Posts by Sandra Brooks85

ruggedjackal46 said:I actually loved the movie specifically because it doesn't paint Michael Jordan as either a deity or a complete jerk.

It might give off a vibe that there's some pity involved, but regardless, it's a great film. From his arrival in New Orleans to his departure from Italy, it feels almost scripted. Interestingly, back in 1981, his manager had this vision that DM would become the greatest player on earth, conquer America, and decided to hire two cameramen to document it all for a future biopic. Somewhere during his time with New Orleans, Michael Jordan effectively quit, and the filming fell apart. Asif Kapadia eventually found the footage, pieced it together, and here we are seeing it on the world stage forty years later.

northerncrane4 said:Sandler is actually great when he wants to be—but we already knew that from Punch-Drunk Love and Funny People—though I’m not even sure if this role was written for him. Based on the vibe, it feels like they wanted Turturra, and when that fell through, they just pivoted to Sandler.

Anyway, he’s good, and the movie just barely clears that "solid" threshold above being a total flop. It’s incredibly underdirected and messy—not in a "good" way that mirrors the protagonist's internal chaos, but just plain random at times, shifting focus to characters and subplots that are frankly forgettable. If it did that with intention, it might work; as it stands, it's just aimless. As for the score, I didn't get what they were doing with it during the watch or even now—not that I’m some music critic, so maybe I missed the point. The ending hits hard, though it drags on a bit too long after the actual punch.

Still, Sandler delivers, so he makes it worth the watch, even if my final takeaway is that I feel like I've seen this exact thing many times before, just done better—even if I can't point to specific examples.

They wanted Sandler. The first time was about ten years ago, and he turned them down twice. After seeing Good Times, he decided to work with them. It’s as if he wasn't just reading a script, but needed to see their visual style to be convinced.

The Safdie brothers have mentioned that the only other person they could see in the role besides Sandler is Rodney Dangerfield. I'm not sure if they were actually thinking about this film while he was still alive, or if that's just hindsight talking.

Jose Miller3 said:Yeah, seriously though... I’ve always felt like the US occupied Afghanistan and Iraq just because George W. Bush watched "Apocalypse Now" one too many times. 😢

Cursed FF Coppola... honestly, he's freaking responsible for all the chaos happening across the globe right now!

It isn't Francis or Joseph's fault. Bush was reading Conrad.

By the way, guys like Beaderov end up committing suicide or taking out their own families back home. So, Ashley Sanchez86, you can sleep easy.

Ashley Grant66 said:Yeah—I can confirm Daniel Perez6 was definitely laughing too. 😁

Oh man! That's funny.

Oh, by the way—who is Cookie? I see the name popping up in the thread. 😕

That's the guy who used to spend his early mornings wandering in front of clubs, directing traffic right in the middle of the street. That’s how it all started. He wasn't afraid to cut anyone off. I have a feeling he's on good terms with Donald Trump. I've lost track of him in the public eye lately, or maybe I just haven't been paying enough attention.
He makes a brief appearance in Willie's movie.

As for the crowd, they were pretty funny; there were a few young guys near me laughing their heads off. From how much they were going in and out, I got the impression they were just there to eat and drink. I lost my bet on a beer. I was wagering with a friend that they'd clear out before the end.

Also, that dialogue between Cindrić and the woman is actually great.
We should probably turn the film into a mini-series and then bring Radić back to escort the girls to the restroom or something.

Gregory Lewis38 said:Facebook post: "With this turnout [1742 viewers, per Gregory Lewis3], the movie is being pulled from most theaters next week. In the few remaining locations, there will only be one early morning or late-night screening daily, so we recommend catching it while you still can if you were planning to go."
Anyway, looks like our buddy here tripped over a factual error. He claims: "The young cop Ozren (Marko Cindrić) is personally invested in resolving the school drama ASAP because his wife is pregnant, and his son (another very solid little newcomer—Franko Pavičić) is in the same class as Ana, whose father is currently bullying the kids." But wasn't it actually SPOILER ALERT revealed at the end that the cop's son—that little kid played by F. P.—is just some total provocateur, and his dad turns out to be a cop, then a firefighter, then the Governor? 😬
Generally speaking, my high expectations weren't really let down. It definitely landed the laughs; there are a few genuinely hilarious bits (including that completely insane "internal" nonsense involving the checkers set [🙏 🙏 🙏, seriously, is anyone even allowed to film stuff like that with kids nowadays? 😬]), but I didn't actually expect it to hit those touching notes so effectively. That’s probably because of that unfortunate tendency to make you feel for characters you shouldn't (where are you now, Joker fans?), and more importantly, because of the overall vibe of "*damn, this misery and struggle is basically us."

