Saturday Evening Movie Thread [moviegique]: Weapons

A funny thing happened on the way to the movie thread. In the last three weeks, we saw five films. All of them were new releases. All but one were good. Two were legitimately great. It got me thinking about how, over recent years, I've seen fewer and fewer of the top 40 films. If I can find the time, I'll make a chart and post about the progression.

I thought about it this fortnight-and-a-half because I found myself wondering if the trend could be changing.

Then I look at the top 20 and realize, no, I've only seen three of them. It just seems like I've seen more because I've seen a few more of the aggressively marketed recent releases.

The five films we hit:

Together, a body horror film on that most horrific of topics: Marriage. Tight, short, sweet, with a light story that's fraught with potential symbolism, so people can write think-pieces on Zoomer relationships. Body horror, though, so definitely not for everyone.

Shari and Lamb Chop, a documentary about Phyllis Naomi Hurwitz, better known as Shari Lewis. This is the puppet version of Together, and I'm only slightly kidding, as we see a bit into the astounding work ethic of a woman raised in the vaudeville tradition. If you're an older 29-year-old, you might remember her from inventing children's television in the '50s, where she did five or more hours of live TV every day. But if you're a younger 29-year-old, and you remember her from the (very slightly) saucy Lamb Chop years of being on game shows, and you might have wondered what the big deal was. 1990s kids will probably remember her PBS shows. She was so good at what she did, she made it look easy. Anyway, great documentary. The Boy (who was reticent to go see it) came out raving.

The Naked Gun. Surely this can't be any good. It is, and don't use that 45-year-old joke. Liam & Pamela have a blast on this excellently executed update. I can, and probably will, write a whole thing on the good choices made. (For example, updating the spoof from a '70s police show to a 21st century action flick.) It's not that all the jokes land. Few, if any, comedies manage that. It's that if you don't like a joke, the next one's coming along in five seconds. Running gags, without relying solely on running gags. Pop culture references but not only pop culture references. The ZAZ formula died in the hands of guys making movies built solely on references to better movies, and that's very light here. A good time, can't complain. Still, doesn't look like it's going to make a profit.

Fixed. This Netflix movie from Genndy Tartakovsky ("Dexter's Laboratory", "Samurai Jack", "Clone Wars", and the Hotel Transylvania series) is genuinely awful but I couldn't exactly hate it. It's adult animation about a dog that humps everything and lives in terror of being fixed. It's entirely scatological, but this brings very little joy. I mean, I happily ate popcorn through The Substance, the Evil Dead series and Schindler's List but this movie is wall-to-wall poop and pee and testicles. Way more misses than hits, with a completely incoherent worldview—I mean, obviously it's a comedy and it doesn't have to make sense, but it has to have enough grounding for the audience to grasp what they're supposed to care about. These dogs aren't dogs but they're dogs sometimes for joke purposes and humans others. It's not good. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't blame you if you did.

Now, on to the main feature.

Apart from the staggering number of dog anuses, the movie looks pretty good.

Weapons

One day, a young 3rd grade schoolteacher goes to her class to find that none of the children in her class have come to school that day, except for one. All the other classes and children are there. Just hers are missing. Because at 2:17AM the previous night, they all ran out of their houses into the woods and were never seen again.

Everyone of course assumes the schoolteacher has done something, and we're off to the races in Weapons, a mysterious story that actually isn't mysterious at all, much like Zach Cregger's previous work Barbarian.

I don't know WHAT they imagine she's done with 17 children, but she's a wreck in a lot of ways which makes her an appealing target.

If you remember Barbarian, you may recall that it started out with a mysterious premise, as a woman discovers hidden depths in the awfulness of her judgment when renting an AirBnB. By the end, it's very clearly a well-known horror form, and while there are twists, Cregger emphasizes character development and twists over plot twists.

This is really refreshing, as a longstanding trend in indie films that has seeped heavily into horror in the past ten years is: "If we don't ever explain anything or resolve anything you can't identify what you're watching enough to describe how derivative it is."

Derivative is not bad, people. Everything is going to be derivative. If it's in English, it's going to be derivative of the ideas and themes English uses to express things. If it's silent, it's going to be derivative of silent movies. If it's entirely original, it's also completely incomprehensible.

You can totally shyamalan yourself into making nonsensical trash trying to be original and fool people.

What Creggers does, again, in Weapons, is give us a story from multiple perspectives: The schoolteacher, the cop, the junkie, the obsessed parent, and the kid, and as we see each part of the story from their eyes, we get a little more clarity. In the end, we have a story that "makes sense". It's not a realistic story, or even sci-fi, it's straight up supernatural horror, and yet it still "makes sense".

This is good. It means you don't feel ripped off or manipulated at the end.

I haven't seen anyone else mention that this is the plot of season 1, episode 5 of "Mystery, Inc.", "The Song of Mystery". Jinkies!

I'm harping on the story because it seems like Hollywood's forgotten how to tell them lately, but the whole movie is top-notch.

A terrific cast, with Julia Garner (the Silver Surfer in the new F4 movie, and Martha Marcy May Marlene), Josh Brolin, Justin Long, Amy Madigan, and Cary Christopher as the only boy who showed up for 3rd grade.

Well shot. One of the (increasing number) of movies that aren't color-coded. Like Together, a lot of the shots are downright beautiful, someone having figured out that you don't need to paint everything in gray-blue for people to get scares.

Zach Cregger along with Ryan and Hays Holladay are credited with the composing of the music. The use of music is spare, unless it slipped by me. I remember thinking in the film that it was very strategic, with the action doing most of the heavy lifting and the music sort of sneaking in under the awareness level at just the right time.

Would I recommend it? To a horror fan, absolutely. It has a few very violent scenes, like Barbarian, which might be off-putting to some.

Also, I loved the climax and denouement. It could come off as black comedy (because it's blackly comic), but when dealing with a "children in peril" film, one must tread lightly, and of all the directions Weapons might have gone, all the conclusions the storyline might have arrived at, this was not bleak or nihilistic or depressing, even if it was somewhat sad.

A solid hit that's already made it's money back and is on track to finish in the top 20 this year.

Parent/Teacher conferences get intense in "Weapons".

Posted by: Open Blogger at 08:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Didja know that Shari Lewis co-wrote an episode of Star Trek? It was "The Lights of Zetar."

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 23, 2025 07:32 PM (CHHv1)

2 SPONGE!

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 23, 2025 07:33 PM (xcxpd)

3 For a second, I thought this was going to be about guns in movies and I was all set to talk about Ronin for 13 more pages.

Oh well.

I hear good things about the 2025 movie Weapons.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 23, 2025 07:33 PM (xcxpd)

4 It's in the doc, BeckoningChasm.

She also conducted orchestras!

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 07:34 PM (asXVI)

5 I did see The Naked Gun 2025. It's a solid comedy. If you want to see a comedy and go see it, you'll have a good time.

Reviewed it up on TJM's webzone.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 23, 2025 07:35 PM (xcxpd)

6 1 Didja know that Shari Lewis co-wrote an episode of Star Trek? It was "The Lights of Zetar."
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 23, 2025 07:32 PM (CHHv1)

*Johnny Carson Voice*
"I did not know that."

