Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2024 Edition

Master of None

12-30-24

THE WILD BUNCH
(1969, Peckinpah)
A western

"We're not gonna get rid of anybody! We're gonna stick together, just like it used to be! When you side with a man, you stay with him! And if you can't do that, you're like some animal, you're finished! *We're* finished! All of us!"

That's the sentence that outlaw Pike Bishop (William Holden) gives to his men at one point. A sentence that comes back to haunt him once or twice in this revisionist Western from Sam Peckinpah. Set in 1913, The Wild Bunch follows an aging Bishop who is looking for one last score to leave the criminal life. But when a posse of bounty hunters led by Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan), his former partner, sets out to find them, Pike and his men must see if they can stick together or not.

This is my first Peckinpah film, one that was recommended often, and I'm glad I finally got to it. Much like Unforgiven did 20+ years later, The Wild Bunch is an interesting deconstruction of the western genre, as it attempts to strip down all the glorification of the traditional cowboy and the western overall. Our "heroes" are violent outlaws; tough men that often boast to live by codes and oaths that they forget as soon as it's convenient.

But that is not isolated only to our outlaw "heroes". The men that are after them are no different, and maybe even worse. Pretty much every character is driven by their want for power, money, or some vendetta. There is little honor to what most characters do, and what little there is (like from the above quote) is soon forgotten leaving only "animals" to eat themselves alive.

That theme of time passed by is excellently portrayed, both by the script and the performances. Both Holden and Ryan have that mixture of world-weariness while still trying to cling to some code. Ernest Borgnine, who plays Dutch, adds a solid balance to Holden, as he seems to be more willing to remember those codes (and even he pushes them aside at a climatic time). The interactions between Pike and Dutch were some of my favorite parts from the film.

I wish the character of Deke was better developed, especially given his relationship with Pike and how the film wants to contrast them. Other than that, the film offers some great action sequences and setpieces, along with well written characters and a thought-provoking exploration of how they adapt to the passage of time; whether it is by sticking together or turning into some animal.

Grade:

__________________

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Thief

Master of None

12-30-24

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
(2023, Cairnes & Cairnes)

"You're meddling with things you don't understand."

That is the warning that late night show host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) gets from his sidekick Gus (Rhys Auteri) during a commercial break, as they prepare to present a demonic possession live. But love, grief, and the desire for fame can lead us to do dangerous things, like meddling with things we don't understand. That is part of what's going on in this supernatural horror film.

Set in 1977, Late Night with the Devil follows the recording of a late night talk show hosted by Delroy for Halloween. The episode features Jack's return to the show after the death of his wife from cancer. But with dwindling ratings, he seems to be desperate to cook up anything to boost his viewership, even if it means bringing psychics, magicians, and possessed people so he can talk with "the devil".

There are a lot of interesting things going on with this film. Most notably, the way it is shot as if we were watching the actual show recording (at least for the most part). To achieve that, it uses elements of "found footage" as we see the recording unfold. However, it doesn't fully commit to this, since it also features some additional footage during the commercial breaks, which kinda broke the "magic" for me.

These commercial breaks, as well as the intro, serve mostly as a means of exposition. Unfortunately, they feel a bit ham-fisted and not entirely effective. The film also requires a massive amount of suspension of disbelief for us to believe that such a recording would go through, even after their first attempts at meddling. I mean, when a psychic projectile-vomits on your guests and the camera, I guess it's time to wrap it up and call it a day.

What the film does have, aside from the inventive setup and premise, are committed performances from the cast, most of which I didn't know of. Both Fayssal Bazzi and Ian Bliss are pretty good as the "vomiting" psychic and the magician-turned-skeptic, and Ingrid Tortelli is chilling as the young possessed girl. However, it is Dastmalchian the one who carries this from start to finish, and he does it extremely well. I'm actually surprised he hasn't had more lead opportunities, but I hope this film can change that.

Overall, I don't think Late Night with the Devil holds up as well as I would've wished, but it does put forward an intriguing setup in a unique way. Moreover, it is carried confidently by the cast, especially Dastmalchian. I think some of the writing and direction could've been polished to avoid excessive and obvious exposition, and some better execution, but coming from relative newcomers Colin and Cameron Cairnes, perhaps you can say they were meddling with things they don't understand.

Grade:

Thief

Master of None

12-30-24

OUT OF AFRICA
(1985, Pollack)
The last Best Picture winner you haven't seen

"Perhaps he knew, as I did not, that the Earth was made round so that we would not see too far down the road."

