Basically Rocky in NFL form, but it is a true story. Well to an extent because it takes a lot of liberties with the actual story. The spirit of the story is still intact though and it succeeds in creating a good underdog story with a guy you root for.
Whalberg was very good in it. He seems to get a lot of shit at times but I've honestly never minded him and I think he can lead films fairly well. This is a good example and I thought he gave Vincent Papale the right amount of everyman underdog charm. Good performances from the support too including Elizabeth Banks, Greg Kinnear, and Kirk Acevedo.
I was pretty impressed with the grittiness of some of the presentation. Especially everything in Papale's south Philly neighborhood. There are times when you think it might delve into an R rated crime film similar to something like Black Mass. It never does obviously but Disney really did a good job of making a PG movie that feels like it could.
Aquaman 2--3/10
Total garbage. I was stuck on a plane with limited selection. 40 minutes in I just couldn't take it anymore. Horrible acting, stupid plot, terrible SFX. The Flash was better than this and that is saying something.
Aquaman 2--3/10
Total garbage. I was stuck on a plane with limited selection. 40 minutes in I just couldn't take it anymore. Horrible acting, stupid plot, terrible SFX. The Flash was better than this and that is saying something.
Decently entertaining. Clearly a love letter to the movie stunt industry. Gosling and Blunt are cute together. Movie reminds me of The Nice Guys but more action-oriented. IMO not worth it seeing in theaters.
Decently entertaining. Clearly a love letter to the movie stunt industry. Gosling and Blunt are cute together. Movie reminds me of The Nice Guys but more action-oriented. IMO not worth it seeing in theaters.
I also caught this last night, I would also go around a 6/6.5 out of 10. While a fun action filled movie, good chemistry with the leads, the movie just didn't pull me in like I had hoped. It wasn't very memorable overall and I felt like I wanted to like it more but it just didn't get over the hill. I usually don't look too much into reviews but this movie had alot of early hype and maybe I made that mistake.
I might go watch Tarot tonight, my theater running crazy deals has me watching some shit lately lol.
The Exorcist-The Believers-4/10
The movie takes 40 minutes before anything remotely scary takes place. They do a terrible job of using the original soundtrack theme music, the first half doesn't even have any at all. The original Mom from The Exorcist makes a weird cameo, and all the neighbor characters make no sense. The weird thing is the cast is decent and film looks decent. Some horror that is bad looks so cheap. This didn't. There is a twist that could have really made for something unique. But the execution failed. It failed because at it's core, it should be scary. It was not.
Decently entertaining. Clearly a love letter to the movie stunt industry. Gosling and Blunt are cute together. Movie reminds me of The Nice Guys but more action-oriented. IMO not worth it seeing in theaters.
The director, David Leitch, seems incapable of making anything with any gravitas. And I don't mean like an action movie has to feel like it was adapted from a David Mamet stage play or make me cry... but Leitch's partner, Chad Stahelski, who directed all the John Wick films, seems to understand this. Those movies work because there is a seed of drama & importance that then fuels all the action & fun scenes in a way that feels like it all somehow matters. Whereas Leitch's movies always feel like empty carbs. Slick & glossy, but somehow missing something more soulful.
Totally agree.....This photo is one of the reasons....Every shot is framed perfectly. There is so much atmosphere, creating a sense of dread that is unmatched.
typically, it's shorthand hyperbole when you say a movie will make you want take a shower after watching it, but Love Lies Bleeding might be a legitimate exception. this movie has such a grimy aesthetic drenched in sweat that fluids could be considered a central character, much like an environ or wardrode will sometimes get credit for. while not a homerun on the level of Saint Maud, this sophomore effort from Rose Glass clearly solidifies her as a young director on the rise w/ a confident, unique vision. it's also just great to finally have a truly menacing Ed Harris back in business. warning: not recommended for anyone looking for likeable or relatable characters—everyone is a piece of shit & the film revels in it.
Tarot 3/10 - Went back and forth between a 3 or a 4, went 3 because it felt like ideas were there for something but they fumbled them so bad i had to choose 3. This is pre entry level horror for people not ready for entry level horror. The execution was handled terribly, jump scares with a loud sound/scream. They had potential for something had they put in some effort but they went the easy check boxes horror route that is filling the market lately.