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 23, 2025 07:37 PM (xcxpd)

7 Ever want to know what guns were used in a movie?

Internet Movie FIREARMS Database

https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Main_Page

Posted by: rickb223 at August 23, 2025 07:38 PM (zXOsD)

8 I see someone has keys to tje AoSHq Time Machine
Good evening everyone

Posted by: Skip at August 23, 2025 07:39 PM (+qU29)

9 7 Ever want to know what guns were used in a movie?

Internet Movie FIREARMS Database

https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Main_Page
Posted by: rickb223 at August 23, 2025 07:38 PM (zXOsD)

I have that bookmarked. Fun site.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 23, 2025 07:40 PM (xcxpd)

10 Weapons at least sounds original

Posted by: Skip at August 23, 2025 07:43 PM (+qU29)

11 "Didja know that Shari Lewis co-wrote an episode of Star Trek? It was "The Lights of Zetar."
Posted by: BeckoningChasm"

Fascinating.

When I was little, Shari Lewis reminded me of my grandmother, in looks and style and manner. I suppose she still does.

Posted by: fd at August 23, 2025 07:44 PM (vFG9F)

12 Skip,

It's actually not original, which is sort of what I'm getting at. It's good, it plays its hand out carefully and deliberately, and it feeds its own mystery and gives you clues to what is, at its heart, a very conventional story.

But very conventional stories are good. It's all in the telling.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 07:45 PM (asXVI)

13 I love Wikipedia only because they give you the full plot of the movie. I’m not a horror fan so I wasn’t going to watch it but it is nice to know what the plot was and ending. Weapons does sound like it would be good.

Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 07:46 PM (EYmYM)

14 Polynikes,

Yeah, it's a fine line. I want to give people a sense of the film and also a sense of whether it's the sort of thing they'd enjoy, but I don't want to do spoilers.

Generally. Sometimes when we're talking Big Movie Concepts, ya gotta spoil.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 07:49 PM (asXVI)

15 I just watched a documentary on Richard Turner called Dealt. He’s the world’s greatest card mechanic who happens to be blind.

It’s not great but good and would recommend.

Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 07:50 PM (EYmYM)

16 Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 07:49 PM (asXV

Agree. Wiki gives the spoilers for those that want them. Your preview was perfect. It made me want to go to wiki.

Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 07:53 PM (EYmYM)

17 >>> If you're an older 29-year-old, you might remember her from inventing children's television in the '50s,
-----------

She was the love of my life.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at August 23, 2025 07:56 PM (DS3M8)

18 || https://x.com/GBNT1952/status/1959285733979480391

She aged well, but around 30? Yowza.

https://tinyurl.com/46ke7pst

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 08:01 PM (asXVI)

19 Oh, sorry for the twitter link, I was trying to respond to Braenyard with this:

https://tinyurl.com/46ke7pst

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 08:01 PM (asXVI)

20 Josh Brolin is one of the few actual masculine-looking actors in movies these days.

Posted by: Ordinary American at August 23, 2025 08:01 PM (WHfpM)

21 I recently watched Payback with Mel Gibson on Roku. Did you know that movie had two completely different endings? One with and one without Kris Kristofferson.

Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 08:01 PM (EYmYM)

22 Anyone with a name that sounds like Tardive dyskinesia is going to make something that is genuinely awful.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at August 23, 2025 08:02 PM (DS3M8)

23

"Liam" is an anti-2A anti-Ameeican SCUMSUCKING PIECE OF SHIT who has spent his entire career faking the American ethos while pissing on us in private.

FUCK HIM.

I will never spend a cent on him and if you embrace him you are either ignorant as fuck, or a progtard tool. Ar best.

Lighten up Francis my ass.

War.

Posted by: Elderly Git at August 23, 2025 08:02 PM (xzAzL)

24 >>>>but this movie is wall-to-wall poop and pee and testicles.
---

Thought that was relegated to XXX only?

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at August 23, 2025 08:05 PM (DS3M8)

25 Didja know that Shari Lewis co-wrote an episode of Star Trek? It was "The Lights of Zetar."
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 23, 2025 07:32 PM (CHHv1)

*Johnny Carson Voice*
"I did not know that."
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 23, 2025 07:37 PM (xcxpd)

Me either.
Dang. Used to get up, turn on the TV, go get a bowl of corn flakes and come back (by that time the tv was warmed up) and watch her show.

Posted by: Diogenes at August 23, 2025 08:06 PM (2WIwB)

26 Weapons = the best movie I have seen this year.

Posted by: Ernie at August 23, 2025 08:08 PM (ufJfM)

27 Starting to watch North by Northwest, seen it before but it's a oldie but goodie

Posted by: Skip at August 23, 2025 08:08 PM (+qU29)

28 "Liam" is an anti-2A anti-Ameeican SCUMSUCKING PIECE OF SHIT who has spent his entire career faking the American ethos while pissing on us in private.

FUCK HIM.

I will never spend a cent on him and if you embrace him you are either ignorant as fuck, or a progtard tool. Ar best.

***

Something vexes thee?

Posted by: Diogenes at August 23, 2025 08:09 PM (2WIwB)

29 "I recently watched Payback with Mel Gibson on Roku. Did you know that movie had two completely different endings?"

I did know that.

"One with and one without Kris Kristofferson."

I might have known that, but if I did, I had forgotten it until now.

|| Thought that was relegated to XXX only?

I never thought to check the rating.

Nope, only an "R".

I did have to roll my eyes at one point. Because it's a Netflix flick, it has to have a part where one of the characters is shown sexual enlightenment by a trans/hermaphrodite.

It wasn't funny or endearing, and it felt entirely like it had been mandated.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 08:09 PM (asXVI)

30 21 I recently watched Payback with Mel Gibson on Roku. Did you know that movie had two completely different endings? One with and one without Kris Kristofferson.
Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 08:01 PM (EYmYM)

I liked the one with him better.

Posted by: Ordinary American at August 23, 2025 08:11 PM (WHfpM)

31 Thx moviegique. Weapons seems to be getting good notices by everyone. Have to check it out

Posted by: Smell the Glove at August 23, 2025 08:12 PM (ncxww)

32 Finally caught John Wick 4 the other night. Good ending (maybe) to the franchise. A little long but worth the time

Posted by: Smell the Glove at August 23, 2025 08:14 PM (ncxww)

33 Something vexes thee?
Posted by: Diogenes

Ya, the dry butt fucking of our Constitution, the only concept and document the gave humanity a CHANCE at evolving past either totalitarianism or barbarism.

Enjoy your dry fucking, sheep.

Posted by: Elderly Git at August 23, 2025 08:16 PM (xzAzL)

34 Lighten up, Francis.

Posted by: Taro Tsujimoto at August 23, 2025 08:19 PM (5YmYl)

35 21 I recently watched Payback with Mel Gibson on Roku. Did you know that movie had two completely different endings? One with and one without Kris Kristofferson.
Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 08:01 PM (EYmYM)

Mel Gibson paid to have the original ending completed and included on the re-release.

I think Mel's version is better but I see what they were going for in the first draft.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 23, 2025 08:19 PM (xcxpd)

36 33 Something vexes thee?
Posted by: Diogenes

Ya, the dry butt fucking of our Constitution, the only concept and document the gave humanity a CHANCE at evolving past either totalitarianism or barbarism.

Enjoy your dry fucking, sheep.

Posted by: Elderly Git at August 23, 2025 08:16 PM (xzAzL)

Sir, this is a Wendy's...

