Movies you have seen recently

[Mr. Vigilante]

Roger Moore's Bond was silly, but incredibly fun and entertaining.  "View to a Kill" is my personal favorite of his.  I recently saw "License to Kill" again and I thought Timothy Dalton did a great job.  Pity he wasn't in a few more films.

[ViceFanMan]

1 minute ago, Mr. Vigilante said:

Roger Moore's Bond was silly, but incredibly fun and entertaining.  "View to a Kill" is my personal favorite of his.  I recently saw "License to Kill" again and I thought Timothy Dalton did a great job.  Pity he wasn't in a few more films.

In all honesty I view Sean Connery as the “silliest” Bond (although I enjoy his Bonds too)...but Roger Moore was definitely fun & entertaining! To me he was more down-to-earth and ‘human’ (as much as 007 can be ). 

Although A View To a Kill had one of the best Bond title songs, and possibly one of Duran Duran’s best songs (my opinion), plus a powerhouse cast (Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones, etc...)—I was disappointed with it. It should have been awesome and Moore going out with a bang...but it came across ridiculous, some poor dialogue & acting (not by Moore), and it just didn’t quite cut-it as a 007 movie...but again, my opinion. 

Timothy Dalton should have been a superb James Bond (in a Charlie’s Angels episode he guest starred in 8 years before Living Daylights, his  character was ironically referred to as having James Bond-ian type characteristics) but for whatever reasons...it just didn’t “happen”. I’m not exactly sure why, but he just didn’t have the 007 “magic” and captivation that Connery & Moore had. 

Pierce Brosnan after Dalton, was amazing!! He truly captured the 007 appeal and always had that air of mystery and fascination...even back in his Remington Steele days (which prevented him from becoming 007 after Moore, as he was originally supposed to...but contractual conflicts with R.S. prevented it)! 

But, love all the 007 movies & Im loving going through them once again! 

[ViceFanMan]

Oh yeah, some more 007 trivia concerning For Your Eyes Only...actress Cassandra Harris who played the Countess Lisl, was married to Pierce Brosnan—who 14 years later in 1995 became James Bond 007 himself in Goldeneye! Sadly, she had passed away 4 years before this, in 1991. 

[Tom]

Recently saw „Tyler Rake-Extraction“ with Chris Hemsworth on Netflix.

generally a garden-variety action movie but a great one. The directing, editing and timing in the action scenes is superb as there is no editing for many minutes throughout very complex and impressively choreographed fights and chase scenes with lots of participants! The viewer is participating in the fights as the camera is closely following the actors as a silent observer even when running and fighting on narrow staircases, falling down balconies and crashing in and out of buildings. 

I rewinded several times to find visible editing points because I could not believe what I saw but could not find them. 
 

I definetely recommend this Netflix production movie for its impressive directing. It’s a military/intelligence/mercenary movie with lots of blood and gunfights but the story (extraction of a drug lord’s son who was kidnapped by another drug lord, mercenary develops relationship to the boy as his own kid has died) and the location (fully shot in India and Bangladesh capital Dhaka with lots of local actors) is a bit different than usual.

[RedDragon86]

"Miller's Crossing"

Great Coen film and sort of underrated. Pays homage to the crime novels of Dashiell Hammett.

[Bren10]

Helter Skelter 2004 with Jeremy Davies, who does a helluva job as Manson. Pretty disturbing by the end for sure.

 

 

[RedDragon86]

Knowing (2009) starring Nicolas Cage.

Cannot say I enjoyed this one bit. Its filled with cardboard characters, weak acting, a preposterous story, and is ham-fisted. It unsuccessfully tries to mix the usual mainstream sci-fi doings with the more outrageous mystical loony theories, and ends up looking more dumb than smart.

[Tom]

Not a movie rather a Netflix documentary mini series, but this is without exaggeration the best and informative reality format I have ever seen!

it deals with the special training (weapons, tactics, combat, explosives,...) of normal People to become the best British secret agents (this unit SOE was blueprint for OSS and CIA) during WW2 and tries to re-stage this 80 years later with 14 ordinary people of all classes and professions even included one handicapped person in the Scottish highlands. From 14, 6 make it until the very end (a 24 hour practice involving all disciplines).

the whole 5 episodes bristle with short example stories from WW2 including original material.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill's_Secret_Agents:_The_New_Recruits

if you like intelligence topics and want to learn something yourself eg for psychology of overcoming fears and limitations in extreme situations, than this is a must see!

