On my list, thanks!Get this film down you then
He’s at his most Chris o Dowdiness in it. He’s where a lot of the laughs come from.
Speaking of Chris o Dowd, did you ever watch him in Calvary? With Brendan Gleason (one of my favourite actors). That’s a great little film. CoD is very good in that.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
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We definitely need a pic of you now to see how similar you look!First I saw him was in Scent Of A Woman, but didn't realize until later it was him. Then Twister, and the week after that came out, someone stopped me in Santa Barbara and wanted my autograph because they thought I was him (!). He was brilliant as Scotty in Boogie Nights, great in Big Lebowski, so many others. Only real stinkers were Along Came Polly (as mentioned), but also Flawless. Holy fecking shit, what a train wreck of a film! Years later, I was in Hollywood to see a BRMC show, and I had this favorite cowboy style shirt, and then he was in a photo with the same exact shirt (below), and I was wearing it that night. A European couple (Italian?) kept taking pictures of me surreptitiously and then came over and told me I was brilliant in "that movie". I guess this was when Capote came out. So I didn't want to ruin their "celebrity signing" and declined an autograph but said thanks for their support. feck! I'm not fat!
In my defense, I don't think we look all that much alike, maybe cousins.
He was my favorite actor.
Here's the shirt:
Imagine a more svelte, handsomer PSH. He’s got bushy eyebrows too. There was a period of a couple years where I heard the resemblance every couple weeks. I got my shit together and got in shape.
Equalizer
Pretty bland and generic action movie that's too long and not enough action. Denzel obviously elevates the material and there are some nice scenes but I don't know how this got not one, but two sequels 5.5/10
Pretty bland and generic action movie that's too long and not enough action. Denzel obviously elevates the material and there are some nice scenes but I don't know how this got not one, but two sequels 5.5/10
After buying my ticket for Thursday, got the last one for the showing, I did a little more reading and am a little more skeptical. It's mostly a Travis Scott thing and this other article says five "additional directors" making me think it's some sort of anthology tied to his album which I'm still interested in because of those three directors but little less excited about
I'll be praying for your safety, brother. Let us know!
I'm sitting by myself in the middle of some random row in a packed theatre so it better be something!
I appreciate that. I'll definitely report back.
Ad Astra. 2019 film by Games Gray. Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now meets Pixar's Up, in which an astronaut (Brad Pitt) is sent on a space mission to stop his dad (Tommy Lee Jones) from potentially destroying civilization.
Not a fan. I will happily admit that it looks gorgeous, that the attempted realism in the depiction of space travel and related situations creates a unique mood, and that it's well acted (easily 4/5); but the story goes nowhere (or maybe rather: nowhere I learned anything from or cared for), and that, to me, severely undercut the thoughtful, stately pace and style the film adopts, which instead increasingly felt slow, ponderous, and pointless as the film progressed. For the first hour or so, I felt the film was building towards something interesting in a rather similar vein to Apocalypse Now; but subsequently, that sense really disappeared, and I just couldn't figure what kind of interesting ending the film would have to offer - and indeed none appeared (more like 1/5?).
Not a fan. I will happily admit that it looks gorgeous, that the attempted realism in the depiction of space travel and related situations creates a unique mood, and that it's well acted (easily 4/5); but the story goes nowhere (or maybe rather: nowhere I learned anything from or cared for), and that, to me, severely undercut the thoughtful, stately pace and style the film adopts, which instead increasingly felt slow, ponderous, and pointless as the film progressed. For the first hour or so, I felt the film was building towards something interesting in a rather similar vein to Apocalypse Now; but subsequently, that sense really disappeared, and I just couldn't figure what kind of interesting ending the film would have to offer - and indeed none appeared (more like 1/5?).
Exactly.
Funny you'd mention Up in this context - that had actually come to my mind here as a comparison for the Ad Astra!
I’m just watching the Val Kilmer documentary “Val” here. It’s really good. It’s beautifully done.
