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The movie still haunts me to this day. At least, some aspects of it.
I love it. Not my favorite Carpenter flick but it's an A tier film for me.
Movie opinions thread (what have you seen, what did you think?)
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I love it. Not my favorite Carpenter flick but it's an A tier film for me.
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- Nov 7, 2001
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- 10,073
Double Impact - JCVD's first proper foray into action after a run of awesome martial arts flicks.
JCVD plays twin brothers out for revenge against the triads who murdered their parents when they were babies.
Obviously this is not high cinema, but it is very entertaining with a strong mix of martial arts and gun play. It also has a great early 90s soundtrack. Directed by Sheldon Lettich who previously collaborated with JVCD on Bloodsport and Lionheart.
JCVD plays twin brothers out for revenge against the triads who murdered their parents when they were babies.
Obviously this is not high cinema, but it is very entertaining with a strong mix of martial arts and gun play. It also has a great early 90s soundtrack. Directed by Sheldon Lettich who previously collaborated with JVCD on Bloodsport and Lionheart.
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- Mar 22, 2016
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- 5,594
Pee-Wee As Himself:
Two part documentary on HBO/Max/HBax/MaxBo whatever it is for the next 5 minutes. Its about Paul Reubens and where he got his start, leading to Pee-Wee, his arrest at the porno theater, etc. He doesn't seem to hold much back. Even talks about how he lost some friendships like Phil Hartman (I seriously never knew he helped write Big Adventure), as well as failures like Big Top Pee-Wee, etc. I also didn't know it was Tim Burton's first big film. Without Pee-Wee I guess maybe we wouldn't have Batman 89, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. (maybe).
Reubens passed away during the filming of the doc so the last 45 or so minutes of the 2nd part is mainly interviews with people he knew or worked with but it was still enlightening into the person Reubens was. The guy was truly an artist and its a bummer the world lost him to TWO types of cancer. I fucking hate cancer.
edit: Oh and there were so many other actors/comedians that were in things that I didn't realize. For example the guy that played the son of RJ Fletcher in UHF was one of his best friends, and played fucking Jambi the Genie on his live show and Playhouse. And Miss Yvonne is now Charlie Day's mom in Always Sunny. Insane.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure:
Had to watch Big Adventure after watching the doc, obvs. What more can be said about this movie that hasn't been. Its just as funny, ascerbic, and witty as it was back in 85. Still infinitely quotable, goofy, and the fact that they got James Brolin to play him in the movie within the movie is great. Also, EG Daily/Dottie is as cute as a button and evidently is still pretty decent lookin'.
Its a shame Big Top Pee-Wee was awful. But Pee-Wee's Big Holiday was better, but just not on the level of Adventure.
Next up: The Billy Joel doc.
Two part documentary on HBO/Max/HBax/MaxBo whatever it is for the next 5 minutes. Its about Paul Reubens and where he got his start, leading to Pee-Wee, his arrest at the porno theater, etc. He doesn't seem to hold much back. Even talks about how he lost some friendships like Phil Hartman (I seriously never knew he helped write Big Adventure), as well as failures like Big Top Pee-Wee, etc. I also didn't know it was Tim Burton's first big film. Without Pee-Wee I guess maybe we wouldn't have Batman 89, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. (maybe).
Reubens passed away during the filming of the doc so the last 45 or so minutes of the 2nd part is mainly interviews with people he knew or worked with but it was still enlightening into the person Reubens was. The guy was truly an artist and its a bummer the world lost him to TWO types of cancer. I fucking hate cancer.
edit: Oh and there were so many other actors/comedians that were in things that I didn't realize. For example the guy that played the son of RJ Fletcher in UHF was one of his best friends, and played fucking Jambi the Genie on his live show and Playhouse. And Miss Yvonne is now Charlie Day's mom in Always Sunny. Insane.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure:
Had to watch Big Adventure after watching the doc, obvs. What more can be said about this movie that hasn't been. Its just as funny, ascerbic, and witty as it was back in 85. Still infinitely quotable, goofy, and the fact that they got James Brolin to play him in the movie within the movie is great. Also, EG Daily/Dottie is as cute as a button and evidently is still pretty decent lookin'.
Its a shame Big Top Pee-Wee was awful. But Pee-Wee's Big Holiday was better, but just not on the level of Adventure.
