Maybe I'm alone in this but I simply couldn't engage with this movie, which is really disappointing because I loved the first two installments. It just felt convoluted and bloated. Perhaps my expectations were too high or it's the just antitheist in me, this just didn't work.
I'm at a turning point in Stargate SG1. General Hammond is reassigned, stuff is happening with O'Neill, the Goa'uld are about to be defeated, and we're entering the Atlantis era (era). So, it's time to take a break and watch movies for a while, the pile is getting too tall.
In The Cut (2003): Before Patrick and Adam's podcast on the movie, I didn't know this movie existed. I found a copy of the Blu-ray (unrated cut) for a normal price on eBay and received it last week. I'll watch anything with Mark Ruffalo, and he doesn't disappoint here. And it's good to see Meg Ryan in something other than a rom-com. Seriously, half her filmography is that. Gotta love those sexy-trashy adult drama, what Rob would call 'f*** noir'. The movie's a slow burn, and it's far from perfect, but it's apparently the kind of thing I'm liking right now. I'm not a huge Jane Campion fan, I like The Piano a lot, but didn't care for Power of the Dog. There's also a lot of her smaller stuff (like this one) I never saw, so I'll have to plug those holes eventually.
The Invisible Man (2020): Thank whoever they cancelled that stupid Dark Universe, it allowed Blumhouse to do this movie. As any normal human being, I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Moss and I try to watch most stuff that she's in. I think I first saw this one because of her. I've seen it a handful of times since then. The director previously made the awesome Upgrade. After IM, he tried to do another Universal Monster movie, Wolf Man, but unfortunately it didn't work as well for me.
A wonderful look at the films of Gene Wilder as told by himself (archival audio and interviews), as well as interviews with many many who joined him on his journey. A highlight, of course, being alot of information from the prolific Mel Brooks. Pure Imagination.
Catchfire aka Backtrack (1990, dir. Alan Smithee aka Dennis Hopper)
Jodie Foster accidentally witnesses a mob hit and is tracked across the country by a bizarre hitman (Hopper). Once he catches her things get very interesting and unexpected. Check out who's in this movie that was barely released in 1990 (many appear uncredited): Jodie Foster, Dennis Hopper, Vincent Price, Joe Pesci, Charlie Sheen, Dean Stockwell, Fred Ward, John Turturro, Catherine Keener and Bob freaking Dylan! The third act goes totally off the rails, but hey I was highly entertained the whole time. Worth watching!
WAKE UP DEAD MAN (2025) A lot darker and meaner than the previous two more comedic entries. Still mulling this one over, not sure what to think.
DIE HARD 2 (1990) Is it bad that I thought William Sadler was Michael Rooker at first?
THE LORD OF THE RINGS (1978) Ralph Bakshi goodness!
KRAMPUS (2015) I legit like this movie! The creature designs are very cool, and the animated scene is an all-timer. You could argue that this family is too unlikable, but I think that’s the point.
A VIEW TO A KILL (1985) A pretty creaky Bond entry, but I do enjoy the 1980s-ness of it all.
Well, i do watch the movie once a year, and will never get rid of the blu-ray (I have a super cool looking slipcover on it), so it's very precioussss
I'll always remember the first time I saw it. I was a young teenager, sick as a dog, laying on the basement couch, somebody rented this and something else. I was so sick, I was not sure if it was real or if I was hallucinating.
i need to give it a rewatch! The Rankin Bass Hobbit was incredibly important to me as a kid. They showed it in grade school on an old style projector (im OLD) each year. I adored it and it led me to Tolkein and early love of reading.
Despite his advanced age, A View To A Kill is one of my more favourite of the Moore Bond movies. Lots of great action set pieces and fun goofiness to it as you said.
I don't know if I've ever seen the Hobbit one. I have a digital copy of the animated LOTR that I think I rendered off of a DVD I got from the library but it's been ages since I watched that one as well. I did really like it though and should probably revisit it sometime. Christmas is the time of year I often revisit the LOTR movies as they originally came out at Christmas.
Tamara Drewe (2010): Kind of a trashy Hallmark movie. A girl comes back to her english countryside village and, reconnect with the people, and chaos ensues. She's not doing any of the chaos herself, but her presence stirs up some stuff from the locals. I really like this, kind of a hangout movie, people living their slow lives in the country, most of them writers trying to finish their books, others tending to livestock. Of course, the successful one is cheating on his wife with some city girl, then with Tamara Drewe.
