Daytona74 Posted September 22, 2018 Report Share Posted September 22, 2018 I watched A History of Violence again last night, with Miami Vice's own, Viggo Mortensen. It's really a terrific Film Noir piece, in some ways a modern take on the classic Film Noir movie Out Of The Past starring Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas, with which it shares many storyline elements. If you've never seen it, it's a great story about Tom Stall, a picture perfect family man in the rural small town of Millbrook in Indiana, who owns the local diner. Everything about him and his family is just completely Middle America. Except he has a dark past, in that he was a hitman for the Philadelphia mob twenty years ago. When he stands up to two random, out of town armed robbers who hit his diner late one night, he becomes a hero on national news. This is also noticed by his old associates of the Philadelphia mob, from which he fled 20 years ago and changed his name and identity and ended up starting a new life as the aforementioned Middle America family man. It's really a very gripping juxtaposition of Heartland family life with the violence and the shady business of East Coast organized crime, and it's really great storytelling, the way that the latter begins to poison tranquil small town life when the two worlds meet. Great acting, especially by Ed Harris, in what was probably his most captivating role in the last 15 years. Viggo Mortensen is pretty good too, but Ed Harris is really where it's at in this movie, playing the cool as a cucumber senior mob henchman. And the then-relatively new Chrysler 300C gets to shine as a disturbingly believable, all-out mob mobile in black piano finish with pitch black tinted windows in the back... This movie is as entertaining as it is well made in all respects. It feels more like a small independent film without a huge budget, but it fits the mood quite well, which always tends to be slightly subdued, even when the protagonists are in the middle of a gun fight where people get seriously hurt. You'll like this movie both as a first time viewer and if you've seen it a couple of times already. Two thumbs up... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadrian Posted September 22, 2018 Report Share Posted September 22, 2018 2 hours ago, Daytona74 said: I watched A History of Violence again last night, with Miami Vice's own, Viggo Mortensen. Excellent film. I saw it in the theater and loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agent 47 Posted September 23, 2018 Report Share Posted September 23, 2018 A History of Violence is a great film. I remember watching it for the first time about seven years ago with a little bit of a reservation as being a huge fan of David Cronenberg's previous films which were mainly really inventive and surreal Horror and Sci-Fi movies it was a little hard to imagine him tackling the crime genre. I thought it might end up feeling a little mundane for his body of work but glad I was wrong. It may have been a different genre for usual Cronenberg but it does have his usual ferociousness. Great acting especially from Harris as you noted and a surprise performance from William Hurt which was unusually lively for him (normally his performances are very chill and low-key, never imagined him pulling off a sinister and loud mafia boss). Cronenberg even with a bigger budget tends to direct his films with a lower-key style with less flashy camerawork and more of a stillness just letting the action and somber atmosphere speak for themselves. Never made the Out of the Past connection. Might be a better successor to that film than the actual remake was, Against All Odds. I'd also recommend if you haven't seen it the Cronenberg/Mortensen gangster film that followed, Eastern Promises. It's not quite as great as History but it's centered around the Russian Mafia which is fairly rare for the English-language market and Viggo Mortensen is very good and convincing as the "driver" for a Russian Mafia boss. Set in London so a lot of Cronenberg's usual gloomy atmospherics carry over plus it features solid performances from Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger390X Posted September 23, 2018 Report Share Posted September 23, 2018 (edited) Went to go see Farenheight 11/9 last night. All I have to say is WOW! I think if every person could see this fine expose of Democracy, it could make change for the positive. It was not just an entertaining movie or a documentary, but a look at life and a total wake up call for America... I attended the screening knowing Michael Moore's works from before, so I went with a grain of salt in my craw, but I decided to let it happen. I must say he was very neutral and balanced. He exposed both Democrats AND Republicans for the criminal that they are, as a better part of Americana. He told the story of the Flint water problem which will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck! The many other stories will also make you sit up and take notice. Well done Mr. Moore! It has been a boring weekend and I also saw "White Boy Rick" which is a true story about 14 year old kid from Detroit who was coerced into selling drugs on behalf of the feds and some bad local cops, hung out to dry as a snitch and then got shot for it. He survived the shooting at sixteen he was pissing in a colostomy bag. He then gets arrested at seventeen and sent to prison for 30 years, which exceeds the sentences of the real drug dealers who he helped put in prison by the corrupt cops! Rick spent more time in an American prison than