Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Snow

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Got an email from Louis CK promoting his new stuff. The email is a few lines about his stuff but the rest is him recommending movies.

First, three films by a great director from back in the 30s and 40s named Frank Borzage. This guy was way ahead of his time. He had a sense of rare sense of human dialogue especially for the era and he picked terrific stories to tell.

Three Comrades

Flight Command (Amazing air combat sequences considering the time they were filmed)

Strange Cargo (There does not exist a bad movie with Joan Crawford In it. She was a great judge of scripts and used her star power to champion the careers of directors she believed in. and I can’t believe Clark Gable actually Existed)

Sticking with Clark Gable for a moment there is

Boomtown

Mutiny on the Bounty
(Also with an incredible performance by Charles Laughton. )

Staying in old black and white There is nothing like the great “Pre-code era” films. For those of you unaware these Were movies made in the 1930s, before the “Hays code” (WHICH IS WHAT decided what was OK and not OK or right and wrong to put in a movie.) There was this little Window where it hadn’t occurred to anyone to put restrictions on FILMS. They were like books or plays. And then somebody figured out what a massive influence they were so they locked it all down. But before that happened there were some astonishing films made. These films did not have a moral code. So they were able to explore some tantalizing extremes in story and character but also they were able to make films just about people being people acting like people.

Baby face

Barbara Stanwyck Is amazing in this brutal and dark and sometimes hilarious story of a woman Who was handed a terrible life and responds to it bye going out into the world with a brutal And exhilarating mission of perfect self interest.

Dinner at Eight

This is a wonderful movie to watch now because it’s about a bunch of people living at the precipice of a world that is about to fall apart ( the Great Depression) It’s a very funny movie. My favorite “precode” moment in the movie is a scene where a doctor is caught by his wife philandering with another woman. She confronts him and he admits it and they have a real dialogue about how to move forward In their marriage which is not resolved and incrediblu relatable. You couldn’t have a dialogue like this after the hayse code. Because anyone who did something wrong in a movie had to be cast as an absolute villain. And no one “good“ could make a mistake unless that mistake was perfectly corrected and the character completely reformed by the end of the movie. Which is not real and not human.

Dinner at 8 offers no judgement or solutions. It just lays bare the flaws in all its human characters,, for the audience to identify with and laugh at.
The Hayes Code made that impossible and began a trend that lasted for decades dividing human souls and behavior into “good“ and “bad”
None of that moral polarization leaves room for understanding human beings or creating characters in fiction that allow the audience to see themselves in the story and to feel less alone, instead of hero’s and villains that make them feel small and ashamed.

That’s not to say that great films weren’t made in those decades. And of course in the 1970s there was this crazy resurgence of honest filmmaking. Which brings me to:

Alice doesn’t Live here anymore directed by Martin Scorsese

Starting Ellen Burstyn (one of my favorite actors of all time) and Kris Kristofferson (I would also like to recommend that you listen to his song “Sunday morning coming down“ before you watch the movie)
After you watch this film, look for an interview with Ellen Burstyn where she tells an amazing story of how the ending came about. She developed this movie herself and is really responsible for how great it is.

Gloria

Gena Rowlands

A great low budget action movie by John Cassavetes. I could certainly go on about John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands

A Woman under the influence
Opening Night etc

But there is one movie they brought them together that a lot of people haven’t seen.

A child is waiting

Also with Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland. This is a very very fecking sad movie man. It’s intense.

Oh. Burt Lancaster. Please tell me that you haven’t seen

Elmer Gantry
Sweet Smell of Success.

Also with Tony Curtis who made some goofy movies but also some great ones like

The Defiant Ones
And The Boston Strangler which is a really Strange movie. The second half of the movie, which is basically a dialogue between the great Henry Fonda and Tony Curtis as a mass murderer Is some great acting and filmmaking.
I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else.

Speaking of completely enigmatic movies there is the Brazilian film

City of God.

Hanging on Brazil for one more there is

Black Orpheus
Holy shit that’s a beautiful movie.