Hulk (2003): Back when directors could put their visions on superhero screens, and Danny Elfman was the superhero score king. The movie is not a masterpiece, but Ang Lee took the opportunity to try something. I admit I was not a fan the first time, but as with many movie fans, I just didn't understand the vision. I'm not sure Eric Bana is a good Bruce Banner, but Jennifer Connelly offsets it by being a great Betty Ross. Also, Ang, Mr. Lee, please come back to movies. I know your last one was pretty much a flop, but that's not your fault, you had to deal with Will Smith.
The Last Samurai (2003): This should be titled The Last Days of the Samurai, because it's about the end of the samurai era (era) in Japan, and not about Tom Cruise being the last one. He plays a great civil war soldier, an alcoholic beaten by years of war and the atrocities he committed. He proves he's the best when he stands up to a samurai army, alone. Look, it's basically Dances With Wolves, but with a different group of natives being wiped out. Edward Zwick is capable of the worst and the best, this is in the latter category in my opinion. Tom Cruise is hamming it up a bit, especially in the opening scenes, but it is expected from him in this kind of movie. There are some debates about it being a white savior thing, or about the historical accuracies (samurais were mostly a**holes), and I encourage you to read about it, but don't let it spoil your enjoyment of the movie.
I really liked The Last Samurai. Maybe it's basically Dances with Wolves, but I love Dances with Wolves, so that just makes me want to watch it more! I quite enjoy reading up on the history after watching a movie set in the past or some distant place. Any historical inaccuracies don't bother me a smidge when watching, as long as it's not a documentary. Weird how some movies get overly criticised when no one is bothered by Crank 2: High Voltage's unrealistic portray of present day S. California (as an example).
Luke recommended Train Dreams (2025, dir. Clint Bentley) last week. Very beautiful and meditative movie. I found it deeply tragic and sad though, and was crying through many parts of it. I teared up thinking about it the next day. Maybe it's the stage of my life that I'm in, but it felt very personal. One of this years best.
To Sir, with Love (1967, dir. James Clavell). I remember my Dad (who barely ever watches movies) sometimes mentioning this one. Starring Sidney Poitier, who is absolutely magnetic. It's about a teacher that has to win the hearts and minds of his students. In reverse of the "how do I reach these kids" trope, Poitier is quite uninterested in helping them at first, and is won over as we learn more about the individual student characters. I should watch more Poitier movies.
Just realised there was a sequel to To Sir, with Love. Made 30 years later! And directed by Peter Bogdanovich! And starring Sidney Poitier again. Might have to check that out.
What stuck out in To Sir, With Love is Sidney Poitier's character focusing on tailoring his teaching to preparing the students for life, not just gaining an appreciation of an academic subject.
There are plenty of films to choose from in Poitier's long career. In The Heat Of The Night is probably the most famous. One of his earliest roles, in No Way Out, is memorable. For a film made over 70 years ago, No Way Out can still shock.
WAKE UP DEAD MAN (2025) Oh my gosh, I loved it. Rian Johnson is so my person. I didn't like it as much as GLASS ONION, which is still my favorite film and has me rolling every watch. But this one hit BY THE END. I wasn't sold until the end because the whole ensemble is not as funny or endearing as Glass Onion, but I still enjoyed comedic timing. But I felt like it really stuck the ending.
I'm not sure why I didn't like the first one. Glass Onion and Wake Up Dead Man are pretty high-minded but they, IMO, pull it off. I don't remember any moral of the story in the first one. I watched it twice long ago but...I guess I should try it again just to be sure.
I liked the first one, and was a little underwhelmed by the second. Haven't really thought about the 3rd, but I do like Rian Johnson so I'll watch it eventually. I'm more looking forward to him doing something other than Knives Out movies. I enjoy a good murder mystery, but I liked his other movies more.
Another week of movies. A Black Friday order arrived to add to my Junesploitation - or general viewing- options. With Junesploitation on my mind, I was thinking about category ideas.
SIMON OF THE DESERT (1965, dir. Luis Bunuel) – Bunuel’s final Mexican production is a short film about a Christian saint who stood on a pillar for decades. Simon is presented as a combination of a genuine believer and madman, utterly in contempt of worldly ways. The devil, in the form of a young woman, tries to tempt Simon away from his devotions. Bunuel’s skill as a filmmaker is on display as he makes a makes a man standing on a pillar talking about religion interesting. There is an ending that fits well with his surrealist background.
