By LFMartins86 Go To PostImagine a Joker solo movie beating Justice LeagueWarner Bros /shrug
By Perfect Blue Go To PostDean you have many Korean films to get to, bro. The Handmaiden, A Bittersweet Life, Secret Sunshine, A Tale of Two Sisters, Mother, Joint Security Area, The Vengeance Trilogy, etc.
Handmaiden one of the best films I’ve ever seen
By Kidjr Go To PostRewatching Godfather II while I work, film is just a great watch at any point. But the book still surpasses it in every way imaginable and it always pisses me off how much of the book they miss out across the three films.
My breh no. Half of the book is about reconstructing a vagina
The only bit of the book better than the film is the portrayal of Luca Brasi
By Kidjr Go To PostRewatching Godfather II while I work, film is just a great watch at any point. But the book still surpasses it in every way imaginable and it always pisses me off how much of the book they miss out across the three films.The Godfather is a fine book - jokes about vagina surgery aside - but it's not the best book ever made or something. They were never gonna fit all the side stories in the films anyway, and Puzo wrote the scripts for 1 and 2 so you'd imagine he was satisfied with what was shown.
If you want a great film that still butchers an even better book, LA Confidential is the prime candidate
By Pennywise Go To PostNope.
what would you say is his best performance?
i really like him in the insider. great film, too.
By sohois Go To PostThe Godfather is a fine book - jokes about vagina surgery aside - but it's not the best book ever made or something. They were never gonna fit all the side stories in the films anyway, and Puzo wrote the scripts for 1 and 2 so you'd imagine he was satisfied with what was shown.
If you want a great film that still butchers an even better book, LA Confidential is the prime candidate
This is a great example. Wonderful adaptation of an even better book.
Films that better their source material include LOTR, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Goodfellas, Jaws off the top of my head.
By bud Go To Postwhat would you say is his best performance?
i really like him in the insider. great film, too.
Dog Day Afternoon for me.
By bud Go To Postwhat would you say is his best performance?What n8 said.
i really like him in the insider. great film, too.
I mean there's hardly a performance from him that I don't like.
Don't like the performance in Carlito's Way, because it felt to similar to existing movies. Might just be my dislike for the movie in general though.
88 Minutes is also bad, but mainly because the movie is crap and doesn't really offer him that much.
In Dog Day Afternoon you get like the complete package of Pacino. The performance during the phone call or the negotiation are fucking amazing.
The Godfather performances are incredible regardless of my pick.
Wonderful actor. I'm still a De Niro > Pacino stan.
Shame those two barely made movies together.
By bud Go To Postal turns 80 next year wtfThat's why I'm really glad about the Irishman.
Most likely the last picture in that genre by all those incredible actors (Keitel, Pesci, De Niro, Pacino).
By Pennywise Go To PostWhat n8 said.
I mean there's hardly a performance from him that I don't like.
Don't like the performance in Carlito's Way, because it felt to similar to existing movies. Might just be my dislike for the movie in general though.
88 Minutes is also bad, but mainly because the movie is crap and doesn't really offer him that much.
In Dog Day Afternoon you get like the complete package of Pacino. The performance during the phone call or the negotiation are fucking amazing.
The Godfather performances are incredible regardless of my pick.
Wonderful actor. I'm still a De Niro > Pacino stan.
Shame those two barely made movies together.
That's why I'm really glad about the Irishman.
Most likely the last picture in that genre by all those incredible actors (Keitel, Pesci, De Niro, Pacino).
This makes me sad
Meh, after Endgame I'm kinda done with Marvel. Even Far From Home didn't really do it for me and I grew up on Spidey.
I think it's great that the spirit of 70's auteur-driven crime/psychological dramas will live on as comic book movies
I wonder how many other genres we can save by adding a superhero in there
I wonder how many other genres we can save by adding a superhero in there
New York, New York
A fascinating misfire; a superb opening evolves into an impressive and engrossing first hour, before descending into repetitive vignettes stretched and drawn out to almost impossible lengths in the name of deconstructing the Hollywood musical. There’s an awful lot to like here; an intoxicating atmosphere, an endearing Minnelli, another incredibly strong performance from De Niro (despite his character being one of his most unlikeable), a great soundtrack and powerful bookends to the film. Some scenes have immense power - a gorgeous opening sequence at a VJ Day parade sees Scorsese firing on all cylinders, and a second act argument between the leads in a moving car (that segues into a hospital-bed masterclass in despicable parenting) is as horrifying as any scene in his oeuvre. For a coked out director, there’s some real skill to his grasp on things here.
