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"What Movie Did You Watch?" - 2020 Edition


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The Public Eye (1992) by Howard Franklin

Cast: Joe Pesci, Barbara Hershey, Stanley Tucci

Cinematography: Peter Suschitzky

Music: Mark Isham

 

Magnificently acted, brilliantly directed and masterfully scored. What a film. Years go by, and I still love this one. It's wonderful to see Joe Pasci acting, not over-acting. He really can be subtle. But Barbara Hershey is totally amazing in this gem. Here's a scene in the middle of the movie, when her character realizes the Great Bernzini fell in love with her. He didn't say it, he's ashamed, and she doesn't want to hurt his feelings, so she tries to keep a poker face. But her eyes are laughing. Not smiling, but laughing. But with some tenderness. Mind-blowing acting.

Besides being a crime drama, this movie is also about the essence of photography and photo-journalism. It's a thriller and poetry in one. That's how brilliant it is.

P.S. I was curious and I had to verify my old observation. So, an average rating on IMDb for this film is 6,5. What do we have when we look at the reviewing users rating? A 8,5 score. Quite the difference, isn't it?

 

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Frenzy (1972)

Finally playing some catch-up on one of my Hitchcock box sets. This was my first time seeing this film despite owning it for years, and it is pretty underwhelming. I think the issue that plagues this late Hitchcock stuff is that his techniques go from innovative to dated fairly quickly, and the story just isn't engaging enough to hold a candle to his best work. Better than the disaster that is Torn Curtain, but certainly not one I'd recommend to a casual fan of Hitchcock.

Topaz (1969)

Plot wise this is a decent espionage thriller, but the master of suspense just doesn't provide much in the way of tension throughout this film which makes it a slight chore to get through. The script problems show on the screen and I know Hitchcock himself was not fond of the final results with many scenes being rewritten on set.

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51 minutes ago, James Bond said:

Frenzy (1972)

Finally playing some catch-up on one of my Hitchcock box sets. This was my first time seeing this film despite owning it for years, and it is pretty underwhelming. I think the issue that plagues this late Hitchcock stuff is that his techniques go from innovative to dated fairly quickly, and the story just isn't engaging enough to hold a candle to his best work. Better than the disaster that is Torn Curtain, but certainly not one I'd recommend to a casual fan of Hitchcock.

Topaz (1969)

Plot wise this is a decent espionage thriller, but the master of suspense just doesn't provide much in the way of tension throughout this film which makes it a slight chore to get through. The script problems show on the screen and I know Hitchcock himself was not fond of the final results with many scenes being rewritten on set.

I utterly love Frenzy and consider it a near masterpiece!! The black gallows humour is particularly large in, for instance, Rusk wrestling with the ring on the corpse in the back of the truck - this is surely one of his greatest scenes? The rape-strangulation scene in the dating agency is still brutal today. It was the last time you saw the Old Covent Garden also as one of the reasons he made the film there was that they were going to relocate the market in 1974, so he wanted to capture the place as it basically looked when he was a child before it was gone forever.

Fair enough on Topaz - he used a lot of European b-movie actors for that one. Haven't seen it in years. 

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59 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

I utterly love Frenzy and consider it a near masterpiece!! The black gallows humour is particularly large in, for instance, Rusk wrestling with the ring on the corpse in the back of the truck - this is surely one of his greatest scenes? The rape-strangulation scene in the dating agency is still brutal today. It was the last time you saw the Old Covent Garden also as one of the reasons he made the film there was that they were going to relocate the market in 1974, so he wanted to capture the place as it basically looked when he was a child before it was gone forever.

Fair enough on Topaz - he used a lot of European b-movie actors for that one. Haven't seen it in years. 

I suppose as a time capsule of Great Britain at that time I can see the merit, and that's also not to say I didn't think the film had its moments. Personally I thought the rape scene hadn't aged well, but the scene where he fumbles the ring in the back of the truck is fantastic. Certainly the highlight of the film! The close-ups in the rape scene make it seem more implied and, as a result, somewhat humorous instead of disturbing. Because of that, I feel like I'm less engaged with the film. The tie strangler just doesn't get me in the same way as his past works!

What do you think of Torn Curtain? I'm reluctant to admit that that's one of the few (if not only) Hitchcock film that I've struggled to finish.