THE SPANISH MAIN (1945) – A pirate adventure and romance. Maureen O’Hara is a Spanish aristocrat captured by a Dutch captain (Paul Henreid from Casablanca). Love blossoms between them, but she happens to be betrothed to a high-ranking Spanish official. The Technicolor is beautiful, the costumes are beautiful, and the actors are beautiful. What the film lacks is the edginess of the best of the pirate films of this era. Nonetheless, it is well-made swashbuckling Hollywood escapism. The battle scenes with the model ships were excellent.
ROGER CORMAN: HOLLYWOOD’S WILD ANGEL (1978) – A documentary that I stumbled onto on Youtube. It thoroughly covers Corman’s career while capturing the heady chaos of New World Pictures at the peak of its success. Many of the interviewees have became legendary figures themselves in the movie industry. Watching this, I could not help thinking about the Cormon tribute that was Junesploitation 2024. That was a fun month.
DARK PASSAGE (1947) – Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were teamed up again for this noir about an escaped convict on the loose in San Francisco trying to clear his name. Despite the star power, this was not the most satisfying watch. What kept me from getting absorbed in the plot is an overreliance on coincidences. The energy of the film also peters out by the conclusion.
INVASION U.S.A. (1985, dir. Joseph Zito) - Judging by the level of storytelling and acting, this a terrible film. But it is all about the action, and Invasion U.S.A. more than delivers on that front. The climatic battle is beyond impressive with the use of actual soldiers and military equipment. In the current political climate, however, the movie can be an uncomfortable watch.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm alone in this but I simply couldn't engage with this movie, which is really disappointing because I loved the first two installments. It just felt convoluted and bloated. Perhaps my expectations were too high or it's the just antitheist in me, this just didn't work.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm at a turning point in Stargate SG1. General Hammond is reassigned, stuff is happening with O'Neill, the Goa'uld are about to be defeated, and we're entering the Atlantis era (era). So, it's time to take a break and watch movies for a while, the pile is getting too tall.
ReplyDeleteIn The Cut (2003): Before Patrick and Adam's podcast on the movie, I didn't know this movie existed. I found a copy of the Blu-ray (unrated cut) for a normal price on eBay and received it last week. I'll watch anything with Mark Ruffalo, and he doesn't disappoint here. And it's good to see Meg Ryan in something other than a rom-com. Seriously, half her filmography is that. Gotta love those sexy-trashy adult drama, what Rob would call 'f*** noir'. The movie's a slow burn, and it's far from perfect, but it's apparently the kind of thing I'm liking right now. I'm not a huge Jane Campion fan, I like The Piano a lot, but didn't care for Power of the Dog. There's also a lot of her smaller stuff (like this one) I never saw, so I'll have to plug those holes eventually.
The Invisible Man (2020): Thank whoever they cancelled that stupid Dark Universe, it allowed Blumhouse to do this movie. As any normal human being, I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Moss and I try to watch most stuff that she's in. I think I first saw this one because of her. I've seen it a handful of times since then. The director previously made the awesome Upgrade. After IM, he tried to do another Universal Monster movie, Wolf Man, but unfortunately it didn't work as well for me.
I like the idea of The Power of the Dog more than I liked the movie...which I wanted to love. But the dancing scene on the mountain - beautiful.
DeleteRemembering Gene Wilder (2023 nflix)
ReplyDeleteA wonderful look at the films of Gene Wilder as told by himself (archival audio and interviews), as well as interviews with many many who joined him on his journey. A highlight, of course, being alot of information from the prolific Mel Brooks. Pure Imagination.
Catchfire aka Backtrack (1990, dir. Alan Smithee aka Dennis Hopper)
ReplyDeleteJodie Foster accidentally witnesses a mob hit and is tracked across the country by a bizarre hitman (Hopper). Once he catches her things get very interesting and unexpected. Check out who's in this movie that was barely released in 1990 (many appear uncredited): Jodie Foster, Dennis Hopper, Vincent Price, Joe Pesci, Charlie Sheen, Dean Stockwell, Fred Ward, John Turturro, Catherine Keener and Bob freaking Dylan! The third act goes totally off the rails, but hey I was highly entertained the whole time. Worth watching!
