• The first stage of the forum upgrades has now been completed but they remain in a degraded state and are still being worked on. Normal posting/reading should now be possible.
    Please read this thread for more details.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.

SMB Film Thread 2025

Status
Not open for further replies.

Nightbitch (Disney +)

Amy Adams kinda turns into a dog.

I quite liked it. I can see why others might not. 6/10
 
My Favourite Year. 1982. Dir: Richard Benjamin. 8/10.

Set in NYC in the 50s a young TV comedy writer is given the task of making sure renowned UK actor hellraiser Alan Swann (Peter O Toole) turns up for rehearsals and live recording of the big Saturday night national tv show. It’s based on the experiences of a young Mel Brooks from his early TV days.
The real life and tv sister of the eponymous Rhoda actor and character in the US sitcom plays the young lads mam, the feller who played Uncle Buck in The High Chaparal is a mafia boss. Antony Hopkins has a blink and you miss him non speaking part as one of the musketeers when during rehearsals a lighting rig falls onto the stage. He’s looking over the tv shows presenters shoulder just after.
It’s a lovely film and I pity anyone who doesn’t think it’s wonderful. Give it a go.

Available to rent on Apple I believe. FFS I’ve been looking for a dvd for years as it’s never been released on dvd ower here. Region free ones are £30ish on eBay but I managed to snap up the first I’ve seen for years last week for £8. Money well spent I assure you.
englishman abroad said:
Watched Internal Affairs with Richard Gere & Andy Garcia the other night, superb film
Richard Gere plays a fantastic villan
Click to expand...
I only like a handful of his films and that’s the absolute stand out. I remember when it was released walking out of the cinema at the end thinking wtf is Cindy Crawford doing knocking about with that bastard for?
 
Last edited:
riffraff said:
My Favourite Year. 1982. Dir: Richard Benjamin. 8/10.

Set in NYC in the 50s a young TV comedy writer is given the task of making sure renowned UK actor hellraiser Alan Swann (Peter O Toole) turns up for rehearsals and live recording of the big Saturday night national tv show. It’s based on the experiences of a young Mel Brooks from his early TV days.
The real life and tv sister of the eponymous Rhoda actor and character in the US sitcom plays the young lads mam, the feller who played Uncle Buck in The High Chaparal is a mafia boss. Antony Hopkins has a blink and you miss him non speaking part as one of the musketeers when during rehearsals a lighting rig falls onto the stage. He’s looking over the tv shows presenters shoulder just after.
It’s a lovely film and I pity anyone who doesn’t think it’s wonderful. Give it a go.
Click to expand...

I rewatched the scene you mention, because I'd never clocked him before. It looks very much like him, but according to the discussion on IMDB it's actually Jed Mills, who has a definite resemblance to Hopkins. He's listed in the credits.

Logon or register to see this image
 
errant said:
say i've never seen a David Lynch film (i haven't), and was going to sit down to discover what he's all about - which film would you recommend i watch?
Click to expand...
I'd go for 'Wild at heart'. Accessible, quirky with some great characters. If you enjoy that then you have Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet to look forward to.
 
Monty Pigeon said:
I rewatched the scene you mention, because I'd never clocked him before. It looks very much like him, but according to the discussion on IMDB it's actually Jed Mills, who has a definite resemblance to Hopkins. He's listed in the credits.

Logon or register to see this image
Click to expand...
Aaaaah. I looked at the credits and didn’t see Hopkins mentioned so thought a non speaking part never gets mentioned or summet. I’d never taken notice of how many were dressed up in a musketeer style so hadn’t checked from that angle either. That’s why you’re a journo marra. Well done…..errrrh so if anyone fancies saying the worlds greatest Anthony Hopkins lookalike……
 
riffraff said:
Aaaaah. I looked at the credits and didn’t see Hopkins mentioned so thought a non speaking part never gets mentioned or summet. I’d never taken notice of how many were dressed up in a musketeer style so hadn’t checked from that angle either. That’s why you’re a journo marra. Well done…..errrrh so if anyone fancies saying the worlds greatest Anthony Hopkins lookalike……
Click to expand...

Even in old age he's a spooky look-alike.

A weird bit of trivia about him: In 1978 he was one of the contestants on the TV show The Dating Game alongside Rodney Alcala, who was later revealed to be a serial killer (the story was the basis for the recent Netflix movie Woman of the Hour).

