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What have you watched this week? (05/07-05/13)

posted 7 years ago by StoneKeeper (23025)
134 replies | jump to latest

Welcome back everyone, hope you had a good week. Here are the movies I watched:

https://moviechat.org/tt0112883/Don-Juan-DeMarco
Don Juan DeMarco (1994 TV): Many times in my life I saw this movie on the video store's shelf and not once I picked it up because the cover, with Johnny Depp, looked too much like a movie for girls to drool on. But it played on TV this week and right after the first 10 minutes I realize it was actually going to be a movie I would like. And I liked it indeed, although the pacing was not always to the rhythm. It's a quirky and romantic comedy, perfect for a rainy afternoon. The story was interesting, I'm always fascinated by the topic of mental illness, and the acting was very good too. I don't know much about Marlon Brando because he's not of my generation but in this one he looked like a fat Robert Redford. And He played his roller very well. He contributed to the success of this movie with his genuine character. 6.5/10

https://moviechat.org/tt0245562/Windtalkers
Windtalkers (2002 Bluray): I had never heard of this one before and when I saw it for three bucks I blind bought it. It's a WWII movie Directed by John Woo, starring Nicolas Cage,Christian Slater and Mark Ruffalo. A strange combination that makes for a strange movie. The overall acting is below average and it's far from being one of Cage's best performance. The best performance was actually the guy who played the Navajo Indian. If you're looking for realism and solid drama, keep on your way, this one is not for you. If you're in for hundreds of explosions, invincible soldiers, violent warfare and 2 hours of action scenes that are pretty well shot, give it a try. I had a good time watching it. 6.5/10
(BTW, John Woo made some of my fav movies:
Red Cliff 9/10
Hardboiled 8/10
Face Off 8/10
Hard Target 7.5/10)

https://moviechat.org/tt1046997/Miracle-at-St-Anna
Miracle at St. Anna (2008 DVD): I seek'd out this movie because it's from Spike Lee, a director I like, and I own most of his movies, but had never heard about this one before. Again, this is a strange movie. This week I watched what must be two of the weirdest war movies I've seen. This one is unbalanced and very long. (2h40) The editing is awkward to a point that it can get annoying, the cinematography is not really impressive, the dialogues are good at times and terrible at others, some scenes were weakly executed, some were pure non-sense, some were good and interesting. Near the two hour mark there is a quite shocking scene of a crowd of civilians and children being executed. From there, the movie suddenly got bloody violent. The cast is full of actors I love but the overall acting is acceptable at best. The story was good, the American-Italian-German mix worked well and there was a religious tone to it all that was a bit cheesy. For example, there is a scene where you see a group of each people making the same prayer at the same time at different places and the effect they hoped for was not powerful enough for us to feel much. In the end, not as bad as Red Hook Summer but, another Spike Lee joint that never come to spark. 5.5/10

https://moviechat.org/tt0084788/Things-Are-Tough-All-Over
Cheech and Chong "Things are tough all over"(1984 DVD): I rewatched the first four Cheech and Chong movies a few weeks ago and realized I was missing this one and I received it in the mail this week. The first half is a bit slow but the second half was better. The new characters were fun and the story was good. A nice comeback after the failure that was "Still smoking". 7/10

https://moviechat.org/tt0489049/Fanboys
Fanboys (2009 DVD): This is a great road trip comedy! I saw all the Star Wars movies and enjoyed them but I'm not a "fan" and yet, I really love this movie. It's funny, entertaining and just makes me feel good. I really don't understand the people that hate it and how it got bad critics. The acting is excellent and there is many wonderful cameos. 7.5/10

https://moviechat.org/tt0276751/About-a-Boy
About a boy(2002): It's written 'best comedy of the year' on my DVD case but to me, its more a drama although there is some good laughs. In a strange way, the movie made me see how I could've ended up if I would've never met my wife, never had my two sons and stayed single. Also, the little kid reminded me a little bit of my nephew. Anyway, very sad movie but very good too. 7/10

[–] croft_alice (12180) 7 years ago

No movies,i was on nat geo most of the time😎

[–] arvin g borkar (2854) 7 years ago

Ah crap...my report is due.

