It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
I've been saving more of those classic masterpieces for the end of my Fellini viewings, namely 8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita. I can't wait.
Juan Piquer Simón's slasher classic has it all: a killer with a type, a campus setting and loads of girls willing to flaunt their curves right before their untimely demise. Buckets of blood are spilt while lead cast members Christopher George, Paul Smith, Edmund Purdom and Lynda Day George give pedestrian performances at best.
If silliness is a sin then Pieces pushes it to unholy levels in such delicious ways that my eyes were glued to the screen. Combining elements of a Fulci giallo with the charms of J. Lee Thompson's 1981 slasher Happy Birthday to Me and H.G. Lewis's 1963 splatter hit Blood Feast, Simón's exploitation effort is one of those films I love to hate and hate to love. I recommend it to fans of the underbelly of the slasher genre, who won't object to blood and gore, nor to some gratuitous T&A. Just take a shower when you're done watching. ;-)
I really enjoyed this graphic violent over the top thriller with Mads Mikkelsen. There's
Blood and gore in abundance but with a tongue in cheek attitude, and it has a couple
of great shoot up sequences.
Lawrence of Arabia 4K I try to watch this Masterpiece every couple of years, this film is truly astonishing one of the greatest films ever made.
Agreed. 100%!! A true Masterpiece, and Peter O’Toole was just 28 years of age when he signed up for that role!
Occasionally, LoA will screen here in New York City in its’ original ’s 70mm format. And that – my good man – is why I hope (and pray) that the movie going experience doesn’t die out.
BTW: LoA’s Cinematographer, Freddie Young, also did YOLT.
Michael Caine doing what he does best, playing (current or former) government operatives named Harry. He's joined by Sean Young as a really sexy femme fatale; Bob Hoskins, who has a brief but impactful appearance as a friend and former colleague of Caine's; and Ian Holm as an untrustworthy bureaucrat. There are several good little choices here that go toward creating just the right mood, such as making Caine the owner of a jazz club and alluding, albeit briefly, to his cooking skills. The early scenes in which Caine and Young get to know each other are quite sizzling. The intrigue that unfolds later on is solid, though I wish the explanation at the end had been slightly more substantial, even if I can see they were going for a "it's the same old motivation, nothing ever changes" kind of deal. Interesting relationship between Sean Young's character and the American ambassador. The interrogation scene has a surreal and frantic touch that is welcome but it's pushed slightly too far and runs slightly too long. The very end of the film, at the airport, is pitch-perfect. A good film, and the 23rd I've seen of the Caine filmography.
A Michael Apted double bill:
Class Action (1991)
Very good drama. Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are terrific as father and daughter lawyers up against each other in a car malfunction trial. I did wonder about the possibility of this situation being allowed to happen, but given Hackman's character points out it's a strategic move by the law firm he's up against, the film gets away with it. The trial and its details are compelling, especially the cost-benefit talk about fixing a defect in a car vs. paying the families of the victims of said defect. That said, the true essence of the story is about father and daughter coming to terms with each other, acknowledging their mistakes and evaluating what their principles are. The film does beautifully in this aspect. There is also a fairly long stretch after the halfway mark, where Mastrantonio's character discovers certain things about the case and has to make certain decisions, and the actress makes it highly compelling. There is terrific support from Colin Friels, Donald Moffat, Laurence (Larry) Fishburne and especially from Jan Rubeš and Joanna Merlin, an actress I did not know but who is absolutely wonderful. Very nice score from James Horner, as well.
Extreme Measures (1996)
A competent if not outstanding medical thriller. Hugh Grant plays an ER doctor in New York, whose latest patient dies from an unknown affliction. While he tries to investigate the circumstances of the patient's death, a cover-up appears to take place, not to mention an effort to discredit Grant. It's good stuff, though I wish they had gotten more out of the moral implications of the story, which emerge mostly at the end, as dictated by the structure of the story and the way its surprises and reveals are planned. I also wish Gene Hackman had been in it more... way more. There is a sequence that begins in Grand Central Station and ends underground-- this part of the film has a touch of the surreal and the bizarre, and here I felt the film went beyond mere competence and became much more compelling. Grant is a good lead who comes across as smart and likable, but he's not outstanding. The character he plays, while not devoid of sarcasm and charm, is for the most part a straightforwardly noble character, and perhaps another actor might have been more suited for the part, someone like Harrison Ford. Conversely, and perhaps more intriguingly, they could have taken the character and given him more of an edge, which Grant could have done something interesting with. Nonetheless, he does well. Sarah Jessica Parker is kind of boring. Gene Hackman is good but isn't in the film long enough. The rest of the actors are perfectly competent but don't get to make enough of an impression, with the exception of Peter Appel as a cop grateful to Grant's doctor. Even David Morse and J.K. Simmons kind of blend into the background. It's a solid film, worth a watch, but not extraordinary. (Is there a touch of the SE7EN main titles to the poster of this film?)