Next up: The Billy Joel doc.
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- Nov 7, 2001
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- 10,073
The Empire Strikes Back - With the paedo from the first film now being dead, the young man embarks on a journey to a remote planet to find the Green Goblin's great, great, great, great, great, great uncle.
Elsewhere the gimp has developed a fascination with the young man and ruthlessly tries to track him down. Han Solo and Leia finally get it on.
At the film's climax, after being double crossed by a despicable negro, the young man has his hand cut off by the gimp, as the gimp reveals he's into incest.
It's a bit like the Mark of Zorro, but a romantic comedy.
Elsewhere the gimp has developed a fascination with the young man and ruthlessly tries to track him down. Han Solo and Leia finally get it on.
At the film's climax, after being double crossed by a despicable negro, the young man has his hand cut off by the gimp, as the gimp reveals he's into incest.
It's a bit like the Mark of Zorro, but a romantic comedy.
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- May 4, 2004
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- 13,899
Final Destination Bloodlines- Pretty much what I expected, which isn’t a bad thing. After all that’s kind of the appeal of the series. Plot and characters were trash, deaths were pretty great. They definitely upped the gore factor.
The lead actress was terrible though, she had this stupid bug eyed look on her face the whole movie and it was almost comical. She was no Mary Elizabeth Winstead or Ali Larter.
Tony Todd got a nice final scene. RIP to a legend.
If you like the series it’s definitely worth a watch.
The lead actress was terrible though, she had this stupid bug eyed look on her face the whole movie and it was almost comical. She was no Mary Elizabeth Winstead or Ali Larter.
Tony Todd got a nice final scene. RIP to a legend.
If you like the series it’s definitely worth a watch.
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- Oct 10, 2000
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- 2,853
Hear me out...
K-Pop Demon Hunters
What a fucking ride. The story is cleche (it's more or less Frozen, just edgy), but the script and acting is legit solid and the animation is fucking incredible. Done by Sony Animation, so same as the Spider-Verse movies. And that soundtrack...I don't get into the K-Pop scene at all - not even a little - but I wasn't able to get the song "Your Idol" out of my head for a week. Every song is a fucking bop. It's actually pretty funny all around too - the demon tiger-thing knocking over a flower pot gag was
The pacing is off - feels like about 1/4 of the movie was cut in editing that should have been kept in, but it still flows well and makes sense. That's really the only shade I can throw at it.
Went in not expecting much, but after seeing it explode in positive reviews, thought I'd try it for five minutes and ended up enjoying myself quite a bit. It's Sony Animation "doing Disney" and outdoing them for a solid 1.5 hours. Even if you don't like the subject matter but are an animation buff, you should give it a shot.
K-Pop Demon Hunters
What a fucking ride. The story is cleche (it's more or less Frozen, just edgy), but the script and acting is legit solid and the animation is fucking incredible. Done by Sony Animation, so same as the Spider-Verse movies. And that soundtrack...I don't get into the K-Pop scene at all - not even a little - but I wasn't able to get the song "Your Idol" out of my head for a week. Every song is a fucking bop. It's actually pretty funny all around too - the demon tiger-thing knocking over a flower pot gag was
The pacing is off - feels like about 1/4 of the movie was cut in editing that should have been kept in, but it still flows well and makes sense. That's really the only shade I can throw at it.
Went in not expecting much, but after seeing it explode in positive reviews, thought I'd try it for five minutes and ended up enjoying myself quite a bit. It's Sony Animation "doing Disney" and outdoing them for a solid 1.5 hours. Even if you don't like the subject matter but are an animation buff, you should give it a shot.
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- Nov 7, 2001
- Posts
- 10,073
The Hitman - Chuck Norris is an undercover cop left for dead by his dirty-cop partner after trying to raid the latter's own drug operation. Norris uses his "death" to go undercover and infiltrate the mob, only to come up against his former partner during a turf war.
Entertaining, but overall, average action thriller.
Entertaining, but overall, average action thriller.
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- Dec 23, 2023
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- 1,273
This was fucking great and very exhaustive. (I'm close but still haven't finished it) Had no idea how much of the show was truly his vision. 100% recommend.