Sorry Stonekeeper, my assignment has still not been completed because I never got to finishing my movie of the week. I was halfway into The Paperboy and I just could not finish it.

I hope I can still get half credit, if I put my thoughts down by the end of this week. Half credit is better than no credit is what I always say.

You win some, you lose some.

Oh and I will remember to put a coversheet on my TPS report as well.

[–] StoneKeeper (23025) 7 years ago

HAha, still on that Paperboy huh...

Forget about it!

I didn't get your comment about the TPS thing though.

[–] arvin g borkar (2854) 7 years ago

I have to say, it is a pretty boring azz movie; however, to date, I have never just not decided to watch a movie once I have started watching it.

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

I thought the Paperboy was pretty good... I don't remember it much but I liked it. It was slow though.

[–] arvin g borkar (2854) 7 years ago

I still have 37 minutes and 32 seconds left on it. It is literally just sitting there, paused, on this browser. I may just get to finish watching it today.

Thing is, it has some big time actors in it: John Cusak, Matthew Mcconaughey, and Zac Efron; however, even that does not do it any justice.

[–] arvin g borkar (2854) 7 years ago

WOW! I did not see that coming in the end.

O_O

What a movie!

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

https://moviechat.org/tt3783958/La-La-Land
La La Land (2016) I finally saw this and really enjoyed it. Chazelle is a talent to watch... a few more good ones and he'll quickly be on the great directors lists. Ryan was Ryan but Emma and the production design were the standouts here. The story is pretty generic... as I said on the thread, it's more an homage to the genre than anything particularly original. I compared it to The Artist which brought attention to old silent films. LLL is like The Artist for musicals... if you've seen a lot of them it won't be much new but if you haven't it might be a revelation. It also reminded me of Manhattan in the sense that it's a love letter to Los Angeles. Somewhere between 8 and 9/10 for me.
https://moviechat.org/tt0033836/The-Little-Foxes

The Little Foxes (1941) Good Bette Davis vehicle set in the turn of the 20th century South about a greedy family trying to take advantage of a dying man. I made my comments on the thread here
https://moviechat.org/tt0033836/The-Little-Foxes/590fefcc5c874d00119f1459/Still-relevant-today?reply=590ff2495c874d00119f1464 9/10

https://moviechat.org/tt3896198/Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-Vol-2
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017) I love the GOTG films... I don't read the comics so if they veer from canon, I'd never know... some people say this film is too silly but I'd take a hundred of these over the rest of the Avengers films. Give me some 70s tunes with a talking raccoon over Iron Man telling Captain America to pull the stick out of his ass over and over any day. Deadpool too... way better than the serious ones... which are still enjoyable but not as good for me. 9/10

I wish the posts didn't have such a small character limit. Will finish in next one.

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

https://moviechat.org/tt0035446/To-Be-or-Not-to-Be
To Be or Not to Be (1942) I'd never seen a Jack Benny movie before... not that there are a lot of them but I'd always heard about him in Hollywood lore. He was funny enough but I wanted to see this because of Carole Lombard and although she was great... she just wasn't in it enough for my taste. I wanted more screwball Carole and less Nazi spy adventure. But still it was funny and a brave film for its time 8/10

https://moviechat.org/tt0042041/White-Heat
White Heat (1949) The film starts out with a bang and goes full throttle all the way to the end. Cagney was great in this film and as I said on the thread... he's a despicable character yet for some reason you can't help but root for him a bit. It also showed the advanced policing techniques of the era kind of like M did for German crime stories. Maybe the only criticism is that his henchmen are underdeveloped but Virginia Mayo and the guy who played the undercover cop were good. Same with his mother... she was bad ass. 9/10 maybe even 10

https://moviechat.org/tt0040458/I-Remember-Mama
I Remember Mama (1948) Good family film about a poor Norwegian immigrant family making their way through 1910 San Francisco. I already made comments on the thread... give it 8/10

https://moviechat.org/tt0816692/Interstellar
Interstellar (2014) This is a beautiful stunning film in my book. I was debating with someone on the Dunkirk thread about Chris Nolan movies and decided to watch it again because he said he thought it was bad but I ended up enjoying it more the second time. Sure it takes a lot of poetic license but how can anyone know exactly how wormholes and black holes truly function? The only thing that rang false for me was Matt Damon's Dr. Mann who I felt went a little too Sunshine/horror movie for my taste. 10/10