However, it’s flabby to a fault, meandering and aimless where precision and focus could have made it a masterpiece; the improv-heavy approach leads to repetition, a sign of a lack of cutthroat editing rather than for thematic resonance. There’s just far too many scenes of De Niro being a toxic presence in Minnelli’s life; think ‘A Star is Born’ or ‘La La Land’ without the likability of Gosling and Cooper. Still, those flaws add to its charm; eminently watchable, fascinating and entertaining throughout.
A fascinating misfire; a superb opening evolves into an impressive and engrossing first hour, before descending into repetitive vignettes stretched and drawn out to almost impossible lengths in the name of deconstructing the Hollywood musical. There’s an awful lot to like here; an intoxicating atmosphere, an endearing Minnelli, another incredibly strong performance from De Niro (despite his character being one of his most unlikeable), a great soundtrack and powerful bookends to the film. Some scenes have immense power - a gorgeous opening sequence at a VJ Day parade sees Scorsese firing on all cylinders, and a second act argument between the leads in a moving car (that segues into a hospital-bed masterclass in despicable parenting) is as horrifying as any scene in his oeuvre. For a coked out director, there’s some real skill to his grasp on things here.
However, it’s flabby to a fault, meandering and aimless where precision and focus could have made it a masterpiece; the improv-heavy approach leads to repetition, a sign of a lack of cutthroat editing rather than for thematic resonance. There’s just far too many scenes of De Niro being a toxic presence in Minnelli’s life; think ‘A Star is Born’ or ‘La La Land’ without the likability of Gosling and Cooper. Still, those flaws add to its charm; eminently watchable, fascinating and entertaining throughout.
Just out of The Day Shall Come and I really don't see where the (letterboxd*) vitriol towards it is coming from. It was fine (albeit a less funny episode of Veep, nevermind Morris' other work), and a decent critique of state racism and security industrial complex
Good line was "We can't turn this off. It's like one of those dreams where you've killed a child."
*Quite a few reviews basically just say "this ain't it chief" or don't expand on their problems with the racial problems of the film/of the production of the film.
Good line was "We can't turn this off. It's like one of those dreams where you've killed a child."
*Quite a few reviews basically just say "this ain't it chief" or don't expand on their problems with the racial problems of the film/of the production of the film.
Watched Hobbs and Shaw and holy shit is it comically bad. I've been watching some trash lately but this took the cake, anyone who watched it must have paused it at the Helicopter scene lol
Watched Gemini Man because my AMC had IMAX 3D and the movie was at 60fps
Felt like I was right on set with them. Easily the best 3D experience I’ve had, too bad it wasn’t a better movie.
Felt like I was right on set with them. Easily the best 3D experience I’ve had, too bad it wasn’t a better movie.
"For my money, I think Martin Scorsese made the biggest superhero movie ever, which was The Last Temptation of Christ," Smith argued. "Don't get much bigger of a superhero than Jesus. He beats Superman and [Robert] Downey [Jr.] every time, so maybe Martin is bending on that territory."HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAAH
retire, bitch
Fuck me, all 5 showings of Joker are nearly sold out here. That's not usual at all, happened for Star Wars, the last 2 Avengers and only a couple other movies. My friends wanted to go but I think I'll just go on my own, there are still a few single seats available.
By HasphatsAnts Go To PostWould never do that to my baby boy Bongyass
Raging Bull
As an English teacher, I’m currently knee-deep in the study of four - you heard me, four - Shakespeare plays at the same time. Two of those plays (‘The Tempest’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’) are throwaway entertainment, crowd-pleasers, whose plot machinations and language are centre stage, while the other two are some of the finest studies in character in all of literature. More on them later.
