Saturday Evening Movie Thread

Saturday Evening Movie Thread - 8/30/2025

John Frankenheimer

John Frankenheimer had one of the best short runs for a director I can think of. From 1962 to 1966 he made Birdman of Alcatraz, The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days in May, The Train, Seconds, and Grand Prix. Six movies in five years that have stood the test of time and people look back on more than just fondness. At least one of these (The Manchurian Candidate) is outright iconic.

But Frankenheimer's career continued until 2002. For nearly 40 years after what could be called his Imperial Period, he made movie after movie on a general pattern of one every 18 months or so, and only one, Ronin, seems to have any cultural purchase at all. What was he doing for those nearly 40 years? What movies did he make? Was he the driving force on any of them?

Well, Frankenheimer's career is a complex one. I divide it up into four periods, each with its own internal creative impulses that demonstrate the complexities of the collaborative medium that is cinema. What sets Frankenheimer apart from many others, though, is that his best known period, his early period, might be the least reflective of who he wanted to be as an artist.

Movie Stars

Frankenheimer trained to be a director on network television in the 50s by directing live drama, a combination of dramatic theater and director's showcase that gave Frankenheimer a forum to hone his technical skills, especially around complex visual compositions. He had one film, The Young Stranger in 1957 that made it to theaters in the middle of this, but it's effectively just a teleplay with a slightly larger budget and released in theaters (I found it to be a hidden gem of the career overall, to be honest). His feature film career didn't really begin until The Young Savages in 1961, produced by Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions.

Burt Lancaster was one of the most important independent producers of the late 50s and early 60s. With his producing partner Harold Hecht, they even won the Best Picture Oscar in 1955 for Marty, and Lancaster was well-known for overbearing behavior on set. He actually fired two directors on two films that Frankenheimer directed for him (Charles Chrichton on Birdman of Alcatraz and Arthur Penn on The Train). He was obviously a presence who made sure that people were achieving his vision, no matter who the director was. Lancaster had this kind of presence on three of these films (Savages, Birdman, and The Train).

Of the remaining four films of this five year period previously highlighted, one was dominated by another movie star, Seven Days in May with Kirk Douglas who also had a reputation for overbearing control over his films (he fired Anthony Mann on Spartacus and hired Stanley Kubrick in Mann's place). If there's one film in this period that could be most considered Frankenheimer's like any other director, it'd be The Manchurian Candidate something of a passion project for both Frank Sinatra, star, and the head of United Artists, Arthur Krim. However, in the middle of this period dominated by Lancaster and Douglas and immediately after his network television work, it makes you wonder if he was there mostly just to technically deliver the film.

I don't think Frankenheimer developed the nascent skills to exert creative control over a film in his apprenticeship in network television. I think he saw himself as a tool to the writer and the actors to help rather than a guiding light. He was a technically proficient filmmaker who might have just gotten lucky with a string of films.

Independence from...the Independents

Frankenheimer's first period, that star period, ends in 1965 with The Train. Starting with Seconds starring Rock Hudson in a typecast-breaking role, it shows Frankenheimer operating with fewer overarching influences over his films and a greater embrace of experimentation.

Now, it's obvious from the first sequence of The Young Savages that Frankenheimer saw his job as director to get interesting angles. Together with his cinematographer, Lionel Lindon who worked with Frankenheimer on five films, he created swirling realities, like the garden society sequence in The Manchurian Candidate that pushed the bounds of perception and subjectivity in film. With greater freedom of the production without the overbearing nature of Lancaster or Douglas, the experimentation essentially became the point. Seconds is about a man who gives up his life through surgery and a faked death to find meaning far from his old life, and it's all told in these exaggerated lens choices and angles with a lot of editorial complexities that I find engrossing.

And then there's Grand Prix, what could arguably be called his magnum opus, a look at the F1 circuit (using F3 cars for production safety reasons) through the eyes of several racers, the entire film is an experiment in editing. Each of the five races shown is edited in completely different ways to reflect the subjective perspectives of individual racers. It's something of a tour-de-force from a directorial and editing perspective, and it's Frankenheimer at the forefront of his film in ways that he rarely was.

Because, his movies rarely made money, especially in this period. Grand Prix made some ($20 million off a $9 million budget), but his follow up, an adaptation of Bernard Malamud's The Fixer, bombed horribly, as did The Extraordinary Seaman, The Gypsy Moths, I Walk the Line, The Horseman, 99 and 44/100% Dead, and, most importantly, Impossible Object.

Reading up on Frankenheimer, people often mark the change in his career with The Gypsy Moths, the film he made immediately after the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Frankenheimer was actually outside the Ambassador Hotel, waiting to pick Kennedy up and drive him to his next destination, when Kennedy was assassinated. It's obvious that this event had a marked impact on Frankenheimer (the ending of The Gypsy Moths is just...nihilistic), but I think the more important change was in Frankenheimer's efforts to be independent, and they just don't work. Most of these films are not good (I think I Walk the Line is actually a hidden gem, but it's an exception), and they show me a filmmaker who simply never learned how to be the primary creative on a set given the job and not really realizing this key component.

Studio Hatchet Man

I could feel the exact moment that Frankenheimer simply gave up, and it was the start of French Connection II. To understand why John Frankenheimer, director of The Manchurian Candidate, decided to direct a sequel to William Friedkin's Best Picture winner, you have to look at Impossible Object.

It almost seems unfair, but I think Impossible Object may be the one film to define who Frankenheimer wanted to be as a filmmaker. It's an experimental film about an American writer in Paris who starts an affair with a younger woman, interspersed with Fellini/Pasolini-like fantasy sequences of the main character frolicking with Hippolyta. It feels like Frankenheimer rushed into the production because he could play with time and reality without figuring out the actual story itself. And it bombed. It was only released in France (where Frankenheimer lived after Kennedy's assassination) and went no further. Crestfallen at its failure, Frankenheimer decided to take the job of French Connection II, which he could film in Marseille.

And that starts the longest period of his career where he just made studio schlock for about fifteen years. Some of this is decent, like Black Sunday, the adaptation of the Thomas Harris novel about a terrorist attack on the Super Bowl, but mostly they're just...lifeless works. Things like Prophecy, a Jaws ripoff about a killer bear in the Maine forests, or The Challenge, an West goes East movie about a man who decides to get in the middle of a Japanese familial fight, or Dead Bang, a dull thriller starring Don Johnson, or The Fourth War, a Cold War thriller about two commanders on opposite sides with no one else to fight but each other that's far more pretentious than it has any right to be.

I call this period the Studio Doldrums because it's obvious, even at the basic filmmaking level, that Frankenheimer simply didn't care. Framing isn't nearly as interesting, even, the one visual defining feature of his. Part of this is probably because he wasn't working with Lindon as DP anymore, but even without Lindon, on something like I Walk the Line where he worked with David M. Walsh as his DP, he got those interesting angles. Really, this feels like John Huston's "tired period" (a phrase coined by Vincent Canby for Huston), where Frankenheimer just showed up to manage the set without really caring.

An Intermission

There are two films in the middle of Frankenheimer's filmography that don't really fit. They are film adaptations of two well-respected stage plays, The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O'Neill and The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash, and they feel like deep breaths of relief from Frankenheimer.

He even said that production of The Iceman Cometh was the most fun he ever had on set because it was like working with a repertory company. And then, shortly after production on The Challenger, in one of the longer dry-spells of his career, he made The Rainmaker with a young Tommy Lee Jones as the titular conman. It's purported to be just a production on a stage with an audience, but the placement of the camera throughout indicates that they were filmed differently (I assume that a real production for the on-screen audience did happen and that Frankenheimer directed that as well, though I have no documentary evidence of it).

What are these things? They feel like a return to normal: actor-focused adaptations of plays where writer is king and Frankenheimer could focus on performance and his camera without worrying about the overall product.

Considering the output he was regularly doing, where the end-products weren't very good stemming from problematic scripts at the beginning, I can see Frankenheimer would have been happier just stepping away from cinema and directing theater for a while, but he didn't.

Return to Television

It pleased me to discover that Frankenheimer did have a resurgence, but it mostly happened on television. I don't want to say that it went unnoticed because he won four Emmys for Best Director of movies/mini-series in this period, but I had never really thought about this television work as being worthy of note. Perhaps that stems from a certain snobbishness on my part regarding the television/cinema divide, but I made sure to discover these when I decided to take on Frankenheimer's body of work.