One more in next post

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

https://moviechat.org/tt5311514/Kimi-no-na-wa
Your Name (2016) I think your enjoyment of this anime would depend on how many Asian dramas and body switching movies you've seen. It's about a teenage boy from the big city (Tokyo) and a girl from a small town who without their knowledge switch bodies. It's a departure from the usual body switching story I guess, in that they don't know each other and have to solve the mystery as to what is happening to them. I think if you've haven't seen a lot of J or K Drama, it would be a 9 or 10 but if you have then maybe an 8. The animation is beautiful though and if you like the genre in general I definitely recommend it.

Oops forgot to respond to the OPs films. I've only seen About a Boy and I love that one. Nicholas Hoult was a great child actor and Hugh Grant was just as good. Maybe some didn't like it because they expect romcoms from Grant but it's still a nice film about bonds and friendship.

ETA: Actually I'm pretty sure I've seen Things Are Tough All Over on cable but I saw it years ago and all the Cheech and Chong movies blend together in my mind. I like them though... maybe one day I'll do a rewatch marathon.

[–] StoneKeeper (23025) 7 years ago

''Somewhere between 8 and 9/10 for me.'' - That would be a 8.5 mate ;)

I will watch GOTG 2 for sure.

Interstellar: I am part of the group that loved it. Like it way more than Inception. 8.5

I'll look for White Heat and Your name, thanks.

It was the same thing for me with the Cheech And Chong movies. I remembered the scenes but did not remember which one was in which movie. My rewatch marathon, some 15 years later, was a blast .

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

I always wonder how people decide to choosing a rating scale... whether to do the binary thumbs up or down... the traditional four or five star scale... the 10 point imdb rating or the 100 point metacritic one. Often I just want to do thumbs up or down... or four stars because they are so much easier that way. When I see a person regularly using a 100 point scale I think... "How in the world do they do decide between a 67 and an 84?" I guess they do what I just did... which is get caught between an 8 and 9... then split the difference... then think about it some more and break it down further.

White Heat is good but you must like old noir/gangster films to enjoy it. Although I have to say I might use this film at some point to get people watch that category. I guess what I'm saying is don't expect too much and keep in mind my rating is within the context of the era and the genre.

[–] StoneKeeper (23025) 7 years ago

I used to rate movies very technically, using my rating system but for the last years I do it more instinctively. Im so used to it now that when a movie is over, I already know if its a 6.5 closer to 6 or a 6.5 closer to 7. I feel the numbers. Hehe

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

I've used the word " intuitively " now in two separate threads about ratings. Stone and I are on the same page here.

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

I also use instinct... I dream about one day going over my ratings and refining them in a technical way... but for now instinct will do.

You should probably just go to a 20 point system... although I guess if you did that... few would understand what your numbers meant.

[–] StoneKeeper (23025) 7 years ago

Nah, I'm fine using the 10 scale, including the .5's.
My rating system:
10: Masterpiece/ Favourite
9: "A" Awesome!
8: Very Good
7: Good
6: average
5: BElow Average
4: Bad
3: Awful (gave this rating to less than 10 movies)
2: Did not finish-Might give second chance
1. Did not finish- No chance

I might start at thread with this topic, I don't know if it will interest people.

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

So far, the lowest rated movie I've seen mentioned here ( not the thread, the site ) was a 3.9. Can't remember the title but it was recently, within the past several days. I think it was something in the trending bar.

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

💋

[–] StoneKeeper (23025) 7 years ago

Thats what I dont understand. If 5 is average, then 6 must be pretty good. Why not recommend 6's and 6.5's.

I, too wouldn't recommend a 6 but its because its only "average" in my book. The passing score if I may say.

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

💋

[–] StoneKeeper (23025) 7 years ago

True.

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

💋

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

Silence
Maybe the best religious movie I ever saw. If you're interested in religion, any religion, politics and religion in general, not just Catholicism, you must watch this. Extremely thought provoking, gritty and surreal at the same time. The genius thing about this movie is it is interesting from BOTH a believer and an atheist point of view. Very few movies can achieve that! A must see 9/10.

