FilmNight: Movies you watched recently

[Scarlett45]

I put together my annual “Nights of Halloween” list. 
 

*never before seen. 
 

Mary Reilly*

Ready or Not*

Love Potion No 9

The Shinning*

Haunted Mansion (2023)*

Tales from the Crypt

Little Shop of Horrors

The Cursed (2021)*

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Interview with the Vampire

Coco

Nope*

The Invitation (Netflix)*

Sleepy Hollow

A Nightmare on Elm Street*

Zombieland Double Tap*

Teen Wolf (1985)

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

[kiddo82]

I just did Little Shop too!

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I put together my annual “Nights of Halloween” list. 

The only ones of those I've seen are The Shining, Nope, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.  I enjoy all of them to varying degrees.  Nope is my least favorite of Jordan Peele's films, and by a mile, but that's only because it heavily incorporates sci-fi, which is not my genre and, especially, because I love Get Out and Us so very, very much; on its own, it's still a good film (great acting and great themes).  The Shining is not a favorite, but it has memorable moments and performances.  Elm St. is classic, Wes Craven at almost his best (Scream is his best, because it fantastically parodies the genre while simultaneously being an excellent example of the genre; brilliant!).

[proserpina65]

Inspired by some discussions about My Big Fat Greek Wedding in another thread, I ended up watching My Life In Ruins, starring Nia Vardolos, last night.  I enjoyed it a lot.  No, it wasn't deep or insighful, but it was sweet and charming and quite entertaining, which is all I want sometimes.  Plus, the actor playing the love interest was very attractive.

[Scarlett45]

I just saw The Invitation which I was looking forward to because I was told it was like Crimson Peak, and it was. I liked that Evie ended up saving herself in the end, and the movie was sufficiently gothic and creepy. I won’t watch it every year but I enjoyed it. 

[Spartan Girl]

Watched both Sick and They/Them on SyFy. They/Them was definitely a missed opportunity. Instead of turning it into your typical slasher they could have leaned more into the actual horror of how the camp treated the kids.

And as for Sick, I’m side-eying Kevin Williamson hard. What exactly was he trying to say here?

[AgathaC]

I, too, am preparing for Halloween viewing. We always include:

The original Halloween and the most recent trilogy.

Most of the Scream movies. We don’t like 3 much, but the others are enjoyable and the first two top my list.

Psycho

I also love to throw in Poltergeist (that clown doll will never not terrify me). For older movies, I usually enjoy:

The Haunting

The Uninvited

The Cat and the Canary (which has the bonus of also being funny)

Dark Mirror (double the Olivia de Havilland — double the fun)

Hubs isn’t too keen on black and white (no one’s perfect) so those are usually just me.

This year I may also include Dead Again. It’s been years and I think the ending is too over-the-top, but I always loved that one. Creepy, a good mystery with plenty of twists and turns, but where you can look back and say “oh, of course!” Plus there’s that early-‘90s Branagh/Thompson chemistry that I always thought was fabulous.

I liked The Shining when I first saw it, but then I read the book and the movie no longer did anything for me.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, AgathaC said:

The Cat and the Canary (which has the bonus of also being funny)

Which version?  The 1978 film was one of my favorites as a kid, and I have it on DVD.  It's been several years since I last watched it, but I'm sure I still know it by heart.

4 hours ago, AgathaC said:

The original Halloween and the most recent trilogy.

Wow, you can re-watch the second and third installments in that trilogy?  I'm impressed with your dedication to the franchise.  I love the first one, but have only re-watched the second once and only re-watched the end of the third.

4 hours ago, AgathaC said:

This year I may also include Dead Again. It’s been years and I think the ending is too over-the-top, but I always loved that one. Creepy, a good mystery with plenty of twists and turns, but where you can look back and say “oh, of course!” Plus there’s that early-‘90s Branagh/Thompson chemistry that I always thought was fabulous.

