What are you watching?

[Matt H.]

The is pretty bleak stuff. I put it on expecting some 80s camp and a bit of sleaze. Its directed by Bob Fosse for christ sake.

I'm trying to think of a Fosse movie that isn't bleak. SWEET CHARITY maybe?

[Matt H.]

I Spit On Your Grave 2 - This was surprisingly ambitious and suspenseful for this type of irredeemable junk. It's way better than the 2010 remake. I wouldn't dare recommend it to anyone but the people on this forum. It goes so far over the top it's sometimes even funny (one guy gets his face dunked into a toilet full of piss... followed by him being moved to an even dirtier stall to be finished off in a toilet filled with shit!). It was so disgusting I laughed out loud. Otherwise, though, this movie is savage and absolutely unrelenting. All of it is technically excellent, making it that much harder to watch. Think A SERBIAN FILM or something along those lines. I'd never watch it again.

[Andrew Monroe]

Star 80: 80s true crime about playmate Dorothy Strattens rise to centrefold status and b-movie stardom until her murder via shotgun at the hands of her husband Paul Snider.

The is pretty bleak stuff. I put it on expecting some 80s camp and a bit of sleaze. Its directed by Bob Fosse for christ sake. This is instead a pretty harrowing character study of Snider with Stratten a side player. The sleaze is there though. A bit dubious doing a story like this so soon after the crime. Extra points for getting Carroll Baker as the mum.

There was also a TV movie of this sad story from 1981 starring Jamie Lee Curtis - DEATH OF A CENTERFOLD.. Equally bleak and depressing. Curtis was excellent in the role. She should have had a more mainstream career. Very underrated.

[Dom D]

Star 80: 80s true crime about playmate Dorothy Strattens rise to centrefold status and b-movie stardom until her murder via shotgun at the hands of her husband Paul Snider.

The is pretty bleak stuff. I put it on expecting some 80s camp and a bit of sleaze. Its directed by Bob Fosse for christ sake. This is instead a pretty harrowing character study of Snider with Stratten a side player. The sleaze is there though. A bit dubious doing a story like this so soon after the crime. Extra points for getting Carroll Baker as the mum.

[Matt H.]

Electric Dreams - This is an unusual romantic/musical/sci-fi comedy from 1984. It's about a nerdy guy who gets a home computer/security system right before he has a meet-cute with his new neighbour (played by Virginia Madsen). The computer sets up his home (much like a modern Smart system) but soon becomes sentient and it starts to believe its also in love with the new neigbour! This is one of those singular, inventive and unpredictable movies that is admirably confident and sees its wild (for the time) concept through to the end. It's like a breezy (though sometimes pretentious) version of DEMON SEED, the likely inspiration IMO. I'm also convinced that Spike Jonze must've seen it and been thinking about it when he conceived his great film HER - it has some interesting similarities. The film is also technically top-notch with some particularly impressive cinematography and editing. It's also very, very '80s, in the best way possible.

[Matt H.]

Bullet Train - Ugh. I could only watch about 45 minutes and then I realized that I don't like these kind of self-satisfied, Guy Ritchie-inspired action comedies any more. It wasn't boring, but it wasn't exciting either. Not at all. Although it has original shots and ideas, it just seems like a carbon copy of various elements from the last 20-odd years of Hollywood action films. It's inspiration seems to be nothing more than other movies, particularly of recent vintage. The violence is brutal but somehow inconsequential, as if it's a cartoon and nobody is really getting hurt. I've had it with "colourful" characters in these type of films, too. Everyone is a smart-ass and/or quirky and it just seems forced at this point in the game. Plus, why does it have to be 127 minutes?

[Randy G]

Rewatched Life of Crime and Fargo. The former is underrated, a good Elmore Leonard adaptation that manages to be funny but also a bit creepy, good cast.

Fargo, I assume I don't need to go into...

[Dom D]

Sol Madrid (1968):

David McCullum is a tough as nails Interpol dude and Telly Savalas is the drug lord he's working. McCullum is using Savalas to move masses heroin to the states while he strives to keep a Mafiosa's hot blonde ex from getting murdered. Exactly what the thinking is behind the way he goes about thing is murky for a long time but it comes together.

It's fast, tough and smart. Tons of scenes of Savalas and McCullum going toe to toe which are a pleasure. There's a bit in here showing how they move the drugs to the States that I assume was the basis for a key scene in The Living Daylights. Two thumbs up.

[Newt Cox]

Even though I was told my pretty much mother in law was getting me the blu ray for Xmas,my lady last night got Clerks III digitally.

Damn that was good. Yea I get why people might not like it. But this was a great way to end the franchise. I do wonder what all was cut out.

[Matt H.]

Watched another downbeat favourite this afternoon, ivansxtc. It's one of the best and most affecting movies about the dark side of showbiz. Bernard Rose's best movie too.

[Matt H.]

I watched CRUMB again. It's my favourite documentary, I think. I love watching it when I'm depressed, it always makes me feel better.

[cryptkicker_5]

I just watched the 2012 movie Found. Thought it had a great premise but was hampered by its budget (the movie cost $8,000). Last night, I watched Mississippi Burning (1988) for the first time --- a tough film, I liked it. After that, I was in the mood for bad '90s erotic thrillers, so I watched The Temp (1993) and The Crush (1993) back to back.

Tonight I have a few options; not sure what I'll watch yet though.

[Dom D]

Bullet Train: This has been getting bad notices. It's a little cute but I thought it was alright. I like Brad Pitt in a comedy role and the two British hitmen were fun too. The film didn't give Andrew Koji much to do which will be a disappointment to all Warrior fans. I got a little lost with the story in the end but for some Guy Rithcie-esque thrills with good actors I think you can do a lot worse.

[Newt Cox]

Morbius-Been wanting to see this since we saw the trailer in August 2020 before the New Mutants movie. And well it ain't bad. Decent story and acting. A bit too much CGI for me. But not bad.

[JonesyTheCat]

Ophuls' American noirs are first rate.

Indeed.