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Posted: |
Nov 14, 2022 - 3:59 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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FURY AT GUNSIGHT PASS (1956) – 7/10 A gang of eight robbers, led by Neville Brand and David Brian, plan to rob the bank in the small town of Gunsight Pass, which happens to be holding some monies being sent to a group of Mormons. The plan is for Brian and three of the gang to ride into town at noon, scope out the place, and wait for Brand and the others to show up at 1PM for the robbery. But Brian and his three plan to stage the robbery at noon and take off with the cash, thus doubling their shares. But as things do, the plan goes awry. The bank is temporarily closed while the banker’s son, Richard Long, gets married. By the time the robbery is underway, Brand and his bunch arrive. Then the robbery is discovered by the townsfolk, and a massive gunfight ensues. In the confusion, four of the robbers are captured, four escape, and the money goes missing, with both the townspeople and the robbers thinking the other has it. Eventually, Brand frees his captured cronies and threatens to murder one townsman every 30 minutes until the money is produced. This is a taut, fast-moving western with no shortage of perfidy on display among both the robbers and the townspeople. The second-tier cast acquits itself well under long-time genre director Fred F. Sears. The stock score is routine.
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I think the way the demon mauls its victim is quite gruesome, even now. Though without being graphic.
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Posted: |
Nov 19, 2022 - 11:26 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (2022) – 7/10 The film starts with a tribute to the former Black Panther, “King T'Challa” (Chadwick Bozeman), who in the film is felled by some unspecified malady. At the end of the first film, T’Challa had vowed to bring Wakanda out of its seclusion and into a role of using its wealth and technological prowess to help the world’s downtrodden. But the rest of the world, feeling threatened by Wakanda’s power, is hell bent on either stealing Wakanda’s source of power—the rare element vibranium—or finding another source of it on Earth. When some Americans find a deposit of vibranium under the ocean, they are attacked by a group of blue-skinned water-breathing superhumans, descended from the ancient Mayans, led by “Namor” (Tenoch Huerta Mejía). Wakanda gets blamed for the attack. Namor proposes an alliance with Wakanda against the rest of the world but threatens to destroy Wakanda first if they refuse. “Queen Ramonda” (Angela Bassett) and her scientist daughter “Shuri” (Letitia Wright) are determined to resist, setting the stage for superhero battles aplenty. Other characters are drawn into the fray, notably CIA agent “Everett Ross” (Martin Freeman), his Agency-head ex-wife “Valentina Allegra de Fontaine” (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Wakanda’s military head “Nakia” (Lupita Nyong'o). The dialogue is functional at best, the visuals are routine CGI, and the action is standard superhero power stuff. Ludwig Göransson’s score is a notch above average for this type of endeavor. Notably, the film ends not with the usual teaser scene of the next episode, but merely with a title card saying “Black Panther Will Return.” OK, I guess.
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Posted: |
Nov 23, 2022 - 6:48 AM
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By: |
jackfu
(Member)
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Pixels (2015) 6/10 I like this movie! It's a fun popcorn flick! I've only seen it on TV, so I don't know how well it came across on the big screen in 3D. To me, Adam Sandler is like the 21st Century Jerry Lewis, movie-wise, that is. You pretty much know what to expect from his movies, and that's not always a bad thing. Although I was already in my mid twenties when arcade games, video games, burst onto the scene, I found many of them quite delightful, especially Galaga, and this film brings much of that excitement back to me. The movie is predictable, but at least the Nerds prevail, right?
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The Train 1964 10/10 In 1944, a German colonel loads a train with French art treasures to send to Germany. The Resistance must stop it without damaging the cargo. An intense, suspenseful war drama from beginning to end with powerful performances from Burt Lancaster and Paul Schofield. I love this war movie and the staged battle and escape scenes had me gripped throughout. Amazingly shot in black and white and directed competently by John Frankenheimer which shows up beautifully in this new blu ray edition. Great extras including audio commentary and behind the scenes.
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Posted: |
Nov 28, 2022 - 11:09 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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DYNAMITE JOE (1967) – 6/10 When the government has trouble getting gold shipments through a territory due to marauding Comancheros, “Senator Senneth” (Santiago Rivero) calls on agent “Joe Ford” (Rik Van Nutter), known as “Dynamite Joe” because of his penchant for using explosives, to escort the next shipment safely through the area. Joe also has a penchant for the ladies. In this case, it’s a saloon singer (Merce Castro) and the sophisticated “Betty” (Halina Zalewska), who may be in league with town boss and Comanchero helper “Jury Nelson” (Renato Baldini). Helping Joe is wagon driver “Cigno” (Barta Barry). The trouble is not so much how Joe is going to get the gold through, but who can he trust? This western squeezes in some things other than the usual gunfights, including a mine cave-in sequence, a flood, and a siege on a fort. There’s also a little comedy. Carlo Savina’s score was released by Penta Music in 2017, and it has a few good themes. It also has two English-language songs, including a love song. “Anthony Dawson” (Antonio Margheriti) directs.