Oh gosh, I haven't seen that since its first run in theatres, but I remember liking it.  A quick internet search seems to indicate it's available on both Prime and Paramount+, both of which I have access to via a friend's accounts, so I'll have to give that another look.

4 hours ago, AgathaC said:

Most of the Scream movies. We don’t like 3 much, but the others are enjoyable and the first two top my list.

Three is the weakest one for me of the original four, but I like it better than five (or V, as they switched to).  Maybe better than VI, too, just for having the OGs.  So I guess I'd rank: 1, 2, 4, 3, VI, V.  But I find them all re-watchable.

[AgathaC]

2 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Which version?  The 1978 film was one of my favorites as a kid, and I have it on DVD.  It's been several years since I last watched it, but I'm sure I still know it by heart.

 

Wow, you can re-watch the second and third installments in that trilogy?  I'm impressed with your dedication to the franchise.  I love the first one, but have only re-watched the second once and only re-watched the end of the third.

Oh gosh, I haven't seen that since its first run in theatres, but I remember liking it.  A quick internet search seems to indicate it's available on both Prime and Paramount+, both of which I have access to via a friend's accounts, so I'll have to give that another look.

Three is the weakest one for me of the original four, but I like it better than five (or V, as they switched to).  Maybe better than VI, too, just for having the OGs.  So I guess I'd rank: 1, 2, 4, 3, VI, V.  But I find them all re-watchable.

The old Bob Hope/Paulette Goddard version. I’ve never seen the remake!

On Halloween, I should have clarified that we watch the original every year. Last year was our first time seeing the new trilogy. My husband will probably want to watch again, but we’ll see. They were pretty intense. I have a threshold!

I have Dead Again on DVD. The commentary is interesting— from what I remember. My sister and I rented it soon after it came out and were freaked out by our mom’s sewing scissors — which looked a lot like the ones in the movie.

I’d agree with your Scream ranking. The most recent we’re ok for me, but nowhere near the originals and not worth rewatching. The only saving grace of VI for me was Gale finally having a call and her showdown with Ghostface.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, AgathaC said:

The old Bob Hope/Paulette Goddard version. I’ve never seen the remake!

That one is actually a remake; the original was a 1927 silent film (adapted from a stage play).  The 1939 film changed some of the characters names, but the 1978 largely went back to the originals.  There are notable differences between all three films.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Bastet

[BlueSkies]

Chuck (2017).   

A film about the life of Chuck Wepner who served as something of the inspiration of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky.

 

Good movie overall.  A solid 3 of 4 stars from me.  One of the best movies I've watched in years

 

 

[kiddo82]

Scream is one of the rare long running horror franchises without a truly bad entry.  That said, I think 3 is weakest of all 6.  I also think 6 is surprisingly strong considering, well, that it's the sixth time this story is being told.  The alley/ladder scene and the subway scene are some of the best suspense sequences of the franchise since Sid and Halle had to climb out of the cop car in Scream 2.

Given that I've watched 1-3 countless times over the years I plan on doing at least 5 and 6 for Halloween this year and the others if I have time.

Edited October 9, 2023 by kiddo82

[andromeda331]

I've only made it through Scream IV. I have to wait to until the other last two end up on channels I have. I agree 3 is the weakest. I don't really care about Maureen or the half-brother. I do love Sidney calling him out for trying to blaming is life for him being a murderer. I don't like that he encouraged Billy and Stew to kill Maureen. Those two needed no encouragement. I liked that Sidney wears Derek's college numbers. IV was surprisingly good. The killer was a psycho but entertaining especially as she injuries herself. I also like seeing what happened in the other Stab movies. That storyline always cracked me up. I love Sidney's "Don't fuck with original"   But the first two will always be my favorite. Except for them killing off Randy. That was the biggest mistake. I do wish they brought up Tatum because she was Sidney's best friend and Dewey's sister. She never gets mentioned again after the first movie. 

