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LawrenceA
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Posts
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Joined
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Days Won
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Posts posted by LawrenceA
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TopBilled, I have not seen:
Cesar Chavez
Infinitely Polar Bear
Leviathan
Two Men in Town
I have not seen, but have a copy of:
American Sniper
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Selma
Whiplash
I have not seen, but have in my Amazon prime queue:
Ida
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Bogie, I have not seen, nor have I heard of:
Wild Tales
The Salt of the Earth
Force Majeure
I have not seen, but know about:
Still Alice
Love & Mercy
I have not seen, but have a copy of:
Birdman
Boyhood
A Most Wanted Man
Nightcrawler
Big Hero 6
Edge of Tomorrow is one of the few big-budget SF films recently that is just as interesting mentally as it is visually, if you know what I mean. I'm not a big Tom Cruise fan, but he does well in this role, and Emily Blunt is very capable as well.
Interstellar strives for a 2001 profundity, and falls short, but is still very worthwhile.
The Babadook is much better than was anticipated. It deserved its film festival raves. A New Zealand horror film that can be liked by people that don't like horror films. Is it a ghost/boogeyman story, or an even more disturbing Repulsion-style descent into madness?
Godzilla, The Equalizer, Dawn of the Apes, and Captain America are all better-than-average sequel/reboots. Godzilla polarized a lot of its audience due to an old-fashioned holding back of the creature until the second half, a change I found refreshing.
John Wick looked like the kind of garbage Dolph Lundgren makes direct-to-video 5 times a year. but this Keanu Reeves (another star I usually don't like) action film is one of the best shoot-em-ups in a long time. Most of the behind-the-scenes talent are veteran stuntmen, and their love of the action genre is evident.
The Drop is a solid, slow-burn crime drama written by Dennis Lehane. Mostly remembered as James Gandolfini's final role, the real stand-out is Tom Hardy as the star, and the film is worth seeing for him alone. His performance is very internal and subtle, without a lot of showy theatrics or shouting. Noomi Rapace is also excellent. Not a lot to the story, but a very good character study.
Kill the Messenger is a true story, one that I was fairly familiar with, with a good performance from Jeremy Renner.
The Judge is decent, with a good grumpy turn by Robert Duvall, and solid supporting roles from Vera Farmiga and Vincent D'onofrio. Robert Downey Jr spends much of the film in pseudo-charming jerk mode, and your tolerance for that may determine your mileage. This film will almost definitely disappear from my list after I have seen more titles.
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The Whip Hand - January 28 11:30 P.M. EST - This looks stupid. I'm there.
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2014 - 49 films seen
1. Edge of Tomorrow
2. Interstellar
3. The Babadook
4. Godzilla
5. John Wick
6. What We Do in the Shadows
7. Gone Girl
8. The Drop
9. The Equalizer
10. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Runner-ups: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Unbroken, Kill the Messenger, The Judge, and Fury.
Uncle Bingo's Kartoon Korner: The LEGO Movie
Larry's Choice: none
Since I have seen so few from this year, my list is very likely to change dramatically in the future.
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Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 2013:
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Blue is the Warmest Color**
Gravity
The Great Beauty**
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska**
A Touch of Sin**
The Wolf of Wall Street
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TopBilled, I haven't seen:
The Hobbit (I've seen the first, and have the other 2 in the extended blu ray waiting to be watched)
Philomena (I have this one)
Kill Your Darlings
August: Osage County (I Have this one)
The Great Beauty
Nymphomaniac
Saving Mr. Banks
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Bogie, I haven't seen a few of yours. My watched films numbers drop drastically during the last three years. I haven't seen:
Rush
Metro Manilla
All is Lost
Blue is the Warmest Color
I have a copy of, but have not yet watched:
Blue Jasmine
Nebraska
Captain Phillips
Her
I really debated about Behind the Candelabra, since it was an HBO movie here...but if it is acceptable, then I would replace 42 with it.
Prisoners is all about the performances, since the actual story doesn't really rise above that of a basic-cable tv movie. Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Hugh Jackman, and Melissa Leo are all terrific.
Man of Steel is what it is. Not as good as some, not as bad as others. Faint praise, I know. But it has some visual oomph, and I like Amy Adams.
Only God Forgives will not be liked by many. It's stylistically polarizing. Unique, but a bit pretentious.
Pacific Rim should have been much better than it is. But what IS there is worth seeing, especially for people still in touch with their inner 12 year old.
The Place Beyond the Pines is an interesting crime picture. Again, it may be a little heavy on the style, and light on the story.
Mama is a better than average horror film, reminiscent of the J-horror trend of the last decade, with a good performance from Jessica Chastain.
42 is an old-fashioned bio of Jackie Robinson. Solid, unpretentious, maybe a little pedestrian at times. Chadwick Boseman is very good in the lead.
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2013:Love MeThe 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and DisappearedStalingradBite the Dust
I don't know these 4...but I love that second title!
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2013 - 102 films seen
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. This Is the End
4. American Hustle
5. Inside Llewyn Davis
6. Mud
7. Prisoners
8. Man of Steel
9. Dallas Buyers Club
10. Only God Forgives
Runner-ups: Side Effects, Pacific Rim, The Place Beyond the Pines, Mama, and 42
Uncle Bingo's Kartoon Korner: none (I haven't seen any)
Larry's Choice: none
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Here are the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die entries for 2012:
The Act of Killing**
Amour
Argo
Blancanieves**
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall
Wadjda**
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THE ODD COUPLE
Next: fire hydrant
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Nimoy, Leonard
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Othello - Laurence Olivier in OTHELLO
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Richard Widmark was in THE LONG SHIPS with Sidney Poitier.
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Alan Ladd was in SHANE with Jack Palance.
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Master of the World
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Hyer, Martha
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Marlene Dietrich was in DESTRY RIDES AGAIN with Brian Donlevy.
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JULIUS CAESAR
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I'm recording THE COMEDIANS.
FACE OF A FUGITIVE was ok, as I recall. (I gave it a 6/10)
Late late night, THE SWARM is on again. That's a big hunk of honey-dipped cheddar.
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Searching For Sugarman is an extraordinary film. And the less you know about it before seeing it the better. I will mention one thing about it though and that is not long after winning an Academy Award for best documentary its young talented, Swedish director committed suicide. It just shows that in some instances there is no escape from depression illness.
Well, unfortunately, I saw a very lengthy news piece about the Sugar Man film on a CBS newsmagazine show around the time of the film's release. So I know the story developments to a certain extent. It is a very interesting story. I also recall the director's suicide. Tragic.
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Skipping 2012, though I expect I would have liked Lincoln had I seen it.
What about ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER?
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HITS & MISSES: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow on TCM
in General Discussions
Posted
Most of the Lubitsch films are worth seeing at least once. I would also call special attention to Heaven Can Wait (1943) to anyone who hasn't caught it yet.
The Black Book/Reign of Terror was okay, for me. I didn't really care for Bob Cummings in a period piece. I gave it a 6/10, but it has a 7.1/10 average, so your enjoyment may be greater. I also saw it on a bad public domain print, which I hope TCM will not do.