This could have easily been a Thirteen Ghosts type of movie but the movie is too serious, hell they could have went a more wacky route and make it a Final Destination cousin, movies like this can be decent the Ouija sequel was better than it had any business being. Such a long ramble for such a bad movie but thank the monopoly go ad which keeps blocking me from posting and I just keep adding more lol.
American drama written by, directed by, and starring Mars Callahan.
Johnny (Callahan) is a pool prodigy who dreams of playing as a professional but instead ends up as a hustler mentored & staked by a shady local guy named Joe (Chazz Palminteri).
Johnny eventually breaks with Joe but keeps finding himself being pulled back into the shady world of local pool halls.
Joe is determined to get his revenge for Johnny turning on him and this puts both men on a collision course.
The film is poorly written, directed and acted (sorry Mars). The dialogue is reminiscent of many mid to late 1990's films that attempted to copy Tarantino's style and failed.
Christopher Walken appears in a fairly prominent role and it made me wonder "what is Christopher Walken doing in a POS movie like this?". Then I remembered that Christopher Walken shows up in a lot of films and some of them are not very good. He has never been known for being picky about roles.
Nothing about this movie is very good. On the other hand, it has a decent ending and it is not offensively bad.
This was better than I thought it was going to be. It sort of reminded me of the female version of staying alive but with a slightly more saturday night fever type atmosphere.
Beals is very good in it, and I think the character of Alex works and seems relatable not only because of the "blue collar girl, big dreams" archetype she embodies but also because she has a several character flaws that make her feel more real and give her more character growth potential.
As with the supporting cast of characters as well I think the film does a solid job of trying to give each some sort of dynamic and personality that they dont feel useless. Even really small characters get a bit of something.
Of course the dancing needs to work too and I think it does, and is where the film reaches a lot of it's style quota. Have to give some credit for editing too, because apparently they used body doubles for Beals in almost every dancing scene and you really cant tell as you are watching.
Overall not sure if I'll ever revisit it but for a one time watch i thought it did a good job of making an underdog story dancing film with some style but also with a bit of substance.
This was better than I thought it was going to be. It sort of reminded me of the female version of staying alive but with a slightly more saturday night fever type atmosphere.
Beals is very good in it, and I think the character of Alex works and seems relatable not only because of the "blue collar girl, big dreams" archetype she embodies but also because she has a several character flaws that make her feel more real and give her more character growth potential.
As with the supporting cast of characters as well I think the film does a solid job of trying to give each some sort of dynamic and personality that they dont feel useless. Even really small characters get a bit of something.
Of course the dancing needs to work too and I think it does, and is where the film reaches a lot of it's style quota. Have to give some credit for editing too, because apparently they used body doubles for Beals in almost every dancing scene and you really cant tell as you are watching.
Overall not sure if I'll ever revisit it but for a one time watch i thought it did a good job of making an underdog story dancing film with some style but also with a bit of substance.
The dramatized biopic of Francesca Cabrini, the 19th century nun who went to Five Points to help immigrants and their children.
Great cast and acting all around, and Cristiana Dell'Anna (who some may remember from Gomorrah) was perfect. It was a bit long, the material didn't justify the almost two and half hours, and it felt slow at times. That said, the ending was electric and inspiring, and for me it validated the journey.
I'm Italian and had some vague idea of who she was (Feast of Mother Cabrini) but man, her story should be told as foundational American history. Not the greatest film but strong recommend for that reason. If you don't know her, you really should.
I was going to post a trailer but they're awful, please don't look at them. The movie is much better than they suggest.
I'm going to mention this but I really didn't want to, directed by Alejandro Monteverde of Sound of Freedom infamy.
The dramatized biopic of Francesca Cabrini, the 19th century nun who went to Five Points to help immigrants and their children.
Great cast and acting all around, and Cristiana Dell'Anna (who some may remember from Gomorrah) was perfect. It was a bit long, the material didn't justify the almost two and half hours, and it felt slow at times. That said, the ending was electric and inspiring, and for me it validated the journey.
I'm Italian and had some vague idea of who she was (Feast of Mother Cabrini) but man, her story should be told as foundational American history. Not the greatest film but strong recommend for that reason. If you don't know her, you really should.
I was going to post a trailer but they're awful, please don't look at them. The movie is much better than they suggest.
I'm going to mention this but I really didn't want to, directed by Alejandro Monteverde of Sound of Freedom infamy.
