Jay 37,275 Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 Next up for our B&W triple feature was Mank I have never seen Citizen Kane and didn't know anything about it's creation and production; This film purports to be that story, but come to find out Herman J. Mankiewicz writing the script in 1940 is only a framing story that takes up probably less than 30 minutes of screentime; The bulk of the 2 hour 11 minute running time is flashbacks to various interactions Mankiewicz has at various studios and with various notable people throughout 1930s Hollywood. Towards the end of the film it becomes clear why Fincher decided to make this film now, as one of these story threads is about the 1934 California governor's election between a Republican candidate backed by head of MGM Studios Louis B. Mayer, and Williams Randolph Hurst, against Democratic candidate Upton Sinclair, who it seems would have won if not for Mayer and Hurst's interference. Gary Oldman is oddly cast; Mankiewicz was 43 years old when writing Citizen Kane and in his 30s for all the flashbacks, but Gary Oldman is 63 years old - and looks it, at all times! I love Gary Oldman and he's generally great in every role, but I didn't find anything particular remarkable about this one. Charles Dance was his usual self as Hurst, and Amanda Seyfried was maybe a step above one-note as his mistress Marion Crane. I was left thinking her story would have made for a better story than Mankiewicz's, or even an entire movie on just the 1934 election. The film is so indulgent in these flashbacks, the actual interesting part of Mankiewicz's life as it pertains to Citizen Kane - that him and Orson Wells fought over screenwriting credit, and Hurst banned all mention of it in his papers so it bombed at the box office - is only barely mentioned before the film quickly wraps up. So while I was not engaged by the story or characters for the most part, the cinematography and set design was very much top notch. The two combine to really transport you back to old time Hollywood and there were often interesting framing and lighting choices to admire when the story wasn't being very compelling. I think Fincher went overboard with some indulgences though, like putting in fake cigarette burns in the corners throughout the whole film. Too much! I'm glad I saw it before the Oscars, but I'll probably never watch it again. It's free on Netflix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 " I have never seen Citizen Cane and didn't know anything about it..." How can you not have😳 seen that?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,164 Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 3 hours ago, Jay said: The film is so indulgent in these flashbacks Well, Citizen Kane is *the* original flashback movie, so I suppose that's the reason, for better or worse. I haven't seen Mank yet (it's certainly on the list), but Kane is absolutely worth seeing. It's an excellent film with a great cast and great score, and the cinematography is still top notch 80 years later. bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,380 Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 I watched it just once at class, during my first year in college. If I remember correctly, I believe I lost about 5 minutes of screentime of the beginning of the movie due to arriving late for class. bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,164 Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 46 minutes ago, Edmilson said: I watched it just once at class, during my first year in college. If I remember correctly, I believe I lost about 5 minutes of screentime of the beginning of the movie due to arriving late for class. So you probably missed the glorious opening tracking shot that culminates in the reveal of the MacGuffin (and Herrmann's leitmotif for it). Edmilson and bruce marshall 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 I'll see Citizen Kane eventually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 WONDER WOMAN 1984 Maybe, I'm just the wrong demographic for these films but .... this film sucked! Gal is drop dead gorgeous but where's the script? No more comic book movies that dont feature BATMAN!😵😡 Raiders of the SoundtrArk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,326 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 And yet, JWFan seems to hate it less than Snyder's Justice League. bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 The irony is I watched it because of all the praise for the SCORE- I like to see the film FIRST. IDIOT#😵 1 hour ago, bruce marshall said: WONDER WOMAN 1984 Maybe, I'm just the wrong demographic for these films .... No. It just sucked. Imdb reviewers agree, and most of them were fans of the first one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,326 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 A score is only good when KM is singing it in the shower. bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 2 hours ago, bruce marshall said: No. It just sucked. I like to think this is the dumbest superhero movie ever made... Just watch this, at least it should make you laugh about the script GerateWohl and bruce marshall 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 The film was terrible, really disappointing (with a few cool parts) The score is fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 SOUL Strange film. It started out very strong, if reminiscent of the wonderful INSIDE OUT. Then, they throw in that tired trope about body switching! Oy vey! Thankfully, it didn't last too long before returning to its metaphysical roots. And, boy was that a emotionally satisfying ending. I was in tears. On 1/4/2021 at 12:29 PM, JoeinAR said: Lets see watched WW 84 lots of fun. If that comment doesn't earn at least a one year ban, I don't know what does! 