[AgathaC]

9 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

But the first two will always be my favorite. Except for them killing off Randy. That was the biggest mistake. I do wish they brought up Tatum because she was Sidney's best friend and Dewey's sister. She never gets mentioned again after the first movie. 

Well, to be fair, Gale did mention her in 2 — but I always thought it was odd neither Sidney nor Dewey ever brought her up.

Poor Randy. He would have survived (or at least lived longer) if he hadn’t answered Gale’s phone…

[Spartan Girl]

Unpopular opinion, but I don’t really like Randy or his Nice Guy behavior when it came to Sydney. 

[andromeda331]

2 hours ago, AgathaC said:

Well, to be fair, Gale did mention her in 2 — but I always thought it was odd neither Sidney nor Dewey ever brought her up.

Yeah, that's what I thought was odd. Sidney and Dewey should have brought her up especially when they run into each other in II. But they never do. Sidney "honors" Derek by wearing his numbers in III but nothing for Tatum. Dewey lost a sister to this.

Quote

Poor Randy. He would have survived (or at least lived longer) if he hadn’t answered Gale’s phone…

He would have. But there's also no way he would have gotten near anything let alone a van during the call. He was too smart for that.

[kiddo82]

20 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I've only made it through Scream IV. I have to wait to until the other last two end up on channels I have. I agree 3 is the weakest. I don't really care about Maureen or the half-brother. I do love Sidney calling him out for trying to blaming is life for him being a murderer. I don't like that he encouraged Billy and Stew to kill Maureen. Those two needed no encouragement. I liked that Sidney wears Derek's college numbers. IV was surprisingly good. The killer was a psycho but entertaining especially as she injuries herself. I also like seeing what happened in the other Stab movies. That storyline always cracked me up. I love Sidney's "Don't fuck with original"   But the first two will always be my favorite. Except for them killing off Randy. That was the biggest mistake. I do wish they brought up Tatum because she was Sidney's best friend and Dewey's sister. She never gets mentioned again after the first movie. 

I do like IV but it feels like the forgotten step child sometimes.  It's attached to the first three but not entirely and it obviously came out long before the most recent sequels so it's kind of on its own island.  (It does have threads that go into V and VI) But I love rewatching it because it's like rediscovering how much I enjoy it every time.  

I love Allison Brie's character and I howl at her demise whenever I watch.  And I think the casting of the main killer is inspired.  Firstly because I think this person does the heel turn really well but also, I just don't think it was a role you would expect for that person at that point in their career.  It was a fantastic choice.

And I agree with you that Sidney going off at the killer at the end of 3 helps to lift the film somewhat. I don't love the killer or the motive but the climax is still fun and watchable.  

Edited October 10, 2023 by kiddo82

[Spartan Girl]

21 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I've only made it through Scream IV. I have to wait to until the other last two end up on channels I have. I agree 3 is the weakest. I don't really care about Maureen or the half-brother. I do love Sidney calling him out for trying to blaming is life for him being a murderer. I don't like that he encouraged Billy and Stew to kill Maureen. Those two needed no encouragement. I liked that Sidney wears Derek's college numbers. IV was surprisingly good. The killer was a psycho but entertaining especially as she injuries herself. I also like seeing what happened in the other Stab movies. That storyline always cracked me up. I love Sidney's "Don't fuck with original"   But the first two will always be my favorite. Except for them killing off Randy. That was the biggest mistake. I do wish they brought up Tatum because she was Sidney's best friend and Dewey's sister. She never gets mentioned again after the first movie. 

Yeah, I didn’t like that they had to give Maureen a whole trauma story to justify the fact that she slept around on Sid’s dad. It is possible for someone to be a crappy person yet still not deserve to die, so just leave it at that.

Anyway, I just watched Totally Killer on Amazon Prime and it’s a great time-traveling spin on slasher films! I loved Olivia Holt in Cruel Summer and she has a great comedic turn as the mean girl teenage version of Jamie’s (Kiernan Shipka) mom!

