movies worth mentioning

[Typical Lax Dad]

Worth mentioning in a Clark Howard kind of way.

Rented the Informant the other day in Prime (any digital outlet I guess). Has a good cast but let’s just say I want my f’ng money and two hours back!

On the same level, HBO has this new movie called The Little Things-at Best a hungover Sunday on the couch movie. The Israeli guy who played Freddie Mercury truly sucks as a thespian. Range is narrower than my 14yr old Lhasa Apso who basically always looks either sad or hungry. Did he get credit as an actor for having a major overbite, because I don’t see anything else there.

I heard he was good in Mr. Robot. I wanted to see this film but i have not read anything good about it. It looked like True Detective....did you see Nocturnal Animals or A Place Among The Pines?

[Farfromgeneva]

Haven't seen Nocturnal Animals but have seen Place Beyond the Pines which I thought was ok, but not really rewatchable. Seemed like the director was too into his own sense of aesthetic and it drags too much but story isn't bad and I liked the Albany area setting which I'm familiar with.

I would say the only thing closely comparable between Little Things and True Detective is the emphasis on the isolation and lonliness of the job of detective. But McAughnahey and Harrelson and 20x better than Malek and Denzel (who's becoming a black Pacino, every role now is either the Roman Israel character or the Training Day one, guess that's what happens when you are iconic and elite in your trade). Jared Leto is pretty good as a weirdo, guess he comes by that naturally based on stories around Suicide Squad and his behavior

[Typical Lax Dad]

Haven't seen Nocturnal Animals but have seen Place Beyond the Pines which I thought was ok, but not really rewatchable. Seemed like the director was too into his own sense of aesthetic and it drags too much but story isn't bad and I liked the Albany area setting which I'm familiar with.

I would say the only thing closely comparable between Little Things and True Detective is the emphasis on the isolation and lonliness of the job of detective. But McAughnahey and Harrelson and 20x better than Malek and Denzel (who's becoming a black Pacino, every role now is either the Roman Israel character or the Training Day one, guess that's what happens when you are iconic and elite in your trade). Jared Leto is pretty good as a weirdo, guess he comes by that naturally based on stories around Suicide Squad and his behavior

Place Beyond The Pines is good, not great. I really liked Nocturnal Animals. I was just thinking of two movies that I originally overlooked. True Detective season 1 and 3 were good. 2 was awful. Denzel is like Pacino. Mails it in often. Alozo Harris was a fantastic character..... Shoe Program!!

[Farfromgeneva]

Like his kid a ton even if Tenet and every Christopher Nolan movie ever made is wildly overrated. Dating back to Ballers, which is a terrible show, but he was excellent.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Like his kid a ton even if Tenet and every Christopher Nolan movie ever made is wildly overrated. Dating back to Ballers, which is a terrible show, but he was excellent.

I liked Tenet. I need to watch it again. I like Christopher Nolan. The Prestige was fantastic. Inception was great. Better over time.

[Farfromgeneva]

Like his kid a ton even if Tenet and every Christopher Nolan movie ever made is wildly overrated. Dating back to Ballers, which is a terrible show, but he was excellent.

I liked Tenet. I need to watch it again. I like Christopher Nolan. The Prestige was fantastic. Inception was great. Better over time.

I’ll watch tenet again, visuals were pretty cool but there’s always too many holes in his stories. Inception, again, fine, but folks talk about it like it’s an all time top 10 movie (same people that think Hangover is the funniest movie ever usually), so overrated is fair. Prestige is dope. Big fan of that one but that’s what happens when you go Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Michael Kaine. Plus you’ve got a David Bowie cameo! Compare that with Tent, where the co-star is the metrosexual teen vampire dude or inception does have Leo but too much levitt not enough hardy. Did he do the second Batman’s reboot? That was excellent I thought.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Like his kid a ton even if Tenet and every Christopher Nolan movie ever made is wildly overrated. Dating back to Ballers, which is a terrible show, but he was excellent.

I liked Tenet. I need to watch it again. I like Christopher Nolan. The Prestige was fantastic. Inception was great. Better over time.