[ViceFanMan]

On 5/1/2020 at 11:23 PM, Mr. Vigilante said:

Roger Moore's Bond was silly, but incredibly fun and entertaining.  "View to a Kill" is my personal favorite of his. 

 

On 5/1/2020 at 11:42 PM, ViceFanMan said:

Although A View To a Kill had one of the best Bond title songs, and possibly one of Duran Duran’s best songs (my opinion), plus a powerhouse cast (Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones, etc...)—I was disappointed with it. It should have been awesome and Moore going out with a bang...but it came across ridiculous, some poor dialogue & acting (not by Moore), and it just didn’t quite cut-it as a 007 movie...but again, my opinion. 

These were some recent posts regarding the 007 movie A View To a Kill (1985), with Roger Moore...his final one. I’m currently going through the entire James Bond 007 series, and I just finished “View To Kill”. I have to admit: I actually enjoyed it more this time than I had the other times I’ve ‘viewed’ it (pun intended )!

I still have a few issues with some rather silly (my opinion) action sequences such as the fire engine scenes, and some poor dialogue—such as when Stacy Sutton (Tanya Roberts) answers James with “You betcha” when he asks if she’s doing ok at one point. You betcha??  

But, despite those couple minor aspects, I have to agree more with Mr. Vigilante...that this is a pretty good 007 flick! Overall I really enjoyed it this time, and I’m glad I saw it again after many years—& although it’s not necessarily my favorite Roger Moore 007, it’s definitely an enjoyable part of my 007 collection! Thank you, Mr. Vigilante, for making me want to...’view’ it again closer...sorry, more bad pun.  

P.S. The title song by Duran Duran is still my favorite Bond theme song & I have it downloaded to my smartphone...it’s one song, along with many, I love running to!  

[RedDragon86]

Watched "Unforgiven" I hadn't seen it for years. Great film and one of the better films of the nineties, and stands out as one of the all-time great westerns.

I noticed the actor who played Cat in "Little Miss Dangerous" seen here on the left of Richard Harris in the video, he had a few lines as well further on in the film.

 

[timm525]

Great catch. I never recognized him but he is listed in the credits too. 

[Vincent Hanna]

Watched "The Big Country" ('58) last night and thought it was extremely good. Might be the best western I've seen. (Pre-The Wild Bunch).

Gregory Peck should've won his Oscar for this instead of Mockingbird, he was awesome. Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston and some guy called Burl Ives were great. I had heard the main title theme before but didn't know it was from this movie, iconic. It was way more modern and artsy than I was expecting. You could tell David Lean, Kubrick and Sergio Leone borrowed things from this in their epic movies.

Some of those old 50s/60s epic movies looked amazing but weren't very good "movies'. But The Big Country looks marvellous and also the writing and the direction match the stunning visuals. 4 stars out of 4. 

I read William Wyler made this and Ben-Hur back to back?  That's insane. Dude must've been knackered after that.

[AndrewRemington]

I just watched “Beverly Hills Cop II” again. Since I was a young kid, I’ve loved Eddie Murphy’s movies from 80’s. He was on fire back then! Anyway, this time viewing “Beverly Hills Cop II” I realized there are a TON of “Miami Vice” guest stars! I never realized Deborah Adair from “Streetwise” played Bogomil’s daughter! That voice is very distinctive, but she looks more “understated” in this film. It’s always hard for me to see Dean Stockwell as a bad guy since I will always remember him as Al from “Quantum Leap”.

I did a little homework, check out all the Vice guest stars:

• Deborah/Alice Adair from “Streetwise”
• Brian O’Connor from “Baby Blues”
• Dean Stockwell from “Bushido”
• Tom Bower from “Bushido”
• Paul Guilfoyle from “Death and the Lady”
• Chris Rock from “Missing Hours”
• Frank Pesce from “Home Invaders”
• Robert Pastorelli from “Down from the Count Part II”

[ViceFanMan]

1 hour ago, Vincent Hanna said:

Watched "The Big Country" ('58) last night and thought it was extremely good. Might be the best western I've seen. (Pre-The Wild Bunch).

Gregory Peck should've won his Oscar for this instead of Mockingbird, he was awesome. Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston and some guy called Burl Ives were great. I had heard the main title theme before but didn't know it was from this movie, iconic. It was way more modern and artsy than I was expecting. You could tell David Lean, Kubrick and Sergio Leone borrowed things from this in their epic movies.