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 23, 2025 08:20 PM (xcxpd)

37 I’m looking forward to Naked Gun! I never liked horror much, and after reading synopses of Weapons and Barbarian , I realize nope that’s not for me, and absolutely not body horror.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 23, 2025 08:20 PM (PfGa7)

38
>> If you're an older 29-year-old, you might remember her from inventing children's television in the '50s,
-----------

She was the love of my life.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others

She gave me a Charlie Horse.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 23, 2025 08:20 PM (63Dwl)

39 I like this photo of her

https://tinyurl.com/4vdwb6wp

Posted by: Don Black at August 23, 2025 08:21 PM (AOsQT)

40 23

Yeah. But the movie sounds pretty funny.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 23, 2025 08:21 PM (3wi/L)

41
Ya, the dry butt fucking of our Constitution, the only concept and document the gave humanity a CHANCE at evolving past either totalitarianism or barbarism.

Enjoy your dry fucking, sheep.

Posted by: Elderly Git at August 23, 2025 08:16 PM (xzAzL)

For many, the Constitution will be loved only when it is gone.

No movies this past week for me.

Posted by: Cow Demon at August 23, 2025 08:22 PM (vm8sq)

42 Sir, this is a Wendy's...
--
Beat me to it.

---
and absolutely not body horror.
---
De gustibus, ya know? Some of us like horror, some of us like comedy, and some of like fantasizing about dry humping on the movie thread.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 08:22 PM (asXVI)

43 When I was little, Shari Lewis reminded me of my grandmother, in looks and style and manner. I suppose she still does.
Posted by: fd at August 23, 2025 07:44 PM (vFG9F)

Wow, your grandmother was HAWT!

Posted by: Your Grandfather at August 23, 2025 08:24 PM (PfGa7)

44 Lightenus upest.

Posted by: Frasier Crane at August 23, 2025 08:24 PM (tldbM)

45
Sir, this is a Wendy's...
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards

Oh.

Can I get a large frosty?

Posted by: Elderly Git at August 23, 2025 08:24 PM (xzAzL)

46 36:Sir, this is a Wendy's...
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards,

LoL!

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at August 23, 2025 08:25 PM (ErLti)

47 Saw "Weapons" at a 10:30am showing (yeah, weird, but Wendy's breakfast sandwiches and a movie is a tight combo).

Absolutely loved the craftsmanship of the film, the terrific performances, and especially the character development. But in one case in particular that character development ending up not really amounting to anything, and I spent the whole movie anticipating that it would.

I thought the build-up was let down a bit by a "That's it?" third act. But the climax was so entertaining that I forgave it.

A very, very good movie that just missed being great.

Posted by: Taro Tsujimoto at August 23, 2025 08:25 PM (5YmYl)

48 I thought the dry fucking was in the cartoon movie, not Naked Gun. I'm so confused.

Posted by: Frasier Crane at August 23, 2025 08:26 PM (tldbM)

49 Old enough to remember Sheri and Lamb Chop

Posted by: Skip at August 23, 2025 08:27 PM (+qU29)

50 Weapons is amazing in every way. Writing, cinematography, acting, music, structure. All of it. What a great movie.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:32 PM (MGB5H)

51

Lambchop did butt-stuff. Made her VERY popular on certain pre-inet networks...

Posted by: Pendulating Richard at August 23, 2025 08:32 PM (a9s9e)

52 33
'Enjoy your dry fucking, sheep.'

Enjoy your airplane glue.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 23, 2025 08:33 PM (3wi/L)

53 3 For a second, I thought this was going to be about guns in movies and I was all set to talk about Ronin for 13 more pages.

Oh well.

I hear good things about the 2025 movie Weapons.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 23, 2025 07:33 PM
Me too.

Posted by: Eromero at August 23, 2025 08:34 PM (LHPAg)

54 Finally caught John Wick 4 the other night. Good ending (maybe) to the franchise. A little long but worth the time
Posted by: Smell the Glove at August 23, 2025 08:14 PM (ncxww)

Ballerina came out this year, there is an animated movie prequel of John's "impossible task", a Caine movie with Donnie Yen, and John wick 5 coming.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:35 PM (MGB5H)

55 It’s funny. When I started becoming a regular shooter how much more I really watched gun handling in the movies and on tv.

Jeepers. No wonder people get shot.

Posted by: nurse ratched at August 23, 2025 08:36 PM (mT+6a)

56 Hard pass on Weapons for me.

Mrs. Cop and I went to go see Nobody 2. Rather violent, but most of the violence is almost cartoonish.

The plot is basically a hit man wants to go on a family vacation. Small town goons intrude and mayhem ensues.

Funnier than you might expect. Rating = 4/5

Posted by: Retired Buckeye Cop is now an engineer at August 23, 2025 08:36 PM (pJWtt)

57 What Creggers does, again, in Weapons, is give us a story from multiple perspectives: The schoolteacher, the cop, the junkie, the obsessed parent, and the kid, and as we see each part of the story from their eyes, we get a little more clarity. In the end, we have a story that "makes sense".

This is the way.

Posted by: zombie Kurosawa Akira at August 23, 2025 08:37 PM (DgGvY)

58 "Apart from the staggering number of dog anuses, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the movie?"

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 08:38 PM (kpS4V)

59 Something vexes thee?
Posted by: Diogenes at August 23, 2025 08:09 PM

Verily, there are manifold things that vex me. But, prithee, are we not supposed to wait until Festivus to enumerate and elucidate?

Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 23, 2025 08:38 PM (0sNs1)

60
Based on the teaser, I can scarcely believe that Naked Gun is good. Really?

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 23, 2025 08:39 PM (6eO0F)

61 It’s funny. When I started becoming a regular shooter how much more I really watched gun handling in the movies and on tv.

Jeepers. No wonder people get shot.
Posted by: nurse ratched at August 23, 2025 08:36 PM (mT+6a)

Keanu has trained for 100s of hours at Taran Tactical for the John Wick movies because he wanted to be as realistic as possible. Fun fact that's also where Sydney Sweeney trains.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:39 PM (MGB5H)

62 || But in one case in particular that character development ending up not really amounting to anything,

I am curious.

A lot of the threads didn't go anywhere in particular, because they were just window dressing around the story. Like, the teacher (and cop) were alcoholics, and that didn't go anywhere.

But it wasn't really the point.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 08:39 PM (asXVI)

63 15 I just watched a documentary on Richard Turner called Dealt. He’s the world’s greatest card mechanic who happens to be blind.

It’s not great but good and would recommend.
Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 07:50 PM

I just saw a video of him on Penn and Teller's Fool Us while scrolling through YouTube about twenty minutes ago. Teller was amazed.

Posted by: tankdemon at August 23, 2025 08:39 PM (0q9Qd)

64 Based on the teaser, I can scarcely believe that Naked Gun is good. Really?
Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 23, 2025 08:39 PM (6eO0F)

Crying in your seat and coughing funny.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:39 PM (MGB5H)

65 Sadly very limited in what movies I will go to, and Weapons is playing in 2 very close venues. I wouldn't mind seeing it but won't.

Posted by: Skip at August 23, 2025 08:41 PM (+qU29)

66 Lamb Chop's wry moue begat Kermit's.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 08:41 PM (kpS4V)

67 Lamb Chop's wry moue begat Kermit's.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 08:41 PM

And lamb chop didn't have to put up with that bitch miss piggy.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:42 PM (MGB5H)

68 Based on the teaser, I can scarcely believe that Naked Gun is good. Really?
Posted by: Blonde Morticia

I saw it and smiled a couple of times. There were plenty of people guffawing in the audience. I don't know. Maybe you had to have seen the originals to understand the humor?

