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SMB Film Thread 2025

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Ari asters Eddington

Loved midsommer and hereditary but couldn't stand beau is not afraid

Anyway Joaquin pheonix is back with Ari again with pedal Pascal who seems to be in loads of stuff ATM.
Far better than beau is not afraid , but not as good as midsommer or hereditary.
A longish movie (2.5 hrs) but I was never bored.
Set in 2020 and gave me ptsd about social distancing, folk wearing masks and going to drive by COVID tests.
A bit mental , but I like that in a movie

A solid 7/10
 

offmenut said:
Ari asters Eddington

Loved midsommer and hereditary but couldn't stand beau is not afraid

Anyway Joaquin pheonix is back with Ari again with pedal Pascal who seems to be in loads of stuff ATM.
Far better than beau is not afraid , but not as good as midsommer or hereditary.
A longish movie (2.5 hrs) but I was never bored.
Set in 2020 and gave me ptsd about social distancing, folk wearing masks and going to drive by COVID tests.
A bit mental , but I like that in a movie

A solid 7/10
Click to expand...
7/10 is too high for me. Was a very messy and long movie. Good performances but felt as a satire it lacked comedy and as a drama it was flabby. 5/10 for Phoenix who is a fearless actor.
 
Romeo Must Die (2000)

Pretty rubbish. Jet Li tries his best, but the cheesy crap is turned up to 11. Soundtrack is interesting but a bit intrusive. It was a bit like Streets of Rage and Toejam and Earl in places. The fights are overly wired in a tatty manner. Corey Yuen did the choreography but seems a bit wasted. It was alright in places, but straight to video in every aspect.

4/10 generously.
 
Watched Jurassic world rebirth last night and I’m actually angry at how shit it is.

I love the Jurassic park/world films and they’re the one franchise I will accept over the top cheese and mistakes.
But this one is the worst one. It’s just none stop coincidences and mishaps.

It scores some points because it’s still dinosaurs

4/10
 
The Sand Pebbles. 1966. 5/10.

Enjoyableish slow paced 1920s set US Navy affair starring Steve McQueen, Dickie Attenborough and Candice Bergen. Steve n Dickie are US sailors on a falling to bits US gunboat cruising around China. Candice is a teacher/missionary and the Chinese revolutions brewing. It’s probably some sort of statement on US involvement in Vietnam considering its era of release but tbh couldn’t be arsed to think that deeply last night. McQueens only Oscar nomination I believe and it’s actually nowhere near good enough to be nominated for a free packet of crisps never mind a prestigious award.
riffraff said:
The Sand Pebbles. 1966. 5/10.

Enjoyableish slow paced 1920s set US Navy affair starring Steve McQueen, Dickie Attenborough and Candice Bergen. Steve n Dickie are US sailors on a falling to bits US gunboat cruising around China. Candice is a teacher/missionary and the Chinese revolutions brewing. It’s probably some sort of statement on US involvement in Vietnam considering its era of release but tbh couldn’t be arsed to think that deeply last night. McQueens only Oscar nomination I believe and it’s actually nowhere near good enough to be nominated for a free packet of crisps never mind a prestigious award.
Click to expand...
Oh and Murray from The Mary Tyler Moore Show plays the sailor who operates the boats big fixed position machine gun.
 
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Blind Date (1959)

After seeing it on the watchlist of @Fletch73

Stanley Baker interrogates Hardy Kruger at the scene of a woman’s death. All fingers point to Hardy, but Baker isn’t the type of copper to be unduly swung by pressure from above for a quick and tidy resolution.

Appealing whodunnit from blacklisted Joseph Losey, there’s more depth here than the usual mystery film. There’s reference to class dynamics and police corruption getting in the way of truth and justice, and a very tidy narrative structure involving flashbacks which segue nicely back into the current action.

Baker is solid as a snotty inspector who can’t be turned, and Kruger effective as a vulnerable man who hides behind bluster and unfriendliness. Gordon Jackson doesn’t have much to do, but there’s a nice little scene where he’s chatty with Kruger. Most of the characters have sketched personalities, rather than just set dressing to throw out narrative-progressing lines. It’s these little character details that make the film feel more rounded.

Micheline Presle is good throughout and convinces as someone with a plan that goes awry. The ending felt a little scruffy compared to the tightness of the rest, but this is still a good watch.

7.5/10
 
Rhapsody in Blue (1945) 6/10
George Gershwin biopic [as an aside, why do so many Americans pronounce it bi-OPIC? Surely the emphasis should be on BIO.]. Alan Alda's dad in the title role. Great music, though the minstrel stuff hasn't dated well.
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Carnal Knowledge (1971) 8/10
Smart exploration of sexual mores in 1940s-1970s America from Mike Nichols.
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Eddington (2025) 7/10
Uncut Gems, but for Covid19. Another stress-inducing movie. Five years on, seeing people wearing masks that keep sliding off their noses still does my head in. There's a much better movie in here somewhere, though it does a decent job of exposing the generational madness that has descended on much of the world.
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Weapons (2025)

Great fun! I'd heard a bit of hype but deliberately stayed away from any trailers or reviews as I like to go in to things fresh. I think I was expecting a more straight-up supernatural horror fright fest, but it was actually a much more cerebral, tense, character based thriller in the mould of something like Get Out. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

9/10


Materialists (2025)

Celine Wong's much anticipated follow-up to the outstanding Past Lives from a couple of years ago. Massive let down unfortunately. A romantic comedy drama with zero comedy, negligible drama, following the romantic struggles of several highly annoying and unlikeable characters. Overlong, tedious and patronising.

4/10
 
Night Always Comes (2025). Netflix thriller that's supposed to be a seedy journey with a desperate woman trying to get 25,000 dollars in one night. Utter poop poop. The opening scene with the protagonist shows her face plastered with make-up and looking like she just stepped out of a Hollywood salon. Gritty social realism seems to have bypassed American film makers.
 
Weapons 2025

8/10

Really enjoyed it to be honest. That’s what the standard should be for all new original films at the cinema. No more “Jurassic Park 7”s, Avengers or repetitive, formulaic shite. Just a well made film which is entertaining to watch. Nothing groundbreaking, but a good time. Decent cast and plot. Kept me guessing and had a few funny bits chucked in.
 
The Siege at Thorn High or to be more accurate Pengepungan di Bukit Duri

Indonesian horror/thriller on prime. Quite uncomfortable at times and quite eye opening. Definitely worth a watch for the intensity and very high quality film making.
 
safcforever said:
Watched Jurassic world rebirth last night and I’m actually angry at how shit it is.

I love the Jurassic park/world films and they’re the one franchise I will accept over the top cheese and mistakes.
But this one is the worst one. It’s just none stop coincidences and mishaps.

It scores some points because it’s still dinosaurs

4/10
Click to expand...

That's how I've felt about every Jurassic World movie so far.
 
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