[kiddo82]

More Halloween Watches:

Little Shop of Horrors (1986):  I was born in the 80s but I've always had this affinity for 60s era girl groups (The Crystals, The Ronettes, the Chiffons, etc.  Hey!  Those are the names of the girls in the chorus in the movie!) and it's in hindsight that my appreciation for that music was born from watching this as a child.  I wish this version had the original, darker ending but anything that rhymes "bicuspid" with "maladjusted" is fine with me.  Howard Ashman was a genius.

Little Shop of Horrors (1960):  The lesser known non-musical version and a Roger Corman special.  It's cheap.  It's campy.  The acting is suspect.  Anyone with an iphone has probably made a more professional looking movie.  But it's short and fun.  And the theme of paying for fame in blood is still universal.

Green Room (2015):  Probably the best all around watch for me of this bunch.  It was a little hard to follow just because so much of it is in low lighting and I had a hard time remembering who was who at times.  Definitely the most "real life" of all these but who doesn't want to see a Nazi cult get what's coming to them?

The Witches of Eastwick (1987):  There are some plot holes here and there but I liked this too.  And it's even a little ahead of its time with a bunch of women literally finding their power.  The casting of Jack Nicholson was spot on.

John Carpenter's They Live (1987):  Another campy and cheap cult movie.  I don't know that I ever need to watch it again but it also has lines like, "Brother, life's a bitch and she's back in heat."  I can see why it has a following.

Videodrome (1983):  I don't even know what I watched but if I took a drink every time someone in the movie said "Videodrome" I would have died within the first half hour.   I haven't seen a ton of Cronenberg so I don't have a lot to compare it to.  At least The Fly kept me interested.  I had a hard time paying attention here.  It's probably more of an acquired taste.

When a Stranger Calls (1979):  Great first 15 or 20 minutes.  Keep the rest.  It's a shame because the opening act is so epic but the rest of the movie failed to keep my attention.

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955): I always enjoyed Abbott and Costello.  You know exactly what you're signing up for with this one.

The Addams Family (2019):  Cute family movie but nothing really special for me.  The kids will probably enjoy it.  I did like Wednesday and wearing a unicorn barrette.  

Edited October 10, 2023 by kiddo82

[Bastet]

22 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

When a Stranger Calls (1979):  Great first 15 or 20 minutes.  Keep the rest.  It's a shame because the opening act is so epic but the rest of the movie failed to keep my attention.

It feels like two different films got spliced together.  It's great in the beginning, and there's a great scare at the end, but in between is a slog.

[andromeda331]

On 10/9/2023 at 7:26 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Yeah, I didn’t like that they had to give Maureen a whole trauma story to justify the fact that she slept around on Sid’s dad. It is possible for someone to be a crappy person yet still not deserve to die, so just leave it at that.

I don't either. It was completely unnecessary and didn't add anything to the story.  

[krankydoodle]

On 10/9/2023 at 9:26 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Anyway, I just watched Totally Killer on Amazon Prime and it’s a great time-traveling spin on slasher films! I loved Olivia Holt in Cruel Summer and she has a great comedic turn as the mean girl teenage version of Jamie’s (Kiernan Shipka) mom!

Olivia Holt was the real standout for me, but Kiernan Shipka was also great and I loved seeing her Gen Z character react to the 80s. I haven't been impressed with most of the Amazon originals I've tried so this was a fun surprise.

[kiddo82]

The Witches (1990):  so it does not hold up the way I was hoping save for Anjelica Huston which brings me to my next point...

The Grand High Witch.  Morticia Addams.  Rodmilla De Ghent.

Me and my age brethren need to put more respect on Ms. Huston's name.

[Browncoat]

She Came To Me, with Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway, and Marisa Tomei.  I enjoyed it quite a lot.  Peter played Steven, an opera composer with writer's block and severe social anxiety.  Anne played his wife, a psychiatrist with OCD/germaphobe tendencies.  Marisa was Katrina, a tugboat captain who was "addicted to romance" and tended towards stalking.  There were also some teenagers -- a boy and a girl (the most "normal" of the bunch) and drama with the girl's adoptive father.  Oh, and a very adorable French Bulldog.

