Which films have you seen lately Vol.22 Now with Smell-O-Vision.

[Smellincoffee]

Rommel, 2012. German-language film about the last months of Rommel's life. I'm not extremely familiar with the timeline of his 'downfall', so to speak, but I thought the acting, costuming, etc were solid. Would watch more of the main actors. So far, my only WW2 film from Germany besides Downfall.

 

[Voidwalkin]

Was it the theatrical release or the Special Edition? The latter pushes it towards 2½ hours, but I thought it was worth it. I liked the extra stuff.

Special edition.

If the alien's "blood" eats through everything as acid, why didn't they make the containing room out of alien body parts (inner or otherwise)?

Supposedly, in the first alien, the xenomorph was looking for a place to die when it wandered on Ripley's escape pod.

The original idea behind the acid blood is supposed to be that the alien functions like a battery. All its nutrients are provided pre-birth, presumably through some sort of energy storage contained in the face hugger. The blood is basically battery acid.

I kinda doubt the exoskeleton would hold the blood indefinitely, given the short lifespan. It's not designed to live very long, so acidity vs structural integrity is probably a functionally irrelevant thing. More incentive to juice it up.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Philadelphia, 1993. Every time I mention The Philadelphia Story as my favorite movie, people invariably confuse it with this one, so I finally decided to watch it. Tom Hanks plays an attorney with AIDS who is fired, and files a discrimination lawsuit against his former employers. Denzel Washington, despite his prejudices against homosexuality, takes on the case after witnessing Hanks being a victim of discrimination in a law library. Very well-constructed drama.

 

[EvaDK]

Was it the theatrical release or the Special Edition? The latter pushes it towards 2½ hours, but I thought it was worth it. I liked the extra stuff.

Yeah. Especially the bit added about Ripley's daughter. It becomes a big part of Ripley's motivation later on.

Watching The Substance (with Demi Moore).

Can't wait to watch it myself!

 

[Smellincoffee]

Stardust Memories, 1980. Woody Allen plays Woody Allen under another name, an increasingly emotionally conflicted director who is no longer satisfied making comedies, but who wants to make seriously depressing films about the human condition that no one wants to watch. The movie is presented in an interesting way in which we see Woody involved in three different relationships, and it's a bit 'meta' in that the decor in his NY apartment reflects his mood at the time. Everyone in this film is a little crazy.

 

[Synobun]

I've been working through the Fast/Furious series. I knew at some point Paul Walker dies IRL, and I also knew that Han from Tokyo Drift was in "the other movies." I always thought that meant he didn't die in Tokyo Drift, but the other movies were all prequels to then, and he does actually die. Boo. Wasted character, IMO. I also expected Walker's death to happen earlier and not all the way in Furious 7. I watched each subsequent movie wondering when I'd see them suddenly scramble to write around his death, and it never came. All said, I think the tribute at the very end of the movie was lackluster, though it did still get a tear.

I'll watch the remaining few, although it's my understanding that they get obnoxiously silly. Thus far:

The Fast and the Furious: 5/10
2 Fast 2 Furious: 7/10
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift: 9/10
Fast & Furious: 5/10
Fast Five: 8/10
Fast & Furious 6: 8/10
Furious 7: 6/10

I also saw Godfather Part II. Somehow worse than the first. 1/10. Not looking forward to watching Part III next week...

 

[EvaDK]

I also saw Godfather Part II. Somehow worse than the first. 1/10.

 

[Kyriakos]

Tbh GodfatherII was certainly less artistic than GFI
And if one doesn't like mafia films to begin with, it would be expected they'd not like GFII that much - let's not even speak of GFIII.
I was probably 16 or 17 when I saw GFI, and back then it did make an impression. But I soon got very annoyed with the genre it birthed...

 

[Kyriakos]

Why doesn't this have a trailer? (I think it has already premiered)

A few known actors there, apart from Pamela there is J.L.Curtis and Dave Bautista

 

[Smellincoffee]

I also saw Godfather Part II. Somehow worse than the first. 1/10. Not looking forward to watching Part III next week...

I have never met a single fan of the third one. I didn't even finish it.

 

[Fippy]

So you ended up liking the Fast & Furious series after all, Synobun

 

[Synobun]

So you ended up liking the Fast & Furious series after all, Synobun

The street racing genre has such slim pickings that I can't be highly principled.

I saw The Fate of the Furious last night and it was, eh, passable. Like I expected, it became silly, and there was very little in actual racing and more just extreme spectacle. This probably signals the end of my journey regardless, because the few remaining sequels are not available anywhere in Canada.

 

[Synobun]

Tbh GodfatherII was certainly less artistic than GFI
And if one doesn't like mafia films to begin with, it would be expected they'd not like GFII that much - let's not even speak of GFIII.

That describes me. I find the mafia genre to be overly obnoxious. Maybe because of the fans more than the substance. People treat this kind of gang culture like there's this inherent romance and fulfillment to it, when it's just repackaged barbarism and a constant, never-ending fight-or-flight where you never know if you're opening the door to a waiting gunman that also went to the past six weddings and funerals in your family. What fun! What beauty! What class!

I suppose I wouldn't mind it as much if the source material was self-aware, but it all tends to lean into the idea that the mafia life is this romantic, respectful ordeal, and I just don't have the patience for it. Someone told me that the Sopranos is more aware of this, though I have no idea when I'll muster up the motivation to give it a go.

