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  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickwm21 View Post
    In & Of Itself.


    https://youtu.be/_62BeXxd_jo


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Pure entertainment from start to finish

    Many thanks

  2. #27
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    SPUTNIK
    This well crafted and low-key Russian sci-fi thriller borrows elements from the likes of Brain Damage, Alien, Heinlen's Puppet Masters, The Faculty, Dreamcatcher, The Hidden, and Shivers (just to name a few influences), yet despite the retread of some familiar tropes it is a tense slow-burn that will keep you glued to the screen.
    The ending is a bit treaclely and there is a somewhat confusing/unfinished/pointless subplot, but overall this is a solid watch.

    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by dookey67 View Post
    SPUTNIK
    This well crafted and low-key Russian sci-fi thriller borrows elements from the likes of Brain Damage, Alien, Heinlen's Puppet Masters, The Faculty, Dreamcatcher, The Hidden, and Shivers (just to name a few influences), yet despite the retread of some familiar tropes it is a tense slow-burn that will keep you glued to the screen.
    The ending is a bit treaclely and there is a somewhat confusing/unfinished/pointless subplot, but overall this is a solid watch.

    Just watched it last night. Totally agree with your take. The plot point with the kid at the ending kinda threw me for a loop since that portion of the movie just wasn't quite fleshed out enough perhaps, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Thanks for the recommendation!

    Sent from my Pixel 3 using TGR Forums mobile app

  4. #29
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    Finally got around to watching The Beach Bum. Matthew McConaughey's performance was stellar. I enjoyed it. Wife hated it. I can 100% understand how one wouldn't like it. Also, the trailer is a bit misleading as it makes it look like a fun little stoner comedy, but it's actually much darker in reality if you're paying attention. I guess the reason I appreciated it is I've known people just like the main character, "Moondog." Totally awful, self-absorbed assholes that somehow manage to float through life being terrible, yet suffering zero consequences and being rich to boot thanks to their spouses, partners, or trust funds. They TOTALLY nailed the arts scene too on a few different angles. The movie was infuriating to watch at times, again thanks to me knowing actual people like that and it portraying that world SO perfectly, but that's precisely what it was trying to paint which is why I enjoyed and appreciated it. Would not recommend for everyone except for the right audience. I'm 50/50 on recommending it. You'll either like/appreciate it or hate it. Haha.

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by MontuckyFried View Post
    Finally got around to watching The Beach Bum. Matthew McConaughey's performance was stellar. I enjoyed it. Wife hated it. I can 100% understand how one wouldn't like it. Also, the trailer is a bit misleading as it makes it look like a fun little stoner comedy, but it's actually much darker in reality if you're paying attention. I guess the reason I appreciated it is I've known people just like the main character, "Moondog." Totally awful, self-absorbed assholes that somehow manage to float through life being terrible, yet suffering zero consequences and being rich to boot thanks to their spouses, partners, or trust funds. They TOTALLY nailed the arts scene too on a few different angles. The movie was infuriating to watch at times, again thanks to me knowing actual people like that and it portraying that world SO perfectly, but that's precisely what it was trying to paint which is why I enjoyed and appreciated it. Would not recommend for everyone except for the right audience. I'm 50/50 on recommending it. You'll either like/appreciate it or hate it. Haha.
    I'mma have to side with your wife.

    I much preferred MM in Surfer Dude


    FWIW, I yammered more in-depth about BB here: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ight=Beach+bum
    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  6. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by dookey67 View Post
    I'mma have to side with your wife.

    I much preferred MM in Surfer Dude


    FWIW, I yammered more in-depth about BB here: https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ight=Beach+bum
    Just read your review. Perfectly put IMO. Your 2.5/5 rating fits right in with my 50/50 thinking. Haha. That's probably about where I would've rated it too. It's a tough recommendation for me to make. Just really depends on WHO is going to watch it.

