Movies you have seen recently

[ViceFanMan]

Who has seen Michael Mann’s Thief…and what do you think of it?

[jpaul1]

5 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

Who has seen Michael Mann’s Thief…and what do you think of it?

i like: realistic treatment of the subject by Mann. in short we nearly have the feeling Mann had pierced safes in another life. This is Mann's paw. a great ending scene (starring Farina)

i dislike: the depicted thief looks like an idiot. making him not worth making a movie around IMHO. the guy depicted just looks like a retarded to me. this is my personal opinion that engages myself only

[ViceFanMan]

2 minutes ago, jpaul1 said:

the depicted thief looks like an idiot. making him not worth making a movie around IMHO. the guy depicted just looks like a retarded to me. this is my personal opinion that engages myself only

James Caan’s character? I’ve actually never seen this movie before (have always meant to, but just never did) & I’m getting ready to see it now…recently acquired the Criterion Collection Special Edition Blu-ray. 

[jpaul1]

yeah Caan character. Caan plays well. but the guy he depicts looks like an idiot, at least to me. at one moment he says i'm a thief, that's the only thing i can do. i was in front of the screen, and i wanted to tell him. go get yourself a job your stupid c... and stop wasting my time, pretending you can be a movie hero, lol x)

honestly the movie wasn't that bad overall. but that sentence killed it all for me x)

Edited September 5, 2023 by jpaul1

[ViceFanMan]

15 minutes ago, jpaul1 said:

yeah Caan character. Caan plays well. but the guy he depicts looks like an idiot, at least to me. at one moment he says i'm a thief, that's the only thing i can do. i was in front of the screen, and i wanted to tell him. go get yourself a job your stupid c... and stop wasting my time, pretending you can be a movie hero, lol x)

honestly the movie wasn't that bad overall. but that sentence killed it all for me x)

I’m starting it now…I’ll see what I think of him. 

[Vicefan7777]

2 hours ago, ViceFanMan said:

Who has seen Michael Mann’s Thief…and what do you think of it?

I saw it during its original run at my town's Drive-In theater.  I thought it was a gritty look at the criminal underworld.  So in other words, I enjoyed it. 

[ViceFanMan]

36 minutes ago, Vicefan7777 said:

I saw it during its original run at my town's Drive-In theater.  I thought it was a gritty look at the criminal underworld.  So in other words, I enjoyed it. 

Just finished it. I agree…very gritty, dark delve into the early 80s criminal underworld. From what they said in interviews in the special features, Mann & crew basically learned how to realistically crack safes, handle weapons, and operate like mob guys & criminals. 

There were a few times it seemed to drag a bit…but, overall I enjoyed it.  Really cool to see some pre-MV characters having parts…John Santucci, Willie Nelson, Dennis Farina, etc…! 

Edited September 6, 2023 by ViceFanMan

[jpaul1]

Caliber 9. enjoyable poliziottesco. for some reason seing all these 70s props of my childhood, whatever it is furniture, or cars makes me feel good

[RedDragon86]

21 hours ago, jpaul1 said:

yeah Caan character. Caan plays well. but the guy he depicts looks like an idiot, at least to me. at one moment he says i'm a thief, that's the only thing i can do. i was in front of the screen, and i wanted to tell him. go get yourself a job your stupid c... and stop wasting my time, pretending you can be a movie hero, lol x)

honestly the movie wasn't that bad overall. but that sentence killed it all for me x)

I never got that with his character, James Cann is great.

The thief line, It's not just that it's the only thing he can do, he is a master at it. He's not like some mob guy hijacking trucks.

Plus he is a legit businessman on the side, sell's cars and has various stores across Chicago, so technically he does have a job. When he is saying "I'm a Thief" it's that he is super sophisticated at it.

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by RedDragon86

[ViceFanMan]

3 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

I never got that with his character, James Cann is great.

The thief line, It's not just that it's the only thing he can do, he is a master at it. He's not like some mob guy hijacking trucks.

Plus he is a legit businessman on the side, sell's cars and has various stores across Chicago, so technically he does have a job. When he is saying "I'm a Thief" it's that he is super sophisticated at it.

 

This is exactly how I took it, too! He can do & did multiple jobs or enterprises…but, he was immensely good at being a high-priced thief. Like you said, he was a master at it, and he enjoyed it. But, when he went from being on his own to getting in the proverbial bed with the mob…that’s where he messed up. 

[jpaul1]

maybe the french translation bears it into another direction. in the french version he says that like it's the only way he knows to earn his life. however it's just a detail. and as i said overall the movie is not bad

[Kalci]

Back to the Thief(1980) movie. I liked that too. Watched it about 2years ago.