One sentence was enough.
And what about Cookie? That character deserves a much bigger role. Something like an American version of *In the Loop*—police, intelligence agencies, the CIA, Mexico.

Philip Eldan worked for me. The bit with the eyes was great.
Jack in the style of Gary Walsh.
The Knight did a great job directing the actors.
Decent little movie.

Following up on the author's thread, I have a few questions about buying illustrations for my social media posts. We're talking small amounts here—likely won't exceed $1,100 a year at current rates. Is there a way to handle this without officially setting up a small home business, or is that my only option? For context, I don't actually advertise any sales on these pages; I just post the artwork.

Jacob Alvarez said:Basically, just a standard Hollywood rip-off of a solid foreign film.

More like a slightly smarter clone...

Grace Sanders24 said:I find the first version about ten times funnier.

From what I can tell, all the best sequences and nods from the original made it into this version, aside from one bit involving a Mexican finding an Albanian provocation hidden in a road sign year—which was a great touch. This American version actually adds a few clever bits the original lacked, such as replacing the Mexicans with Native Americans, which adds a nice layer of political correctness satire to the mix. If you watch them back-to-back, you might find this one too derivative to enjoy. As for the humor, if you're judging strictly by delivery and vibe, sure, you could call this one funnier, but from a screenwriting standpoint, the original definitely holds the edge.

What's the deal with this garbage?

Basically, the director just remade his own movie, except this version is actually funny. It leans into every possible cliché to poke fun at everything from traditional masculinity to feminism, minorities, and political correctness.

Can I make a creative little change from log off to logoff?

Yes. Just ping Nick with a link to this post.

analogbear40 said:Take a look at Ellie Parker (2005).......not even because of the plot, but strictly for her performance.

It’s the perfect showcase of her sheer talent.....

I caught that one on AMC. It was only worth watching for her.

Ashley Grant66 said:Korin directed Gummo and Larry Clark Kids.

It was the debut for both, and as often happens, likely their best work.

rowdytinker3 said:I caught it right when it came out. We were just kids back then and the movie Kids was such a massive hit for us, so since it was the same director, we all assumed we were in for another masterpiece.🤣

Actually, it isn't the same director. Korine only wrote the screenplay for Kids.

Some interview where they were discussing the film, and the host accidentally flashed a fake still from a bathtub scene. Korine absolutely lost it.

The movie didn't really stick with me and I would have forgotten it by now, but lately, I keep running into a guy in Washington, D.C. who looks exactly like a Japanese person. Every time I see him, the film comes back to mind. I start building these little scenarios in my head about what he’s doing here in the States or what his actual intentions might be. Suddenly, the story takes on a whole new dimension. Creepy.

Godard might actually be my favorite. I spent my teenage years obsessed with Weekend, then moved on to this one. But he's influenced me so deeply since then that I almost can't bring myself to watch his older stuff anymore. The new ones just feel completely exhausted.

Richard Lee47 said:Betraying our own people!!!!

The real question is whether the Virgin Mary stood with her son or with the Americans.
Maybe Babić has an answer.

Lisa Ross65 said:In my opinion, this is one of the best films of the year. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was excellent. I'm actually kicking myself for not seeing it in 3D—it still hit home even in 2D, though.

I’m not a big 3D fan, but this was genuinely great to watch. At times, I felt like they were just selling me the logistics of the planning and execution, along with everything he did on the wire—I watched the Man on Wire documentary a long time ago and had forgotten the specifics, so this brought it all back. I actually went back and watched the documentary again after the movie to catch the interviews with Petit, and the story really is incredible. The man essentially "danced" on a wire for 45 minutes with a grin on his face.

northernfalcon78 said:It was a mediocre documentary. Honestly, it lacked any sort of meaningful conclusion.

The takeaway here is that you apparently have to give birth and then dump your husband just to meet the standards set by The Queen's Gambit.

No one pointed out the film's only truly authentic moment—that selfishly human and emotionally unpredictable reaction from the people he turns to for help.