Thoughts on recent movies

[KJ Francis]

Have you seen the 2024 French version?

Watched it last week and it's the best adaptation I've seen so far.

It always bothered me that Edmond ends up with Mercedes at the end of the 2002 one, altough that's not the case in the book.

Do give it a watch if you can!

Bet they must have a version with the English subtitles but I'm not sure if they're showing it in theatres internationally.

Whoa, thanks for this! The 2002 version was also one of my favorites as a kid.

Heat has been recommended a lot. I noticed he uses Chase's technique to get her out of auto rejection ("I didn't mean to make you feel like that" non apology). And of course the ability to walk away.

I have not watched a movie for about a year except for part of 9 1/2 weeks with a girl.


On my list though:
(1980) Dressed to Kill
(1981) Body Heat
(2004) Troy
(2005) Hustle & Flow

 

[Chad Tyrone]

Enjoyed watching The Truman Show

 

[James D]

Guys watch Le Comte de Monte Cristo (2024).

I hear they will release it internationally soon, given its success.

There's nothing quite like it.

No woke bullshit.

Dantes is a fucking badass and doesn't even reconcile with the previous chick.

I fucking love this movie.

 

[KJ Francis]

Guys watch Le Comte de Monte Cristo (2024).

I hear they will release it internationally soon, given its success.

There's nothing quite like it.

No woke bullshit.

Dantes is a fucking badass and doesn't even reconcile with the previous chick.

I fucking love this movie.

Apparently Dec 20 for US theaters https://variety.com/2024/film/news/...december-release-france-shortlist-1236112656/

I read Oct 30 for blu ray in France, so hopefully it will be able to be found subtitled online at that point

 

[James D]

Apparently Dec 20 for US theaters https://variety.com/2024/film/news/...december-release-france-shortlist-1236112656/

I read Oct 30 for blu ray in France, so hopefully it will be able to be found subtitled online at that point

Damn there's some Oscar buzz!

No surprise, this movie is up there with the greatests.

Hope you enjoy it @Francis !

 

[POB]

Watched it last week and it's the best adaptation I've seen so far.

Nice, I'll sure watch it, thx!

2 samurai movies that came well recommended:
- The Hidden Blade (2004)
- The Twilight Samurai (2002)

Both from the same director, Yoji Yamada, and with the same central theme: honor and duty during the twilight of the Samurai Era.

 

[Chad Tyrone]

Enjoyed watching The Truman Show

Damn how did I forget to mention Rebel Ridge

Chicks have it bad for Aaron Pierre over at Tiktok lol

Best ,you sure will learn a thing or two from him in how you carry yourself.

What are you waiting for ?Check it out already

 

[POB]

Has anyone seen Fireflly?
Been watching it lately and having a blast!

 

[gameboy]

Has anyone seen Fireflly?
Been watching it lately and having a blast!

Yeah I saw it, it was great fun! A bit short with only one season.

I just found out they also made a movie, haven't seen that one yet!

 

[TwoNameGame]

Anyone mention Star Wars: Andor?

Strong male protagonist with solid frames, no woke BS, clever writing, and some interesting themes.

Surprisingly for Star Wars and part of why I recommend it here (besides everything else that is great, there's a scene where Cassian is on the run with no place to stay, so he shacks up with some FB/fling he seduced on a tourist planet for casual sex.

 

[KJ Francis]

FYI to all, the new Count of Monte Cristo movie is now available online. Apparently a TV series came out this year as well.

The Count of Monte-Cristo (2024) ⭐ 7.7 | Action, Adventure, Drama

2h 58m

www.imdb.com

The Count of Monte Cristo (TV Series 2024– ) ⭐ 7.7 | Drama

The Count of Monte Cristo: With Sam Claflin, Robin Greer, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Méghane De Croock. Edmond Dantes, a sailor falsely accused of treason, is imprisoned in the Château d'If off Marseille. After escaping, and adopting the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo, he plans revenge against...

www.imdb.com

 

[Chase]

Am I the only one who felt like that new French Monte Cristo was some kind of passive emo politically correct low-T doomer Edmond?

