All Things Movie/Documentary Reviews/Recommendations Thread

Watched Wolfs last night. Brad Pitt and George Clooney collaboration. Thought it was ok, nothing special at all.
 

Looking up editors found that Scorsese used Thelma Schoonmaker on
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
The Irishman
Silence
The Wolf of Wall Street
Hugo
Shutter Island
The Departed
The Aviator
Gangs of New York
Bringing Out the Dead
My Voyage to Italy
Kundun
Casino
The Age of Innocence
Cape Fear
Goodfellas
The Last Temptation of Christ
The Color of Money
After Hours
The King of Comedy
Raging Bull
Street Scenes
Woodstock
Who’s That Knocking At My Door (1967)
 

I had very high hopes considering the critic's reviews as well as recommendations from family members regarding the movie Sing Sing.

It did not disappoint. It's a tremendous film and wonderful experience, in all aspects.

The way that it was filmed, I actually felt like we were invited to the hoosegow, to watch a play.

Best prison buddy film since The Shawshank Redemption. Maybe as good. Seriously.


Colman Domingo is a virtual certainty to be recognized for nominations when Award Season arrives.
Just watched it. Very good. Very moving.
 

I had very high hopes considering the critic's reviews as well as recommendations from family members regarding the movie Sing Sing.

It did not disappoint. It's a tremendous film and wonderful experience, in all aspects.

The way that it was filmed, I actually felt like we were invited to the hoosegow, to watch a play.

Best prison buddy film since The Shawshank Redemption. Maybe as good. Seriously.


Colman Domingo is a virtual certainty to be recognized for nominations when Award Season arrives.
Tried, unsuccessfully, to find the last song played in the movie. It jumps from classical to the song I’m referring to. Really liked that song. Looked up the soundtrack, played most of them. No luck.
 

Tried, unsuccessfully, to find the last song played in the movie. It jumps from classical to the song I’m referring to. Really liked that song. Looked up the soundtrack, played most of them. No luck.
I stayed through the End Credits but the final song isn't really ringing a bell with me. Sometimes IMDB will list all the songs, but I didn't see anything for Sing Sing.
 





Was it fun? I found The Instigators to be fun, even if it’s a movie I will likely soon forget.
They have good repartee. So would answer yes to the fun. And also forgettable.
Gosh, I just looked up The Instigators thinking I hadn’t watched it, but I had.
Yup, would put Wolfs with that movie.
 



Finally got around to watching "Dune-Part 2" last night. initial response - I liked it, but I don't think it was the masterpiece some people are claiming. the bare bones of the plot stayed fairly true to the book, but they did make some fairly notable changes in how certain characters were handled, especially with the relationship between Paul and Chani.

aside from the plot, it is a really good-looking film. Villeneuve is a great visual director - there are some stunning individual shots and scenes are choreographed in striking ways. the sound track uses some unusual instrumentations, giving it an "unearthly" quality.

but - and this is a personal thing for me - it just bugs the bleep out of me when people decide to do a movie based on a very popular book, and then they change stuff - seemingly just for the sake of change. If the movie would have stayed more true to the book, I think it would have been just as good if not better. but that's just me. If you've never read the book, you probably think it's a great film.
 

I just learned Peacock has a 3 part documentary from Scott’s point of view coming out this week, will be curious if they present new info. It mentions the Innocence Project in this article:


Go Gophers!!
Just curious Bleed, have you gotten around to watching this yet?
 

Just watched The Hill on Netflix. True story and that was cool but the acting wasn’t the best although Dennis Quaid wasn’t to bad
 

With pretty stellar reviews for The Substance starring Demi Moore, I had high expectations.

The were not met. I was all aboard through the halfway point, but I didn't care for the 3rd act, despite how good Moore's performance is. Calling it "bold" is an understatement. Dennis Quaid & Margaret Qually are also top notch in this.

First time I have ever seen a credit for "Breast Prosthetics".
 



here's something to (potentially) look forward to - a new Beatles documentary coming out this Fall:

The Beatles‘ 1964 trip to America will be chronicled in a new documentary from producer Martin Scorsese and director David Tedeschi.

