Movies you've just watched

[Zen]

Get Out. 4/5

Imagine Wes Anderson making a mystery/horror/thriller/comedy. I would have given it a 5/5, but I don't enjoy jump scares.

Agreed. Very entertaining film for the most part. It was also great to see Stephen Root in there, acting everyone off the screen as usual

[Mischief Maker]

P.S. Some said that the empty bag blowing around represented the idea that, only when one empties oneself of all that which was forced into ones psyche, yes even if your "accepted propose" was to contain said forced realities, one was then free to fly on the winds of truth.
But the common man . . . sorry, person, said "WHAT?!?" and it was all agreed to be forgotten about.

Oh really? Man, I could swear a different movie that came out in the same month, adapted from an already published book, had a scene with that exact same message, only better executed.

American Beauty is a Disneyfied Fight Club + the movie Powder.

[GaijinPunch]

It was also great to see Stephen Root in there

He is dope...
Would like to have seen Get Out get a bit weirder visually... (IE, expand on the sinking).

[gbaplayer]

Basket Case
Hm...not as good as i wanted it to be...but in the intro the regisseur said they made the film without money...

Day of the Dead (1985)
A classic, can watch this anytime.

[Vexorg]

La La Land: ***

Pure unadulterated Oscar bait. Seriously, I think that 90% of the target audience for this film consisted of voting members of the Academy, and the other 10% was women looking to see Ryan Gosling with messed up hair. Admittedly I can be a bit of a sucker for musicals, but this one dragged out too long on filler.

[lilmanjs]

The Protector 1985
Shout Factory Jackie Chan double feature blu-ray included this and one of his best, Crime Story. Was only $10, which I will always feel that Crime Story is worth on its own, if not more. I enjoyed this somewhat, but it isn't one of his best, and the random nudity towards the end was worthless. Some decent shootouts, some decent fights, but nothing to be really excited about. It was just an average buddy cop movie in all reality. I have yet to watch the SD transfer of Jackie's own version of the movie which is said to be a lot better, but still not so good. At least we got Police Story because of this movie.

[Skykid]

The Protector 1985
Shout Factory Jackie Chan double feature blu-ray included this and one of his best, Crime Story. Was only $10, which I will always feel that Crime Story is worth on its own, if not more. I enjoyed this somewhat, but it isn't one of his best, and the random nudity towards the end was worthless. Some decent shootouts, some decent fights, but nothing to be really excited about. It was just an average buddy cop movie in all reality. I have yet to watch the SD transfer of Jackie's own version of the movie which is said to be a lot better, but still not so good. At least we got Police Story because of this movie.

It's a guilty pleasure for me. It's aged so wonderfully, it's become more 80s than it ever was before. Gritty as fuck, solid violent action with Jackie Chan and Danny Aiello in a ridiculous but perfectly synthesised buddy-cop war on drug kingpins. It's got it all: enormous beards, gratuitous drug shop nudity, guys going through windows in fantasy slow motion, dock yards and shipping containers.

And Jackie Chan.

It's not JC's HK canon, and therefore not focused on dazzling martial arts, but it is a fairly fun Streets of Rage rampage American style, with plot notes and warming Hollywood cliché that his Hong Kong work doesn't have the ability to achieve. I kinda like it.

[lilmanjs]

It's a guilty pleasure for me. It's aged so wonderfully, it's become more 80s than it ever was before. Gritty as fuck, solid violent action with Jackie Chan and Danny Aiello in a ridiculous but perfectly synthesised buddy-cop war on drug kingpins. It's got it all: enormous beards, gratuitous drug shop nudity, guys going through windows in fantasy slow motion, dock yards and shipping containers.

And Jackie Chan.

It's not JC's HK canon, and therefore not focused on dazzling martial arts, but it is a fairly fun Streets of Rage rampage American style, with plot notes and warming Hollywood cliché that his Hong Kong work doesn't have the ability to achieve. I kinda like it.

I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but that interview with the director makes me wanna bust out laughing. His style of action comedy won't make it in hollywood, and its a feature filmed for the release. I did get through part of the HK version, but didn't get to anything new, so I have that to finish watching tonight. The movie has one of Jackie's best scenes, when he goes to confront Ko with his own briefcase of money.

[GaijinPunch]

Withnail and I

35mm print shown for the 30th Anniversary here at Chicago's Music Box Theater, with a special Q&A with Richard E. Grant afterwards. He is in town for a few weeks performing in a show, so managed to come out for this special showing. Quite a lovely chap. The theater was full, and the Q&A afterward was delightful.