Dennis Hopper playing a weird character? No way! 😁
DeleteJudging by the director name, i'm assuming Hopper didn't like his movie. I'll have to check it out
Further movie proof we are in a Matrix. That movie is COMPLETELY unknown to me yet stars so many key folks and sounds fun!
DeleteWAKE UP DEAD MAN (2025)
ReplyDeleteA lot darker and meaner than the previous two more comedic entries. Still mulling this one over, not sure what to think.
DIE HARD 2 (1990)
Is it bad that I thought William Sadler was Michael Rooker at first?
THE LORD OF THE RINGS (1978)
Ralph Bakshi goodness!
KRAMPUS (2015)
I legit like this movie! The creature designs are very cool, and the animated scene is an all-timer. You could argue that this family is too unlikable, but I think that’s the point.
A VIEW TO A KILL (1985)
A pretty creaky Bond entry, but I do enjoy the 1980s-ness of it all.
Finally somebody who likes the animated LOTR and Bakshi as much as me
DeleteWould you say that the animated LOTR movie is so important to you that its.......(hold for dad joke in 5....4.....3...2....)....preciousssss?
DeleteWell, i do watch the movie once a year, and will never get rid of the blu-ray (I have a super cool looking slipcover on it), so it's very precioussss
DeleteI'll always remember the first time I saw it. I was a young teenager, sick as a dog, laying on the basement couch, somebody rented this and something else. I was so sick, I was not sure if it was real or if I was hallucinating.
i need to give it a rewatch! The Rankin Bass Hobbit was incredibly important to me as a kid. They showed it in grade school on an old style projector (im OLD) each year. I adored it and it led me to Tolkein and early love of reading.
DeleteDespite his advanced age, A View To A Kill is one of my more favourite of the Moore Bond movies. Lots of great action set pieces and fun goofiness to it as you said.
DeleteI don't know if I've ever seen the Hobbit one. I have a digital copy of the animated LOTR that I think I rendered off of a DVD I got from the library but it's been ages since I watched that one as well. I did really like it though and should probably revisit it sometime. Christmas is the time of year I often revisit the LOTR movies as they originally came out at Christmas.
My avatar is from Krampus! I liked it when it was released. Might be a good time of year to revisit.
DeleteTamara Drewe (2010): Kind of a trashy Hallmark movie. A girl comes back to her english countryside village and, reconnect with the people, and chaos ensues. She's not doing any of the chaos herself, but her presence stirs up some stuff from the locals. I really like this, kind of a hangout movie, people living their slow lives in the country, most of them writers trying to finish their books, others tending to livestock. Of course, the successful one is cheating on his wife with some city girl, then with Tamara Drewe.
ReplyDeleteHulk (2003): Back when directors could put their visions on superhero screens, and Danny Elfman was the superhero score king. The movie is not a masterpiece, but Ang Lee took the opportunity to try something. I admit I was not a fan the first time, but as with many movie fans, I just didn't understand the vision. I'm not sure Eric Bana is a good Bruce Banner, but Jennifer Connelly offsets it by being a great Betty Ross. Also, Ang, Mr. Lee, please come back to movies. I know your last one was pretty much a flop, but that's not your fault, you had to deal with Will Smith.
The Last Samurai (2003): This should be titled The Last Days of the Samurai, because it's about the end of the samurai era (era) in Japan, and not about Tom Cruise being the last one. He plays a great civil war soldier, an alcoholic beaten by years of war and the atrocities he committed. He proves he's the best when he stands up to a samurai army, alone. Look, it's basically Dances With Wolves, but with a different group of natives being wiped out. Edward Zwick is capable of the worst and the best, this is in the latter category in my opinion. Tom Cruise is hamming it up a bit, especially in the opening scenes, but it is expected from him in this kind of movie. There are some debates about it being a white savior thing, or about the historical accuracies (samurais were mostly a**holes), and I encourage you to read about it, but don't let it spoil your enjoyment of the movie.
I really liked The Last Samurai. Maybe it's basically Dances with Wolves, but I love Dances with Wolves, so that just makes me want to watch it more! I quite enjoy reading up on the history after watching a movie set in the past or some distant place. Any historical inaccuracies don't bother me a smidge when watching, as long as it's not a documentary. Weird how some movies get overly criticised when no one is bothered by Crank 2: High Voltage's unrealistic portray of present day S. California (as an example).