anyone in history and was the youngest convict (at seventeen years old) to do this kind of time. Edited September 23, 2018 by Stinger390X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Vercetti Posted September 23, 2018 Report Share Posted September 23, 2018 25 minutes ago, Stinger390X said: Went to go see Farenheight 11/9 last night. All I have to say is WOW! Jabba's latest Why doesn't he use some of his $50million fortune to do something about the water in Flint. And his bitching about the President. Trump is what every President since JFK has been, a puppet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daytona74 Posted September 23, 2018 Report Share Posted September 23, 2018 I have to say on the one hand I like it when investigative journalists and/or filmmakers stick it to the Establishment and expose all the corruption and whatever else goes on that is an insult to democracy and justice. That said, I've never really liked Michael Moore very much. I don't know, to me he's kind of a Liberal Elite version of Family Guy's Peter Griffin. There's just something ham handed about his style of documentary that doesn't resonate with me. If you want to see a noteworthy documentary of the past ten years that delivers on all the promises that Michael Moore makes, you have to watch Inside Job, a documentary about the 2007 Financial Crisis, eloquently narrated by one of my favorite actors, Matt Damon. It gets down to the facts without becoming polemic the way that Michael Moore often does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViceFanMan Posted September 24, 2018 Report Share Posted September 24, 2018 On 9/22/2018 at 3:15 PM, Daytona74 said: I watched A History of Violence again last night, with Miami Vice's own, Viggo Mortensen. It's really a terrific Film Noir piece, in some ways a modern take on the classic Film Noir movie Out Of The Past starring Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas, with which it shares many storyline elements. If you've never seen it, it's a great story about Tom Stall, a picture perfect family man in the rural small town of Millbrook in Indiana, who owns the local diner. Everything about him and his family is just completely Middle America. Except he has a dark past, in that he was a hitman for the Philadelphia mob twenty years ago. When he stands up to two random, out of town armed robbers who hit his diner late one night, he becomes a hero on national news. This is also noticed by his old associates of the Philadelphia mob, from which he fled 20 years ago and changed his name and identity and ended up starting a new life as the aforementioned Middle America family man. It's really a very gripping juxtaposition of Heartland family life with the violence and the shady business of East Coast organized crime, and it's really great storytelling, the way that the latter begins to poison tranquil small town life when the two worlds meet. Great acting, especially by Ed Harris, in what was probably his most captivating role in the last 15 years. Viggo Mortensen is pretty good too, but Ed Harris is really where it's at in this movie, playing the cool as a cucumber senior mob henchman. And the then-relatively new Chrysler 300C gets to shine as a disturbingly believable, all-out mob mobile in black piano finish with pitch black tinted windows in the back... This movie is as entertaining as it is well made in all respects. It feels more like a small independent film without a huge budget, but it fits the mood quite well, which always tends to be slightly subdued, even when the protagonists are in the middle of a gun fight where people get seriously hurt. You'll like this movie both as a first time viewer and if you've seen it a couple of times already. Two thumbs up... I LOVE film noir, but ironically Out of the Past is one I haven’t seen yet. Plan to soon! But sounds as if I’ll have to maybe check out History of Violence too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger390X Posted September 24, 2018 Report Share Posted September 24, 2018 (edited) On 9/23/2018 at 11:37 AM, Daytona74 said: you have to watch Inside Job, a documentary about the 2007 Financial Crisis, eloquently narrated by one of my favorite actors, Matt Damon. It gets down to the facts without becoming polemic the way that Michael Moore often does. EXCELLENT movie. I have this one and have watched it several times. I also have "The Big Short" which I highly recommend as well. It also speaks to the crisis and the very few that made millions!... all on the backs of the common folk or America. Edited September 24, 2018 by Stinger390X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daytona74 Posted September 26, 2018 Report Share Posted September 26, 2018 Am 24.9.2018 um 08:08 schrieb ViceFanMan: I LOVE film noir, but ironically Out of the Past is one I haven’t seen yet. Plan to soon! But sounds as if I’ll have to maybe check out History of Violence too! "Out Of The Past" is often lauded as one of the best, if not THE best classic Film Noir that was made during the genre's first heyday in the late 1940s. I just read that "Against All Odds" was a more or less official remake of "Out Of The Past", haven't seen that one, but "A History Of Violence" really feels like a modern-day interpretation of the plot of "Out Of The Past". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViceFanMan Posted September 26, 2018 Report Share Posted September 26, 2018 2 hours ago, Daytona74 said: "Out Of The Past" is often lauded as one of the best, if not THE best classic Film Noir that was made during the genre's first heyday in the late 1940s. I just read that "Against All Odds" was a more or less official remake of "Out Of The Past", haven't seen that one, but "A History Of Violence" really feels like a modern-day interpretation of the plot of "Out Of The Past". I haven’t seen it yet, so I can’t truly say, lol—but I do know Out of the Past is considered one of the more popular film noirs. However, I don’t know if I’d say it was THE best one...overall I think 2 other noirs probably tie for the #1 spot: Double Indemnity and Laura. But Ill definitely have to check out Out of Past, as well as History of Violence. Have you ever seen Miller’s Crossing? I’ve not ever seen that yet either, and I know it has to do with 1930s gangsters/mobsters, but I also know many consider it a neo-noir. Just curious... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cageyJG Posted September 26, 2018 Report Share Posted September 26, 2018 Heavy Metal Parking Lot. (16 min. clip) From the description: "Considered one of the greatest rock and roll movies of all time, 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot' is actually a hilarious documentary tribute to rock and roll's greatest fans. Filmed in 1986 at a Maryland concert arena parking lot before a heavy metal show, this hilarious documentary is an unvarnished anthropological study of American metalheads in their mid-'80s glory." "It is the quintessential '80s magnum opus, made complete with a vast display of muscle cars, spandex, bleach-blonde frizzy perms, bare-chested dudes, Mullets From Hell, faded denim metal chicks, and the largest collection of late '70s Camaros ever seen in one location. Virtually unknown to mainstream audiences for two decades, HMPL was a VHS bootleg favorite among musicians, movie stars and cult-video fanatics worldwide." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren10 Posted September 26, 2018 Report Share Posted September 26, 2018 I have Heavy Metal Parking Lot on dvd and live right near where it was filmed. If you like it I suggest his page http://jeffkrulik.com/ I highly recommend another film he produced- Heavy Metal Picnic -about another historic Maryland outing. Also Rudy Childs' 1984 retrospective Riding Into Hell. You will see many of the same faces throughout these. https://vimeo.com/148040507 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bren10 Posted September 26, 2018 Report Share Posted September 26, 2018 I also watched Chapter 27 with Jared Leto as Mark David Chapman. It was an intentionally claustrophobic film and Leto's portrayal was chilling and somewhat sympathetic at the same time. I recommend it at least once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agent 47 Posted September 26, 2018 Report Share Posted September 26, 2018 2 hours ago, ViceFanMan said: Have you ever seen Miller’s Crossing? I’ve not ever seen that yet either, and I know it has to do with 1930s gangsters/mobsters, but I also know many consider it a neo-noir. Just curious... I've seen Miller's Crossing and can say it's great and one of my favorite Coen Brothers films. It's a unique and sometimes humorous gangster movie with some really good dialogue peppered with a lot of authentic prohibition-era lingo. Great performances all around especially from Jon Polito and John Turturro. It's something of a Neo-noir given the style of the film and the film is largely inspired by the novels of Dashiell Hammett particularly The Glass Key and Red Harvest and Hammett is one of the Grandfathers of noir fiction. Highly recommend it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViceFanMan Posted September 26, 2018 Report Share Posted September 26, 2018 2 hours ago, agent 47 said: I've seen Miller's Crossing and can say it's great and one of my favorite Coen Brothers films. It's a unique and sometimes humorous gangster movie with some really good dialogue peppered with a lot of authentic prohibition-era lingo. Great performances all around especially from Jon Polito and John Turturro. It's something of a Neo-noir given the style of the film and the film is largely inspired by the novels of Dashiell Hammett particularly The Glass Key and Red Harvest and Hammett is one of the Grandfathers of noir fiction. Highly recommend it. Awesome...I’ll have to check it out! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daytona74 Posted September 26, 2018 Report Share Posted September 26, 2018 (edited) Speaking of the Coen Brothers, I will start watching the movie Fargo in a few minutes. I want to do my own personal Fargo marathon again this autumn and I plan to watch the movie and the entire series all in chronological order Much like the original movie which is one of my all-time favorites, the Fargo TV series is by far my favorite show of the last couple of years, despite an uneven third season. Can't wait for season 4 to come along at some point eventually... Edited September 26, 2018 by Daytona74 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cageyJG Posted September 30, 2018 Report Share Posted September 30, 2018 On 9/26/2018 at 11:58 PM, Bren10 said: I have Heavy Metal Parking Lot on dvd and live right near where it was filmed. If you like it I suggest his page http://jeffkrulik.com/ I highly recommend another film he produced- Heavy Metal Picnic -about another historic Maryland outing. Also Rudy Childs' 1984 retrospective Riding Into Hell. You will see many of the same faces throughout these. https://vimeo.com/148040507 Awesome, dude! Thanks a lot! Yeah, if I had grown up at the right time I’m sure a lot of those