I think it was billed as a rom-com, but I don't think that's accurate.  It's more of a dramedy -- almost a character study, but with several characters.  I recommend it.

[Scarlett45]

On 10/18/2023 at 11:23 AM, Browncoat said:

She Came To Me, with Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway, and Marisa Tomei.  I enjoyed it quite a lot.  Peter played Steven, an opera composer with writer's block and severe social anxiety.  Anne played his wife, a psychiatrist with OCD/germaphobe tendencies.  Marisa was Katrina, a tugboat captain who was "addicted to romance" and tended towards stalking.  There were also some teenagers -- a boy and a girl (the most "normal" of the bunch) and drama with the girl's adoptive father.  Oh, and a very adorable French Bulldog.

I think it was billed as a rom-com, but I don't think that's accurate.  It's more of a dramedy -- almost a character study, but with several characters.  I recommend it.

I didn’t know this existed. Thank you. 
 

I saw Ready or Not this evening and I liked it, C+. It was exciting to watch, the camera work was great, but the plot is kinda thin. Likely not something I would watch again. I liked The Invitation better. 

[kiddo82]

7 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I didn’t know this existed. Thank you. 
 

I saw Ready or Not this evening and I liked it, C+. It was exciting to watch, the camera work was great, but the plot is kinda thin. Likely not something I would watch again. I liked The Invitation better. 

I've never seen the Invitation but I really liked Ready or Not for what it was.  I'll have to check out the former.

[Scarlett45]

Saw The Cursed (2021) on Hulu. Best new Halloween movie this year. I was sufficiently scared, intrigued, didn’t know where the plot was going, it had good pacing and a satisfying ending. 

[Bastet]

I watched the Tanya Tucker documentary, which is now available on Netflix.  I knew the basics of Brandi Carlile wanting to resurrect her career similar to what Rick Rubin did for Johnny Cash, but had NO idea that the song which became the fundamental theme of the album and won them the Grammys (Tanya's first, after all those nominations) wasn't planned from the start -- in an off-hand remark about a recent conversation with Loretta Lynn, Tanya mentioned a couple of lines she had floating around in her head (she doesn't write songs herself), and Brandi ran with it. 

I also recently watched (on Prime, I think) Four Good Days, with Glenn Close and Mila Kunis, based on a true story about a woman desperately trying - for something like the 15th time - to get clean from heroin, and her mother's struggle with whether/how to help without enabling.  This time, there's a shot she can get which will keep her from feeling the drug's effects, so maybe she can finally do it.  But the catch is she has to stay clean for four more days (her time in a rehab facility is up) in order to get the shot.  And that will never, ever happen without her mom letting her come back home (last time, she'd stolen a bunch of stuff to pawn for drug money) and staying by her side for those four days.  So despite all the false starts and betrayals in the past, she agrees.  It's not the greatest thing I've ever seen, but it captures the horrible power of addiction fairly well.  And Glenn Close is great, of course.

[EtheltoTillie]

I watched the Taylor Swift doc on Netflix and her concert film also on Netflix, the one from two years ago, not the current concert film that is in theaters.  I'm not a Swiftie (too old).  I was just curious, as she is so much in the news.  I was simply floored by the adulation of the fans.  They sing along with every word.  They are really touched by these lyrics. Swift is talented, but her "I no longer really need the approval of others" shtick is fakety fake fake.

[kiddo82]

Halloween Movie Dump

*Trick 'R Treat (2007):  This movie has no business being as enjoyable as it is.  I thought it was going to be a typical cliched slasher--and it's not entirely original--but it was so much fun and it knows exactly what it wants to be.

Black Swan (2010):  One of my all time favorite movies period.  Natalie Portman earned the hell out of that Oscar.