If you want a couple of incredibly sad but beautiful movies there is

I remember Mama (best death scene in any movie ever)

Miracle in the Rain (Jane wyman, Ronald Reagan’s first wife, Is heartbreaking in this and also the next one)

All that Heaven allows

One of my favorite filmmakers is very little known and I’m not sure where you can find his movies but his name is Michael Romer.
He made two movies

Nothing but a man
And
The Plot against Harry

If you want to movie that’s just a really feel good fun movie there is

Breaking away

And the number one movie but I recommend to anyone who has not seen it is Alfonso Cuaron‘s masterpiece.

Children of Men

OK I’m gonna stop there. I did not intend to make such a long list. It was really just gonna be three or four movies. But that was fun. I’ll do it again sometime.

Thank you, both of you who are still reading.

Regards

Louis CK
 

Jippy

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Just reading about De Niro slashing his wife's maintenance. Article is paywall, but moaning he basically needs to earn $15m a year to break even cos he pisses through so much cash, but will get half that this year. His hotels and restaurants are losing loads, so he's going to keep doing shite films and ads to pay the bills.

‘Poor’ Robert De Niro cuts his ex to $50,000 a month

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/poor-robert-de-niro-cuts-his-ex-to-50-000-a-month-7z7863fnx
 

AaronRedDevil

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Just reading about De Niro slashing his wife's maintenance. Article is paywall, but moaning he basically needs to earn $15m a year to break even cos he pisses through so much cash, but will get half that this year. His hotels and restaurants are losing loads, so he's going to keep doing shite films and ads to pay the bills.

‘Poor’ Robert De Niro cuts his ex to $50,000 a month

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/poor-robert-de-niro-cuts-his-ex-to-50-000-a-month-7z7863fnx
Damn that's sad. What an idiot.
 

Drawfull

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Greyhound (Apple TV+ exclusive, I think)

Found it to be all a bit hmm, with little plot progression. If you read the synopsis, then there's nothing more to it than that, and if you don't read the synopsis (in advance) then you'll be at pains to wonder what all the fuss is about. It's a bit shallow.

However, if you like Tom Hanks, then it's watchable, but at the same time, it's nothing spectacular.

6/10
 

Sylar

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Saw Old Guard
Looks like it can / will be a franchise for Netflix
Was really enjoyable even if a bit predictable at times (not all the time though)
 

pauldyson1uk

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The Dinner Party

A budding playwright and his wife attend a dinner party hosted by wealthy, cultural elites, who have promised to bankroll the writer's latest play to Broadway, but, in fact, have darker designs in mind for the couple.
Totally batshit crazy, but I loved it, slow burning, slow paced.

8/10
 

Sylar

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Was wondering about that. What would you compare it to?
Honestly I have no clue how to explain this. Im not great at comparisons. I was going to say one thing but I think it would spoil the movie for ya.
Unless you know about the comics I guess?
 

Dirty Schwein

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The Dinner Party

A budding playwright and his wife attend a dinner party hosted by wealthy, cultural elites, who have promised to bankroll the writer's latest play to Broadway, but, in fact, have darker designs in mind for the couple.
Totally batshit crazy, but I loved it, slow burning, slow paced.

8/10
Where can I see this? Also, does it have rape in it? If so, my missus won't watch...
 

Rooney in Paris

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I watched Knock Knock last night. It was crap but kinda fun - Ana de Armas is so gorgeous, and Keane is awful in it, but it feels like a massive pisstake. Not necessarily recommended, but also not the worst 90mns I've ever spent watching a film.
 

Sky1981

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I watched Knock Knock last night. It was crap but kinda fun - Ana de Armas is so gorgeous, and Keane is awful in it, but it feels like a massive pisstake. Not necessarily recommended, but also not the worst 90mns I've ever spent watching a film.
Pretty pissed there's not much nudities (was there?)
Saw Old Guard
Looks like it can / will be a franchise for Netflix
Was really enjoyable even if a bit predictable at times (not all the time though)
The quinth flashback gives me goosebumps. Pretty fecked up thing, I'm happy that I'm mortal
 

Oldyella

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Saw Old Guard
Looks like it can / will be a franchise for Netflix
Was really enjoyable even if a bit predictable at times (not all the time though)
I enjoyed it. Charlize Theron makes anything watchable, she's never really mentioned when people list them but she's a great action movie star.
 

