Toy Story 3
’s hard to believe how powerful this little animation is, it is, hands down, the best movie experience ever. I’m one of those who grew up on the first 2 films, so they are pretty special to me, and I actually think TS3 benefited from the 11 year(wow) gap. It feels much more personal now, looking at how the characters and myself have aged, and this is exactly what the film wants to show, I came the closest to crying in a film during the last 10 minutes, which is easily the most touching film moment for me. You probably won’t feel the same if you didn’t watch the first two films when they were released, but if you did you will have the time of your life watching this film…I can honestly say I’ll never have another movie experience like this.
Watch Out, We’re Mad/Altrimenti ci arrabbiamo! 1974 Marcello Fondatto
Keeping track with with some of the old Terence Hill/Bud Spencer stuff and this happens to be one the most fun of their moveis together. Shot in Madrid they were able to hire Donald Pleasence, and of course some SW familiar Spanish actors.
I can say that I liked this one better than the Trinita stuff, the choir scene it’s just amazing, and the gags story and action scenes are very well done . At least in Portugal it was never the most successeful movies of Hill/Spencer, why I do not know, but it’s a hell of a movie.
[center]Over the Edge[/center]
A clash of values and expectations between bored teenagers and blinkered, uptight adults in the ‘planned community’ (new town) of New Granada in middle America comes to a violent head in Jonathan Kaplan’s tough, impressive social drama.
Not much planning went into the kids’ needs, and apart from school and a rather shabby recreation centre, there’s nothing for them to do but drift into lawlessness and, ultimately, violent rebellion, as the city authorities try to work out how to bridge the gulf between the generations.
There are elements of Rebel Without a Cause here, as misunderstandings and the breakdown of communications wrench families and the wider community apart. The acting is uniformly strong, especially by the youngsters (Matt Dillon makes his debut as a local tearaway), and the kids are believable without being either too snotty or too sympathetic.
Whirlpool (1970).
Strange goings on in a country house with a fair amount of sex, and a weird family relationship. Plods at times but great atmosphere by director Larraz again, and set in rural England like some of his other films from around this period.
Had the house to myself last night so I indulged in something unpleasant - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. For some reason, I’d not seen it since its first release, but it remains a compelling and bludgeoning study of sociopathic rage.
The matter-of-fact direction refuses to condemn Henry’s actions (it’s far easier to take sides against his loathsome partner in crime, Otis), although it’s clear he was unbalanced in childhood by his abusive mother. But this is mitigation at most, and certainly not an excuse for his murderous instincts.
A grim, nihilistic and unforgettable contemporary classic.
The 13th Warrior 1999 John Mctiernan
With so many stuff to watch I end up seeing a film on TV, and one that I already saw more than once.
But this it’s a cool one, I really like it, so many shitty DVd’s from the give aways and I do not have this one in my collection.
it’s a great film, very well directed by action master Mctiernan, and with a fantastic and mostly unknow cast (apart from the stars of course) but they all really shine on this one with some great performances.
Also proves that sometimes it’s not the big bugs that can make a pleasent film, for instance Gladiator, (which I do not dislike totally) to me it’s not as good as this one, even if with grat efects and stuff, this story it’s more straighforward simple and effective. The 13Tth Warrior it’s a great film to watch from time to time, kinda reminds me of the old classical movies from the 50 and the 60’s, and also got that Western feeling
Watched Little Caesar, one of the best crime movies ever, imo. It’s pretty amazing they found Edward G. Robinson role, he’s perfect… you can’t look away when he’s on screen. The dialogue is classic, i’ve heard it parodied many times before.
[quote=“El Topo, post:2362, topic:1923”]Watch Out, We’re Mad/Altrimenti ci arrabbiamo! 1974 Marcello Fondatto
Keeping track with with some of the old Terence Hill/Bud Spencer stuff and this happens to be one the most fun of their moveis together. Shot in Madrid they were able to hire Donald Pleasence, and of course some SW familiar Spanish actors.
I can say that I liked this one better than the Trinita stuff, the choir scene it’s just amazing, and the gags story and action scenes are very well done . At least in Portugal it was never the most successeful movies of Hill/Spencer, why I do not know, but it’s a hell of a movie.
[/quote]That’s my favourite Spencer/Hill film.
CHRISTMAS PRESENT. Great acting, stylish direction and interesting dialogue in this excellent poker movie by Pupi Avati.
