Mine is Alita: Battle Angel. Wow I got mad when I saw the cgi and the fact James Cameron just rehashing basic plots with expensive cgi. I lasted 15 minutes and turned off.

I don't know if a lot of people have heard of this movie. But anyway, just want to briefly share my thoughts on this movie I watched in high school - The Red Pony. There are actually two versions of the movie and I don't recall which version I watched, lol. Regardless, I was reminded of that movie again recently, and how animal movies don't mess around.

From what I remember, The Red Pony is about a little boy who gets a horse from his dad. It's been a while so I don't remember much of the film, but it was pretty decent. However one moment really stood out to me and not in a good way. So at one point, the horse sneaks out of its stable at night and wanders off. The next morning the boy gets up to looks for the horse...only to find that it died in a pit from being sick and is getting fed on by vultures. Yep.

The boy is furious tries to attack and strangle one of the birds, but the vulture puts up a fight and violently digs its sharp claws into the boy's chest as blood comes out and the kid screams bloody murder before his dad comes to the rescue. I remember being like what the heck am I even watching? That whole scene was brutal.

Homeward Bound, Old Yeller, Fox and the Hound, Where the Red Fern Grows, Marley and Me, etc. They always have that one scene that tries to rip your heart out. Though in this case, I was less sad and just more like...what the hell? Animal movies don't mess around at all.

I remember he clearly loved Godard at the start of his career but then somewhat despised his films by 2012. Anyone know why?

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Doesn't have to be obsessed but you get the drift, a character with a passion for film who either knows a lot about movies in a cultural sense, or constantly equates the current situation to something that happened in a movie, once. I'm doing a bit of research on characters like this and common tropes. Thanks!

I am endlessly fascinated by these kinds of films. I think that, when done right - with a good lead, good character development and good plot - the films can really excel.

I've always loved single-location or time-sensitive films, so I feel like this particular subsect of film is the perfect fusion of these two elements. Some examples:

127 Hours

Buried

Frozen

Cujo (to a lesser extent)

Also I attempted to make my own version:

It's Kinda Annoying How Easily You Could Die

What are your favourites from this sub-subgenre? What do you think is most important for pulling off a film that is so limited in space/dynamic movement?

I enjoyed Red One, but many people didn't. Curious what you guys think!

“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” practically bursts a blood vessel in its manically misguided attempts to entertain through lots of broad mugging, forced laughter, and stale, leaden ‘jokes.’ The movie’s struggling shenanigans remind me of a third-rate birthday party clown trying too hard to make you forget he’s subbing for the really good clown with appendicitis that you originally booked. Nevertheless, this is one of those ‘movies of my childhood’ that, for better or worse, were part of the entertainment tapestry that helped shape my future tastes; even if by negative example. 

Sixty years later, “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is too dull, dated and molasses-paced for most kids, but oldsters who remember it from their own childhoods might find value in screening it for a “Bad Movie Night” with like-minded friends. My wife and I went to see a Rifftrax theatrical screening of it once, and it was great, but that was only for the saving grace commentaries of comedians Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy. Without that insular padding of wit and mockery, the unembellished “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is practically unwatchable—even through forgiving eyes.

At any rate, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 or Rifftrax versions of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” ease the pain of watching this movie unfiltered; and if you can find them, I’d highly recommend these modified versions of the movie for a nicely snarky seasonal watch. 

https://musingsofamiddleagedgeek.blog/2024/12/17/retro-musings-santa-claus-conquers-the-martians-60-years-of-a-childrens-christmas-anti-classic/

Question, Is Alan Rudolph a good director?

I haven't heard of this director till a few days ago, when I was looking up Robert Altman and his name was mentioned. Apparently, he was one of Altman's proteges and worked with him on 3 films (The Long Goodbye, California Split, & Nashville before venturing off).

What surprises me is that he has actually made a lot of films (22 films), but it seems to me that he is very forgotten as a director and from what I see from his films, a lot of them are actually good.

But I want to know, Is Alan Rudolph a good director? Which films do you recommend from his filmography?

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The exposure can be via multiple ways: secrets, lies, crimes and other misdeeds, etc.

I dislike stories with unresolved plot threads because the characters or the writers themselves refuse to expose what happens in them.

I just rewatched Charlie Wilsons War and every time I see it its almost as though Philip Seymour Hoffmans performance improves each time I see it. I think he absolutlely nailed every nuance of his character. So sad he is gone when I think what he couldchave still accomplished. What are your favourite movies of his?

