Movies Rate and Discuss the Last Movie You Saw v.16

[the ambush]

Bruno Sammartino (2019)

Bruno and his family immigrated to Pittsburgh, United States from Italy. Escaping World War 2 Nazi occupation in Italy.

As a young man Bruno joined the Air Force National Guard. Later Bruno became an inspiration to others, both as a weightlifter and pro wrestler. He and Arnold Schwarzenegger developed a bond and friendship. The documentary was really good

 

[revoltub]

Bruno Sammartino (2019)

Bruno and his family immigrated to Pittsburgh, United States from Italy. Escaping World War 2 Nazi occupation in Italy.

As a young man Bruno joined the Air Force National Guard. Later he became an inspiration to others, both as a weightlifter and pro wrestler. He and Arnold Schwarzenegger developed a bond and friendship. The documentary was really good

I never really looked into a bruno much though I know of him. I figure he is like the pro wrestling version of Rocky Marciano

 

[eddymotto]

Results (USA, 2015)

Bizarre romantic comedy written and directed by Andrew Bujakski and starring Guy Pierce, Cobie Smulders, and Keven Corrigan.

Since this is a Bujalski film, maybe it should be classified as mumblecore? In any case, it is a pretty original take on the romantic comedy genre.

Trevor (Pierce) owns an Austin gym called Power4Life. He seems to genuinely want to be a fitness guru inspiring others but he always gives the impression that he is repeating things that he read quickly, never thought about all that much, and cannot really remember at the moment.

Kat (Smulders) is one of his trainers and occasional fuck buddy. The first we see her she is running down one of her clients who is driving a SUV while eating a donut. Kat is not impressed.

Danny (Corrigan), a lumpy, divorced stoner who recently inherited a lot of money walks into the gym one day. Danny explains his fitness goals as "I want to learn how to take a punch". Mostly he is just really lonely.

Kat is assigned as his in-home personal trainer. Danny does not seem to all that interested in training but he is definitely interested in Kat. He is creepy but also probably mostly harmless.

To recap, we have 3 inarticulate weirdos involved in a half ass love triangle. The funniest part of the film is that none of the characters can clearly express emotions or feelings. At all. Trevor talks in useless fitness metaphors. Kat is usually angry or about to be angry. Danny is mostly high and desperate.

The end result is a pretty fun romantic comedy. It was not laugh out loud funny that often to me but I had a good time.

Rating: 6/10

 

[the ambush]

I never really looked into a bruno much though I know of him. I figure he is like the pro wrestling version of Rocky Marciano

The redeeming quality with Bruno's documentary is even if a person knew very little or nothing about him, a person could gain all of the knowledge from his video. All I heard about Bruno beforehand was him being a pro wrestling legend, that was it.

It was better than The Price of Fame documentary with Ted DiBiase Sr., no silly sidestory with religion.

 

[burningspear]

 

[revoltub]

Hardcore (1979)

-

Went into this movie mostly blind beside the little plot summary on Tubi. Saw George C Scott and Peter Boyle in the photo and decided to check it out.

I didnt mind it overall but I think its a bit of a mixed bag. Once you get into the slimey sex underworld of the west coast it gets more interesting. Sort of like Schumacher's 8mm in ways. Watching the Calvinist Scott work his way around the shady shit was pretty interesting.

I did think the film needed to flesh some things out more than it did. And from an editing standpoint it jumps from one thing to another without always having a proper bridge between scenes.

I guess my biggest problem is the ending. The whole movie builds up to this finale and honestly it felt a little lackluster.

Overall more bad than good but the ending was disappointing.

6/10 range.