Loved the Tengerine Dream OST how it created the right atmosphere to the scenes. Really well edited and shot movie I think.

 

[RedDragon86]

On 9/6/2023 at 8:35 AM, jpaul1 said:

maybe the french translation bears it into another direction. in the french version he says that like it's the only way he knows to earn his life. however it's just a detail. and as i said overall the movie is not bad

I has to be different in the French version because all he is trying to say to Jessie is what he does for a living and it's not like it's "all he can do" or all he knows.

"What the hell
do you think that I do?"

"Come on, come on!"

"Come on! Every morning I walk in
for five months, say hi"

"What the hell
do you think that I do?!

"You sell little f**kin' cars,
that's what you do"

"I wear $150 slacks!
I wear silk shirts!"

"I wear $800 suits!"
I wear a gold watch!

"I wear a perfect D flawless,
three-carat ring!"

"I change cars like other guys
change their f**kin' shoes!"

"I'm a thief.
I've been in prison"
 

Edited September 7, 2023 by RedDragon86

[ViceFanMan]

It’s starting to head towards the spooky time of the year, so last night I watched the 1979 version of Stephen King’s novel…Salem’s Lot. I hadn’t seen it in close to 30 years, and that time was a cable TV airing that was probably edited. But, I swiped up a Blu-ray at Walmart for only about $8 the other day. 

However, like the original IT (1990) it’s a fairly well done TV miniseries adaptation of one of King’s books. Although there are somewhat “cheesy” parts & some over-dramatic music in some scenes, I have to remember it was 1979 television. 
 

The cast was amazing…with David Soul, Lance Kerwin, James Mason, Bonnie Bedelia, Elisha Cook, Jr., Marie Windsor, etc…!  Everyone gave awesome performances for what it was, and it was  kinda cool seeing Elisha & Marie together again…as they had last worked together in Stanley Kubrick’s crime noir The Killing (1956). 
 

In all honesty, the scares & jumps are not as prevalent as you might think for a vampire story, although there are definitely a few…but the eeriness of the filming locations, the appearance of the townspeople & children as vampires, and the construction of the seriously foreboding & creepy Marsten House all help with the “spooky” aspect. 
 

I also enjoyed the ode or “nod” towards the famous silent 1922 vampire film Nosferatu, with the seriously grotesque, frightening & monstrous ‘Kurt Barlow’!  
 

By no means is this an epic or famous vampire movie…but, for what it was & the budget at the time, it’s a fun one for King fans. I’ve since purchased a Blu-ray of the theatrical sequel A Return to Salem’s Lot (1987), although none of the original characters are in this one, and a DVD of the TV miniseries remake Salem’s Lot (2004) with Rob Lowe. I’ve actually seen both of those as well…but not since each originally was released to theaters or premiered on TV. I don’t remember much about them.

There is also a brand new, theatrical version of Salems Lot that has been made in the past couple years. However, for some reason release delays keep happening, and unfortunately at this point in time it is not known when it will hit theaters? 

I’ve also read King’s novel once, but that was probably around 30 years ago as well. So, I found a halfway decent priced 1st edition hardback on eBay…and am awaiting it to read again. It’ll be something fun to go through around this time of year—and interesting to see how the movies differ from the original novel.  

Edited September 8, 2023 by ViceFanMan

[fakespyder]

1 hour ago, ViceFanMan said:

 

Man, that guy scared the crap out me as a kid.

To be honest, he still does. 

[johnnyfarragut]

I distinctly remember running out of the room the first time The Master appeared.

Everyone talked about that show in school the day after.

[jpaul1]

watched TAG yesterday. it's about young people in an university who play a fake assassination game with toys guns. when suddenly one of them go to s.., and decides to use a real gun. starring a young Lynda Hamilton. enjoyable

[RedDragon86]

11 hours ago, fakespyder said:

Man, that guy scared the crap out me as a kid.

To be honest, he still does. 

Paying homage to Max Schreck's nosferatu.

[jpaul1]

good little adventure movie. three guys, and a woman escape a slave camp in the Amazonas. lead by corrupted psycopath abusers. they find their way to Ecuador. but turn back to seek revenge. they're actually forced to turn back. because before they killed ecuadorian soldiers. i don't know if it's temporary, but i'm really enjoying these 70s movies. just watched another poliziottesco just before The cop in blue jeans, and it was pretty cool too

[ViceFanMan]

7 hours ago, fakespyder said:

Man, that guy scared the crap out me as a kid.