And some of his best stuff is here. There are still questions of authorship, the prime example being Andersonville, something of a passion project for its billionaire producer Ted Turner, but with things like the HBO movies Against the Wall, about the Attica Prison riot, The Burning Season, about Chico Mendes, and, most importantly, the dual miniseries George Wallace and Path to War (Gary Sinise, who plays Wallace in the former, has a short scene with Michael Gambon, who plays LBJ, in the latter as Wallace again), he was once again at the top of his game.

These last two, biographies of prominent political figures in the 1960s and early 70s, feel like the real passion projects in Frankenheimer's career. Deeply researched, surprisingly touching (especially Wallace), and well-made, they may not be the pinnacle of his career in terms of quality (I love The Train a lot), but they do show Frankenheimer at his most engaged from beginning to end.

Of course, in the middle of this, just to muddy things up, are three theatrically released feature films: The Island of Dr. Moreau, Ronin, and Reindeer Games. Two of these are bad, and then there's Ronin, something of a combination of Grand Prix from a technical perspective and the thrillers Frankenheimer made his name with. However, the other two, especially Dr. Moreau, where he was brought in to take over filming after the studio fired Richard Stanely after three days of production, feel like they would rest more comfortably in his previous, Studio Hatchet Man period. He had to pay the bills, I guess. That's not to denigrate Ronin, which is very good (check out Mark's take, which is effusive in praise), but all three kind of just feel like jobs he took, not projects he was really passionate about.

A Career in Retrospect

So, what do you make of a career this...all over the place? Who is the real Frankenheimer?

Is he his best movies, even if they were dominated by other personalities? Are they his independents period when he had the most control but also the least success? Is it him in autopilot for studios? Is it his resurgence when he rediscovered some love of the form, even if on television instead of in the theaters?

If forced to pick a film that exemplified him most, I'd struggle. I'd be torn between a few things, Seconds, Grand Prix, Impossible Object, and George Wallace. All represent certain levels of his experimentation (George Wallace does interesting things with film stock and color to differentiate private moments from historical ones), but they come from different periods when he was trying different things. If I was being generous, I think I'd say Grand Prix. If I was feeling mean, I'd say Impossible Object.

However, I think I'd end up settling on George Wallace. Frankenheimer was obviously political, so picking one of his political films seems appropriate. There's experimentation. There's a deep focus on the actor (Sinise is honestly just great in the role). There are thriller elements, especially around the assassination attempt that leaves Wallace crippled. It might be the fullest package of what Frankenheimer wanted to do with the most control himself.

Or maybe it's The Manchurian Candidate. I dunno.

Movies of Today

Opening in Theaters:

Caught Stealing

The Toxic Avenger

Movies I Saw This Fortnight:

The Fourth War (Rating 1.5/4) Full Review "It's not a good film. It has some decent thriller elements, but they're few and far between. At least the acting is decent." [Amazon Prime]

Against the Wall (Rating 3.5/4) Full Review "Really, this is quality stuff from Frankenheimer, his best movie in literally decades, and the best use of his skill. It's obvious to me that he wanted to be an artier director, but he's really better as the socially conscious thriller filmmaker." [Library]

The Island of Dr. Moreau (Rating 1/4) Full Review "So, it's bad. It's mostly kind of dreary bad, though." [Kanopy]

Andersonville (Rating 3/4) Full Review "Being based on the journals of a real Union soldier kept at the camp, John Ransom, it ends up feeling more like a recreation of the major events he witnessed rather than a story for the screen. However, within those strictures, I think it's a largely compelling and well-assembled recreation." [Library]

George Wallace (Rating 3.5/4) Full Review "It's a really quality biopic, and I don't say that often." [Library]

Ronin (Rating 3.5/4) Full Review "John Frankenheimer makes a Michael Mann movie, and he does it very well." [Personal Collection]

Reindeer Games (Rating 1.5/4) Full Review "It mostly just spins its wheels and feels like it's a few drafts away from being a shootable script. This was not a good way for Frankenheimer to stop making feature films." [Amazon Prime]

Path to War (Rating 3/4) Full Review "So, on the whole, it's mostly an accomplished document of the large events of the Vietnam War through the eyes of the Johnson White House." [Library]

Contact

Email any suggestions or questions to thejamesmadison.aos at symbol gmail dot com.
I've also archived all the old posts here, by request. I'll add new posts a week after they originally post at the HQ.

My next post will be on 9/20, and it will be about the directing career of John Hughes.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison at 07:45 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good evening everyone

Posted by: Skip at August 30, 2025 07:42 PM (+qU29)

2 I watched the Manchurian Candidate on a tiny black and white tv with my new boyfriend (future ex husband) after dropping acid for the first time.

Dude.

Posted by: nurse ratched at August 30, 2025 07:46 PM (mT+6a)

3 Ovid sign

Posted by: Accomack at August 30, 2025 07:48 PM (RBD82)

4 When do we get the Golan Globus retrospective? Saturday night was movie night during my prep school years and their name came up a lot.

Posted by: Accomack at August 30, 2025 07:50 PM (RBD82)

5 I just got DVD copies of "UHF" and "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story." Have not seen either. Should make for an interesting double feature.

Posted by: Mikey Alpha Kilo, Mellow for the Long Weekend at August 30, 2025 07:50 PM (0aYVJ)

6 I love Grand Prix, besides a old time view of F-1 it's a great movie.

Posted by: Skip at August 30, 2025 07:52 PM (+qU29)

7 Roll Ti.. never mind.

Posted by: Kingsman at August 30, 2025 07:52 PM (ehY6c)

8 Yeah thats gone past the sell by date

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 07:53 PM (bXbFr)

9 Andersonville does a extremely good historical movie. I have read two books from former prisoners and almost thought I was reading the same book going over the events.

Posted by: Skip at August 30, 2025 07:54 PM (+qU29)

10 Sorry for the non-sequitur. I don't think I've seen any of Frankenheimer's films.

And I correctly spelled "non-sequitur" without benefit of spell check. Yay me.

Posted by: Mikey Alpha Kilo, Mellow for the Long Weekend at August 30, 2025 07:55 PM (0aYVJ)

11 Yeah ford vs ferrari and recently F1 captured some of this

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 07:55 PM (bXbFr)

12 That cop that charged the little girl in Scotland was a dyke. It even had wedding photos.

Posted by: Boss Moss at August 30, 2025 07:56 PM (SiPZg)

13 I recall a conversation with the director of my screenwriting program in film school (circa 1997). He was the screenwriter for Slaughterhouse Five and naturally he revered George Roy Hill. I asked him why Hill's, who had directed The Sting, Butch Cassidy, etc., last credit was Funny Farm with Chevy Chase (not that the movie isn't without its moments; but it didn't need GRH). He said he was old and tired and maybe not well and needed the money. Could it have been the same with Frankenheimer?

However, wasn't Dr. Moreau one of those notorious Hollywood bombs? If you are an older director and that gets attached to your name, you probably won't direct anything of signifigance again.

Posted by: Lex at August 30, 2025 07:56 PM (y4H1r)

14 13 However, wasn't Dr. Moreau one of those notorious Hollywood bombs? If you are an older director and that gets attached to your name, you probably won't direct anything of signifigance again.
Posted by: Lex at August 30, 2025 07:56 PM (y4H1r)

====

The studio fired the original director, Richard Stanley, three days into production and hired Frankenheimer just to do it fast and underbudget.

I don't think anyone in the Industry blamed him for that film's mess and bombing.

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 07:58 PM (agPDp)

15 Didn't Frankenheimer make a movie where a blimp is used to terror-attack a stadium?

Posted by: BourbonChicken at August 30, 2025 07:58 PM (lhenN)

16 After das boot and beverly hills cop 2 prochnow continued to be wasted the fourth war is another example he could have been a great bond villain like jeroen krabbe

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 07:58 PM (bXbFr)

17 I may have to turn in my man card. My daughter asked me, on behalf of my son-in-law, to identify a war movie featuring operatic singing. After some research, I thought I might have found it, Captain Corelli's Mandolin. In an attempt to confirm or deny, I watched and found it to be more of a romance than a war movie, although there is some combat. I'm pretty sure that is the movie in question but, worse, I liked it!

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 07:58 PM (L/fGl)

18 15 Didn't Frankenheimer make a movie where a blimp is used to terror-attack a stadium?
Posted by: BourbonChicken at August 30, 2025 07:58 PM

====

Black Sunday.

It's pretty good.