Logon or register to see this image
 
Just had delivery of the US 4K disc of Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid. It's a rather spiffing Criterion Special Edition, 4 discs with all the main versions and an essay on the film by a cinema academic.

Logon or register to see this image


This film is one of the great enigmas of 70s cinema. Loved the Turner cut that improved the butchered theatrical release version that Peckinpah films always tended to get. New version has a special new cut with the involvement of the original editor Roger Spottiswoode
 
Rambling Rose (1991) 8/10
During the Depression in the Deep South, a nymphomaniac ex-prostitute (Laura Dern) is taken in by an eccentric family headed by Robert Duvall. Interesting script that includes a controversial scene - sensitively directed by Martha Coolidge - in which Laura Dern shares a bed with a 13-year-old boy.
You must be logged on to see media items

Rounders (1998) 7/10
Decent film in which Matt Damon is a poker hustler trying to go straight, but ends up in debt thanks to his ex-con best mate Edward Norton. Totally derailed by John Malkovich with one of the worst accents ever committed to film.
You must be logged on to see media items

The Room Next Door (2024) 8/10
Pedro Almodovar's first English-language film. Tilda Swinton as a former war reporter stricken with cancer, Julianne Moore as her novelist best friend. Not top drawer Almodovar, but a good illustration of why he's one of the best directors of women.
You must be logged on to see media items
 
Monty Pigeon said:
The Room Next Door (2024) 8/10
Pedro Almodovar's first English-language film. Tilda Swinton as a former war reporter stricken with cancer, Julianne Moore as her novelist best friend. Not top drawer Almodovar, but a good illustration of why he's one of the best directors of women.
You must be logged on to see media items
Click to expand...
Just watched this last night - really enjoyed it. Also gave it 8/10.
 
Monty Pigeon said:
Rounders (1998) 7/10
Decent film in which Matt Damon is a poker hustler trying to go straight, but ends up in debt thanks to his ex-con best mate Edward Norton. Totally derailed by John Malkovich with one of the worst accents ever committed to film.
You must be logged on to see media items
Click to expand...

With regard to Malkovich's terrible accent in Rounders, I found this great anecdote from Matt Damon (from 0:45).

You must be logged on to see media items
 
riffraff said:
Croupier. 1998. Dir: Mike Hodges. 8/10.

It’s currently on bbc or C4 IPlayer catch up tv thingys.
Clive Owen plays a struggling London writer forced back into the casino game by money troubles. Gina McKee, Nicholas Ball and Alex Kingston are the only other faces I recognised.
Owen and his tux were acclaimed by the UK media of the time as a cert for a future Bond on the strength of it. I was one of the half dozen or so people to see it in UK cinema on the strength of the underwhelmed reviews mentioning that it featured an old school film noir type talkover which I love but turned out to be more of an internal monologue.
C4 Films and their partners had no faith in it and didn’t even bother creating a poster for cinema and tube station advertising. It did well in the US and kicked off Owens career ower there.
Click to expand...
May give that a watch, Owen rarely disappoints, quite underrated imo.
Monty Pigeon said:
With regard to Malkovich's terrible accent in Rounders, I found this great anecdote from Matt Damon (from 0:45).

You must be logged on to see media items
Click to expand...

2:38 minutes in :lol:

You must be logged on to see media items
 
Last edited:
Monty Pigeon said:
Rambling Rose (1991) 8/10
During the Depression in the Deep South, a nymphomaniac ex-prostitute (Laura Dern) is taken in by an eccentric family headed by Robert Duvall. Interesting script that includes a controversial scene - sensitively directed by Martha Coolidge - in which Laura Dern shares a bed with a 13-year-old boy.
You must be logged on to see media items

Rounders (1998) 7/10
Decent film in which Matt Damon is a poker hustler trying to go straight, but ends up in debt thanks to his ex-con best mate Edward Norton. Totally derailed by John Malkovich with one of the worst accents ever committed to film.
You must be logged on to see media items

The Room Next Door (2024) 8/10
Pedro Almodovar's first English-language film. Tilda Swinton as a former war reporter stricken with cancer, Julianne Moore as her novelist best friend. Not top drawer Almodovar, but a good illustration of why he's one of the best directors of women.
You must be logged on to see media items
Click to expand...
Rounders! John Malkovich on fantastic form! The accent just makes me laugh but I think it adds to the film.
 