*Scooby Doo (2002):  I had never seen this one before and it....isn't great.  But there is something refreshing about watching a movie, as not great as it is, that's allowed to be goofy fluff as opposed to all the "authentic" and "gritty" that gets released today.

*Totally Killer (2023; Amazon Prime):  Another really fun slasher that knows exactly what it wants to be. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993):  This is where I insert the gif of Erin from the Office going "I don't get it.  I just--I don't get it."  I have tried and tried to see what others see in this one, aside from the tunes, and I will just have to accept that I never will.

*Wishmaster (1997):  Ah, the first R rated movie I was ever kicked out of.  I wonder what 14 year old me would have thought of it.  "Bad" movies with a cult following aren't exactly my thing but I can see why one might be entertained by it.  That said, it does hit on just about every level of "bad".

What We Do in the Shadows (2014):  I love the show.  I love the movie.  I love Stu.  This one rewards multiple watches because it's so droll that different lines are going to hit differently every time.           

*First time watch 

[Bastet]

19 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

*Trick 'R Treat (2007):  This movie has no business being as enjoyable as it is.  I thought it was going to be a typical cliched slasher--and it's not entirely original--but it was so much fun and it knows exactly what it wants to be.

This is certainly enjoying a surge in popularity; earlier this month a friend told me she'd heard about it and suggested we add it to our movie nights list, and then just yesterday I heard a DJ on the radio recommending it.

19 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

*Totally Killer (2023; Amazon Prime):  Another really fun slasher that knows exactly what it wants to be. 

I haven't heard of this one, but enjoy a fun slasher, so I'll add it to my watch list.

[kiddo82]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

This is certainly enjoying a surge in popularity; earlier this month a friend told me she'd heard about it and suggested we add it to our movie nights list, and then just yesterday I heard a DJ on the radio recommending it.

Yeah.  The first I was ever even aware of it was a year or two ago when it was on a TV at work.  I caught a brief scene with Anna Paquin, had no idea what it was, and had to look it up on the Google machine.  Even after that I was still confused because this seems like the type of movie I would have at least known existed.  Apparently, it only screened at some festivals and was then direct to video.  All of this added up to me thinking it must have been awful and I didn't give it much thought after that.  This year, like you, I heard a few recommendations for it and decided to give it a chance.  It's a pleasant surprise.  

[AgathaC]

Taking advantage of having the house to myself for a few days to watch some older movies.

Last night, it was a Cyd Charisse-Fred Astaire mini-marathon. It had been years since I watched The Bandwagon (which I prefer to the much-lauded Singin’ in the Rain) and Silk Stockings. Good lord, I could watch those two dance for hours. Absolutely hypnotic.

[Rushmoras]

Yesterday watched The Menu (2022). Food critics and their friends get invited to a lavish dinner prepared by a top class chef, but the chef has plans to murder everyone and himself. Basically, a diet Saw without any gore, and you have to wait 40 min. for something to happen. Was not a total travesty, but if it was filled with random unheard actors, I would have turned it off in 20 minutes... 5/10

[BlueSkies]

Jennifer Lopez- Second Act

 

Like a lot of Jennifer Lopez movies and music it kind of wasn't great but not bad either.  You know all in all a pleasant watch.

 

I definitely think that's a thing though......  People without a college education sadly get discriminated against in the workforce.  Especially for promotions.  When the reality is street smarts get the jobs done imo.  

[GHScorpiosRule]

So I was bored and scrolling through Netflix to see what they had-something new. Came across a documentary or something like that about Sylvester Stallone-Sly-but it was like a two hour ride down memory lane about how his career started, etc.

All this to say, it had me watching…Rambo I and II. Don’t JUDGE me!😂 The first is really compelling and sad really. All Rambo wanted was to find somewhere he could get something to eat. One would think his hair was hippy long the the way Dennehey’s sheriff reacted to him. Anyway, it was the second time watching-first time was when I was a teen and watched with my dad. It can’t be denied that Stallone was absolutely RIPPED.

