Last film you saw, vol. 6

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

GoodFellas (1990)


This (and the million other reviews I need to put up) will be put up tomorrow, when I actually have a fraction of free time without heavy exhaustion from a lousy work week.

(Fucking inspection...)

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Godzilla [2]: City on the Edge of Battle (2018)

"I think I'm obsessed with Godzilla."

As with the first part of Toho/Netflix's anime trilogy, I liked, but didn't love this second part. It was a bit more interesting, exploring some fun themes of Godzilla as a natural balance and laying the groundwork for a couple obvious other kaiju.

Star Wars [Episode VIII]: The Last Jedi (2017)

"You are no Vader."

GoodFellas (1990)
This (and the million other reviews I need to put up) will be put up tomorrow, when I actually have a fraction of free time without heavy exhaustion from a lousy work week.

(Fucking inspection...)

You'd probably cover this in the review, but was this your first time for Goodfellas? If so, tell me you were blown away by the Copacabana tracking shot---one of the most beautiful and impressive (if not the most) in cinema.

[Mister.Weirdo Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Mister.Weirdo]

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Nightflyers (1987)

"Think of the secrets we could unlock."

Alright low-budget sci-fi flick based off a George RR Martin story that's apparently being remade. I swear the music composer was aiming for Vangelis.

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

"I was set up."

A disgraced journalist is hired by an old man to investigate the disappearance/murder of a young woman decades ago, and as he digs a young hacker begins to help him find the truth.

I gotta say the cinematography on this was gorgeous. Sweden in winter is fucking beautiful, such a great landscape to use for the setting (and even when there isn't snow, it's just this amazing vista).

Noomi Rapace was great, really got some acting chops and her look was spot-on for Lisbeth (so I'm told, I just thought she looked perfectly no-nonsense).

The actor who played the lead was exactly who and what was needed. He gave off a pitch-perfect "I'm just a regular guy" look and feel that you could actually believe he was some journalist or another, no particularly special look to him.

I liked Henrik. He reminds me a lot of Ian McKellen but without the malice of Magneto. The opening shot of him receiving and opening the rare flower and breaking into tears was excellently done, both in portrayal and as a film-making move.

I love the ending. You get this great wrap-up, everything answered and instead of some bittersweet "could have been but will sadly never be" turn, you actually have the characters get a chance at genuine happiness.

Lastly, the actor who played the sadistic legal guardian Bjurman. Holy shit, that guy really nailed the kind of absolute scumbag called for and this will definitely be a defining role for him even if he does a hundred others that are stellar.

Oh, and those two Vanger brothers who were Nazis. When that little bombshell was dropped, I gave a whistle of surprise (I can't whistle, by the way).

Highly recommend.


Goodfellas (1990)

"Jimmy was the kind of guy that rooted for bad guys in the movies. "

A biopic recounting three decades in the life of real gangster Henry Hill and his criminal escapades alongside Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.

Goddamn, I haven's see Ray Liotta in ages! And so YOUNG! (Is it just me, or does he actually bear a passing resemblance to Patrick Swayze?) Liotta was a damn solid choice for Hill, playing an eager-to-please rising gangster who starts skipping school at a young age so he can learn the ways of the criminal underworld. That scene where he beats the shit out of the tennis player in the guy's own driveway was great.

Robert DeNiro played one ruthless bastard, and the way he started cutting off any connection to the big heist was seriously frightening (guy has zero loyalty to others while expecting nothing but it from them). DeNiro did a stellar job as Jimmy, just a perfectly executed portrayal, and I think his most chilling moment was when he was telling Karen about the dresses and she realized what he was trying to do to her.

And of course, Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito. Guy is entertaining to watch, and according to what the real Henry Hill said, the imitating is 90-99% accurate, but shit, this dude was a major psychopath. Treated everyone like an idiot and flew off the handle at the drop of a hat. It's amazing he didn't get killed much earlier in life because he had to be making a ton of enemies everywhere he went. (The scenes with his mother I liked, she was a nice old dame).

God, I haven't seen Paul Sorvino in a dog's age. Sometimes I'll catch my mom watching reruns of really old episodes of Law & Order, from back when he and Jimmy Smits were on it. I was reading that he hated the idea of playing a ruthless mobster, and almost quit until he saw his expression in the mirror and realized he could do it. I almost feel genuinely sorry for his character in the film, because he does come across as a caring man who makes hard decisions. But then I remember he's a ruthless crime boss.

Less easily giving sympathy towards Karen Hill (Lorraine Bracco). She gave a damn good performance but shit, I just despise mob wives as a people (so fucking annoying and conniving and shit, they literally are the New Jersey stereotypes South Park parodied). I did get a laugh when Liotta stood her up and she chased him down in front of his friends.

