S2DG said:

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Suprised I had not seen this movie as I love Film Noir. I really like the movie overall and it felt like the pacing kept me interested. Love period movies (to a degree) I noticed some of the details which really made it believable.

Kind of cool that this was a break out movie for Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe (for American audiences). Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger and Danny DeVito were all excellent as well.



out of

This is one of my favorite movies with LA as a backdrop in classic noir style. Compelling plot by James Ellroy and a superb script by Brian Helgeland. Hanson's direction was fantastic, and such great acting - Russell and Pearce are top notch here, as are DeVito, Spacey, Cromwell, Strathairn and Bassinger.

I would go 4.5 of 5 on this one for me.

[Edited 7/12/20 20:10pm]

EmmaMcG said:

Lot of talk about The Matrix here so I thought I'd throw in my two cents. The first movie is a modern classic. Brilliant, original sci-fi movie which influenced a whole load of movies, tv shows, videogames etc that followed. The second movie is ok at best. Completely unnecessary sequel. Whereas the first movie was groundbreaking, the follow-up was a by the numbers sequel that felt like it was made by two entirely different people. Some exciting set pieces but the videogame-style special effects let it down. The third movie is pretty much the same as the second one only without the moments of excitement. The upcoming Matrix 4 will probably be shit as well and with the Wachowski good will earned from the first movie running out fast, if the 4th movie is terrible, then we'll have to face the fact that they are not good filmmakers and the first Matrix movie was just a fluke. Unless you're a fan of the movie Bound. Which, aside from a pretty realistic sex scene, was also kind of boring.

Why do I fear that Samuel L Jackson and the Rock will be in the Matrix 4 movie

Mr. Holmes (2015)

The movie is an alternate scenario of Sherlock Holmes in which he's not fictional and is in the twilight of his life slowly forgetting things. Of course you can't have a Sherlock Holmes movie and it not be a mystery film so that ticks that box for us who love everything Holmes.

The abilities of Sir Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes is masterful. He made this movie in his 70s plays a man that's 93 and his younger self as well. Laura Linney is another actor that is consistently great. Just a great movie from top to bottom - writing, direction, acting...I really liked this movie and reccommend it.



out of

[Edited 7/14/20 9:26am]

S2DG said:

Mr. Holmes (2015)

The movie is an alternate scenario of Sherlock Holmes in which he's not fictional and is in the twilight of his life slowly forgetting things. Of course you can't have a Sherlock Holmes movie and it not be a mystery film so that ticks that box for us who love everything Holmes.

The abilities of Sir Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes is masterful. He made this movie in his 70s plays a man that's 93 and his younger self as well. Laura Linney is another actor that is consistently great as well. Just a great movie from top to bottom - writing, direction, acting...I really liked this movie and reccommend it.



out of

Oh! If you have never seen it - you should check out "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution" - it's a bizarre twist on these characters

IMDB: Dr. Watson (Robert Duvall) prepares a scheme to have Sherlock (Nicol Williamson) meet Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin) in Vienna to cure his drugs addiction. The trio will resolve the abduction of a famous actress damsel (Vanessa Redgrave), rescuing her from villains still being beset by his dastardly and devilish rival. Holmes excursion brings the famed Victorian sleuth towards Austria, as Holmes along, Freud will solve unanswered mysteries and Sherlock undergoes some risky experiences to solve the cases using even his habitual disguise.

DiminutiveRocker said:

S2DG said:

Mr. Holmes (2015)

The movie is an alternate scenario of Sherlock Holmes in which he's not fictional and is in the twilight of his life slowly forgetting things. Of course you can't have a Sherlock Holmes movie and it not be a mystery film so that ticks that box for us who love everything Holmes.

The abilities of Sir Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes is masterful. He made this movie in his 70s plays a man that's 93 and his younger self as well. Laura Linney is another actor that is consistently great as well. Just a great movie from top to bottom - writing, direction, acting...I really liked this movie and reccommend it.



out of

Oh! If you have never seen it - you should check out "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution" - it's a bizarre twist on these characters

IMDB: Dr. Watson (Robert Duvall) prepares a scheme to have Sherlock (Nicol Williamson) meet Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin) in Vienna to cure his drugs addiction. The trio will resolve the abduction of a famous actress damsel (Vanessa Redgrave), rescuing her from villains still being beset by his dastardly and devilish rival. Holmes excursion brings the famed Victorian sleuth towards Austria, as Holmes along, Freud will solve unanswered mysteries and Sherlock undergoes some risky experiences to solve the cases using even his habitual disguise.

Thank you, the cast alone has me all in.