And now I’m watching Rocky. I haven’t given Talia Shire enough credit-Adrian and Connie Corleone couldn’t be more different.

And yeah, Stallone too. It’s a very good performance and kudos to him for not making killing Rambo in the first movie. He explains why in the documentary and I agree-Vietnam veterans were treated like SHIT-and needed help and support. He met and spoke with them, I think he said. He gave Rambo that nuance and humanity. During through the end, I detested all of the cops. Galt’s death was his own fault.

Now pardon me while I watch the wonderful love story of Rocky and Adrian. That first KISS!!!!❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️

[Spartan Girl]

Leo: Cute little cartoon on Netflix where Adam Sandler voices the class lizard that wants to escape but winds up befriending and helping the kids in the class. Didn’t expect songs, they were pretty on brand for Sandler, and that’s all I’ll say about that. Still it was enjoyable.

[andromeda331]

9 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

So I was bored and scrolling through Netflix to see what they had-something new. Came across a documentary or something like that about Sylvester Stallone-Sly-but it was like a two hour ride down memory lane about how his career started, etc.

All this to say, it had me watching…Rambo I and II. Don’t JUDGE me!😂 The first is really compelling and sad really. All Rambo wanted was to find somewhere he could get something to eat. One would think his hair was hippy long the the way Dennehey’s sheriff reacted to him. Anyway, it was the second time watching-first time was when I was a teen and watched with my dad. It can’t be denied that Stallone was absolutely RIPPED.

And now I’m watching Rocky. I haven’t given Talia Shire enough credit-Adrian and Connie Corleone couldn’t be more different.

And yeah, Stallone too. It’s a very good performance and kudos to him for not making killing Rambo in the first movie. He explains why in the documentary and I agree-Vietnam veterans were treated like SHIT-and needed help and support. He met and spoke with them, I think he said. He gave Rambo that nuance and humanity. During through the end, I detested all of the cops. Galt’s death was his own fault.

Now pardon me while I watch the wonderful love story of Rocky and Adrian. That first KISS!!!!❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️

Great post. The bold part especially. Yes, Vietnam Vets were treated like shit. They threw food and chairs at my dad and his unit at the airport and called the murderers. No one would sit by him on the flight home. He learned very quickly to stop telling people he had fought in Vietnam. The government ignored them, treated them like crap too and let them down. Most if not all came back messed up but there was no one to help them. So many ended up homeless. So many couldn't even get VA benefits others took years to get it and some still haven't gotten it. They also developed health problems due to Agent Orange exposure but got no help because government refused to admit they did it there wasn't much the doctors could do. My dad lost all his teeth and had horrible rashes all over his body. He had to quit his job as mechanic because muscle weakness and PTSD. Sorry for the long post but it's really horrible how they were treated.

[Spartan Girl]

Genie: This is a cute made-for-Peacock holiday movie. Melissa McCarthy was hysterical.

[JustHereForFood]

I am not a huge fan of those romantic Christmas movies that are all about the main character moving back into their cute little hometown and/or finding love, but I will watch one of them occasionally for some lighthearted fun and the atmosphere. I just watched Single All the Way and it was pretty cute, even though half of the main character's family seemed like they were high most of the time. Not as good as The Christmas Setup which I've seen few years ago, but it served it's purpose.

[krankydoodle]

I also got sucked into watching Christmas movie recently and, among a lot of stinkers, was pleasantly surprised to find one I really liked. This is Christmas on Prime is a cozy British movie starring Alfred Enoch, Kaya Scodelario, Timothy Spall, Joanna Scanlan and Ben Miller. Enoch has the impulse to get to know his fellow commuters better so proposes a Christmas party and the movie follows this disparate group of people coming together to make it happen. There is a romance between Enoch and Scodelario but the movie's more of an ensemble piece and I thought it managed to be sweet without crossing over into cheesiness.