😝 Raiders of the SoundtrArk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 On 4/3/2021 at 2:17 AM, bruce marshall said: The irony is I watched it because of all the praise for the SCORE- I like to see the film FIRST. IDIOT#😵 No. It just sucked. Imdb reviewers agree, and most of them were fans of the first one! Using imdb reviews as part of your argument totally destroys any argument you might have had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 6, 2021 Share Posted April 6, 2021 38 minutes ago, JoeinAR said: UsingJWFAN reviews as part of your argument totally destroys any argument you might have had. I didn't go by them. I read them after watching to see what others thought; I acknowledge I may.not be the audience for MCEU films. IMDB Fans who write thoughtful reviews are usually pretty reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 News of the World Hey this movie is pretty good! I was expecting it to be Tom Hanks going around and reading the news to a bunch of towns in the old west, and while that happens a few times, it's largely a road trip action flick with Hanks continually facing new adversaries as he tries to get a twice orphaned German girl to relatives she has on the other side of Texas. Some of the action scenes were impressive, which shouldn't have surprised me coming from Paul Greengrass. The setting of 1870 post-Civil War Texas was wonderfully realized, and the various interactions he has with some former soldiers and townsfolk makes you think about how little has changed in 150 years in some respects. James Newton Howard's score had some really nice parts that stood out and made me want to check out the score album. It's $6 on VOD LSH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Or free on Netflix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 In your country, yes. Not in mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Is it a ' shaky-cam' film? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Nope bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 The Father A simple but highly effective film that really tries to be in the mind of someone drowning. One of Hopkins' most compelling performances in years, the kind that doesn't at all feel constructed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 Nice, can't wait to see that one as soon as it shows up on streaming... or maybe $6 VOD (still $20 VOD here as of right now) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,326 Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 Hopkins with dementia sounds like Oscar bait though ... bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted April 16, 2021 Share Posted April 16, 2021 Sure, of course it sounds like that, but that automatically mean that it is. I had no interest when I first heard about it either, but then when my movie podcast reviewed it I learned it was actually something special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules 59 Posted April 17, 2021 Share Posted April 17, 2021 Don’t know that I can bring myself to watch The Father. By all accounts it’s pretty crushing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 Maybe we'll get a Fast and Furious movie someday where Dom is so old, he forgets how to drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 On 4/16/2021 at 1:41 AM, AC1 said: Hopkins with dementia sounds like Oscar bate though ... On paper, yea, but it transcends that I think. None of it feels conceited. And the whole thing is actually rather clever in how it tries to emulate the experience rather than just trying to bait the audience with trauma porn. Hopkins' performance is quite devastating by the end however. What a pro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 Is it better than Capone with Tom Hardy so demented from syphilis, he keeps 10 200ing himself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 2 hours ago, The Big Man said: Maybe we'll get a Fast and Furious movie someday where Dom is so old, he forgets how to drive. Driving Mr Dom Raiders of the SoundtrArk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,380 Posted April 18, 2021 Share Posted April 18, 2021 Love and Monsters Post-apocalyptic movies shouldn't be light-hearted, fun and romantic, but this one is maybe the first few good movie set in the last days of mankind. It has a fun script, charismatic characters, great use of visual effects for the monsters. But it can be also very scaring sometimes, with great setpieces involving the monsters. Beltrami's score is unremarkable though. The movie makes better use of pre existing songs. I recommend it. It's "free" on Netflix, at least if you live outside the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules 59 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 WW84 is good change my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Jules said: WW84 is good change my mind. Any Van Halen references in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 MANK Very enjoyable for the most part! Absolutely loved Oldman. Though he may be a bit old for the role it fits his style of acting perfectly. I like that it wasn't a " Making of..." film but more a portrait of a a man and an era. The stuff about