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#1

Good Movies / Re: Recent Viewings, Part 2

Last post by M.10rda - Today at 02:55:37 AM

Perhaps my experience with ARABESQUE is similar to that of people who sincerely enjoyed Soderbergh's OCEANS TWELVE, a film with a similar imploding plot twist. I hated OCEANS TWELVE for it but I can't find it in my heart to dislike ARABESQUE.

OCEAN'S THIRTEEN (2007):
An accidental/impromptu rewatch, following my (vintage, 20+ year old) hot take on OCEAN'S TWELVE. My initial hot take on THIRTEEN was that it was the best of the three SoderReboots - like many of my hottest takes, not a popular one. The thing about such takes is that they often bear revisiting for a more balanced/objective evaluation. If my argument was that THIRTEEN is superior to TWELVE because TWELVE's plot makes absolutely no sense, then yes - THIRTEEN is better than TWELVE. I could decorate my Mom's Christmas tree and still pay sufficient attention to THIRTEEN to make sense of it. That said, it ain't great.

George Clooney and his original ten guys are joined by Andy Garcia (returning bad guy from ELEVEN) and... I think that's it, no idea who the thirteenth team member would be, maybe Eddie Izzard, who appears briefly on occasion and looks suspicious though his cameos have no clear impact on the action. Al Pacino amusingly plays a lightly veiled version of Donald Trump from an era when all we knew about Trump was that he seemed like a dyspeptic and not particularly classy guy who owned real estate and had very silly hair.  But there's no bad reason to attack and defeat a Trumplike villain. Ellen Barkin (Pacino's love interest from SEA OF LOVE) plays his right-hand woman, looks incredible, and gives a fun performance, though it's inescapably problematic that she is the only significant female character and her primary job is to look sexy and be gullible. Most of the Ocean crew are (always) fun to watch, but it's Coolest Man In Hollywood Brad Pitt that walks away with every scene he's in (as he did in the previous two movies). Unfortunately again, though, Soderbergh decided to give Matt Damon the most screen time in this one, and Matt Damon is simply no Brad Pitt.

3/5
This was pleasant but something of a drag in five(!)-minute increments interrupted perpetually by equally long blocks of commercials. I would never watch a film I actually wanted to pay attention to in this fashion. How did we do it in the 80s?!

OCEAN'S ELEVEN started immediately after THIRTEEN ended (rather counterintuitively). My grudge against this one upon release was that it relied entirely too much on (contrived, artificial or non-existent) chemistry between George Clooney (who I had yet to warm to) and Julia Roberts (who I have progressively disliked in this century). The first forty-five minutes, being Roberts-free and focusing on Clooney and Pitt recruiting their entertaining ensemble, is a good time, however. Then Roberts showed up and I finally changed the channel.

#2

Good Movies / Re: Quentin Tarantino's Top 20...

Last post by M.10rda - Today at 02:21:08 AM

Alex and the Reverend are of course correct in their observations, though no one really talks about Tarantino being a bad actor anymore since he stopped doing it.  Also I think he's... perfectly fine in RD and PF, but that's neither here nor there. The comment does beg the question - is QT still in SAG? Probably not, I'd presume - or else Paul Dano is clearly not "the worst actor in SAG". 

I was going to make a list of 10 (male) actors in SAG who are worse than Dano. That shouldn't take much thought...

ZNO, one Sirius Radio host speculated last week that Dano had dated or slept with a woman Tarantino fancies, thus invoked Tarantino's personal (rather than aesthetic) rage. I'd totally buy that, but again it begs a good follow-up question: Why not publicly crap on Ethan Hawke?

I believe Hawke has given NO good performance in this century, possibly excepting BLACK PHONE, where his face is obscured for nearly the entire running time. I realize my opinion isn't a popular one, but I don't think "Ethan Hawke is a worse actor than Paul Dano" is a particularly controversial statement, and of course Ethan Hawke cheated on Uma Thurman with Maya Hawke's babysitter and broke up their family....... so, Quentin, could you pick on a worse actor with a public record of bad behavior against one of your crushes?