To be honest, he still does. 

 

4 hours ago, johnnyfarragut said:

I distinctly remember running out of the room the first time The Master appeared.

Everyone talked about that show in school the day after.

 

3 hours ago, RedDragon86 said:

Paying homage to Max Schreck's nosferatu.

Yeah it’s creepy in its own way…and the part where Barlow/‘The Master’ smashed through the window of Mark’s house & attacked everyone was pretty freaky! 
 

Yes, as I mentioned in my original post, there are definite homages to the 1922 film Nosferatu—especially with Barlow. Oddly enough I have never seen it…but although I love old movies, I don’t usually care for silent ones, lol. But, sometime I should see it. 

[johnnyfarragut]

The poster is an homage to Faust (1926), another Murnau movie.

Edited September 8, 2023 by johnnyfarragut

[ViceFanMan]

1 hour ago, johnnyfarragut said:

The poster is an homage to Faust (1926), another Murnau movie.

True…the poster style definitely looks to be a tribute to Faust. I’ve actually not heard of that one before.  The Kurt Barlow character in “Salem” is a definite homepage to Count Orlok in Nosferatu: 

Count Orlok in Nosferatu (1922)

Kurt Barlow in Salem’s Lot (1979)

[ViceFanMan]

On 9/5/2022 at 12:41 PM, ViceFanMan said:

FYI...this may be a long review.  Many times a big, epic studio-backed film (including horror ones) are fun to see, but sometimes it’s the older B, low budget films that are truly enjoyable for a variety of reasons...and have since garnered a huge cult following & have become “classics” in their own right!

When it comes to horror/scare flicks, of course most think of Halloween (1978), and I’ll post about it later this fall season. But, last night I watched another very low budget B film that in the past 30 years or so has become very popular: Carnival of Souls (1962). 

It was made by Lawrence, Kansas industrial film maker Herk Harvey & his Centron Corporation film crew. He had taken a vacation to Salt Lake City, Utah and was driving back to Kansas..when one early evening, in the twilight, he saw the hulking mass of the old abandoned Saltair Pavilion & Amusement Park. He suddenly knew he had to do a script that revolved around it. Harvey got co-worker John Clifford to screen-write the movie, got together some other Centron crew, and thus was born “Carnival”! 

The eerie & foreboding atmosphere, organ music, cinematography, and even the bizarre look of The Man & the ghouls/dead people are very creepy & effective. Although the acting was not exactly Academy Award material (Candace Hilligoss was the only officially trained actress) , the somewhat naive & low-key demeanor of the Kansas residents (as the movie is set in both Kansas & eventually Utah) is very realistic to me...as I’m from small town Midwest & especially back when this movie was made (unlike today), low-key was sought after & considered peaceful.

But, the abandoned Saltair Pavilion & Amusement Park, that used to be outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, was the perfect foreboding, freaky location—it’s almost a main “character” in itself! Sadly, it has long since been demolished, and not much is left out there today.

But, the bizarre plot kind of captivates you & draws you in...poor Mary Henry & her friends are goaded into drag racing a car of boys, trying to show off. They enter onto an old rickety bridge & the girl’s car accidentally crashes through one of the old railings & plummets into the deep & swirling Kansas river. (Sidenote: Herk Harvey got permission from the Kansas county to crash the old car off the bridge & into the river...with the understanding he would have the car removed from the river when done filming & he would pay to have the bridge railing repaired. He did this, and when he got the bridge railing repair bill...it was all of $12, lol! I’m sure today the city & county would charge ten times that amount just to get some money out of it. )

But...just when law enforcement and the towns people are thinking the car is lost in the current and will never be found, suddenly Mary is climbing out of the water covered in mud but unhurt. She eventually gets a job at a church in Salt Lake City, Utah playing the organ (creepy organ music is used throughout the film & is very effective), and leaves Kansas.

However, her new life is anything but bliss or peaceful...as she’s continually tormented & stalked by a ghastly apparition—known only as ‘The Man’. She’s also obsessed with & uncontrollably drawn to the old abandoned lakeside pavilion on the edge of town, but doesn’t know why?

I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s definitely a disturbing & “dark” tale of life, death...and in between! The makeup & “look” of The Man & fellow ghouls is definitely frightening (especially when they grin) ...and I don’t know how true this is, but I’ve read before that another industrial film maker that wanted to get into making actual movies, George Romero, got some of the idea for his zombies in his 1968 cult classic Night of the Living Dead, from the ghouls in this film.