I also enjoyed seeing Sam Jackson, Frank Sivero (Mobster the Grouch, alias Frankie Cabone), Mike Starr (I still remember him from Dumb & Dumber!), Chuck Low (Morris the wig salesman, that commercial was fucking hilarious). I especially got a laugh out of Louis Eppolito (Fat Andy), who was a real ex-NYPD officer who got convicted of a ton of shit (including eight murders!) and is doing about a century's time in prison.

And since Space Cop asked so politely, yes, I found the longshot of the rear of Copacabana to be fascinating. For a longshot that doesn't have a lot of suspense or action to it, it does fit the bill perfectly for just a really great ongoing glimpse of a quick jaunt through a ritzy club's backdoor. (I would place it below Touch of Evil and that one from an older John Woo film, in the hospital, but nevertheless GoodFellas has one of the best scenes money can buy).

Overall definitely an incredible film about organized crime, though I'm not sure I would rate it higher than The Godfather (haven't seen any of those, and so I feel such a judgment would be premature).

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

"We beat them off again."

What kind of guy celebrates the 59th anniversary of Ed Wood's mangum opus (7-22-59)? This guy.
For the first time, I watched it colorized (which did highlight certain details I've never noticed in my dozens of times watching this). and with Mike Nelson solo commentary.

. . . Goodfellas (1990) . . . DeNiro did a stellar job as Jimmy, just a perfectly executed portrayal, and I think his most chilling moment was when he was telling Karen about the dresses and she realized what he was trying to do to her.

Yeah, IIRC, Karen told Henry certain her life was in danger and he agreed.

. . . The Godfather (haven't seen any of those, and so I feel such a judgment would be premature).

Well, there's your next film assignment!
If you rank The Godfather simply by gangster movies, yeah, it's the best of them, but to even call it "a gangster film" is underestimating it since it's also about big business in America, politics, and the immigrant experience. I've come across multiple people who don't dig gangster movies, but love Godfather.

[Booster Beetle Will break before he bends Find all posts View Profile Close Booster Beetle]

I saw Mamma Mia 2 cuz I heard it was good and I love Lily James

I hate myself for how much I loved it

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Big Wednesday (1978)

"That's the lemon next to the pie."

John Milius (Red Dawn and Conan the Barbarian, among other notable writing and directing credits) drew on his own history for this fictional story about three Malibu surfers' experiences from 1962 to 1974. Gary Busey (co-starring with Jan-Michael Vincent and William Katt) went right from this to Buddy Holly, which is what launched him to stardom.

I saw Mamma Mia 2 cuz I heard it was good and I love Lily James. I hate myself for how much I loved it

I need to see the first some time. I've only seen a few minutes, but I like Abba a lot more than your average Beatlemaniac or classic punk fan . . . or straight guy.

[Mister.Weirdo Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Mister.Weirdo]

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again - As someone who despised the first Mamma Mia, I'm in shock, but I absolutely adored this. I think it helps that they decided to go all out on the "craziness" (the film is actually really funny), and a had better film director this time around. This was hugely entertaining, and I dug the musical numbers more, especially the Waterloo bit, which is my favorite Abba song. - 7.5 / 10

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

[Rec] 4: Apocalypse (2014)

"Don't be fooled. The ones with the money are the ones in charge."

The finale (so far) in this Spanish zombie series and I have to say they maintained the quality much better than most Hollywood horror franchises would that far in.

[Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again - As someone who despised the first Mamma Mia, I'm in shock, but I absolutely adored this. I think it helps that they decided to go all out on the "craziness" (the film is actually really funny), and a had better film director this time around. This was hugely entertaining, and I dug the musical numbers more, especially the Waterloo bit, which is my favorite Abba song. - 7.5 / 10

They didn't do "Waterloo" the first time? That is a good one. I was wondering if they would have to resort to b-sides.
BTW: Pete Townshend (of the Who) once called "SOS" the best pop song.

[Booster Beetle Will break before he bends Find all posts View Profile Close Booster Beetle]

I think they did Waterloo over the credits like they did Super Trouper for this one

[Booster Beetle Will break before he bends Find all posts View Profile Close Booster Beetle]

SOS is my favorite

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Rifftrax: Karate Kid Part III (1989/2011)

"It's like watching a Pilates class."

SOS is my favorite

There you go; you and Townshend have something in common. It is a good one.
"Take a Chance on Me" is mine, but I like most of their hits (though I think "Dancing Queen" is overrated). "Fernando" is probably a close second.

[Mister.Weirdo Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Mister.Weirdo]

Predictions for this weekend (July 27 - 29).

1. Mission Impossible: Fallout - 68m
2. Mamma Mia 2 - 17m
3. The Equalizer - 16.2m
4. Teen Titans Go - 15.5m
5. Hotel Transylvanian 3 - 13m

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

The Butcher (2009)

"Sentiment's a hell of a luxury."