    Quote Originally Posted by dookey67
    THE BEACH BUM
    2.5 / 5
    Filmed in a loose, yet heightened cinema verite style (or a faux Dogma 95 style, if you prefer), this film reminds me of a less slick version of Surfer Dude. In both films Matthew McConaughey portrays a once famous, now aimless beach bred individual (here he’s a once revered poet) and spends the bulk of the film getting stoned and participating in wayward hijinks. While the thin story line centers around Moondog (McConaughey’s character) becoming something of a responsible adult (the story is really like a tweaker’s version of Brewster’s Millions) it’s loose and rambling style can be distracting. Much of the film feels as if director Harmony Korine gave the cast a rudimentary outline, told them to get wasted, and just wing it. While it can be endearing at times, mostly due to McConaughey’s sheer charisma and dynamic acting, the borderline linear directing style can be off-putting and tiresome. Additionally, the inclusion of obvious non-actors, while giving the film a slight sense of “authenticity” also felt manipulative and, well, fake; it was like the director and professional actors were pandering to the locals by including them in the film, but also making fun of them in an underhanded way. Yet despite it’s faux documentary vibe, the film is still a slick, somewhat Hollywood-styled endeavor.
    While McConaughey completely dominates the screen Isla Fisher goes for broke and almost rivals him. However, the surprise turn comes in the form of former Disney heartthrob Zac Efron, whose self-destructive Born Again Christian character Flicker lends some hell raising hilarity to the proceedings. And Martin Lawrence ain’t too shabby either. The only weak link amongst the thespians is Snoop Dogg. Dude may be a stellar rapper, but when placed next to McConaughey and the rest of the cast it becomes apparent that he’s not a very good actor.
    In retrospect, methinks the The Beach Bum might be enhanced if one were to view it in a haze of some kind, taking after the characters in the film, no less.

    RIYL: Spring Breakers; Surfer Dude;

  7. #32
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    Just finished up Sasquatch. Highly recommend and probably not what you're thinking based on the title.

  8. #33
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    Mayans MC
    Secrets within secrets within secrets

  9. #34
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    Under The Tree
    Up for some darkly disturbing Nordic melodrama?
    Look no further than this little gem, which skewers HOAs, infidelity, and neighborhood relationships, and more in a cool, detached manner. Virtually none of the characters are likeable, with perhaps the exception of the little girl, the dog, and the cat, which makes for an at times grating experience, but is also a testament to the actors involved.
    From the writer/director of Either Way.




    Also available on Kanopy
    Last edited by dookey67; 05-18-2021 at 09:22 AM.
    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  10. #35
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    Another Round
    So, it won Best Foreign Film at the 2020 Oscars.
    It stars Mads Mikkelsen.
    It's about binge drinking.
    On the whole this drama is pretty damn engaging, even if it has some exposition problems and slips into heavily saccharinated melodrama towards the end.
    It largely succeeds due to the conceit (though I feel that it could have been fleshed out a bit more; in this respect it might have been a tad better as a 6 hour limited series) and the stellar turns from the core male leads.
    Regardless of the shortcomings I found (and ymmv) it was still enjoyable.




    Also available on Kanopy
    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  11. #36
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    Shadow In The Cloud
    Schmowzow!!!
    This flick is F-U-N.
    I'm talking about a fantastic example of what a jumbo tub popcorn film should be.
    Insane pacing, quick and tight editing, solid performances, well filmed, and with the right amount of mystery and suspense.
    Sure, it is gloriously ridiculous most of the time, the McGuffin reveal at the end of the second act is a bit maudlin, and the Mama Bear trope embrace for the finale is a tad heavy handed, but the cast and crisp direction, plus pulsing electronic score, make it a fun and wild ride.
    For once, the pull-quotes in the teaser aren't hyperbole.
    Entertaining and exhilarating and then largely forgettable, much like a killer rollercoaster attraction at your neighborhood theme park.
    In short: perfect summer cinematic fare.

    RIYL
    Crank, Shoot 'Em Up, Raiders of the Lost Ark, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"




    ***also streaming on Kanopy
    Last edited by dookey67; 06-04-2021 at 09:31 AM.
    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  12. #37
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    Portrait of a Lady on Fire

    I cannot recommend this film highly enough.
    It is one of the best films I jave seen in the past few years.
    For starters, I have always been a sucker for costumed epics, yet this film is almost the antithesis of the genre. The normal pomp and circumstance of such films is absent and it unfolds with a muted lushness and quietly intense austerity that sets it apart from other period pieces.
    It's a love story foremost, but also has some wonderfully pointed, yet understated social commentary teeming throughout.

    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  13. #38
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    Come True
    If you are in the mood for a trippy sci/fi cum horror flick that values visual aesthetics and rich sound design over a cohesive plot, then this is a wonderful headtrip.
    The gist of the story follows Sarah, who signs up for a mysterious dream study. The film itself unravels like one long and twisting nightmare ultimately blurring the line between the character's reality and slumber world.
    I am still trying to figure out the ending, but the slow-burn creepiness of the film won me over.