Carnival of Souls was never a commercially successful film...as the distribution company Herk Harvey used (Hertz-Lion) was fraudulent & crooks. Sadly almost all money was taken by that company & the distribution was basically being part of a double feature at drive-ins. Theatrical releases also cut the film down from its original director’s 84 mins to only 78 mins.

But, after it started being shown on late night TV in the 80s, it started getting recognition from new fans...popularity grew and in 1989 they actually had a reunion of the cast, writer, and Herk Harvey himself (who for budgetary reasons actually played The Man). Sadly, he passed away in 1996. But, in 1989 the film was preserved, re-released to theaters & art houses, and eventually marketed to VHS. 

Then enter the digital age...in 2000 the Criterion Collection released a special 2-disc DVD set of “Carnival”! It included the original theatrical 78min version—and the newly discovered 84min director’s cut! Plus multiple special features (including the 1989 reunion) are included. Criterion again released the film in 2016, this time on Blu-ray. However, for whatever reason the Blu-ray only includes the 78 min theatrical version—but the digitally remastered quality & info/trivia booklet make it worth it as well. The film was also colorized & put out on DVD by another company around 2005...but the quality isn’t as good as Criterion. I think the movie is more effective in its original B&W anyway. 

But, if you enjoy B, somewhat unknown, low budget films that used guerrilla-type special effects...yet definitely got the effect across, then I’d recommend this film! Some pics below: 

As I slowly start venturing into the spooks-n-kooks at this time of year…this was my post & review last year. Watching this one again tonight. 

[ViceFanMan]

Okay…I’m a car lover, so this next movie I’m watching again tonight is right up that alley. I also have a first edition hardback novel of it…my favorite Stephen King story: Christine (1983)!

A 1958 Plymouth Fury turns out to be an evil vehicle apparently straight from hell…that unleashes terror & death from “her” unholy chassis, towards anyone who dares to hurt her or her newfound owner Arnie Cunningham…or who Christine feels has come between them! This includes Arnie’s family, friends…and girlfriend.
 

John Carpenter directed the film, and for a relatively low budget came up with a fairly good adaptation of King’s book. Overall the movie is not that scary per-say …but, for some good creepy suspense/action moments, superb cars, awesome music, and some good acting by then unknowns (Keith Gordon—who some will remember later from MV’s actual last aired episode “Leap of Faith”, John Stockwell, and Alexandra Paul—who later became famous on the popular TV series Baywatch), the film is actually a “fun” one to watch! 
 

The novel is definitely much better than the movie…but for the time period, low budget & the special effects they had to work with at the time, and other elements, Christine was a good attempt at bringing King’s novel to life on the big screen. The movie also “corrected” a few mistakes or inaccuracies King had put in his book…such as: in the novel King had Christine a 4-door sedan—whereas Plymouth Furys were only coupes & he also talked about Christine’s gear lever dropping down into drive—whereas mid-late 1950s Chrysler products actually had push button transmissions.

To settle the debate about Plymouth not offering Furys in red & white in the late 50s, so Christine had to have been a Belvedere instead…Christine was actually a “customized” special order 1958 Plymouth Fury (both in King’s original novel & Carpenter’s film)! She was special ordered red & white from the Plymouth dealership by Lebay, in the fall of 1957.
 

Stephen King purposely chose the 58 Fury because he felt the looks of the car were awesome & it was a very underrated car…unlike the Chevrolet Vettes & Bel Airs of the same period. Also the name fit perfectly with the “fury” Lebay had towards people, the world, and life in his story. In the novel, Lebay’s fury is actually what “fuels” Christine and her road of death & destruction…whereas in the movie they change it to where Christine was already evil when being put together in the Plymouth plant, at the beginning.

Multiple 1957 & 1958 Plymouth Furys, Belvederes, and Savoys (in many different conditions) were acquired and used for different purposes. Some were used for parts to create the different Christines for different scenes (stunts, demolishes, show cars, etc…). Others were used at the very beginning on the supposed Detroit Plymouth assembly line where Christine was “born”.

In the past several years, several Stephen King stories that previously had movies or TV miniseries’ done on them, have gotten more modern remakes…the most famous being the IT movies. Christine is definitely one that could have a superb new version with what CGI can do in today’s film technology…and they wouldn’t have to actually destroy real 50s Plymouths! 
 

Supposedly Blumhouse has recently announced a new Christine movie is either in the works and/or has been filmed. If it ultimately gets released at some point, I look forward to seeing what a modern version can do with the story!   Some pics below: 

Edited September 14, 2023 by ViceFanMan

[Kladdagh]

I remember when I was reading the book and after that, saw the movie.

You are right @ViceFanMan, the book is better