Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[dave jenkins]

Who would have been better?

[uncknown]

TWO FOR THE SEESAW
2/10

I'm a fan of the music score so I wanted to see the film.
I'm still a fan of the SCORE.
Absolutely awful in every other aspect( except photography)

[T.H.]

The Usual Suspects (1995) - A tough movie to rate because it has the blistering pace of a masterwork, but there are so many questions to ask about Verbal + Kobayashi's plan in the first place. It doesn't seem so logical, and if Verbal is Soze or Soze's right hand man, wouldn't he have a better fake story to tell and not have to look at items in the room for inspiration for names, memories etc? This movie makes The Big Sleep looking magnificently coherent. But the cast is great, and the script is somehow both messy and kind of amazing. If this had better lighting and wasn't so dated in that regard, I'd be more forgiving. I don't know if this is a classic or another example of Soze's grand trickery. B+

Well, I guess I could entertain an offer. I have to warn you, though, my middle name is Gouger.

It just depends on if you love the movie or not. If you think it's average, I might be able to swing a trade or a deal, but you would get more on ebay if you're willing to part with it haha

[noodles_leone]

Who would have been better?

The issue with Belmondo is that you know that this guy, with this face, with this body, this physicality and this amount of money would be drowning under women trying to get him. He would never have the time to even think to try the personals column of a newspaper to find love. He just isn't that kind of guy. He's Belmondo. Truffaut did hire him for that particular reason: he wanted to be the one that would find a new side to Bebel. I don't think he did.

So, who would have been better? Anybody who isn't a sex symbol. Other Truffaut's actors could have been amazing. Charles Denner would have been a very safe choice. Gerard Depardieu would have brought with him the burning passion that is promised in the title and isn't that explicit in the actual movie.

[stanton]

The Usual Suspects (1995) - A tough movie to rate because it has the blistering pace of a masterwork, but there are so many questions to ask about Verbal + Kobayashi's plan in the first place. It doesn't seem so logical, and if Verbal is Soze or Soze's right hand man, wouldn't he have a better fake story to tell and not have to look at items in the room for inspiration for names, memories etc? This movie makes The Big Sleep looking magnificently coherent. But the cast is great, and the script is somehow both messy and kind of amazing. If this had better lighting and wasn't so dated in that regard, I'd be more forgiving. I don't know if this is a classic or another example of Soze's grand trickery. B+

Unfortunately the ending, the big twist with its 100 % foreseeability, is so idiotic in this film, that it nearly ruins the film.

[noodles_leone]

The Usual Suspects (1995) - A tough movie to rate because it has the blistering pace of a masterwork, but there are so many questions to ask about Verbal + Kobayashi's plan in the first place. It doesn't seem so logical, and if Verbal is Soze or Soze's right hand man, wouldn't he have a better fake story to tell and not have to look at items in the room for inspiration for names, memories etc? This movie makes The Big Sleep looking magnificently coherent.

There are two solutions: either Soze had no plan OR his plan failed miserably (because the whole idea was to kill that one guy that can identify him and in the end, a whole police station can and they also have access to security cam footage, a police sketch and lots of leads).

But the cast is great, and the script is somehow both messy and kind of amazing.

I sometimes just read the script. It's amazing.

If this had better lighting and wasn't so dated in that regard,

Very true.

Unfortunately the ending, the big twist with its 100 % foreseeability, is so idiotic in this film, that it nearly ruins the film.

I have to say I have never understood that criticism. The movie is never believable, the twist isn't more unbelievable than anything else in it. In the world of the movie, it's fine. Also it's impactful enough to make me forgive any credibility issue.

That being said, this is a must watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6haBMbtXSLg

[dave jenkins]

Busting (1974) I wish the bluray wasn't OOP. A-

Man, T.H., who do you know at Kino Lorber? https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=29328

[T.H.]

There are two solutions: either Soze had no plan OR his plan failed miserably (because the whole idea was to kill that one guy that can identify him and in the end, a whole police station can and they also have access to security cam footage, a police sketch and lots of leads).

Which is why the plan is so confusing and illogical -- especially if Verbal is Soze.

Man, T.H., who do you know at Kino Lorber? https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=29328

Damn, that's some great timing. Now I feel less bad for paying 55 bucks for (OOP) Planet of the Vampires.

[cigar joe]

La V?rit? (1960) Director Henri-Georges Clouzot, Stars Brigitte Bardot, Paul Meurisse, Charles Vanel, 9/10

[dave jenkins]

La V?rit? (1960) Director Henri-Georges Clouzot, Stars Brigitte Bardot, Paul Meurisse, Charles Vanel, 9/10

Wow, 9/10. I remember liking it, but maybe not as much as that. I'd better give it a re-watch (thank you Criterion, and the Jenkins Archives).

[uncknown]

ENIGMA ( 2001)
1/10

TOTALLY inept filmmaking.
Amazing considering the talent involved!

[dave jenkins]

The Falcon Takes Over (1942) - 4/10. Chandler's Farewell, My Lovely, re-purposed for a serial, with The Falcon (George Sanders) in for Philip Marlowe. Mostly a perfunctory re-telling, with everything over in an hour, the pleasure it now affords noir-heads like me is all the (mostly) uncredited cameos by those we love. Lynn Bari plays reporter Ann Riordan, Ward Bond is Moose Malloy, Anne Revere takes the Jessie Florian role, and Turhan Bey personifies Jules Amthor. Velma, Burnett, and Marriot are played by nobodies. Fei tsui jade is mentioned but never shown. Men wear suits; sets look cheap.

[cigar joe]

Wow, 9/10. I remember liking it, but maybe not as much as that. I'd better give it a re-watch (thank you Criterion, and the Jenkins Archives).

Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at Academy Awards, USA 1961. Brigitte Brado won the David for best foreign actress at the David di Donatello Awards 1961. Won (Tide with Virgin Spring ) Golden Globe for Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film 1960, and Henri-Georges Clouzot won best director at Mar del Plata Film Festival 1961. 9/10

[dave jenkins]

Zappa (2020) - 10/10. Surprisingly well balanced, comprehensive, even affecting. I liked all the attention given his concert music. This is one of the rare cases where the talking heads actually have intelligent things to say. In this case, they actually know what they're talking about. Particularly insightful is Ruth Underwood, who was there at the beginning, there at the end, and still knows how to perform "Black Page" (which we see a snippet of her doing). On the blu there is even a deleted scene of Haskell Wexler talking about filming Uncle Meat. Now I guess I'll re-watch Medium Cool . . . (for which Zappa wrote the music).

[dave jenkins]

Copshop (2021) - 11/10. AR: 2.39:1. Writing, acting, and digital photography that must be seen to be believed. Forget Reservoir Dogs; forget Tarantino: this is the new standard. And it features what may be the greatest film epilogue of the century. No spoilers here. See it cold, or don't see it at all.