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6 minutes ago, James Bond said:

I suppose as a time capsule of Great Britain at that time I can see the merit, and that's also not to say I didn't think the film had its moments. Personally I thought the rape scene hadn't aged well, but the scene where he fumbles the ring in the back of the truck is fantastic. Certainly the highlight of the film! The close-ups in the rape scene make it seem more implied and, as a result, somewhat humorous instead of disturbing. Because of that, I feel like I'm less engaged with the film. The tie strangler just doesn't get me in the same way as his past works!

What do you think of Torn Curtain? I'm reluctant to admit that that's one of the few (if not only) Hitchcock film that I've struggled to finish.

The chemistry between Newman and Julia Andrews is non-existent. Decent Cold War thriller (like Topaz) but certainly lacking his usual magic. There is one terrific scene in the farmhouse. 

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13 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

The chemistry between Newman and Julia Andrews is non-existent. Decent Cold War thriller (like Topaz) but certainly lacking his usual magic. There is one terrific scene in the farmhouse. 

I think Torn Curtain is a very enjoyable film and Frenzy is brilliant.  Topaz, oddly enough, I can't remember, I might have to watch that again.

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The Brave One (2007) by Neil Jordan

Cast: Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Mary Steenburgen, Nicky Katt, Zoe Kravitz

Cinematography: Philippe Rousselot

Music: Dario Marianelli

 

Jodie Foster is simply amazing. You can feel her pain, despair, angst and hopelessness. And then you see how her loss turns her into someone else and how she crosses the line. Watching this process is haunting and fascinating. Terrence Howard goes neck and neck with Jodie, their eyes say more than a million words. They both deserved Oscars for their masterful performances. Well, Weinstein had other plans... And finally Neil Jordan, one of the most original directors of our times. I love how he uses lights and shadows in his films. In this one, just like in "Interview with the Vampire" or "The End of the Affair", he becomes a painter. This painting is dark, yet colorful; deadly, yet so full of life. And he's such a fucking wonderful storyteller. This is not just "Death Wish" with brains and heart. This is much more. But I bet Charles Bronson would proud of Jodie. ;)

"I want my dog back."

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The Final Girl.

Madea's Family Funeral

4 hours ago, James Bond said:

Maybe I need to try Frenzy again with you lot loving it. :lol:

Frenzy was such a good movie. My mom saw it with a friend back when it was released. I love British movies especially murder mysteries.

7 hours ago, Drexl said:

The Brave One (2007) by Neil Jordan

Cast: Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Mary Steenburgen, Nicky Katt, Zoe Kravitz

Cinematography: Philippe Rousselot

Music: Dario Marianelli

 

Jodie Foster is simply amazing. You can feel her pain, despair, angst and hopelessness. And then you see how her loss turns her into someone else and how she crosses the line. Watching this process is haunting and fascinating. Terrence Howard goes neck and neck with Jodie, their eyes say more than a million words. They both deserved Oscars for their masterful performances. Well, Weinstein had other plans... And finally Neil Jordan, one of the most original directors of our times. I love how he uses lights and shadows in his films. In this one, just like in "Interview with the Vampire" or "The End of the Affair", he becomes a painter. This painting is dark, yet colorful; deadly, yet so full of life. And he's such a fucking wonderful storyteller. This is not just "Death Wish" with brains and heart. This is much more. But I bet Charles Bronson would proud of Jodie. ;)

"I want my dog back."

I saw this too. Jodie was a bad ass!

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On 6/10/2020 at 2:23 PM, DieselDaisy said:

I utterly love Frenzy and consider it a near masterpiece!! The black gallows humour is particularly large in, for instance, Rusk wrestling with the ring on the corpse in the back of the truck - this is surely one of his greatest scenes? The rape-strangulation scene in the dating agency is still brutal today. It was the last time you saw the Old Covent Garden also as one of the reasons he made the film there was that they were going to relocate the market in 1974, so he wanted to capture the place as it basically looked when he was a child before it was gone forever.

Fair enough on Topaz - he used a lot of European b-movie actors for that one. Haven't seen it in years. 

Still think Psycho is the all time best. I never get tired of watching this movie even though I know it all.

My grandmother saw it in the movies back in 1960. Back then the newspapers would keep the secrets of the movies, so no one knew what it was about? Wasn't a movie like this one back then, so it was a shocker to many viewers.