#3

Good Movies / Re: Films you should revisit

Last post by Trevor - Today at 02:17:23 AM

long list:

Lawrence of Arabia, Leonard Part 6, Eyes Wide Shut, Lolita, 2001, Ben and Arthur, Dr. Sleep, The Rise of Skywalker, The Godfather, Godfather Part 2, It's a Wonderful Life, Pulp Fiction, Inception, The Prestige, Inglourious Basterds, The Hunt (2012), Troll 2, Live by Night, Manos: The Hands of Fate, Mommie Dearest, Highlander, Glen or Glenda, Plan 6 From Outerspace, Robot Monster, Heaven's Gate

been years since I've seen these

No plans for Bucky Larson?. 😉😉🐢

#4

Good Movies / Re: Films you should revisit

Last post by M.10rda - Today at 02:08:14 AM

I had absolutely no intention of revisiting Soderbergh's OCEAN'S ELEVEN and THIRTEEN, but they were on at my Mom's house this weekend as I was decorating, and having just mentioned the anti-logical TWELVE in my review of ARABESQUE I didn't change the channel

#5

Bad Movies / Re: Your fave movie bloopers?

Last post by Jim H - December 09, 2025, 11:36:12 PM

The blooper reels at the end of Jackie Chan's movies always get me, but the reel where he jumps into a tree and plummets to the ground is heart-stopping. The sight of him carried away in a stretcher with a neck brace is nuts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjkM4VikQm4

Yeah, he has a soft spot in his skull now, that one very nearly killed him.

The Devil Hunters ending stunt is another jaw dropper, as they worked their injuries into the film itself basically and cut the ending short.  Worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m90uRyGDi4

#6

Entertainment / Re: What Video Game are You Pl...

Last post by Jim H - December 09, 2025, 11:30:22 PM

Been playing Dark Souls 2 all summer and I seem to have discovered more new things than in many past playthroughs. For a game I've been playing for eleven years, that says something about the intricacy of its world design, especially since I thought I'd found everything. The Souls series truly may be the high point of video game evolution.

Played them all pretty late (first playthrough about five years ago), and it's kind of stunning how much stuff is packed into those games.  Just the variety of weapons alone, many of which feel unique not just a collection of numbers.  It makes so many other games feel empty in comparison. 

A couple days ago I started Metroid Prime 4.  It's good so far.  Not great, but solid and visually stunning. 

#7

Entertainment / Re: New! Reading Anything Thre...

Last post by Jim H - December 09, 2025, 11:27:56 PM

I finished Joe Abercrombie's recent book, The Devils.  It's good and quite entertaining, but doesn't stack up to his best novels like the Age of Madness series.  It's much like a dark fantasy medieval version of the Suicide Squad.  Fun characters, generally good world building, it's pretty funny, his usually terrific action scenes.  James Cameron bought the film rights, and it'd make a cracking film for sure if done right.

#8

Good Movies / Re: Your favourite fan theorie...

Last post by HappyGilmore - December 09, 2025, 09:43:12 PM

Sam Loomis from Psycho and Dr. Samuel "Sam" Loomis from the Halloween  film series are the same people

Billy Loomis from the Scream series is related to Sam, and named his daughter Samantha after him.

          

I love this now

Obviously he was only named in tribute to both, but fans online have been saying they're cousins/uncle & nephew for a while now. But it recently picked up further from Scream 5&6 when Samantha starts showing up and she's having a psychotic break and having visions of her dead dad. Plus the Sam/Samantha scenario.

#9

Off Topic Discussion / Re: Random Statements About So...

Last post by Rev. Powell - December 09, 2025, 09:33:21 PM

Dr. told me I don't have stomach cancer. Didn't think I did, didn't even realize they were checking for it.

I do have an ulcer, however, and never thought I had one of those.

#10

Good Movies / Re: Films you should revisit

Last post by LilCerberus - December 09, 2025, 09:21:46 PM

The Candidate
Didn't quite understand it when I was a kid.....