Spoiler: SPOILERS

Dude was all skinny, with a massive back tattoo (common among 19th Century French sailors??), who just looked dour all the time.

The movie was not "fun" the way the 2002 movie was -- no training montage in the jail, little swashbuckling, etc.

It seems like it is trying to stay true to the book, then suddenly has Benedetto go rogue and end up dead, which makes Edmond's well-planned revenge instead look out of his control and makes Haydée hate him.

He spares his arch-enemy Fernand, who neither dies at his hand (2002 movie) or by his own hand (the book). Just live and let live, "Okay, all's forgotten now that you know who I am."

Then, at the end, when the young hot princess Haydée is supposed to declare her love for Edmond and rob him of his misery and hate (as in the book), instead she decides she loves the age appropriate son of his arch-enemy and Edmond gives them his blessing.

All he ends up with is some sad note from the woman he loved, who married another man and bore that man's child, as he sails off on his ship, presumably to spend the rest of his days rich, miserable, and alone.

The whole moral of the story seems to be a complete inversion of the novel's and other film versions'; instead of "get revenge then get redemption" it seems to be "if you go for revenge on those who've wronged you, you'll only make things worse and make everyone hate you; better to forgive them then accept whatever they've done to you, and live out the rest of your life broken and obliterated." (I'm not necessarily advocating for revenge here; but there's no denying watching a movie about how "you should just take it because if you try to do anything about it it'll just backfire and everyone will hate you and you'll be even worse" is a real boner killer)

Maybe this captures the zeitgeist of Current Year France right now though, I dunno.

As for me, I had to immediately re-watch the 2002 version after this one ended to try and purge it from my mind.

 

[POB]

Secret Level on Amazon is really good!
They put a great twist on familiar games and added a lot of nice things that caught me by surprise!
(the episode voiced by Arnold is just hilarious!!!).
For those who dig it, the Warhammer 40k piece (episode 05) has more testosterone than a bulking open bodybuilder.

 

[KJ Francis]

kind of passive

"We are kings or pawns, a man once said."

I haven't watched it yet, but must admit I was taken aback upon seeing the actor they chose in the poster. I just skipped ahead to see how they handled the beach scene when he washed ashore and was very disappointed.

One of the only movies I watched this year was The Apprentice (2024). It was pretty good

Short list:

Saturday Night (2024) | Rotten Tomatoes

At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television -- and culture -- forever. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Gil Kenan & Reitman, Saturday Night is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up...

www.rottentomatoes.com

A Different Man | Rotten Tomatoes

Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.

www.rottentomatoes.com

Dìdi (2024) | Rotten Tomatoes

In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can't teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.

www.rottentomatoes.com

 

[James D]

Am I the only one who felt like that new French Monte Cristo was some kind of passive emo politically correct low-T doomer Edmond?

Not the only one.

Reactions to this movie seem to be really polarizing.

I'm with the camp that it's one of the best adaptations of the story and one of my personal best movies (I've seen twice already. Once in France, and once again in my city, when it was released globally)

However, one of my favourite French YouTubers who reviews movies, whose reviews I've always aligned with, had exactly the same opinion as you.

I was in Dijon when they screened the movie in a lecture hall with around 40 students and again, the reactions were super polarized.

As for me, I had to immediately re-watch the 2002 version after this one ended to try and purge it from my mind.

As much as I enjoy the training montage in the 2002 version (which the 2024 french version could have handled much better), I'm really allergic to the cliché of the protagonist discovering the son is his and ending up with the woman at the end.

All versions of the story depart from the book, including the mini series with Gerard Depardieu (worth a watch) but the Edmond-Mercedes happily ever after thing with the son being his irks me.

2024 French version could have made him end up with Haydee though, as he does in the book. They had a hot actress who played the part and actually had chemistry with Monte Cristo. Major sacrifice for political correctness indeed!

 

[DarkKnight]

but the Edmond-Mercedes happily ever after thing with the son being his irks me.

I also found this too PC. In the book he had a new girl.

Man, who am I kidding, I loved this movie