Ace said:

7thday said:

Night On Earth 4 stars out of 5

I saw this when it first came out. The only segments that I could name off the top of my head are the one with Winona Ryder and Gena Rowlands, and the one with Roberto Benigni (but I don't even remember the details of those).

Was this your first time seeing it? And what did you enjoy about it so much?

I used to really like Jarmusch - when I was younger. But now, when I think back on the films of his I've seen, I remember them as more style than substance. I don't recall them as having much "heart".

I've only seen Strangers in Paradise, Down by Law, Mystery Train, Night on Earth and Coffee & Cigarettes.

...Oh, I just remembered there's a segment with Beatrice Dalle as a blind woman?

I'm a big Jarmusch fan, but I understand the pace of his movies is slow, and it takes some patience to watch. I love his pacing though, I can really settle in and enjoy it. It's like slow lovemaking. I saw Night on Earth when it first came out too. I liked it becasue it's such a "slice of life" kind of thing. The Roberto Begnigi segment is where he thinks he's killed the preist with his sordid tales of his sex life. Really the preist has just dropped his heart attack pills and can't reach them before he dies. It's so true to life that something hilarious will pop up among the mundane. The blind woman segment is great too because the cabbie is the victim of ignorance with his first two passengers then he turns out to be very ignorant of blind people.

I recommend Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai and his latest, Only Lovers Left Alive.

7thday said:

Ace said:

I thought this was very entertaining. The only quibble I can think of is the way the inflection on the key phrase was changed at the end. Wouldn't you say this was a cheat?

I didn't notice that at all. I'll have to re-watch it. Isn't it like Hackman pieces together the conversation by combining tapes A, B and C? Damn, now I'll really have to go back to it.

7thday, listen to the recording of the sentence in question (I'm not quoting it here as - of course - it's not a spoiler, but the spoiler) at any point but the end of the movie. The inflection (i.e. the stress on a certain word) is clearly different at the end. Ruined for me what was otherwise a very interesting film.

7thday said:

Ace said:

I saw this when it first came out. The only segments that I could name off the top of my head are the one with Winona Ryder and Gena Rowlands, and the one with Roberto Benigni (but I don't even remember the details of those).

Was this your first time seeing it? And what did you enjoy about it so much?

I used to really like Jarmusch - when I was younger. But now, when I think back on the films of his I've seen, I remember them as more style than substance. I don't recall them as having much "heart".

I've only seen Strangers in Paradise, Down by Law, Mystery Train, Night on Earth and Coffee & Cigarettes.

...Oh, I just remembered there's a segment with Beatrice Dalle as a blind woman?

I'm a big Jarmusch fan, but I understand the pace of his movies is slow, and it takes some patience to watch.

I have no problem with his pacing.

The Roberto Begnigi segment is where he thinks he's killed the preist with his sordid tales of his sex life.

Oh, right. Something about a sheep?

I recommend Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai and his latest, Only Lovers Left Alive.

The subject matter of those just doesn't interest me. I think I saw Down by Law first, 'cause I used to be a major Tom Waits fan (Tom's still funny and I still enjoy a lot of his music, but my fandom has waned). I recall enjoying all the ones I've named above, but - maybe with the exception of Strangers in Paradise - I don't know if I could sit through any of them again, being the person I am now.

Mamet is a great writer. But a great film director? Not so much.

Parts of this were very amusing, but it was way over-scored (and the score sucked, IMHO). The cinematography was exceptionally flat and the whole thing seemed like a play put on celluloid (e.g. the acting was very stagey).

Comes alive when Parker, Baldwin or Paymer are onscreen, but otherwise I thought it mostly fell flat. Even Philip Seymour Hoffman doesn't fare well here, if you ask me.

I guess I'd give it 2.5 out of 4? I seem to be in the minority, though, as Rotten Tomatoes has it at 86% positive and 70% positive (critics and audience, respectively).

[img:$uid]http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/319/files/2015/04/Star-Wars-The-Force-Awakens.jpg[/img:$uid]

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6.5/10. Maybe 7. Saw it twice and liked it so much more the first time. The first time it's exciting and everything but on the second viewing a few aspects and the over-the-top nostalgia bothered me more.

