The Public Enemy
Cagney. There is a reason why the name evokes such a connection with people after all this time. Such ferocious energy, such physical grace, all wrapped up in a man so tightly wound that he explodes with more force than a thousand tommy guns.
The film is a classic, and a surprisingly far more superior and adult film than Little Caesar which preceded it by a few months. Cagney makes his legendary bid for stardom as a vicious, sadistic, violent, charming gangster-forming the classic mold by which all others are judged. There are countless films inspired by this one, most notably several Scorsese films as Marty is a lifelong fan.
Example: The opening of Goodfellas? From here essentially. This film is 100% pure Pre-Code, full of sexual innuendos, illicit affairs, drinking, and all kinds of other general "nasties". The Public Enemy is a tightly woven drama that always works and runs on pure Cagney fuel.
Cagney is like a lightning rod, as hot as his bulging pistols as he burns his way into your subconscious.
God, that scene with Cagney in the pouring rain at night before walking in towards his doom...THAT is cinema. THAT is acting. No dialogue. No score. Just unbelievable power and tension. Overbearingly strong visuals that sweep you up in their wake.
And then there's what happens when you're the boring girlfriend and you piss off Jimmy early in the morning whilst his hangover is in full swing. ;)
4 balls out of 4...dirty rats. Masterpiece. Arguably THE gangster picture by which all others should be measured.
G Men
Here we see the opposite side of the scale. Made 4 years later in full Code enforcement, Cagney is now on the side of the law as an FBI agent in a film with none of the wit, charm, assurance, vitality, and most importantly none of the danger inherent in Public Enemy. This is pure fiction, pure Hollywood fantasy about government agents vs. crooks, but it's an enjoyable movie for what it is. It's just a waste to see so much talent go without being fully utilized. This film was reissued in the 40's with a pitiful tacked on opening where FBI agents sit down to watch a film about the "greatness of the department".
Public Enemy along with Little Caesar were banned until the mid 1950's, and were only then shown censored.
2.5 balls out of 4
VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader
georgec said:
captainsolo said:
If you haven't seen Tell No One (France), give it a try. Probably the best movie of the 2000's.
Obviously you haven't seen Grandma's Boy...
Or Jack and Jill.
...
I went to add Tell No One to my queue, and it was already in there.
Rushmore (1998)
As someone who really enjoys Wes Anderson films, I finished this one wondering how it was that I've managed to go this long without seeing it. Several aspects of it reminded me a whole lot of Moonrise Kingdom. Though regrettably for my part, some aspects of Moonrise Kingdom really should have reminded me of this film rather than the other way around.
4 out of 4 run over bicycles.
"I like your nurse's uniform, guy."
"These are OR scrubs."
"O, R they?"
“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”
Still my favorite Wes movie by a wide margin.
Tenenbaums is his magnum opus, but I love all of Wes' films. Hell, in some ways Bottle Rocket is my favorite as well.
"I don't know, man, I lose my touch."
"Did you ever have a touch to lose, man?"
“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”
Tales from the Hood (1995)
With a title like this, I excepted to hate this. After all, "Hoods" just bring to mind idiot ghetto assholes and dumbfuck rap artists and everything that comes with their moronic subculture. I was surprised to see that it was just a straightup anthology horror that just happened to focus on impoverished black people and issues they have to deal with, and that all the "gangsta" stuff was peripheral. It was definately a good movie, though I wasn't too fond of the ending.
Genuine (1920)
Not the best silent film I've ever seen - it was actually pretty boring, really. The skeleton with a clock for a head was a nice touch, though.
Creepshow III (2006)
I sure Stephen King and George Romero have never seen this movie. If they had, surely they would have gone back in time and killed their respective grandfathers before their fathers had ever been conceived, thus preventing their births and the creation of the Creepshow series from ever happening.
The Video Dead (1987)
I think I briefly experienced brain death by watching this piece of shit.
Hobgoblins (1988)
I'm sad the titular Hobgoblins didn't win - the human "protagonists" were a bunch of unlikeable dumbfucks who deserved ignominous deaths.
My Boyfriend's Back (1993)
I think this is the first film I've ever seen that's overtly dealt with necrophilia - comedic zombie necrophilia no less. Everything about this movie is unnatural - the character interactions, the dialogue, the scenes, the humour, etc. It's absurdist to the core - no one with a sane outlook on life can enjoy this movie for any of the right reasons.
In other words, I liked this movie.
Love Object (2003)
I'd expect a $10,000 sex doll to look more realistic than the one in this film. I guess the really realistic ones really go into the millions-of-dollars range.
The Resurrected AKA Shatterbrain (1991)
I loved Chris Sarandon's overacting in this film. His teeth, on the other hand, not so much.