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 07:59 PM (agPDp)

19 Yes black sunday but he unspools the story much better than the book in some ways

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 07:59 PM (bXbFr)

20 "just got DVD copies of "UHF" and "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story." Have not seen either. Should make for an interesting double feature.
Posted by: Mikey Alpha Kilo, Mellow for the Long Weekend "

I envy you for getting to watch UHF for the first time. I wish Al would make UHF II. I've already got a plot for it. Call me, Al!

Posted by: fd at August 30, 2025 07:59 PM (vFG9F)

21 14. Blame or not, he was involved and it could have been a career ruiner. Plus, he was older at the time. Maybe a younger director could have recovered.

Posted by: Lex at August 30, 2025 07:59 PM (y4H1r)

22 John Frankenheimer is a great example of a director who disregards the script--"My talent is such that I can take any script, good or bad, and turn it into a masterpiece."

There are many such directors. There's a well-known one whose name escapes me, except that it rhymes with "Didley Squat."

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 30, 2025 08:00 PM (CHHv1)

23 Re Ronin

Hmmm, what's a polite way to say 'You shut your whore mouth?'

J/K

Ronin is interesting in that the tone of the movie is odd for the genre. There is no slick feeling, it is kind of 'hey, it's a job' to the intrigue. Desirous is good. Jean Reno is quite good. And Drax from Moonraker, the scene where he is describing the story of the Ronin to Deniro is pure guy red meat.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:00 PM (zZu0s)

24 21 14. Blame or not, he was involved and it could have been a career ruiner. Plus, he was older at the time. Maybe a younger director could have recovered.
Posted by: Lex at August 30, 2025 07:59 PM (y4H1r)

===

He directed Ronin like two years later. Island didn't really affect his career that much.

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:01 PM (agPDp)

25 Didn't Frankenheimer make a movie where a blimp is used to terror-attack a stadium?
Posted by: BourbonChicken

Black Sunday. I liked it but it caused me to identify Bruce Dern as a kill crazy lunatic.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 08:01 PM (L/fGl)

26 Moreau was a legendary sargasso for many directors

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:01 PM (bXbFr)

27 Never seen UHF?

...

No, gonna hold my quote fire. Man has to learn some things for himself.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:02 PM (zZu0s)

28 Moreau was a legendary sargasso for many directors
Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:01 PM (bXbFr)

I hate to say this, but it is not that interesting a story.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:03 PM (zZu0s)

29 24. I'm not sure I saw Ronin. Wasn't that sort of a mid level genre movie? All I'm saying is after Morneau, his chances of doing serious work like he had done with Manchurian Candidate, etc. could have been over. But maybe he didn't want to. Look at Liam Neeson. Oskar Schindler to Taken to Lt Frank Drebin?

Posted by: Lex at August 30, 2025 08:04 PM (y4H1r)

30 Dern was perhaps the weakest reid compared to robert shaw the arab guerilla girl

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:04 PM (bXbFr)

31 There are many such directors. There's a well-known one whose name escapes me, except that it rhymes with "Didley Squat."
Posted by: BeckoningChasm

Did he direct Gladiator II: Sand and Sandal Bugaloo?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 08:04 PM (L/fGl)

32 Did he direct Gladiator II: Sand and Sandal Bugaloo?
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 08:04 PM (L/fGl)

White Pidgeon Shits

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:05 PM (zZu0s)

33
They don't make movie trailer ads like they used to...

https://is.gd/MNNWpu

Posted by: Soothsayer at August 30, 2025 08:05 PM (pK6dM)

34 Seven Days In May was on TCM this afternoon.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 30, 2025 08:06 PM (63Dwl)

35 7:45? What kind of start time is seven friggin' forty five?

Posted by: From about That Time at August 30, 2025 08:07 PM (n4GiU)

36 Played by a german, if memory serves

The part by walter gotell as the jordanian official was improvised apart from the book its a long bit of explosition that tries to explain leila (the character shes based on)

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:07 PM (bXbFr)

37 "just got DVD copies of "UHF" and "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story." Have not seen either. Should make for an interesting double feature.
Posted by: Mikey Alpha Kilo, Mellow for the Long Weekend "

If you're looking for a serious Weird Al biopic, that one ain't it. I bailed about 40 minutes in, knowing a little bit about his real upbringing and therefore taking offense at the pointless humor...

Posted by: Joe Kidd at August 30, 2025 08:07 PM (nbLIj)

38 Marthe keller was? Swiss but carried off the villainess role well

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:09 PM (bXbFr)

39 I have...too much to say about Ronin, it's one of my favorite films, so I'll defer discussing it here....except to observe that Ronin was almost completely re-written by David Mamet.

Even more than most directors, Frankenheimer needed a strong script. If he had a good script, he could focus on action or chases or how to frame and shoot a scene...things he seemed passionate about. If he had a bad script (Prophesy for example is one of the worst Jaws ripoffs), he didn't seem to be willing or able to make changes to improve it. Baffling.

Frankenheimer did get very good actors and he seemed to know how to work well with actors. That's consistently a highlight in his films, if you good actors and good performances, almost every film has its pleasures. If you want a movie good all the way around, he really needed a good screenwriter.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 30, 2025 08:09 PM (xcxpd)

40
Speaking of Lee Marvin...

here's a trailer from his Prime Cut movie with Gene Hackman, and the debut of Sissy Specek's hooters.

https://is.gd/bqEQVV

Posted by: Soothsayer at August 30, 2025 08:09 PM (pK6dM)

41 Wait a minute -- Frankenhooker directed THAT "Island of Doctor Zmireau"?!?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:10 PM (kpS4V)

42 You can see the skill of frankenheimer when you cokpare the remake with jason robards and forest whitaker in the lancaster and douglas roles

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:11 PM (bXbFr)

43
btw, the Director of the gritty, bloody Prime Cut film, Michael Ritchie, went on to direct such comedies as Bad News Bears, Fletch, The Golden Child.

Posted by: Soothsayer at August 30, 2025 08:11 PM (pK6dM)

44 I think we are talking val Kilmer and fat old godfather actor.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:12 PM (zZu0s)

45 There are many such directors. There's a well-known one whose name escapes me, except that it rhymes with "Didley Squat."
Posted by: BeckoningChasm

Did he direct Gladiator II: Sand and Sandal Bugaloo?
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 08:04 PM (L/fGl)

Napoleon II: WaterlooWorld

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:12 PM (kpS4V)

46 Compare name escapes me now

Of course the fletch book is much grittier than the quirky film

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:12 PM (bXbFr)

47 Ronin was good, though the despised DeNiro.

Posted by: Eromero at August 30, 2025 08:13 PM (LHPAg)

48 47 Ronin was good, though the despised DeNiro.
Posted by: Eromero at August 30, 2025 08:13 PM (LHPAg)

I think it's the last movie he actually tried to act in.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 30, 2025 08:13 PM (xcxpd)

49 Kilmer and brando who by this point had eaten the womprat but the 70s version wasnt great either

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:14 PM (bXbFr)

50 48 47 Ronin was good, though the despised DeNiro.
Posted by: Eromero at August 30, 2025 08:13 PM (LHPAg)

I think it's the last movie he actually tried to act in.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 30, 2025 08:13 PM (xcxpd)

====

He hurt my feelings once.

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:14 PM (agPDp)

51 Napoleon II: WaterlooWorld
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:12 PM (kpS4V)

'Prometheus: the quest for my youthful verve. It's gone, just like my prostate.' Too long?
-Ridley Scott

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:14 PM (zZu0s)

52 Reindeer Games had two fatal flaws. The first was in casting. Just because someone is a name, or talented, doesn't make them right for a role. Gary Sinese was awful as Monster. Theron was the wrong actress for Ashley/Molly. And Affleck wasn't given anything to do in his own movie, because his character has no character. What is Rudy about? Even at the end, we don't know.

Then there is the film's final twist. It's stupid, poorly revealed, and extinguishes the last of any good will the audience was willing to give. And it was unnecessary. The final scene with Rudy, Nick, and "Molly" would have worked just as well with Rudy, Monster, and Ashley. Nothing of value would have been lost.

There are any number of other tweaks it could have used, but this was a bad movie that just didn't need to be as bad as it was.

Posted by: Rusty Nail at August 30, 2025 08:15 PM (54n2C)

53 Wasn't Heat AFTER Ronin?

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:15 PM (zZu0s)

54 Grand Prix is a favorite of mine. The cinematography is fantastic. Those engine sounds are a thing of beauty! Based on the 1967 season. One of my favorite PC games is Grand Prix Legends, also based on the 1967 season. Everything about that game is perfect!