I’ll watch tenet again, visuals were pretty cool but there’s always too many holes in his stories. Inception, again, fine, but folks talk about it like it’s an all time top 10 movie (same people that think Hangover is the funniest movie ever usually), so overrated is fair. Prestige is dope. Big fan of that one but that’s what happens when you go Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Michael Kaine. Plus you’ve got a David Bowie cameo! Compare that with Tent, where the co-star is the metrosexual teen vampire dude or inception does have Leo but too much levitt not enough hardy. Did he do the second Batman’s reboot? That was excellent I thought.

Yes on Batman. You know, I have never seen Hangover. Tom Hardy was excellent in Revenant and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy....not in it enough but was good. I need to re-watch Tenet....a lot going on. I liked the girl. She was good in The Night Manager.

[Farfromgeneva]

I’m pretty high in Hardy, likes Lawless a lot as well and thought he made lemonade out of fecal matter in the third Batman and Venom. Think he has the potential but he needs to get with some good directors on some deeper films of some type. Scorsese, Martin McDonough, Tarantino, PTA, David Lynch, Tim Burton (unfortunately no longer Roman Polanski). He’s picked decently opposed to say Christian Slaters work choices after Heathers and True Romance, but nothing where one has walked away going “that’s a motherf**king actor!”.

[Typical Lax Dad]

I’m pretty high in Hardy, likes Lawless a lot as well and thought he made lemonade out of fecal matter in the third Batman and Venom. Think he has the potential but he needs to get with some good directors on some deeper films of some type. Scorsese, Martin McDonough, Tarantino, PTA, David Lynch, Tim Burton (unfortunately no longer Roman Polanski). He’s picked decently opposed to say Christian Slaters work choices after Heathers and True Romance, but nothing where one has walked away going “that’s a motherf**king actor!”.

I don’t know what happened to Christian Slater. Those were two great films and then he went poof. Did you see Bound?

[Farfromgeneva]

Watched Judas and the Black Messiah about Fred Hampton last night in HBOMax,guess it’s also running in theaters concurrently? Good movie, reviews from typical corners (New Yorker/NYT) were kind of down on it but the acting of LaKeith Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya (get out guy) and the girl from the Duece is terrific. Jesse Plemons is himself and Martin Sheen as J Edgar Hoover is weird.

Worth a watch. Acting doesn’t get enough due, dont even buy them New Yorkers review of Stanfield, that guy is a key role away from being as big as Michael B Jordan or similar level stars.

[Typical Lax Dad]

Watched Judas and the Black Messiah about Fred Hampton last night in HBOMax,guess it’s also running in theaters concurrently? Good movie, reviews from typical corners (New Yorker/NYT) were kind of down on it but the acting of LaKeith Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya (get out guy) and the girl from the Duece is terrific. Jesse Plemons is himself and Martin Sheen as J Edgar Hoover is weird.

Worth a watch. Acting doesn’t get enough due, dont even buy them New Yorkers review of Stanfield, that guy is a key role away from being as big as Michael B Jordan or similar level stars.

Will watch it. Fred Hampton looking to bring poor / working class people together is what got him killed. The moment you start talking about economics and the haves versus the have nots, your days are numbered.

[Farfromgeneva]

Very Hollywood dramatized I’m sure. Only had heard the name and vaguely that he was a victim of the movement at some point. But seems interesting. Read a review w interview with the girlfriend and Hampton Jr where she was saying she was planning on spitting on his grave at his funeral but didn’t. I can understand, especially if he did drug Hampton (Is that in any way confirmed or just strongly suspected?), but just hearing their perspective was interesting. After read ONeal was friggin 17 and that had me vastly more sympathetic for him in this story. On that last part, ONeal, granted Stanfield is probably in his 30s away from teenage years but his range of emotions delivered in this movie is worth highlighting.

Telling you, get him with an elite director or co star actor and a above average script and watch this cat blow up. He’s really good. Then I think of him in Get Out and Uncut Gems, haven’t seen Atlanta. Calling him as one of the next stars if he gets that opportunity.