Titled “Beatles ’64,” the film will be released on Disney+ on Nov. 29 and features never-before-seen footage of the band and its legions of young fans during the height of Beatlemania. It also includes new interviews with the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

The doc follows McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Starr as they land in New York City in February 1964 and solidify their status as the biggest band in the world. “Beatles ’64” promises to tell “a more intimate behind the scenes story” of the Fab Four as they debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show” to more than 73 million viewers, which back then was the most-watched television event of all time.

“Beatles ’64” features rare footage filmed by documentarians Albert and David Maysles, restored in 4K by Park Road Post in New Zealand.
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I was reading an article about this. apparently they've used new technology to clear up the audio on the performance segments so you can really hear what the band sounded like. I was 9-years old in '64 and I remember Beatlemania. there were Beatles trading cards and the Beatles cartoon on Saturday mornings. it was nuts.
 

With pretty stellar reviews for The Substance starring Demi Moore, I had high expectations.

The were not met. I was all aboard through the halfway point, but I didn't care for the 3rd act, despite how good Moore's performance is. Calling it "bold" is an understatement. Dennis Quaid & Margaret Qually are also top notch in this.

First time I have ever seen a credit for "Breast Prosthetics".
Didn't realize it's 2 hours 21 minutes.
 


Last night, looking for something to watch, stumbled across Hotel Armetis. Really the only reason I went ahead and viewed it was because Dave Bautista is in it. He is always surprisingly good. Not a huge role, but held his own. Watched him in the 2nd season of “See” and thought he did a very good job in that series too.
Might have to say he’s probably the most talented of the wrestlers that crossed over into acting. Saying talented, not most successful.
 

Last night, looking for something to watch, stumbled across Hotel Armetis. Really the only reason I went ahead and viewed it was because Dave Bautista is in it. He is always surprisingly good. Not a huge role, but held his own. Watched him in the 2nd season of “See” and thought he did a very good job in that series too.
Might have to say he’s probably the most talented of the wrestlers that crossed over into acting. Saying talented, not most successful.
If you like Bautista, check out "A Knock at the Door"...sneaky good movie and he carries it.
 



Last night, looking for something to watch, stumbled across Hotel Armetis. Really the only reason I went ahead and viewed it was because Dave Bautista is in it. He is always surprisingly good. Not a huge role, but held his own. Watched him in the 2nd season of “See” and thought he did a very good job in that series too.
Might have to say he’s probably the most talented of the wrestlers that crossed over into acting. Saying talented, not most successful.
Blade Runner 2049. He's not in there long but he's fantastic.
 

Best movies with a wrestler in a prominent role?
Guardians of the Galaxy
Rocky III
Roadhouse (Terry Funk)
Predator
They Live
The Princess Bride
The Iron Claw (Chavo Guerrero Jr.)
The Wrestler (cameos from a few former wrestlers)

What am I missing? As much as I loved The Rock's WWE persona, I don't think I've ever watched any of his big screen offerings--just no interest from what I've seen in previews/write ups.
 

Best movies with a wrestler in a prominent role?
Guardians of the Galaxy
Rocky III
Roadhouse (Terry Funk)
Predator
They Live
The Princess Bride
The Iron Claw (Chavo Guerrero Jr.)
The Wrestler (cameos from a few former wrestlers)

What am I missing? As much as I loved The Rock's WWE persona, I don't think I've ever watched any of his big screen offerings--just no interest from what I've seen in previews/write ups.

I would add Fighting With My Family. The Rock is in that, plus he produced it, but his role is a pretty small (but pivotal) cameo. Good movie.

Only other Rock movies I have seen are the Get Smart remake and The Other Guys. Both movies are decent as I recall, but I honestly can't recall any of his scenes.
 

Best movies with a wrestler in a prominent role?
Guardians of the Galaxy
Rocky III
Roadhouse (Terry Funk)
Predator
They Live
The Princess Bride
The Iron Claw (Chavo Guerrero Jr.)
The Wrestler (cameos from a few former wrestlers)

What am I missing? As much as I loved The Rock's WWE persona, I don't think I've ever watched any of his big screen offerings--just no interest from what I've seen in previews/write ups.
"See No Evil" with Kane is very well received by a lot of horror fans.

For all times I've watched "Roadhouse", the fact that I never realized that was Terry Funk is mind-blowing to me.
 