Set in the early 20th Century, Out of Africa is based on Karen Blixen's decades-long stay in British-occupied Africa and her relationship with hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford). Based in Blixen's own book, the film ended up receiving critical acclaim and winning multiple awards, including Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars. It is perhaps because of that "pedigree" that I wasn't really looking forward to it.

I'm not that big on biopics and I'm not that big on epic romantic melodramas, so Out of Africa already had a couple of things against it on my book. Add to that a 2.5 hour runtime, and I was sure I wouldn't make it past the first hour. However, the film turned out not to be as bad as I was expecting. I would say it was good, at least within the expectations for a film of that kind.

Out of Africa covers a period of around 20-something years. It starts with Blixen's arrival to Nairobi, Kenya, her settling in with husband Bror (Klaus Maria Brandauer) and her initial meeting with Denys, as well as her struggles to acclimate to her new home. The second hour focuses mostly on her relationship with Denys, which leads into their conflict in the last act and eventually, Karen getting "out of Africa". Two of those acts are pretty solid, one not so much.

In addition to its slow pacing, the film has some stereotypical portrayals of locals as subservient assistants. What the film does have on its favor are really strong performances from pretty much everyone involved. Streep, Redford, and Brandauer are really good, and deliver some really good exchanges when the film allows them to. When it doesn't, it tends to focus on long, wide shots of them walking around, having picnics, looking at the African landscape, so on and so forth.

I wish the film would've given a bit more space to Karen's relationship with Bron in the first act, or tried to expand more on her conflicts with Denys, while trimming down that tedious second act. There are also some unnecessary detours in the story that don't really amount to much in the end, other than adding to the runtime. In the end, I suppose that someone more used to epic romantic dramas would probably get more from this than I did. Still, I'm pretty glad I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Grade:

PHOENIX74

I forgot the opening line.

12-31-24

Originally Posted by Thief

However, it is Dastmalchian the one who carries this from start to finish, and he does it extremely well. I'm actually surprised he hasn't had more lead opportunities, but I hope this film can change that.

I'm a big fan and I hope he gets many more lead roles as well. There's a greatly underseen and for the most part underrated 2019 movie he's the lead in called Teacher. It's about a high school teacher who was bullied as a youth struggling to deal with a similar situation at his school, and the role really suits him. He's really good in this film.

__________________

Remember - everything has an ending except hope, and sausages - they have two.

Latest Review : Goldeneye (1995)

Thief

Master of None

12-31-24

Originally Posted by PHOENIX74

Added to the watchlist. I did read about another one he wrote and starred in called Animals. Will be checking those out.

Thief

Master of None

12-31-24

THE END
(2009, L�pez)

"I will be here. I promise."

That's the assurance that the lead character in this short gives to his young daughter in a brief flashback scene. He'll be there. That is unless circumstances get in the way, which they do, leading him to the end of the road. That is what's presented in this 9 minute short from local director Benjam�n L�pez.

Stumbled upon The End as I was examining L�pez' filmography and I was surprised when I saw the lead actor (Kahlil M�ndez) because I worked with him several years ago. He plays a fugitive, something we find out halfway through the short, who's on the run on a deserted road. When his cars stalls out, he has to figure out whether this is the end or not.

This is a very simple, low budget short. Despite that, it does what it has to do well. It is well shot and directed, and Kahlil is pretty good in it. There's not a lot of depth or substance to what happens given its short runtime, but I did appreciate where it led me to and how it ended.

Grade:

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

MOANA 2
(2024, Derrick, Hand & Miller)

"Remember there is always another way. Even if you have to get lost to find it."

In 2016, Disney released Moana to much acclaim. The film seemed to follow the footsteps of some of their previous work, like Tangled, Zootopia, and Frozen, by presenting a young heroine battling against the odds and circumstances. It was a formula, but one that was executed to near perfection bringing great results.

Moana 2 comes 8 years after and has already earned more than the original. Initially developed as a TV series, the Disney bigwigs decided to rework it into a full theatrical release. But box office earnings aside, does it really knows where to go or is it struggling to find its way?

This time, our heroine (Auli'i Cravalho) spends her days exploring nearby islands, looking for signals of other people. In the process, she stumbles upon the mystery of an ancient sunken island that might be the key to connect with others so she sets out to find it, along with demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and a young crew of her fellow islanders.