I think Tony Perkins is amazing. I saw in an interview that he actually lived with his mom back before this movie was made, so Alfred thought he was perfect for the role.

Also love The Birds.

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Tumbling Doll Of Flesh

Women's Flesh: My Red Guts

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Those are the SWF covers

Here are the NSFW covers

Spoiler

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I've seen these before because I have bootlegs of them that were transferred from not-so great VHS quality and without English subtitles. These new and improved copies I have came from Massacre Video with the original print and subtitles.

The plots to both films are very paper thin. These are more for gore hounds, like myself.

Tumbling Doll Of Flesh is about 2 amateur porn actors who want to leave during the production when various types of BDSM are introduced. Needless to say the crew tortures and kills them in such gruesome ways. Really fucked up ways. Turns into a snuff film.

Woman's Flesh: My Red Guts is about a man who dumps his girlfriend. She ends up getting pissed off, depressed, and suicidal. Not to give too much away with the acts she does to herself, she basically eats herself.

Rating: Again the plots are thin but that's kind of the point with these types of films. Acting is very passable. The practical effects and sound design are top notch. It looks VERY real.

Edited by Jabberwocky
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9 hours ago, Dazey said:

Fucking love Ruthless People! I've still got a bit of a crush on Bette Midler. :lol: 

That fuckin' just about sums you up y'know, I mean there's Helen Slater in her fuckin' mid 80s sexiness and whoose fuckin' nobhead crushing on?  Bette Midler, fuckssake :lol:

Nah, it is a belter isn't it, Ruthless People.  Bit of a forgotten one and obviously goofy as fuck and intentionally so but supremely enjoyable. 

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On 23.5.2020 at 12:28 AM, Len Cnut said:

Ben Gazarra had a good go at playing Capone too.

He was good in Bronson and Legend too but I’m afraid you need to be from England to understand the mythology, deserved or not, around characters like Bronson or The Kray Twins.  I like him in RocknRolla and Layer Cake too, two British gangster movies I highly reccomend if they cross your path.

 

On 22.5.2020 at 10:36 PM, lame ass security said:

I had actually never heard of Hardy before I was reading about the Capone movie a few weeks ago. His name stuck with me because I thought of the Hardy Boys.😄

 

On 22.5.2020 at 10:39 PM, dontdamnmeuyi2015 said:

lol well, he was in the Batman movie as Baine, but you couldn't see his face at all.

The FX tv show Taboo was very good. It was weird, but good. I thought they would do another season, but heard nothing more.

Then he did Venom and people started knowing who he was. I also saw that gangster movie but I forgot the name of it. He was very good in that movie too.

He was in that boxing movie too, with Joel Eggerton or something to that effect. Tom didn't talk much in that movie at all, not sure why.

 

On 23.5.2020 at 1:54 AM, DieselDaisy said:

See an excellent role for Tom Hardy, playing a Jewish-cockney mobster, in the television series Peaky Blinders also. 

Hardy was also in Child 44 alongside Gary Oldman. I think it is a very good movie. but his best role is Lawless IMO. A movie about moonshiners during the prohibition in the US. Should be seen by everybody who loves mobster movies.

Even The Drop isn't bad and it has this nice little twist.

Edited by Free Bird
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On 6/13/2020 at 4:16 AM, Len Cnut said:

That fuckin' just about sums you up y'know, I mean there's Helen Slater in her fuckin' mid 80s sexiness and whoose fuckin' nobhead crushing on?  Bette Midler, fuckssake :lol:

Nah, it is a belter isn't it, Ruthless People.  Bit of a forgotten one and obviously goofy as fuck and intentionally so but supremely enjoyable. 

Easy now, I've always thought Bette Midler is strangely sexy.😄 Plus, she's one of my favorite singers.

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On 13/06/2020 at 10:16 AM, Len Cnut said:

That fuckin' just about sums you up y'know, I mean there's Helen Slater in her fuckin' mid 80s sexiness and whoose fuckin' nobhead crushing on?  Bette Midler, fuckssake :lol:

Nah, it is a belter isn't it, Ruthless People.  Bit of a forgotten one and obviously goofy as fuck and intentionally so but supremely enjoyable. 

Meryl Streep gives me a semi too. :lol: Had many a wank over Sophie’s Choice. :lol: 

 

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