La La Land
It's way overated. Glad it only won Best Picture for a few seconds lol. Pretentious and underwhelming. The singing and dancing was not bad, but not exceptionaly good either. It's just... okay-ish? Why is this praised to no end? I don't know. The only thing I know is it's not bad. Direction was solid. Meh, I guess 6/10.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage
Donnie Yen was god, everything else was not. Not a terrible movie for a dumb action flick. Just has too many non-essential protagonists. It should've been titled The More Politically Correct Expendables. I mean, is this not like the most racially diverse movie EVAR? Overall 6/10.

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

If you're not a minority then racial diversity might not seem important... but if you are it is. Never mind that Asians make up 60% of the world's population... I'd be satisfied if 5% of the major roles belonged to Asians which is roughly how many Asian Americans there are. If someone gave you 100 to one odds of an Asian American winning an Oscar this year would you take them? A 1000 to one? I think the odds sadly are closer to Powerball odds than the 5% that it should be. African Americans complain the most but they also have advanced the furthest when it comes to diversity in Hollywood. I have no problem with whites dominating the casting and the Oscars but our films should roughly approximate the population at large which is 72% white, 16% latino, 13% black and 5% Asian (these numbers overlap because some identify as more than one race) Making the effort to reflect this diversity is an important step in achieving a true picture of America as well respecting those of us who spend our hard earned money at the theater and for cable.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Apropos of not much, I was happy to see Jimmy Smits show up in Dexter, which I recently saw for the first time. Lost interest in the show so won't finish it, but it was nice to see him working again.

Good point about Asians making up 60% of the world's population, and yet how many Asian stars can you think of?

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

Jimmy's still going strong for an older leading man. He had an important role on Sons of Anarchy... and now he's currently on the reboot of 24.

[–] arvin g borkar (2854) 7 years ago

SAG-AFTRA all ready puts limits on the number of union and non union actors they should hire, why not a certain number of each ethnic group?

From June 2017 onwards, I should see one of every ethnic group in every movie. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Then again, who is going to care? If IMDb had message boards, maybe this would be productive...

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

They have started to care... I think comments on social media have made a difference... so right now I'm focusing on the positive over the negative. Going to watch the second season of Master of None soon on Netflix which stars Asian Americans.

[–] arvin g borkar (2854) 7 years ago

Or it could be a reason why the decided to take the message boards down on IMDb. lol

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

Imdb's message boards have almost no effect. I looked at their facebook page and although they have 7 million followers... if you click on any topic it has as many comments as one of the threads on our tiny board. I'm talking about comments on the general feeds of FB, IG, Twitter, Reddit... Remember when Steve Harvey said something racist about Asian men? It blew up on social media but I don't think much was said on network television. Media companies that keep their pulse on advertising revenue streams are conscious of what is said online and that helps minorities who are often ignored on traditional outlets.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

I know. Trust me, I'm an Asian. I already discussed this issue in some other threads.

Making the effort to get more American minorities in American movies is great. However, xXx: Return of Xander Cage is not the way to go.

Lemme explain. Tokenism ruins everything. The character needs to have important role whether they were played by a minority or a white actor. Everything else doen't count. It's not important to have Asian actors just because.

As I said, Donnie Yen was great in this, the other Chinese guy (Kris Wu, he's actually Canadian) is not. He does nothing really! The Indian girl also does nothing. They have nothing importance whatsoever. If they were played by white actors I believe the characters would end up in cutting floor.

They are there just so the movie can be even more diverse. Ironically, for xXx it's not even needed. In fact, the franchise has a Latino (Vin Diesel) and a Black (Ice Cube) as the lead actors! It's already far better than most Hollywood movies. It was a step in the right direction. Adding bajillion other token races is just diluting the fact that Vin Diesel is not a typical WHITE American action hero.

If they just added only Donnie Yen as another xXx agent it would be great. An Asian along with a Latino as MAIN characters. Important characters. Essential to the movie. Just like Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour. Who doesn't love them?