Making my way through Scorsese’s oeuvre, it’s both surprising and delightful to remember just how wonderful he is as both a dramatist and as a director who is keenly interested in character over all. This is evident from his very first film, and some of his less heralded early pictures - notably ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’ and ‘New York, New York’ - live and breathe by the strength of their central characters. The former is nothing without Burstyn and Scorsese’s magnified exploration of the minutiae of motherhood, while the latter overcomes its flaws in plotting and pacing because of the fascinating relationship between its leads (even though they couldn’t be further from star-crossed lovers).
Two of Scorsese’s early films are as good studies of character as any in American cinema. And while ‘Taxi Driver’ is his ‘Hamlet’, with something being rotten in the state of New York, its hypnotic delve into the mind of the mentally ill and its culmination in a ballet of blood, ‘Raging Bull’ is his ‘Macbeth’.
A portrayal of a man who is defined by nothing but violence, who was never built for anything else and who conquered the world because of that violence; a man whose ambition fuels him in a quest for greatness, who gets a taste for it, touches it, and who is crowned in tangible glory before his paranoia and fatal flaws consume him. True, Jake La Motta isn’t beheaded, his head adorned upon a spike, but he is neutered, castrated, emasculated because of his fear that others will take what he coveted for power’s sake alone - a perfect punishment for one whose hamartia is his toxic masculinity.
Much has been said about the technical aspects of ‘Raging Bull’, and all of it is deserved. The composition of it all is astonishing; one of the greatest and most obvious cases of what a good editor can do with film. Its score, its sound; both are in perfect harmony, encapsulating the juxtaposition between the brutality and the beauty of boxing. The performances are magisterial: Pesci is nigh-on perfect in a difficult role; Moriarty, a revelation; and De Niro, whose nervy, jittery eyes were the key to his character in ‘Taxi Driver’, sinks so deep into La Motta’s tarred soul that those same eyes become pools of black (you almost get the impression the black-and-white photography doesn’t drain any colour from them at all). There is so much nuance and purpose behind every single line reading, every look, every punch. It’s rare to see De Niro so vulnerable on screen, his pure unabashed id also the catalyst for his frequent tears and fits of rage. The final scene, where he reads the famous Brando monologue with no semblance of wit, or tone, or humanity, is remarkable. The scene just before, tearing into the wall, equally so.
But more than anything, more than its myriad technical marvels, is its ability to capture a man’s life and personality, his greatness and glory, his flaws and failures, so distinctly and successfully. What an extraordinary dramatist Scorsese is. There are very few films that are as good as ‘Raging Bull’ in its portrayal of someone’s soul, the fabric of their being. And for the time La Motta struts and frets his hour upon the stage, Scorsese is right there with him, confessing to his sins, atoning for his behaviour post-‘New York, New York’. The quote just prior to the end credits doesn’t suggest La Motta is redeemed; it merely hopes that he - and by extension, the film’s director - can be. So quite different than Shakespearean tragedy, after all.
As an English teacher, I’m currently knee-deep in the study of four - you heard me, four - Shakespeare plays at the same time. Two of those plays (‘The Tempest’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’) are throwaway entertainment, crowd-pleasers, whose plot machinations and language are centre stage, while the other two are some of the finest studies in character in all of literature. More on them later.
Making my way through Scorsese’s oeuvre, it’s both surprising and delightful to remember just how wonderful he is as both a dramatist and as a director who is keenly interested in character over all. This is evident from his very first film, and some of his less heralded early pictures - notably ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’ and ‘New York, New York’ - live and breathe by the strength of their central characters. The former is nothing without Burstyn and Scorsese’s magnified exploration of the minutiae of motherhood, while the latter overcomes its flaws in plotting and pacing because of the fascinating relationship between its leads (even though they couldn’t be further from star-crossed lovers).
Two of Scorsese’s early films are as good studies of character as any in American cinema. And while ‘Taxi Driver’ is his ‘Hamlet’, with something being rotten in the state of New York, its hypnotic delve into the mind of the mentally ill and its culmination in a ballet of blood, ‘Raging Bull’ is his ‘Macbeth’.