I'm a big fan of the original Moana; I even list it among my Top 5 Disney animated films. Moana 2 doesn't reach those heights, but still delivered enough fun to entertain me and my kids. We saw it dubbed, so I can't fairly judge the original voice work, but their Spanish counterparts do a pretty good job with the new characters being distinct, fun, and colorful (Old man Kele was a highlight with my kids). The film also features several thrilling setpieces and some gorgeous animation.

My biggest issue with the film probably has to do with the way it was developed. Even though it was repurposed as a feature film, it can't help but feel a bit scattered at times, as if parts of it were intended to be episodes instead of a full feature. I also felt the bits that lead to the inevitable third part, most notably the character of Matangi, weren't that properly integrated into the film.

My other main issue is with the songs and music. Again, judging it by their dubbed versions, but not a single song in it reaches the heights of "You're Welcome", "Shiny", or "How Far I'll Go". I should probably listen to the English versions, though. However, the scattered story and underwhelming songs makes me wonder if the filmmakers can find their way before the third part. Let's hope so.

Grade:

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

Ok, the last couple of months have been a bit of a mess in many aspects for me, which has harmed my podcast release schedule, but also the sequence of my posts here. As a result, I will post a couple of overdue summaries from the past months and then hope that my OCD doesn't drive me crazy for seeing them out of place

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

Ok, here is my first overdue catch-up. Instead of my usual challenge, this month I challenged myself to watch at least one horror film per decade, starting with the 1900s...

So here's my summary for OCTOBER 2024:

1900: The Doll's Revenge
1910: After Death
1920: The Skeleton Dance, Hell's Bells
1930: The Walking Dead
1940: The Spiral Staircase
1950: The Cyclops
1960: The Pit and the Pendulum
1970: The Giant Spider Invasion
1980: Ghost Story, Gremlins
1990: Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
2000: Trick 'r Treat
2010: All Hallows' Eve, A Nightmare on Elm Street
2020: The Menu, Death and the WInemaker (short film)

Other non-horror films: Service de Luxe, Mermaid

This was a fun experiment, even if none of the films really blew me away. If I were to pick a favorite first-time watch, it would probably be The Spiral Staircase or After Death.

As far as the weakest, The Cyclops takes it, even if it was a fun watch.

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

For those keeping track, these watches were paired with the release of a Vincent Price-centered episode...

Originally Posted by Thief

Before Halloween is gone, feel free to check out my latest episode where me and my friend Frank, from Silver Screeners, talk about Vincent Price. From his first film and his beginnings in horror to his later films and his detours into other... ventures. We close out with our Top 5 Vincent Price films, so check it out.

The Movie Loot 115: The Vincent Price Loot (with Frank Mandosa from Silver Screeners)

Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming platforms.

Hope you like it!

A Nightmare on Elm Street bonus episode, with some guest friends!

Originally Posted by Thief

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Freddy Krueger, I got together with a group of friend podcasters to talk about the franchise, its impact, as well as our thoughts on each individual film. Feel free to check it out.

Bonus Loot #4: The Nightmare Loot (with Ed, Stew, Kevin, and Pete)

Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming platforms.

Hope you like it!

And culminating with my October Loot episode, in which I share my thoughts on all these horror watches, which you can listen to here.

The Movie Loot 116: The October Loot

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

For November, I didn't do my usual challenge, but here's what I saw that month...

Here's my summary for NOVEMBER 2024:

Animated films: It's Such a Beautiful Day, Melody Time
Film noir and adjacent films: Blade Runner, After Hours, Pretty Poison, Shoot to Kill
Horror films: The Beast with a Million Eyes, Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Underwater
Rewatches: The Wizard of Oz, Demolition Man, National Treasure
Other films: The Sword and the Hairpin, Kid Auto Races at Venice, Paradise Canyon

Fun month. If I were to single out a favorite, I think I would have to go with Pretty Poison and the short film The Sword and the Hairpin. I do have to add that Underwater, although far from great, was still a pleasant surprise.

As for the worst, easily The Beast with a Million Eyes.

Thief

Master of None

4 weeks ago

Speaking of Pretty Poison, the reason I saw it was because Todd Liebenow invited me again to be a guest on Forgotten Filmcast to talk about the film. As usual, it was a fun conversation so feel free to check it out here. If you use Apple Podcast, here is that link as well.