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

I see your point but as long as the character isn't a racist stereotype then I disagree. Of course, it's preferable to have a leading role... but as long as they cast people of different backgrounds in something... they can network... the casting directors begin to trust them more... it's like serving time in the minor leagues before they get called to the big leagues. Why would you give them a leading role unless either they were an acting prodigy or they had a resume to examine? For people living in the big cities, this all doesn't matter much as we have exposure to people of all walks of life and cultures but for those living in red states it does. People who have no exposure to other races tend to fear them or think ignorant things about them. So even if it's a few minutes of some Asian acting like a normal human being... it helps to dissipate stereotypes and misconceptions. And so the red states won't think I'm picking on them... Asians especially from Asia are also racist because of lack of exposure to other cultures. We all need to get to know each other more.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

I don't understand. I kept talking about the movie, you seemed to discuss more in general terms. This is a thread about the movies we saw this week after all.

Did you already see the movie, xXx: Return of Xander Cage?

In this particular movie, the other Asians except the character played by Donnie Yen are not acting like a normal human being (in typical action movie, mind you). They are token characters. They are pandering to minorities or other nationalities. They were there just because so that the movie become even more diverse. Which is nonsense.

Normal non-lead character played by Asian is something like the Asian doctor in Machester by the Sea. I want this too. The doctor is not there just so that the film can have an Asian actor. No. The doctor will always be there even if she was played by a white actor. The character is essential to the movie. The fact that they chose an Asian to play it is respectable.

In the movie xXx on the other hand, it's different case altogether. That's why I don't want this in movies. It hurts the movie and making Asian involvements in American film industry look like a joke. We don't need this.

The fact that the movie already has Donnie Yen, an Asian actor, to be one of the REAL characters is good enough. It would be even better if they are not diluting it by casting too many other minorities for nonsensical roles so it became a parody of Hollywood's diverse image.

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

Fair enough... but I get triggered when I see people using terms like "politically correct" in an almost dismissive way. I did say non stereotypical role... but I see your point also on meaningless henchmen roles. Still as I said, it's better that they work and are seen than being completely absent if it's not negative. (Incompetent, stupid, ugly)

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

Ah, I see. It was more of a jab to The Expendables. A movie which has too many non-essential protagonists, just like xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Silence sounds very interesting. I'd like to see this one, and again wish we had a wish list here, so I could put it on it.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

A must see, I'd say.

And yeah the only reason I haven't deleted IMDb account is because I still have my watchlist there.

[–] MovieManCin2 (26342) 7 years ago

Mostly TV including the first four episodes of Wonderfalls on DVD from Netflix.

😎

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Thanks for being on top of posting this thread every week. It adds to this site, and I enjoy reading it. Adding links to each film is a good idea. I believe Arvin suggested that, and it was a good suggestion. I'll add in the links as well.

For the most part I've watched documentaries this week, with a few movies, randomly discovered on Netflix. The movies ranged from *seriously* bad (1) to decent/good. I had better luck with documentaries.

The seriously bad was Ouija Resurrection: Experiment 2. Saw this in trying to find Ouija, mentioned here by Prelude, and figured why not give it a try? At first I thought it was a parody of horror/ghost stories, and would cleverly transition from laugh-out-loud comedy into something actually scary, which would have been an interesting concept. But 5/6ths of the way through I realized those who'd seen it all the way through were right: it was simply a very bad movie. So I bailed. … Can't post a link, as there's no entry for it here. (No loss.) 2/10, for the laughs.

Miss Stevens: https://moviechat.org/tt2693580/Miss-Stevens
Listed as a comedy, but it really was a drama. High school English lit/Drama teacher takes 3 of her students on a trip for a drama competition. A connection and uneasy relationship develops between she and the most gifted of the 3. Some good scenes and performances, particularly on the part of the gifted kid, who is in ways wise beyond his years. He has a James Dean, Rebel without A Cause feel to his character, but it works: inspired by, not a cheap ripoff of. Worth my time watching it. 6.5/10.

Now I know there's a character limit to posts, and it's not my new keyboard screwing up, will continue this in another post.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

The documentaries were the best of my viewing this week.