guys would’ve been my friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger390X Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 (edited) On 9/26/2018 at 4:35 PM, Daytona74 said: Speaking of the Coen Brothers, I will start watching the movie Fargo in a few minutes. I want to do my own personal Fargo marathon again this autumn and I plan to watch the movie and the entire series all in chronological order Much like the original movie which is one of my all-time favorites, the Fargo TV series is by far my favorite show of the last couple of years, despite an uneven third season. Can't wait for season 4 to come along at some point eventually... The Movie Fargo was awesome! Dark and humerous at times. I have not seen the series yet except for a couple of minutes of one episode, but \I had to go do something. I heard a funny story that a Japanese tourist actually came to Fargo and rented a car and drove up and down sideroads looking for the bag of money! She obviously didn't find it and sadly froze to death in the car. Some people can't distinguish reality from fantasy.... Edited October 7, 2018 by Stinger390X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agent 47 Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 Found a newer TV channel here in the U.S. that shows a lot of older crime and action films called Charge. Last week they had a cop movie double feature which is something they're doing all month. Colors (1988) It had been a while since I saw this film. Forgot how good Sean Penn was back in his heyday here playing a hothead cop who draws the ire of L.A. street gangs. Robert Duvall terrific of course as his seasoned and more sensible partner. Dennis Hopper was great behind the camera as much as he was in front of it for many movies and sadly this like a lot of his directorial work outside Easy Rider seems overlooked to an extent. Also noteworthy is an excellent Herbie Hancock soundtrack. Not as much a gut punch as John Singleton's L.A. gang movies were but a very entertaining and stylish film and definitely recommended viewing for GTA: San Andreas fans. Cop (1988) An entertaining but otherwise very standard '80's cop/serial killer drama that was mostly pulled together by a great James Woods performance and a intense, Mike Hammer-esque conclusion. James takes an otherwise run of the mill obsessed cop story (already done masterfully by Manhunter and later Dead Bang) and gives it an intense and human performance which unfortunately outside of the very welcome presence of '80's crime frequenter Charles Durning (check out Cat Chaser and Stick for some even better '80's Charles Durning crime films) is one of the one of very few here. Definitely a must for James Woods fans but lower expectations needed for anyone else. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daytona74 Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 (edited) I just watched the Bond movie "Diamonds Are Forever". My goodness, what a silly movie. I read just now that there is consensus among critics that this is easily one of the worst Bond films ever made, but it kind of not even touches it. In spite of opening with arguably the most stylish classic Bond theme song, the movie itself just feels like it has totally lost the plot. And it did. The plot itself is paper thin and sort of meanders along in constant vagueness, and the focus almost seems to be more on slapstick comedy gags and scenes of comedy violence, and how to fill the lengths of time in between them. And those gags are as silly as the plentiful puns that go along with it are daft. And I would imagine that gay people today will not even acknowledge the 70s-style insult to them that is the homoerotic comedy henchmen couple of Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint. The special effects, on the other hand, sort of feel dated and just that slight bit low budget even for a Bond movie in 1971. While that pretty beefy looking red Mustang should have gotten more screen time. This should have been the Bond car proper for James Bond's stateside assignment, and not just a prop to be used for about ten minutes of screen time in the whole movie. All in all, this isn't a good Bond spy thriller. It's barely a thriller at all, more a botched spy comedy caper that's easily less adept than an average episode of the "Get Smart" TV series back in the day. It's kind of odd to think that Sean Connery came back out of his James Bond retirement for this. Two thumbs down for this movie. Avoid. Edited October 8, 2018 by Daytona74 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViceFanMan Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 12 minutes ago, Daytona74 said: I just watched the Bond movie "Diamonds Are Forever". My goodness, what a silly movie. I read just now that there is consensus among critics that this is easily one of the worst Bond films ever made, but it kind of not even touches it. In spite of opening with arguably the most stylish classic Bond theme song, the movie itself just feels like it has totally lost the plot. And it did. The plot itself is paper thin and sort of meanders along in constant vagueness, and the focus almost seems to be more on slapstick comedy gags and scenes of comedy violence, and how to fill the lengths of time in between them. And those gags are as silly as the plentiful puns that go along with it are daft. And I would imagine that gay people today will not even acknowledge the 70s-style insult to them that is the homoerotic comedy henchmen couple of Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint. The