We had a DVD double feature last night.
Following (1999) - The clever debut of Christiopher Nolan
Martyrs (2008) - An uncompromising and consequently finished film beyond the genre classifications. Part horror, part thriller, part something else
The Spiral Staircase, Robert Siodmak’s glorious gothic thriller in which noir themes (and styling) and proto-giallo tropes coalesce to wonderful effect. OK, the murderer’s mystery identity isn’t difficult to guess, but it’s churlish to dwell on flaws when there’s so much to sink your teeth into, including a couple of tremendous expressionistic murder scenes.
Noir and proto Giallo? I’m sold!
It seems alos that I Love trouble (1948) also had some proto Giallo scenes.
No kidding. There’s a scene right near the beginning of The Spiral Staircase - rain-lashed night, grandiose building, black-clad killer lurking in the darkness - that reminded me immediately of the opening of Bava’s Blood and Black Lace.
Open Season (Peter Collinson)
It’s quite a shock to imagine Peter Fonda, John Phillip Law, and Richard Lynch as murdering, raping, kidnappers. But they pull it off with complete believeability. They all have great chemistry and come across as real buddies in the film. It was filmed predominatley in spain and Alberto de Mendoza has a sizeable role as a kidnapped husband with his beautiful wife. William holden has about 30 seconds of screen time. A good enough film to pass the time.
Bad Lieutenant (1992, Abel Ferrara)
Before I take my chances on the Herzog/Cage rehash, I wanted to rewatch this cult movie from the nineties
I had my doubts, most cult movies just turn out to be junk movies after a few decades, but surprise, this one still delivers the goods
Keitel is fantastic as the corrupt, sleepwalking police junky who accidently solves a strange sex crime (the rape of a nun) while losing all his money (and some more) on a Mets - Dodgers game (how will the ever-overacting Cage look like after this - remarkably restrained - tour de force by Keitel?)
A typical over-the-top (but spot-on) catholic concoction of guilt, penance and redemption, a companion piece to Marty’s Taxi Driver (and some of Dostojevski’s stuff, although he wasn’t a catholic, there are some shades of his novel The Demons in regard to the rape theme)
Question for the baseball experts among us: Did this game between the Mets and the Dodgers really take place? In the movie the Mets win a best of seven after losing the first three matches (and it’s called the first time this happens. I know nothing about baseball, so I don’t even know if it was a championship game or whatever)
Here’s a good tip, don’t compare the two films. Like Herzog says, only the storyline’s are similar. That’s all. They are two different films. Cage is quite good I thought. Though Herzog does seem to be shoe horning in his fascination with natural beauty in several scenes.
Also, Herzog tried to change the title of the film but the studio’s insisted.
Re The Spiral Staircase:
I too liked it (the opening murderr scene is on par with the best of Hitchcock) and the ending is terrific, but I felt the middle sagged a bit.
Come And See (1985, Russia)
If you are into war movies, here’s one to watch. It’s in Russian with English subtitles. Set in Russia during Hitler’s invasion, it’s an account of a young boy’s life after he leaves his home to join the partisans. Though the portrayal of the Germans as absolute monsters is a bit excessive, it’s a very different movie; definitely not mainstream Hollywood dreck. It has it’s psychedelic touches, like The Thin Red Line and offers a horrible look at the realities of a brutal war.
I’m going to have to watch this one again before I know what to make of it!
That’s one of the absolutely best war films.
[quote=“Drifter, post:2378, topic:1923”]Come And See (1985, Russia)
If you are into war movies, here’s one to watch. It’s in Russian with English subtitles. Set in Russia during Hitler’s invasion, it’s an account of a young boy’s life after he leaves his home to join the partisans. Though the portrayal of the Germans as absolute monsters is a bit excessive, it’s a very different movie; definitely not mainstream Hollywood dreck. It has it’s psychedelic touches, like The Thin Red Line and offers a horrible look at the realities of a brutal war.
I’m going to have to watch this one again before I know what to make of it![/quote]
Great film. inspiration for Spielberg and others (Sean Penn often mentions this film), and like staton said among the best war films.
Also like very much the work of the Come and See director’s late wife, Larisa Shepitko, Wings and The Ascent (amazing film on Human nature) are also two masterpices from Soviet/rRssian cinema