#1 was Tyke Elephant Outlaw: https://moviechat.org/tt4254838/Tyke-Elephant-Outlaw
This should have been nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary, if not won it. Very even-handed and heart-wrenching documenting of an incident in 1994, where an African circus elephant finally went ballistic, after many years of abuse, killing one of her trainers, seriously injuring an assistant, and then running wild on the streets of Honolulu in an effort to escape the even more severe punishment she knew was coming as a result. She was eventually gunned down and killed on the street, being perceived as too great a threat to human life -- which was most likely true at that point.

All views are well represented, including one of her former trainers who seemed to have a genuine love for and connection with her, and at the same time mourned the glory days of circuses, including using wild animals as attractions. Animal rights groups were also represented, as well as a small circus owner, and a former elephant trainer, who now feels how she was trained to treat these animals was very wrong, but doesn't regret her experiences with them.

Ringling Brothers, who owned Tyke as well as many other elephants, declined to participate, not surprisingly.

The viewer isn't left feeling warm and fuzzy, but I'm glad I persevered and watched the 2nd half, to see that Tyke did not die in vain. Highly recommend: 10/10, and that's not a rating I give too freely.

[–] StoneKeeper (23025) 7 years ago

Wow, Tyke really look like something I'd watch although it would be hard to.
Haven't seen any of yours this week.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Tyke is extraordinarily well done, and I encourage you to see it. If you have Netflix, it's there. It is hard to watch at times, but there is hope at the end. Things have changed as a result of her death. More change needs to come, but there has been improvement.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

On YouTube I watched 2 Hitler-related documentaries. One titled Hitler's Family (although this doesn't appear to be its actual title, as I can't find it here), and another called Mr and Mrs Hitler -- also not found here by that title.

Hitler's Family I found a link to here on MC on the Titanic board, and watched it. I'd known the usual about Hitler: wanted to be an artist, failed at it, entered WWI as a soldier, became involved in politics, yada yada. But I knew virtually nothing about his family life and real background. In this documentary his relatives were interviewed, and gave their respective opinions about him and his early family life. Insightful, definitely worth watching. 9/10.

Mr and Mrs Hitler, again can't find it here to link to (may not be the actual title), chronicled Hitler's relationship with Eva Braun, who became in the last 36 or so hours Hitler's wife, having been his mistress for many years. Interesting documentary and worthwhile watching, but not great. 6.5/10.

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

I followed a series on The History Channel for awhile I found pretty fascinating titled Hunting Hitler, in case you're not aware and might be interested.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

I located this on YouTube, or some of it. I was hoping it wasn't about Hitler having escaped the bunker, as until now I've viewed that with about as much credibility as Elvis and Michael Jackson sightings.

But this is a well-done series. The investigative head and team he put together certainly seem impressive, with excellent credentials. I liked that their goal was not to prove or disprove any preexisting theories or beliefs they had, but to discover the truth -- as well as they could -- regardless of the outcome.

I didn't know the CIA and other investigative bodies had been carrying on a manhunt for Hitler, not long after his supposed suicide. I found it very interesting that DNA tests done on the skull the Russians had taken, believing it to be Hitler's, has since been proven to be that of a woman in her 30s. Also interesting that no one was able to actually identify Hitler's body, as it was wrapped up in a blanket before being incinerated.

Makes me wonder who wrapped up the body/bodies -- obviously *someone* saw it/them -- and did they then commit suicide afterwards so they couldn't make any statement? Is the skull Eva Braun's?

Wish I could find the whole thing and view it in order. Thanks for the recommendation. It is fascinating.

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

Glad you found it fascinating as well and I agree completely with your assessment of it here.

I'd really like to see it in its entirety as well. I saw a number of episodes sequentially and they transition beautifully, connecting the dots without missing a beat. I've probably missed an equal number of episodes.

I can only hope that The History Channel will rerun it sometime in the future.

[–] kspkap (13185) 7 years ago

Cat,

"Mr. & Mrs. Hitler is the actual title. It's a film made in 2001. The following is another source for viewing, except it's not subtitled as the one on You Tube:

http://www.thedocus.com/mr-and-mrs-hitler-documentary

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

The only one on your list I've come close to watching is Windtalkers and your analysis makes me even more reluctant now. I re-watched Broken Arrow this morning so I think I've had my quota of John Woo for awhile.