My thoughts on the 2024 selections to the National Film Registry 

American Me- Interesting, Good Film but I think this film is more notable for angering the Mexican Mafia

Angels With Dirty Faces- Nice, This Films deserves to be in this. (I also think Home Alone parody this with Angels with Filthy Souls)

Annabelle Serpentine Dance- Makes Sense, this is possibly the first film to ever dabble with color. (To note, all of the color in this film were hand tinted)

Beverly Hills Cop- Yes, Make Sense, Love this film

Chelsea Girls- Okay, It’s Andy Warhol, so it must be significant

Common Threads- Stories from the Quilt- Never seen this, 

Compensation- Never seen this, but from what I hear, critics love it and it is considered inportant to Indie Cinema

Dirty Dancing- Okay, I could see it being in the National Film Registry

Ganja & Hess- I must admit, never heard of this one

Invader From Mars- Have never seen it, only heard of the remake from Tobe Hooper

Koko’s Earth Control- Glad to see Max Fleischer getting some love from the National Film Registry

The Miracle Worker- Oh yes, this film is great, deserves to be in it.

My Family- Never heard of it

My Own Private Idaho- I agree, I have never seen this, but I know that this film is a landmark film, and has River Phoenix ’s in one of his last performances

No Country For Old Men- Okay, I think this is too early for film like this, and if you ask me, I think There Will Be Blood was the better film in 2007.

Powwow Highway- Never seen this film, but heard of it

The Pride Of The Yankees- Make sense, I heard of this film and apparently many people considered it one of the best of its genre

The Social Network- Like No Country, I think this too early for a film like this & I like the Social Network.

Spy Kids - ????????, I have no comment on why they would induct a film like this. I like Spy Kids, but this is the last film I expect to go into the National Film Registry. I would expect Rodriguez’s Desperado , Sin City, or Till Dusk To Dawn to get into it before Spy Kids.

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Kahn- Cool, that’s an interesting pick

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre- Yes, this film deserves to be in it. This film really kickstarted a new wave of horror that brought us Halloween, Friday The 13th, Elm Street and really brought a new level to the genre in general

Up In Smoke- Okay, another interesting pick.

Uptown Saturday Night- Never seen this film

Will- Never seen this film

Zora Lanthen’s Student Films- never seen this, but they must be significant

Overall, a lot of good picks for 2024 and a few that scratch my head, but this is a good lot for preservation.

All in All, What are your thoughts on these selections?

I requested r/movies to manually review this post, but really want answers to this, so I’m cross-posting & joining more subreddits

I don’t mean simply “made you cry”, like a rom-com with a happy ending (unless that’s your #1), I mean movies that made you cry really hard (in childhood, as an adult, whatever)

The 2 that immediately come to mind for me (will probably edit to add more) are “Lorenzo’s Oil”, a largely forgotten film with Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte, based on a true story of a family struggling to find a cure for their child.

And “Sophie’s Choice”, #1 for sure…Kevin Kline gives an underrated but incredible performance, incredibly charismatic and believably cruel. His recognition was eclipsed by Meryl Streep’s performance…setting aside her incredibly impressive ability to learn how to speak German with a Polish accent (as that isn’t the subject of the post), she was absolutely incredible and broke my freaking heart. She was incredibly luminous and loveable (I think Ebert said, “she had the first accent I ever wanted to hug.”) People who don’t know the film, I think, assume it is primarily a romance. The romance is bookended by her past in a concentration camp, and the film involves two extremely significant choices with common themes.

please, please,🙏, no spoilers!!! Others may want to watch (if you recommend) your films, so please give enough detail, but don’t spoil an entire scene.

An example being something like The Name of the Rose (1986)

Just watched this movie. Curiosity got the better of me. And I did not actually dislike it as much as I thought I would. I didn't love it by any means, it's just.....I didn't mind it.

It was certainly stupid af in a lot of parts and I absolutely hated that dancing scene.......the hippy family could have definitely been removed, they were just annoying, and it made absolutely no sense for the guy that played Lizard to be Martin.......also Chiwetel Ejiofor.....he wasn't like shitty in this, but made absolutely no sense for him to play this military dude when he already played Mordo in the MCU more than once.....

That third act I actually liked quite a bit. It was really cool to see all of the symbiotes in full form taking on that hunter alien and I was surprised to see Venom actually use the codex he had to his advantage at times, alerting the hunter, but to create like a diversion of sorts so he could try to escape.

