TV/Movies Megathread

[Barrister]

I found Red Dawn (1984) on Paramount+.

So look - as a right wing conservative I always loved this movie, even as I appreciated how unrealistic it was.  Why exactly were the Soviets/Cubans taking over Colorado?  That didn't seem very likely.

But holy shit: as a right-wing Ukrainian-Canadian this movie is a whole lot more prescient about the results of a Russian invasion than I ever realized (even though the victim of the invasion is Ukraine, not North America).  All with the collective camps, the gang rape - it's all out of the old soviet handbook.

[Josephus]

I found Red Dawn (1984) on Paramount+.

So look - as a right wing conservative I always loved this movie, even as I appreciated how unrealistic it was.  Why exactly were the Soviets/Cubans taking over Colorado?  That didn't seem very likely.

But holy shit: as a right-wing Ukrainian-Canadian this movie is a whole lot more prescient about the results of a Russian invasion than I ever realized (even though the victim of the invasion is Ukraine, not North America).  All with the collective camps, the gang rape - it's all out of the old soviet handbook.

Maybe the Ukraine just needs some smart ass kids to fight back.

[viper37]

I found Red Dawn (1984) on Paramount+.

So look - as a right wing conservative I always loved this movie, even as I appreciated how unrealistic it was.  Why exactly were the Soviets/Cubans taking over Colorado?  That didn't seem very likely.

But holy shit: as a right-wing Ukrainian-Canadian this movie is a whole lot more prescient about the results of a Russian invasion than I ever realized (even though the victim of the invasion is Ukraine, not North America).  All with the collective camps, the gang rape - it's all out of the old soviet handbook.

Maybe the Ukraine just needs some smart ass kids to fight back.

There was an effective military resistance higher up north, IIRC. The kids were just doing their part in Colorado with a downed Air Force pilot.

[Josquius]

Refreshing my memory on the film I check wikipedia.

Milius was signed to direct at a fee of $1.25 million, plus a gun of his choice

:USA:

Interestingly it was originally conceived as an anti-war film.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I found Red Dawn (1984) on Paramount+.

So look - as a right wing conservative I always loved this movie, even as I appreciated how unrealistic it was.  Why exactly were the Soviets/Cubans taking over Colorado?  That didn't seem very likely.

But holy shit: as a right-wing Ukrainian-Canadian this movie is a whole lot more prescient about the results of a Russian invasion than I ever realized (even though the victim of the invasion is Ukraine, not North America).  All with the collective camps, the gang rape - it's all out of the old soviet handbook.

I believe the Commies were in Colorado to cut communications and interdict supplies. THere was some blurb with the downed pilot about what had happened in their town. 

[mongers]

'Lansky' - a workmanlike ganster biopic, OK, but no real suspense anywhere.

[Savonarola]

Krush Groove (1985)

A fictionalized account of the start of Def Jam records this is a good movie if you fast forward to the musical numbers and skip the rest.  If you actually watch the movie it's not so great.  The plot is cliché, there's an acting coach listed in the credits and, worse still, the coach is listed as Alan Smithee.  (Okay, I made that last part up, but there's a reason why there wasn't a Run-DMC movie franchise.)

The Fat Boys do a good job as comic relief and watching Rick Rubin rap his loan application was a delight.  Funniest part was watching the Beastie Boys get booed at a talent show; I think they had the longest career of any Def Jam artist (other than Rick Rubin who is still producing.)

Sometimes it was hard to tell when the film makers were trying to be funny; for instance the scene where Run orders 20 pairs of Adidas sneakers, was that supposed to be comic hyperbole or a slice of life? 

[Duque de Bragança]

'Lansky' - a workmanlike ganster biopic, OK, but no real suspense anywhere.

So not this one fortunately:



Before Sav asks, it has nothing to do with John Woo, yet its originality leaves a lot to desire. 

