Review Club's Movie of the Week Thread

[Lepidopterous]

QuasidodoJr's Movie of the Week: It Happened One Night

This thread is dedicated to discussing one movie at a time. The particular movie up for discussion will be cycled every two weeks. The first week will be for members to view the film. The second week will be spent discussing, breaking apart, and analyzing the film. The purpose of this thread is to give members a chance to share their appreciation of a particular film with others.

Anybody can participate in the discussions, but the movie of the week will be chosen by one member at a time, each modest contributors of https://forum.blu-ray.com/movies/127...sion-club.html thread. The order in which each member will have their turn to pick a movie is decided by a randomly generated list of aforementioned users from that thread that offered to participate. The rules will be amended as we go along.

Each member will announce their movie pick of the week during the previous discussion week to allow adequate time for accessing a copy of the movie.

Official order of movie picks:
iam1bearcat
tbizzle
DjMethod
surfdude12
Al_The_Strange
SquidPuppet
two40
CZAR
Steve46
jhiggy
Romulus
Beta Man
QuasidodoJr
Riff Magnum

Thanks to two40 for presenting the idea, and everyone else for participating.

[SquidPuppet]

#1 Solaris (1972) (bearcat) 11/19/2010
scores: iam1bearcat 5/5 : DjMethod 4/5 : Al the Strange 4/5 : Steve46 3/5 : SquidPuppet 2/5 : jhiggy 3.5/4 : tbizzle 3.5/5

#2 Miller's Crossing (tbizzle) 12/05/2010
scores: SquidPuppet 4.75/5 : Al the Strange 3.5/5 : two40 4/5 : DjMethod 4.5/5 : Steve46 4/5 : tbizzle 4.25/5

#3 Ghost in the Shell (DjMethod) 12/22/2010
scores: Al the Strange 4.5/5 : iam1bearcat 3/5 : Beta Man 2.01/5 : Romulus 4/5 :Quasidodo Jr 3.5
CZAR 2.5/5 : DjMethod 5/5 : SquidPuppet 3.5/5 : two40 3.5/5 : tbizzle 3/5

#4 The Manchurian Candidate (1962) (Al_The_Strange) 01/03/2011
Scores: Quasidod Jr 4/5 : SquidPuppet 4/5 : Al the Strange 4.5/5 : Beta Man 4.5/5 : Steve46 4/5 :
DjMethod 3.5/5 : Romulus 4.5/5

#5 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (SquidPuppet) 01/16/2011
Scores: Riff Magnum 4/5 : Czar 3.5/5 : Two40 4/5 : Al the Strange 3.5/5 : SquidPuppet 3/5 : Steve46 4.5/5 : Romulus 3/5 : Beta Man 5/5 : tbizzle 4.75/5

#6 The Hudsucker Proxy (two40) 01/30/2011
Scores: QuasidodoJr 4/5 : Al_The_Strange 4/5 : Two40 3.5/5 : Beta Man 4.5/5 : Riff Magnum 2.5/5 : CZAR 3/5 : Romulus 3.5/5

#7 A Soldier's Story (CZAR) 2/13/11
Scores: SquidPuppet 3.75/5 : Al_The_Strange 3.5/5 : Czar 4/5 : Beta Man 3.5/5 : Riff Magnum 2/5 : Romulus 3/5

#8 Control (Steve46) 2/27/11
Scores: Al The Strange 3.5/5 : Beta Man 3.2/5 : Steve46 5/5 : Riff Magnum 4.5/5

#9 Hiroshima Mon Amour (JHiggy) 3/14/11
Scores: Al The Strange 2/5 : SquidPuppet 1.5/5 : DjMethod 5/5 : Beta Man 4.5/5 : PhiLeingFunkie 4/5
Jhiggy 3/4

#10 Memories of Murder (Romulus) 3/27/11
Scores: Beta Man 3.75/5 : Quilty 4/5 : Al The Strange 4.5/5 : SquidPuppet 2.5/5

#11 The Cincinnati Kid (Beta Man) 4/10/11
Scores: Al The Strange 4/5 : SquidPuppet 3/5

#12 It Happened One Night (QusidodJr) 4/24/11
Scores: Al The Strange 3/5 : Steve46 3.75/5 : Quilty 4/5

[two40]

reserve two

[tbizzle]

reserve 3, this should be fun.