Beyond Re-Animator (2003)
This may be an unorthodox opinion, but I think this is the best film in the Re-Animator series. I can't really say why - it just is.
The lack of CGI was good, too.
The Avenging Conscience: or 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' (1914)
An alright silent film, though I can't decide if I like the ending or not. I would have prefered to have watched a copy that didn't have unnecessary sound effects added to it.
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
Is it just me, or was this movie made with half the budget of its predecessor, and in a less serious frame of mind? Seriously, Wicket looks like something made for a school play, for Christ's sake, and sounds like he's going to utter the words "Me likey the flied lice" at any moment throughout the picture.
Corpse Bride (2004)
I actually liked this movie despite it being a Burton film; I guess it being animated instead of live-action had something to do with it.
Career Opportunities (1991)
I really liked this movie, though that's probably due to Jennifer Connelly's prescence more than anything else. Seriously, the woman is mesmerizing - especially back in the 80's-early 90's. I could watch a movie with nothing but her standing and posing and be entertained just by examining her from the various angles.
Anyway, back on track ... I feel the conflict near the end of the movie with the robbers was resolved a little too easily and suddenly; it's like the writers didn't know how to write their way out of the situation without resorting to the magical appearance of a previously-unseen-and-unmentioned shotgun.
European Vacation (1985)
The fucking kids ruined it. Seriously, all they did was bitch and complain, bitch and complain, bitch and complain (no irony intended). And don't get me started on the stupid jingoistic end credits.
Horror of Dracula (1958)
With all the hype surrounding this movie, I thought I would have enjoyed this movie. Unfortunately, the only parts I enjoyed were the scenes where Christopher Lee had dialogue; I found the rest of the film boring.
Vegas Vacation (1997)
Far better than European Vacation, but still nothing great; I think it's obvious at this point that they were running out of ideas and that Chevy Chase was getting too old for the part. Randy Quaid was definately the highlight of this movie.
Kwaidan (1964)
I liked the first story, the second was a little overlong but bearable, but the third ... God almighty - time couldn't pass any slower were it taking place in the centre of a black hole; I spent the whole time nodding off. By the time the fourth and final story came along, I just wasn't in the state of mind to enjoy it.
Ghost Chase AKA Hollywood-Monster (1987)
Roland Emmerich's early movies sure were weird. I can't even tell if the titular creature was supposed to have been human at one point or not - the script sure doesn't go out of its way to explain anything.
Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)
I can't believe this was made by the same guy who made the original - he really dropped the ball with this one; the premise is preposterous, the plot ephemeral, the time/parallel universe travel rules are illogical/internally inconsistent, and the lead actress has all the talent of Keanu Reeves on an off-day. The only saving graces are Bruce Campbell and a very, very small few of the horror film references.
Frankenhooker (1990)
It is what it is - bizarre, but not as bizarre as it could have been (or as I would have liked).
You watched Hobgoblins uncut? Whoa.
Where were you in '77?
Yes, and I felt like gouging my eyes out at the end. I don't know what possessed me to watch it in the first place.
European Vacation is a guilty nostalgic pleasure for me.
I think he's gonna pork her, dad!
DuracellEnergizer said:
Yes, and I felt like gouging my eyes out at the end. I don't know what possessed me to watch it in the first place.
Could be worse. You could have watched the sequel/remake that only got made because MST3K plucked this turkey from total obscurity.
The song that plays in the Club Scum sequence is kind of catchy though. ;)
Where were you in '77?
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
My opinion of this movie can be summed up in a series of pictures, each of which are seperated into the categories of what I liked and what I didn't like.
WHAT I LIKED
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
I'm guessing you were more the Cameron type in high school?
A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em
It's a shame Jeffrey Jones is in prison for a child porn conviction. He was a good character actor, too bad he turned out to be a creeper.
bkev said:
I'm guessing you were more the Cameron type in high school?
zombie84 said:
It's a shame Jeffrey Jones is in prison for a child porn conviction. He was a good character actor, too bad he turned out to be a creeper.
Wait, what?? What the hell?
*googles*
Oh my god. That's horrific. Every film I've seen him in is ruined now.
<span style=“font-weight: bold;”>The Most Handsomest Guy on OT.com</span>
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
The '80s were magical. Man do I love this movie. It'd been a while since I'd last seen it and when I found it on blu-ray I knew it was meant to be. John Carpenter is amazing. We have him to thank for Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing, They Live... Actually thinking about it...I wonder why he didn't/couldn't get Kurt Russell for They Live. I mean I love that film as is but now I can't help but wonder what it would have been like if he'd starred in it. Anyway, this film really shook the pillars of heaven. Oh and you know what else did? This music video.