(I don’t consider Ryan Coogler great and like Key but he’s still not proven breadth yet IMO)

[Typical Lax Dad]

Very Hollywood dramatized I’m sure. Only had heard the name and vaguely that he was a victim of the movement at some point. But seems interesting. Read a review w interview with the girlfriend and Hampton Jr where she was saying she was planning on spitting on his grave at his funeral but didn’t. I can understand, especially if he did drug Hampton (Is that in any way confirmed or just strongly suspected?), but just hearing their perspective was interesting. After read ONeal was friggin 17 and that had me vastly more sympathetic for him in this story. On that last part, ONeal, granted Stanfield is probably in his 30s away from teenage years but his range of emotions delivered in this movie is worth highlighting.

Telling you, get him with an elite director or co star actor and a above average script and watch this cat blow up. He’s really good. Then I think of him in Get Out and Uncut Gems, haven’t seen Atlanta. Calling him as one of the next stars if he gets that opportunity.

(I don’t consider Ryan Coogler great and like Key but he’s still not proven breadth yet IMO)

I look forward to seeing it. Did you see Detroit? Rough rough film...I had to stop watching it. Grew up hearing that story over.. We lived there (had move by the time of the film) and I had aunts, uncles and cousins there.

[Farfromgeneva]

Have not seen Detroit but heard about it. will have to get to.

[Brooklyn]

Pura Vida - 1956





The great Mexican comedian Clavillazo (which literally means "nailed"). Given a three star rating but deserves more of a FOUR star rating. It has had a tremendous influence throughout all of Latin America, particularly in Costa Rica where the term "pura vida" was adopted as a national theme:


https://www.vacationscostarica.com/trav ... ound%20him.


The movie is hilarious & has many socio-political implications by attacking injustices and social stratification.

[Brooklyn]

Disobedience ~ 2017:


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6108178/





commentary:


https://www.cinemablographer.com/2018/0 ... adams.html




Generally rated between 3 to 4½ stars. Great depth to the characters although everyone sounded like Americans rather than Brits - the scene takes place in London but you wouldn't know it by the dialog. Interesting social commentary. A clear call for relaxation of social strictures in a rigid Orthodox community but one made with restraint and respect.

[Brooklyn]

http://www.videocollector.co.uk/data/im ... -6665l.jpg



Generally rated 3½ to 4 stars. Very subtle, under stated humor. Good dialog though it may have run just a bit too long. From the NY Times:


''Mass Appeal,'' which opens today at the Sutton and other theaters, is less strident than ''Educating Rita'' and more prone to dry humor (''It is no accident that the collection comes after the sermon, it's like a Nielsen rating,'' Father Farley tells Mark, after the young man delivers his first sermon and attacks the entire congregation). The momentum of Mr. Davis's drama and the stars' intensity are enough to sustain interest, even when Glenn Jordan's television- style direction seems excessively bland. And the new supporting characters - a crafty Monsignor played by Charles Durning, the devoted housekeeper (Louise Latham) who looks after Father Farley - bring the story additional interest.





script: http://smjegupr.net/wp-content/uploads/ ... Appeal.pdf


Writer Bill C Davis was a man with a social conscience. Sad to say he recently passed away due to covid complications. NY Times obit:


https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/thea ... virus.html


some of his writings:

https://www.commondreams.org/author/bill-c-davis

[Brooklyn]

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6qeyu0boOI0/ ... s400/1.jpg

rated 3½ to 4 by the critics


This was always one of my faves. Great casting by having Steiger as Capone - perfect role, superbly played by him. You can find many stills from the movie all of which give you a great view of what this great flic was all about:





more:

http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2018/03/capone.html

[Brooklyn]

Johnny Cool [1963]

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057200/


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y_sARbe2JyU/V ... ol%2B1.jpg



Intense film noir type but lacking in realism at times. Seems like some of the actors were miscast as they were more suitable for comedy rather than a drama. I got the feeling this was somewhat like what used to be called a "black comedy" though I couldn't find any commentators who saw it that way. Good background music.

Generally rated as a 3.

[Brooklyn]

I finally got to Shadow on The Wall. I liked it.

I did put the movie on my to do list. But somehow I mixed it up with Shadow On the Window:


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049748/


Both film noir, suspenseful, good setting, very good acting.


Will have to put Shadow On the Wall on my list once again.