[iam1bearcat]

fyi to all, my selection should be chosen by tomorrow night

[Steve46]

I vote that we don't bother with spoiler quotes because the title of the thread implies that you have seen the film.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

#1 Solaris (1972) (bearcat)
scores: iam1bearcat 5/5 : DjMethod 4/5 : Al the Strange 4/5 : Steve46 3/5 : SquidPuppet 2/5

#2 Miller's Crossing (tbizzle)

I give it 3 1/2 (out of 4)

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

I give it 3 1/2 (out of 4)

both?

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

both?

Just Solyaris.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

I give it 3 1/2 (out of 4)

added

[SquidPuppet]

Millers Crossing

If you go into this film with your expectations properly alligned (Coen mode) you will be rewarded.

I love the story. I love the noir mood and look. The characters are so deliciously intentionally stereotypical, it's awesome. The shady guy, the big Irish boss, the ultra high blood pressure, wound tighter than a spring Italian up and comer, the henchmen, the small time swindler, the bad girl, the crooked politicians and cops. It just wreaks of comic book cliche and works perfectly. Everbody is screwing everybody, literally and figuratively.

Casting is perfect and everyone does a great job. They act like 40's actors in a 40's film. Eveyone is a charicature and I love it.

The dialogue is so breif and dry and filled with era-centric slangs. Every line includes a cut, or a jab, or a snarky retort. Every sentence is a dark punchline from yesteryear. "Ya gotta lip on ya kid"

The shootouts are ridiculous, over the top, with neverending ammo supplies and impossible misses and impossible hits. Perfect! Just like the old Golden Era of Hollywood.

The camerawork is five star genius and an homage to throwback retro 40's style. It's executed with extreme confidence to perfect success. Framing and composition are both on parade for the entire flick, and they are glorious.

Costumes, hair, sets, streets, signage, lamp posts, furniture, autos.... 11 out of 10. Trenchcoats, wide lapels, shiney shoes, and hats. Hats, hats and more hats.

Knock knock:

Verna: Yeah?
Tom: I've come for my hat!
Verna: Drop Dead
Tom: Can I have a drink?
Verna: Why didnt you say so?

4.75/5

And the DVD looke pretty darn good upscaled.

[SquidPuppet]

Dont skip this one because it's only DVD. The DVD looks really good. Better than a lot of the weaker Blus that are out there.

I'm like you, in that DVDs are a "challenge", but this one is nice.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

#1 Solaris (1972) (bearcat)
scores: iam1bearcat 5/5 : DjMethod 4/5 : Al the Strange 4/5 : Steve46 3/5 : SquidPuppet 2/5 : jhiggy 3.5/4 : tbizzle 3.5/5

#2 Miller's Crossing (tbizzle)
scores: SquidPuppet 4.75/5 : Al the Strange 3.5/5 : two40 4/5 : DjMethod 4.5/5

You missed my Miller's Crossing score:

Miller's Crossing

I'm assuming that everyone reading this review has seen the movie. If you haven't, stop reading now.

Where shall I start:

I like the Coen brothers. Their quirky way of presenting a story is funny to me. Fargo is my favorite of theirs in that regard with villains who kill without regret and yet keep me laughing while they do it. There's even some of that in No Country For Old Men; their other entry in my Top 20. Tongue-in-cheek is a term that can be applied to all of their work at some point during the stories. It's my favorite kind of humor because it mirrors real life. We don't try for a laugh every time we open our mouths. We ad lib and comment on things within real situations.

I don't like gangster movies. I don't find it entertaining watching characters get blown away every couple of minutes. I don't find those acts cool in any way. For a gangster movie to work for me on any level, it needs good characters and people that I care about. I care about a couple of characters in The Departed, but I don't have a strong connection with anyone in Miller's Crossing.