Posted by: Tuna at August 23, 2025 08:43 PM (lJ0H4)

69 58 "Apart from the staggering number of dog anuses, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the movie?"

Lincoln wasn't shot after all, just smothered in poop.

---
Based on the teaser, I can scarcely believe that Naked Gun is good. Really?
---
I liked it, but I =mostly= liked the teaser. I could see some red flags (gratuitously gory violence and maybe comedy timing issues) and I had severe doubts.

And I can't say what jokes will land, but it has a really benign feel. It's a comedy! In 2025! And all it wants to do is make you laugh!

Almost surreal, really.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 08:43 PM (asXVI)

70 Fun fact that's also where Sydney Sweeney trains.
Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:39 PM

I'd be happy to lend Ms. Sweeney the extra-large bandana in my range bag, if needed. Several 'ettes have benefited from it stopping hot brass finding a landing zone inside their top over the years at the TxMoMe.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 23, 2025 08:43 PM (0sNs1)

71 It’s funny. When I started becoming a regular shooter how much more I really watched gun handling in the movies and on tv.

Jeepers. No wonder people get shot.
Posted by: nurse ratched

I can't watch a movie and not count shots.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 23, 2025 08:43 PM (zXOsD)

72 Lamb Chop's wry moue

Man, I haven't seen her comment in forever.

Posted by: mikeski at August 23, 2025 08:43 PM (DgGvY)

73 I'd be happy to lend Ms. Sweeney the extra-large bandana in my range bag, if needed. Several 'ettes have benefited from it stopping hot brass finding a landing zone inside their top over the years at the TxMoMe.
Posted by: Duncanthrax

Why did I read that as "banana"?

Posted by: rickb223 at August 23, 2025 08:44 PM (zXOsD)

74 I can't watch a movie and not count shots.
Posted by: rickb223

So you always know whether the punk should feel lucky or not.

Posted by: mikeski at August 23, 2025 08:44 PM (DgGvY)

75 If you're on the fence, see "Weapons" in the theater packed with people, so you'll get the Dolby SurroundSound effect of folks exclaiming OMG! and WTF!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 08:45 PM (kpS4V)

76 I can't watch a movie and not count shots.
Posted by: rickb223

So you always know whether the punk should feel lucky or not.
Posted by: mikeski

Especially in the 32 shot 1873 Single Action Army "Peacemaker".

Posted by: rickb223 at August 23, 2025 08:46 PM (zXOsD)

77 This year Sinners and Weapons have proven that if you put out a well made entertaining original movie the audience will show up. Doubtful Hollywood will learn the lesson though. People are already bugging coogler and Greg get to make sequels/spinoffs.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:46 PM (MGB5H)

78 Oh magic gun butt! Safely render anyone I strike in the head with thee unconscious!

Posted by: Commissar of plenty and festive little hats at August 23, 2025 08:47 PM (0fPWP)

79 you're on the fence, see "Weapons" in the theater packed with people, so you'll get the Dolby SurroundSound effect of folks exclaiming OMG! and WTF!
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 08:45 PM

The theater we were in was going crazy. Awesome in theater experience.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:48 PM (MGB5H)

80 Then again coogler was involved with ironheart for reasons only known to him

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 23, 2025 08:48 PM (bXbFr)

81 Polynikes: Re the blind card turner. The founder of the SF department store, Gumps, was a magnificent judge of jade. Foundation of the store. He too was blind.

There are now great artificial diamonds being made. I asked a gem expert if she could tell the difference. She said if she had enough time with them in the dark, she could. Otherwise, no.

Our senses are bewilderingly complex.

Posted by: Wenda at August 23, 2025 08:48 PM (sz3LH)

82 Saw Weapons with Mrs. Meta two weeks ago. It was meh. Not particularly frightening and plot holes you could drive a truck through.

Posted by: Heavy Meta at August 23, 2025 08:48 PM (GTqXr)

83 @77 cregger not Greg. Lordy.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:48 PM (MGB5H)

84 I dearly hope Cregger does not make a sequel.

There are no unanswered questions left to be asked. Just as there weren't in "Barbarian".

It seems to me is that he has steeped himself in '70s and '80s horror, and also in fairy tales, and I would love to see him tackle another neglected subgenre.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 08:49 PM (asXVI)

85 But it was a clever turn on the genre

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 23, 2025 08:49 PM (bXbFr)

86 Then again coogler was involved with ironheart for reasons only known to him
Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 23, 2025 08:48 PM (bXbFr)

Not really. He held an ep credit due to ironheart premiering in wakanda 2. He wasn't really involved in the show.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:49 PM (MGB5H)

87 Can I get a large frosty?
Posted by: Elderly Git at August 23, 2025 08:24 PM (xzAzL)

Nope. Machine's broke.

Posted by: Wendy's counter girl at August 23, 2025 08:50 PM (I0Uo2)

88 dearly hope Cregger does not make a sequel.

There are no unanswered questions left to be asked. Just as there weren't in "Barbarian".

It seems to me is that he has steeped himself in '70s and '80s horror, and also in fairy tales, and I would love to see him tackle another neglected subgenre.
Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 08:49 PM (asXVI)

He doesn't seem to be the type to revisit things. I told the story I wanted to on to the next. Basically what he said in an interview a couple weeks ago.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:50 PM (eANjq)

89 Why did I read that as "banana"?
Posted by: rickb223 at August 23, 2025 08:44 PM

I don't think a banana would have as much protection, but I can see the a-peel.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 23, 2025 08:51 PM (0sNs1)

90 Ok it seemed beneath him but then so was wakanda forever (sounded like a threat)

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 23, 2025 08:51 PM (bXbFr)

91 oldie but goodie
Posted by: Skip
------

Eva Marie Saint

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at August 23, 2025 08:51 PM (DS3M8)

92 North by northwest indeed

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 23, 2025 08:52 PM (bXbFr)

93 Which was referenced in lucky number slevin by ben kingsley

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 23, 2025 08:52 PM (bXbFr)

94 I can't watch a movie and not count shots.
Posted by: rickb223

So you always know whether the punk should feel lucky or not.
Posted by: mikeski

Especially in the 32 shot 1873 Single Action Army "Peacemaker".
Posted by: rickb223 at August 23, 2025 08:46 PM

This is about me, isn't it?

Posted by: Chuck Connors in the weekly opening scene of The Rifleman at August 23, 2025 08:53 PM (0sNs1)

95 Can I get a large frosty?
Posted by: Elderly Git at August 23, 2025 08:24 PM (xzAzL)

Nope. Machine's broke.
Posted by: Wendy's counter girl at August 23, 2025 08:50 PM (I0Uo2)

WTF! This isn't McDonald's.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:53 PM (MGB5H)

96 Be great full that Pedro Pascal had to drop out of "Weapons", because Josh Brolin was terrific as the dad of one of the missing children. There is no closure and he seesaws between bursts of anger and deep depression. The teacher drinks. This movie is really about how the town deals with the awful hole left by the tragedy.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 08:53 PM (kpS4V)

97 The spy syndicate that was suitably vague

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 23, 2025 08:53 PM (bXbFr)

98 63 15 I just watched a documentary on Richard Turner called Dealt.
----------

Tom Snyder would have card and coin magicians on his show.
Old men with stiff old man hands and the camera would do close ups of them working.
Amazing.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at August 23, 2025 08:54 PM (DS3M8)

99 I don't care that Liam Neesom doesn't like guns. He's not an American, he has no effect on what I believe He's a good actor and the movie was funny.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 23, 2025 08:54 PM (2GCMq)

100 >92 North by northwest indeed

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 23, 2025 08:52 PM (bXbFr)

How 'bout that title sequence?!

