Moxie's Movie Reel

[MargaretMcAleer]

I wished you folks would have grown up in the USA.. I haven't seen the movie but I live thru a lot of his early years. In 1979 when he came out with the Off the Wall album, we all knew then God had delivered to our generation THE PRINCE THAT WAS PROMISED, IMO.

No I was quite happy growing up living in Italy I have visited USA many times, no offence I could not live there, your gun problem for one? also you Amercian 's put pineapple on your pizza's? Meh my poor papa nearly fell off his chair when we were in NYC I have all Michaels albums,
Like Federberg when I got home from watching the movie I put Thriller on
Michael was born before his time, music wise, thank God we have all got to enjoy his music forever!

 

[Federberg]

 

[Kieran]

I often think about Tarantino deciding to quit making films. I reckon he’d put too much pressure on himself and it wore him down. It’s a pity because he’s created a whole new genre: Tarantinoesque. And he’s the best at it. One upon a time in Hollywood was excellent.

But still - I don’t think he’s made a great film that stands along the very best that Hollywood has made, like The godfather or the Conversation, Goodfellas or Unforgiven.. He lacks depth, or suspense. His films never move me, though I still either love or like them. They’re entertainment, and they all end with Itchy and Scratchy beating the shit out of each other, which can be distracting. I hope he’ll change his mind and make films differently as he ages…

 

[Federberg]

I often think about Tarantino deciding to quit making films. I reckon he’d put too much pressure on himself and it wore him down. It’s a pity because he’s created a whole new genre: Tarantinoesque. And he’s the best at it. One upon a time in Hollywood was excellent.

But still - I don’t think he’s made a great film that stands along the very best that Hollywood has made, like The godfather or the Conversation, Goodfellas or Unforgiven.. He lacks depth, or suspense. His films never move me, though I still either love or like them. They’re entertainment, and they all end with Itchy and Scratchy beating the shit out of each other, which can be distracting. I hope he’ll change his mind and make films differently as he ages…

hmmm that's interesting. I think I would put Pulp Fiction up there as an all time classic

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

hmmm that's interesting. I think I would put Pulp Fiction up there as an all time classic

One of my all favorite Tarantino movies Pulp Fiction

 

[Kieran]

hmmm that's interesting. I think I would put Pulp Fiction up there as an all time classic

Yeah I think that one stands out, particularly for its originality and its influence. I think also reservoir dogs. I’m not saying he hasn’t make “great films”, because he makes great Tarantino films, he’s a genre unto himself, and he has incredible aesthetic virtues in how he frames his films and writes them, the casting, the music.

It’s just, the very greatest films have something at stake in them, they have some meaning, and Tarantino’s are more like a twist in the tale, they’re hugely inventive and cool and entertaining, but I find them light in a lot of ways as well? I don’t know, because I really like his films but I watched Unforgiven lately and I know he hasn’t make a film like that, and nor would he probably want to.

By the way, he’s an excellent critic, his book Cinema Speculation is brilliant. You can hear chapters of it on YouTube, and I thought it was him reading it but it’s an excellent AI version of his voice. There’s a few chapters of the book on this channel:

 

[Federberg]

Yeah I think that one stands out, particularly for its originality and its influence. I think also reservoir dogs. I’m not saying he hasn’t make “great films”, because he makes great Tarantino films, he’s a genre unto himself, and he has incredible aesthetic virtues in how he frames his films and writes them, the casting, the music.

It’s just, the very greatest films have something at stake in them, they have some meaning, and Tarantino’s are more like a twist in the tale, they’re hugely inventive and cool and entertaining, but I find them light in a lot of ways as well? I don’t know, because I really like his films but I watched Unforgiven lately and I know he hasn’t make a film like that, and nor would he probably want to.

By the way, he’s an excellent critic, his book Cinema Speculation is brilliant. You can hear chapters of it on YouTube, and I thought it was him reading it but it’s an excellent AI version of his voice. There’s a few chapters of the book on this channel:

I hear what you're saying. And I do agree that some of the greatest movies make you think deeply. But I also think there's space to be just... entertained. For me it's about my mood, what am I looking for in a movie. Some just punch you in the face because they're just so good and you didn't see it coming. I felt that way the first time I watched Twelve Angry Men. I was just flicking channels, about to go to bed, over an hour later I was still sitting on the edge of the sofa as if I was about to go. I was paralysed, spellbound. But then there's a movie like Pulp Fiction that makes you laugh, surprises you because it's something you didn't expect. The little details in it. I think there's space for both. For me the most important thing isn't it's level of profoundness. It's whether it grips you. Whether you can watch it again and again and again... I think, for me, Pulp Fiction is one of those. I would even put a movie like GroundHog Day in that category. I can watch that movie a hundred times and it never gets old, I never get bored of it. That for me is an all timer. It's impervious to time, it's endlessly engaging