DeleteLuke recommended Train Dreams (2025, dir. Clint Bentley) last week. Very beautiful and meditative movie. I found it deeply tragic and sad though, and was crying through many parts of it. I teared up thinking about it the next day. Maybe it's the stage of my life that I'm in, but it felt very personal. One of this years best.
ReplyDeleteTo Sir, with Love (1967, dir. James Clavell). I remember my Dad (who barely ever watches movies) sometimes mentioning this one. Starring Sidney Poitier, who is absolutely magnetic. It's about a teacher that has to win the hearts and minds of his students. In reverse of the "how do I reach these kids" trope, Poitier is quite uninterested in helping them at first, and is won over as we learn more about the individual student characters. I should watch more Poitier movies.
I'm glad Train Dreams struck a cord with you!
DeleteJust realised there was a sequel to To Sir, with Love. Made 30 years later! And directed by Peter Bogdanovich! And starring Sidney Poitier again. Might have to check that out.
DeleteWhat stuck out in To Sir, With Love is Sidney Poitier's character focusing on tailoring his teaching to preparing the students for life, not just gaining an appreciation of an academic subject.
DeleteThere are plenty of films to choose from in Poitier's long career. In The Heat Of The Night is probably the most famous. One of his earliest roles, in No Way Out, is memorable. For a film made over 70 years ago, No Way Out can still shock.
WAKE UP DEAD MAN (2025)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I loved it. Rian Johnson is so my person. I didn't like it as much as GLASS ONION, which is still my favorite film and has me rolling every watch. But this one hit BY THE END. I wasn't sold until the end because the whole ensemble is not as funny or endearing as Glass Onion, but I still enjoyed comedic timing. But I felt like it really stuck the ending.
I'm not sure why I didn't like the first one. Glass Onion and Wake Up Dead Man are pretty high-minded but they, IMO, pull it off. I don't remember any moral of the story in the first one. I watched it twice long ago but...I guess I should try it again just to be sure.
DeleteI liked the first one, and was a little underwhelmed by the second. Haven't really thought about the 3rd, but I do like Rian Johnson so I'll watch it eventually. I'm more looking forward to him doing something other than Knives Out movies. I enjoy a good murder mystery, but I liked his other movies more.
DeleteAnother week of movies. A Black Friday order arrived to add to my Junesploitation - or general viewing- options. With Junesploitation on my mind, I was thinking about category ideas.
ReplyDeleteSIMON OF THE DESERT (1965, dir. Luis Bunuel) – Bunuel’s final Mexican production is a short film about a Christian saint who stood on a pillar for decades. Simon is presented as a combination of a genuine believer and madman, utterly in contempt of worldly ways. The devil, in the form of a young woman, tries to tempt Simon away from his devotions. Bunuel’s skill as a filmmaker is on display as he makes a makes a man standing on a pillar talking about religion interesting. There is an ending that fits well with his surrealist background.
THE SPANISH MAIN (1945) – A pirate adventure and romance. Maureen O’Hara is a Spanish aristocrat captured by a Dutch captain (Paul Henreid from Casablanca). Love blossoms between them, but she happens to be betrothed to a high-ranking Spanish official. The Technicolor is beautiful, the costumes are beautiful, and the actors are beautiful. What the film lacks is the edginess of the best of the pirate films of this era. Nonetheless, it is well-made swashbuckling Hollywood escapism. The battle scenes with the model ships were excellent.
ROGER CORMAN: HOLLYWOOD’S WILD ANGEL (1978) – A documentary that I stumbled onto on Youtube. It thoroughly covers Corman’s career while capturing the heady chaos of New World Pictures at the peak of its success. Many of the interviewees have became legendary figures themselves in the movie industry. Watching this, I could not help thinking about the Cormon tribute that was Junesploitation 2024. That was a fun month.
DARK PASSAGE (1947) – Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were teamed up again for this noir about an escaped convict on the loose in San Francisco trying to clear his name. Despite the star power, this was not the most satisfying watch. What kept me from getting absorbed in the plot is an overreliance on coincidences. The energy of the film also peters out by the conclusion.
INVASION U.S.A. (1985, dir. Joseph Zito) - Judging by the level of storytelling and acting, this a terrible film. But it is all about the action, and Invasion U.S.A. more than delivers on that front. The climatic battle is beyond impressive with the use of actual soldiers and military equipment. In the current political climate, however, the movie can be an uncomfortable watch.