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- Jul 26, 2008
- Posts
- 12,455
Chop Shop
This was the big indie movie when I was in college. A 12 year old dropout works at a chop shop trying to make a better life for his and his sister's lives once they reconnect. He realizes that her contributions aren't coming from the most ideal place and their relationship suffers.
It's OK. Bad acting from non-actors, but a solid story and good attempt at NYC neorealism. My biggest complaint is the ending, which was the ending, which had no resolution. It was almost like the cliche sci-fi ending of the past 10 years or so, where the characters just walk into the blinding light and there's no explanation other than "They've accepted their fate."
This was the big indie movie when I was in college. A 12 year old dropout works at a chop shop trying to make a better life for his and his sister's lives once they reconnect. He realizes that her contributions aren't coming from the most ideal place and their relationship suffers.
It's OK. Bad acting from non-actors, but a solid story and good attempt at NYC neorealism. My biggest complaint is the ending, which was the ending, which had no resolution. It was almost like the cliche sci-fi ending of the past 10 years or so, where the characters just walk into the blinding light and there's no explanation other than "They've accepted their fate."
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- May 4, 2004
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- 13,899
The Long Kiss Goodnight- Somewhat forgotten 90’s actioner starring Gena Davis and Sam Jackson directed by Renny Harlin. Harlin’s stuff has always been pretty cartoonish but this is a step beyond Cliffhanger and Die Hard 2. It‘s goofy as fuck and leans more toward Deep Blue Sea.
Davis does a commendable job and certainly looks the part, her and Jackson have good chemistry together. Brian Cox is almost completely wasted with only a couple scenes. The main bad guy is a smirking clown that is literally a cartoon villain, he’s no Lithgow in Cliffhanger.
The action is solid in that big dumb 90’s way. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and everyone is invincible but there are a lot of explosions and impressive stunts.
The biggest problem with the movie is the writing and tone. It’s incredibly uneven and makes it hard to get very invested in anything happening. One second it’s badass then the next it‘s super hokey and corny. A lot of it comes off as pulpy schlock, which is intentional but it’s not as slick as it thinks it is.
Overall though it’s pretty enjoyable.
Davis does a commendable job and certainly looks the part, her and Jackson have good chemistry together. Brian Cox is almost completely wasted with only a couple scenes. The main bad guy is a smirking clown that is literally a cartoon villain, he’s no Lithgow in Cliffhanger.
The action is solid in that big dumb 90’s way. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and everyone is invincible but there are a lot of explosions and impressive stunts.
The biggest problem with the movie is the writing and tone. It’s incredibly uneven and makes it hard to get very invested in anything happening. One second it’s badass then the next it‘s super hokey and corny. A lot of it comes off as pulpy schlock, which is intentional but it’s not as slick as it thinks it is.
Overall though it’s pretty enjoyable.
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- Jul 9, 2001
- Posts
- 5,142
5-25-77
A young man tries to leave his small town in Illinois where he makes small movies to go to LA to become a special effects producer, and wants to meet his hero Douglas Trumbull and in the process gets to meet Steven Spielberg and the props for Star Wars and falls in love with the local small town girl.
It had some silly moments and some heart as well.
A young man tries to leave his small town in Illinois where he makes small movies to go to LA to become a special effects producer, and wants to meet his hero Douglas Trumbull and in the process gets to meet Steven Spielberg and the props for Star Wars and falls in love with the local small town girl.
It had some silly moments and some heart as well.
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- Nov 7, 2001
- Posts
- 10,073
Judgment Night - mediocre thriller from Stephen Hopkins (Predator 2), starring Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jnr, and Denis Leary.
Four friends get lost in a bad part of town while on their way from the suburbs to watch a boxing match in the city. While trying to get back to the freeway they encounter Denis Leary and his gang, witness an execution, and then spend the rest of the evening trying to escape from Leary and his goons.
Despite the premise it's not a particular taught affair, in fact, the tension is rather lacking, and the turn of events pretty predictable. Leary is not given any dialogue that properly showcases his talents, and the whole movie just plods from one scene to the next.
One thing that did entertain me is the Score by Alan Silvestri - most of the cues are blatantly ripped from Predator 2, a previous collaboration between Hopkins and Silvestri.
Anyway, based on the cast and premise, it promised a lot, but fails to deliver.
