You are not logged in. Please register or login.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
#171 Re: The Sunset Strip » Most Recent Movie You've Seen » 106 weeks ago
Seen a bunch of movies lately:
One False Move. From the same director of Devil in a Blue Dress. This one is earlier. Darkness all around. Also I've realized that Billy Bob Thorton is born to play an asshole. Fine film all around. Quite gritty. Kinda 70s ish where it's ambivalent all around with the characters. They don't make movies like this anymore.
White Sands; 90s film featuring a pretty good cast: William Dafoe (as the lead), Samuel L. Jackson, Mickey Rourke and Mary Elizabeth Mastromino. I had a good time watching this one. Jackson is doing his thing before Pulp Fiction. Rourke plays an interesting bad guy and this is one of the few films with Dafoe as a lead.
Looker. I had fun watching this again. It's one of those 70s conspiracy style thrillers set in the early 80s. And has that 80s vibe. It's kind of goofy when you think about it. But Crichton prophesized how we would all become slaves to the TV (now internet/smartphones). Also there a nice dig at cosmetic surgery before it became en vogue.
I'll sleep when I'm dead. Clive Owen movie. This is perfectly fine, but there is one huge problem with it. And I've think I've seen this before once. But the ending (or part of it) is such a deflater. It just doesn't make much sense. Or I got a "that's it ?" reaction. This is what happens when you don't hit the landing or nail the twist or reasoning.
Bound. I never really appreciated how great this film until I last saw it. Great heist/noir film. I love the dialog in it. You kind of have to pay attention. It sounds like stuff from the 40s-50s. Joe Pantoliano almost steals the film. He goes nuts in the second half and it's a joy to watch. This thing is beautifully shot too. The budget wasn't much but it looks great. There are some twists and turns to this thing I totally forgot. Also worth it to see Chris Merloni as a villian in his pre SVU days.
#172 Re: The Sunset Strip » Most Recent Movie You've Seen » 106 weeks ago
The Godfather - Man...this really does deserve its "greatest film ever made" label. Just epic from start to finish. A real experience...they'll never make movies like this again. I was tempted to watch part II but I went to bed. Maybe I'll watch it tonight.
Like some other iconic films, they lucked into that cast and director. Sergio Leone and Peter Bogdanovich were offered the film before Coppola got it.
Some of the actors considered for the roles before landing Pacino and Brando....
Ernest Borgnine or Laurence Olivier as the Godfather?!? Holy shit...
Jack Nicholson
Burt Reynolds
Warren Beatty
Robert Redford
Ryan O'Neal
Dustin Hoffman
Martin SheenIt's an entirely different film with anyone of those guys instead of Pacino.
Out of that list...the absolute worst is Nicholson. He was smart to decline. Can't imagine Reynolds neither.
Hell... Robert De Niro was almost Sonny! Had that one small change not happened...it obviously alters part 2 as you have to get someone else for the prequel.
Crazy world.
Honestly, I think it is the one film you can say is name one film that you can say is uniquely "American". It's got the entire gamut--the concept of the American Dream, the changing dynamics of the 20th century (Vito refuses to sell drugs, instead wants to hold onto to the old ways), it's a film about family and fathers and sons. It doesn't come off as dated as some of the older films (cough...Gone With the Wind) and you can see the freedoms of the 1970s cinema in it too.
Sidenote: having watched a bunch of 70s-80s stuff, those films made the cities characters in ways that these modern films couldn't. And NYC is a main character in the Godfather. And the 3hr run time flows by. I'm not a huge fan of Part II. Tried watching it a while ago, gave up after 2 hrs, it was just too much for me.
I don't think Borgnine or Olivier (too British and upper class imo) could have pulled it off like Brando did. On the Michael role, the only guy I think could have pulled it off from that list is Hoffman. Reynolds, Nicholson, O'neal (he's sort of lightweight and I say this as someone who LOVES, the Driver) don't fit at all. You need a quiet, scheming, ice cold type for Michael.
I see Beatty always as more of a comedic guy. No clue about Sheen or Redford as to how they would fit.
Caan was cast perfectly and I don't think DeNiro had established his tough guy persona as well.
#173 Re: Guns N' Roses » 2023 Tour Dates » 107 weeks ago
I'm surprised the half arena syndrome has hit Europe pretty early, given that they don't tour Europe as much as the USA.
#174 Re: The Garden » Current Events Thread » 107 weeks ago
Man, that Desantis rollout of his announcement was so amateur hour a month ago. I don't really like Biden but most of these guys like Pence, DeSantis, aren't better at all. So I"d vote for Biden out of default.
Haley might be the most semi interesting one left in the GOP but I'm not sure she can get the votes.
#175 Re: The Garden » Current Events Thread » 107 weeks ago
Trump is toast at this point. He's going to jail, given what has come out in the indictments. The fucking moron had boxes of secret documents in a shower. The other Republican nominees for President would be wise to slowly distance themselves from this mess. Most of them (aside from Christie and Hutchinson) are still going with the DOJ is weaponized bullshit. No, it's not. 37 counts is way too many counts for this to be a random/weak case. I mean reading up on some of these questions asked his own lawyers, you'd have to be a total idiot to ask those q's.
Mark Meadows has already taken a plea deal. I bet the Trump aide that got indicted today will do the same.
I get why the other candidates are still blaming the DOJ. THey want his voter base but it looks dumb at this point.
#176 Re: The Sunset Strip » Most Recent Movie You've Seen » 107 weeks ago
As if on cue, Disney has started to edit out scenes in older films with scenes they find offensive.
https://screenrant.com/the-french-conne … ed-disney/
Totally ridiculous. You don't edit it out that out that scene/line just because there is an offensive word. If anything you leave it in to show how society has grown over the years and how that term isn't used now.