The emptiness and nothingness of the film is one of the main themes of the film and it achieves this in two ways. The first is to show the vast nothingness in space, and I think Tommy Lee Jones' character alludes to this when he finally meets Brad Pitt. That there really is nothing, and it's all for nothing. That it's all empty and meaningless, and its empty and meaningless is empty and meaningless (I'll circle back to this later).
The second is meant to mirror the journey we made into South Vietnam in Apocalypse Now (this movie is described by the director as a space Apocalypse Now) . A slow, meandering journey from civilisation into barbarianism (or in this case, a slow meandering journey from population into barren-ness). Where with each passing moment, more and more of what we are used to is stripped back until we're in a more primal state. We see this in the journey Brad Pitt takes alone to Neptune.
So what do we learn from all this...well we see Brad Pitt try and find some hope of a life with meaning...meaning that he imparts. I saw the movie when it first came out so my memory is hazy but I think after he returns back to earth, he reconnects with his ex-wife, and appreciates these things because they mean something to him, even if all there is is nothingness. He, and us as the audience, comes back as a changed man. There's some more ontological and phenomenological themes I remember thinking about when I first saw it, but it's been so long they all escape me. Your post has given me a nudge to maybe watch it again.
This is about Taffin!!! I just love the cliches in youtube comments.
Prey (2022):
The fact that the animals are so blatantly CGI robbed many scenes of impact. But almost every scene where the predator is on the hunt is great. And, like with the original Predator, she has to rely on her smarts - it's all set up very well, including with her character. Very satisfying scene where she turns the tables for the first time, I was cheering. But it lacks the shock and the cheese of the original.
7/10
Paul (2011):
Ok comedy/parody of ET/first contact type stuff. Undemanding watch. Nick Frost/Simon Pegg have done much better.
6/10
The fact that the animals are so blatantly CGI robbed many scenes of impact. But almost every scene where the predator is on the hunt is great. And, like with the original Predator, she has to rely on her smarts - it's all set up very well, including with her character. Very satisfying scene where she turns the tables for the first time, I was cheering. But it lacks the shock and the cheese of the original.
7/10
Paul (2011):
Ok comedy/parody of ET/first contact type stuff. Undemanding watch. Nick Frost/Simon Pegg have done much better.
6/10
The emptiness and nothingness of the film is one of the main themes of the film and it achieves this in two ways. The first is to show the vast nothingness in space, and I think Tommy Lee Jones' character alludes to this when he finally meets Brad Pitt. That there really is nothing, and it's all for nothing. That it's all empty and meaningless, and its empty and meaningless is empty and meaningless (I'll circle back to this later).
The second is meant to mirror the journey we made into South Vietnam in Apocalypse Now (this movie is described by the director as a space Apocalypse Now) . A slow, meandering journey from civilisation into barbarianism (or in this case, a slow meandering journey from population into barren-ness). Where with each passing moment, more and more of what we are used to is stripped back until we're in a more primal state. We see this in the journey Brad Pitt takes alone to Neptune.
So what do we learn from all this...well we see Brad Pitt try and find some hope of a life with meaning...meaning that he imparts. I saw the movie when it first came out so my memory is hazy but I think after he returns back to earth, he reconnects with his ex-wife, and appreciates these things because they mean something to him, even if all there is is nothingness. He, and us as the audience, comes back as a changed man. There's some more ontological and phenomenological themes I remember thinking about when I first saw it, but it's been so long they all escape me. Your post has given me a nudge to maybe watch it again.
The will to live was what escaped me in the second half of that film.
ad astra? more like dad astra, amiright?
Ad Astra really could have used a talking dog. I think the tone of that film was affected by Brad Pitt being a producer on it, and him getting a bunch of editorial decisions his way against the interests of the film. James Gray is a really talented director, though.
Paul was fecking shite, and was the moment I realized I hate Pegg and Frost, separately or together.
Paul was meh but the Cornetto Trilogy were great fun.
Ah, so you enjoyed the movie then. I guess you identified more with Tommy Lee Jones' philosophy where he's dedicated his whole life to finding something out there in the big black wilderness, but there's nothing, and he's finding it difficult to accept that and chose to drift in space for all eternity instead of coming back to Earth with his son, hmmmmmmmmm?
