Posts by Frank Lee10

graniteangler49 said:Once Upon a Time in America



Release year: 1984.

genre: Crime drama...

Roles: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elisabeth McGovern, Joe Pesci...

Director: Sergio Leone

An 80s gem. The golden age of cinema, at least in my book. It runs a bit long for my taste, but that doesn't take away from the quality. Every single element is masterfully executed... From the stellar performances, featuring the legendary Robert De Niro, to the top-tier direction and that incredible score by Maestro Morricone...

The Jewish ghetto in New York City during the 1920s was crawling with all sorts of gangs... and that kid gang led by Max and Noodles feels exactly the same way.

Kids roaming the streets, stealing, acting like they own the neighborhood through petty crime. Noodles is head over heels for a young Jewish girl named Deborah, but her father—a local bar owner—is standing in the way of her dreams of becoming a dancer. As the group grows up, they swear eternal loyalty and brotherhood to one another. They set up a shared safe to stash away the cash, starting with small-time scams and eventually moving into much darker business...

It’s Prohibition era in the USA, and the gang is getting deeper into the criminal underworld. During a mob hit, the fifth member of their crew was taken out, so Noodles killed the shooter in retaliation. Now he's headed to prison...

Once Upon a Time in America... He steps out of prison an old man, returning to his hometown only to be haunted by memories of his youth. He remembers the days of childhood gangs, the Prohibition era, and the brutal mafia hits in New York City. He can't escape the events that forced him into exile—the loss of his friends Berkowitz, Stein, and Goldberg, and the sudden, violent end to his young romance with Deborah...

This film stays with you. It's easily one of the greatest and most iconic within its genre...

If you'll allow me to expand on that particular thought of yours, I would argue that while it was undoubtedly the most ridiculous and entertaining era for movies, it was certainly far from being the best.

It was a truly excellent horror comedy, though I can't help but feel it would have been even better if it had stretched on for another thirty minutes; as it stands, the hour felt just a bit too brief.

Grace Sanders24 said:I am quite certain that grammar isn't really the issue here, as I have always been aware that linguistic precision is perhaps not my strongest suit. I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to anyone who finds themselves forced to endure my rather unfortunate writing style. I suppose I should mention that I actually find this critic quite charming, especially considering he gets paid for his critiques; it seems like a decent enough way to make a living, and I genuinely admire his approach to the work.

Alright George, thanks for sharing this. 😉

Christian Taylor3 said:Who exactly are you even arguing with?

My point is, what is actually the purpose of reading his reviews if everyone already knows they’re just going to be filled with spoilers? I suppose if someone genuinely dislikes his critiques, they might still find themselves scrolling through his work week after week, but if people are fully aware that every single one of his pieces contains spoilers, I struggle to understand why they would insist on wading through all that nonsense.🤷

Mark Wood79 said:Look, I don't follow film criticism closely—certainly not the American scene—but I have noticed that people seem to constantly tear into Pavicic, mostly because of his spoilers, though there are other grievances as well; so, I find myself wondering why you all persistently allow George to ruin movies for you.

There is already a dedicated thread about critics on this forum, so I am somewhat perplexed as to why everyone is so fixated on Pavicic specifically.

I suppose if they truly disliked his critiques, they would simply stop reading them, but if they are fully aware that every single one of his reviews contains spoilers, then I fail to understand why they continue to seek them out. I honestly cannot wrap my head around that logic; they complain about the content while being perfectly aware that, with Pavicic, the spoilers are an inevitable part of the package...

I have a personal distaste for 3D technology, and if I were ever in a position of authority, I would likely prohibit its use altogether.☕

One of the absolute best🙂

Just finished watching Double Indemnity.

It truly saddens me that our major networks seem to have completely lost touch with the masterpieces produced during the 30s, 40s, and 50s. I believe everyone should take the time to experience this particular film, as its sheer tension keeps you absolutely glued to the screen.🙏

I find myself quite fond of Billy Wilder—really, deeply fond of his work. Today I am diving into Stalag 17, and I expect to follow that up with two more of his films tomorrow, after which I shall share my thoughts. Even now, I can clearly perceive what a profound artist he was; the framing, the composition, everything is so intelligently orchestrated...

And then, when someone tells me that Gibson belongs among the greatest🤦—it truly feels like a sacred truth, even if the man only directed four films; regardless, he remains among the best.🤦

To be honest, I’m not particularly well-versed in Wilder's filmography just yet. Right now, my top tier of directors consists of Hitchcock, Ford, Lang, and Kurosawa. Once I finally sit down to properly appreciate Wilder, and I have a strong feeling he'll resonate with me, he might just stand on equal footing with those legends. Of course, one can't forget Hawks or Welles either...

I've recently immersed myself in the world of film noir, so if anyone could offer a few Wilder recommendations, I would truly appreciate it.🙂

http://www.filmski.net/dossier/389/john_carpenter
He has dedicated the vast majority of his life to the craft of directing, a pursuit where he finds himself occasionally brilliant and at other times, quite frankly, rather subpar.

🤷 ☕

Personally, I find this movie far superior to Taxi Driver, which I’ve always felt was somewhat overrated, though that is merely my own subjective take and most people seem to adore it. 🙂

To be honest, Taxi Driver failed to stir any real emotion in me, nor did it provide that sense of shock everyone talks about; I even found De Niro's performance to be a bit overhyped. I first watched it on DVD and thought it was just okay, then decided to give it another shot when it aired on a new network a few months back, but the result was the same 🤷

In my estimation, Falling Down surpasses it in every way, from the psychological depth to the more striking performance by Michael Douglas, and most importantly, it offers significantly more memorable scenes. I suppose I just never quite understood all the hype surrounding Taxi Driver, but again, that's just my opinion. 😉

I went into this movie completely blind; I had no idea it was based on a true story, and honestly, I didn't have any expectations at all—I just hit play and let it run. For the first fifty minutes or so, it plays out like a standard high school drama, and I thought the execution was solid enough, with a slow-burn pace and some really beautiful cinematography, but then those two characters step up, and from that exact moment, my opinion of the film jumped by two whole notches. It caught me completely off guard, and if I'm being honest, it was a genuine shock

SPOILER

The standout scene has to be the one involving the Black student... for a second there, I actually thought we were looking at something akin to Charles Bronson, but thankfully I was mistaken, because the way his story concludes is quite something. Once they acquired the weapons and started putting their plan into motion, the realism of it all hit me, and I realized it had to be based on real events given how much news coverage there has been regarding school shootings in America; the film felt incredibly authentic. Truly excellent work

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106856/



I found myself thinking about this film again, mostly because it reminded me so much of the ending in the Gran Torino spoiler story.

SPOILER

The narrative itself is quite straightforward, really. It explores what happens when a man finds himself stripped of everything he owns and decides he simply has to take matters into his own hands because there isn't any other path left to him. When Douglas is killed at the end, I couldn't help but feel a profound sense of dissatisfaction, mainly because his entire goal was nothing more ambitious than making it to his little girl's birthday party. There is such an excellent blend of heavy drama and that strangely absurd humor, particularly during that scene at McDonald's. It features several truly iconic moments, like the confrontation with the neo-Nazi, walking into a shop with a baseball bat to demand prices from 1967, the road construction scenes, and the way he offers genuine reasons for working...

TRAILER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM1qhqXoTzc

And that legendary ending http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Os9tF_wbU 🙏