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9/10. What a great movie. The special and practical effects too, you think they actually shot people with arrows at the beginning. And this movie could not have been fun to shoot.

Phishanga said:

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9/10. What a great movie. The special and practical effects too, you think they actually shot people with arrows at the beginning. And this movie could not have been fun to shoot.

As far as i'm concerned for Dicaprio was not.

La Sapienza (2014) - At the height of his career, Alexandre decides to set off for Italy with the idea of completing of a book on Borromini. Along with his wife Alienor feels her relationship with Alexandre is gradually slipping away. Along the way they meet siblings Goffredo and Lavinia. Gofffredo is about to embark in architectural studies. A story of rediscover the joys of life and overcoming anxiety.

I had to watch this movie twice to appreciate it. I expected it to be a grand spectacle like The Great Beauty or I Am Love, but it has more of a low key, Wes Anderson-kind of quirkiness--which I found quite amusing. The message and architecture shots though are very profound. 3.5/5

Tangerine (2015) - A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart.



I think the trailer gives away too much, but I posted it anyway. Very well-done--especially considering it was all shot on iPhones. This could become a future Christmas staple for me. 4/5

A Most Violent Year (2014)

I loved it. Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks and David Oyelowo were fantastic. The final scene in the movie was the one of the very best (for my $ anyway) in recent film history.

namepeace said:

A Most Violent Year (2014)

I loved it. Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks and David Oyelowo were fantastic. The final scene in the movie was the one of the very best (for my $ anyway) in recent film history.

I loved Jessica Chastain in this movie.

sexton said:

namepeace said:

A Most Violent Year (2014)

I loved it. Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks and David Oyelowo were fantastic. The final scene in the movie was the one of the very best (for my $ anyway) in recent film history.

I loved Jessica Chastain in this movie.

She just didn't have enough screen time. For my $, all 3 actors were Oscar-worthy.

sexton said:

Tangerine (2015) - A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart.



I think the trailer gives away too much, but I posted it anyway. Very well-done--especially considering it was all shot on iPhones. This could become a future Christmas staple for me. 4/5

The iPhone angle piqued my interest (as I'm sure it did for most). I've only seen the trailer, but it looks very video-y. Good on the filmmaker, though, for having the ingenuity to shoot it this way and garner the attention. More power to him.

[img:$uid]http://www.reellifewithjane.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Spotlight-330.jpg[/img:$uid]

Was OK... Watching the "Hulk" guy trying to act was annoying though...

Neversin.

The Duke of Burgundy (2014) - A woman who studies butterflies and moths tests the limits of her relationship with her lesbian lover.

Hot movie--even with the absence of nudity. And a beautiful soundtrack by Horrors side project band, Cat's Eyes. 4.5/5

Phishanga said:

[img:$uid]http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/319/files/2015/04/Star-Wars-The-Force-Awakens.jpg[/img:$uid]

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6.5/10. Maybe 7. Saw it twice and liked it so much more the first time. The first time it's exciting and everything but on the second viewing a few aspects and the over-the-top nostalgia bothered me more.

I finally got around to seeing this movie today, and while I enjoyed this very much I thought this was more of a derivative rehash of the past Star Wars movies.

But this movie I cannot recommend nearly enough.



While this is being touted as a comedy by the Golden Globes (you could call it a comedy, but a very dark one at best), it does a good job of explaining the huge global financial crash in human terms and shows just how greedy and corrupt the major Wall Street institutions were and still are. Granted, the "heroes" in this movie aren't exactly good guys, but they were smart enough to see disaster coming even though they immensely profited from it.

Neversin said:

Youth (2015) - A retired orchestra conductor is on holiday with his daughter and his film director best friend in the Alps when he receives an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to perform for Prince Philip's birthday.

Reviews for this are a bit mixed, but I loved the artiness and majesty of it. Director Paolo Sorrentino also directed my favorite movie of 2013, The Great Beauty and many of the same stylistic choices are present here. 4.5/5

The Big Short (2015) - Four denizens of the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.

