Razzberry

I think they're only invincible in the movies. Even Putin's goons couldn't assassinate targets in England with chemical weapons without botching the job and getting caught. Twice. So this wasn't unbelievable to me. I agree that Marla getting one clean shot in the heart was way too easy. She didn't suffer enough!

They both seemed like lovely and thoughtful people. Rosanne was especially natural in her responses, and delighted to be learning so much new information. "I feel like a badass!"

Catherine Keener in Being John Malkovich would qualify, I think. One of my all time favorite films - so charming, fresh and original. Nicole Kidman like you've never seen her in The Paperboy. An unforgettable role and I dug this underrated gem.

McNamara had nothing to do with solving the Golden State Killer case. At the time of her death no one had a clue who he was. They were no closer than 40 years ago and had zero leads. It wasn't until investigators and Paul Holes input the DNA profile into Gedmatch that it was finally solved. As for poor Lisa Lam, I'm surprised Ron Howard got involved in this.

I never bother reading one-star reviews. Typically they're one or two lines, something like "This movie SUCKS!!!. Worst movie ever!!!" But looking at IMDB's latest crop out of curiosity, what stands out is that so many of these objective and insightful reviews have actually been rated "helpful" by hundreds of readers. Kind of funny.

A double feature by director Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause) Johnny Guitar, 1954 6/10 Starring Joan Crawford as Vienna, a gun totin' pants wearing saloon owner with perfect makeup. Sterling Hayden as her love interest Johnny Mercedes McCambridge as arch-enemy (on and off-screen) Emma Not a typical western, and knowing the behind-the-scenes stuff made it more amusing to me. According to Nicholas Ray, the tension on set was so bad that he puked every morning on his way to work. Crawford went ape-shit with jealousy over Mercedes powerful scenes. He had to shoot Mercedes in the morning before Crawford got there, but got busted. Crawford flew into a rage, broke into McCambridge's dressing room and slashed her clothes to shreds. McCambridge claimed that Crawford attempted to blacklist her for years afterward. Sterling Hayden was quoted as saying: "There is not enough money in Hollywood to lure me into making another picture with Joan Crawford. And I like money." Free with Amazon Prime Johnny Guitar The second one, a film noir, was really enjoyable. 9/10 In a Lonely Place, 1950 Starring Gloria Grahame and Humphrey Bogart On IMDB Bogart is an underemployed Hollywood screenwriter with the porny and implausible name of Dix Steele. He's been hired to screen write a trashy novel that he hasn't even read, so he pays a waitress to tell him the story back at his apartment. It's after midnight by the time she's finished, and instead of driving her back he tells her there's a taxi stand down on Santa Monica Blvd. When she's found murdered the next day, he's like "What's that got to do with me?" Not a likable guy, but a neighbor (Laurel, wonderfully played by Scar-Jo look-alike Grahame) confirms that he was indeed at home and therefore couldn't have done it. Some have called Laurel a femme-fatale, but I disagree. She's smart but likable and has no ulterior motive. They begin a relationship but it soon becomes clear that Dix has "anger management issues" and she starts questioning her belief in his innocence.

Most viewers don't like it - scoring just 35% on Rotten Tomatoes with audience members and 6.3/10 on IMDB

Cary Fukunaga's True Detective is the first time I came to appreciate the long tracking shot. The scene actually went on for 6 minutes of chaos and violence, which I imagine is very difficult to do.

I've asked the same thing when I see a Will Ferrell film, for example, and have yet to receive a satisfactory reply. This explains it better than I can - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_comedy

I can understand why the film makes people angry. Dark comedy can turn people off because the core subject matter is disturbing and uncomfortable. Death, disease, etc. When my dad got dementia I saw how many scumbags come out of nowhere to take advantage of it. He came close to giving away his life savings to a con artist who had accompanied him to the bank. If it wasn't for a sharp bank official who knew my dad and smelled a rat, he would have been penniless. And these were people who supposedly had been vetted by AARP! I won't even get into the various home health care workers but it was a nightmare. A scam such as the movie depicted would require many people working together and is not very likely, but I suppose it could happen. If nothing else I hope it shines a light on elder abuse.

I found it well done, highly entertaining and right up my dark alley. There's no one to root for save the victims avengers, but it's the very definition of black comedy. Chicago Sun-Times summed it up nicely - "It’s as if Quentin Tarantino blew the dust off an old script that was intended for Alfred Hitchcock and gave it a 21st century rewrite, complete with some fantastically entertaining late twists and turns."

Oh man this is good fun! New on Netflix with Rosamund Pike (again) is the dark comedy/thriller I Care A Lot.

Notable for being dead before the movie starts and never seen in flashbacks, Hitchcock's Rebecca is nevertheless unforgettable thanks to Joan Fontaine and Rebecca's henchman Mrs. Danvers played by Judith Anderson. The newer version with Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas and Armmie Hammer was enjoyable but the writing and acting didn't quite measure up, imo. For example this scene in Rebecca's bedroom as Danvers continues to torture and gaslight the new Mrs. de Winter - just doesn't have the same twisted punch of the original or the reaction desired. Free with no ads, 1941 Oscar for Best Picture, Oscar to Joan Fontaine for Best Actress

Glenn Close is no slacker in this department. She's also in pre-production as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, the musical.😂 Loved Dangerous Liaisons with John Malkovich Arguably her most famous role in Fatal Attraction.

We're probably all related to someone famous, but it takes some in-depth genealogy. Once you get to third cousins it explodes exponentially. I also thought his reaction was disturbing. One can get mired in ancestral grudges if they choose to and it seemed like Gates was egging him on.

That looks interesting, Blergh! It's now on my TMC wishlist. Patricia Arquette in David Lynch's Lost Highway. To me this is the most disturbing of Lynch's films and I had a terrible feeling of dread throughout. Loved it.

I think Hitler learned a lot from the Turks. The genocides had many similarities, from the smashing of store windows, "resettlement" lies, crowded train cars, death marches, all under cover of a wider war. It's high time for Turkey and other countries to stop denying this happened, or there can be no healing.

Gloria Swanson and William Holden in Sunset Blvd.

The amazing deadly Amy by Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl. Will be on FXX tomorrow for all you re-watchers like me.

I can't even...

Of Human Bondage, 1934, starring the fabulous Bette Davis and Leslie Howard took my breath away. The plot is familiar enough - orphaned, clubfooted nice guy Philip falls for a pretty waitress named Mildred and can't get enough of her abuse. Over the years he welcomes her back again and again to blow up his life, until finally he puts his good foot down. Just look at this mocking face... Free with Amazon Prime

I've watched Clay Pigeons more times than I care to admit. It still tickles me for some reason. Joaquin Phoenix gets setup, big time.

To Die For, with Nicole Kidman

Claire Trevor in Born To Kill was truly despicable, as was her boyfriend played by Lawrence Tierney (no relation to Gene). Found these bits on Imdb about his real life behavior which sounds only marginally better. "Off-screen, the actor's arrests for drunken brawls at bars and Hollywood parties took a heavy toll on his once-promising Hollywood career in the 1950s. Booze was always at the root of his misbehavior, which included tearing a public phone off the wall, hitting a waiter in the face, breaking a college student's jaw and attempting to choke a cab driver. Tierney was a brawler up until the end of his career, provoking almost all of the younger actors he worked with on Reservoir Dogs (1992) and nearly come to blows with director Quentin Tarantino."

Good call! I haven't seen that in years, time for a rewatch. I'm not sure if Jennifer Lawrence from American Hustle qualifies, but she did seem to have an unhealthy hold over men that was fun to watch.