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Data Graham posted:Miami Vice (2006) - wow this is one of the strangest directed movies I've ever seen. All lingering extreme close-ups on faces and eyeballs and boobs and floors. Or else it's shakycam action from the POV of someone right over everyone's shoulder, jumping around hectically from angle to angle. It's like Super COPS Cam or something. But weirder still is the editing of the music. It will play like an entire song end to end, fade it out, and start playing another song, right in the middle of a sex scene. And then the second song just keeps playing on into the next scene outdoors doing some unrelated action thing. Like they just left their iPod shuffle on continuous loop and forgot about it or something. Yes but "I'm a fiend for mojitos."
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 03:21 |
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# ? May 30, 2024 12:20 |
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ShoogaSlim posted:wrong. i saw it two months ago and every time it gets brought up i dislike it even more. it's an awful, incoherent mess. Failed the vibe check
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 03:22 |
Now I have to go back over the last couple months' worth of posts where I see Miami Vice has been discussed in these terms numerous times and it just whiffed past me because I hadn't seen it e: someone posted this in another thread with the implication of and I lolled when it came up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1_Lzxie5Qs
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 03:30 |
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That boat scene needs Crockett’s theme from the tv series playing over it.
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 03:36 |
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Mann is hit or miss for me and Miami Vice was unfortunately one of those misses. I didn’t hate it, but I just felt bored the whole time. I watched it probably two or three years ago and all I remember is the opening and the trip they make to Havana. I watched Collateral around the same time and I can still easily recall pretty much the whole movie.
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 03:44 |
This is one nitpick but I have to mention it because it struck me as extremely silly at the moment and I'm not sure if it should have. When they go in to talk with the drug kingpin near the beginning and Rico threatens to blow all of them up with a grenade he has, is that not the dumbest and worst bluff ever? I am no hardbitten negotiator or card sharp nor do I have any idea how to even begin to think like one, but all that was going through my head during that scene as the guards all have their guns pointed at Sonny and Rico and he's like "fine, go ahead, shoot, I'll just blow us all up" was that nobody could possibly believe him for a microsecond. Who could not be bluffing unless they're suicidal? Who goes into a drug deal negotiation ready to die? If it's the Joker his whole deal is he's clearly crazy enough to do it. These are just some dudes the kingpin is asking for their references
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 04:45 |
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Big Mean Jerk posted:Mann is hit or miss for me and Miami Vice was unfortunately one of those misses. I didn’t hate it, but I just felt bored the whole time. I watched it probably two or three years ago and all I remember is the opening and the trip they make to Havana. The only Manns that are misses for me are Public Enemies (Christ it's ugly and boring) and Blackhat (though I haven't seen the director's cut). Miami Vice oddly grew on me over the years.
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 05:03 |
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I am terrified of watching The Keep
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 05:05 |
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The Keep is probably technically bad but the score rules, the atmosphere is great, and you can kinda see what the end result could have been. I just can’t hate it.
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 05:30 |
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The Burial: Good acting from Jamie Foxx, and Tommy Lee Jones is playing a marginally more loquacious version of Sheriff Bell from No Country, but the story is every underdog legal thriller you've ever seen, and some scenes feel like they're there just for the minimum effort of checking a box.
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 06:59 |
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I finished the Ballerina on Netflix and I was confused about how the protagonist escaped the ambush in her apartment and that bugged me for the rest of the film, along with unnecessary gun selling scene but maybe I'm in the minority regarding these quibbles.