Yes, I'm a motorsports fan.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at August 30, 2025 08:15 PM (n17eQ)

55 I think one of the actors in "Dr. Moreau" was getting jittery about all the chaos on set and Brando told him to relax, it was just like trying to do a crossword puzzle in a plummeting elevator.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:15 PM (kpS4V)

56 With michael york the theme of scientific arrogance (thats something we are free of now, sarc) in a victorian setting should have had more promise

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:15 PM (bXbFr)

57 53 Wasn't Heat AFTER Ronin?
Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:15 PM

===

Heat was a couple of years earlier.

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:16 PM (agPDp)

58 Didly Squat says his next film will be The Battle of Britain, a special interest of mine. Dare I hope?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 08:16 PM (L/fGl)

59 Heat was a couple of years earlier.
Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:16 PM (agPDp)

Damn. Now I am trying to think of anything redeeming. You start getting into Meet the Parents territory...

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:17 PM (zZu0s)

60 50 48 47 Ronin was good, though the despised DeNiro.
Posted by: Eromero at August 30, 2025 08:13 PM (LHPAg)

I think it's the last movie he actually tried to act in.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 30, 2025 08:13 PM (xcxpd)

====

He hurt my feelings once.
Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:14 PM (agPDp)

At least he didn't give you a grasshopper. That might have broken you.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 30, 2025 08:17 PM (xcxpd)

61 Didly Squat says his next film will be The Battle of Britain, a special interest of mine. Dare I hope?
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 08:16 PM (L/fGl)

Nay. Thou darenst.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:17 PM (zZu0s)

62 The 30's Moreau film is good. The setting is eerie and threatening, and the plight of the beastmen is poignant.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:18 PM (kpS4V)

63 Well his performance in the good spy which was a wasp godfather as a donovan type was mailed in

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:19 PM (bXbFr)

64 I wouldn't categorize 52 Pick-Up as studio schlock, although it is right in that period. Well done, gritty film.

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at August 30, 2025 08:20 PM (p4nXC)

65 his job as director to get interesting angles.

Well, yeah!

Posted by: zombie Russ Meyer at August 30, 2025 08:22 PM (0sNs1)

66 I was okay with DeNiro in Stardust. He seemed to really get into his role as a faggy, cross-dressing sky pirate.

Posted by: She Hobbit at August 30, 2025 08:23 PM (ftFVW)

67 John glover makes for an interesting villain this was back when there were many bad elmore leonard adaptations

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:23 PM (bXbFr)

68 >>>My daughter asked me, on behalf of my son-in-law, to identify a war movie featuring operatic singing.

I think Godfather 3 would qualify. It's what makes the film unwatchable for me. Also Amadeus has a bit.

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at August 30, 2025 08:25 PM (p4nXC)

69 Yes rudys reintrouctioname out of left field what?

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:25 PM (bXbFr)

70 Reintroduction

Depends how its handled all of the great directors im looking at you coppola really lost the plot

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:27 PM (bXbFr)

71 The opera is a parallel to the events outside the theatre
Quantum did it poorly Rogue Nation did it well

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:28 PM (bXbFr)

72 I've never heard of his film "Seconds" with Rock Hudson, about a middle aged banker who gets a new lease on life -- new body, new identity, new chance to be the man he always wanted to be. And it's a cautionary tale.

Looks like it's on Amazon Prime.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:28 PM (kpS4V)

73 I saw Andersonville and Path to War.

Andersonville was incredibly bleak. I think I'd rather be dead than be a prisoner there.

Path to War probably didn't intend to represent the fall of the democrat party in the person of Lyndon Johnson but it did.
It depicted a party of people utterly convinced of their righteousness and ability to accomplish anything they wanted. Which of course crashed against Vietnam.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 30, 2025 08:33 PM (3wi/L)

74 I've already up-thumbed "Caught Stealing". Not brilliant, but very enjoyable. Not a summer blockbuster, not winter Oscar bait, just a good solid crime flick with oddball characters. I liked the Hasidic crooks who had to pause their mayhem to visit Bubbe and have some matzoh ball soup.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:33 PM (kpS4V)

75 Sorry nicks reintroduction came of left field

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:33 PM (bXbFr)

76 You left out 52 Pickup, a movie he made in his sorta-comeback in the mid 80s, a great adaptation of Elmore Leonard with a stellar performance by John Glover as the lead villain.

Posted by: chasdtroll at August 30, 2025 08:34 PM (MB6B1)

77 Didn't know he did Reindeer Games...I kinda liked it.

After going through my classic movie phase which involved watching Manchurian Candidate (very weird all in all, especially Angela Lansbury against type), Seven Days in May, and Birdman, I was the only kid in my age group stoked to watch Ronin because it was a Frankenheimer film.

I recall DeNiro looked genuinely terrified in the driving scenes in Marseilles.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at August 30, 2025 08:35 PM (qwx/I)

78 I think thats the next tranche of films

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at August 30, 2025 08:35 PM (bXbFr)

79 Birdman of Alcatraz, The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days in May

I enjoyed those.
Seen all three at least twice.

The most memorable to me is The Manchurian Candidate.

Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.

It was a brilliant little thriller for its time.
Hitchcockesque in many ways.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 30, 2025 08:36 PM (6ydKt)

80 Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 30, 2025 08:33 PM (3wi/L)

Andersonville WAS bleak as fuck. Same kind of dynamics, but still not as bad as... N something. The Soviet prison island where the inmates started eating each other.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:38 PM (zZu0s)

81 Netflix started as a DVD in the mail service. That ended in 2023. Their library was huge, so if someone mentioned John Frankenheimer I could put in my queue some of the titles I had not seen.

Netflix the streamer blows. I put in JF's name and they don't have one movie he directed or produced. Nothing.

It is so crammed with original --and crappy-- content it's sickening. I guess they care more about K-Pop Demon Hunter or whatever that is than listing more classic titles.

I have enjoyed some Netflix series and movies, but the past year it's a black hole.

Posted by: Lex at August 30, 2025 08:38 PM (y4H1r)

82 My boat tour guide in the Wisconsin Dells this week was a retired opera singer, so he treated us to a Solo Mio.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at August 30, 2025 08:38 PM (qwx/I)

83
Best Thief,

If you are lurking, I left you a message on the Pet Thread about your doggie.

Posted by: fourseasons at August 30, 2025 08:39 PM (3ek7K)

84 Neglected to mention that I enjoyed Ronin (before I became a middle-aged grump who checks every actor's politics before watching a film).

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at August 30, 2025 08:40 PM (qwx/I)

85 Neglected to mention that I enjoyed Ronin (before I became a middle-aged grump who checks every actor's politics before watching a film).

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at August 30, 2025 08:40 PM (qwx/I)

86 I watched "Magazine Dreams", starring Jonathan Majors as an obsessive amateur body builder battling loneliness and mental problems. He's brilliant in it but it's such a hard movie to watch as he struggles to connect with people and has trouble reining in his violent tendencies when something triggers him.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:40 PM (kpS4V)

87 Love to stay around but it's bedtime
Have a great evening everyone and don't eat too much popcorn 😋

Posted by: Skip at August 30, 2025 08:40 PM (+qU29)

88 That would be Cannon films produced between 79-87. The one I remember most is Runaway Train with Eric Roberts, John Voight and Rebecca DeMornay.

Posted by: Accomack at August 30, 2025 08:41 PM (oERdd)

89 Well, the Red Sonja reboot movie came and went, spending a whopping 1 day in theaters. I've heard nothing good about it, which is not surprising, given the kind of people who produced it, and the people who wrote the story it was based on. It's a real shame, because the world needs good movies about barbarian girls in skimpy outfits kicking ass...

But, speaking of Barbarian movies, I just saw a trailer for one such movie....that actually makes me excited. Deathstalker. It's a reboot of a very inconsistent series of 80's movies. The trailer makes it very clear that this will be a B-movie, that won't take itself too seriously. But it at least looks like it's having fun with old fantasy-movie tropes, instead of insulting the audience that wants to see those tropes, which should put it a step of two above Red Sonja.

Posted by: Castle Guy at August 30, 2025 08:41 PM (Lhaco)

90 *tucks Skip in, turns on Ewok nightlight*

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:41 PM (kpS4V)

91
I linked this yesterday.
The Biggest Box Office Bombs Since 1978

You'll remember some, not remember some. You'll like some, not like some.

https://is.gd/qWLqKq

Posted by: Soothsayer at August 30, 2025 08:42 PM (ISZxh)

92 Can a director take a bad script /story and make a good movie.

I don’t think a director no matter how good can do it.

