Movie Thread

[Tricycle Rider]

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) - I really wanted to like this movie, but it was so slow and boring (40 minutes had been spent on the geisha's childhood, I really don't need that much time to see she had a tough time as a kid) I ended up having to fast-forward. Stylistically it's a beautiful film, the colors, scenery, and costumes were all beautiful and reminiscent of The Last Emperor. But the rest was almost cartoonish fluff created so kids can understand, I was hoping for something a lot more adult. Actually what was interesting was reading about the history of geishas afterward, and finding out there was a big uproar because many of the film's actresses were Chinese rather than Japanese. (Ooooh, you don't want to make that mistake!) So at least there's that.

Virtuosity (1995) - I'm going to take a wild guess and say Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe would probably prefer to forget this sci-fi flick, and why Louise Fletcher was even in it is a mystery. (Nurse Ratched? In a sci-fi flick? This doesn't compute.) It was some dumb fun, but the plot was so cliché and predictable I felt like I've seen this movie hundreds of times before. It doesn't surprise me Virtuosity had bombed at the box office despite its star power.

 

[movingtarget]

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) - I really wanted to like this movie, but it was so slow and boring (40 minutes had been spent on the geisha's childhood, I really don't need that much time to see she had a tough time as a kid) I ended up having to fast-forward. Stylistically it's a beautiful film, the colors, scenery, and costumes were all beautiful and reminiscent of The Last Emperor. But the rest was almost cartoonish fluff created so kids can understand, I was hoping for something a lot more adult. Actually what was interesting was reading about the history of geishas afterward, and finding out there was a big uproar because many of the film's actresses were Chinese rather than Japanese. (Ooooh, you don't want to make that mistake!) So at least there's that.

Virtuosity (1995) - I'm going to take a wild guess and say Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe would probably prefer to forget this sci-fi flick, and why Louise Fletcher was even in it is a mystery. (Nurse Ratched? In a sci-fi flick? This doesn't compute.) It was some dumb fun, but the plot was so cliché and predictable I felt like I've seen this movie hundreds of times before. It doesn't surprise me Virtuosity had bombed at the box office despite its star power.

I remember seeing Louise Flecther in another sci/fi movie from the early 80s called Brainstorm. Not a classic but not bad and Louise Fletcher was good. Think it may have been Natalie Wood's last movie, Christopher Walken was also in it.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I remember seeing Louise Flecther in another sci/fi movie from the early 80s called Brainstorm. Not a classic but not bad and Louise Fletcher was good. Think it may have been Natalie Wood's last movie, Christopher Walken was also in it.

I watched Brainstorm (1983) yesterday, had never heard of it before. It was ok. I didn't think Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood had much chemistry as a couple, but Natalie Wood and a chain-smoking Louise Fletcher were both great in their roles. (Chris Walken was, well, Chris Walken.) I think the best parts were seeing what was then considered cutting edge technology, and the wardrobe. The wardrobe was such a bizarre mix of 70s polyester and 80s polo shirts, and who can forget the hairdos the men were sporting!

The Natalie Wood case is so odd, one minute they blame Robert Wagner for her death and the next they don't. It's a mystery that I think will never be solved no matter how many times they reopen it.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Flightplan (2005) - My oh my, what a spacious aircraft, wish my cramped and dull transatlantic flights had been that comfy, and even that eventful! Anyhoo, Jodie Foster was great and the movie actually pretty suspenseful until it started taking some ludicrous turns. It's just one of those movies where the more you think about it the less sense it makes, so it's best to leave it be.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

American Gigolo (1980) - Well, except for Blondie's "Call Me" and the Ford Pinto and sweet, sweet Mercedes 450 SL (the latter which Gere so mercilessly tore apart I nearly cried) there was nothing particularly memorable about this flick. None of the characters were likeable, so I didn't really care what happened to them. At least it was before women started wearing NFL football player shoulder pad fashions though, so there's that.