Posted by: Saul Bass at August 23, 2025 08:54 PM (GTqXr)

101 For your edification:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rl-FGETfS4

Posted by: Chuck Connors in the weekly opening scene of The Rifleman at August 23, 2025 08:54 PM (0sNs1)

102 Too bad "Fixed" sucks. Tartakovsky is a genius so I'm truly disappointed by this.

Posted by: Oh how the mighty have fallen at August 23, 2025 08:55 PM (TbWk/)

103 e great full that Pedro Pascal had to drop out of "Weapons", because Josh Brolin was terrific as the dad of one of the missing children. There is no closure and he seesaws between bursts of anger and deep depression. The teacher drinks. This movie is really about how the town deals with the awful hole left by the tragedy.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 08:53 PM

Ya Brolin was so much better than that ass hat would have been. Almost the entire movie was recast because of the writers strike. Brolin/pascal Benedict Wong/brian Tyree Henry and Julia Garner /Renate Reinsve

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 08:57 PM (eANjq)

104 2025 is looking to be a great year for horror:

"Weapons"
"The Monkey"
Even "Final Destination: Bloodlines was very good for an FD flick

Here are two upcoming horror movies that also look to be excellent:

"Good Boy"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFqG99KuPV8

"Keeper"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqV3TUOLsM0

Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 08:59 PM (iJfKG)

105 And I think I'd like to see a documentary on Shari Lewis. She was very talented.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 23, 2025 08:59 PM (2GCMq)

106 Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 08:59 PM

Don't forget sinners. And ya bloodline was a ton of fun. Prly the best of the fd flicks.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:01 PM (MGB5H)

107 There is no closure and he seesaws between bursts of anger and deep depression. The teacher drinks. This movie is really about how the town deals with the awful hole left by the tragedy.
---

Yeah, as I'm mulling, I'm seeing resemblances (of a sort) to "From Here To Eternity". Everybody's the star of their own movie, until something comes along to remind them of the Big Picture.

I didn't know Brolin wasn't the original choice. Pascal (who I think is a fine actor) would not have provided a good contrast to Justin Long (who's only there for a little, but the contrast is good).

Brolin has a producer credit, so I figured he might have arranged some of the financing to be in it.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:02 PM (asXVI)

108 I dearly hope Cregger does not make a sequel.

You may be out of luck.

They're currently talking about doing a....prequel.

If you've seen the movie, you know who it would be about...and it's a terrible idea.

Unanswered questions are fine especially in horror movies.

Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 09:03 PM (iJfKG)

109 Neeson lives (lived) across the river in Millbrook NY when he was married to Richardson. Saw him in Rhinebeck once and he's a pretty good sized guy. Millbrook has many a celeb

Posted by: Smell the Glove at August 23, 2025 09:03 PM (ncxww)

110 Coupla options at my local googleplex. "Naked Gun", "Nobody 2", and "Relay", which our critics liked. On the fence about "Honey Don't" -- the lone Coen bro hasn't shone ("Driveaway Dolls" missed the mark even with a great cast).

Never gonna see the "global phenomenon" "Ne Zha II" because fuck China.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:03 PM (kpS4V)

111 105 And I think I'd like to see a documentary on Shari Lewis. She was very talented.
---
I had no idea. They showcased some of the things she did and made look easy, then how hard they were to actually do. She'd have a puppet on each hand, and she'd switch between them and herself like lightning.

Once she had Lamb Chop and Charlie Horse duet. Like Lamb Chop is humming and Charlie is clicking his tongue. Amazing.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:04 PM (asXVI)

112 Josh Brolin was good in True Grit

Posted by: Smell the Glove at August 23, 2025 09:04 PM (ncxww)

113 Way past my bedtime
Have a good night everyone

Posted by: Skip at August 23, 2025 09:05 PM (+qU29)

114 >Josh Brolin was terrific as the dad of one of the missing children.

---

Serious suspension of disbelief. Brolin way too old to play dad of an elementary school kid. Pascal is a retard, but Brolin was horribly miscast.

Posted by: Saul Bass at August 23, 2025 09:05 PM (GTqXr)

115 Here are two upcoming horror movies that also look to be excellent:

"Good Boy"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFqG99KuPV8

"Keeper"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqV3TUOLsM0
Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 08:59 PM

HIM also looks weird af and interesting

https://tinyurl.com/2s3s2mzy

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:06 PM (MGB5H)

116 I actually like Pascal in everything I've seen him in, from "Prospect" to "Fantastic Four". I just wish he'd shut up on press junkets.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:06 PM (kpS4V)

117 And thanks, movieqigue . I don't often get to the movie threads - either yours or James Madison's , not because I don't like your reviews ( I do) but because I usually have stuff to do for Sunday morning. Thanks to you and Mr. Madison for your thoughtful analysis.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 23, 2025 09:07 PM (2GCMq)

118 110 Coupla options at my local googleplex. "Naked Gun", "Nobody 2", and "Relay", which our critics liked. On the fence about "Honey Don't" -- the lone Coen bro hasn't shone ("Driveaway Dolls" missed the mark even with a great cast).
---
"Drive Away Dykes" (the actual title they chickened out on) was so bad it made me think I wouldn't go see another Coen movie even if they got back together.

https://moviegique.com/2024/03/drive-away-dolls/

"Honey, Don't!" looks possibly worse. Ethan Coen's wife and editor, and co-screenwriter on both is fascinated by dildos, apparently, and since they have an open marriage, I guess she's free to explore that.

Which is fine, but it makes for garbage movies.

----
Never gonna see the "global phenomenon" "Ne Zha II" because fuck China.
----

I can respect that. The first one was good, tho', and probably less subversive than Hollywood kidflicks.

https://moviegique.com/2019/10/ne-zha/

I saw the second one...like, six months ago? And it was probably better.

Still, China is asshoe.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:08 PM (asXVI)

119 I'd be happy to lend Ms. Sweeney the extra-large bandana in my range bag, if needed.
Posted by: Duncanthrax

Why did I read that as "banana"?
Posted by: rickb223

I was completely discombobulated by "extra large."

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Fire Can Too Melt Steel! at August 23, 2025 09:09 PM (L/fGl)

120 HIM also looks weird af and interesting

https://tinyurl.com/2s3s2mzy
Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:06 PM (MGB5H)

Yeah, that looks good as well.

Not quite sure though cuz it gives me "The Mephisto Waltz" vibes which I didn't care for.

Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 09:11 PM (iJfKG)

121 I just watched "Eephus", about a small town recreational baseball team's last game before their baseball field is demolished. Funny for the constant ragging and ball busting they give each other, and their determination to have one more shot in spite of all the creaky joints and sore muscles.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:12 PM (kpS4V)

122 Drive Away Dykes" (the actual title they chickened out on) was so bad it made me think I wouldn't go see another Coen movie even if they got back together.

https://moviegique.com/2024/03/drive-away-dolls/

"Honey, Don't!" looks possibly worse. Ethan Coen's wife and editor, and co-screenwriter on both is fascinated by dildos, apparently, and since they have an open marriage, I guess she's free to explore that.