 

[Kieran]

I hear what you're saying. And I do agree that some of the greatest movies make you think deeply. But I also think there's space to be just... entertained. For me it's about my mood, what am I looking for in a movie. Some just punch you in the face because they're just so good and you didn't see it coming. I felt that way the first time I watched Twelve Angry Men. I was just flicking channels, about to go to bed, over an hour later I was still sitting on the edge of the sofa as if I was about to go. I was paralysed, spellbound. But then there's a movie like Pulp Fiction that makes you laugh, surprises you because it's something you didn't expect. The little details in it. I think there's space for both. For me the most important thing isn't it's level of profoundness. It's whether it grips you. Whether you can watch it again and again and again... I think, for me, Pulp Fiction is one of those. I would even put a movie like GroundHog Day in that category. I can watch that movie a hundred times and it never gets old, I never get bored of it. That for me is an all timer. It's impervious to time, it's endlessly engaging

Yeah I agree with that, and those films are say, easier on the eye, but it’s not like they’re “easy to make” cos if they were, there’d be more of them. To hit on an original idea like Groundhog Day is only a small part of it, you need great filmmakers and cast etc to bring it to what it should be. I do love Tarantino films, but I’m disappointed he’s thinking to stop making them. He says he doesn’t want to be an old filmmaker with a patchy cv, but nothing can undo what he did with pulp fiction. I’d just love to see what he’s capable of on his later years..

 

[Federberg]

Yeah I agree with that, and those films are say, easier on the eye, but it’s not like they’re “easy to make” cos if they were, there’d be more of them. To hit on an original idea like Groundhog Day is only a small part of it, you need great filmmakers and cast etc to bring it to what it should be. I do love Tarantino films, but I’m disappointed he’s thinking to stop making them. He says he doesn’t want to be an old filmmaker with a patchy cv, but nothing can undo what he did with pulp fiction. I’d just love to see what he’s capable of on his later years..

I think some of his less heralded movies are also surprisingly good. Like Jackie Brown and Death Proof. I have a feeling he loves the gig too much to stop. He's actually needed more now than ever. The stuff Hollywood is pushing out right now is pure trash. When I think of the last few years the movies that I recall that I've talked about after leaving the cinemas are: F1, Michael Jackson, Top Gun Maverick. I'm struggling to think of anything else that's sparked more than a passing conversation.

 

[Kieran]

I think some of his less heralded movies are also surprisingly good. Like Jackie Brown and Death Proof. I have a feeling he loves the gig too much to stop. He's actually needed more now than ever. The stuff Hollywood is pushing out right now is pure trash. When I think of the last few years the movies that I recall that I've talked about after leaving the cinemas are: F1, Michael Jackson, Top Gun Maverick. I'm struggling to think of anything else that's sparked more than a passing conversation.

I haven’t seen F1 but I’ve watched Top Gun Maverick more times than the whole of Fellini’s films in total. It’s fantastic. I only wished I’d seen it in the cinema on the biggest feck off screen imaginable.

 

[Federberg]

I haven’t seen F1 but I’ve watched Top Gun Maverick more times than the whole of Fellini’s films in total. It’s fantastic. I only wished I’d seen it in the cinema on the biggest feck off screen imaginable.

oh I highly recommend F1. That was what I call a movie! There are films you watch in the cinema and there are movies that are made for cinema. F1 is one of those, just like Top Gun Maverick

 

[Kieran]

Same director, yeah, just looking him up. He also did Oblivion. I’ll try catch F1, thanks for the recommend!

oh I highly recommend F1. That was what I call a movie! There are films you watch in the cinema and there are movies that are made for cinema. F1 is one of those, just like Top Gun Maverick

 

[the AntiPusher]

I often think about Tarantino deciding to quit making films. I reckon he’d put too much pressure on himself and it wore him down. It’s a pity because he’s created a whole new genre: Tarantinoesque. And he’s the best at it. One upon a time in Hollywood was excellent.