 

[movingtarget]

Words and Pictures (2013) curious mix of cliches and some hard hitting moments. Kind of a bittersweet romantic comedy. A missed opportunity but well acted by the two leads Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Tick Tock (2000) - This crime drama was so mesmerizingly bad it was good, I ended up laughing more than I should have. It was just one absurdity after another, it seemed more like a parody of a crime drama than anything. I was looking for some more poorly made and poorly rated movies that no one else has seen like it, turns out amazon prime has dozens of them. Think they came directly from the Lifetime channel, no wonder they don't cost anything extra to watch.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

The Rosary Murders (1987) - For those who had defected from the Catholic Church like I did this movie serves as an excellent reminder as to why, it covers just about all the bases, including a scene where an altar boy falls asleep during a typically very long Mass. I just had to laugh because, well, been there done that. That said this is actually a pretty decent if predictable thriller with a great cast, wish my priests had been as much fun and as progressive as Donald Sutherland's character. The ending was pretty silly, but all in all this is a pretty entertaining murder mystery.

Also tried to rewatch The Name of the Rose (1986) but couldn't finish because except for Sean Connery most of the characters were really gross, the director had apparently even said that he was intentionally looking for the most unattractive actors he could find. In that department he had certainly succeeded. Otherwise this is a pretty good mystery with excellent scenery and sets, but being I had already seen it I didn't need to see the aforementioned unsavory characters again. So, yeah.

 

[movingtarget]

The Rosary Murders (1987) - For those who had defected from the Catholic Church like I did this movie serves as an excellent reminder as to why, it covers just about all the bases, including a scene where an altar boy falls asleep during a typically very long Mass. I just had to laugh because, well, been there done that. That said this is actually a pretty decent if predictable thriller with a great cast, wish my priests had been as much fun and as progressive as Donald Sutherland's character. The ending was pretty silly, but all in all this is a pretty entertaining murder mystery.

Also tried to rewatch The Name of the Rose (1986) but couldn't finish because except for Sean Connery most of the characters were really gross, the director had apparently even said that he was intentionally looking for the most unattractive actors he could find. In that department he had certainly succeeded. Otherwise this is a pretty good mystery with excellent scenery and sets, but being I had already seen it I didn't need to see the aforementioned unsavory characters again. So, yeah.

Don't think I saw The Rosary Murders but I liked The Name Of The Rose. not a great movie but pretty good. as was Connery. They simplified the book and they had to. One of Christian Slater's early performances as the boy assistant to Connery.

 

[Unchained]

I watched Angelina Julie's new film..Those Who Wish Me Dead..count me as another. This movie had to have been written by 2 high schoolers from California..if you want to know the real crux, the pivot..Jolie plays a U.S. Forestry department worker who has been assigned to stay in a remote super high observation tower alone..for reasons that they go over and over and over..Angie needs time alone in the woods..that is until a kid who was involved in a few thousand foot down a mountain,roll over car crash comes upon her in the woods..together they fight off government assassins using tree bark..
next..An Affair to Die For..a movie mashup between Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct..w the angry Chuckie like husband played by a guy from Law and Order..it's bad but 10 times better than Julie's junk.
French Exit..I liked it..it's really squirlly..Michelle Phfiffer plays a cool version of a fatalistic Schitt's Creek character..she is a Manhattan socialite that has pissed through all her money..she takes up another millionaire friend's offer of an empty Paris apartment..lots of funny stuff and the Cohen Brothers style music is fun throughout..She is excellent and so is everyone else.
The Marksman..is a must not see if you are a Liam Neeson fan..he plays about 5 or six parts..ex Marine sharpshooter, hard right rancher, grieving widower..all around friend to all..and he also single handedly takes on and defeats the Mexican drug cartel..and one plot twist you see coming..there is that scene..you know it..guy behind on his mortgage..wife died from cancer..drought..he is behind and looks hopeless..drinks to excess..evil banker shows up..let's him know about pending auction..Liam set to lose everything..you can watch but it's what you think..
I sure hope some good movies come out soon..
And add to the cat box contents..The Woman in the Window..Jimmy Stewart is rolling over in his grave..if you have to watch a movie about looking out your window..during a pandemic..there are others..Rear Window..w mega stars Trace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart and put on screen by Alfred Hitchcock is a good start..
please someone post a good movie..please