Which is fine, but it makes for garbage movies.

======

The Coen's are better together.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:12 PM (MGB5H)

123 It's always nice to see you, Fenelon.

I have the same issue with the book thread. I feel like I should get on her Sunday mornings and join in but--I'm asleep.

---
Serious suspension of disbelief. Brolin way too old to play dad of an elementary school kid. Pascal is a retard, but Brolin was horribly miscast.
---
You know, I'm usually the first one to call that out, and I didn't even notice it this time. He'd be 57 and would've been 48 or 49 at the time of his son's birth. That's...I mean, I know guys who have sired children at that age.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:12 PM (asXVI)

124 Posted by: Saul Bass at August 23, 2025 09:05 PM (GTqXr

Was Josh Brolin bad in the part , because men who are 48 can actually have kids in the third grade. I know a number of men who became fathers in their middle to late. 40's

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 23, 2025 09:14 PM (2GCMq)

125 Ethan Coen's wife and editor, and co-screenwriter on both is fascinated by dildos, apparently, and since they have an open marriage, I guess she's free to explore that.
---

Did she have, uh, input on the awful "Burn After Reading"? Cuz that device was something.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:14 PM (kpS4V)

126 Was Josh Brolin bad in the part , because men who are 48 can actually have kids in the third grade. I know a number of men who became fathers in their middle to late. 40's
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 23, 2025 09:14 PM (2GCMq)

No Brolin was great.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:16 PM (MGB5H)

127 Was Josh Brolin bad in the part , because men who are 48 can actually have kids in the third grade. I know a number of men who became fathers in their middle to late. 40's
---

My dad was 48 when I was born!

You can be an 18 year old lead in a rock band when you have a kid and he will still think of you as an uncool old fart.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:16 PM (kpS4V)

128 C'mon Elderly Git. Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

btw, I agree with you.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at August 23, 2025 09:16 PM (ZmEVT)

129 I do feel sympathy for the guy (Neeson) He was married to Natasha Richardson, a knockout beauty. She died from a brain bleed from a skiing accident.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at August 23, 2025 09:18 PM (ZmEVT)

130 Did she have, uh, input on the awful "Burn After Reading"? Cuz that device was something.
---
Well, you saw DAD. Didn't you look at parts of that and say to yourself, "Self, I think I have a good idea which brother the gadget from 'Burn After Reading' came from"?

I know I did. If it came from her through Ethan, it may be why Joel says things like "we're not in sync anymore".

I actually find it super sad.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:19 PM (asXVI)

131 >Was Josh Brolin bad in the part , because men who are 48 can actually have kids in the third grade. I know a number of men who became fathers in their middle to late. 40's

Brolin is in his late 50s I recall. Most suburban dads of elementary school kids are likely in their mid to late 30s. To describe Brolin's 'acting' as wooden is an offense to actual wood.

Posted by: Saul Bass at August 23, 2025 09:19 PM (GTqXr)

132 Serious suspension of disbelief. Brolin way too old to play dad of an elementary school kid. Pascal is a retard, but Brolin was horribly miscast.
Posted by: Saul Bass

* does the maths in his head *

My next-door neighbors, growing up? Their dad would have been 45 when their youngest (of seven) was born.

Brolin is 57. That's old for a grade-school dad, but not impossible.

On the other hand, it doesn't help that he looks older than that, especially given Hollywood's anti-aging campaign.

On the first foot, having a whole passel of kids will do that to a guy.

Posted by: mikeski at August 23, 2025 09:20 PM (DgGvY)

133 Posted by: Saul Bass at August 23, 2025 09:19 PM

Well, I've never seem him in any movie I can recall. Is he just a bad actor - period/ or just bad on this part, do you think?

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 23, 2025 09:21 PM (2GCMq)

134 Moviegique, the brothers had an epic run together. We can celebrate that.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:21 PM (kpS4V)

135
Streamed a movie last night on Hulu, titled-

"The Cobbler" (2014), an Adam Sandler flick that I've never heard of before.

I don't want to oversell it, but I enjoyed it a lot.

It wasn't your typical AS comedy, it was more...oh, warm-hearted for lack of a better word.

The story concerns a cobbler who has taken over the family business because his father left. He working to support his Mom but hates the job and hates his life. Through"circumstances" he uses an old sole sewing machine, that turns out to be magic.
Whoever's shoes he repairs with the magic machine, he can become them if he wears their shoes.

Very fun, nicely done, doesn't go where you think it will, some nice twists.
The downside is some plot holes and you'll have the ending and final twist figured out long before the movie's over.
Still, a nice relaxing, low key comedy.

Check it out.

Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 09:24 PM (iJfKG)

136 One of the bits in "The Life of Chuck" is that there's a sign everywhere that says "Thanks Chuck! For 39 great years!"

And all the people passing are saying things like "That guy doesn't even look like he's 39, much less able to have given 39 years of anything."

But of course it's supposed to be his age.

I look at Tom Hiddleston and think, "OK, I'll go along with it, even if the guy looks like he's 50."

Turns out Hiddleston was probably about 41 when he filmed it. =-8

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:24 PM (asXVI)

137 >Brolin is 57. That's old for a grade-school dad, but not impossible.

---

Not impossible, of course. But still miscast and not a sympathetic character because he is a terrible actor. Did I mention he sucks in the the role?

Posted by: Saul Bass at August 23, 2025 09:25 PM (GTqXr)

138 I just watched "Eephus", about a small town recreational baseball team's last game before their baseball field is demolished.
Posted by: All Hail Eris

You've gotta be a bit of a baseball nut to know where the name came from.

https://youtu.be/ikLlRT2j7EQ

Posted by: mikeski at August 23, 2025 09:27 PM (DgGvY)

139 Josh Brolin was born in 1968....so, he'd be 58 now...

Posted by: zigggggy at August 23, 2025 09:27 PM (/Pwrg)

140 134 Moviegique, the brothers had an epic run together. We can celebrate that.
---

Oh, absolutely. And I do.

For those who don't like Josh Brolin (or George Clooney), "Hail, Caesar!" might give you something to enjoy.

Brolin plays a (very romanticized) Eddie Mannix, a studio fixer who cleans up the messes all these dimwitted, cynical actors make. Clooney plays Baird Whitlock, an especially self-absorbed dunce who has swallowed all the Marxist cant of these college professors (who are Soviet spies).

There's a scene where Baird starts spouting this communist garbage at Mannix, and Mannix just tans his hide, calls him an ingrate and tells him to shut up and act his little heart out...or else.

It's probably the most shocking scene in any 21st century Hollywood movie.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:28 PM (asXVI)

141 Serious suspension of disbelief. Brolin way too old to play dad of an elementary school kid. Pascal is a retard, but Brolin was horribly miscast.
Posted by: Saul Bass

* does the maths in his head *

My next-door neighbors, growing up? Their dad would have been 45 when their youngest (of seven) was born.

Brolin is 57. That's old for a grade-school dad, but not impossible.

On the other hand, it doesn't help that he looks older than that, especially given Hollywood's anti-aging campaign.