A once in a lifetime role for O'Toole and his debut if I recall in a feature film. I would gladly watch it on the big screen as never had the opportunity. Very much like Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments I appreciate the Overture in Lawrence of Arabia it goes some way to recreating the cinematic experience on my 4K TV.
Regarding O' Toole, think it was Noel Coward who claimed he thought Peter was too pretty in the part, and dubbed the movie 'Florence of Arabia'!!
Bloody Cary Grant, even in casual wear, he was still dapper.
The animation and sound design is very impressive.
You have impeccable taste, @MajorDSmythe! Three excellent films. I rewatched Charade last week, for the first time on BR. The film looked great.
You can't go wrong with any of these. I'd say Charade is my favorite of the three.
They are my 3 favourites, in that order. Charade - To Catch A Theif - North By Northwest.
Three great movies I have them all on Bluray.
Notorious and Suspicion are also very good Grant and Hitch movies especially the former.
Charade one if not the best none Hitchcock Hitchcock type movies.
I would also recommend Road Games as one of the best "best film that Hitchcock never made" films. It's basically a remake of Rear Window, with the setting shifted to the cab of a lorry.
I have never heard of Road Games I will look out for it cheers. Found a few films I am guessing it the Stacey Keech and Jamie Lee Curtis film.
That's the one.
Great movie and music.
This seemed like such a fun movie. Well, it wasn t . Boring is the word.
I watched the trailer the other day on Amazon Prime I considered renting it though the trailer seemed a bit all over the place, I will wait until its free.
---
Couldn't agree more. I liked some moments in the finale, particularly the action, but I was surprised how "safe" and dull the film was overall.
As for me, I watched Synchronic yesterday, thought it was pretty great, an original sort of take on the "new designer drug causes X to occur" type of film. Was very surprised by Anthony Mackie in it, thought he was great. He usually seems to mesh well with the sci-fi genre.
I have never read this comic
so I don t know how it compares, and perhaps it makes me less invested than what was the case with the regular X-Men movies. Regardless of that, there are some nice bits here and there, but it is still at the bottom of the list in that universe.
Synchronic is good. If you like that one, check out Resolution, The Endless and Spring by the same directors, @Creasy47.
Passion a Brian De Palma film I had not seen previously. Its not one of his best though the direction at least has flashes of his genius. The two leads were OK though some of the other acting was poor at times. De Palma uses a lot from his previous films here, though there is enough going on to keep my attention until the end.
I feel like De Palma makes two kinds of films. On the one hand, he can deliver solid crime films; on the other, he licks Hitchcock's shoes and presents thrillers about obsession and distorted perception of reality. (I will leave Carrie and Mission : Impossible out of this.) Sisters, Body Double and Femme Fatale are all in the same boat, with De Palma showing off his technical and narrative skills, but offering little new on the menu. I haven't seen Passion before, and though I'll probably catch up with it at some point, part of the reason is that I'm not sure I need yet another addition to this list. But perhaps, @Fire_and_Ice_Returns, you will convince me to watch the film after all?
All the films you mention I have on Bluray, I like Femme Fatale watched it several times though mainly because of the technical aspects, the opening set piece is very good.
Passion has a mystery which works reasonably well, I am glad I watched it and will revisit it for sure, again because of some great camera work. Mcadams and Rapace are very watchable, which helps the movie.
---
Beastmaster I completely forgot how this film opened with the insane birth. I don't think I have watched this for a few decades, seems cheaper than I remember. Tanya Roberts looks great though.
On July 16, 1980, a grumpy Roger Ebert wrote,
"A vile bag of garbage named "I Spit on Your Grave" is playing in Chicago theaters this week. It is a movie so sick, reprehensible and contemptible that I can hardly believe it's playing in respectable theaters, such as Plitt's United Artists. But it is. Attending it was one of the most depressing experiences of my life."
Even 'my-farts-don't-stink' Ebert failed to distinguish between garbage and an intense but relevant film. It's true that Meir Zarchi, the film's director, whose name Ebert refused to mention even once in his review, hadn't exactly put together a family-friendly Sunday afternoon presentation, but the Chicago Sun-Times critic lost every bit of credibility when stating that,
"this is a film without a shred of artistic distinction. It lacks even simple craftsmanship. There is no possible motive for exhibiting it, other than the totally cynical hope that it might make money."