Shine (1996)

Australian bio film based on the life of David Helfgott, a pianist who suffered a mental breakdown after years of abuse by his father. This sounds like a downer but the movie was really good because of Geoffrey Rush's acting abilities. Not to take away from the talents of Armin Mueller-Stahl who played the father and was also really good.

Then there's the music...

My knowledge of classical music is limited but the way the movie uses it throughout the entire movie was engaging. It's the co-star in this movie and helps to create an emotional attachment to the main character. I understand the critical acclaim this movie has as it's just really good on multiple levels.


out of

[Edited 7/15/20 8:41am]

S2DG said:

sexton said:

The Lighthouse (2019) - Two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity whilst living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

After a second viewing, this wonderful oddity remains my favorite film of 2019. 5/5

Just recently found another movie called "The Lighthouse" only it's from 2018. Directed by Chris Crow with actors I'm not familiar with.

It looks very similar...have you heard of it sexton?

Not at all.

Iron Man 3 (2013) - When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

I like this a little more every time I watch it. I like that Robert Downey Jr. is mostly Tony Stark instead of Iron Man. I like Ben Kingsley as Trevor, the fake Mandarin. And I really like that it's a Christmas movie. 3.5/5

sexton said:

Iron Man 3 (2013) - When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

I like this a little more every time I watch it. I like that Robert Downey Jr. is mostly Tony Stark instead of Iron Man. I like Ben Kingsley as Trevor, the fake Mandarin. And I really like that it's a Christmas movie. 3.5/5

Agreed on all ^. I liked it MUCH more that IM II. (P.S. the director and I have mutual friends in the biz )

DiminutiveRocker said:

EmmaMcG said:

DiminutiveRocker said:

Agreed on all ^. I liked it MUCH more that IM II. (P.S. the director and I have mutual friends in the biz )

I'm a big Shane Black fan. One of the best writers in Hollywood, as far as I'm concerned. Shame his recent Predator movie was shit though.

Did you know he wrote the first draft of Lethal Weapon in college and it was much much much darker than the version that was made into a film. He's a very smart guy, eccentric - but smart. Success courted him very early and he had some rough patches, but he's talented fo sure. Did you see "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" - now that is a an underrated film!

Le pacte des loups / Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) - In 18th-century France, the Chevalier de Fronsac and his Native American friend Mani are sent to the Gevaudan province at the king's behest to investigate the killings of hundreds by a mysterious beast.

This is an awesomely bonkers movie--a French-martial arts-horror-period piece-epic! 4.5/5

DiminutiveRocker said:

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Recently watched the connected movie to this (Flags of Our Fathers - 2006) and thought it was amazing. This movie was better because it was powerful with a beautiful view of Japanese culture dealing with the horrors of war.

The subtitles didn't bother me but I bet it would have been better if I spoke Japanese.


Great acting by the entire cast and story telling kept me engaged. Just saw the actor Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai and he was great in this as well. Unbelievable odds, the discipline and the human aspect (regardless of culture) made this just a perfect movie.



out of

S2DG said:

Drive (2011)

Lean, mean, suspenseful action film that I should have seen earlier. Gosling seems to channel Clint Eastwood's "Monco" and Robert De Niro's "Neil McCauley" as Driver. The cast is excellent from top to bottom, especially a chillingly good performance from Albert Brooks. One of the best films in the genre since Heat.

EmmaMcG said:

S2DG said:

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

I much preferred this to Flags... It's been about 13 or 14 years since I seen either of them though. I must rewatch them sometime.

I completely agree. One of Eastwood's best films and one of the best war films ever made.

La vérité / The Truth (2019) - A stormy reunion between scriptwriter Lumir with her famous mother and actress, Fabienne, against the backdrop of Fabienne's autobiographic book and her latest role in a Sci-Fi picture as a mother who never grows old.

Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche in the same movie! I was really looking forward to seeing this when it was scheduled to open in theaters in the states back in March--and then it didn't. I believe it's now showing in some theaters somewhere, but I opted for a streaming rental.

With that much anticipation, it's thankfully a delightful film if you enjoy watching seasoned actors do their thing without any kind of wild plot distractions. Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche play Fabienne and Lumir, a mother and daughter with a strained relationship while Ethan Hawke as Lumir's non-French-speaking American husband and Clementine Grenier as their bilingual daughter bring levity and charm to counterbalance the mother-daughter tension. I often crave simple films like this. 4/5

Blood Father (2016)

Haven't been following Mel Gibson's recent work so I wasn't sure what to expect. The last movie of his I enjoyed was The Edge of Darkness (2010) so I had high hopes for this movie.