special effects, on the other hand, sort of feel dated and just that slight bit low budget even for a Bond movie in 1971. While that pretty beefy looking red Mustang should have gotten more screen time. This should have been the Bond car proper for James Bond's stateside assignment, and not just a prop to be used for about ten minutes of screen time in the whole movie. All in all, this isn't a good Bond spy thriller. It's barely a thriller at all, more a botched spy comedy caper that's easily less adept than an average episode of the "Get Smart" TV series back in the day. It's kind of odd to think that Sean Connery came back out of his James Bond retirement for this. Two thumbs down for this movie. Avoid. Sorry, Daytona74...I love this one! I like the plot, Vegas backdrop, car chase with the Mustang, action, the theme-song, and even your early 70s idea of special effects. I also found the creepy weirdness of killers Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint “appropriately” hilarious (sorry...I’m a Christian and somewhat old-fashioned ) The only issue I have is I don’t care for Jill St.John. Lana Wood (Natalie Wood’s sister), who was thrown out the hotel window towards the beginning, should have been the Bond-girl. Ironically later Jill St.John would marry Robert Wagner...who was previously married to Natalie Wood, and there’ll probably always be rumors & suspicions surrounding her death and whether Wagner had anything to do with it. But I love Diamonds Are Forever...fun, “light” Bond movie & Connery’s last! Two thumbs up! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicefan7777 Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 35 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said: Sorry, Daytona74...I love this one! I like the plot, Vegas backdrop, car chase with the Mustang, action, the theme-song, and even your early 70s idea of special effects. I also found the creepy weirdness of killers Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint “appropriately” hilarious (sorry...I’m a Christian and somewhat old-fashioned ) The only issue I have is I don’t care for Jill St.John. Lana Wood (Natalie Wood’s sister), who was thrown out the hotel window towards the beginning, should have been the Bond-girl. Ironically later Jill St.John would marry Robert Wagner...who was previously married to Natalie Wood, and there’ll probably always be rumors & suspicions surrounding her death and whether Wagner had anything to do with it. But I love Diamonds Are Forever...fun, “light” Bond movie & Connery’s last! Two thumbs up! I too agree this is a fun Bond film. In fact it is my favorite of the the whole series. I saw it in my local theater multiple times when it first aired. I was only 10 years old but this film made me dream about becoming a secret agent. Loved the car chase. I look at Vegas in this film and compare it to what I see today. Wow, that city has grown. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViceFanMan Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 27 minutes ago, Vicefan7777 said: I too agree this is a fun Bond film. In fact it is my favorite of the the whole series. I saw it in my local theater multiple times when it first aired. I was only 10 years old but this film made me dream about becoming a secret agent. Loved the car chase. I look at Vegas in this film and compare it to what I see today. Wow, that city has grown. It’s one of my favorites too! I loved the light-heartedness, action, and goofy humor. Vegas has definitely grown from the days of the 70s! On a side note...a few years before actor Robert Urich (Dan Tanna) got sick with cancer, he was thinking about doing a VEGA$ (1978-1981) reunion movie—as he always thought that show got canceled way too soon. But even he mentioned how much Vegas had grown, and it was no longer the popular little strip of casinos that once was what Vegas was famous for. By the time CSI premiered in 2000, I don’t think hardly any of the original casinos from the days of Diamonds or VEGA$ existed anymore. Also, MV creator Michael Mann created VEGA$ too..but famous producer Aaron Spelling took over and made VEGA$ into what he wanted. Much of what Mann originally wanted Dan Tanna to be, was what Sonny Crockett ended up being. I love both shows and characters! Edited October 9, 2018 by ViceFanMan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daytona74 Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 wow, I was not expecting to be up against this many fans of "Diamonds Are Forever" on here... Maybe I just like different things about the classic old Bond films than you guys. I like the ones where Sean Connery is more the no-nonsense, rough and ready spy agent who gets the job done, and in that trademark Connery British gentleman style. Movies like Goldfinger or Dr. No are more up my alley in that respect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Hanna Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 Diamonds are Forever is really goofy but it's one of those "it's so bad that it's good" movies. Mr Wint and Mr Kidd, Blofeld in drag, Bambi and Thumper etc. At one point bond thwarts a henchmen with a mouse trap If it was any sillier it would be the Casino Royale spoof. It does have some decent stuff like the car chase and some witty dialogue so I don't know, If you just watch it as some silly nonsense then it's entertaining but if you were expecting a serious film then yeah it's bad.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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