    RIYL
    Flatliners (The 1990 original) ; Beyond The Black Rainbow; Possessor; Enemy

    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  14. #39
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    Has this been mentioned? I was checking out the choices on my girlfriend's Hulu, and saw "Cronenberg" and 2020, and that was good enough for me. Watched the whole thing before I realized it wasn't David Cronenberg, but his son, Brandon Cronenberg who directed. Very creepy mind switch thing.


  15. #40
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    The Great has been entertaining.

  16. #41
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    Terrorism comedy is a tough genre to pull off, but Four Lions did it well. I'm not sure where that movie is playing, but Chris Morris's second film, The Day Shall Come (saw it last night on Hulu), tries again. I thought it had a lot going for it, but it's pretty uneven compared to Four Lions, so I'm not going to recommend it.

    If you're interested in the subject matter, or just up for a something-very-different indie, though, The Day Shall Come does a decent job satirizing (that is, satirizing, not directly dramatizing) the kinds of law enforcement activities that really have occurred in the post-9/11 US. Basically, a small group of stupid, delusional people in Florida, who are Black, with not fully formed ideas about revolution (but generally against violence), get caught up in an FBI entrapment scheme, mainly because they're broke and serious money is being dangled in front of them. Unfortunately for the FBI, the scheme ends up running head-on into a different agency's entrapment scheme. Black guys versus two bumbling law enforcement operations, guess who loses.

  17. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by Benny Profane View Post
    Has this been mentioned? I was checking out the choices on my girlfriend's Hulu, and saw "Cronenberg" and 2020, and that was good enough for me. Watched the whole thing before I realized it wasn't David Cronenberg, but his son, Brandon Cronenberg who directed. Very creepy mind switch thing.

    +1
    Highly recommended, especially if you dig visceral sci-fi.
    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  18. #43
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    The Raid 2: Berandal

    Leaving Hulu on 2/28, so watch it tonight or tomorrow. Stat!

    Brutally entertaining (or entertainingly brutal?).
    Perhaps the best martial arts action movie of the last decade bar none.




    Did I mention that it's leaving 2/28?
    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  19. #44
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  20. #45
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    "show me the picture - Jim Marshall Story" is excellent. Talk about being in on the ground floor of the 60s...
    "Can't you see..."

  21. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by EWG View Post
    The Great has been entertaining.
    I'm 3 eps in and definitely enjoying it. Huzzah!
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  22. #47
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    IN THE EARTH

    Pandemic guerilla filmmaking at its finest!
    Apparently this nifty little psychedelic horror offering was filmed in 15 days at the height of Covid quarantine (August 2020).
    Ben Wheatley's latest is a blast of folk horror and isolation hysteria.

    RIYL
    The Kill List; A Field In England; It Follows; Censor; It Comes At Night

    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

  23. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by dookeyXXX View Post
    IN THE EARTH

    Pandemic guerilla filmmaking at its finest!
    Apparently this nifty little psychedelic horror offering was filmed in 15 days at the height of Covid quarantine (August 2020).
    Ben Wheatley's latest is a blast of folk horror and isolation hysteria.

    RIYL
    The Kill List; A Field In England; It Follows; Censor; It Comes At Night

    Had no clue what was going on, but loved it

  24. #49
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    Deep Water is Adrian Lyne's return to the erotic thriller, mashed up with trying to be a counterpoint to Gone Girl (Ben Affleck suspected of murder, and the messed up happy couple ending). It's not exactly bad, more like meh.

    The Thriller aspect, in particular, was underwhelming (actually, the Erotic aspect as well). What do you do with a plot where the guy suspected of murdering, at that point, two of his wife's lovers, has let practically the whole town know, "yeah, I killed her" (well, he said he was joking)? What I did with that plot was to say: That's way too obvious, so of course there's a big plot twist coming up, right? And (SPOILER)... uh, no plot twist; dude kills the guys who he allowed his wife to fool around with, just like he said.

    Oh, and there's a final forest-road chase scene between a Subaru Outback and a bicycle (ten-speed style, or maybe, at best, a drop-bar gravel bike). That is, the bike is chasing the Subaru. It made me stop and think, wait, was this whole movie just meant to be silly? But no, the overall flick doesn't work as silly, either.

  25. #50
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    SETTLERS
    This quiet, slow-burn sci-fi thrillerama owes a large debt to the introspective Western genre.
    It moves along at a steady pace, offers up a few surprises, and has some nicely set up foreshadowing.
    The ending is great, too.

    RIYL
    Silent Running; Young Ones; Prospect; THX-1138

    "Man, we killin' elephants in the back yard..."

    https://www.blizzard-tecnica.com/us/en

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