[Zen]

The Thin Red Line (1998) - Terrence Malick

Holy Christ. This one got me going. Lasted all of five minutes before angry termination
The narration, in the vein of The Prince of Tides/Out of Africa, grated like broken glass and coupled with close frames of Jim Caviezel's smug, self righteous, mad head . . . . Jesus!
The opening serene Island setting, the native Islanders a choir marching in religious song . . . no. Although outside of this film I find Melanesian choral music can be quiet beautiful, here it was the final straw.
This is not sugar, its saccharin. Nauseous from the onslaught of manipulation is where I was after five minutes.
Am I totally wrong here? Anyone else find their tolerance tested with this one?

[lilmanjs]

The Enforcer
The baddies here sound more like flippin hippies than they do actual baddies you want to kill. Right up till they start knifing people and stealing weapons. Its fun to see Harry paired with a lady cop who never seems to live up to his high expectation of being a cop just like him. A few explosions and a nice ending shootout.

The Protector (HK edit)
The extra stuff filmed here kinda slows down the plot and the informant killing happening in a totally different place and way also makes this feel weird. I am gonna go with that the original is better, even if there are a couple of different action scenes put into the HK edit that work well.

[dak1]

Withnail and I

35mm print shown for the 30th Anniversary here at Chicago's Music Box Theater, with a special Q&A with Richard E. Grant afterwards. He is in town for a few weeks performing in a show, so managed to come out for this special showing. Quite a lovely chap. The theater was full, and the Q&A afterward was delightful.

Very cool. I wish I could have gone to this.

[Skykid]

The original cut of Leon though has the 'pedo' line at the end. IIRC the explanation for notice Int the character is immature himself and kind of wakes to aldulthood by accident with that improbable preteen girl. His abnormal life explains his sexual retardation in that he couldn't have met normal women for a normal relationship, the controversial part of it is that you're supposed to sympathize in a way and pardon him, yet he dies almost immediately after, sorta like a martyr the writer forces on you before you can really judge.
Most people I know have seen only the edited version, which in lacking that line stays on the suggestive level instead of being full-on controversial. Sometimes a single line/scene can heavily change the tone and reach of a movie.

Can you clarify the line you're referring to? I just watched the international/integral cut and didn't notice any new additional line during the end sequence.

[Xyga]

Can you clarify the line you're referring to? I just watched the international/integral cut and didn't notice any new additional line during the end sequence.

Spoiler

Maybe you're the one who will clarify for me!
So; before letting her go in the duct he clearly states he loves her and wants to make love to her, it's whispered but audible without effort.
That line was there in the first French theater release when I saw it. Dunno if it's still in any media release but I've watched the movie a couple of times since then, first on French TV where the line was changed, and later the DVD release where the line was absent too despite being slightly different (my memory is fuzzy here but still)
Unless I'm wrong and and it's still available unedited, it could be a case of strong censorship and deep burying in history/documentation of a 'mistake', because I've searched for quotes/script mentions of it and...nada.

EDIT: and so, because it leaves no ambiguity the other vague interpretations of the MCs relationship (friends, father figure etc) are invalidated.

[Skykid]

He states he wants to make love to her?

That would definitely completely destroy any ambiguity whatsoever. In the International cut he just says "I love you" and says "please baby" - but they're also in the US theatrical release. No change. And since she's a mature but also immature 12 year old with delusions of romance, it's fine for her to coax her to leave as quickly as possible by telling her something that will settle her.

That said the movie is completely suggestive. I think the 'Like a Virgin' and 'Happy Birthday Mr Prez' impersonations say it all.

[Xyga]

Well, moments before the swat blast the room when they hug and he says "...sleep in a bed, have roots" (only diff in the available french version is that he says a 'real' bed), in place in the scene I remember it's more Mathilda facing the camera and in a lower, more tense and a bit muffled voice we hear Leon say something like that, not leaving any ambiguity, yes.
I could be completely wrong of course since it's been a very long time, but I remember it struck me the very second time I saw it outside of the theatre, and later too about my third viewing of the movie.

It's plausible for two reasons; the original script intended to make their relationship indeed cross the sexual line, and well...after all at the time Besson married a 15 or 16 years old girl. It was kind of a topic.

[Skykid]

Well, moments before the swat blast the room when they hug and he says "...sleep in a bed, have roots" (only diff in the available french version is that he says a 'real' bed), in place in the scene I remember it's more Mathilda facing the camera and in a lower, more tense and a bit muffled voice we hear Leon say something like that, not leaving any ambiguity, yes.
I could be completely wrong of course since it's been a very long time, but I remember it struck me the very second time I saw it outside of the theatre, and later too about my third viewing of the movie.