 

[Kyriakos]

That describes me. I find the mafia genre to be overly obnoxious. Maybe because of the fans more than the substance. People treat this kind of gang culture like there's this inherent romance and fulfillment to it, when it's just repackaged barbarism and a constant, never-ending fight-or-flight where you never know if you're opening the door to a waiting gunman that also went to the past six weddings and funerals in your family. What fun! What beauty! What class!

I suppose I wouldn't mind it as much if the source material was self-aware, but it all tends to lean into the idea that the mafia life is this romantic, respectful ordeal, and I just don't have the patience for it. Someone told me that the Sopranos is more aware of this, though I have no idea when I'll muster up the motivation to give it a go.

I was also not happy with the endless sea of Mafia/Cartel films in the 90s. And then it started again, with Superhero movies

 

[Voidwalkin]

I liked the mob movies. Goodfellas and Casino weren't as romantic as Godfather.

I didn't like superhero movies, though. At the core, it always seems to be the same movie.

I thought Thanos particularly was a bad villain. You mean to tell me, dude gets infinite power, is concerned about overpopulation straining resources, but doesn't think to just... use that power to make more resources?

They were all sorta like that. Villains comically evil, but worse yet, stupid.

 

[Smellincoffee]

That describes me. I find the mafia genre to be overly obnoxious. Maybe because of the fans more than the substance. People treat this kind of gang culture like there's this inherent romance and fulfillment to it, when it's just repackaged barbarism and a constant, never-ending fight-or-flight where you never know if you're opening the door to a waiting gunman that also went to the past six weddings and funerals in your family. What fun! What beauty! What class!

I suppose I wouldn't mind it as much if the source material was self-aware, but it all tends to lean into the idea that the mafia life is this romantic, respectful ordeal, and I just don't have the patience for it. Someone told me that the Sopranos is more aware of this, though I have no idea when I'll muster up the motivation to give it a go.

Ehhh, somewhat. Goodfellas is cynical and dark, and The Sopranoes is more along that line -- but, with the fact that Tony and his buddies have grown up with the Godfather, so they have these romantic expectations and at the same time they're wearing tracksuits and shorts and dealing with snitch after snitch. Like Tony said, "I came at the end of this." Sopranos has damn good acting and character drama. Sopranoes is a series that improves with every viewing because you start picking up on visual gimmicks and foreshadowing and the like the way you can't on a first viewing.

I liked the mob movies. Goodfellas and Casino weren't as romantic as Godfather.

I didn't like superhero movies, though. At the core, it always seems to be the same movie.

I thought Thanos particularly was a bad villain. You mean to tell me, dude gets infinite power, is concerned about overpopulation straining resources, but doesn't think to just... use that power to make more resources?

They were all sorta like that. Villains comically evil, but worse yet, stupid.

Yeah, Goodfellas and Casino are definitely cynical, but Goodfellas has...a lot of fun moments, whereas Casino is just uncomfortable for me. Pesci was a fun psychopath in Goodfellas and an unsettling psychopath in Casino. I've watched Goodfellas at least five times, but Casino -- only once. Have you seen Irishman? I've watched it at least twice. Prefer Jack's version of Hoffa to Pacino's, but it's got a lot of solid moments.

 

[Voidwalkin]

Yeah, Goodfellas and Casino are definitely cynical, but Goodfellas has...a lot of fun moments, whereas Casino is just uncomfortable for me. Pesci was a fun psychopath in Goodfellas and an unsettling psychopath in Casino. I've watched Goodfellas at least five times, but Casino -- only once. Have you seen Irishman? I've watched it at least twice. Prefer Jack's version of Hoffa to Pacino's, but it's got a lot of solid moments.

Technically yes, but not really... I watched it with a family member, and we got into a long debate beginning with JFK, leading elsewhere. It overshadowed the whole movie. I mean to get around to a real viewing, because I wasn't really able to give it any attention. A comment was made about potential New Orleans mob involvement in JFK's demise, branching from potential mob involvement in Hoffa's disappearance, but led to many places and many things.

Nicholson was great as Hoffa. I stumbled onto it when it came in on the HBO cycle one year, and was surprised I discovered it that way, rather than hear mention of it somewhere. It's not an all timer, but I really enjoyed it.

 

[EvaDK]

The Substance

The most Cronenberg film I've seen in years, not made by David Cronenberg. Surreal and just 'out there' with the best of body horror. Thematically it feels light, perhaps too light. Not a lot of dialogue, the film is mostly told visually and via very impressive practical effects. Very gnarly, not for the squeamish!

Tbh GodfatherII was certainly less artistic than GFI
And if one doesn't like mafia films to begin with, it would be expected they'd not like GFII that much - let's not even speak of GFIII.
I was probably 16 or 17 when I saw GFI, and back then it did make an impression. But I soon got very annoyed with the genre it birthed...

I'm not a great fan of mob films myself; the gif was a bit tongue in cheek from my side

The only aspect of The Godfather that really interests me, is the tragedy and downfall of Michael Corleone. The man becomes the new Don and destroys the opposition, but he loses his humanity on that journey. It's a bit Macbeth or Richard III with gangsters.

 

[Kyriakos]

The Substance does appear to have consistency issues, though.

Spoiler :

Since Demi clearly isn't aware of what the other self is doing, what is exactly the point of sacrificing your own health for something you don't directly experience?...

 

[Smellincoffee]

The only aspect of The Godfather that really interests me, is the tragedy and downfall of Michael Corleone. The man becomes the new Don and destroys the opposition, but he loses his humanity on that journey. It's a bit Macbeth or Richard III with gangsters.

If that aspect appeals to you, there's a biking gang drama called Sons of Anarchy, the initial premise of which is "Hamlet, but with bikers" -- especially the first season or so. Extremely violent.