Tells the sorted tale of an ex-con who reconnects with his long lost daughter only to have to deal with the mess she's got herself into. Kind of predictable plot but I found the movie really entertaining and it kept my interest. The desert as a set really captured the isolation of being on the run and added so much to the film.

Mel Gibson still has acting chops and he's looking healthy for 60 years old. Co-star Erin Moriarty was really good and I think she will just get better. Then the reason I had to watch was Michael Parks; this guy was a fascinating actor that I've loved for a long time. The "casting icing on top" was William H. Macy who has a small role but is just a great actor.


1/2's out of

sexton said:

La vérité / The Truth (2019) - A stormy reunion between scriptwriter Lumir with her famous mother and actress, Fabienne, against the backdrop of Fabienne's autobiographic book and her latest role in a Sci-Fi picture as a mother who never grows old.

Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche in the same movie! I was really looking forward to seeing this when it was scheduled to open in theaters in the states back in March--and then it didn't. I believe it's now showing in some theaters somewhere, but I opted for a streaming rental.

With that much anticipation, it's thankfully a delightful film if you enjoy watching seasoned actors do their thing without any kind of wild plot distractions. Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche play Fabienne and Lumir, a mother and daughter with a strained relationship while Ethan Hawke as Lumir's non-French-speaking American husband and Clementine Grenier as their bilingual daughter bring levity and charm to counterbalance the mother-daughter tension. I often crave simple films like this. 4/5

I have been looking forward to this one.

S2DG said:

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Did these MF'rs just to be continued me like an episode of Lost? Really? Can't say I wasn't warned but I just had to see for myself.

The shine was missing from this effort and now Neo is Superman that's developing new powers. It felt like this movie shared the production values from the first one but something was missing. Maybe because the first movie was so good and a point of comparison, I expected more?

I think my curiosity has been satisfied even with that to be continued BS, I out for Matrix 3


out of

Expectations were sky high for this sequel. It didn't deliver but it wasn't as bad as others make it seem.

That said, if Neo was Superman in Reloaded he was Jesus in Revolutions. If you've seen The Rise of Skywalker you've basically seen The Matrix Revolutions.

I like both of the Matrix sequels. Especially the cast. But both films get too cute by half, and they each fall well short of the original. Each get from me:

.25

[Edited 7/20/20 18:20pm]

Gilda (1946)

After watching Shawshank Redemption for the 500th time (maybe an exaggeration) I had to see the movie they're watching which brought me to Gilda. It's the movie that made Rita Hayworth a bigger sex symbol than she already was.


Film noir film that was really interesting and entertaining. Ms Hayworth is the obvious star; dancing, acting and model looks. Not to take away from Glenn Ford because he was awesome in his role and had a presence. The movie kept my attention and I think it held up pretty well for it's age.


out of

Ok was in the mood to watch an 80's slasher movie so I watched a movie I never seen before, the Burning. It was ok for what it was. The bonus was that Jason Alexander was in it. He's 22 years old and he basically acted like George from Seinfeld. Really this guy is 22 years old but still seems like a middle age man

[Edited 7/20/20 22:38pm]

kpowers said:

Ok was in the mood to watch an 80's slasher movie so I watched a movie I never seen before, the Burning. It was ok for what it was. The bonus was that Jason Alexander was in it. He's 22 years old and he basically acted like George from Seinfeld. Really this guy is 22 years old but still seems like a middle age man

[Edited 7/20/20 22:38pm]

Costanza looking good! Did he meet an untimely end?

Did you like the movie?

S2DG said:

kpowers said:

Ok was in the mood to watch an 80's slasher movie so I watched a movie I never seen before, the Burning. It was ok for what it was. The bonus was that Jason Alexander was in it. He's 22 years old and he basically acted like George from Seinfeld. Really this guy is 22 years old but still seems like a middle age man

[Edited 7/20/20 22:38pm]

Costanza looking good! Did he meet an untimely end?

Did you like the movie?

You'll have to watch it to find out. The movie was ok

kpowers said:

S2DG said:

Costanza looking good! Did he meet an untimely end?

Did you like the movie?

You'll have to watch it to find out. The movie was ok

I guess I'll never know...

2 movies I'm looking forward to

Clockers (1995)

One of Spike Lee's better films, and his grittiest, which I'd never seen from beginning to end, has aged pretty doggone well. As with many of Spike's films in the 90's, it featured a great ensemble cast led by Mekhi Pfifer, Delroy Lindo and Harvey Keitel. Kinda misses the mark in Act III IMHO but a modern classic all the same.