An entertaining economics lesson. 3.5/5

I watched "2 Guns" last night. Mainly because I bought the DVD at Walmart for $7.99 or something like that. I stocked up on DVDs a little last week - besides "2 Guns", I got the first 4 Batman movies for $5, and the first 2 Transporter movies, also for $5. That's 7 Hollywood blockbusters for less than $20. Which is fine, but after I win the Powerball tonight, I expect to be buying newer movies.

But will they be as good as "2 Guns"? Yeah, probably.

"2 Guns" stars The Equalizer and Marky Mark (that's Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, for those of you that are unhip). They begin the movie by robbing a bank in a small South Texas town. It's pretty cool, because Marky Mark drives a '70 Dodge Challenger with a 440 Magnum, headers, chrome Magnum wheels, and glass packs. This movie would have been better if that car was in it more.

Then there's a flashback to one week prior, where The Equalizer and Marky Mark go to Mexico to trade some fake passports for some real cocaine. But the drug lord (the great Edward James Olmos aka EJO) refuses to pay The Equalizer in cocaine, instead giving him $100,000 in cash. The Equalizer really wants cocaine, because he already has it sold to someone else, so he gives back the cash and tells EJO "You owe me".

This totally badass move is then completely forgotten and never referred to again. Not even later in the movie when EJO has The Equalizer and Marky Mark hanging upside down and is bashing them with a baseball bat. I kept expecting The Equalizer to say "Hey! EJO! You owe me $100,000, remember? Doesn't that buy me a little love?!?" But he never did.

So they rob this bank, expecting to get $3 million of EJO's money from safe deposit boxes, therefore getting evidence that will convict EJO of drug trafficking. At least, that's what The Equalizer is doing.

SORTA KINDA SPOILER ALERT - But not so much, as this isn't really a major plot point. Honestly, I can't spoil this movie for you.

You see, neither of them knows the other is a good guy. The Equalizer is a DEA agent, and Marky Mark is an undercover Naval officer. The Equalizer is trying to get evidence on EJO. Marky Mark was sent undercover by his crooked Captain to steal EJO's money, which they would then split. But Marky Mark is really a good guy, and his plan is to rob the bank and then spill the beans to his Admiral, thus sending the crooked Captain and his three crooked accomplices to the hoosegow, and getting Marky Mark a medal. However, both The Equalizer and Marky Mark think each other is a crook. Confusing, I know. Most of this movie is confusing.

They blow all the safe deposit boxes and get not $3 million, but $43 million which was totally unexpected. They take all the money and head to the desert, where Marky Mark shoots The Equalizer in the shoulder. "It's just a flesh wound, you'll be OK" he tells The Equalizer as he leaves him stranded in the desert to die.

Marky Mark returns to his crooked Captain and gives him the money. "Did you kill The Equalizer?" he is asked. "I think so," says Marky Mark. "I shot him and left him for dead in the desert". This upsets the crooked Captain, who makes Marky Mark accompany him and his three buddies to the desert, in order to find The Equalizer's body.

And also to kill Marky Mark.

Marky Mark escapes, and then lots of other stuff happens. Suffice to say that Marky Mark re-engages with The Equalizer, and they find out that each other is a good guy who just happened to cross paths. And then they find out that the $43 million wasn't EJO's money - it was money that a crooked CIA chief made EJO pay for the right to transport drugs into the US without hassle, and the crooked CIA chief wants it back in the worst way.

So now The Equalizer and Marky Mark are being hunted by the CIA, EJO, and presumably the police although we don't see any more police officers in this movie.

They make it to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, hoping to: (A) retrieve the $43 million from the crooked Captain's safe; and (2) explain to the Admiral that the Captain is a crook and so can Marky Mark please come in from the cold and get his medal?

Neither (A) nor (2) happens. The Equalizer makes the crooked Captain open his safe and what do you know? There's no money! Marky Mark makes it to the Admiral, explains what has happened and can he please have a medal, and the Admiral says, "So what? We let you and the crooked Captain kill each other and that way, the Navy is out of it. No medal for you!" Marky Mark is understandably disappointed.