Sylar

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I enjoyed it. Charlize Theron makes anything watchable, she's never really mentioned when people list them but she's a great action movie star.
I think thats fair. I was a bit iffy in her Fast n Furious performance though :lol:

The quinth flashback gives me goosebumps. Pretty fecked up thing, I'm happy that I'm mortal
That is a nightmare. Imagine that happening for 50+ years.
I was actually surprised that they managed to put a scene in for a sequel. They must have been really confident for that.
 

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Saw the 2014 Robocop remake this weekend. A big departure form the 80s original and pretty decent in its own right. A bit more run-of-the-mill though. Verhoeven's version was pretty special at the time and still stands out for its cynicism, I think. (It's also pretty gritty.) There is little of that left in the remake, which rather shows the usual Hollywood take on corporate greed. It's got some soul left though, and it's amusing enough throughout. Interesting role from Gary Oldman actually: I'm not used to see him playing a relatively simple good guy. (But can't say I know his entire oeuvre that well.)
 

Jippy

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Saw the 2014 Robocop remake this weekend. A big departure form the 80s original and pretty decent in its own right. A bit more run-of-the-mill though. Verhoeven's version was pretty special at the time and still stands out for its cynicism, I think. (It's also pretty gritty.) There is little of that left in the remake, which rather shows the usual Hollywood take on corporate greed. It's got some soul left though, and it's amusing enough throughout. Interesting role from Gary Oldman actually: I'm not used to see him playing a relatively simple good guy. (But can't say I know his entire oeuvre that well.)
Eh? It's awful. They stripped out all of the humour and core messages of the film, plus they ditched the ultra-vioelence to focus more on the emotional side of the story, which no-one wanted. Terrible, pointless remake.
Bitches leave.
 

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Eh? It's awful. They stripped out all of the humour and core messages of the film, plus they ditched the ultra-vioelence to focus more on the emotional side of the story, which no-one wanted. Terrible, pointless remake.
Bitches leave.
Yes, well, it's pretty bland compared to the original, but I think pretty OK for a 2010s action film. I mean, what do you expect from an action film these days? Someone like Neill Blomkamp obviously cares about social issues and would like to do something with design and visuals in his work, but Elysium and Chappy anyway turned into pretty generic action films halfway through. So my hope for the genre is simply to be amused and not annoyed (which has become pretty common for me with some recent action films), and thus: boxes checked.

It probably would have been better for the remake if they had just pretended that it's something else entirely. Call it Policebot, stage it in Chicago, and say that any resemblance to 80s films about cops and robots is a total coincidence.
 
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Redplane

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Yes, well, it's pretty bland compared to the original, but I think pretty OK for a 2010s action film. I mean, what do you expect from an action film these days? Someone like Neill Blomkamp obviously cares about social issues and would like to do something with design and visuals in his work, but Elysium and Chappy anyway turned into pretty generic action films halfway through. So my hope for the genre is simply to be amused and not annoyed (which has become pretty common for me with some recent action films), and thus: boxes checked.

It probably would have been better for the remake of they just pretended that it's something else entirely. Call it Policebot, stage it in Chicago, and say that any resemblance to 80s films about cops and robots is a total coincidence.
Making a movie about anything that glorifies police at this point however, especially a concept where tons of money is pumped into a project that militarizes the PD even more, would probably be seen as police funded propaganda :lol:

Policebot..love it.
 

Cheimoon

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It was in 2014 though, and the film is pretty critical of anything related to using robots for policing. (Or did I miss your point?)
 

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The Old Guard (2020 Netflix)

A good popcorn watch. Nothing to critically acclaim, but keeps you entertained till the end. A bunch of immortals vs a mad scientist trying to crack their DNA "for good of mankind".

Charlize Theron seems ageless. Very good as a disillusioned leader of a gang of immortals. The rest of the team is unique and makes an impression on viewers on their own way. The plot seems a bit naive as some stuff seems obvious to us but not to the cast. The drama element is kept artful and realistic though the plot twists are a bit predictable. Good acting by all and taut screenplay.