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I watched Angelina Julie's new film..Those Who Wish Me Dead..count me as another. This movie had to have been written by 2 high schoolers from California..if you want to know the real crux, the pivot..Jolie plays a U.S. Forestry department worker who has been assigned to stay in a remote super high observation tower alone..for reasons that they go over and over and over..Angie needs time alone in the woods..that is until a kid who was involved in a few thousand foot down a mountain,roll over car crash comes upon her in the woods..together they fight off government assassins using tree bark..
next..An Affair to Die For..a movie mashup between Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct..w the angry Chuckie like husband played by a guy from Law and Order..it's bad but 10 times better than Julie's junk.
French Exit..I liked it..it's really squirlly..Michelle Phfiffer plays a cool version of a fatalistic Schitt's Creek character..she is a Manhattan socialite that has pissed through all her money..she takes up another millionaire friend's offer of an empty Paris apartment..lots of funny stuff and the Cohen Brothers style music is fun throughout..She is excellent and so is everyone else.
The Marksman..is a must not see if you are a Liam Neeson fan..he plays about 5 or six parts..ex Marine sharpshooter, hard right rancher, grieving widower..all around friend to all..and he also single handedly takes on and defeats the Mexican drug cartel..and one plot twist you see coming..there is that scene..you know it..guy behind on his mortgage..wife died from cancer..drought..he is behind and looks hopeless..drinks to excess..evil banker shows up..let's him know about pending auction..Liam set to lose everything..you can watch but it's what you think..
I sure hope some good movies come out soon..
And add to the cat box contents..The Woman in the Window..Jimmy Stewart is rolling over in his grave..if you have to watch a movie about looking out your window..during a pandemic..there are others..Rear Window..w mega stars Trace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart and put on screen by Alfred Hitchcock is a good start..
please someone post a good movie..please

It sounds like you're into the newer releases, but if you don't mind an older action flick I would recommend Unstoppable (2010) with Denzel Washington. You have to keep in mind, and I wish I had known this beforehand because otherwise the movie seems absurd, that this is based on true events about a runaway train that happened to be hauling some very toxic material. The dialogue is a bit inane, but otherwise this is a pretty good and suspenseful action movie.

Btw., please keep posting your reviews, I think they're hilarious.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

The Double (2011) - This spy thriller got a very poor reception, and it may be true that Richard Gere seemed a bit too old and too tired for the role. But all in all I didn't think it was all that bad. At first glance it would appear that the final twist had been completely given away about halfway through, but then there's another (admittedly very silly) twist. So, it's certainly not the best Cold War spy movie out there, but if you don't think about it too much it's actually pretty entertaining.

 

[Unchained]