Some of those old 50s/60s epic movies looked amazing but weren't very good "movies'. But The Big Country looks marvellous and also the writing and the direction match the stunning visuals. 4 stars out of 4. 

I read William Wyler made this and Ben-Hur back to back?  That's insane. Dude must've been knackered after that.

Not a huge western (or Jean Simmons ) fan but might check this one out sometime. Charlton Heston & Gregory Peck were superb actors! Yeah, Burl Ives was also a well-known actor, back then. 

I love the old technicolor and/or Cinemascope  look, as it made many movies back in the 50s & 60s look amazing and “epic”...however, like you said sometimes they focused more on the visuals than plot substance.  

But, sometimes that’s what something is known or famous for (is the “look”)...after all, in all honesty MV is most famous for its visuals & music than plot-depth.  

[Vincent Hanna]

9 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

Not a huge western (or Jean Simmons ) fan but might check this one out sometime. Charlton Heston & Gregory Peck were superb actors! Yeah, Burl Ives was also a well-known actor, back then. 

I love the old technicolor and/or Cinemascope  look, as it made many movies back in the 50s & 60s look amazing and “epic”...however, like you said sometimes they focused more on the visuals than plot substance.  

But, sometimes that’s what something is known or famous for (is the “look”)...after all, in all honesty MV is most famous for its visuals & music than plot-depth.  

Would recommend It  It's a bit long at close to 3 hours but it's worth it. In one of the reviews I read said "it's a western for people who don't like westerns."  

I don't want to hype it up too much otherwise it'd be sure to disappoint but just think of it as really slow paced and it's about the characters more than the action. I love movies that feel like they are the definitive say on a topic, like The Big Country feels like the definitive American western (directed by a German guy). 

[AndrewRemington]

I watched my first 2020 film recently: “Invisible Man”. 

It was very interesting and thrilling, especially because I didn’t watch the trailer first. I’m glad I didn’t. Some trailers really blow a lot of surprises for you. I watched the trailer afterwards and it revealed a lot. I like to go into a movie blind. It’s a lot more exciting that way. I’d probably give it a 7/10. I’d watch it again.

I also rewatched “The Devil’s Advocate” last night. Great film, but I still feel iffy about the ending. It’s a good ending, but kind of irritating... I don’t want to spoil it for anyone (even though it’s a 23 year old film). The movie is definitely worth the watch just for Al Pacino’s performance! I’d give it an 8/10.

Edited July 27, 2020 by AndrewRemington

[Vicefan7777]

I could not wait until October to rewatch Halloween (1978).  So I just finished getting the shit scared out of me again.  As soon as the film starts with that John Carpenter music I got chills running down my spine.  I smiled thinking as the film was done WOW!  After 42 years this movie still gets to me.  RIP Doctor Loomis.  A solid 5 star rating from me. 

[summer84]

Going to watch Goodfellas. Don't think I've seen it before. Was told that there was some brutality at the beginning, but if it gets too violent will just skip those parts. There isn't much point to it other than it being sadistic. Unless there is a humoristic angle to it like in  Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the end, but it was still brutal though and exaggerated. And there should be depicted some events from real life. I'm expecting it to be a great movie with Dinero. 

Edited August 7, 2020 by summer84

[AndrewRemington]

1 hour ago, Vicefan7777 said:

I could not wait until October to rewatch Halloween (1978).  So I just finished getting the shit scared out of me again.  As soon as the film starts with that John Carpenter music I got chills running down my spine.  I smiled thinking as the film was done WOW!  After 42 years this movie still gets to me.  RIP Doctor Loomis.  A solid 5 star rating from me. 

I love it! One of the best horror films ever made. John Carpenter’s piano and synth score really makes it. Even watching the film in the summer, you can still feel that cool Halloween wind. It will send chills down your spine!

I learned to always check your back seat at night! 

38 minutes ago, summer84 said:

Going to watch Goodfellas. Don't think I've seen it before. Was told that there was some brutality at the beginning, but if it gets too violent will just skip those parts. There isn't much point to it other than it being sadistic. Unless there is a humoristic angle to it like in  Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the end, but it was still brutal though and exaggerated. And there should be depicted some events from real life. I'm expecting it to be a great movie with Dinero. 

”Goodfellas” is my favorite mob/mafia movie. It is brutal, but very worth it! Great performances by everyone in it!

