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Post by harrypalmer on Nov 14, 2023 9:34:34 GMT
The Killer - 4.5/5
Perhaps the most Finchery Fincher film, it's almost a parody of the Fincher persona. Meticulously constructed, it plays like a cross between Fight Club and The Bourne Identity. Skewering toxic masculinity and the mantra's that online shysters perpetuate as keys to success, as well as the gullible men who cling to them thinking it makes them better. Fincher also takes aim at the corporate tech world we now live in, where everything is available and convenient but no one is paying any attention to anything: the perfect conditions for cold blooded killers or ruthless businessmen to operate in. It has pitch black humour running all the through it, almost every scene has a gag.
There is nothing accidental here and I'm surprised to see people say it's not very Finchery, or it sags here and there, I found it completely efficient and compelling and am going to watch it again as soon as possible. It's a subtle film, very surfacey, but absolutely tons of stuff going on underneath.
It also has probably the best fight sequence of the year.
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kal
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Post by kal on Nov 14, 2023 9:42:49 GMT
Yeah I also thought it was very Fincher.
I like it a lot but it was ever so slightly style over substance (which I don’t particularly mind). His films are just so damn watchable.
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Post by Nanocrystal on Nov 14, 2023 10:17:21 GMT
North by Northwest Iconic scene after iconic scene. Hitchcock basically invents the James Bond movie template.
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kal
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Post by kal on Nov 14, 2023 10:38:33 GMT
Few more ticked off the list.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
One of those that’s been so copied you can’t really fully appreciate the original. Still, it has an authenticity at its heat that all the best high school films have and that carries it despite a number of dated elements (it’s a bit pervy although not quite Porkies territory).
It’s also absolutely dripping with future talent, and it’s funny to see so many future Oscar winners with tiny roles, including Nick Coppola (yet to become Nick Cage).
7/10
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Now we’re talking. This is film noir perfection. I don’t know why they don’t make them like this anymore. So much depth and nuance to the characters, and so rare to see a meaty role for an older female lead these days.
It’s wonderful, it really is. And it’s funny to see a film that’s largely looking back on a perceived Golden Age of cinema like it’s long in the past, made in a period we would now consider probably pre-Golden Age.
Can’t fault it. Instantly one of my favourites.
10/10
The People under the Stairs (1991)
One of the most tonally schizophrenic films I’ve ever seen. At points it feels like a Home Alone type kids’ film. It’s really all over the place and quite bonkers.
But it’s part of the charm and while it doesn’t always pull off its aims, it still feels a very fresh and distinctive horror, and it is genuinely very likeable.
Was cool seeing Hank and Nadine from Twin Peaks back together again as well.
I find Wes Craven has a kind of warmth in this films despite the subject matter. I think he has a lot of affection for his characters and it comes through, even the monsters like Freddie or Scream or whatever. It sets his films apart from a lot of other horror directors.
7/10
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Bongo Heracles
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Nov 14, 2023 10:56:22 GMT
The People Under The Stairs is part of a weird, made up genre my mind connects together with The 'Burbs, Freaked, Nothing But Trouble and a few others I cant remember the name of. Late 80's/early 90s movies, kind of like lo-fi, weird american gothic stuff. I used to absolutely eat up that stuff as a kid.
Suburban/rural american stuff with a massive does of freaky pumped into it.
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Post by Nanocrystal on Nov 14, 2023 10:59:31 GMT
Monster Squad too.
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kal
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Post by kal on Nov 14, 2023 11:06:24 GMT
Yeah for sure, I can see that. Something about it slightly reminded me of The Frighteners as well.
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Bongo Heracles
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Post by Bongo Heracles on Nov 14, 2023 11:10:38 GMT
I suppose a lot of it was from when America had a bit of mystique about it for a rural english bumpkin. Same with The Goonies, I suppose, feeling like youre on the adventure with them. Its a window into a world that is familiar but totally foreign.
Then I went there a few times and the internet happened.
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rawshark
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Post by rawshark on Nov 14, 2023 11:21:29 GMT
It’s all related to the Urbanoia that runs through films like Deliverence.
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Post by Bill in the rain on Nov 14, 2023 13:42:13 GMT
It's like the way the trick or treating in ET seemed so amazing at the time.
I also mix all those Burbs / People Under the Stairs / etc.. movies together, but I never really liked them that much. iirc they were never really satisfyingly in any genre.
A large plot strand of Good Omens (the book) is the way that the kids are obsessed with this idea of America being this mystical paradise like in the 80s movies.
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Post by simple on Nov 14, 2023 13:46:53 GMT
Meet the Applegates would probably slip in there too. If a bit more Twilight Zone/Goosebumpsy
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Post by freddiemercurystwin on Nov 14, 2023 15:35:12 GMT
Bird Box Barcelona 6.5/10 (Netflix), a spin-off off the original Bird Box (which I rated at 5/10 the other day I think), set in Spain (obv) it trundles along quite nicely and takes quite a different look at the story, a few of the standard cliches along the way and best not to think too deeply about the story but considerably better than the original IMO (which isn't saying much), the endings a little silly but you can't have everything!
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mikeck
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Post by mikeck on Nov 14, 2023 15:42:04 GMT
Sunset Boulevard is an absolute classic, near perfect film noir.