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 08:44 PM (EYmYM)

93 She Hobbit, the other faggy movie DeNiro was in was " Flawless"

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 08:44 PM (dxWFK)

94 91. I read a book last year titled Box Office Poison. It goes over about 25 bombs throughout cinema history. The style of the writing in the book is cloying. It's some film writer trying to be cheeky but the list and the background to some of the flops was interesting to read about.

Posted by: Lex at August 30, 2025 08:45 PM (y4H1r)

95 Ben Affleck directed three really good movies and then went silent .

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 08:46 PM (EYmYM)

96 92 Can a director take a bad script /story and make a good movie.

I don’t think a director no matter how good can do it.
Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 08:44 PM (EYmYM)

===

A director can give feedback on scripts that lead to rewrites that improve them. Even at the height of the studio system they could do that. Good directors don't get good scripts because of luck.

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:46 PM (agPDp)

97 Castleguy, I saw a review of Red Sonya on YT by our favorite drunk Scot and he said it was pretty awful. The lead actress has pencil-thin arms and her character has no history of sword fighting, unlike, say, the thief and sell-sword Valeria; and Sandahl Bergman, a dancer, trained with a sword for months in preparation for Conan.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:47 PM (kpS4V)

98 Funny thing:

My sons, when they were toddlers, called popcorn "pock-porn."

My boys were so awesome.

Posted by: Mikey Alpha Kilo, Mellow for the Long Weekend at August 30, 2025 08:48 PM (0aYVJ)

99 Neglected to mention that I enjoyed Ronin (before I became a middle-aged grump who checks every actor's politics before watching a film).
Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at August 30, 2025 08:40 PM (qwx/I)

I hate hate movie car chases. Even the ones considered classic.

The exception is Ronin.

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 08:48 PM (EYmYM)

100 TJM,

I gather you didn't think much of "French Connection II".

Admittedly, it's been decades since I last saw it.

But, I really enjoyed it. Maybe what confuses people is that it's a change of genres, kinda sorta like the way "Alien" is different than "Alien 2"

One of Gene Hackman best movies.

Posted by: naturalfake at August 30, 2025 08:48 PM (iJfKG)

101 That's not his full name, you know.

His name is John Jacob.

John Jacob Frankenheimer Schmidt, to be precise.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at August 30, 2025 08:49 PM (dE3DB)

102 Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:46 PM (agPDp)

You got any examples?

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 08:50 PM (EYmYM)

103 I'll have to check out George Wallace (1997) if I can.

It's not out on streaming anywhere that I can see.
It showed as being on Prime, but it's not there now.
You can still buy the 2-Disc DVD for $25.99, though.

It was a TNT two-part cable movie about a racist white guy so I'm not surprised it's hard to find these days.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 30, 2025 08:50 PM (6ydKt)

104 I recall DeNiro looked genuinely terrified in the driving scenes in Marseilles.
Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at August 30, 2025 08:35 PM (qwx/I)

The actors were actually IN the cars in those chase scenes. So a lot of scared actors.

I think only Skipp Sudduth did his own stunt driving though.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 30, 2025 08:50 PM (xcxpd)

105 Liked Black Sunday and 52 Pickup, never got around to seeing Birdman or Grand Prix, and Ronin was fun. The Train, Seven Days in May, The Iceman Cometh, The Manchurian Candidate are always worth a watch; maybe not so much Iceman because nearly 4 hours of O'Neill angst is a tad much even for me, even if Robert Ryan and Lee Marvin are in the cast. Seconds is one of the true dark delights of 60s film, with Hudson never better and a bone-chiller of a finish; only thing wrong with it is the grape-crushing scene is probably twice as long as it needed to be. YMMV.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 08:50 PM (q3u5l)

106 Re Deathstalker reboot

Hmmm. I note a paucity of large breasts- or any breasts.

*shakes head sadly*

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:51 PM (zZu0s)

107 80
'Same kind of dynamics, but still not as bad as... N something. The Soviet prison island where the inmates started eating each other.'

Nazino. Yes, you have to go to that level to find a crueler place. It also reminded me of the Batavia shipwreck.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 30, 2025 08:51 PM (3wi/L)

108 I have enjoyed some Netflix series and movies, but the past year it's a black hole.
Posted by: Lex at August 30, 2025 08:38 PM (y4H1r)
----

Lex, I agree. They had a deep supply of silents, obscure oddities, and classics. Now I just check my library; if they don't have it, the interlibrary loan system usually does. Otherwise, Amazon or YouTube.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:52 PM (kpS4V)

109 102 Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:46 PM (agPDp)

You got any examples?
Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 08:50 PM (EYmYM)

====

Directors have so much power over scripts since they deal with it every day of production, they could effectively be given screenwriting credits.

A great, detailed example is this video detailing how much McTiernan changed the script of The Hunt for Red October during production.

https://youtu.be/2A2qBcjb6Ic

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:54 PM (agPDp)

110 I like to see a top director take Ishtar and make it a good movie.

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 08:54 PM (EYmYM)

111 Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 08:54 PM (agPDp)

Admittedly I didn’t make my point correctly. I should have just said story and not script.

The Hunt for Red October is an awesome story.

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 08:57 PM (EYmYM)

112 Speaking of "Alien"...

I'm really enjoying the "Alien: Earth" series on HULU.

They've done something clever in that they've so far used the Alien as a MacGuffin more than a the chief antagonist.

They're a also 4 or so other deadly and creepy xeon-organisms in the mix.

Basically, the background setting is like "Rollerball" in fact 5 Corporations rule the world. Weyland-Yutanai has a deep space ship that crashes in Prodigy Corps territory and the race is on to see what can be done with the critters.

Lots of competing agendas between corps, human, cyborgs andHybrids ie human consciousnesses loaded into cyborg bodies.

Check it out. It's fun.

Posted by: naturalfake at August 30, 2025 08:58 PM (iJfKG)

113 I enjoyed Ronin quite a bit. The only clinker scene for me was the ice-skating engagement. More than a bit contrived (screen fluff for Witt?), but all in all, a well-paced vehicle for De Niro.

Posted by: mrp at August 30, 2025 08:58 PM (rj6Yv)

114 106 Re Deathstalker reboot

Hmmm. I note a paucity of large breasts- or any breasts.

*shakes head sadly*
Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 08:51 PM (zZu0s)

True. But nothing about that trailer makes me think the producers are the kind of people who would shy away from such things.

Posted by: Castle Guy at August 30, 2025 08:58 PM (Lhaco)

115 110 I like to see a top director take Ishtar and make it a good movie.
Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 08:54 PM (EYmYM)

---------

Ishtar shall not be mocked.

Now Marduk, he can be mocked.

Posted by: The Babylonians at August 30, 2025 08:59 PM (hY4dx)

116 Looking forward to:

Tron: Ares
Begonia
Predator: Badlands

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:00 PM (kpS4V)

117 108. Yeah, it was nice to have that. I could spend half the year getting caught up on TV series or movies I had made a point to watch, and bingo, it was available on Netflix and would be at your house in a few days. There are other ways to get that material but not like that. I guess there is little demand for that anymore.

Posted by: Lex at August 30, 2025 09:01 PM (y4H1r)

118 But nothing about that trailer makes me think the producers are the kind of people who would shy away from such things.
Posted by: Castle Guy at August 30, 2025 08:58 PM (Lhaco)

It has Patton Oswalt in it.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 09:01 PM (zZu0s)

119 Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:52 PM (kpS4

As for series if you haven’t watched Mr. In Between I would highly recommend it. Only 3 seasons .

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:03 PM (EYmYM)

120 116 Looking forward to:

Tron: Ares
Begonia
Predator: Badlands
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:00 PM (kpS4V)

----------

Wake me when they release Titanic II: The Way Down

Come on now, properly cast it could work.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at August 30, 2025 09:04 PM (hY4dx)

121 Here I am waiting for season 5 of " The Chosen".

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:04 PM (dxWFK)

122 97 Castleguy, I saw a review of Red Sonya on YT by our favorite drunk Scot and he said it was pretty awful. The lead actress has pencil-thin arms and her character has no history of sword fighting, unlike, say, the thief and sell-sword Valeria; and Sandahl Bergman, a dancer, trained with a sword for months in preparation for Conan.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 08:47 PM (kpS4V)

Yup, saw that video too. Even more discouraging was a video by Disparu (another youtuber) who went over the interviews and public comments from the director and various actors.