My favorite movie of the year so far. Saw this in the theater, & was fucking captivated. Beautifully shot too, great set design, costumes etc. Deserves some oscar nods but probably won't get any because of the studio it's from. Dell'anna was fantastic & it was great to see her again.
I loved it the first time I saw it in the theaters and it was just as entertaining this time around. To me, it’s further evidence that Burton was at the peak of his powers in the 90s.
I feel that this film delivers on pretty much every level. It is visually captivating. Burton himself is known for that sort of thing and the combined work of production designer Rick Heinrichs (frequent Burton collaborator) and the legendary cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki makes for a remarkable aesthetic experience. Some of the scenes in Sleepy Hollow and the Western Wood on the outskirts are beautifully rendered. I think there is an argument that this is Burton's most aesthetically impressive film, which is really saying something. I think a great deal of credit to the overall atmosphere of this film, too, also goes to Danny Elfman because that score is epic in my opinion. It complements the work of Lubezki so well that the opening credits stand out as one of the highlights of the movie.
In addition to the technical merits, there is a great performance by Depp, a solid screenplay with an entertaining mystery at its core, quality work by a strong supporting cast, and a phenomenal manifestation of a character that is pure physicality in Ray Park's work as the Headless Horseman. Park is a force in this movie and it is very interesting to note that this film was released just a few months after Park had commanded the screen as Maul in The Phantom Menace. This film even has a sequence where Depp and Casper Van Dien briefly engage the Horseman in tandem, which, though perhaps not intentional, made me immediately think of the Neeson/McGregor vs. Park scene in Star Wars.
I had watched some of Depp's work prior to this film, of course, including the memorable Edward Scissorhands, but this was one of the first films where I really came away with an appreciation of just how good he was. He gives a really nuanced performance as Ichabod Crane, reconceptualized as an idealistic constable sent from New York City to the titular location to investigate a string of murders. His nonverbal reactions to some of the fear-inducing scenarios he encounters are excellent. He infuses a lot of humor into the role but it never seems over-the-top and never turns the protagonist into a caricature. The film, like most of Burton's best movies, is both funny and intensely serious without any sort of tonal inconsistency. In the other lead role, Christina Ricci delivers a strong performance. She imbues Katrina Van Tassel with an earnestness and inherent likability that is quite important to the film. In some of Sleepy Hollow's rare, quieter scenes, she excels.
One thing that stands out with Sleepy Hollow is that it is a relatively short film, barely longer than 100 minutes, but it manages to use the runtime in a thoroughly efficient manner. It seems as though nothing is sacrificed. Character development is there in the scenes between Depp and Ricci and Depp and the young actor playing Masbeth, Mark Pickering. The plot unfolds logically and organically, with Depp's character gradually uncovering the conspiracy/mystery. The scenes of action and horror are impactful, fast-paced, and memorable. Everything flows and complements as opposed to some films in which the action setpieces detract from the plot or vice versa.
The big reveal
Could have been a scene that is bogged down in excessive plot exposition but because it is executed so effectively by a very capable actress in Miranda Richardson, its another slam dunk. It's probably one of my favorite scenes in the film if I'm being honest. It revels in the seething hate and malice of Richardson's character but also neatly ties together all the plot threads. Plus there is the highly effective buildup in tension as the Horseman is summoned one final time and Depp returns to make the save.
For anyone who watched the Burton series Wednesday...
It wasn't lost on me that the scene in that series when Ricci explains to Ortega who she is and why she has hatched her nefarious plot owes a lot to the aforementioned scene where Richardson reveals herself to be the big heel to Ricci in Sleepy Hollow. There is a striking parallel there and since they're both Burton I think that was clearly done with intent.
The final ten minutes or so, I suppose, might seem a bit too 90s action movie/chase sequence style for a film set a couple of hundreds years earlier but I had no issues with that. It's a really entertaining cap off to a very good film.
I think there are some aspects to that central plot as to who is responsible for the crimes that do not really hold up to scrutiny but they do not negate the positive qualities.
Overall, I highly recommend this movie, particularly as a staple of horror film viewings in the fall. This is, also, Depp at his best in my opinion. I'm not saying it is his greatest performance but I'll take this over Captain Jack any day of the week. For me, it is easily one of Burton's best films as well and, perhaps, one of his last classics.
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