On the first foot, having a whole passel of kids will do that to a guy.
Posted by: mikeski

Felix Unger has entered the chat.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 23, 2025 09:28 PM (zXOsD)

142 Saul, you are right...damn, my math used to be great...sigh...I guess seeing his was born in 1968 made me type 58

Posted by: zigggggy at August 23, 2025 09:29 PM (/Pwrg)

143 Panos Cosmatos ("Mandy") is currently working on "Flesh of the Gods", in which "a married couple in 1980s LA leaves luxury life for nightly adventures with enigmatic Nameless and hedonistic group, entering surreal world of excess and violence."

Sounds great!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:30 PM (kpS4V)

144 Together, a body horror film on that most horrific of topics: Marriage. Tight, short, sweet, with a light story that's fraught with potential symbolism, so people can write think-pieces on Zoomer relationships. Body horror, though, so definitely not for everyone.

Wait. A "light" story, with body horror?

(closes eyes and sighs)

So, you're talking a naked Trigglypuff.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 23, 2025 09:30 PM (0eaVi)

145 While the "hot brass down the cleavage" is entertaining, it's not something I want to see on the range. Pain & panic + loaded gun in hand = bad things.

Posted by: Taro Tsujimoto at August 23, 2025 09:31 PM (5YmYl)

146 Panos Cosmatos ("Mandy") is currently working on "Flesh of the Gods", in which "a married couple in 1980s LA leaves luxury life for nightly adventures with enigmatic Nameless and hedonistic group, entering surreal world of excess and violence."

Sounds great!
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:30 PM (kpS4V)

Isn't that Eyes Wide Shut?

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:32 PM (MGB5H)

147 Brolin plays a (very romanticized) Eddie Mannix, a studio fixer who cleans up the messes all these dimwitted, cynical actors make. Clooney plays Baird Whitlock, an especially self-absorbed dunce who has swallowed all the Marxist cant of these college professors (who are Soviet spies).

.....There's a scene where Baird starts spouting this communist garbage at Mannix, and Mannix just tans his hide, calls him an ingrate and tells him to shut up and act his little heart out...or else.

It's probably the most shocking scene in any 21st century Hollywood movie.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:28 PM (asXVI)

wow, interesting! Eddie Mannix was a seriously horrid human being

Posted by: zigggggy at August 23, 2025 09:33 PM (/Pwrg)

148 95 Can I get a large frosty?
Posted by: Elderly Git
---------------

Frosty man, Frosty

youtube.com/watch?v=iLRAYGRkAY0

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at August 23, 2025 09:33 PM (DS3M8)

149 Wait. A "light" story, with body horror?
---

In this case, the quality of lightness refers to the simplicity of the story, not the elements of the story. "Couple moves to woods, struggles not to become single entity."

---
143 Panos Cosmatos ("Mandy") is currently working on "Flesh of the Gods",
---
You know I'm there.

That probably means I'll have some good chances to see the "Black Void" movie (er whatever trippy thing it was called) he made before "Mandy".

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:33 PM (asXVI)

150 Isn't that Eyes Wide Shut?
---
Emphasis on the SURREAL.

I fully expect melting walls.

---
wow, interesting! Eddie Mannix was a seriously horrid human being
---
I think a reasonable case can be made that he was a murderer.

In "Hail, Caesar!" he's a family man, a sane man (maybe the only sane man on the lot), and does what he does because he loves movies.

It's the best romanticization since Tim Burton's "Ed Wood".

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:34 PM (asXVI)

151 Panos Cosmatos ("Mandy") is currently working on "Flesh of the Gods", in which "a married couple in 1980s LA leaves luxury life for nightly adventures with enigmatic Nameless and hedonistic group, entering surreal world of excess and violence."

Sounds great!
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:30 PM (kpS4V)

Isn't that Eyes Wide Shut?
Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:32 PM (MGB5H)

Sounds a bit like "The Infinity Pool" without, you know, the infinity pool.

Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 09:34 PM (iJfKG)

152 I think the most interesting part, and probably why it works, about Together is that Dave Franco and Alison Brie are married. So the chemistry was always there.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:35 PM (MGB5H)

153 Sounds a bit like "The Infinity Pool" without, you know, the infinity pool.
Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 09:34 PM

Hah! Yup. Forgot about that one.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:35 PM (MGB5H)

154 I like Julie Garner.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at August 23, 2025 09:36 PM (Mgy3C)

155 "Flesh of the Gods" is apparently about vampires.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:36 PM (kpS4V)

156 Posted by: BruceWayne

Sydney Sweeney. Train. Is this thread moving in a different direction?

Posted by: haffhowershower at August 23, 2025 09:36 PM (144I4)

157 I like Julie Garner.
Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at August 23, 2025 09:36 PM (Mgy3C)

I always enjoy her in things, from the Americans to Ozark to inventing Anna to weapons. But man does she walk funny.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:37 PM (MGB5H)

158 Flesh of the Gods" is apparently about vampires.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:36 PM

Ok now you have my attention.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:38 PM (MGB5H)

159 well, the Rockies are losing again

Posted by: gKWVE at August 23, 2025 09:38 PM (gKWVE)

160 I thought a pretty good supernatural movie with a twist was a 2017 movie called Radius.

Man wakes up with no memory of who he is and people or any living creature who get within a certain distance of him die suddenly.

Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 09:38 PM (EYmYM)

161 154 I like Julie Garner.
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She has all these features and mannerisms that far less pleasant women also share, but manages to be relatable.

"Martha Marcy May Marlene" isn't a great movie, but she's good in it.

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Man wakes up with no memory of who he is and people or any living creature who get within a certain distance of him die suddenly.
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That sounds interesting.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 09:41 PM (asXVI)

162 >154 I like Julie Garner.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at August 23, 2025 09:36 PM (Mgy3C)

Agree. Though I think she may have been typecast because of Ozark. IMO Weapons was about cashing a check - don't blame her one bit. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Posted by: Saul Bass at August 23, 2025 09:41 PM (GTqXr)

163 Sydney Sweeney. Train. Is this thread moving in a different direction?
Posted by: haffhowershower at August 23, 2025 09:36 PM

Wasn't The Little Train That Could about traversing mountains?

Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 23, 2025 09:42 PM (0sNs1)

164 I've heard good things about a movie de Kraut about a disfigured Jewish woman married to a sleaze husband who doesn't recognize her when she is released at the end of WWII. He comes up with a scheme to have her impersonate herself to get reparations. It's described as Hitchcockian. Entitled Phoenix.

https://is.gd/yylHm6

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Fire Can Too Melt Steel! at August 23, 2025 09:42 PM (L/fGl)

165 Come on guys.

Who are you people?

136 comments and not one mention of Josh Brolin's burnt taint?

Posted by: Aetius451AD at August 23, 2025 09:43 PM (bss/y)

166 Martha Marcy May Marlene" isn't a great movie, but she's good in it.

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Oh man I love that movie. Garner and Elizabeth Olsen are so good in it.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:43 PM (MGB5H)

167 Mister Plinkett at RedLetterMedia has a new one up, "What Happened To Star Wars?"

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:44 PM (kpS4V)

168 Come on guys.

Who are you people?

136 comments and not one mention of Josh Brolin's burnt taint?

Posted by: Aetius451AD at August 23, 2025 09:43 PM

Hope Solo did it better.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:45 PM (MGB5H)

169 >136 comments and not one mention of Josh Brolin's burnt taint?