One of my favorite super-low-budget movies is "The Curse of the Dragonslayer" which has a blond girl as one of the co-leads. Some of the behind-the-scenes extras on the DVD shows her practicing the choreography of one of her fights in the director's living room. She (Danielle Chuchran) put on a convincing show.

Posted by: Castle Guy at August 30, 2025 09:05 PM (Lhaco)

123 Werner feels the assessment of Frankenheimer is correct. His films do have their moments, such as the final duel in "The Challenge" begins with katanas and morphs into a life and death fight with office equipment. As a metaphor for post-war Japan, that says quite a lot. We met only once, when both of us were pitching our desire to be the director of "Bad Lieutenant Port of Call: New Orleans.'

It was a close call, but Werner has his wiles. While killing time waiting for the suits to make their decision, I quietly leaned over to John and said "Watch out, mein Herr, I am a wizard." (If you say that and you are German, they believe it somehow.) "Behold," I told him, while doing a little bit of sleight of hand," I have your nose." He rushed away in a tearful, frightened flurry and I got the gig. You would be surprised at the number of Hollywood folk who fall for such a thing.

Posted by: Werner Herzog Has Opinions at August 30, 2025 09:05 PM (Tauv4)

124 Recently watched The Light at the Edge of the World (Kirk Douglas) and although a bit clunky at times, overall it is a watch.
I like morality tales.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at August 30, 2025 09:06 PM (c35xG)

125 Of the Frankenheimer films, I believe I've only seen Grand Prix.

Which I liked, but then I'm a big F1 fan. Yes, it is because I started watching the Netflix "documentary."

Posted by: Dr. T at August 30, 2025 09:07 PM (lHPJf)

126 It has Patton Oswalt in it.
Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 09:01 PM (zZu0s)

Point taken. But maybe he's just there to play some fat disgusting nobleman who gets his head chopped off. Or they'll dress him up as the pig-faced guy.... C'mon, I gotta have hope...

Posted by: Castle Guy at August 30, 2025 09:08 PM (Lhaco)

127 Netflix was on a real downhill slide well before they officially chopped their DVD by mail operation. By the time they did that, I'd long since discontinued my DVD Netflix service because the selections had been getting worse every month, and a number of the discs I was receiving were freezing during play and sometimes even cracked when I opened the envelope. I don't think they were bothering to try to replace lost or damaged discs anymore, just letting the selection of titles evaporate.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:08 PM (q3u5l)

128 123 You would be surprised at the number of Hollywood folk who fall for such a thing.
Posted by: Werner Herzog Has Opinions at August 30, 2025 09:05 PM (Tauv4)

====

Perfect.

No notes.

*gif of Salieri dropping Mozart's music*

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 09:08 PM (agPDp)

129 'Fake, I'm really enjoying "Alien: Earth" too. The peripheral stuff and worldbuilding is my jam with the Alien franchise anyway, so delving into the dynamic between androids, cyborgs, hybrids, and standard meatbags is fascinating to me. Timothy Olyphant is terrific as Kirsch, babysitting the adult children ("Look with your eyes!").

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

130 "The Birdman opf Alcatraz', like most Hollywood biopics, was a complete lie.

Posted by: RickZ at August 30, 2025 09:10 PM (gKDq2)

131 It has Patton Oswalt in it.
Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at August 30, 2025 09:01 PM (zZu0s)

Point taken. But maybe he's just there to play some fat disgusting nobleman who gets his head chopped off. Or they'll dress him up as the pig-faced guy.... C'mon, I gotta have hope...
Posted by: Castle Guy at August 30, 2025 09:08 PM (Lhaco)

Big Fan with Patton Oswald was really good . I don’t necessarily like these self destruction movies but that one was really good. As was Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler.

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:11 PM (EYmYM)

132 Patton Oswald: Leftist Douchebag

Pass

Although he was good as a rat in Ratatouille.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at August 30, 2025 09:11 PM (hY4dx)

133 Having met Eris I can totally see her in a world building capacity.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:11 PM (dxWFK)

134 I was okay with DeNiro in Stardust. He seemed to really get into his role as a faggy, cross-dressing sky pirate.
Posted by: She Hobbit at August 30, 2025 08:23 PM (ftFVW)

That's a weird movie. I could make some crass jokes about DeNiro in that role, but honestly, I was a little pleased to see him not being a mobster for once. (Yes, I know, but non-film buffs my age only know him for being a mobster.)

Posted by: Dr. T at August 30, 2025 09:12 PM (lHPJf)

135
How's this for a movie plot?

We'll call it "Jew Honeypot."

It's about an Indian-American man who gets highly involved in the U.S. government and a Mossad agent who pretends to be a country singer. The Mossad country singer, 19 years the Indian guy's junior, initiates a serious relationship while the Indian guy is no longer involved in the US government. But, and here's where things get interesting, after a strange turn of events, (thanks to The Jews(tm) who control everything, the Indian guy suddenly finds himself the, get this, Director of the F.B.I!

First thing he does? He hides ALL the Epstein Files. Why? Because he's now taking orders from his Mossad girlfriend, and his Mossad girlfriend's secret mission is to cover the Mossad's tracks in the Epstein matter. BUT....

Internet Influencer Sleuths uncover the entire plot and expose the Mossad and save Democracy!!

What do you think?

Posted by: Soothsayer at August 30, 2025 09:12 PM (76LOO)

136 Sisu 2 has Stephen Lang for the villain.

https://youtu.be/VmStqCXIgio?si=7suco8kc3buTH1Jb

The first one was delightfully violent.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at August 30, 2025 09:13 PM (lhenN)

137 68 >>>My daughter asked me, on behalf of my son-in-law, to identify a war movie featuring operatic singing.

I think Godfather 3 would qualify. It's what makes the film unwatchable for me. Also Amadeus has a bit.
Posted by: Anon Y. Mous

The Robert Duval part of 'Apocalypse Now'.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at August 30, 2025 09:14 PM (n17eQ)

138 Having met Eris I can totally see her in a world building capacity.
Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:11 PM (dxWFK)
---
Or world-destroying!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:15 PM (kpS4V)

139
For those of you in Rio Linda, the above is not a lousy, idiotic movie plot, but a fresh new very real Blue-Anon Conspiracy that No One believes but is being pushed anyway.

Just like the OTHER new blue-anon fake gaslighting conspiracy about the President "disappearing" since Wednesday and he's probably deceased. Yes, they're really saying that right now.

Posted by: Soothsayer at August 30, 2025 09:15 PM (76LOO)

140 Joyeux Noel. WW 1 war movie with opera.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:16 PM (dxWFK)

141 Has Trump been replaced by a doppelgänger or an android?

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:17 PM (kpS4V)

142 Or world-destroying!
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:15 PM (kpS4V

--------

The Apple of Discord incident was no accident.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at August 30, 2025 09:17 PM (hY4dx)

143 126
'It has Patton Oswalt in it....
Or they'll dress him up as the pig-faced guy'

That'll be pretty convincing.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 30, 2025 09:17 PM (3wi/L)

144 The Birdman opf Alcatraz', like most Hollywood biopics, was a complete lie.
Posted by: RickZ at August 30, 2025 09:10 PM (gKDq2)

It was That said I like a well made prison movie.

Brubaker
An Innocent Man
Escape from Alcatraz
Cool Hand Luke
Shawshank
Brawl in Cell Block 99

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:17 PM (EYmYM)

145 Has anyone seen "She Rides Shotgun" with Taron Egerton? I don't think it got a wide release but it's on Amazon Prime(for a fee). It's based on an Edgar Award winning novel I read some years ago. I thought it would make a good movie when I read the book. Will probably spring for a viewing just to see if they did justice to the book.

Posted by: Tuna at August 30, 2025 09:18 PM (lJ0H4)

146 Soothsayer,

Maybe it's not an idiotic movie plot yet, but it's probably safe to assume that the treatment for the screenplay is being shopped around even as we enjoy this thread.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:18 PM (q3u5l)

147 Eris, that's the fun of building them. Like sand castles at the beach.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:19 PM (dxWFK)

148 Trump dead: deboonked

Trump spent three days finding out who scratched up his limestone: confirmed.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at August 30, 2025 09:19 PM (lhenN)

149 >My daughter asked me, on behalf of my son-in-law, to identify a war movie featuring operatic singing.

That should have been easy for a Moron.

The 5th Element should have come to mind immediately.