Upton Sinclair - probably;t completely unknown to modern audiences- made the film for me. Im sure a lot of the film is fictionalized but they did not pretend they were making a " factual' biopic . Well worth seeing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 When I was watching MANK I had to turn up the.volume.to. MAX- and it was still muffled. I just read that it was recorded in low--fi MONO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,380 Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 Nomadland I watched the probable winner of the Best Picture Award just a few hours before the ceremony. It's a great movie! Very slow and poetic, it reminded me of a Malick movie. Not everyone is going to like it, but I found the movie to be quite moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 On 4/18/2021 at 7:59 PM, Edmilson said: Post-apocalyptic movies shouldn't be light-hearted, fun and romantic, but this one is maybe the first few good movie set in the last days of mankind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Edmilson said: Nomadland I watched the probable winner of the Best Picture Award just a few hours before the ceremony. It's a great movie! Very slow and poetic, it reminded me of a Malick movie. Not everyone is going to like it, but I found the movie to be quite moving. I loved how often dialogue from one scene would play over over footage from another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 31 minutes ago, Jay said: I loved how often dialogue from one scene would play over over footage from another That's a very Malick thing to do. The film pulled a lot from his DNA. Edmilson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,380 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 2 hours ago, Koray Savas said: What movie is this? The YT video is unavailable here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 I'm seeing this shit happening more and more often, the YouTube geoblocking. Wtf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 It's not geoblocking, they're blocking YOU!😜 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Edmilson said: What movie is this? The YT video is unavailable here. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World It fits all the criteria you listed and still manages to deliver genuine pathos in the end. You should check it out! Edmilson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 Oz is quarantined! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 Another Round A weird little movie that starts with a great premise and setup, ends with a strong finish, but really meanders and doesn't live up to its potential for most of the middle. Four high school teachers decide to maintain a buzz throughout their work-days teaching children, to improve various deficiencies each think they have in their personal lives and/or teaching styles; Various results of this experiment ensue, and change as the drinking escalates for each of them in different ways. Overall, I found it to be too much of a slog, and too depressing, to be able to give an easy recommendation. But it is clever and interesting, and different than most films out there. It's free on Hulu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 The Stand-In Ooof. If you've seen the trailer for this, it looks like a decent comedy with Drew Barrymore playing dual roles as the famous actor and her lookalike stand-in right? Well this is one of those cases where they took every single funny scene that exists in the movie and put them all in the trailer to make you think it's a comedy, when it really isn't. It's a bizarre drama about a famous actress who has a mental breakdown and becomes a recluse for 5 years, then finds her old stand-in to go to rehab for her when she gets caught for tax evasion, but the stand-in starts appearing in public again as her, and things escalate and escalate from there... It felt like a rough draft that they just filmed. The potential for a compelling story is here but it's just executed so poorly, both through a meandering and unfocused script and some scatterbrained directing. Barrymore is pretty committed and they do some fun things occasionally when both characters share a scene, but most of the time you'll just be bored and wondering where things are going. Not worth a watch, but it's free on Netflix if you're a big Barrymore fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,314 Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 TENET 3/10 Raiders of the SoundtrArk and LSH 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,326 Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 12 hours ago, Jay said: Another Round A weird little movie that starts with a great premise and setup, ends with a strong finish, but really meanders and doesn't live up to its potential for most of the middle. Yeah, I thought it was good as long they had the experiment under control but it was kind of predictable that the drinking would get out of hand. It's then when I started losing interest. Have you seen Vinterberg's Jagten? Same director, but much better movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Jagten was excellent. I look forward to checking Another Round out soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,275 Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 Yep, we saw The Hunt a while back and I loved it. Definitely a much stronger movie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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