I'm not sure about the Cheech and Chong movie.

For me this past week it's been :

The Lovely Bones -- A visually impressive film with a haunting, bittersweet quality. It's possibly the most unique perspective on the serial killer theme I think I've seen. There were a couple of scenes that provided me with some of the best suspense I've experienced in awhile. 7.5/10

In Bruges -- A very dark comedy set against the picturesque beauty of this Belgian city which also made it a visually appealing film. Colin Farrel gives one of his best performances in this but it was sometimes frustrating for me to follow his dialogue when he seemed to mumble using a very thick, cockney accent. 7.5/10

Never Back Down -- Disappointing and ho-hum because it was so formulaic. Few films of this genre ( fight clubs ) can measure up to Charles Bronson's Hard Times . 5/10

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

I remember thinking Lovely Bones was decent but not as good as Room, 10 Cloverfield, Michael (2011)... which are similar abduction themed movies. (I'm aware of the difference between some of these but I don't want to give any spoilers) There's another like this too which I can't remember right now.

In Bruges was an excellent film. (I'd use subtitles if you can't understand the accents)

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

I haven't seen either Room or Michael but comparing it to 10 Cloverfield Lane is a real stretch for me .

I prefer to use subtitles whenever I can. I didn't have that option with this one which contributed to the frustration.

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

All of those films are about young people getting kidnapped then placed into a room and held captive and killed or abused. 10 Cloverfield is certainly the most different but it does have that component.

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

* Warning: Spoilers ! *

Yes it does, it even focuses on that but the pedophile/serial killer aspect is very ambiguous, only implied.

In The Lovely Bones, there's no doubt he's a serial killer. The scope of the story and the movie goes way beyond the facet of confinement.

[–] StoneKeeper (23025) 7 years ago

Glad my review could help you.

In Bruges: I was disappointed in this one. Maybe because it is overrated (IMO). The humor was poor and the plot was not really logical for me. There was a few good moments though. 5.5/10

Never Back Down: let me copy/paste your sentence here: I've come close to watching it and your analysis makes me even more reluctant now. :)

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

Few films of this genre ( fight clubs ) can measure up to Charles Bronson's Hard Times .

Maybe not better than Hard Times, but you should check out Cage (1989) if you like the genre. It stars Lou Ferrigno. Absolutely one of my favorite underground fighting tournament movie of all time. The movie poster doesn't do justice though.

https://moviechat.org/tt0097003/Cage

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

I remember Ferrigno from his Incredible Hulk days.

Maybe you should check out Van Damme's Lionheart which is better than Never Back Down.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

I did. Classic Van Damme was a beast! Lionheart, Bloodsport, even The Quest and Street Fighter: The Movie... I devour them all! 😅

But Lou Ferrigno's Cage is still has a place forever in my heart. It's movie poster in Wikipedia is a far better representative of the content.

[–] StoneKeeper (23025) 7 years ago

I guess the rating doesn't do it justice neither...

[–] actionkamen (23176) 7 years ago

Lol. Not really, the film is obviously not a masterpiece, it's just a non-typical of an "underground fighting tournament" sub-genre.

It has deeper characterization and better drama, great story, the fighting was also almost realistic. The gun battles were laugahble though. It's an '80s film after all.

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

Yeah, it caught me by surprise on one of my movie channels. There's a good chance I'll try to find it on DVD at my local library so that I can use subtitles the next viewing .

I agree with you on Brendan Gleeson. I'd love to go into more depth with you about why but it would involve spoilers. I first took a liking to him as the sheriff in Lake Placid .

Ralph Fiennes was also pretty intense in this, maybe slightly over the top.

[–] godewey (16472) 7 years ago

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] db20db (16574) 7 years ago

Yeah, he's very recognizable. I know I've seen him in other films.

[–] Sentient Meat (1509) 7 years ago

Also his son is the tall redhead from the The Force Awakens, About Time, The Revenant, Ex Machina, Black Mirror etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domhnall_Gleeson

[–] kaleidoscope0_0 (479) 7 years ago

Follow (2015)
The 11th Hour (2014)
Get Out (2017)