But still - I don’t think he’s made a great film that stands along the very best that Hollywood has made, like The godfather or the Conversation, Goodfellas or Unforgiven.. He lacks depth, or suspense. His films never move me, though I still either love or like them. They’re entertainment, and they all end with Itchy and Scratchy beating the shit out of each other, which can be distracting. I hope he’ll change his mind and make films differently as he ages…

Au contraire QT .. In his films, there is always flaws with his characters meaning morally they have all experience some sort of emotional trauma which has led them to cross the lines for what's right and what's wrong. His characters main purpose is to survive by any means necessary .. He has not created a film about someone you want to cheer for like Rocky, Forrest Gump or Andy Defresne from the Shawshank Redemption. Most of his characters are barely antiheros like the Bride from Kill Bill or Jackie Brown. Strong women who does what it takes to survive. If the Bride didnt get to complete her revenge or if Jackie didnt outsmart the gangster, I think nobody would have been sad whereas everyone wanted Andy to escape Shawshank and for Red to make to Mexico to see his friend Andy. I think Pulp Fiction is definitely a great film.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I finally got to watch this, at sister @Moxie recommendation. I probably wouldn’t have otherwise, but the missus is away - she won’t watch horror and violence - and it’s a good way to think of Susan. I have to say, I wish she was here. We might have a good Barney about this one. We might agree a bit, too. Reading @Fiero425 say it sounds like the Colour Purple with a vampire twist isn’t far off.

There are SPOILERS ahead!

It’s got genetic capital-B black themes, with the vampires being an explicit metaphor for the Klan, and the old chestnut about the bluesman selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads more or less literally takes place in this film.

Others have told me it reminds them of Tarantino’s film, From Dusk To Dawn, which it does, and could have benefited from his flair for writing and blending genres, but none of these derivative qualities would be enough to disqualify it from being a great film. They might even aid it. The acting is supreme, the filming, the music, everything is gorgeous.

Michael Jordan deserves all his plaudits, and so do the rest of them. It became very creepy in parts and it subverts the usual gothic vampire spiel by having it happen in the 30’s in Mississippi. It respects the vampire rule that they must be invited in, but their attempts to cadge an invite don’t resemble Victorian gentlemen trying to cajole a trembling innocent with love-words, but often violent threats and very virile insinuations that what comes next is better for them all.

There’s an Irish element and great Irish music, and a parasitic Irish vampire who wants to turn a young bluesman, to get his music.

Where it doesn’t quite reach greatness is in the climax to the movie, where everything is at stake. Literally. It just kind of fizzles out rather becoming gripping. The Klan then turn up to prove they’re no metaphor and there’s more gore. But all this is quite predictably done, looks more like television than cinema, and so it doesn’t hugely impress.

But there is an immensely impressive coda buried into the credits. The credits pause and and there’s a scene with the young bluesman is still playing, sixty years later. He’s played now by the real bluesman, Buddy Guy. He’s drinking alone after a show, and he’s visited by two of the main characters from back in the thirties. Two vampires.

They have quite interesting discussion, about the ordinariness of things since that night. And the religious blues singer is made an offer. It’s quite poignant, seeing the vampires, played by Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld look powerful and young, beside the faded singer, who is younger than them. Then the credits continue, with more great music. Soundtrack on this one is excellent.

OMG.. Au contraire again my friend.. Sinners for me was a pure masterpiece. So many genres covered, So many themes. The whole Choctaw Indians culture or folks calling evil spirits "Haints" is so prevalent because I experience that on my first encounters visiting my grandparents in the South when I grew up from the west side of Chicago. That movie had so many easter eggs and yes there were a lot of females that was hesitant because they thought it was ONLY another Horror film. I screen it first in IMAX and was an amazing experience.

 

[Kieran]

OMG.. Au contraire again my friend.. Sinners for me was a pure masterpiece. So many genres covered, So many themes. The whole Choctaw Indians culture or folks calling evil spirits "Haints" is so prevalent because I experience that on my first encounters visiting my grandparents in the South when I grew up from the west side of Chicago. That movie had so many easter eggs and yes there were a lot of females that was hesitant because they thought it was ONLY another Horror film. I screen it first in IMAX and was an amazing experience.

I’m glad you enjoyed it, bro. I didn’t think it was a bad film and I can see why people liked it. It is worth a watch, unlike a lot of other Oscar winners..

 

[the AntiPusher]

I’m glad you enjoyed it, bro. I didn’t think it was a bad film and I can see why people liked it. It is worth a watch, unlike a lot of other Oscar winners..

Yes Sir.. it was definitely the Best Picture of the year.. the Academy got it wrong as usual

 

[Kieran]

Yes Sir.. it was definitely the Best Picture of the year.. the Academy got it wrong as usual

Yeah, still hard to believe Goodfellas lost to dancing with wolves. There’s so many times when it’s difficult to underhand how they vote, and why. Dancing With Wolves was good, but Goodfellas is incredible..

 

[the AntiPusher]

Yeah, still hard to believe Goodfellas lost to dancing with wolves. There’s so many times when it’s difficult to underhand how they vote, and why. Dancing With Wolves was good, but Goodfellas is incredible..

@Kieran there are numerous versions of the movie Sinners explained. Here is one of them. Ryan Coogler put an extraordinary amount of detail work into the meaning of the many themes to Sinners. the job Michael B Jordan did to play these 3 characters Smoke, Stack and the vampire is masterful.