The Equalizer deduces that his ex-girlfriend - who now is basically a Friend With Benefits, as they boink several times in this movie - was in on the plot and was working with the crooked Captain. For some unexplained reason, the crooked Captain had not put the money in his safe but rather had given it to The Equalizer's ex-girlfriend. The ex-girlfriend is not only a traitor and a crook, but is also a DEA officer, so this causes The Equalizer a little distress. But he figures out where his ex-girlfriend had hidden the money, and gets it.

This is good because by this time EJO has kidnapped and killed the ex-girlfriend, which makes Marky Mark mad enough to storm EJO's compound on his own. Except the CIA shows up, as does the crooked Captain and his three crooked mates. So it's a regular Guys With Guns Sausagefest.

The Equalizer drives up in a red '63 Impala convertible, which is filled with $43 million. Everyone wants it. The Equalizer tells Marky Mark, "I'm going to make it rain" and blows up the car in a patented Walking Away From A Vehicle In Slow Motion While Holding Up A Remote And Detonating The Car move.

This causes confusion and a big shootout, which The Equalizer and Marky Mark win. After they win, Marky Mark tells The Equalizer, "Now, we aren't just partners. We're family". So of course The Equalizer shoots Marky Mark in the leg, telling him that they are now even in the "I shot you but only to wing you" department. Marky Mark takes this with surprisingly good humor.

The crooked CIA chief had previously told The Equalizer and Marky Mark that while he really, REALLY wanted his dirty $43 million back, he had $millions and $$$millions more stashed in safe deposit boxes throughout South Texas.

So of course The Equalizer and Marky Mark go to the DEA, CIA, whomever and end this all by telling the government about it, right?

Nope!

They end the movie the same way they started it - by robbing banks that have CIA money in safe deposit boxes (how they know WHICH banks to rob is never disclosed, although it may have had something to do with whether or not donuts in diners across the street from banks are the best in three counties. Seriously. I think if the question "How good are your donuts?" was answered "The best in three counties!" that meant there was money in the bank across the street).

Also, The Equalizer left behind the $43 million that got disbursed into the air by the patented Walking Away From A Vehicle In Slow Motion While Holding Up A Remote And Detonating The Car move, letting the poor Mexican ladies who had to work for EJO pick up as much of it as they could. But, there wasn't exactly $43 million in the car. The Equalizer kept some for himself but wouldn't tell Marky Mark how much.

"2 Guns" as an OK movie but there are lots of confusing plot holes, too much mumbling, and more things that didn't make sense that usual. Also, while you might THINK this movie was titled "2 Guns" because The Equalizer and Marky Mark each had a gun, I think that's wrong. I believe this movie was titled "2 Guns" because Marky Mark has excellent biceps, and they had him wear shirts that were 2 sizes too small in order to emphasize his two guns. As they say - "Sun's out, guns out!"

I generally do 10 sets of bicep curls at each workout. Therefore, given what "2 Guns" really refers to, I give this movie 6 sets of bicep curls out of a possible 10 sets of bicep curls.

Young Frankenstein 4 stars out of 5

Gene Wilder's reactions to Marty Feldman are priceless. Teri Garr is impossibly sexy and cute, and Cloris Leachman is hilarious too.

A+

RodeoSchro said:

I watched "2 Guns" last night. Mainly because I bought the DVD at Walmart for $7.99 or something like that. I stocked up on DVDs a little last week - besides "2 Guns", I got the first 4 Batman movies for $5, and the first 2 Transporter movies, also for $5. That's 7 Hollywood blockbusters for less than $20. Which is fine, but after I win the Powerball tonight, I expect to be buying newer movies.

But will they be as good as "2 Guns"? Yeah, probably.