 

[ufcfan4]

Fresh

Well-received horror movie from a couple of years back. I thought it was an effective film; and, in a genre where there's probably more misfires than there are hits, that should already be noteworthy. Still, I think I could not shake the sense that I had seen this sort of thing before. It struck me as reminiscent of other genre films. For me, anyway, it felt like an amalgamation of Hostel 2, Get Out, and It Follows. The plot was very different from any of those films, so it was not as though there was narrative redundancy. It was more just the overall tone, certain character arcs, and the emphasis on some wealthy cabal doing terrible things that struck similar notes. Essentially, Daisy Edgar-Jones plays a young woman who hates the dating scene but feels compelled to keep going out there. The movie gives us a good window in to the type of guys she's meeting through the dating apps. The date we see her on, at the beginning of the film, for instance, involved a guy with incredibly little self-awareness. She then meets Sebastian Stan at the grocery store. He comes across as charming and kind. At the risk of spoiling...he's not. They strike up a romance and Stan's true intentions come to light after they make a plan to go on a trip together.

The film does not aim for jump scare type of horror, which is a plus. It could probably be considered more of a thriller than a horror film if not for the fact that it ramps up the disgust factor in a manner that seems very much in line with the horror genre. While director Mimi Cave and the crew do a very good job technically, I think the performances are the most notable aspect of the movie. Edgar-Jones, particularly, packs her performance with a lot of emotional weight that helps to rapidly set the tone of fear and dread in the film. This was actually the first film I've seen her in, but it's clear, from this performance, why her career is blowing up. She does an excellent job. Stan has impressed me a lot. He really took the increased visibility from the MCU and ran with it, but in unpredictable directions, doing interesting projects and taking a variety of roles.

Jonica Gibbs was also very good as the main character's close friend. I didn't necessarily like the way that her storyline played out, but the dynamics between the two friends and her character's commitment to her friend's welfare were definitely good aspects of the movie.

Though the film does fall into some genre tropes toward the end, there is effective slow-burn buildup to that sequence.

7/10

 

[revoltub]

Fresh

Well-received horror movie from a couple of years back. I thought it was an effective film; and, in a genre where there's probably more misfires than there are hits, that should already be noteworthy. Still, I think I could not shake the sense that I had seen this sort of thing before. It struck me as reminiscent of other genre films. For me, anyway, it felt like an amalgamation of Hostel 2, Get Out, and It Follows. The plot was very different from any of those films, so it was not as though there was narrative redundancy. It was more just the overall tone, certain character arcs, and the emphasis on some wealthy cabal doing terrible things that struck similar notes. Essentially, Daisy Edgar-Jones plays a young woman who hates the dating scene but feels compelled to keep going out there. The movie gives us a good window in to the type of guys she's meeting through the dating apps. The date we see her on, at the beginning of the film, for instance, involved a guy with incredibly little self-awareness. She then meets Sebastian Stan at the grocery store. He comes across as charming and kind. At the risk of spoiling...he's not. They strike up a romance and Stan's true intentions come to light after they make a plan to go on a trip together.

The film does not aim for jump scare type of horror, which is a plus. It could probably be considered more of a thriller than a horror film if not for the fact that it ramps up the disgust factor in a manner that seems very much in line with the horror genre. While director Mimi Cave and the crew do a very good job technically, I think the performances are the most notable aspect of the movie. Edgar-Jones, particularly, packs her performance with a lot of emotional weight that helps to rapidly set the tone of fear and dread in the film. This was actually the first film I've seen her in, but it's clear, from this performance, why her career is blowing up. She does an excellent job. Stan has impressed me a lot. He really took the increased visibility from the MCU and ran with it, but in unpredictable directions, doing interesting projects and taking a variety of roles.

Jonica Gibbs was also very good as the main character's close friend. I didn't necessarily like the way that her storyline played out, but the dynamics between the two friends and her character's commitment to her friend's welfare were definitely good aspects of the movie.

Though the film does fall into some genre tropes toward the end, there is effective slow-burn buildup to that sequence.