Technically, it's very strong. There's a lot of dialogue and that's a plus for me. It's not on Tarantino's level, but nothing else is in my estimation. But at least the dialogue here has a point. At least there is dialogue. The movie tries to tell a story whereas many utterly fail like Public Enemies.

The exposition is handled slowly. We are thrown into a situation in the story without knowing who anyone is. They are talking about people who aren't on screen and so we have to wait to meet them to attach full meaning to the dialogue. This initial conversation tells us that Leo (Albert Finney), who pretty much runs things, is making an error of judgment. He is asked by Caspar (Jon Polito), who aspires to greater things and more power, to kill someone who has crossed him, Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro). Bernie is the brother of Leo's girl Verna (Marcia Gay Harden) and he doesn't want to upset her. Tommy (Gabriel Byrne) is the main character in the movie and sees that Leo (his boss) is underestimating Caspar and putting his position and his life at risk.

The story is essentially about Tommy. What he does, who he trusts, who he cares about, who he wants dead and how he handles his own problems.

The subject of ethics is mentioned a lot:

Leo offers to pay Tommy's gambling debts, but Tommy wants to take care of things himself.

Tommy feels that it's right he should warn Leo about Verna's slutty behavior, but he's also sleeping with her himself.

He betrays Bernie's location on the spur of the moment without any sign of regret.

He's asked to kill Bernie to prove his loyalty to Caspar, but fakes Bernie's death before killing him later. This takes place at a spot in the woods named Miller's Crossing. Did he use Bernie as a tool to get to Caspar, or did he just decide that Bernie had to die much later?

The movie is full of criminals and corrupt people. The police chief and mayor are seen enjoying a friendly visit with Leo. Later, the scene is almost duplicated as they visit Caspar. It seems that nobody can trust anybody else in this movie.

Tommy uses everyone, but it's never made entirely clear what he's really after. He's easily the most complex character in the story. Is he loyal to Leo and trying to eliminate the opposition? There's certainly an argument to be made supporting that, but he shuns Leo's offer to rejoin him at the end. No, Tommy is a loner. He does what he does for his own reasons and doesn't feel the need to explain them. We see a brief snapshot of his life. It's a dangerous life, well portrayed, but it has very little apparent meaning. He pays his debts, but doesn't acquire the money in an ethical way. He supports Leo and then leaves. He walks away from Verna.

Many of the scenes play out like a B movie. We are supposed to be aware that it's a parody of the gangster movie, and yet some scenes are played straight.

The cinematography is interesting. Many of the confrontations take place in shadowy rooms. One of the characters is even referred to as a shadow. The shots at Miller's Crossing take place on cloudy days which was designed to add to the mystery and sense of impending doom for the people taken there. Some of the forest shots distance themselves from us so that we can observe what is happening without being a part of it.

Verna's character was somewhat different. She was portrayed as a snake of a woman who could protect herself. She doesn't break down in any stereotypical way, although she does ask Leo to marry her at the end. It certainly wasn't done for love. Perhaps power? Perhaps mainly for protection? She plays it well and is very different from her recent roles such as Mrs Carmody in The Mist. It's somewhat weird seeing her as an object of desire.

The movie is more a peek into Tommy's world than any great statement about ethics, trust or anything else. It's any interesting place to visit. I wouldn't want to stay. It would have a stronger impact if we knew more about his motivations. Does he care about anyone? Maybe Leo's reputation. Why should we care about Tommy though? What redeeming traits does he have?

This didn't make me care in the same way that Road to Perdition did, although the world is a similar one and just as brutal.

Many consider this the Coen's best work. I can't agree. It's not in my top five in any case. But it's worth watching and is still better than most things churned out these days.

Overall 4/5

[Beta Man]

Excellent...... I'm ready to participate with the next selection then..... whenever that is.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Steve46

You missed my Miller's Crossing score:

Miller's Crossing

[Show spoiler]I'm assuming that everyone reading this review has seen the movie. If you haven't, stop reading now.