Kon-Tiki (2012)
Saw a trailer for this a while ago and have been looking forward to it for a while now. So last night when I randomly decided to see what was playing at my local limited run theater I ran out there when I saw that they were playing this. Fantastic film! Excellently written, directed and performed. I was really quite surprised by the excellent visual effects throughout the film from the recreation of 1940's New York to the various sea life it was all superb. Another thing I was surprised by was I think they shot two different versions of the film as the film I saw was entirely in English and wasn't dubbed. Meanwhile I've seen trailers that have scenes in Norwegian. Anyway, as I said a fantastic film that never bores but kept me on the edge of my seat a number of times. They took a crazy risk doing what they did and now I have to learn more about Thor Heyerdahl.
greenpenguino said:
zombie84 said:
It's a shame Jeffrey Jones is in prison for a child porn conviction. He was a good character actor, too bad he turned out to be a creeper.
Wait, what?? What the hell?
*googles*
Oh my god. That's horrific. Every film I've seen him in is ruined now.
After looking up further details myself it looks like he never actually did go to prison after all, but he was arrested twice more for failing to update his sex offender registry, which sex offenders are apparently supposed to do annually.
I actually just re-watched Ravenous, one of my favourite films, and he's fantastic in this overlooked gem. It's too bad we'll never see him in a film again, but I guess that's the way it goes when you are a pedophile.
"Licence to Kill"
This is one of my top five favorites. I know it has it's cheesy moments, but this film feels much more like an Ian Fleming flavored James Bond then any of the Guy Hamilton, Lewis Gilbert, or other John Glenn entrees. Bond is at his gritty best, and he has a great personal motivation for his revenge. The action is realistic, and most of the bad guys don't feel like they are out of a comic book. They have some real nasty objectives with the drug trade plot, and I love how Franz Sanchez comes completely unglued by Bond's psychological manipulations. The story moves at a decent pace, and I really enjoyed the Milton Crest character and his roll in the overall drug operation. His fate was amusing, and I almost could find myself feeling sorry for him. How Bond set him up, was brilliant story telling. The call back to earlier Bond gags (like the duck disguise from "Goldfinger") was pulled off very well this time around. The Manta Ray disguise was so much more realistic here, than the use of a crocodile disguise done in "Octopussy". The Truck chase was a bit over the top, but it beats Bond fighting in front of a rear projection screen, or fighting on a airplane yet again. Yes, I like this film a lot. Too bad Dalton did not get another go as Bond. Oh, and I have to add that Wane Newton was excellent in his roll of the greedy and overly sex obsessed Televangelist.
“First feel fear, then get angry. Then go with your life into the fight.” - Bill Mollison
Star Trek into Darkness. 3 out of 4 Montalbans.
A lot of 3D films I've seen in the cinema have been pretty disappointing but Star Trek looks great. - Iron Man 3 felt VERY flat in comparison.
The story could have been better and yes it retreads stories that we've already had but it was quite a fun ride.
We get to see more of the ship and there are some cool designs for various things.
There was one scene that felt very awkwardly wedged in only to relate to a later scene - you'll know it when you see it.
FanFiltration said:
"Licence to Kill"
This is one of my top five favorites. I know it has it's cheesy moments, but this film feels much more like an Ian Fleming flavored James Bond then any of the Guy Hamilton, Lewis Gilbert, or other John Glenn entrees. Bond is at his gritty best, and he has a great personal motivation for his revenge. The action is realistic, and most of the bad guys don't feel like they are out of a comic book. They have some real nasty objectives with the drug trade plot, and I love how Franz Sanchez comes completely unglued by Bond's psychological manipulations. The story moves at a decent pace, and I really enjoyed the Milton Crest character and his roll in the overall drug operation. His fate was amusing, and I almost could find myself feeling sorry for him. How Bond set him up, was brilliant story telling. The call back to earlier Bond gags (like the duck disguise from "Goldfinger") was pulled off very well this time around. The Manta Ray disguise was so much more realistic here, than the use of a crocodile disguise done in "Octopussy". The Truck chase was a bit over the top, but it beats Bond fighting in front of a rear projection screen, or fighting on a airplane yet again. Yes, I like this film a lot. Too bad Dalton did not get another go as Bond. Oh, and I have to add that Wane Newton was excellent in his roll of the greedy and overly sex obsessed Televangelist.
"Bless your heart!" ;)
Really? You like LTK over everything besides Young's three and OHMSS?
Smart Money
The only pairing of Robinson and Cagney is an odd movie, which is better for being Pre-Code and stuffed with innuendos than for its plot. Watch for these two playing off of each other and for Boris Karloff.
2 balls out of 4 cigars.