I would put the movie "Saturday Night" detailing the premier episode of SNL in the good, not great category.

The 2 best young male lead debut performances I have seen this decade have been Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) and Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans), in movies I both enjoyed immensely. Both of those films they were playing High School kids, which makes sense because they were of HS age.

Now just a few years later they Hoffman (age 20 at filming) and LaBelle (age 22) are playing what would be TV titans, Dick Ebersol & Lorne Michaels respectively. That makes them about 7-8 years younger than the real life characters they play when Saturday Night hit the NBC airwaves in 1975.

The kids are up to the task, as is the entire cast. A few of the on-air talents have it spot on, not just the Not Ready for Prime Time Players but others such as Billy Crystal, George Carlin, Paul Shaffer, Andy Kaufman-Jim Henson, Billy Preston, Uncle Milty as well as Franken & Davis.

It plays a real time thriller, with the suspense being "will they go LIVE or not?" Of course it's a bit of a drawback in my mind, because 50 years later we know how the story ends.

I do think it captures the chaos quite well.
 

just a note - as of today, "Road Diary" is streaming on Hulu and Disney+. this is a behind-the-scenes documentary about Bruce Springsteen's new tour. supposed to include a lot of concert footage, but also rehearsal footage and interviews with band members.

I plan to watch it later tonight - but have to do PA for a Section Volleyball match first, so it won't be until later. will post a reaction after I've seen it.
 

just a note - as of today, "Road Diary" is streaming on Hulu and Disney+. this is a behind-the-scenes documentary about Bruce Springsteen's new tour. supposed to include a lot of concert footage, but also rehearsal footage and interviews with band members.

I plan to watch it later tonight - but have to do PA for a Section Volleyball match first, so it won't be until later. will post a reaction after I've seen it.

short review - if you're a hard-core Springsteen fan, there's not a lot that's new here. The Doc covers the preparations for the tour and follows the band through several US stops and a fairly heavy focus on the European leg.

the main focus is on how the show is developed through rehearsals. a lot of rehearsal footage, some concert footage, and interviews with the core band members. Springsteen does a running voice-over commentary talking about what he wanted to accomplish with the tour. There is also commentary from several European fans. there is some archival footage of the band's early years, contrasting what touring was like in the 70's versus today, and how the band members deal with getting older as a touring musician.

for me as a long-time Springsteen fan, some of the best stuff was the interviews. Steve Van Zandt is always great, but the doc shows how much he contributes to the overall sound of the band. Gary Tallent is pretty funny. Max Weinberg provides a lot of context into how they've integrated the horn section and other musicians into the core group. the Doc also touches on how Charlie Giordano and Jake Clemons have had the difficult task of replacing Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons.

verdict - if you don't know much about Springsteen, you'll learn a lot. If you're already a fan, well, there is no such thing as too much E Street Band.
 

short review - if you're a hard-core Springsteen fan, there's not a lot that's new here. The Doc covers the preparations for the tour and follows the band through several US stops and a fairly heavy focus on the European leg.

the main focus is on how the show is developed through rehearsals. a lot of rehearsal footage, some concert footage, and interviews with the core band members. Springsteen does a running voice-over commentary talking about what he wanted to accomplish with the tour. There is also commentary from several European fans. there is some archival footage of the band's early years, contrasting what touring was like in the 70's versus today, and how the band members deal with getting older as a touring musician.

for me as a long-time Springsteen fan, some of the best stuff was the interviews. Steve Van Zandt is always great, but the doc shows how much he contributes to the overall sound of the band. Gary Tallent is pretty funny. Max Weinberg provides a lot of context into how they've integrated the horn section and other musicians into the core group. the Doc also touches on how Charlie Giordano and Jake Clemons have had the difficult task of replacing Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons.

verdict - if you don't know much about Springsteen, you'll learn a lot. If you're already a fan, well, there is no such thing as too much E Street Band.
Saw him for the first time last summer at at he Meadowlands and it was an incredible show. If the shows I’ve seen only Prince played as long; gotta have the catalogue and heart to do it.
 

"See No Evil" with Kane is very well received by a lot of horror fans.

For all times I've watched "Roadhouse", the fact that I never realized that was Terry Funk is mind-blowing to me.
Gee Slim I thought that was pretty obvious Terry Funk was in the movie
 





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