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 07:02 |
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Finally caught up on my Shane Black ouvre and watched The Nice Guys. Ryan Gosling just continues his streak of going for it in the weirdest ways. I loved his chemistry with Russell Crowe and there needs to be a follow up on this before they're both too expensive. A wacky one from Shane like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, just a sloppy love letter to 70s LA that has some very impressive set designs made to nail that time period. The Holly character is both the best and worst thing about the movie, as she continues to save the day but also just get in the way of the bromance. Keith David is technically in this but doesn't get much to do, which is sad. The detail about March not being able to smell sounds like a pointless detail but then is immediately used since he can't smell that something is off about the drinks he's handed, which leads to a series of blunders. Endlessly fun
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 13:23 |
Just caught up with Tokyo Story, and it's really really good. It's an amazing movie, the script is fairly pared down, there's not a ton of dramatic moments, but the characters, and their lives seep into the screen and fill everything out, it feels so real and lived in. There's no perfectly saintly characters, in a different movie the parents would be at the mercy of their selfish children who drive their mother to illness, but you get a sense for the depth of pain the children had with their father coming in as a drunk. And the son showing up late, you feel that he's going to sit with that for a long time. I loved it so much, I think I still prefer Late Spring, but only by a hair
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# ? Oct 22, 2023 20:42 |
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Dial M for Murder Hard to imagine that this is the same Ray Milland from Big Clock, man did not age gracefully. Grace is beautiful in this as is she always, but she doesn't have the same presence or charisma that she would bring to Rear Window (one of the greatest films of all time) or To Catch a Thief (a beautifully shot but miserably dull film that is beaten in quality by the same named song by Lovage). The film is also clever in both it's actual execution and in how the principal anticipates the execution of his own crime to go, but the need to explain to the audience leads the ending to a saggy conclusion. Of the three Hitchcock Grace collabs I'd rank this last, I don't like To Catch a Thief but it does have the French Riveria instead of disgusting English streets and apartments. The Birds There's two movies here and both are great. The romantic comedy that gives heavy Steinbeck vibes of the early part could easily have been a light rom com of their own, something like Pillow Talk or something. And the second with zero score and perfect management of tension and terror. It's almost disappointing to see this movie accomplish what it does so well as it once again shows how dire the horror and thriller genres are in modernity. Hitchcock inspired more dread and terror in me with some wrangled birds and some clever cutting than dozens of modern directors could with ten times the budget and unlimited CGI fakery. Did Tippi Hedren really name her daughter after her character from this film?
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# ? Oct 23, 2023 03:48 |
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Just watched Harakari for the first time. What a loving fantastic movie!
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# ? Oct 23, 2023 06:58 |
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Unperson_47 posted:Just watched Harakari for the first time. What a loving fantastic movie! legit just finished this like 10 minutes ago, too. crazy. it being the number one narrative movie on letterboxd maybe had my expectations slightly too high, so i wouldn't say it's the best movie i've ever seen. it is definitely extremely solid though, and the final act is super satisfying in both presentation, build up, and payoff both visually and thematically. side note: every day from here on out when i call out of work, i'm gonna remember this movie
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# ? Oct 23, 2023 07:15 |
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Decided to Do My Part! and watch Starship Troopers on Netflix before they pull it in a few days. It’s the first time I watched it since the late 90s, and it was so much better than I remembered. The script, direction, satire, acting, sets, effects, etc. were all so good. I forgot how much the deaths of Dizzy and Jean Rasczak in the same action scene hit me. gently caress.
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# ? Oct 23, 2023 23:30 |
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Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - There's this article that people like to bring up when dunking on the Marvel movies, but I feel like it describes the last few Mission Impossibles just as much. The craft of the big set pieces is impeccable but the plotting that tees them up doesn't all the way work because these movies are too scared to have Ethan Hunt want to gently caress the sexy English spy, or his ex-wife, or the sexy English thief and vice versa, and so the movies come off as increasingly soulless and mechanical. Give me the chemistary backfire of Cruise and Newton in MI2 over this inhuman sexless between-action-scene filler please. Part of the reason I suspect audiences showed up for the new Top Gun and didn't for this is that Maverick made room for romance, even if it's also a little bit frightened to shoot for the sensuality of Tony Scott's original. High Warlord Zog fucked around with this message at 05:52 on Oct 24, 2023 |
# ? Oct 24, 2023 04:21 |
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High Warlord Zog posted:Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - There's this article that people like to bring up when dunking on the Marvel movies, but I feel like it describes the last few Mission Impossibles just as much. The craft of the big set pieces is impeccable but the plotting that tees them up doesn't all the way work because these movies are too scared to have Ethan Hunt want to gently caress the sexy English spy, or his ex-wife, or the sexy English thief and vice versa, and so the movies come off as increasingly soulless and mechanical. Give me the chemistary backfire of Cruise and Newton in MI2 over this inhuman sexless between-action-scene filler please. I just think that Christopher McQuarrie isn't a particularly adept director. He's a decent enough writer, but his Mission: Impossible movies have had a very harsh wall of diminishing returns for me. I thought Rogue Nation was ... okay. Fallout did nothing for me outside of Cavill and some of the stunt work. Dead Reckoning ... yeah, it just wasn't there for me. Way too long, overly complex and bloated plot, and as much as I loved Esai Morales on shows like NYPD Blue and Chicago PD, he doesn't have the chops to play the villain heavy. The series peaked with Ghost Protocol and it's been going downhill ever since.