Last edited:
riffraff said:
I only like a handful of his films and that’s the absolute stand out. I remember when it was released walking out of the cinema at the end thinking wtf is Cindy Crawford doing knocking about with that bastard for?
Click to expand...

Assuming that Romcoms and musicals are not for you, I would say the pick of Gere's films are

Internal Affairs (by far his best)
Days of Heaven (like Costner, some of his best films are made by people who look past the fact that he's a good looking bloke and make him play a shitbag)
American Gigolo
Primal Fear (puts his smarmy egotism to good use)
An Officer and a Gentleman
Rhapsody in August
And I'm going to put The Cotton Club on here as well because in the "Encore" director's cut it's actually pretty good


Pretty Woman and Chicago might make it onto some people's lists

He's an interesting actor IMHO, similar to Michelle Pfeiffer in that he's talented and a star but doesn't have the quality of filmography you'd expect. Apparently Friedkin wanted him for Cruising instead of Pacino but the studio wasn't having it.

For an absolute oddity there's a film called First Knight, directed by the bloke who did Airplane, with Sean Connery as King Arthur and Gere as Lancelot. Unforgettably Time Out's review said that in the film Gere "Looks about as mediaeval as a roller disco."
 
Cockney Mackem said:
Pretty Woman and Chicago might make it onto some people's lists
Click to expand...
i'm not a massive romcom fan, and musicals in general are wanky... but i was outvoted by the rest of the family one saturday night and was forced to endure chicago...


it was a great movie! :lol: gere being the standout in the entire film.
 
Cockney Mackem said:
Assuming that Romcoms and musicals are not for you, I would say the pick of Gere's films are

Internal Affairs (by far his best)
Days of Heaven (like Costner, some of his best films are made by people who look past the fact that he's a good looking bloke and make him play a shitbag)
American Gigolo
Primal Fear (puts his smarmy egotism to good use)
An Officer and a Gentleman
Rhapsody in August
And I'm going to put The Cotton Club on here as well because in the "Encore" director's cut it's actually pretty good


Pretty Woman and Chicago might make it onto some people's lists

He's an interesting actor IMHO, similar to Michelle Pfeiffer in that he's talented and a star but doesn't have the quality of filmography you'd expect. Apparently Friedkin wanted him for Cruising instead of Pacino but the studio wasn't having it.

For an absolute oddity there's a film called First Knight, directed by the bloke who did Airplane, with Sean Connery as King Arthur and Gere as Lancelot. Unforgettably Time Out's review said that in the film Gere "Looks about as mediaeval as a roller disco."
Click to expand...
Internal Affairs like you say is by far his best role and film. American Gigolo and Primal Fear a distant silver n bronze , he should be looking back at a far stronger body of work.
Ditto Pfieffer, I remember first seeing her in Into The Night with Jeff Goldblum which is an enjoyable bit of daftness and thinking WOW she’s got the lot. She doesn’t look like she’s acting, delivers the funny lines every bit as well as the straight ones and looks amazing, she’s gonna be huge.
I think some actors aren’t just simply just badly advised or easily persuaded or can’t pick a good film. I think some like Mitchum and Caine deep down think it’s gonna come to an end soon so grab everything that comes their way before it does. Though both RG and MP don’t seem to have been the workaholics RM and MC were.
I agree with Time Out that he simply can’t do period pieces. He even looks out of place in Days Of Heaven and I’m a TM fan, Badlands being the first film I ever saw where the cinematography/backdrop/setting made me sit up and take notice of it.

There was a Woody Harrelson film about 10-15 years back The Walker that was rumoured to have been written as an update of American Gigolo but Gere wasn’t interested apparently. It’s good but not a patch on AG.
 
Last edited:
craigypants said:
The Damned (2024). Group of fishermen running out of food decide not to rescue some shipwrecked sailors and their collective guilt conjures up a vengeful spirit. Really enjoyed it as gets on with the story (less than 90 minutes long) and creates an unsettling atmosphere. 7/10.
Click to expand...
Yep just watched this and really enjoyed it, I'd go 8/10.

Next one for me was this.

You must be logged on to see external links

Enjoyed this as well, maybe a little bit overly long
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top