Overall liked it. 7/10
 

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The Hunt

Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are, or how they got there. They don't know they've been chosen - for a very specific purpose - The Hunt.
Thought this was excellent, nice balance of blood and humour.
The lead actress Betty Gilpin was very good, Hilary Swank was also very good.
This for me was a rare thing of late, a good horror.

7/10
 

pauldyson1uk

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Fantasy Island

It was not what I was expecting, the original series always had a element of fun, this did not.
Michael Pena was no Ricardo Montalban, there was a very good film in there somewhere, just not this one.
Having said that it was not terrible, there is room for improvement, I can see them doing more, be it another film or a series.
Liked the way they got Tattoo in at the end.

4.5/10
 

Edgar Allan Pillow

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I think thats fair. I was a bit iffy in her Fast n Furious performance though :lol:

That is a nightmare. Imagine that happening for 50+ years.
I was actually surprised that they managed to put a scene in for a sequel. They must have been really confident for that.
The F&F role was awful. Nobody can save that.

Quynh was the only loose end to the story, no wonder they put that scene im.

This was way better than the that car crash of a movie, Bloodshot.
 

Snow

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I watched Knock Knock last night. It was crap but kinda fun - Ana de Armas is so gorgeous, and Keane is awful in it, but it feels like a massive pisstake. Not necessarily recommended, but also not the worst 90mns I've ever spent watching a film.
The last half hour was so crap. If you don't like Keanue the movie is bad. If you don't find the crazy chicas hot the movie is bad. The one thing it got going for it or at least makes it different somewhat is that the older man is doing all the silly victim horror trope mistakes and the villain are young women.
 

pauldyson1uk

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The Lodge

A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her fiancé's two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place.
I was looking forward to this, but OMG was I disappointed, I thought it was complete and utter rubbish.
the filming and music was decent, made the film feel creepy, but the rest did not thing for me, the acting was just rubbish and the Daddy has to be a candidate for worst Dad ever.
You would be better of watching The Thing instead

3/10
 

dumbo

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First Cow . Damn beautiful film. A low key yet richly textured frontier crime drama. It struck me while watching that Reichardt's cinema is all about class disparity and symbiosis, whether that be politics or gender, nature against the domesticated, wild and the tamed, animal and the human.
 

Dirty Schwein

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The Lodge

A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her fiancé's two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place.
I was looking forward to this, but OMG was I disappointed, I thought it was complete and utter rubbish.
the filming and music was decent, made the film feel creepy, but the rest did not thing for me, the acting was just rubbish and the Daddy has to be a candidate for worst Dad ever.
You would be better of watching The Thing instead

3/10
I know what you mean. I said the exact same thing as the bolded part. Shame as Goodnight Mommy is one of my favourite horrors so was expecting a lot from this.

The Old Guard
A covert team of immortal mercenaries are suddenly exposed and must now fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered. I initially thought this would be like Bloodshot, which is probably the worst film I've seen this year but thankfully, it wasn't. Fun action movie and I always got time for the ageless Charlize Theron 6.5/10
 

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Ah yes. Thanks for the correction on the title.
Curious to hear what you think. Maybe in the movie thread instead though :D
I think pretty decent is a somewhat generous way of describing it, but then again when the original film/franchise is so ridiculous to begin with it might be more difficult to make a parody out of it. Some good scenes though, I loved "The Rock", his head/neck movement was uncanny. :lol:
 

Redplane

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I think pretty decent is a somewhat generous way of describing it, but then again when the original film/franchise is so ridiculous to begin with it might be more difficult to make a parody out of it. Some good scenes though, I loved "The Rock", his head/neck movement was uncanny. :lol:
Haha yeah I guess I was feeling generous but the bar is pretty low for spoof movies. They definitely picked up on some things that truly are ridiculous in those movies or others like it. And yep that guy did a brilliant job. It's one thing to do a similar voice but to also get a lot of the mannerisms spot on is another thing. Need more baby oil!