Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Ray Figueroa's epic Puerto Rican film takes a look at these centuries-long "relationships" through a story of love, want, and revenge. Once Upon a Time in the Caribbean follows Juan Encarnación (Héctor Aníbal), a former sugarcane foreman, as he tries to find and rescue his wife Pura (Essined Aponte) who was kidnapped by some "old foes" on orders of American landowner Mr. Walker (Robert García Cooper), who wants to take her as wife.

Second, Figueroa feeds this Puerto Rican story with tons of influence from westerns, samurai films, and many others. There is a lot of Kurosawa, Eastwood, Tarantino, and others running through this film's DNA, with katanas and revolvers being replaced by machetes. Like Eastwood's Man with No Name, Juan is a man of few words, but one that everybody knows about and everybody fears. Even though Aníbal's performance never excels, most of what works about him and the film is in screen presence, vibe, and atmosphere.

Grade:


Full review on my Movie Loot

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I finished Batman Gotham Knight. It's good. The film is actually six short stories strung together to make one complete film, which is somewhat obvious. Overall I liked it. The film felt very much like a gateway into more films. The best part is the animation style.

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I destroyed the dastardly dairy dame! I made mad milk maid mulch!

Maudie (2016)

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[ J ] - [ S ] - [ F ]

Wicked, part 1






A-

I tried Twisters and quit on it part-way, threw in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and 'eh... is there nothing worth my time? I decided then to pull a DVD off the shelf of an old favorite... and finally - at least I can count on Hitch.

Will be writing about this later, but Judith Anderson is the ace here, and that's saying a lot with this loaded cast, which includes a personal fave, George Sanders.

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Completed Extant Filmographies: Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini, Satyajit Ray, Fritz Lang, Andrei Tarkovsky, Buster Keaton, Yasujirō Ozu - (for favorite directors who have passed or retired, 10 minimum)

The Grizzlies (2018)

Allen Sunshine (2024)

Low key affair centering on an ex-music mogul who chooses a solitary life after his music star wife dies. It's very slow, or should I say meditative. Our hero's spartan lifestyle is enlivened by the friendship of 2 kids who use the lake next to his house for fishing and general mischief (the 2 lads are excellent).
This is very lo-fi and at times the acting (without dialogue) is better than the acting with dialogue as it is a bit clunky (both the performances and the script). It has a good heart though and is an interesting study. I'll certainly be looking out for the debutant directors works in the future.

Nature Of The Beast (1995)

You’re know you’re in for something when your leading men are Eric Roberts and Lance Henrikson. I found this on YouTube and just went with it. It was pretty fun tbh, more psychological and dark than I was expecting and often unintentionally funny, especially when the twist was revealed which I think my mind had discounted from happening because it would be so blatantly obvious, it was hilarious.

Wonka (Paul King, 2023)



I remember when I first watched Paddington, prior to it becoming the mini cultural phenomenon that it is, that I was really impressed by just how much the director seemed to love films. The little things, pans, blocking, timing, I think I described it to be like watching a "British Wes Anderson". I don't think any of King's films reach the heights of Andersons work which has a far deeper connection to the human spirit, but they're all very very good and insanely watchable. I really enjoyed this.

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2nd Rewatch...One of the earliest feature length comedies based on an SNL skit and still one of the funniest. Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin reprise their roles as Beldar and Primaat Conehead, aliens from "France" whose downed spaceship forces them to become American citizens before they are caught by a pair of bumbling INS agents (Michael McKean, David Spade). The SNL skit is beautifully expanded into a terrific fish out of water comedy that provides a lot of laughs as long as you don't think about it too much. Aykroyd and Curtin are a well-oiled machine in the title roles and I guess because Primaat doesn't give birth to Connie until a third of the way into the film, TPTB felt Larraine Newman was too old to play Connie so she's replaced by Michelle Burke (though Newman does appear in a different role later on in the film). The late Chris Farley is very funny as Connie's boyfriend Robbie and if you pay attention, you will also catch appearances from Adam Sandler, Dave Thomas, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards, Lisa Jane Persky, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Drew Carey. Kevin Nealon, Parker Posey, Jan Hooks, Ellen DeGeneres, and one of the screenwriters Terry Turner, who also contributed to the screenplay for Wayne's World. It goes on a little longer than necessary, but just put your brain in check and enjoy.