[mongers]

'Lansky' - a workmanlike ganster biopic, OK, but no real suspense anywhere.

So not this one fortunately:


Before Sav asks, it has nothing to do with John Woo, yet its originality leaves a lot to desire. 

Well the first 5-10 minutes as shown here was 'awesome':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHD1YJUXvSU

Also the imdb entry hasn't got any user reviews yet, Duque maybe you should do the honours?

[viper37]

'Lansky' - a workmanlike ganster biopic, OK, but no real suspense anywhere.

So not this one fortunately:


Before Sav asks, it has nothing to do with John Woo, yet its originality leaves a lot to desire. 

Well the first 5-10 minutes as shown here was 'awesome':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHD1YJUXvSU

Also the imdb entry hasn't got any user reviews yet, Duque maybe you should do the honours?

Epic!

I second the idea of Duque doing a review for this!

[Tonitrus]

I found Red Dawn (1984) on Paramount+.

So look - as a right wing conservative I always loved this movie, even as I appreciated how unrealistic it was.  Why exactly were the Soviets/Cubans taking over Colorado?  That didn't seem very likely.

But holy shit: as a right-wing Ukrainian-Canadian this movie is a whole lot more prescient about the results of a Russian invasion than I ever realized (even though the victim of the invasion is Ukraine, not North America).  All with the collective camps, the gang rape - it's all out of the old soviet handbook.

I believe the Commies were in Colorado to cut communications and interdict supplies. THere was some blurb with the downed pilot about what had happened in their town. 

I don't recall it being made clear in the film, but Calumet is their fictional town.

[Savonarola]

Fear of a Black Hat (1993)

It's This Is Spinal Tap for Hip Hop (going so far as to copy Spinal Tap's most famous running gag; the group's managers keep dying in increasingly bizarre and horrific ways, the way Spinal Tap's drummers did); still it is really funny, especially if you remember MTV right before grunge conquered the universe.  (They even have the guy who used to do MTV News in the movie.)  Some of the jokes are a little too tied to the time (dealing with Paula Abdul, Vanilla Ice and C+C Music Factory) so I don't think it's the classic that Spinal Tap is, on the other hand it was a nice bit of early nineties nostalgia.

[Sheilbh]

L'immensita. Coming of age story about an LGBT teen in 70s Rome starring Penelope Cruz as his mum.

Really great performances, especially from the kids and (as you'd expect) Cruz. Moments where it's just very beautiful and in general I think the first half/two-thirds is brilliant. By the end I think it's slightly outpaced itself, there's perhaps a few too many elements and it's lost a bit of focus.

But, broadly, brilliant - especially if you're a fan of Penelope Cruz or 70s Italian aesthetics

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Watched the new Babylon 5 movie yesterday.
It's not that long (in the range of animations movies of old, clocking in at less than 90 minutes)

Not quite sure about the animation style, it seemed a bit flat.
The music was nothing special since Franke wasn't on station (not because they didn't ask, but because the man is retired). Still, could have been worse.
The story was not bad but not exceptional either. A child of its time though with all the multiverse stuff. Still, a few nice what-ifs.
What part of the original cast was still alive was there, but that made it very obvious how many have moved beyond the rim since the series aired. A respectable attempt by the actors replacing them.

All in all I didn't have the feeling I wasted my time with it. Nostalgia helped. Hope they are allowed to make some more that gets closer to the good stuff.

[Josquius]

L'immensita. Coming of age story about an LGBT teen in 70s Rome starring Penelope Cruz as his mum.

Really great performances, especially from the kids and (as you'd expect) Cruz. Moments where it's just very beautiful and in general I think the first half/two-thirds is brilliant. By the end I think it's slightly outpaced itself, there's perhaps a few too many elements and it's lost a bit of focus.

But, broadly, brilliant - especially if you're a fan of Penelope Cruz or 70s Italian aesthetics

Penelope cruz as the mother.
Well I feel old.