Where shall I start:

I like the Coen brothers. Their quirky way of presenting a story is funny to me. Fargo is my favorite of theirs in that regard with villains who kill without regret and yet keep me laughing while they do it. There's even some of that in No Country For Old Men; their other entry in my Top 20. Tongue-in-cheek is a term that can be applied to all of their work at some point during the stories. It's my favorite kind of humor because it mirrors real life. We don't try for a laugh every time we open our mouths. We ad lib and comment on things within real situations.

I don't like gangster movies. I don't find it entertaining watching characters get blown away every couple of minutes. I don't find those acts cool in any way. For a gangster movie to work for me on any level, it needs good characters and people that I care about. I care about a couple of characters in The Departed, but I don't have a strong connection with anyone in Miller's Crossing.

Technically, it's very strong. There's a lot of dialogue and that's a plus for me. It's not on Tarantino's level, but nothing else is in my estimation. But at least the dialogue here has a point. At least there is dialogue. The movie tries to tell a story whereas many utterly fail like Public Enemies.

The exposition is handled slowly. We are thrown into a situation in the story without knowing who anyone is. They are talking about people who aren't on screen and so we have to wait to meet them to attach full meaning to the dialogue. This initial conversation tells us that Leo (Albert Finney), who pretty much runs things, is making an error of judgment. He is asked by Caspar (Jon Polito), who aspires to greater things and more power, to kill someone who has crossed him, Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro). Bernie is the brother of Leo's girl Verna (Marcia Gay Harden) and he doesn't want to upset her. Tommy (Gabriel Byrne) is the main character in the movie and sees that Leo (his boss) is underestimating Caspar and putting his position and his life at risk.

The story is essentially about Tommy. What he does, who he trusts, who he cares about, who he wants dead and how he handles his own problems.

The subject of ethics is mentioned a lot:

Leo offers to pay Tommy's gambling debts, but Tommy wants to take care of things himself.

Tommy feels that it's right he should warn Leo about Verna's slutty behavior, but he's also sleeping with her himself.

He betrays Bernie's location on the spur of the moment without any sign of regret.

He's asked to kill Bernie to prove his loyalty to Caspar, but fakes Bernie's death before killing him later. This takes place at a spot in the woods named Miller's Crossing. Did he use Bernie as a tool to get to Caspar, or did he just decide that Bernie had to die much later?

The movie is full of criminals and corrupt people. The police chief and mayor are seen enjoying a friendly visit with Leo. Later, the scene is almost duplicated as they visit Caspar. It seems that nobody can trust anybody else in this movie.

Tommy uses everyone, but it's never made entirely clear what he's really after. He's easily the most complex character in the story. Is he loyal to Leo and trying to eliminate the opposition? There's certainly an argument to be made supporting that, but he shuns Leo's offer to rejoin him at the end. No, Tommy is a loner. He does what he does for his own reasons and doesn't feel the need to explain them. We see a brief snapshot of his life. It's a dangerous life, well portrayed, but it has very little apparent meaning. He pays his debts, but doesn't acquire the money in an ethical way. He supports Leo and then leaves. He walks away from Verna.

Many of the scenes play out like a B movie. We are supposed to be aware that it's a parody of the gangster movie, and yet some scenes are played straight.

The cinematography is interesting. Many of the confrontations take place in shadowy rooms. One of the characters is even referred to as a shadow. The shots at Miller's Crossing take place on cloudy days which was designed to add to the mystery and sense of impending doom for the people taken there. Some of the forest shots distance themselves from us so that we can observe what is happening without being a part of it.

Verna's character was somewhat different. She was portrayed as a snake of a woman who could protect herself. She doesn't break down in any stereotypical way, although she does ask Leo to marry her at the end. It certainly wasn't done for love. Perhaps power? Perhaps mainly for protection? She plays it well and is very different from her recent roles such as Mrs Carmody in The Mist. It's somewhat weird seeing her as an object of desire.

The movie is more a peek into Tommy's world than any great statement about ethics, trust or anything else. It's any interesting place to visit. I wouldn't want to stay. It would have a stronger impact if we knew more about his motivations. Does he care about anyone? Maybe Leo's reputation. Why should we care about Tommy though? What redeeming traits does he have?