A portrayal of a man who is defined by nothing but violence, who was never built for anything else and who conquered the world because of that violence; a man whose ambition fuels him in a quest for greatness, who gets a taste for it, touches it, and who is crowned in tangible glory before his paranoia and fatal flaws consume him. True, Jake La Motta isn’t beheaded, his head adorned upon a spike, but he is neutered, castrated, emasculated because of his fear that others will take what he coveted for power’s sake alone - a perfect punishment for one whose hamartia is his toxic masculinity.
Much has been said about the technical aspects of ‘Raging Bull’, and all of it is deserved. The composition of it all is astonishing; one of the greatest and most obvious cases of what a good editor can do with film. Its score, its sound; both are in perfect harmony, encapsulating the juxtaposition between the brutality and the beauty of boxing. The performances are magisterial: Pesci is nigh-on perfect in a difficult role; Moriarty, a revelation; and De Niro, whose nervy, jittery eyes were the key to his character in ‘Taxi Driver’, sinks so deep into La Motta’s tarred soul that those same eyes become pools of black (you almost get the impression the black-and-white photography doesn’t drain any colour from them at all). There is so much nuance and purpose behind every single line reading, every look, every punch. It’s rare to see De Niro so vulnerable on screen, his pure unabashed id also the catalyst for his frequent tears and fits of rage. The final scene, where he reads the famous Brando monologue with no semblance of wit, or tone, or humanity, is remarkable. The scene just before, tearing into the wall, equally so.
But more than anything, more than its myriad technical marvels, is its ability to capture a man’s life and personality, his greatness and glory, his flaws and failures, so distinctly and successfully. What an extraordinary dramatist Scorsese is. There are very few films that are as good as ‘Raging Bull’ in its portrayal of someone’s soul, the fabric of their being. And for the time La Motta struts and frets his hour upon the stage, Scorsese is right there with him, confessing to his sins, atoning for his behaviour post-‘New York, New York’. The quote just prior to the end credits doesn’t suggest La Motta is redeemed; it merely hopes that he - and by extension, the film’s director - can be. So quite different than Shakespearean tragedy, after all.
By toku Go To Postyou ever think about starting a blog or a letterboxd?He did, about football. I quite like it.
We still gave him shit for the Moyes article, but it's all in good fun.
By toku Go To Postyou ever think about starting a blog or a letterboxd?he had one for movies and I used to check it all the time
I'm just glad he's writing again
By J Ciaran Go To Posthe had one for movies and I used to check it all the timeHe pours a lot into these reviews. He should post/archive them somewhere outside of the forum for sure.
I'm just glad he's writing again
I put them on my letterboxd. Just like writing sometimes, it’s only 15 mins or so of my evening to do. Postpones me doing some actual work.
By Perfect Blue Go To PostDean you have many Korean films to get to, bro. The Handmaiden, A Bittersweet Life, Secret Sunshine, A Tale of Two Sisters, Mother, Joint Security Area, The Vengeance Trilogy, etc.Seen The Handmaiden and Oldboy, both incredible films. Penny recommended me a few too like New World.
By n8 dogg Go To PostI put them on my letterboxd. Just like writing sometimes, it’s only 15 mins or so of my evening to do. Postpones me doing some actual work.I'd keep doing em, a great read. Very eloquent in a Joe Six Pack way.
I'll go on record and say...Joker was overrated. I didn't feel it very much. Some pretty incredible acting and cinematography. But it felt...off.
All I heard was "Of all the jabronis they could bring me...they brought me the cheapest". Idk why.
By FortuneFaded Go To Post
All I heard was "Of all the jabronis they could bring me...they brought me the cheapest". Idk why.
I just watched There Will Be Blood for the first time yesterday and now I can see that the whole of pop culture continues to reference it. It's like a before and after point for cinema
Speaking of Paul Dano
Speaking of Paul Dano
Is it canon with Little Miss Sunshine? He wanted to fly but couldn’t and now he sees Batman flying all over the place and is envious.
By Freewheelin Go To PostAre super hero movies secretly turning into twink power fantasies or what
Oooh intriguing. Can see him being really good.
watched ground hog day and raiders of the lost arc on netflix. both were pretty good. enjoyed groundhog day more though.