Scarface (1932)
Of all the classic gangster pictures, this is the most disappointing one. Howard Hawks directed, Ben Hecht wrote it and damn it if this doesn't drag on with little to no interest in the main character. Paul Muni comes across as more of a dope than a grand master of crime and it is actually George Raft who makes the star turn as the murderous supporting gangster who says little but habitually flips his coin in the background without looking at it.
3 balls out of 4 overly protected sisters.
Bullets or Ballots
Essentially G-Men 2, with Robinson as a cop going undercover to crush the rackets once and for all. Worthwhile primarily for Eddie getting some great one-liners and Bogie's cold Gangster No.2 who exists only to antagonize and die in the penultimate reel.
3 balls out of 4 fedoras.
San Quentin
One of the classic prison films, SQ is more a character study that is most hampered by it's short run time and inherent goody two shoes quality. An army man is brought in to help make the prisoners truly reform while doing time. He just happens to develop feelings for a nightclub singer (Ann Sheridan) (Swoon!) who just happens to be the sister of newly arrested Bogie. See where this is going? See this for another early big part for Bogie despite it not being any comparison to Black Legion, and because it's one of those short classics that doesn't inspire adoration or hatred but merely a welcome time filler.
2.5 balls out of 4 big houses.
If you want to see a real prison film, there is a WB 30's picture that was far truer to life and delved deeply into the black that eventually became noir. Cold, tough, brutal and ultimately a tragedy this is the great forgotten American classic I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang.
VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader
captainsolo said:
FanFiltration said:
"Licence to Kill"
This is one of my top five favorites. I know it has it's cheesy moments, but this film feels much more like an Ian Fleming flavored James Bond then any of the Guy Hamilton, Lewis Gilbert, or other John Glenn entrees. Bond is at his gritty best, and he has a great personal motivation for his revenge. The action is realistic, and most of the bad guys don't feel like they are out of a comic book. They have some real nasty objectives with the drug trade plot, and I love how Franz Sanchez comes completely unglued by Bond's psychological manipulations. The story moves at a decent pace, and I really enjoyed the Milton Crest character and his roll in the overall drug operation. His fate was amusing, and I almost could find myself feeling sorry for him. How Bond set him up, was brilliant story telling. The call back to earlier Bond gags (like the duck disguise from "Goldfinger") was pulled off very well this time around. The Manta Ray disguise was so much more realistic here, than the use of a crocodile disguise done in "Octopussy". The Truck chase was a bit over the top, but it beats Bond fighting in front of a rear projection screen, or fighting on a airplane yet again. Yes, I like this film a lot. Too bad Dalton did not get another go as Bond. Oh, and I have to add that Wane Newton was excellent in his roll of the greedy and overly sex obsessed Televangelist.
"Bless your heart!" ;)
Really? You like LTK over everything besides Young's three and OHMSS?
Just to be sure, I've been re-watching them all. Just got done with "You Only Live Twice" and "The Man With The Golden Gun", and LTK is still the 5th best "James Bond" Film IMHO. I'll report back in a few days.
“First feel fear, then get angry. Then go with your life into the fight.” - Bill Mollison
Cyborg (1989)
Jean Claude Van Damme classic from Cannon, possibly THE 1980s "bad action movie" studio that brought us stuff like Crime Zone, Superman 4, Masters of the Universe and Delta Force. A great 1980s b-movie with a few cool special effects and some very interesting costume designs. Picture Mad Max meets Escape From New York. Obviously this is a bad movie, but it has that 80's Cannon charm. I found the VHS on sale for $1.25. The cover was actually printed out and taped over another VHS cover from the rental store, and I hadn't seen this since the 1990s. It was actually a bit more badass in my memory, but maybe because it was one of the first R-rated films I saw, back when Fox strangely used to air it on Saturday afternoon in the early 1990s. Nothing like a Cannon film though, these things defined 1980s sci-fi action films. If you are into that sort of thing.
I loved Cyborg growing up, as I did all JCVD movies. In some ways Cyborg is my second favorite after Bloodsport. I think that movie gets the post apocalyptic atmosphere pretty right. It's one of those movies you love to watch when you catch it on cable at 12:30am.
I have yet to see the director's cut.
“Grow up. These are my Disney's movies, not yours.”
Bloodsport is actually a very good movie, accounting for that 1980s factor. I had no idea Cyborg had a directors cut! I would love to see that. Supposedly the film started off as a sequel to Masters of the Universe, believe it or not. Even though a lot of people consider that to be a "bad" movie, I actually really like it, along with Superman 4. It's the film that is closest to the comic books at the time, so if you hate 1980s Superman comics I understand why you don't get it, but personally it feels dishonest when Superman fans hate on that film. It's one of the more accurate Superman story depictions, hate it if you want but then hate most issues of the whole damn thing too and stay home. The special effects suck, but so does most Superman comic artwork of that era.