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Posted: |
Nov 29, 2022 - 10:15 AM
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By: |
Ado
(Member)
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BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (2022) – 7/10 The film starts with a tribute to the former Black Panther, “King T'Challa” (Chadwick Bozeman), who in the film is felled by some unspecified malady. At the end of the first film, T’Challa had vowed to bring Wakanda out of its seclusion and into a role of using its wealth and technological prowess to help the world’s downtrodden. But the rest of the world, feeling threatened by Wakanda’s power, is hell bent on either stealing Wakanda’s source of power—the rare element vibranium—or finding another source of it on Earth. When some Americans find a deposit of vibranium under the ocean, they are attacked by a group of blue-skinned water-breathing superhumans, descended from the ancient Mayans, led by “Namor” (Tenoch Huerta Mejía). Wakanda gets blamed for the attack. Namor proposes an alliance with Wakanda against the rest of the world but threatens to destroy Wakanda first if they refuse. “Queen Ramonda” (Angela Bassett) and her scientist daughter “Shuri” (Letitia Wright) are determined to resist, setting the stage for superhero battles aplenty. Other characters are drawn into the fray, notably CIA agent “Everett Ross” (Martin Freeman), his Agency-head ex-wife “Valentina Allegra de Fontaine” (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Wakanda’s military head “Nakia” (Lupita Nyong'o). The dialogue is functional at best, the visuals are routine CGI, and the action is standard superhero power stuff. Ludwig Göransson’s score is a notch above average for this type of endeavor. Notably, the film ends not with the usual teaser scene of the next episode, but merely with a title card saying “Black Panther Will Return.” OK, I guess. They lost me at the trailer with the terrible visual effects, that shot of the transparently awful CGI little wings on that guys feet, that was it for me. I know it is par for the course now, terrible effects are widely accepted by the audience to the point that no one even talks about it anymore. But I cannot put up with the plain awful visual effects being put out for so called expensive blockbusters. The sweatshop labor being pushed out all around the world for these films, a whole other subject.
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Posted: |
Nov 30, 2022 - 11:28 PM
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By: |
Bob DiMucci
(Member)
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GLASS ONION (2022) – 8/10 I wasn’t as over-the-moon about this film’s predecessor, 2019’s KNIVES OUT, as were many of the critics. Although it had an impressive all-star cast, I thought that a number of them (Jamie Lee Curtis and some others) were ill-used or barely used. And the film’s 130-minute running time allowed for too much meandering in the story-telling. So, when I saw that this follow-up film runs 140 minutes, I was braced for another long slog. But GLASS ONION is rather light on its feet, and the time flew by more quickly than I imagined. In the film, an Elon Musk-like multi-billionaire, “Miles Bron” (Edward Norton), has invited seven friends to his private Greek island for a weekend murder mystery party. The world’s greatest detective, “Benoit Blanc” (Daniel Craig), having also received an invitation, shows up as well, only to discover that Bron never sent him an invitation. When a real murder occurs during the gathering, Blanc’s skills are put to the test, since (of course) everyone invited to the party had a motive for the killing. This film has several advantages over the initial outing. First, the cast is somewhat reduced, with basically nine players. This allows the focus to be a little sharper on each character. Second, Blanc is on his own in solving this case and doesn’t have to share screen time with any assistants or confederates. Third, the main protagonist played by Edward Norton, upon whom the film revolves, is a dynamic well-defined character, unlike the Christopher Plummer character in KNIVES OUT, who was seen mainly in flashbacks and barely interacted with many of the rest of the cast. Fourth, although it’s longer than the first film, this picture uses the time well—to stay on the main mystery, rather than introducing a mystery within a mystery, as the first film did. (That’s not to say that the film doesn’t have its share of twists and surprises along the way.) The film falters a bit in its ending, since the big reveal of the murderer has already been surpassed by a few other reveals about some other characters earlier in the film. But that’s a minor complaint. The acting is good all around, the Greek settings are lavish, and Nathan Johnson’s score is what we would now term “old school”—i.e., melodic and expansively used.
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There was another remake a few years back, for TV. I didn't watch it coz it looked shit.
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