Four friends get lost in a bad part of town while on their way from the suburbs to watch a boxing match in the city. While trying to get back to the freeway they encounter Denis Leary and his gang, witness an execution, and then spend the rest of the evening trying to escape from Leary and his goons.
Despite the premise it's not a particular taught affair, in fact, the tension is rather lacking, and the turn of events pretty predictable. Leary is not given any dialogue that properly showcases his talents, and the whole movie just plods from one scene to the next.
One thing that did entertain me is the Score by Alan Silvestri - most of the cues are blatantly ripped from Predator 2, a previous collaboration between Hopkins and Silvestri.
Anyway, based on the cast and premise, it promised a lot, but fails to deliver.
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- Oct 10, 2000
- Posts
- 2,853
Gena Davis - whatever happened to her? Every time her name pops up the movie Cutthroat Island comes to mind. Trashy but fun pirate movie.
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- Sep 18, 2007
- Posts
- 15,487
Today I learned Don Bluth did uncredited work on several 80s Disney projects. I had thought he left Disney for good after/during 1981's The Fox and the Hound.
But it turns out he worked on:
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (assistant animator)
Mickey's Christmas Carol (animator)
The Great Mouse Detective (storyboard artist, title designer)
The Brave Little Toaster (storyboard artist)
I always thought Brave Little Toaster had a lot of that Bluth style, and it makes sense when you consider that its director Jerry Rees worked under Bluth on The Small One and The Fox and the Hound.
But it turns out he worked on:
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (assistant animator)
Mickey's Christmas Carol (animator)
The Great Mouse Detective (storyboard artist, title designer)
The Brave Little Toaster (storyboard artist)
I always thought Brave Little Toaster had a lot of that Bluth style, and it makes sense when you consider that its director Jerry Rees worked under Bluth on The Small One and The Fox and the Hound.
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- May 4, 2004
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The Monkey- I have really enjoyed all of Os Perkin’s film and was looking forward to this. It’s a very odd deadpan dark comedy about a pair of twin brothers that are cursed by an evil toy organ grinder monkey. Every time you play with the monkey someone dies in an elaborate almost Final Destination-esque accident. They messed with it as kids and horrible things happened, then it comes back 25 years later.
It’s funny, gory and pretty clever. It’s not perfect, it’s based on a Stephen King short and feels kind of like a Tales From the Crypt episode stretched to feature length. Also the whole family/father/son/brothers angle is awkward and doesn’t really add that much overall. Shortcomings aside it’s pretty unique and its lowkey tone really works well most of the time. Recommend.
It’s funny, gory and pretty clever. It’s not perfect, it’s based on a Stephen King short and feels kind of like a Tales From the Crypt episode stretched to feature length. Also the whole family/father/son/brothers angle is awkward and doesn’t really add that much overall. Shortcomings aside it’s pretty unique and its lowkey tone really works well most of the time. Recommend.
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- Nov 7, 2001
- Posts
- 10,073
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie - So, basically, Super Street Fighter II, but an anime.
The plot revolves around Bison trying to recruit the world's best street fighters to his army so he can take over the world, with Ryu being his most prized target. So about as flimsy as any fighting game "story".
The animation is very good, and it's got a great soundtrack, but the whole thing is nonsensical as they try to crowbar all the fighters from the game into the story. Entertaining enough, but very silly. Akira it ain't.
The plot revolves around Bison trying to recruit the world's best street fighters to his army so he can take over the world, with Ryu being his most prized target. So about as flimsy as any fighting game "story".
The animation is very good, and it's got a great soundtrack, but the whole thing is nonsensical as they try to crowbar all the fighters from the game into the story. Entertaining enough, but very silly. Akira it ain't.
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- Mar 22, 2016
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- 5,594
OK ok, sure. But which version did you watch. The good one, or the better one with Chun Li's tits?
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- Nov 7, 2001
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lol... I've got the 4K so it has every version.
Last night it was the UK cut, so, titties a-go-go.
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- Mar 22, 2016
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- 5,594
Years ago, me and some friends were watching the unrated version, and when Chun Li turns around and shows the nips, my friend says out loud "Hello, my name is Rodney..."
Since then, anytime any kind of random nudity shows up in movies or animated stuff me or my wife will say "Hello, my name is Rodney..." Dudes never gonna live it down.