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# ? Oct 24, 2023 04:36 |
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Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron, 2013) Saw this in 3D at the cinema, my first time watching since it originally came out. After a few minutes of it not being in 3D (someone had to run out and tell a staff member) we could see the 3D kick in and wow it still looks great and I immediately felt the tension. I like that it does give you a few moments to catch your breath and I still had certain scenes fresh in my mind like the George Clooney fake out which lessened the impact, but it's a great 90 minute ride. Had to laugh at the early 'bolt flies directly towards the audience', bringing to mind the 'pitchfork in the face' of Friday 13th 3D, but Cuaron managed to use that effect quite well in certain places with the space debris. Also the bit where Sandra Bullock's character is talking to Clooney, asking him to look after her daughter really got me And I'd forgotten how many Oscars this won, feels like it's not talked about that much considering - guess because it probably doesn't have the same impact without the 3D, and who's got a 3D TV these days?
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# ? Oct 25, 2023 00:09 |
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Data Graham posted:Miami Vice (2006) - Well, that explains it. You watched the Director's cut, which is poorer in pretty much every way. Try the cinematic cut, which tightens things up and cuts out most of Mann's self indulgences.
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# ? Oct 25, 2023 01:32 |
Carpet posted:Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron, 2013) I saw Gravity at an Imax theater when it first opened, loved the movie but it was an intense experience. Kind of like sitting through a two hour car crash. Not to take away anything from Bullock, who is great, but Clooney is outstanding in the movie. Feels like this was right at the tail end of a pretty good run for him in terms of understated but memorable performances.
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# ? Oct 25, 2023 02:33 |
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I think it comes up as an example of good modern sci-fi, but stuff like Ex Machina, Arrival or Annihilation since have been more intriguing to people as thought-provoking as opposed to more of the "ride" Gravity was
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# ? Oct 25, 2023 03:43 |
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gravity was awesome in imax 3d opening night i have never wanted to watch it ever again since then
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# ? Oct 25, 2023 04:18 |
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) me irl trying to warn people about the danger of ai I was expecting a B film and instead got a film that holds up beyond its premise, something a lot of scifi works cannot do. There is some corny bits, the music swell when the love interest comes on screen for one, but the shots on the highway, the people trampling over the floorboards, Betty's dead eyed unemotional look when he kisses her; all of that is great, hang it up there with any film of the era and it is a competition. The ending feels a little too clean, but unlike say the blob, the MC has already lost his Girlfriend and everyone he has ever known in town, it might be happier than it could be but the circumstances are still grim.
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# ? Oct 26, 2023 03:41 |
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DAVE MADE A MAZE is probably the weirdest movie I've seen in a while. A heady mix of House of Leaves and Cube and Michel Gondry 's whole deal. loving insane levels of creativity on display in every scene. Like the maze itself, it shouldn't work but does. Truly something to see
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# ? Oct 27, 2023 04:46 |
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From Beyond I'm a sucker for Jeffery Combs, so I'm trying to watch all his movies. Not the best body horror and the personal drama falls flat but it's gross and is only 90 minutes, which I appreciate. I could see this being remade successfully.
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# ? Oct 27, 2023 06:26 |
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Watched The Covenant, really cool to see a story about middle eastern interpreters during the “war on terror”, and apparently it’s maybe true? As a straight man I’d I’ll kiss Jake Gillenhall on the lips.
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# ? Oct 27, 2023 06:35 |
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Killers of the Flower Moon Great film
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# ? Oct 27, 2023 06:44 |
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Bram Stoker's Dracula - Is there a more hilariously miscasted role in cinema history than Keanu here? It rules.