I enjoy lots of Denzel Washington movies..I have not repeated Unstoppable..but I liked it the first time. I recently watched John Wick..for the first time..pretty heavy handed but I enjoyed it. Remember watching old One Day at a Time..and like Eddie Van Halen, I too was deeply in love with Valerie Bertanelli. I was always put off when they would do some current social message..maybe drugs,alcohol,domestic violence or child run aways..the show was short and was a canned laughter comedy..so when a character would take a deep breath and rattle off a bunch of statistics..it was kind of flat..and felt overly contrived..I get that weekly for sure..w Angelina's movie tossing in a little social commentary about wild fires..John Wick had to hit all the notes about health insurance, ugly hospital policies and played perfectly as he often does..James Woods as his scumbag self.
The day I was ranting about my bad movie luck I watched for the first time..the 1985 mega hit..Head Office staring Judge Reingold and Eddy Albert..I started watching because Father Sarducci was playing a limo driver w w cool attitude and really really bad luck..The movie was crazy super imposed on today..it was over the top slap stick..it is a really really bad movie and I see myself watching it many more times..J judge goes into a storage area on the hundred and sixth floor of the building while being chased by evil security forces that have automatic weapons w unlimited ammo..a dozen plus guys are chasing him w unlimited constant machine gun fire..not only does he not get a scratch..yep there are hundreds of barrels of clearly marked steel ball bearings!!and a fork lift..he foils the killers by spilling slippery balls on the floor..the fork lift is hard to handle and goes out the 106th floor window to land dead center on the roof of the Padre's brand new Cadillac limo that he just got from the dealership..It's non stop stupid..
Another feature of the film is everyone is in it..and if you IMDB it you will also see Jane Seymour plays an ambitious sexy executive..not sure she is a great exec, but she nails the sexy part in my eyes
I would have to look at 1985 movies to identify what I watched instead of this blockbuster

 

[sir fly]

As I've promised earlier... last week

View: https://youtu.be/xZUTCHscbZo


The game

 

[Koronin]

Finally watched Rush (the F1 movie about the '76 season). I really enjoyed it. I'm young enough I don't remember Lauda's crash, but old enough that I do remember seeing him race at the end of his career and was a fan of his. The movie basically follows Niki Lauda and James Hunt through the 1976 season with just a little lead up to that season. Daniel Brühl (Lauda) and Chris Hemsworth (Hunt) did a great job with the roles.

 

[jmdirt]

Borg vs McEnroe
Worth the hour and a half IMO. I wonder how much is fact and how much is movie?

 

[Koronin]

Borg vs McEnroe
Worth the hour and a half IMO. I wonder how much is fact and how much is movie?

Interesting question, no idea for that movie. For Rush, Niki Lauda said it's 80% correct and that's about the limit of what you can expect from a Hollywood movie. He was happy with it and he wasn't an easy person to impress.

 

[movingtarget]

Borg vs McEnroe
Worth the hour and a half IMO. I wonder how much is fact and how much is movie?

There was probably no reason to exaggerate a lot of McEnroe's behavior. They already had enough material for a movie !

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Finally watched Rush (the F1 movie about the '76 season). I really enjoyed it. I'm young enough I don't remember Lauda's crash, but old enough that I do remember seeing him race at the end of his career and was a fan of his. The movie basically follows Niki Lauda and James Hunt through the 1976 season with just a little lead up to that season. Daniel Brühl (Lauda) and Chris Hemsworth (Hunt) did a great job with the roles.

I'll have to check this out. I think we're about the same age and I do recall at least hearing about and seeing Lauda on TV even though my memory of watching F1 specifically is very fuzzy.

I've read about some of the horrific crashes and next to no safety measures taken on part of the race organizers in the past, Lauda was very lucky to get out alive.

Have you seen Senna, the 2010 documentary? My memory again is very fuzzy, but I do recall it being pretty good.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Borg vs McEnroe
Worth the hour and a half IMO. I wonder how much is fact and how much is movie?

Oooh, this sounds very promising. While pretty young I do at least recall McEnroe's antics on the court, didn't really care for him back then. I'll have to check this docudrama out.

 

[sir fly]

Not Borg vs McEnroe but worth of mention...
Does anybody remember this episode?

View: https://youtu.be/ybCR_Z6JRro

 

[Koronin]

I'll have to check this out. I think we're about the same age and I do recall at least hearing about and seeing Lauda on TV even though my memory of watching F1 specifically is very fuzzy.

I've read about some of the horrific crashes and next to no safety measures taken on part of the race organizers in the past, Lauda was very lucky to get out alive.