I'm not sure I cared what happened as long as the film stopped.
I kind of enjoyed it but it was boring as hell and utterly forgettable. I'm sure I read around the time of release that they tacked on the space monkey "action" scene very late in the day to appease modern audiences. Unfortunately, it was the worst part.
Has to be done:This is about Taffin!!! I just love the cliches in youtube comments.
I've talked about this film a couple of times on here, and rewatched earlier this year, I have a strong love for it. I don't find it boring at all, I find it hypnotic and fascinating. And I truly believe it's the kind of film that is going to age super well and have a bit of a cult following (not in The Room or Rocky Horror Picture Show kind of way, but people who love it dearly and talk about it regularly).
I’m with you - I thought it was great. I thought the difference between the first half and second half in terms of what the viewer is presented with worked brilliantly.
Circus Maximus
so this wasn't a movie. It started with 5-6 scenes from all the guest directors. Each scene was very obvious who directed it. Refn, Noe and Korine's were back to back to back after a few initial scenes and immediately obvious. None of these scenes had dialogue. The cinematography was great. If the whole movie has been this with one continual sort of story it would have been awesome. I loved those three scenes.
Symbolism/imagery was holes/caves/caverns, dystopian vibe, circles, stones, android like, and this single dialogue scene interspliced that look like it was shot by someone watching through a camera or binocular lens
However, after those scenes it shifted into basically just Scott performing his new album in a set setting which was a cool overgrown ancient amphitheatre thing with stones. I kept wanting it to return to the scenes by the directors but it was like a long music video, albeit stylized really cool with this mix of ancient stones and dystopian outfits.
The music surprised me in that I actually really liked some of the songs. The song during Noe's scene in particular, Modern Jam, had an amazing beat. The other ones I really liked were played during Korine and Refn's scenes so it seems like he got the directors to do his best songs. Those songs were better than anything out of the big hip hop artists at the moment for me, although the credit really goes to whoever is making his beats
Before that concert part started I was really into it but by the end I was less excited. If the whole thing was those directors rotating scenes with a through line story in cinematography it could have been amazing. Still worth it for hip hop fans and big fans of the directors that want to see everything they do.
They gave out a t-shirt too I'll post later.
so this wasn't a movie. It started with 5-6 scenes from all the guest directors. Each scene was very obvious who directed it. Refn, Noe and Korine's were back to back to back after a few initial scenes and immediately obvious. None of these scenes had dialogue. The cinematography was great. If the whole movie has been this with one continual sort of story it would have been awesome. I loved those three scenes.
Symbolism/imagery was holes/caves/caverns, dystopian vibe, circles, stones, android like, and this single dialogue scene interspliced that look like it was shot by someone watching through a camera or binocular lens
However, after those scenes it shifted into basically just Scott performing his new album in a set setting which was a cool overgrown ancient amphitheatre thing with stones. I kept wanting it to return to the scenes by the directors but it was like a long music video, albeit stylized really cool with this mix of ancient stones and dystopian outfits.
The music surprised me in that I actually really liked some of the songs. The song during Noe's scene in particular, Modern Jam, had an amazing beat. The other ones I really liked were played during Korine and Refn's scenes so it seems like he got the directors to do his best songs. Those songs were better than anything out of the big hip hop artists at the moment for me, although the credit really goes to whoever is making his beats
Before that concert part started I was really into it but by the end I was less excited. If the whole thing was those directors rotating scenes with a through line story in cinematography it could have been amazing. Still worth it for hip hop fans and big fans of the directors that want to see everything they do.
They gave out a t-shirt too I'll post later.
James Gray makes movies like we are still in the classic 70s era of filmmaking. He is a meticulous director and really understands the power of cinema. I don’t know if you read about it, but Gray was recently a guest director of the LA Opera, and his production of The Marriage of Figaro got rave reviews.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainme...ay-director-armageddon-time-opera-los-angeles
It’s a brilliant film. It’s rare to set something in Space that isn’t a wild space opera.
It’s gorgeous, flawlessly acted and genuinely engaging. If I remember correctly, I think the trailer was a bit of a bait and switch? People expected one thing and got another.