This movie doesn’t get enough credit for how funny and well-written the dialogue is. Hearing it shared a screenwriter with Wayne’s World makes total sense.

Following - 6/10
I had seen this a few times on a thread and "A young writer who follows strangers for material meets a thief" intrigued me so much I saw it the next day.. The very beginning was good (at the restaurant where Cobb goes over to his table), but then the "mystery" and the third leg (unattractive woman) didn't help, but being a short movie, I thought I'd give it a chance. The two characters were bit cliche, obviously not exactly like "Rope", but it does follow a pattern. The leader (but 2nd banana as a character) is cool regardless, very short sentences, sarcasm, and the more naive, better morally, lead character - I've seen it too many times.

Didn't think playing with the chronology helped. It was cool in "Citizen Kane", a Kieslowski movie, "Run Lola Run", but I can do without. I'm not into drama, crime, etc., and just prefer an independent drama, which this movie could have been, but I give it a 6/10 because I didn't turn it off and I would consider it pretty accessible for members here.

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https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition

A Dance in the Snow (2024) A Hallmark Christmas movie about a single mom and her autistic teen daughter. This was a lovely and sweet film. I liked the story and the performances were good from the cast, especially Vanessa Burghardt.

rewatch. not really a holiday movie but it sure feels like one and its delightful.

After seeing this, I've tried to find a voyeuristic movie almost as good with no luck.

I watched Batman Year One this afternoon. It's another good one. I still don't like narration. I suppose it comes in handy when you need to speed up progression. Overall I liked the film though. It was fine.

Next up for Batman is Under the Red Hood. I'm in the middle of Tootsie as well. Actually I'm about half an hour from the end. I can finish it tonight. I started it in my room on my small monitor connected to a Blu-ray player, and I figure I can watch it when I'm getting ready to sleep. Oh "half an hour" is not exact. That's a rough estimate. I think I stopped it around 1:15 and it goes to 1:56 so maybe forty minutes?

By The distributor of the film, the publisher of the poster or the graphic artist. - http://www.movieposterdb.com/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15705613

So Long at the Fair - (1950)

Fine little mystery this, with a few standout moments and an ending I really wasn't expecting. Vicky Barton (Jean Simmons) is visiting France for the first time with her older brother Johnny (David Tomlinson), and is excited at the prospect of seeing the Paris Exposition/Fair - they book into a hotel for the night (separate rooms), but in the morning it seems to Vicky that the room numbers have been altered, and when she enquires about her brother she finds that everyone insists that she came alone, and that there was no brother. What has happened here? A desperate Vicky then happens upon the one man who remembers her brother from the previous day, George Hathaway (Dirk Bogarde), and together they try to unravel this perplexing mystery. Highlights include a spectacular incident involving a hot-air balloon, a visit to the Moulin Rouge and the convoluted answer to what's happened. Every time Vicky asks "Will you take me up the Eiffel Tower?" it sounds like a sexual euphemism to me. Why are you all looking at me like that? Okay, scratch that. Ignore it. Anyway, the movie is a diversion but nothing overly spectacular or incredible. I really wanted to see all the awful people trying to convince Vicky she's crazy get their comeuppance - there's an awful note of condescension added to the wickedness of what they're doing to her. This is called The Black Curse in the U.S.

6/10


By Netflix - http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/a...-BACK-20170228, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53728750

Five Came Back - (2017)

Five Came Back gave me perspective on a number of war-era movies that I otherwise didn't have as much context for, and that I think will make seeing them all the more enjoyable, as I'll understand them more. I might actually look into getting myself a copy of the Mark Harris book of the same title, to fill in even more of the picture. Really strong presentation all-up, with few weak spots - and definitely recommended. Full review here, in my watchlist thread.

8/10

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The Killer (2024) -- A "Chick Wick" directed by Joon Wu

An impossibly competent killer grows a conscience. Sound familiar? It is! As you'd expect, there are doves featured in an open space with shafts of light. Alas, no double-wielded 1911's in this one (but we do get double-wielded Berettas and leather pants for the finale). It appears that Nathalie Emmanuel is our designated Thandiwe Newton replacement.

Dial M for Murder (1954) - Alfred Hitchcock: 6/10

Maybe 41 minutes?