#177 Re: Guns N' Roses » If GNR releases nothing in 2023, is this the end for you? » 107 weeks ago
It had been hyped nearly as much as CD itself. A couple of quotes from 00-02 period had it labelled a ‘big gun’ and I think it was likened by one person who heard/worked on it as November Rain meets Nightrain. It was generally assumed to be the best song in the vault. So when it dropped you can imagine tue anti-climax…
Yeah, that was definitely the problem. It got way overhyped. Also it ended up being another one of those epic ballads which didn't really help. There's not really a rocker aspect to that song which makes the Nightrain comparison disappointing.
#178 Re: The Sunset Strip » Most Recent Movie You've Seen » 107 weeks ago
Regarding the next big actor and/or director, I'm sure these people are out there. But you would never know given what's being plugged or pushed.
Anyway:
Hypnotic. Hey a new movie! This isn't bad. I was intrigued by the concept. I think it gets too smart in the second half. But it's perfectly fine as summer entertainment.
The Italian Job (1969 original). I've seen this before 20 years ago or so. Didn't really get the big fuss. And still don't. Maybe because I'm not British but I didn't really get the appeal of this movie outside of the last 15-20 mins and the car scenes. Michael Caine is fine here as the lead but the rest just seems like a waste of time. It doesn't help that the main antagonist is pretty non descript and boring. This is one film where I definitely prefer the updated remake. The original is dated. The same goes for the Ocean's series. The Pitt/Clooney film is better than the Sinatra 60s one.
Prime Cut--rewatched this again. Loved it even more/picked up on more stuff. There's a lot of stuff that's unsaid. I liked that they didn't bash the viewer over the head with the meat grinding stuff in the beginning. Plus I did like the contrast of the big city (Chicago) vs small town Americana (that is now lost). There's also a dark underbelly of American life that this explores. Kinda goes in with a changing America from the wholesome 40-50s to a more experimental 1970s. This movie really should be better known. Oh this features great chase scenes set in a wheat field and a dandelion field as well. I thought that was kind of cool.
#179 Re: The Sunset Strip » Most Recent Movie You've Seen » 107 weeks ago
Reality TV - This was one of the big steps in the ruination of our culture. They realized they could market everything to the lowest common denominator.
China - The industry was ruined the moment they pivoted to China. Everything had to be catered to them...and this is why so many new films feel sterile. Can't risk pissing off the Chinese.
This helped ruin film communities.... because so many users became obsessed with talking about the Chinese box office gross....as if it were a good thing.
The elite laugh at our stupidity. I'd love to be a fly on the wall during their meetings.
I'll go through a lot of this but there is a lot to unpack. Yeah, reality tv was basically the point where networks on cable (NOT HBO, SHOWTIME ETC) realized they could just dump some shit on tv that involved really pathetic people and people would tune it. You didn't have to hire script writers or bother to think. And really, some of these tv stars got famous for the dumbest things (like being superfat or having 19 kids or whatever.
On the China stuff, it's not the US that has been ruined by them. I'd argue that the World Cinema has been ruined. I think it's sad that creativity is stifled just for money and greed purposes. I do laugh at Chinese special effects whenever they try to make one of those action films, though. They look like dogshit when compared to a country like South Korea.
Oh here's a really good article about Hollywood selling out to China:
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/arc … na/620021/
All anyone cares about is superhero shit....directors want to do them for the clout and actors want them for the money. Everything else was sacrificed on this altar.
Disney gobbling up everything to squeeze every nickel out of their franchises is almost as bad as the superhero shit.
Actor salaries are way out of control. If these people can make 30-40 million per superhero movie, why would they settle for something like a few million to be in a drama/suspense film?
I don't see why they get paid that much anyways. The era of the movie star is over...just throw some generic actor into the role...they're all the same anyways....at a fraction of the cost and the movie still makes the same amount.
Disney is evil, seriously. Those superhero films are all just one big mad lib or whatever where you could just pick stuff predictably. At some point in the past, I'd argue that one actor could elevate a franchise or film and be worth the money they demanded. Now, all you really need is someone who looks good and can execute some sort of action poses or whatever. Does anyone really think the Rock is worth that high salary based soley on his actiing "ability"?
Also, as noted earlier. TV is where the creative outlet is and that's why a bunch of A-list actors have migrated there.
Where the audience loses out is that there are no smart films anymore opening at the theater anymore. Or intense, creative etc (use any positive adjective, it all applies). You're not getting Tom Cruise playing some weird or different role. Or some director like Altman, Lumet latest film. I mean yeah, those types might play for a week or two but that's it. It's all franchise and stuff that makes money. And not stuff that is interesting or weird.
#180 Re: Guns N' Roses » If GNR releases nothing in 2023, is this the end for you? » 107 weeks ago
I was praying for Oklahoma. If I could only choose one unreleased GNR song to hear before I die....it's Oklahoma.
Beggars can't be choosers.....
Oklahoma for me too because it seems like one of the few songs that seems connected to a culturally significant event and not the usual complaints about Step, the old band breakup etc.
One more thing....
If they do exactly what they did with Absurd and Hard School....zero promotion...they will get the same results no matter how good or bad the songs are.
They need real videos, maybe a performance on a late night show, and interviews talking about the songs.
I'd love to see them properly push material like in the old days once before we're dead. You have to go back to your teenage memories to imagine them as a properly functioning band.
Why do they not do this? They are wasting Slash and Duff in this capacity. Especially Slash. Axl doesn't want to do interviews and shit. Fine have Slash do them. I don't think they even need a video, a high quality live version of the songs that you dump onto their youtube account should suffice anyway. Some of this stuff is so simple and easy and they refuse to do them for whatever reason.