Edited August 7, 2020 by AndrewRemington

[ViceFanMan]

1 hour ago, Vicefan7777 said:

I could not wait until October to rewatch Halloween (1978).  So I just finished getting the shit scared out of me again.  As soon as the film starts with that John Carpenter music I got chills running down my spine.  I smiled thinking as the film was done WOW!  After 42 years this movie still gets to me.  RIP Doctor Loomis.  A solid 5 star rating from me. 

Could not have said it better—my all-time favorite scary movie!! The most amazing & captivating aspect of this movie for me is it’s beautiful and pure...”simplicity”! I don’t need wild/crazy/or whacked-out special effects or stunts, I don’t even need the blood-n-guts (which is just gross rather than scary in a movie, anyway). This was small town mid-west America, that back then wasn’t used to true terror or serial killer murders—I grew up in mid-west towns just like this! I understand that old-school mentality...and miss it!!

An evil & mentally deranged killer returns to his old hometown to again terrorize unsuspecting residents, who are not paying attention or expecting that kind of thing...therefore they were easy victims. The scariest part of this superb film is it could actually happen (only unrealistic aspect is when Michael Myers doesn’t die at the end, after being shot)! But, I love it that it solely focuses on the psychological terror rather than gore! 

It’s too early for me, yet...but come October I will be getting my 25th anniversary special edition DVD set of Halloween out, which to me is still the best edition, even over later DVDs & the blu-ray! 

Edited August 7, 2020 by ViceFanMan

[Mr. Vigilante]

Halloween is one of my favorite films, and THE best horror film.  I stood on the steps of the Myers' house in the late 90's and had my picture taken.  My dad and I were in LA for a few days and I had to track it down.  It was surreal to say the least.  Halloween 2018 was pretty good, but I'm a little worried about the next few. 

[OCBman]

Just re-watched Oliver Stone's JFK.

Love it and still think it's better than The Silence of the Lambs.

 

[timm525]

2 hours ago, ViceFanMan said:

Could not have said it better—my all-time favorite scary movie!! The most amazing & captivating aspect of this movie for me is it’s beautiful and pure...”simplicity”! I don’t need wild/crazy/or whacked-out special effects or stunts, I don’t even need the blood-n-guts (which is just gross rather than scary in a movie, anyway). This was small town mid-west America, that back then wasn’t used to true terror or serial killer murders—I grew up in mid-west towns just like this! I understand that old-school mentality...and miss it!!

An evil & mentally deranged killer returns to his old hometown to again terrorize unsuspecting residents, who are not paying attention or expecting that kind of thing...therefore they were easy victims. The scariest part of this superb film is it could actually happen (only unrealistic aspect is when Michael Myers doesn’t die at the end, after being shot)! But, I love it that it solely focuses on the psychological terror rather than gore! 

It’s too early for me, yet...but come October I will be getting my 25th anniversary special edition DVD set of Halloween out, which to me is still the best edition, even over later DVDs & the blu-ray! 

Agreed, I always thought this was a great movie. I never knew until many years later that his mask was that of Captain Kirk. Jamie Lee Curtis was pretty young in that movie. Can’t believe it was made in 78. Wow.

[timm525]

The movie that really freaked me out and I was in high school when it came out was “Pet Semetery”.  I just re-read the synopsis on Wikipidia and got goose bums all over again.  Zelda getting out of the bed was just too freaky. This is probably one of the only movies I’ve ever seen that I wish I could “unwatch”. That and the original Incredible Hulk in the first hulk out scene where he’s changing the tire in the rain. the white eyes (originally from the Six Million Dollar Man, Bigfoot also by Kenneth Johnson) that were bloodshot in the one scene in the rain as he flips the car. That will give me insomnia!  

[ViceFanMan]

2 hours ago, Mr. Vigilante said:

Halloween is one of my favorite films, and THE best horror film.  I stood on the steps of the Myers' house in the late 90's and had my picture taken.  My dad and I were in LA for a few days and I had to track it down.  It was surreal to say the least.  Halloween 2018 was pretty good, but I'm a little worried about the next few. 

 Not going to lie, Halloween 2018 was a disappointment for me. Although of course I loved it that they had figured out a way to still have Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, I didn’t think the movie was really that scary. It just focused on how disgusting and gory and graphic can we make each kill. That’s Friday the 13th...not Halloween!  Im worried about the next one or two, as well.