"2 Guns" stars The Equalizer and Marky Mark (that's Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, for those of you that are unhip). They begin the movie by robbing a bank in a small South Texas town. It's pretty cool, because Marky Mark drives a '70 Dodge Challenger with a 440 Magnum, headers, chrome Magnum wheels, and glass packs. This movie would have been better if that car was in it more.

Then there's a flashback to one week prior, where The Equalizer and Marky Mark go to Mexico to trade some fake passports for some real cocaine. But the drug lord (the great Edward James Olmos aka EJO) refuses to pay The Equalizer in cocaine, instead giving him $100,000 in cash. The Equalizer really wants cocaine, because he already has it sold to someone else, so he gives back the cash and tells EJO "You owe me".

This totally badass move is then completely forgotten and never referred to again. Not even later in the movie when EJO has The Equalizer and Marky Mark hanging upside down and is bashing them with a baseball bat. I kept expecting The Equalizer to say "Hey! EJO! You owe me $100,000, remember? Doesn't that buy me a little love?!?" But he never did.

So they rob this bank, expecting to get $3 million of EJO's money from safe deposit boxes, therefore getting evidence that will convict EJO of drug trafficking. At least, that's what The Equalizer is doing.

SORTA KINDA SPOILER ALERT - But not so much, as this isn't really a major plot point. Honestly, I can't spoil this movie for you.

You see, neither of them knows the other is a good guy. The Equalizer is a DEA agent, and Marky Mark is an undercover Naval officer. The Equalizer is trying to get evidence on EJO. Marky Mark was sent undercover by his crooked Captain to steal EJO's money, which they would then split. But Marky Mark is really a good guy, and his plan is to rob the bank and then spill the beans to his Admiral, thus sending the crooked Captain and his three crooked accomplices to the hoosegow, and getting Marky Mark a medal. However, both The Equalizer and Marky Mark think each other is a crook. Confusing, I know. Most of this movie is confusing.

They blow all the safe deposit boxes and get not $3 million, but $43 million which was totally unexpected. They take all the money and head to the desert, where Marky Mark shoots The Equalizer in the shoulder. "It's just a flesh wound, you'll be OK" he tells The Equalizer as he leaves him stranded in the desert to die.

Marky Mark returns to his crooked Captain and gives him the money. "Did you kill The Equalizer?" he is asked. "I think so," says Marky Mark. "I shot him and left him for dead in the desert". This upsets the crooked Captain, who makes Marky Mark accompany him and his three buddies to the desert, in order to find The Equalizer's body.

And also to kill Marky Mark.

Marky Mark escapes, and then lots of other stuff happens. Suffice to say that Marky Mark re-engages with The Equalizer, and they find out that each other is a good guy who just happened to cross paths. And then they find out that the $43 million wasn't EJO's money - it was money that a crooked CIA chief made EJO pay for the right to transport drugs into the US without hassle, and the crooked CIA chief wants it back in the worst way.

So now The Equalizer and Marky Mark are being hunted by the CIA, EJO, and presumably the police although we don't see any more police officers in this movie.

They make it to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, hoping to: (A) retrieve the $43 million from the crooked Captain's safe; and (2) explain to the Admiral that the Captain is a crook and so can Marky Mark please come in from the cold and get his medal?

Neither (A) nor (2) happens. The Equalizer makes the crooked Captain open his safe and what do you know? There's no money! Marky Mark makes it to the Admiral, explains what has happened and can he please have a medal, and the Admiral says, "So what? We let you and the crooked Captain kill each other and that way, the Navy is out of it. No medal for you!" Marky Mark is understandably disappointed.

The Equalizer deduces that his ex-girlfriend - who now is basically a Friend With Benefits, as they boink several times in this movie - was in on the plot and was working with the crooked Captain. For some unexplained reason, the crooked Captain had not put the money in his safe but rather had given it to The Equalizer's ex-girlfriend. The ex-girlfriend is not only a traitor and a crook, but is also a DEA officer, so this causes The Equalizer a little distress. But he figures out where his ex-girlfriend had hidden the money, and gets it.

This is good because by this time EJO has kidnapped and killed the ex-girlfriend, which makes Marky Mark mad enough to storm EJO's compound on his own. Except the CIA shows up, as does the crooked Captain and his three crooked mates. So it's a regular Guys With Guns Sausagefest.