Have you seen Senna, the 2010 documentary? My memory again is very fuzzy, but I do recall it being pretty good.

After Lauda retired he did commentary on German television for a long time. He passed away maybe 2 years. It would have either been ABC wide world of sports or ESPN doing highlight shows of F1 races back in the 80's. I don't think we got full race coverage of F1 until Michael Andretti went over there to race for a year or two.

The movie is good about talking about the danger of the sport at the time. They say in it that they were averaging (i think that's what they said) 2 driving dying per year in the 70's. Nuerburghring, where Lauda's crash happened was the most dangerous track at the time. This was the old long course. The short course is a safer course, but it's the old long course they were racing in the 70's and many drivers died in the corner where Lauda's crash happened. To give a little more info and a great touch for the movie, Daniel does a brief narration at the beginning to set things up for what we're about to watch and then a brief narration at the end to give information on what happens in the years after the end of the '76 season.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

After Lauda retired he did commentary on German television for a long time. He passed away maybe 2 years. It would have either been ABC wide world of sports or ESPN doing highlight shows of F1 races back in the 80's. I don't think we got full race coverage of F1 until Michael Andretti went over there to race for a year or two.

The movie is good about talking about the danger of the sport at the time. They say in it that they were averaging (i think that's what they said) 2 driving dying per year in the 70's. Nuerburghring, where Lauda's crash happened was the most dangerous track at the time. This was the old long course. The short course is a safer course, but it's the old long course they were racing in the 70's and many drivers died in the corner where Lauda's crash happened. To give a little more info and a great touch for the movie, Daniel does a brief narration at the beginning to set things up for what we're about to watch and then a brief narration at the end to give information on what happens in the years after the end of the '76 season.

I just finished watching Rush, I thought it was pretty good. It had its usual Hollywood moments, but you can't really get around that when Ron Howard is the director. So yeah, I thought it was enjoyable and at times suspenseful, I'm glad you mentioned it upthread.

On a side note - while watching the movie I remembered my brother and I used to play with his toy cars when we were kids, I would pretend I was Jacques Laffite and he pretended to be Emerson Fittipaldi. Good times, good times... even though I don't remember the F1 races themselves I was at least reminded of some nice childhood memories while watching Rush.

 

[Koronin]

I just finished watching Rush, I thought it was pretty good. It had its usual Hollywood moments, but you can't really get around that when Ron Howard is the director. So yeah, I thought it was enjoyable and at times suspenseful, I'm glad you mentioned it upthread.

On a side note - while watching the movie I remembered my brother and I used to play with his toy cars when we were kids, I would pretend I was Jacques Laffite and he pretended to be Emerson Fittipaldi. Good times, good times... even though I don't remember the F1 races themselves I was at least reminded of some nice childhood memories while watching Rush.

You're welcome. As I said, I saw an interview where Lauda said the movie is about 80% accurate and that's about as good as your going to get from Hollywood. In a way it's similar to Apollo 13. Many of us know what happened, but don't know the details. So knowing that Lauda survives the crash makes the movie not as scary, but seeing what he endured was just amazing. Daniel Brühl has said in interviews that playing Lauda is the toughest role he's ever had as he trying to play a living legend. He was so thankful that Lauda liked him and was then willing to spend time with him and answer questions for him.

Glad it brought back a nice childhood memory for you.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Not Borg vs McEnroe but worth of mention...
Does anybody remember this episode?

View: https://youtu.be/ybCR_Z6JRro

At the risk of completely derailing this thread - what actually is going on in this vid? I'm afraid I did not see (or can't remember) this particular match.

Having said that I did watch the Borg v. McEnroe movie earlier today, it was ok. Seeing as I don't remember the result of the 1980 Wimbledon final match between those two I thought it was very suspenseful. Plus, the actor who played Borg had the most awesomest hair ever, as did Borg himself.

Weird to think Borg had retired at only 26, but then after 5 Wimbledon wins what else is there to do?