Thief

Master of None

3 weeks ago

Finally, here's my summary for DECEMBER 2024:

The last Best Picture winner you haven't seen: Out of Africa
A film featuring ninjas (Int'l Ninja Day, December 5): Enter the Ninja
A western: The Wild Bunch
A film set in Antarctica (Antarctica Day, December 1): The Icebreaker
A film with the number 12 (Twelve, Twelfth, etc.) in its title: 12 Hour Shift

Other films seen, not for the challenge:

80's rewatches: Romancing the Stone, The Goonies
Horror films: P2, From Beneath, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Late Night with the Devil
Short films: The Big Shave, I Was a Stranger, The End
Christmas films: Milagro en Yauco, The Small One, Fatman, Die Hard
Other films: Once Upon a Time in the Caribbean, The Devil Wears Prada, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Carry-On, Moana 2

There were a couple of really strong first-time watches: Once Upon a Time in the Caribbean, a local Puerto Rican film, was a joy to watch; The Wild Bunch fulfilled its expectations as a great western; 12 Hour Shift was a really pleasant surprise, especially since I hadn't heard about it before; and The Small One was a lovely Christmas short.

Least favorite first-time watch was easily From Beneath, which succumbs not only to its low budget, but to poor writing and acting.

Wooley

Msg

Victim of The Night

1 week ago

Originally Posted by Thief

LEATHERFACE
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III
(1990, Burr)
Horror film from the 1990s

Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and...? Whenever you ask people about the Mount Rushmore of "modern horror", they might bring up Chucky or Ghostface, but more often than not, the fourth name will be Leatherface. Introduced in the iconic 1974 film as the "simple minded" member of the murderous Sawyer family, the character earned its place in the pantheon of horror icons with his skin mask, dirty apron, and the titular chain saw.

For some reason, studios failed to capitalize on the character, so when New Line bought the rights to the franchise, they decided to put the spotlight on him (hence the title of this film). Still, there really isn't much difference in how much focus is put on Leatherface versus the previous films. This third installment follows a loose continuity with the first two parts, with law enforcement finding a mass grave, while Leatherface remains at large along with a handful of random members of the Sawyer family.

As is expected, a young couple traveling through Texas have some car troubles and find themselves face to face with Leatherface and company. Along the way, they encounter another young woman who managed to escape from the Sawyer house and a resourceful drifter (Ken Foree), all of them hunted by the family. To complicate things, you're never sure who *is* part of the family and who isn't.

The original 1974 film has been my favorite horror film and remains a bone-chilling watch for me. However, the "fame" of the sequels was never good, so it wasn't until recently that I decided to check them out. The second part was an interesting spin towards the comedy/parody side, but this one leans more towards the horrors of the first one; at least as far as genre goes. In terms of quality, however, it is still pretty far.

There are many flaws here, with a key one being that the two main characters are not that interesting. Michelle, the woman (Kate Hodge), does a decent job with what little she's given but her partner (William Butler) is not likable at all. Ken Foree is good, but the way he's integrated into the story feels clumsy, and that middle act when he appears drags the pace of the film a bit. The subplot with Sarah, the woman that escaped from Leatherface, feels like a waste of time and contributes to the off pace from that middle act.

The saving grace from the film is Viggo Mortensen, who plays Tex, a cowboy that stumbles upon the young couple at a gas station and tries to help them. His performance is one that rises above the others and it's evident that he's having a lot of fun with it. Other than that, the film fails to leave a mark. There are some intense sequences, eerie visuals, and some solid jump scares, but probably not enough for most people to cement Leatherface as the definitive fourth face in that Mount Rushmore.

Grade:

I saw this in the theater at 10pm on a Friday night my senior year of High School.
We did not love it.
And we were not particularly scared either.
This is a sad contrast to TCM which I also saw in the theater last year and also re-watched for the tenth time or so last weekend and is just a chilling masterpiece.

Thief

Master of None

1 week ago

Originally Posted by Wooley

Totally agree. I always find it so weird how this "franchise" could never find its footing, even after the success of similar films like Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street. There are a couple I haven't seen, but it's such a weird mish-mash of different films with different flavors.

Wooley

Msg

Victim of The Night

1 week ago

Originally Posted by Thief

Well, let's be honest, there has never been a Halloween movie that came close to Halloween. And no Nightmare movie is anywhere near aNoES.
And neither of those movies were as artsy as TCM. So I can understand. I mean, it really took filmmakers a few decades to sort of crack the code of just the TCM vibe at all, in any movie. Tobe Hooper was his own animal.

Thief

Master of None

1 week ago

Originally Posted by Wooley

Yeah, but there have been a few good ones in the mix. Still, I was referring more to creating a coherent continuity, which might have resulted in better films. It's really odd.

Wooley