[twoods]

Thank you for the suggestion @krankydoodle. I really enjoyed This Is Christmas. I want to try FreeVee’s EXmas next. Candy Cane Lane on Amazon was also pretty funny and a good movie to watch with kids.

 

[Spartan Girl]

5 hours ago, twoods said:

Candy Cane Lane on Amazon was also pretty funny and a good movie to watch with kids.

I just watched that too. It was hilarious. I don’t care how dumb it was, I expect Christmas movies to be dumb. And I’m always happy to see Eddie Murphy these days.

[DearEvette]

Yeah Candy Cane Lane was fun.  Robin Thede (who played the miniature lady) said that Reggie Hudlin, the director, allowed the miniature crew to adlib.  And because she and Chris Redd (who played the lamplighter) were cracking everyone up, the mini-crew parts got expanded. 

The whole cast was great with those two, the two actors who played the new casters made a lot of their smallish time, Nick Offerman and of course Eddie. 

[proserpina65]

I finally watched Absence of Malice last night.  I remember it being a big deal when it came out, and it was really good, but it wasn't really what I expected.  I guess I was thinking it would be more suspenseful and confrontational and it wasn't so much. The ending was somewhat satisfying in the messy way real life is sometimes and not the way movies usually are with everything neatly wrapped up.  Still, any excuse to look at Paul Newman's eyes.

[Anduin]

Since Godzilla Minus One isn't showing at a cinema in easy reach, I decided on the next best thing, Shin Godzilla. Interesting movie. Not connected to any others, always good to have a standalone. And it's about how the government reacts to Godzilla giving Tokyo its traditional stomping. Where it came from and how to stop it.

I can't remember if I've ever watched a movie about heroic politicians handling a threat. Sure, they're in the background of a lot of show and movies, but centre stage? I remain as cynical as ever about politics, but there's something novel about them being in front.

Pretty good. More talky and less stompy than your average kaiju movie, but worth a watch.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I'm in a mob* theme (DON'T JUDGE ME!). I blame it on The Godfather, because I just HAD to watch it in 4K or whatever it's called.

*More accurate to say Al Pacino/Robert De Niro theme!

So then it was Good Fellas, The Untouchables, Heat, then I veered off to watch Serpico and Midnight Run, and then watched Once Upon A Time in America last night.

I am just so confused as to Once Upon A Time in America. Who were the goons who murdered that blonde and tortured Moe? And why? The back and forth between 1932ish? and 1968 was so very, very confusing. But DAMN was this movie boring as FUCK. I thought I'd see more about Prohibition, but no.

But masochist me just had to see it through and still the end didn't clarify who those goons were! And it didn't.  Were they Joe Pesci's(!!!) men?

So were Cock-Eye and Patsy also deaddead? And Max the only one who survived, despite those tombstones? As Vinnie Barbarino would often say: "I'm sooooo confuuuuuuused!"

[Spartan Girl]

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story: I forgot that Alan Tudyk was Steve the pirate. Who would have thought he’d turn out to be one of the best character/voice actors of this age? Anyway, I still love this stupid movie.

[jah1986]

The Vanishing (1988) I had seen the Kiefer Sutherland remake years ago so wanted to catch the original. Wow, this one stays with you. I don't necessarily agree, but understand the changes that were made to the remake. The average Hollywood movie wouldn't end the way the original did. And the movie didn't spell things out for you, you just had to pay attention and figure it out. Well done film.

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, jah1986 said:

The Vanishing (1988) I had seen the Kiefer Sutherland remake years ago so wanted to catch the original. Wow, this one stays with you. I don't necessarily agree, but understand the changes that were made to the remake. The average Hollywood movie wouldn't end the way the original did. And the movie didn't spell things out for you, you just had to pay attention and figure it out. Well done film.

It is so weird to me that both versions are done by the same director, because why would you dumb down your own film like that?  I guess the obvious answer is for the US box office dollars.  The American version isn't terrible, but it's pretty generic, while the Dutch version is thought-provoking.