7/10

Yeah I thought it was a nice hidden gem during the last few years. I thought the comedic elements worked well too. Stan was great in it

 

[ufcfan4]

Yeah I thought it was a nice hidden gem during the last few years. I thought the comedic elements worked well too. Stan was great in it

yeah comedic elements definitely worked. My favorite might have been

Spoiler

After Daisy and Jonica took out Stan and his wife, Jonica mentions that the woman was the wife and Edgar-Jones is horrified as if, after all the heinous stuff Stan had done over the course of the film, that particular transgression was surprising

 

[revoltub]

yeah comedic elements definitely worked. My favorite might have been

Spoiler

After Daisy and Jonica took out Stan and his wife, Jonica mentions that the woman was the wife and Edgar-Jones is horrified as if, after all the heinous stuff Stan had done over the course of the film, that particular transgression was surprising

Yeah I thought stuff like that added to Stan's character as well and made him a more interesting villain.

Spoiler

even the wife, who turns out was in on it, gets some interesting layers when they show her leg. But the movie never outright uses it as an out or excuse for her character. Just a subtle little layer to think about

 

[ufcfan4]

Yeah I thought stuff like that added to Stan's character as well and made him a more interesting villain.

Spoiler

even the wife, who turns out was in on it, gets some interesting layers when they show her leg. But the movie never outright uses it as an out or excuse for her character. Just a subtle little layer to think about

Great call. I'm glad you mentioned it. I thought the ambiguity and the implication with the wife was one of the more intriguing aspects of the film. Really appreciated how they left a certain degree of subtlety there rather than trying to explain it with the delicacy of a sledgehammer.

 

[BisexualMMA]

AGAINST THE ICE (2022)

The Kingslayer stars in a modest combination of The Revenant and The Lighthouse about a couple Danish explorers in the olden days who trek through the arctic to map the land and verify land claims and get abandoned by the rest of their exploration team. Kingslayer is definitely the movie star when it comes to the Game of Thrones cast...he can carry a movie and I really liked Shot Caller. This one...he does a decent job (co-wrote it as well) but there is really not much reason to watch this instead of The Revenant for a cold weather survival story with bears, and there's not much reason to watch this instead of The Lighthouse for a story of two dudes getting cabin fever from isolation.

6.0 / 10. It's not bad but it's pretty ordinary so I'd watch the other two movies instead.

 

[eddymotto]

Fake It So Real (USA, 2011)

Documentary that follows the members of the independent Millennium Wrestling Federation based in Lincolnton, North Carolina (population: 11,000) as they prepare for and host a pro wresting show.

The MWF seems to be comprised of about a dozen semi-professional wrestlers who are mostly poor, fat, uneducated, homophobic, and unfamiliar with the benefits of modern dentistry.

These men are a fraternity of dedicated dreamers who for a couple of nights a month get to be stars acting out larger than life characters inside an old ring in a ramshackle hall in front of a few dozen fans. For all the pain and injuries and lack of pay (I doubt that any of them make any money whatsoever), they have a pure love for what they do. For a few fleeting moments when the matches are flowing and the fans are excited, I could understand the rush that they must feel.

Some of the wrestlers still dream of making it big in the industry but most seem resigned to the equally unrealistic prospect of eventually making some money on the independent circuit. They have the look of men who will keep grinding away until the physical or relationship toll becomes too great for them to carry on. One wrestler mentions being ranked by a wrestling magazine as the 299th (out of 300) top independent wrestler in the USA and having a couple of kids ask for his autograph as the highlights of his career. He dreams of more but we suspect that is as good as it will get.

While most of them are pretty chubby, they work with limited means to create characters, promote their events, design costumes, refine their skills, and choreograph their matches. One wrestler spends most of the week in bed battling "3 or 4 bursts cysts" on his abdomen and laments perhaps missing his first match in 10 years. In the end, he manages to wrestle even though he looks in obvious pain. These men take their passions seriously.

Nor are the wrestlers completely deluded about the nature of the business. A 39 year old father of 7 shows up asking for a tryout. He is a big fan and has always wanted to try his hand in the ring. The wrestlers explain that the training is tough, he is guaranteed to suffer long term injuries, and he probably won't make any money but if he perseveres he will be part of the fraternity. For them, that seems to be enough.