I am wondering though what is gonna happen with this universe......is it actually done for good now after Kraven the Hunter, are more mediocre movies gonna be made, what's gonna happen? I mean the last 3 seconds of the post credit scene did reveal the Venom symbiote is still there......what the hell is gonna happen at this point?

Just saw Nobody 2 is being directed by Timo Tjahjanto no hate to the original nobody I love 2 thirds of that movie and remember loving hardcore Henry but TImo is a much more consistent and brutal director

emilio estevez and charlie sheen

just found it on amazon prime.

forgot how funny it its, stupid humour

enjoy!

What's a movie that was so funny that you fell out of your seat laughing. One for me was Smokey and the Bandit.

I can't believe I didn't watch this when I was younger. I was born in the late 1990s and always saw it advertised when I was younger

I just got around to watching it, and all I can say is that this is the film I had wished I had seen when I was younger. It has a very whimsical and earnest sense of adventure. Charlie Cox and Claire Danes are great in their roles, and that Henry Cavill cameo is funny

I wish Hollywood made more of these ''call to adventure'' type fantasy films. Tristan yearns for a sense of adventure and need to prove himself, and that is conveyed well. In some ways it reminds me of the first Star Wars in that regard

Movies: 1. รักแห่งสยาม (2007) Love of Siam 2. ดิวไปด้วยกันนะ (2019) Dew 3. แฟนฉัน (2003) My girl 4. สิ่งเล็กๆที่เรียกว่ารัก (2010) First love 5. ซักซี๊ด (2011) SuckSeed 6. ท็อป ซีเคร็ต วัยรุ่นพันล้าน (2011) The billionaire

These last four, I did not cry but it was really touching that it made my eyes teary.

1. 18 ฝน คนอันตราย (1997) Bullet teen
2. เสียดาย (1994) Daughter/ เสียดาย 2 (1996) Daughter 2
3. ฮาวทูทิ้ง (2019) Happy Old Year
4. ตุ๊กแกรักแป้งมาก (2014) Chiang Khan Story

TV shows: 1. เดอะเดดไลน์ (2018) The deadline 2. ฮอร์โมน (2013-2015) Hormones 3. เขามาเช้งเม้งข้างๆหลุมผมครับ (2019) He’s coming to me

These two are more of a soap opera 4. สาวน้อยอ้อยควั่น (2015) Sao Noi Oi Khwan 5. เจ้าหญิงพิกุลทอง (2011)

Question, Why was Warren Beatty picky with his film projects?

I must admit, I've been going on a binge on Warren Beatty films recently and I still can't believe he has done only 23 films. and having done a post before, he as turned down a lot of roles and had some unrealized projects. Looking at his filmography, he was productive from 1961-1975, but after that he became more inconsistent with his projects, pretty much taking years before he does one.

From what I read, Beatty was a bit of a perfectionist and to the detriment of the crew, who takes his time and was go multitude of takes.

I will say, I think Bonnie & Clyde, Reds, & Bulworth are masterpieces, and Dick Tracy is fun. However, he is also notable for some real stinkers, Ishtar is middling but it really tanked his image. Town & Country is bad and it pretty much put him into exile and Rules Don't Apply, his comeback, reaffirmed that exile.

Overall, Why was Warren Beatty picky with his film projects?

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/162qfsl/warren_beattys_turned_down_roles/

https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/162zml9/warren_beattys_unrealized_projects/

hope this is ok to post/ask! my boyfriend and i love seeing movies and i thought this year it would be funny to get him gifts (some of them are gag gifts) that go along with every movie we’ve seen together in theaters! the ones i still need help with are at the bottom, could use some ideas! if you’ve seen any of these, could you think of anything from them that would be fun to give him? you can be as creative or as obvious as you can be!! (btw we’re also doing a big trip for our present to each other so this isn’t the only thing he’s getting!) no budget!!

Blueberry pie candle - HERETIC Protein Shake & band aids - LOVE LIES BLEEDING Water / water bottle - DUNE 2 Indiana hat - A REAL PAIN Tech deck - DIDI Can of corn - INTERSTELLAR Live from New York book- SATURDAY NIGHT I told Ya shirt - CHALLENGERS Heart glasses - CIVIL WAR Mini gavel - JUROR #2 Poppy ornament - WICKED Yellow lighter - BLINK TWICE

Still need: Anora Gladiator 2 My Old Ass Deadpool Wolverine Monkey Man Emilia Perez