Zarchi will tell you that his decision to make this film came from a real-life experience in which he and his family stumbled upon a rape victim who came crawling out of some bushes, haggard, violated and in complete shock. Whether that is actually the case or Zarchi simply wanted to drink from the same fruitful well that had produced THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, DELIVERANCE and other 'tough' films, makes little difference. The film treats rape as a serious crime and not as an exploitative toy for filmgoers with extreme tastes. The cinematography, editing and directing actually do attest to good craftsmanship as the film manages to detail the motives of the pack of rapists without turning us into accomplices, at the same time stressing the emotional and physical suffering of the victim. Included are themes of rich-versus-poor, crimes committed under peer pressure and the self-justification of acts of vengeance. But the film remains ambiguous about where it stands on some of those issues. Indeed, we, as spectators, are asked to take the punishable nature of rape for granted, but almost every other moral judgement is up to us entirely.
The fact that Ebert and his trusted lapdog Siskel railed in spades against this story of a woman being mistreated in such a brutal and vile way and seeking justice on her own terms, leads me to believe that they may have actually underestimated the harsh reality of real-life rape crimes, thinking a film like I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, originally sold as DAY OF THE WOMAN, beyond the realm of possibility. But not only do things like these, unfortunately, happen in real life, the film even subtly introduces the problem of victim-blaming, way ahead of the curve, with the leader of pack saying, in his own defence no less, that "any man would have done the same," referring to the hormonal fever dreams all country rubes must naturally go through when seeing a beautiful city dame. Currently one of the heavier #MeToo issues, victim-blaming in I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE receives even more painful punishment than the rape itself, but a poetic one: male castration. And yes, when the rapists 'get it' themselves, the film doesn't take prisoners. Perhaps the crucial third act in any rape-revenge film--the revenge act--is what Ebert had such issues with, the graphic depiction of a woman externalizing her anger and hatred in very crude ways.
After nearly an hour of relentless acts of violence suffered by Buster Keaton's granddaughter Camille, the revenge part must indeed right as many wrongs as possible. Most people will agree that rape is one of those truly unforgivable crimes, so the movie has to play out a satisfying revenge fantasy shared by both real rape victims, their friends and relatives, and almost everybody else. But I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE doesn't choose chaotic massacre for that purpose; instead it opts for a patient and by all means rewarding plan of action which allows Camille Keaton's character of Jennifer Hills a form of retribution no modern court system could possibly agree with. And in movies, we gladly accept rogue action, no matter how extreme, as a means to get even with those who committed such atrocities to a character who substitutes for our daughters, sisters, mothers and friends.
Sean Cunningham, director of FRIDAY THE 13TH, nowadays considered a lovable but barely shocking classic, was called by Siskel
"one of the most despicable creatures ever to infest the movie business."
In fact, Siskel proceeded by virtually begging his audience to letter-stalk one of the producers and poor Betsy Palmer as a sign of their discontent with such an abysmal film, which raises some serious red flags when it comes to his own moral compass, the one that he and Ebert were obviously lending a massive amount of authority to because their damnation of I SPIT ON YOUR GAVE was nothing if not the result of two sourpusses unwilling to admit that their stomach simply couldn't take it. In any case, being branded "the worst film ever made" by Ebert certainly didn't harm Zarchi's film since it generated enough negative publicity to become a hit, especially when the home video market burst wide open after its highly profitable 'underground' distribution of porn.
But as if dealing with conservative America hadn't been bad enough already, the UK subsequently introduced its notorious 'Video Nasty' witch hunts, making ownership of a copy of films like THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and indeed I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE illegal and punishable by law. The west may have been condemning the Soviets in the '80s for imposing major restrictions on what could be viewed and read in the motherland and for blacklisting a considerable number of books, but when a little blood, gore, violence and nudity prove good enough for Gestapo-like practices in the so-called free world, something is clearly wrong. Yet this too added to the status of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. Ebert and Siskel called it the worst film ever made and the British government raided our homes looking for copies of the film; do you honestly need another incentive to watch the film today?
Well, perhaps you do. I won't lie. I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is not a pleasant film to sit through. As with CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST and ILSA, SHE WOLF OF THE SS, my interest in the film supersedes my enjoyment. But unlike those two, I get something extra out of the raw violence in I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. I know two women who were raped as minors--one by an unknown perpetrator who was never found, one by her boyfriend who kept going despite a clear "no!". Though I wasn't there, nor was it my body, I feel the anger boiling up inside me every time I recall the accounts of those events. I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE neither insults nor disgusts me; it offers me the dubious satisfaction of seeing the culprits subjected to severe torment. But even without that small bonus, I still don't think this is the worst film ever made. Far from it, in fact. And if Ebert meant it when he said that
"at the film's end I walked out of the theater quickly, feeling unclean, ashamed and depressed,"
all I can say in return is: Roger, at least it's not a film made by Uwe Boll!
One last thing... the film's poster with the barely covered back of a woman may or may not, according to some people, be showing a then relatively unknown Demi Moore posing for this controversial image...