Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 4:34 pm
by Cordelia
Got a pretty good review in the NYT (location) fwiw.....:
Review: ‘The American Side,’ a Hard-Boiled Noir Set in Buffalo
"The director, Jenna Ricker, who wrote the script with Mr. Stuhr, has made a cinephile’s movie, a throwback that delights in homages (to “Kiss Me Deadly” and “North by Northwest,” among others) and an off-kilter sense of period (Charlie is never shown using a cellphone). If the self-consciousness can be charming, it also prevents “The American Side” from becoming fully its own film. The movie plays like an exercise for the cast members, who labor with the stylized dialogue, and for an audience flattered at catching a reference.
Still, “The American Side” shows glimmers of ingenuity, both with its use of Tesla mystique and with atmospheric location work that makes Buffalo a presence. The title refers to the American side of Niagara Falls. To paraphrase a line from Mr. Forster, that’s the one you don’t want to roll down in a barrel."
Colonia is said to be inspired by the true story of a young couple enduring Chile during the Pinochet coup. The man was captured and tortured until his captors determined that they'd rendered him witless. His girlfriend bravely joined the jamesjonesian cult- founded by a Nazi Bavarian behaviorist fiend, to discover her lover in the secret prison; where he continually pretended to be moronic, so the cult would keep him for simple chores, and he could explore the tunnels beneathe the compound, pilfer some photos of the sinful facility, and plan their escape with the pictures to prove the prison’s proclivities to a impervious planet.
Also, for people preferring a positive perspective:
Even just the first 3 minutes of opening credits are well worth a watch. The film is sexist and a gratuitous plug for the NYPD, but a great plot & script so I always enjoy it
Ron Howard was slated to direct before Spike Lee took it on. Just imagine.
(I think Mac would appreciate the initial encounter between Jodi Foster as Madeline 'White' and the Mayor .)
Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:50 pm
by guruilla
chump wrote:What d'ya expect? I can hardly remember when a Hollywood movie was really worthwhile??
Word.
Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:34 pm
by OP ED
Hollywood's speciality is commercials.
Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
Review: ‘The American Side,’ a Hard-Boiled Noir Set in Buffalo
"The director, Jenna Ricker, who wrote the script with Mr. Stuhr, has made a cinephile’s movie, a throwback that delights in homages (to “Kiss Me Deadly” and “North by Northwest,” among others) and an off-kilter sense of period (Charlie is never shown using a cellphone). If the self-consciousness can be charming, it also prevents “The American Side” from becoming fully its own film. The movie plays like an exercise for the cast members, who labor with the stylized dialogue, and for an audience flattered at catching a reference.
Still, “The American Side” shows glimmers of ingenuity, both with its use of Tesla mystique and with atmospheric location work that makes Buffalo a presence. The title refers to the American side of Niagara Falls. To paraphrase a line from Mr. Forster, that’s the one you don’t want to roll down in a barrel."
Great list Who comes up with these bizarre plots (reminds me of today's standard t.v. fare)?
I've only seen 'Mommie Dearest' and 'Ishtar' failed before it was released.
Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:27 pm
by DrEvil
I've seen some of 'The Room', as much as I could handle, and OH MY FUCKING GAWD!!!
It's the kind of movie that will require a sanity check to sit through, and not in a good way. Run away!
Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:16 pm
by Wombaticus Rex
Thanks so much for "The American Side," everyone - gorgeous piece of work. Reminded me of Fargo Season 2 or Cop Car...just a perfect tone poem, a film with an odd but specific purpose that everyone involved clearly enjoyed.
Caught a few of the tentpole big jawns, and they were all crap. I've had a few people insist the new Bourne was relevant to today's situation, but any given episode of Mr. Robot packs more ideas per square inch. Also, it sucked. The rest don't deserve mention.
Saw "Hell or High Water" in the theater, I was smitten but defer to the rest of the panel. I often thought, even while entranced by the film, it's unfortunate how much of mythic Texas got colonized by No Country for Old Men. It's a very different story but the shots can be similar past the point of distraction.
Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 11:35 am
by guruilla
All this Mr. Robot plugging makes me wonder if I gave up on it too soon; first episode, terrific; next two, pretty sub-standard & way too many cliches, so I gave up. Did it pick up and/or is season 2 better than season 1?
Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 12:38 pm
by Wombaticus Rex
guruilla » Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:35 am wrote:All this Mr. Robot plugging makes me wonder if I gave up on it too soon; first episode, terrific; next two, pretty sub-standard & way too many cliches, so I gave up. Did it pick up and/or is season 2 better than season 1?
It's quite good as pulp entertainment, I'm a bit confused that people take it so seriously.
It's akin to Stranger Things insofar as it is a pastiche with so many parents that the references themselves can be distracting. Those cliches won't go away, but there's a lot of great moments and, especially, side characters.
It's utterly adrift in the second season -- they clearly weren't expecting to get renewed -- but still entertaining. I've had a few conversations lately about The Night Of that invariably ended with "AND HOW GREAT IS MR ROBOT?" which disturbs me. I reckon that's just a testament to how little decent entertainment is available even in The Golden Age of Television.
Side note for people who use "Torrent" technology (not familiar with it myself) - I've also had a few conversations lately about people getting "Copyright Infringement" notices from their ISP about Mr. Robot episodes. Which is hilarious, innit? USA Network is very touchy about their Fight Club x Hackers mashup.
Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 2:52 pm
by DrEvil
For anyone suffering from 'The Night Of' withdrawal: It's a remake of a British show called 'Criminal Justice' which has two seasons out.
Re: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: films of a certain quality
guruilla » Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:35 am wrote:All this Mr. Robot plugging makes me wonder if I gave up on it too soon; first episode, terrific; next two, pretty sub-standard & way too many cliches, so I gave up. Did it pick up and/or is season 2 better than season 1?
It's quite good as pulp entertainment, I'm a bit confused that people take it so seriously.
It's akin to Stranger Things insofar as it is a pastiche with so many parents that the references themselves can be distracting. Those cliches won't go away, but there's a lot of great moments and, especially, side characters.
It's utterly adrift in the second season -- they clearly weren't expecting to get renewed -- but still entertaining. I've had a few conversations lately about The Night Of that invariably ended with "AND HOW GREAT IS MR ROBOT?" which disturbs me. I reckon that's just a testament to how little decent entertainment is available even in The Golden Age of Television.
Side note for people who use "Torrent" technology (not familiar with it myself) - I've also had a few conversations lately about people getting "Copyright Infringement" notices from their ISP about Mr. Robot episodes. Which is hilarious, innit? USA Network is very touchy about their Fight Club x Hackers mashup.
It 'mashes' quite a bit of different things.... It's more fun to think of it as a 'spot the reference' game than a real show.
.)