The director points the camera and avoids judgment. These men are not that much different than people doing community theatre or playing in a band. They spend a lot of time for little or no money to chase a dream and do something that makes them feel great. They are easy to cheer for.

I don't watch pro wrestling but I found this documentary a nice introduction into an interesting sub-culture.

Rating: 6/10

 

[moreorless87]

Been watching a few films from the era when 80's style police stuff went strange in the early 90's..

Blue Steel - 1990 - Jamie Lee Curtis as a rookie cop who kills someone infront of a stock broker type who devolps some strange gun fetish linked to her, starts off as a police film gradually goes further and further down a crazy slasher rabbit hole which I spose explains why she was cast. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow as well so it ends up veing very tastefully shot with loads of shallow focus work which makes the craziness of the story stand out all the more.

Ricochet - 1991 - Denzel as another rookie cop who apprehends John Lithlows gangster/assassin, the formers story seems to be heading to some straight laced inspiring success but Highlander director Russell Mulcahy leans much more predictably into a mental script of Lithlow escaping and playing mind warping games on Denzel with the two of them desperately trying to out over act the other. Any film where John Lithlow fights Jeese Ventura in prison with improvised swords whilst wearing porn magazines as armour is a film worth watching.

 

[AFanNotAFighter]

Black Mass(2015)
Starring Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon
Directed by Scott Cooper
7.5-8/10

Pretty good biopic on mobster James "Whitey" Bulger. I thought Johnny Depp did an amazing job as Bulger although I don't know what Bulger was like in real life. Whatever the case, Depp gave a frightening portrayal of the mobster. Joel Edgerton plays disgraced FBI agent John Connolly who finds himself getting deeper and deeper into Bulger's gang after convincing the mobster to be an informant to help him take down a rival Mafia gang.

 

[revoltub]

Black Mass(2015)
Starring Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon
Directed by Scott Cooper
7.5-8/10

Pretty good biopic on mobster James "Whitey" Bulger. I thought Johnny Depp did an amazing job as Bulger although I don't know what Bulger was like in real life. Whatever the case, Depp gave a frightening portrayal of the mobster. Joel Edgerton plays disgraced FBI agent John Connolly who finds himself getting deeper and deeper into Bulger's gang after convincing the mobster to be an informant to help him take down a rival Mafia gang.

Yeah I'm a fan of the movie. Especially Depp who was fantastic as Bulger. Sort of a reminder of what Depp can do outside of the Burton and Pirate type of roles he was doing a lot.

I much prefer the Black Mass, Donnie Brasco, Ninth Gate etc. type of roles when it comes to Depp.

 

[AFanNotAFighter]

Yeah I'm a fan of the movie. Especially Depp who was fantastic as Bulger. Sort of a reminder of what Depp can do outside of the Burton and Pirate type of roles he was doing a lot.

I much prefer the Black Mass, Donnie Brasco, Ninth Gate etc. type of roles when it comes to Depp.

I agree. Haven't seen Ninth Gate though. I just read that John Connolly was released from prison in 2021 on medical reasons.

 

[revoltub]

I agree. Haven't seen Ninth Gate though. I just read that John Connolly was released from prison in 2021 on medical reasons.

Good movie, I'd say check it out.

 

[the ambush]

JCVD (2008)

After a court ruling in the U.S. Van Damme loses custody of his daughter to his former spouse. Van Damme travels to Belgium and visits a post office, 3 armed gunmen rob the post office and a barricaded hostage situation ensues. In the first 30 minutes of the film a modulometer kept popping up and then disappeared. The film took a different approach from his other films

 

[the ambush]

Wonders of the Sea

An educational documentary with a narration and introduction by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Join marine biologists/environmentalists on an oceanic exploration from the Pacific Monarch watercraft. The marine biologists/environmentalists dive and examine various aquatic habitats. The sequence with the submerged ship and structures came near the end and it was very neat. Thumbs up!