This didn't make me care in the same way that Road to Perdition did, although the world is a similar one and just as brutal.

Many consider this the Coen's best work. I can't agree. It's not in my top five in any case. But it's worth watching and is still better than most things churned out these days.

Overall 4/5

ah, sorry i thought i added it earlier.

[iam1bearcat]

i don't know how much i'll be able to join in on future selections.
for one, Miller's Crossing never came from netflix, nor has anything else, even though everything has said "shipped" with an arrival date so i had to put it on hold for the last few weeks to figure out what the F is up

i can always try the rental store, but depending on the age of the film, it might be in poor condition and skip (especially if it's before 2000 where the rental store never upgrades their copies )

i'd like to continue this thread / group, but until i can get netflix sorted out, and with me working double shifts soon, i might not be able to put in as much input as i would like.

[Lepidopterous]

The next official selection is:

Ghost in the Shell (1995, Mamoru Oshii, 83 min)

There are two versions: the original and Ghost in the Shell 2.0 (not to be confused with the sequel Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, or the TV series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex). Both versions are available on Netflix instant. There is also a US blu-ray release with both versions (so if Czar does not participate this time around, he loses his turn ). I highly recommend watching the original first if this will be your first viewing. I also highly recommend watching it in Japanese with English subtitles, because that is the most accurate presentation of the feature and many ideas get distorted in the dubbing -- believe me, I have seen this film many times. Therefore, it is important that you try to rent a physical copy (blu or DVD) for two reasons:

1) You can select Japanese audio with English subtitles (Netflix instant only offers dubbed)
2) The audio quality of the blu-ray release is reference quality. One of the best sounding blu-rays on the market.

This is an anime film. I understand that some do not prefer to watch any anime. At least let me say, if there was one anime you should ever watch, it is Ghost in the Shell. It is, in my opinion, a masterpiece and an achievement on many levels. Please go in with an open mind even if anime has turned you off in the past. Also, if you have already seen it, please try to watch it again before posting a review. This is science fiction with some heavy philosophy so you can get something new out of it with each viewing. I still do myself and am looking forward to everyone's thoughts.

Lastly, if you do not have Netflix or access to a local rental store, Amazon marketplace has the used DVD for $1.29 + shipping.

[SquidPuppet]

Djmethod.

Please add Quasidodojr and Betaman to the list in the first post.

[QuasidodoJr]

Finally got around to re-watching Ghost in the Shell. It's been a long time since I last watched the film, but I'd say it still held up fairly well.

While I still enjoyed the concept of the movie, I did find myself wandering off. There are far too many scenes where nothing is going on. Unlike Romulus, these moments only pulled me out of the story.

I will also agree with Beta Man, on the point that none of the characters have any real depth.

[Show spoiler]Sure, some of the verbal intercourse between Kusanagi and Bateau, and sub-sequently, Kusanagi and the Puppet Master, are certainly conversations of deep thought, but none of it gives any depth or meaning to them as characters or individuals. The most insight we see into Kusanagi as a character is when she goes diving during her free time. But, in the basis of the story, this only serves to show that the cybernetic beings are "supposed" to have different interests from one another. This poses more as mere example than actual insight.

As for the themes and ideas the film's story present, they surely give way to contemplation far after the movie is over. And that's where the movie shines.

[Show spoiler]The core theme, that a cyborg represents a future where race and gender no longer matter in the grand scheme of things, such as a male cyborg having no physical advantage over a female, is surely a forward thinking idea. The Puppet Master, itself, is extraordinarily fascinating. Since it's just a being made out of what would essentially be "code", that has become aware and actually learns to desire offspring in order to mesh both consciousness', the real and the digital. The ending, of course, really brings light to this scenario, as both Kusanagi and the Pupper Master merge, the outcome - a being with a youthful appearance that contains both entities, yet represents a child. The "offspring".

Also, the action scenes are appropriately intense, and the animation is top notch.

I'll have to check out the new 2.0 version, at some point, but for now, the original film is just fine.

I'll give it a 3.5 out of 5.

[two40]

Are we getting an extension for this film? Holiday season hasn't left much time for movies I'm afraid.