacks that can be difficult to follow, but it's so much fun to watch the events unfold and learn something new that adds a new layer to each character.

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    1. "Glad to see a studio finally taking some chances."

      I'd argue Marvel have taken plenty of chances. They've taken pretty unknown characters and made them household names. Guardians of the Galaxy is the prime example, but I don't think Doctor Strange, Thor, Ant-Man or even Iron Man were very well known characters before the movies. Hiring people like James Gunn, Taika Waititi and the Russo brothers is also taking a chance. And even going for a shared universe in the first place. Everyone's trying to do it now, but that's because Marvel made it work.

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    2. Well I meant taking chances with a non-white superohero, as all those characters you named are white. I also meant hiring a black director and obviously it paid off because the film was well received and made them a boat load of money.

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  11. I had some internet issues through the weekend. A storm took down a tree, which knocked down the power and cable lines. I still had DVDs and Blu-rays around to watch.

    THE FLOWER OF MY SECRET (1996) – It has been a while since I visited the cinematic world of Pedro Almodovar. While not striking me as one of his essential films, FLOWER is a pleasant melodrama not unlike the romance novels the main character writes. There is lost love, betrayal, pain, and, at the end, hope that the dark times will pass. It probably is the most optimistic film I have seen this year. Almodovar’s female protagonists always feel more vibrant and alive than the male characters.

    BRAIN DAMAGE, dir. Frank Henenlotter (1988) – Brain Damage is one of the strangest viewing experiences of the year. My first viewing attempt was stymied by the goofiness of it. The tone completely put me out the film. Giving it a second chance, I knew what to expect and found myself on the film’s wavelength. There is a heart to Brain Damage that won me over to its side. The low-budget aesthetic reminded of Street Trash in several ways.

    THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (2013) – I have a lot of thoughts about the film. It is undeniably a strong film, especially in regard to the performances. DiCaprio and Jonah Hill completely blended into their roles. The length of the film was an issue for me, though. There were a few scenes that really do not add to the story. Maybe it was a case of loving the material too much to impair editing decisions. Scorsese, moreover, does not really do anything here that I have not seen in earlier films. Perhaps the biggest surprise of it was the sexual frankness, which made it seem like a European film at points.

    Over the weekend I went to the drive-in for, of all things, documentaries. The first one, AT THE DRIVE-IN, is actually about the drive-in I was seeing it at. Covering the 2016 season of the Mahoning Drive-In Theater, the doc captures the volunteers- there are no paid employees- doing their best to ensure the survival of the drive-in. Passion keeps the place going. It was interesting to watch the familiar faces seen around the concessions building projected upon the big screen. That film was followed by another doc concerning a passion for movies, AMERICAN MOVIE from 1999. It was a first watch for me, and I found it very engrossing.

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