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Post by Trowel 🏴 on Nov 14, 2023 15:49:58 GMT
North by NorthwestIconic scene after iconic scene. Hitchcock basically invents the James Bond movie template. One of my favourite Hitchcocks, though I didn’t appreciate it at first as it's more of a comedy for large parts. Also one of the best HD transfers I've ever seen - Cary Grant's suit absolutely pings off the screen.
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Post by rhaegyr on Nov 14, 2023 15:57:46 GMT
Sunset Boulevard is an absolute classic, near perfect film noir. Agreed - save Double Indemnity I don't think it has any peers.
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Post by Trowel 🏴 on Nov 14, 2023 16:03:46 GMT
Gilda says hello.
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rawshark
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Post by rawshark on Nov 14, 2023 16:37:30 GMT
I think most of Billy Wilder’s films still hold up amazingly well.
A work friend went to see the musical last week and I was legit jealous. I’ve seen it before but not with Nicole Scherzinger, obviously.
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Post by rhaegyr on Nov 14, 2023 16:40:36 GMT
I wanted to take my other half to see it (so I could see it myself) but she loathes Nicole Sherzinger for some bizarre reason.
Is it good enough that I can tell her to get over her irrational dislike?
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Post by beastmaster on Nov 14, 2023 17:08:48 GMT
There is so much great film noir out there. I personally absolutely love Notorious with The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep very close behind.
I keep going on about it but The Cheap Detective with Peter Falk is a great spoof of The Maltese Falcon. It’s got a Neil Simon screenplay and I find it constantly funny.
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Vortex
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Post by Vortex on Nov 14, 2023 19:09:48 GMT
Ah man, The Maltese Falcon is one of my favourite films. An absolute belter.
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rawshark
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Post by rawshark on Nov 14, 2023 20:21:27 GMT
Will put in honourable mentions for Scarlet Staircase and Woman in the Window as well.
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rawshark
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Post by rawshark on Nov 14, 2023 20:22:45 GMT
I wanted to take my other half to see it (so I could see it myself) but she loathes Nicole Sherzinger for some bizarre reason. Is it good enough that I can tell her to get over her irrational dislike? I would think so. Maybe tell her at no point will she say “chocolate” or promote Fruit Corners. (I’m assuming the hate is Muller related).
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Post by harrypalmer on Nov 14, 2023 21:27:09 GMT
The Third Man is up there for me. Not heard of The Wrong Detective, looks great.
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Lizard
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Post by Lizard on Nov 14, 2023 23:20:32 GMT
Odd Man Out is a must for any Carol Reed fan. Out of the Past, Touch of Evil and Ace in the Hole are some of my favourites not yet mentioned. Ace in the Hole is especially good, surely one of the nastiest films made under the studio system and features Kirk Douglas turned up to 10. Gun Crazy, Detour and DOA are great scuzzy B-Movie noir. Then there's Leave Her to Heaven, a noir presented in beautiful '40s technicolour with Gene Tierney as a femme fatale to rival Phyllis Dietrichson.
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Post by harrypalmer on Nov 14, 2023 23:22:15 GMT
Heading to Letterboxd.
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Lizard
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Post by Lizard on Nov 14, 2023 23:32:06 GMT
If you haven't already try The Man Between as well. Another Reed film with similar themes to The Third Man. No where near as iconic, but still pretty good. Also James Mason.
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geefe
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Post by geefe on Nov 14, 2023 23:46:28 GMT
Maltese Falcon is great, as is Third Man. But I barely remember the latter. Peter Lorre could play batshit like no other.
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Post by harrypalmer on Nov 15, 2023 10:20:18 GMT
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Fincher) - 4/5
The Killer made me want to fill in my Fincher blanks of this and Ben Button. I remember watching the original and not really caring about this at the time but Fincher elevates the schlocky material as he so often does. It's extremely compelling, the procedural investigation, hacking, revenge blackmail, family intrigue, weird romance are all top tier. The cast is uniformly excellent, Rooney Mara especially, although everyone has a very solid crack at a generic Scandi accent so it's weird Daniel Craig didn't fancy it. It only feels like a B tier Fincher movie because of the source material, but it makes an interesting companion to Zodiac where that is real and full of dead ends and frustration, this all inevitably flows to a satisfying conclusion.
Fincher is a real sick puppy and his obsession with serial killers is extremely worrying. It must be in the running for most fucked up Christmas movie.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Nov 15, 2023 10:28:51 GMT
I think Gone Girl is probably worse in the "oh wow this is pretty fucked up" stakes. But yeah, love Dragon Tattoo too.
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kal
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Post by kal on Nov 15, 2023 10:38:06 GMT
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
This is really good fun. I’d never seen a Jimmy Cagney film before but obviously had seen a million impressions. He’s absolutely magnetic. You can definitely see where Joe Pesci drew a lot of his inspiration from, they both play the friendly gangster who’s a psycho underneath in a very similar way.
The film itself is a very interesting odd couple bromance gangster type thing. It has some really interesting dynamics and I really love the way old gangster films focus less on violence. They actually feel more realistic because of it.
Great film. Really recommend if you like gangster movies.
8/10
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