Totally agree that it’ll age well.
I'm glad it has some love going for it. I don't really watch trailers so I don't know how it was marketed, but I wouldn't be surprised if the studio tried to sell it as a space adventure film - which, in part, it is, but it's a lot more than that. Gray's usual themes of family and isolation definitely come to the fore, and work really well in this interplanetary voyage. The whole cast is great (I love Sutherland in this too), so is the music and the cinematography - what's not to like about it?
Hadn't seen anything about his production of Marriage of Figaro, but that doesn't surprise me so much! Very meticulous guy as you say. His more recent Armageddon Time was also very good.
12 Mighty Orphans
The true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who, during the Great Depression in the 1930's, went from playing without shoes, or even a football, to playing for the Texas state championships. Over the course of their winning season, these underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state, and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Watched this last night on Netflix, and really enjoyed it. Id' give it 8 Andy's out of 10.
The true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who, during the Great Depression in the 1930's, went from playing without shoes, or even a football, to playing for the Texas state championships. Over the course of their winning season, these underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state, and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Watched this last night on Netflix, and really enjoyed it. Id' give it 8 Andy's out of 10.
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Big Andys or little Andys?
1917 (2019)
Jeez, that was boring. Yet it's rated extremely highly. Are people so easily impressed by a couple of nice shots and orchestra soundtracks?
Jeez, that was boring. Yet it's rated extremely highly. Are people so easily impressed by a couple of nice shots and orchestra soundtracks?
The ‘one shot’ camera angle garnered it heaps of praise when released. It’s visually amazing, but a tad drawn out.
Whoa, boring is the last word I’d use to describe it. Great film. I think you need to admire it as a visual feast from Mendes and Deakins rather than any sort of actual realistic portrayal of WW1 (the new All Quiet on the Western Front is a much better film in that regard). It’s the last film I saw in the cinema before Covid hit and I loved it. Had some moments that genuinely made me jump too. Maybe it doesn’t transcend as well to the small screen or if you don’t care about the single takes?
1917>>>>dunkirk
Big Andy’s
Scent of a woman
No idea why I never saw this, since I love Al Pacino. His performance is amazing, though the movie is let down a tiny bit by the corny prep school plot They don't really make actors like him in Hollywood anymore do they.
8/10
No idea why I never saw this, since I love Al Pacino. His performance is amazing, though the movie is let down a tiny bit by the corny prep school plot They don't really make actors like him in Hollywood anymore do they.
8/10
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Just back from holiday. Travel viewing included.
Guardians of the Galaxy (the new one)
Shite. Why do I do this to myself? I knew it would be shite but still watched it. Quite liked the cutesy mutant animal scenes and yer man from Firefly was good. Rest of it was a pile of pish.
4/10
John Wick (the new one)
Painfully stupid but some engaging scenes. Even if the best one was a top down rip off of Metal Gear Solid. Hard to pick the most stupid scene from a very stupid movie but I’d have to go with the brawl in the Berlin rave where a load of baddies get axes stuck in their heads on a crowded dance floor and literally everyone keeps on dancing. Either that or Keanu holding a conversation after being lifted of the ground by a hangman’s noose round his neck.
5/10
Guardians of the Galaxy (the new one)
Shite. Why do I do this to myself? I knew it would be shite but still watched it. Quite liked the cutesy mutant animal scenes and yer man from Firefly was good. Rest of it was a pile of pish.
4/10
John Wick (the new one)
Painfully stupid but some engaging scenes. Even if the best one was a top down rip off of Metal Gear Solid. Hard to pick the most stupid scene from a very stupid movie but I’d have to go with the brawl in the Berlin rave where a load of baddies get axes stuck in their heads on a crowded dance floor and literally everyone keeps on dancing. Either that or Keanu holding a conversation after being lifted of the ground by a hangman’s noose round his neck.
5/10
I'm quite sure John Wick is deliberate in its stupidity. It's not trying to be a serious movie.
Hooo-ahhh!
Definitely. And I quite liked that about it. It’s commitment to the bit. It’s not a good movie though.