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:20 PM (EYmYM)

150 It was That said I like a well made prison movie.

----------

Shawshank Redemption. Peerless as a prison flick, Stephen King notwithstanding.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at August 30, 2025 09:20 PM (hY4dx)

151 If I am honest, however, even Werner has fallen victim to Hollywood deceits. The Herzog lifestyle can be different to maintain - as an example, I travel to Central Europe four times a year so that I may dig up the remains of Bertolt Brecht and give him the thrashing of his life, or his death, maybe? Brecht knows what he did.

Such exploits require cash, and Murray, my agent, suggested something called "Only Fans." He told me that our liquidity problem can be solved merely by interacting with avid fans. How could I refuse? These are Werner's fans, and almost certainly fans of the filmic medium.

For my initial effort, I focused on Tarkovsky's body of work. It did not go as I had hoped. The viewers requested that I...do....things. All of them obscenities and many of them anatomically impossible. I pleaded with them that this is weird for me, and for a German, that is saying a lot. Werner has truly seen the Abyss, a horror I had scarcely glimpsed before. I told the taskmasters on this channel that they should leave and have a talk with their priest, rabbi, minister, or at least with their local librarian. The horror, the horror.

Posted by: Werner Herzog Has Opinions at August 30, 2025 09:20 PM (Tauv4)

152
Has Trump been replaced by a doppelgänger or an android?
Posted by: All Hail Eris

They're saying a "body double" golfed today.

I WISH we had a Trump body double. Or triple.
That would be fantastic.

Posted by: Soothsayer at August 30, 2025 09:20 PM (76LOO)

153 If Running Man counts as a war movie, that wrestler/opera singer had a small role with some operatic singing.

Posted by: Wally at August 30, 2025 09:23 PM (K8vz4)

154 The Last Castle and The Green Mile for prison movies
The Mayor of Kingstown for TV series.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:23 PM (dxWFK)

155 TJM, might be time to look at Taylor Sheridan.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:24 PM (dxWFK)

156
The goblins went as far as showing a photoshopped image of the late Queen of England with a bruised hand, implicitly stating it's the exact same bruising from the exact same medical condition. And, guess what?!?! The Queen "died" "two days" after that photo was taken!!!!

Posted by: Soothsayer at August 30, 2025 09:24 PM (76LOO)

157 Dammit

Cmon Matiners

Posted by: nurse ratched at August 30, 2025 09:25 PM (mT+6a)

158 *MARINERS

Posted by: nurse ratched at August 30, 2025 09:25 PM (mT+6a)

159 And, guess what?!?! The Queen "died" "two days" after that photo was taken!!!!

Posted by: Soothsayer

Didn't the Queen have some kind of bone cancer?

Posted by: Tuna at August 30, 2025 09:26 PM (lJ0H4)

160 I know a couple in their 70's who had by-mail Netflix until the bitter end. Netflix sent them a ton of DVD's and told them to just keep them.

Posted by: Lincolntf at August 30, 2025 09:27 PM (vV6n9)

161 130 "The Birdman opf Alcatraz', like most Hollywood biopics, was a complete lie.
Posted by: RickZ at August 30, 2025 09:10 PM (gKDq2)
And Bonnie n' Clyde? Psychopaths?

Posted by: Eromero at August 30, 2025 09:27 PM (LHPAg)

162 Didn't the Queen have some kind of bone cancer?
Posted by: Tuna at August 30, 2025 09:26 PM (lJ0H4)

--------

Bad femur

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at August 30, 2025 09:27 PM (hY4dx)

163 Speaking of "Sisu"...

Just finished watching it on Hulu.

Violent, revenge movie of the type that might've starred Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson back in the day.

If you've ever said to yourself, man, I'd like to watch a bunch of Nazis violently dispatched in a bunch of grotesque ways.

Buddy, this is your jam!

Posted by: naturalfake at August 30, 2025 09:28 PM (iJfKG)

164 QE11 was 96 freaking years old when she died.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:29 PM (dxWFK)

165 Speaking of "Sisu"...

Just finished watching it on Hulu.

Violent, revenge movie of the type that might've starred Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson back in the day.

If you've ever said to yourself, man, I'd like to watch a bunch of Nazis violently dispatched in a bunch of grotesque ways.

Buddy, this is your jam!

Posted by: naturalfake

Any opera?

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 09:31 PM (L/fGl)

166
And I heard good things about the new Dexter episodes.

Posted by: Soothsayer at August 30, 2025 09:32 PM (76LOO)

167 Speaking of "Sisu"...

Just finished watching it on Hulu.

Violent, revenge movie of the type that might've starred Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson back in the day.

If you've ever said to yourself, man, I'd like to watch a bunch of Nazis violently dispatched in a bunch of grotesque ways.

Buddy, this is your jam!

Posted by: naturalfake

Any opera?
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 09:31 PM (L/fGl)

No, but lots of guys shrieking hideously if that's close enough.

Posted by: naturalfake at August 30, 2025 09:32 PM (iJfKG)

168 164 QE11 was 96 freaking years old when she died.
Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:29 PM (dxWFK)

---------

At that age, the femurs are ticking time bombs.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at August 30, 2025 09:32 PM (hY4dx)

169 "I know a couple in their 70's who had by-mail Netflix until the bitter end. Netflix sent them a ton of DVD's and told them to just keep them."

Jeez. Maybe I should have hung in there a little longer.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:33 PM (q3u5l)

170
Jeez. Maybe I should have hung in there a little longer.
Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:33 PM (q3u5l)

---------

You know, we were right here ya know.

Posted by: Blockbuster at August 30, 2025 09:34 PM (hY4dx)

171 159 And, guess what?!?! The Queen "died" "two days" after that photo was taken!!!!

Posted by: Soothsayer

Didn't the Queen have some kind of bone cancer?
Posted by: Tuna

She died of being age 96. These goblins are dumb.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at August 30, 2025 09:35 PM (n17eQ)

172 I’m frustrated that the paid subscription streaming services are scooping up all the movies I want to watch.

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:36 PM (EYmYM)

173 170,

Blockbuster, I hardly knew ye. Closest one to me was about 40 miles away. Used the local mom & pop rental places and a Family Video while they lasted. Unfortunately they didn't sell off or give away all their discs when they closed up shop.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:37 PM (q3u5l)

174 Check local pawn shops for DVD s. Buck a piece.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:39 PM (dxWFK)

175 No more Red Boxes out there ?

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:39 PM (EYmYM)

176 163 Speaking of "Sisu"...

Just finished watching it on Hulu.

Violent, revenge movie of the type that might've starred Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson back in the day.

If you've ever said to yourself, man, I'd like to watch a bunch of Nazis violently dispatched in a bunch of grotesque ways.

Buddy, this is your jam!

Posted by: naturalfake at August 30, 2025 09:28 PM (

Prime FAFO.

Posted by: Eromero at August 30, 2025 09:40 PM (LHPAg)

177 Have snagged a couple of discs at the pawn shop, but there's not usually much of anything there I'm after.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:40 PM (q3u5l)

178 177 Have snagged a couple of discs at the pawn shop, but there's not usually much of anything there I'm after.
Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:40 PM (q3u5l)

--------

Somehow the Neil Breen discs seem to predominate in the pawn shop milieu.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at August 30, 2025 09:43 PM (hY4dx)

179 I just pre-ordered the 4k edition of Outland for $45.

For the opposite end of the collecting spectrum.

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 09:43 PM (v4hmw)

180 I noticed today that Tarantino always portrays southerners as dumb hicks.

Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:43 PM (EYmYM)

181 Not a movie, a TV series, but another project that was definitely intended to be aired with Kamala as President has surfaced. "The Savant", a streaming series about an FBI girlboss and single mother of half-black kids who leads a team that hunts domestic terrorists.

Gonna guess the odds of the terrorists always being white and yelling that it's MAGA country are near 100%.

Posted by: Ian S. at August 30, 2025 09:43 PM (0A/JS)

182 That's Frankenheemer.

Posted by: Victor Frankenheimer at August 30, 2025 09:44 PM (NyBte)

183 Speaking of opera, I saw a production of Tosca with a modified libretto that changes the setting from Napoleon's invasion of Italy to the Nazi occupation of Italy. Either way, Tosca commits suicide for love and to resist fascism.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, We're Living On Land Stolen From the Dinosaur! at August 30, 2025 09:45 PM (L/fGl)

184 180 I noticed today that Tarantino always portrays southerners as dumb hicks.
Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:43 PM (EYmYM)
He ain't the only one in 'entertainment' does that. Screw them.

Posted by: Eromero at August 30, 2025 09:46 PM (LHPAg)

185 Have snagged a couple of discs at the pawn shop, but there's not usually much of anything there I'm after.
Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:40 PM (q3u5l)
-----

JSG: I'll take a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range, and the complete Brideshead Revisited.