The Equalizer drives up in a red '63 Impala convertible, which is filled with $43 million. Everyone wants it. The Equalizer tells Marky Mark, "I'm going to make it rain" and blows up the car in a patented Walking Away From A Vehicle In Slow Motion While Holding Up A Remote And Detonating The Car move.

This causes confusion and a big shootout, which The Equalizer and Marky Mark win. After they win, Marky Mark tells The Equalizer, "Now, we aren't just partners. We're family". So of course The Equalizer shoots Marky Mark in the leg, telling him that they are now even in the "I shot you but only to wing you" department. Marky Mark takes this with surprisingly good humor.

The crooked CIA chief had previously told The Equalizer and Marky Mark that while he really, REALLY wanted his dirty $43 million back, he had $millions and $$$millions more stashed in safe deposit boxes throughout South Texas.

So of course The Equalizer and Marky Mark go to the DEA, CIA, whomever and end this all by telling the government about it, right?

Nope!

They end the movie the same way they started it - by robbing banks that have CIA money in safe deposit boxes (how they know WHICH banks to rob is never disclosed, although it may have had something to do with whether or not donuts in diners across the street from banks are the best in three counties. Seriously. I think if the question "How good are your donuts?" was answered "The best in three counties!" that meant there was money in the bank across the street).

Also, The Equalizer left behind the $43 million that got disbursed into the air by the patented Walking Away From A Vehicle In Slow Motion While Holding Up A Remote And Detonating The Car move, letting the poor Mexican ladies who had to work for EJO pick up as much of it as they could. But, there wasn't exactly $43 million in the car. The Equalizer kept some for himself but wouldn't tell Marky Mark how much.

"2 Guns" as an OK movie but there are lots of confusing plot holes, too much mumbling, and more things that didn't make sense that usual. Also, while you might THINK this movie was titled "2 Guns" because The Equalizer and Marky Mark each had a gun, I think that's wrong. I believe this movie was titled "2 Guns" because Marky Mark has excellent biceps, and they had him wear shirts that were 2 sizes too small in order to emphasize his two guns. As they say - "Sun's out, guns out!"

I generally do 10 sets of bicep curls at each workout. Therefore, given what "2 Guns" really refers to, I give this movie 6 sets of bicep curls out of a possible 10 sets of bicep curls.

7thday said:

Young Frankenstein 4 stars out of 5

Gene Wilder's reactions to Marty Feldman are priceless. Teri Garr is impossibly sexy and cute, and Cloris Leachman is hilarious too.

Haven't seen this in a long time, but - yeah - funny, funny picture and the cast is great.

The Danish Girl (2015) - A fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.

Not bad, but nothing exceptional about it either. 3/5

Brooklyn 4 stars out of 5

An old style film like they don't make very much anymore. Understated all the way through. 1950s clothing that was very nice to see.

sexton said:

The Big Short (2015) - Four denizens of the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.

An entertaining economics lesson. 3.5/5

just saw that myself. really enjoyed it. a touch too long maybe, but i always think movies are a touch too long. 4/5 would have gone higher...but i don't think they ever really explained how shorts work. if they did, i missed it. maybe they thought that would be too complicated, or one complicated topic too many. or maybe most people know shorts.

damosuzuki said:

sexton said:

The Big Short (2015) - Four denizens of the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.

An entertaining economics lesson. 3.5/5

just saw that myself. really enjoyed it. a touch too long maybe, but i always think movies are a touch too long. 4/5 would have gone higher...but i don't think they ever really explained how shorts work. if they did, i missed it. maybe they thought that would be too complicated, or one complicated topic too many. or maybe most people know shorts.

I agree with you that some of the financial jargon could have been explained better when the celebrity guest stars weren't doing it. I did like the movie more than Margin Call, another recent financial crisis movie that comes to mind. 3.75/5 may more accurately reflect how much I liked the film if I were to narrow my rating scale down to quarter decimals.