It's plausible for two reasons; the original script intended to make their relationship indeed cross the sexual line, and well...after all at the time Besson married a 15 or 16 years old girl. It was kind of a topic.

Didn't know about that. Interesting info there.

Isn't the line you mention in the original script draft?

It's a terrific movie regardless, really superb.

[Xyga]

Isn't the line you mention in the original script draft?

Dunno, there's more than one version I think, both in french and english.
Maybe it's something they only put in the french dub for the theatre release and later completely erased from the records in hope people would forget (maybe in anticipation because society here at the time wouldn't make a colossal fuss of every shocking thing).
Before the internets if you left no documentation (film, script, article, whatever) of a detail/point, then chances it would be forgotten by most everyone were high.
Anyway I hope to find proof some day, I still don't believe I imagined it because that single line during such a critical scene in the film changes the mood of the whole thing by a lot, kind of like a fermata in the dark tune of the story, confirming they're really miserable rather than 100% innocent victims finding a morally acceptable salvation getaway at the end.

[BIL]

It was actually me Xyga! I was sitting behind you whispering in your ear! (・｀ω´・)

[Xyga]

*goosebumps*

[GaijinPunch]

It was actually me Xyga! I was sitting behind you whispering in your ear! (・｀ω´・)

with the proper accent?

[BIL]

Ahh, oui oui. ¦3 Je suis BIGGU BLACKU DICKU

[Skykid]

[EmperorIng]

I guess the version of Leon I watched kept the entire relationship at a strictly platonic level. I'm not sure I would have it otherwise, ha.

[GaijinPunch]

I guess the version of Leon I watched kept the entire relationship at a strictly platonic level. I'm not sure I would have it otherwise, ha.

he was just projecting forward as he had premonition of the amazing things she was capable of in Black Swan.

[neorichieb1971]

Talking of cut scenes. In the 80's when Beverly Hills Cop 2 was shown in the cinema. After they break in to the gun club the trio navigate and pass the security of laser beams. The home version of the movie had this scene completely removed. Although the original trailer does show a snippet of it.

Strange it was shown in the cinema but not at home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcrM8c9uuwM

At 01:07.

[lilmanjs]

The Secret life of pets
I enjoyed this. A fun movie with some nice gags in it.

Star Trek Beyond
Of the 3 reboot movies, this one feels the most trek-like. The TOS sounds being in there sure helped. It wasn't amazing by any means but I enjoyed it enough that I would watch it again.

Hard Boiled (Hong Kong Rescue blu-ray)
Always a good watch and even better with the good release they gave this. Everything looks fantastic, and it like that they included the remix audio and commentaries. The teahouse shootout never has looked better.

[BryanM]

I'm not the only one listless by IMDB shutting down its forums, am I?

Today's effort of a useless obscure IMDB query: Trying to get another update on the supposed upcoming The Destroyer film. Still very skeptical that this is an actual thing that will actually exist.

You might remember the first adaptation of this in Remo Williams, which had very little Destroying in it. Robocop minus the robots with some kungfu thrown in. Not exactly cosmic in scale.

[BIL]

I too still finish a film and hop onto IMDB, only to feel the sad. D; Despite the deeply moronic censorship policies regarding... rude words, or something* and of course plentiful shitposting, I liked picking through them boards. Oh well. Bonus hilarity though: when other movie board posters now regularly say "OH GOD MORE IMDB REFUGEES SHITTING UP THE PLACE" ;3

* Board for "Ultraviolence Brain Smashers IV: The Nutsack Bicycle Pump Inflators"
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[Wow! excellent post SweetMan69, really puts a new spin...]
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[Great insightful review SM, I...]
[Yoo, ill post ma n*gga SweetMan, ye i leiked when he f*ck that goat up he *ss too naw mean...]
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(THIS STORY IS TRUE)

[EmperorIng]

I had no idea, since i haven't been on IMDB seriously in a while. C'moooon. It was always fun browsing the boards of those obscure b-grade italian horror/thriller flicks, and occasionally see someone lose their shit when someone said something like "Lucio Fulci is a second-rate Dario Argento" or "The hottest scene in Cannibal Holocaust is - "

Shameless plug for my small group of IMDB reviews - been meaning to write another one for a long time. These shitty shark and cult flicks* need feedback, dammit!

*and Italian art films