Pawn Shop Clerk: [annoyed] Brideshead Revisited?! Hey, just what you see here, pal!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:46 PM (kpS4V)

186 Gotta say, I would kinda like to see Frankenheimer's film of The Fixer. Don't recall ever seeing it show up as a streamer, and I don't think there's a disc available anywhere. Someday, maybe...

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:47 PM (q3u5l)

187 Somehow the Neil Breen discs seem to predominate in the pawn shop milieu.
Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at August 30, 2025 09:43 PM (hY4dx)
----

For skeet shooting.

PULL!!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:48 PM (kpS4V)

188 Blockbuster, I hardly knew ye. Closest one to me was about 40 miles away. Used the local mom & pop rental places and a Family Video while they lasted. Unfortunately they didn't sell off or give away all their discs when they closed up shop.
Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:37 PM (q3u5l)

I'm ticked that Apple+ has "Greyhound" firmly locked up behind a subscription paywall.

Posted by: mrp at August 30, 2025 09:48 PM (rj6Yv)

189 175 No more Red Boxes out there ?
Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:39 PM (EYmYM)

I think Redbox went out of business a year ago, but the actual boxes might still be around.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at August 30, 2025 09:48 PM (GhIJO)

190 186 Gotta say, I would kinda like to see Frankenheimer's film of The Fixer. Don't recall ever seeing it show up as a streamer, and I don't think there's a disc available anywhere. Someday, maybe...
Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:47 PM (q3u5l)

===

Some movies are a simple Google video search away.

Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 09:48 PM (v4hmw)

191 Eris, tell me the pawn shop guy looks like Dick Miller.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:48 PM (q3u5l)

192 Eris, I spent a buck on the Happy Feet dvd just to shoot it.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 30, 2025 09:49 PM (dxWFK)

193 190 186 Gotta say, I would kinda like to see Frankenheimer's film of The Fixer. Don't recall ever seeing it show up as a streamer, and I don't think there's a disc available anywhere. Someday, maybe...
Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:47 PM (q3u5l)

===

Some movies are a simple Google video search away.
Posted by: TJM's phone at August 30, 2025 09:48 PM (v4hmw)

Often in Russia

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 30, 2025 09:52 PM (xcxpd)

194 You didn't shoot Happy Feet during Pride Month, did you? That's a Hate Crime.

Posted by: Wally at August 30, 2025 09:52 PM (K8vz4)

195 Ben Had, you rock!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:52 PM (kpS4V)

196 I noticed today that Tarantino always portrays southerners as dumb hicks.
Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:43 PM (EYmYM)
He ain't the only one in 'entertainment' does that. Screw them.
Posted by: Eromero
------

They all do. There's never been a film (perhaps excepting GWTW) that did not portray us as toothless rednecks.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 30, 2025 09:54 PM (XeU6L)

197 Eris, tell me the pawn shop guy looks like Dick Miller.
Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:48 PM (q3u5l)
----

Is that the guy in every Joe Dante movie?

Which reminds me, I was watching the latest RedLetterMedia video and it's a Dante retrospective.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:54 PM (kpS4V)

198 that did not portray us as toothless rednecks.
Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc
-------

I still have my teeth, dammit! Well, most of them.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 30, 2025 09:55 PM (XeU6L)

199 I still have my teeth, dammit! Well, most of them.
Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 30, 2025 09:55 PM (XeU6L)
----

And the teeth of vacationing yuppie businessmen on a whitewater rafting trip, strung on a necklace.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 30, 2025 09:56 PM (kpS4V)

200 196
'There's never been a film (perhaps excepting GWTW) that did not portray us as toothless rednecks.'

Birth of a Nation?

Posted by: Dr. Claw at August 30, 2025 09:58 PM (3wi/L)

201 I noticed today that Tarantino always portrays southerners as dumb hicks.
Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:43 PM (EYmYM)

Yup. Been done to death.

That's why I liked "Mud" so much. Takes place in Arkansas; so many opportunities to just bash the shit out of southern folks. But no. It is a powerful film, and it portrays men and boys being men and boys. Fathers and sons.

Posted by: Mikey Alpha Kilo, Mellow for the Long Weekend at August 30, 2025 09:58 PM (0aYVJ)

202 Greyhound is on Yoyo Movies . Net.

Posted by: Boss Moss at August 30, 2025 09:59 PM (SiPZg)

203 In every Joe Dante movie?

Wait a minute. I thought Dick Miller was in every movie. Wasn't there legislation requiring that? Sure there was. They passed it about a year after Corman released A Bucket of Blood. Didn't they?

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 09:59 PM (q3u5l)

204 And on that happy note, this kid's outta here for the evening.

Thanks for the thread, TJM.

Have a good one, gang.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at August 30, 2025 10:03 PM (q3u5l)

205 As an aside, have you ever noticed that British and Aussie actors are better at the numerous American accents than many American actors?

I watch a show like Justified, and most of the American actors all adopt the same accent, the cliche Virgina drawl. Not the main cast. But some of the guest stars.

Posted by: Mikey Alpha Kilo, Mellow for the Long Weekend at August 30, 2025 10:03 PM (0aYVJ)

206 And the teeth of vacationing yuppie businessmen on a whitewater rafting trip, strung on a necklace.
Posted by: All Hail Eris
------

In point of fact, I do regard what is called 'Drew's Rock' on the Chattooga as something as a memorial. I have my own stories about that river.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 30, 2025 10:04 PM (XeU6L)

207 The remake of Toxic Avenger with Peter Dinklestaff?

Pass.

Posted by: Anna Puma at August 30, 2025 10:04 PM (SL2Gl)

208 I go through TCM's streaming movies until I find one with Barbara Stanwyck. Tonight was The Lady Eve before I was rudely interrupted 1/2 way through.

Posted by: jsg at August 30, 2025 10:06 PM (CZICZ)

209 Movies denigrating southerners as imbeciles?

Oh wait, here comes Southern Comfort to get revenge.

Posted by: Anna Puma at August 30, 2025 10:07 PM (SL2Gl)

210 196 I noticed today that Tarantino always portrays southerners as dumb hicks.
Posted by: polynikes at August 30, 2025 09:43 PM (EYmYM)
He ain't the only one in 'entertainment' does that. Screw them.
Posted by: Eromero
------

They all do. There's never been a film (perhaps excepting GWTW) that did not portray us as toothless rednecks.
Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 30, 2025 09:54 PM (XeU6L)

That was one of the things that made The Walking Dead tv show so fun in the early seasons. Merle and Daryl Dixon were obviously created just to be stupid, angry southerners, with no purpose but to antagonize the good guys. But, by piling every stereotype imaginable onto them, they (especially Daryl) became the characters most suited to survive the zombie apocalypse. It took about 30 seconds of screentime to establish Daryl as the most competent character in the show... Too bad the show lasted longer than anyone cared to watch it..

Posted by: Castle Guy at August 30, 2025 10:07 PM (Lhaco)

211 They all do. There's never been a film (perhaps excepting GWTW) that did not portray us as toothless rednecks.
Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 30, 2025 09:54 PM (XeU6L)

Again.

"Mud."

Watch it.

You'll like it.

Posted by: Mikey Alpha Kilo, Nobody Reads My Posts at August 30, 2025 10:09 PM (0aYVJ)

212 LAST!!!

Posted by: Mikey Alpha Kilo, Nobody Reads My Posts at August 30, 2025 10:12 PM (0aYVJ)

213 Great conversation—sorry I missed it. All I can add at this late hour is that Seconds is outstanding, and if you’re interested in Andersonville, check out “The Andersonville Trial” starring William Shatner—it’s one of his best performances.

Posted by: Open Channel D at August 30, 2025 10:52 PM (oG4N2)

214 Greyhound is on Yoyo Movies . Net.
Posted by: Boss Moss at August 30, 2025 09:59 PM (SiPZg)\\

Thanks. Amazon Prime's "Greyhound" offering finally offered a rental option, so I watched the full movie this evening. A very good movie, based on CS Forester's novel "The Good Shepherd". That's a great book, too.

Posted by: mrp at August 31, 2025 01:26 AM (rj6Yv)

215 I saw the challenge in the theater opening weekend with my uncle , I was 11 or 12, I loved it at the time, and I've wat it multiple times since, I don't know how you can be so critical of it, but I enjoyed it

Posted by: Ed4956 at August 31, 2025 06:52 AM (OcCdH)

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