Posted by: Aetius451AD at August 23, 2025 09:43 PM (bss/y)

I saw Burnt Taint open for Rollins Band at the Knitting Factory in '93.

Posted by: Saul Bass at August 23, 2025 09:46 PM (GTqXr)

170 I had this horrible nightmare as a young'n. Buffalo Bob announced that this would be the final show of Howdy Doody, that it was being replaced by Sheri Lewis and her lame puppets - of whom I think I was aware from having been on Ed Sullivan. What a letdown. And then at the end of the show, Clarabelle spoke for the first time, this totally frightening grin, intoning, Good-bye, kiiiids.

That nightmare haunts me to this day. And ruined me on Sheri Lewis forever.

Posted by: mindful webworker - worst of all, it was real at August 23, 2025 09:46 PM (i1iCx)

171 Josh Brolin's burnt taint
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Man, it's been ages since he commented here.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:47 PM (kpS4V)

172 "Radius" is "free" on Prime.

I may watch it tonight.

Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 09:48 PM (iJfKG)

173 Paramount looks to shitcan everyone
youtu.be/iSlMEVf_rbs

Posted by: gKWVE at August 23, 2025 09:49 PM (gKWVE)

174 Speaking of Hitchcock, I thought this YT was interesting. He says Vertigo is full of plot holes but it doesn't matter because the movie isn't about the perfect murder; it's about the destructive effects of obsession. (22 minutes)

https://is.gd/P4SrHj

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Fire Can Too Melt Steel! at August 23, 2025 09:52 PM (L/fGl)

175 Julie Garner thinks blinking is acting.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at August 23, 2025 09:53 PM (RIvkX)

176 Paramount looks to shitcan everyone
youtu.be/iSlMEVf_rbs
Posted by: gKWVE at August 23, 2025 09:49 PM

Paramount is an interesting thing going right now. The Skydande purchase went through and Ellison (who is ostensibly conservative) wants esp cbs new to go to producing actual news and non woke entertainment. And is not currently handing out big contracts to creators, other than the massive contract they reupped with Taylor Sheridan. All while the other big 3 WB (owns cnn) universal (nbc) and Disney (abc) are trying to off load their dying cable products. It'll be fun to watch.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:54 PM (MGB5H)

177 Radius" is "free" on Prime.

I may watch it tonight.
Posted by: naturalfake at August 23, 2025 09:48 PM (iJfKG)

I may watch it again also even though I know the twist. It’s free on all the streaming services. I only saw it once about 5 years ago.

Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 09:55 PM (EYmYM)

178 Josh Brolin's burnt taint
----

Man, it's been ages since he commented here.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:47 PM

Naw, he's commented at least a couple of times in the past few weeks.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at August 23, 2025 09:55 PM (0sNs1)

179 I may watch it again also even though I know the twist. It’s free on all the streaming services. I only saw it once about 5 years ago.
Posted by: polynikes at August 23, 2025 09:55 PM

Sometimes after you know the twist it's a better watch because you watch the pieces fall into place.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 09:58 PM (MGB5H)

180 I watched the 2009 reboot of "Friday the 13th." Most of the Friday films are pretty terrible (4 and 6 being an exception) but they're not dreary and grim. This one was both dreary and grim and it doesn't suit the series.

The Friday films are like funhouse rides, like a roller-coaster. You get to watch inventive make-up effects and can say "Oh, I wonder how they did that dagger in the chest bit" because, being Friday films, you're not personally invested in any of these characters. They're chess pieces that Jason removes from the board.

The remake tries to make it serious and ominous and "How terrible these stupid characters are being killed" and you're just "No, it isn't, you're just using more dramatic lighting and camera moves but it's the same thing. Stop showing off."

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 23, 2025 10:00 PM (CHHv1)

181 I've argued that "Sixth Sense" is better the second time.

https://moviegique.com/2019/07/the-sixth-sense-1999/

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 10:00 PM (asXVI)

182 ONT is nood!

Posted by: Blanco Basura - Z28.310 at August 23, 2025 10:01 PM (lUFok)

183 "The Friday films are like funhouse rides, like a roller-coaster"

I use the term "funhouse horror" all the time.

I hadn't thought of using it in the context of a slasher, but it works for F13 and probably NoES.

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 10:01 PM (asXVI)

184 Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 23, 2025 10:00

The only good thing about that remake was Danielle Panabaker.

Posted by: BruceWayne at August 23, 2025 10:02 PM (MGB5H)

185 Thanks everybody!

See you in September!

Posted by: moviegique (buy my books) at August 23, 2025 10:02 PM (asXVI)

186 Watched a movie this week. Came up as a YouTube suggestion. Sandra Bullock, so, I figured, I'd try it. Also Ryan Reynolds. So, Miss Congeniality and Deadpool in a romantic comedy? Watched it anyway.

(Spoilers ahead)

The Proposal (2009) was disturbingly like someone watched While You Were Sleeping (1995) and thought, let's do that again, almost. Too many similarities to ignore. Fake relationship turns into romance. She has no family and he has a big loving family who love her. Don't let gramma know the truth, it will kill her. Son doesn't want Dad's business. Bride reveals the truth and backs out at the altar. That last was much better done in Sleeping.

Proposal did not measure up. Too many gratuitous, irrelevant to the story bits. Sandra Bullock never had the believable chemistry with Ryan Reynolds that she had with Bill Pullman.

There were some nice shots of Alaska.

Posted by: mindful webworker - now I want to watch Speed again at August 23, 2025 10:03 PM (i1iCx)

187 Whoof. I been willowed.

Posted by: mindful webworker - now I want to watch Speed again at August 23, 2025 10:03 PM (i1iCx)

188 To be honest, there were some very nice breasts in the 2009 film. But I guess one can see those pretty much anywhere these days, even without a computer.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 23, 2025 10:03 PM (CHHv1)

189 That's a pity, mindful. I've always liked Sandra Bullock.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 23, 2025 10:04 PM (CHHv1)

190 You can be an 18 year old lead in a rock band when you have a kid and he will still think of you as an uncool old fart.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 23, 2025 09:16 PM (kpS4V)

If you have to fart, fart! You will feel much better for it.

Posted by: Mao at August 23, 2025 10:31 PM (1X0uI)

191 OK. Had to see a movie with my 9 year old granddaughter today at 9:35 AM. I haven’t been in a theater for years. Loungers were comfortable but sides filled with old popcorn. Kids a row behind be talked through the whole thing BUT I DID NOT HEAR THEM (heard the complaint from folks sitting in their row). Oh yeah. THe Movie. After 30 minutes of commercials. Bad Boys 2. Never saw 1. It actually was pretty fun and the kid loved it. That was all that mattered.

Posted by: epador at August 23, 2025 10:57 PM (GAnjx)

192 Promiscuous use of variants the word "film" as opposed to variants of the word "video" is indicative of advanced Boomeritis.

Likewise for "tape".

Go to bed early my fellow olde phartes, get a good rest.

Posted by: Fred_Z at August 24, 2025 12:59 AM (VQIqq)

193 Posted by: epador at August 23, 2025 10:57 PM (GAnjx)
Pretty sure you saw Bad Guys 2, not Bad Boys, epador, but it's good that the kids liked it, that's the important thing

Posted by: AgathaPagatha at August 24, 2025 01:32 PM (/wIOP)

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