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# ? Oct 27, 2023 12:17 |
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So much of the film is amazing too. It's a real rollercoaster of quality. Red letter media did a great review of it https://youtu.be/mESbAwiCaTw?feature=shared Mega Comrade fucked around with this message at 14:20 on Oct 27, 2023 |
# ? Oct 27, 2023 14:00 |
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saw the holdovers last night i may be a bit biased bc sideways is my favorite movie but holy poo poo this is a home run. i went into it reminding myself that it can't be as good as sideways to not set poor expectations, and it's also one of the first movies i went to go see in a long time where i didn't rot my brain with rotten tomatoes or letterboxd reviews first. it was nice to go in blind. paul giammati is a treasure and the whole setting and tone of the movie is feelgood on steroids without being hokey whatsoever. i think it's got some slight pacing issues but it's hardly a ding bc overall it's just heartwarming and hilarious and special. i was really glad to see a mostly filled auditorium on a thursday night opening and hope people gravitate towards this over the weekend.
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# ? Oct 27, 2023 16:17 |
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My Cousin Vinny marisa tomei deserved that loving oscar
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# ? Oct 27, 2023 16:37 |
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Was my Girlfriend's first time watching The Magnificent Seven the other night, and the dawning realisation that The Three Amigos (one of her favourite comedies) wasn't just a genre parody but was a specific film parody was exquisite. Just a constant stream of variations of "What the gently caress, this is basically exactly the same film" as one of her childhood favourites was forever recontextualised. Great film, too, and a surprising amount of well-places moments of humour to relieve tension.
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# ? Oct 27, 2023 21:06 |
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Sister Death - I wish someone had taught us about the Spanish civil war in school, because it seems like kind of a big deal. Too bad America wasn't involved in that one, and therefore I will never know anything about it. I was a bit confused by the ending because it seems like they glossed right over the ghost murdering the kid in the confessional. Unless that wasn't supposed to be supernatural?? Do Catholic schools just have a bunch of nooses lying around for people to use? Do they issue those to people when they join the church? Because it seems like they would want to discourage that sort of thing.
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# ? Oct 28, 2023 16:14 |
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saw the killer last night like the holdovers, i had to temper my expectations going in. sideways is my favorite movie but fincher is my favorite director. when he's on, he's basically flawless. but he does swing and miss here and there. i'm conflicted even the next morning about how i feel. it has all the elements of a great fincher dark thriller, but somehow the parts don't add up to a coherent whole. i thoroughly enjoyed it, but something felt a bit off the entire time. there were frequent moments where i completely lost myself in the narrative, and then times where i kept getting this feeling that there wasn't a whole lot to grab onto overall. i guess another way to say it is that the moment to moment unfolding of the movie works but the entire narrative is dry/flat. i don't want to say more without going into spoilers (i'll have to look for a thread for this if there is one)
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# ? Oct 28, 2023 18:13 |
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Saw it at LFF and I enjoyed it while I can see why you might be a bit disappointed with it - it was more straightforward than I was expecting, and I think the relationship with his wife?/girlfriend? was underdeveloped - we only learn of her existence when we see the aftermath of the attack on their residence, and then only see her again at the very end. It's not even like she was his handler as that was Charles Parnell. Still, I enjoyed the action and seeing how all his assassin tradecraft were deployed, plus a great soundtrack and sound design. Going to try and see it again this weekend.
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# ? Oct 28, 2023 18:24 |
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Carpet posted:Saw it at LFF and I enjoyed it while I can see why you might be a bit disappointed with it didn't feel like turning this thread into a discussion about one movie that maybe most people haven't seen. so i started a new thread for it since there wasn't one already.
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# ? Oct 28, 2023 22:25 |
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Cop Land it's too bad that Stallone didn't play more down in the dirt underdogs who just didn't make it. He's so good at it but the characters always shift into being pure badasses. Absolutely stacked cast in the film, but Stallone is the one whose most interesting. Glad they not only portray the cops as corrupt, but also fully incompetent. There was zero reason to try and cover up for Superboy. Thought he saw a gun and the perps were black. Paid leave at worst. And if Ray had just been a little nicer to Freddie he never would've turned, dude did not want to work with IA.
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# ? Oct 29, 2023 03:49 |
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# ? May 30, 2024 12:20 |
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come and see excruciating slog
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# ? Oct 29, 2023 08:52 |