Black Book

New Paul Verhoeven flick.
Saw on CNN that MG Films is handling the release. Anyone know if this is hitting stores or just going straight to streaming?

Heh, I'm hunting for it too. Back when I used to hang out at the local video store, the guys there told me they had some massive falling out with the distributor. I checked a couple of other rental spots as well, but no luck anywhere. You can't find it at Walmart or Microsoft either, and honestly, I don't buy the idea of finding it at a newsstand... I think I might swing by AMC Theaters tomorrow just to see what all the critics are raving about...

copperseal9 said:so I can see what all the hype from the critics was about

The movie definitely earned its glowing reviews. It’s nothing but praise for this one..

copperseal9 said:hehe I'm hunting for it too. Over at Spider, they told me they had a falling out with the distributor. Checked two other video stores and nothing. Can't find it at Walmart or Microsoft either. As for newsstands? Don't hold your breath... probably gonna hit up MG Movies tomorrow just to see if it actually lives up to all the hype from the critics.

Checked at Spider myself. They told me the distributor is being arrogant—demanding crazy money upfront. Same story at the other video spots.

Looks like it’s strictly for journalists and critics. 😂 Now we've clearly got a "distributor vs. video stores" war going on. The distributor thinks all this press coverage will force the stores to buy the film on their terms.

But based on how things look, the video stores aren't biting, so I don't get why they won't just release it for retail. Do they even want to sell this thing or what??? 😕

So, I finally sat down and watched it today. It’s a heavy one... just don't go in expecting a bunch of high-octane combat scenes. At its core, it's a drama first and foremost... Picked it up for $40 over at Walmart. Their number is 4859017. A few other local video stores picked it up too, so maybe check with them and they can tell you which

Larry Cooper40 said:I checked at Walmart too, and they told me the distributor is being arrogant—asking way too much for the film and demanding upfront cash. I heard the same thing at other video stores.

It looks like nothing but journalists and critics have actually seen it.😂

It was in my video store at the beginning of summer.🥳

I just watched this film and it’s truly excellent. Verhoeven has returned to his old form. It’s a shame it skipped theaters entirely—it came straight to DVD here, even though it was a massive hit in Europe.

Indeed, it seems the old lion Verhoeven has finally returned to his peak. It’s an exceptional piece of filmmaking that comes with my highest recommendation.

I tried digging through the archives for this stale topic, but I just couldn't stay quiet after seeing this movie on PBS last night.

For about forty minutes, the film actually looks like it might turn into something decent, but then it descends into pure chaos. You lose track of who’s paying for what, who’s sleeping with whom, and you can't decide whether to laugh or take it seriously. It reminded me of some old sitcom, then shifted into something like *The Wire* or a random *partisan squadron* flick, which made me think maybe Dutch TV commissioned Verhoeven to make this for their version of Victory Day... because if not, I have no clue what on earth I was watching.
It's been a long time since I've seen such a confusing WW2 movie. There's more gunfire than in a Dillinger biopic, yet the plot doesn't even happen at the front—it's all set in cities. Then you have the lead, this lost Jewish woman walking around looking like Marlena Dietrich and seducing German officers, while SS officers sit around sipping coffee and negotiating with the Resistance movement about who they're going to execute tomorrow. I know things weren't easy for the Dutch, but this is just overkill. By the end, I felt like I was watching a frivolous cabaret show rather than a drama.

Hands down Verhoeven's worst work; this isn't a comeback, it's a total nose dive.

I wasn't exactly confused by it.

The film is excellent. An 8 out of 10.

It’s a shame about Müntze being executed. Besides—where would the Allies even allow defeated Germans—especially SS officers—to be carrying out executions of their own people? It feels a bit unrealistic to me.

Well, if those were actually the rules for handing things over..

Laura Palmer25 said:I tried my best to ignore this stale topic, but I just couldn't help myself after watching this film on PBS last night.

For about forty minutes, the movie promises to turn into something decent, but then it descends into a complete mess. You lose track of who’s paying the bills, who’s connected to whom—it’s impossible to tell if you should be laughing or actually taking the plot seriously. It reminded me of some old sitcom, then maybe an old war drama, and suddenly it hit me: this was probably commissioned by Dutch TV to celebrate Victory Day over fascism... because if it wasn't, I have no idea what else this disaster could be!
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a confusing WW2 film. There’s more gunfire than in movies about Dillinger, even though the action doesn't even take place at the front lines, just in various cities! You have the lead, this misguided Jewish woman, strutting around like Marlena Dietrich while seducing German officers, and SS officers negotiating over coffee with the Resistance movement about who they're going to execute tomorrow... look, I know things weren't easy for the Dutch, just like they weren't for the Russians, but there's such a thing as going too far. By the end, I felt like I was watching some frivolous cabaret show rather than a serious drama.

Hands down the worst Verhoeven film ever. This isn't a comeback; it's a total freefall.

SPOILER:
The wildest part for me was when they go to prison to break their people out, fall straight into a trap, and somehow only the traitor makes it out alive. Honestly, it wouldn't have surprised me if he wasn't just faking his hatred for the Nazis (and later, of course, making a deal) during the whole skirmish, and if they hadn't fired hundreds of rounds at him and his friends (they only hit the friends, obviously). Just... damn, how realistic.

wiredbison82 said:Yeah, exactly, seeing the old legend Verhoeven get back to his peak form. It’s an excellent film; I’d say it deserves a full recommendation.

I haven't actually sat down to watch his earlier stuff with Hauer—though, I suppose, that might be the very best Verhoeven has to offer—but looking at the films I have seen, this one is far superior. It's tense, the acting is top-notch, and the direction is even better... it reminds me quite a bit of Lee's "lust, caution," though I think it's maybe just a tiny bit better than that. I'm really glad to have this one in my video store collection.😁

Dennis Doyle3 said:SPOILER:
The most intense part for me was when they broke into the prison to free their own, only to walk straight into an ambush where the traitor ends up being the sole survivor. Honestly, it wouldn't be out of character if he had been faking his hatred for the Nazis all along—just making deals behind the scenes while everyone else was taking hundreds of bullets meant for him and his friends (though, of course, they only hit the friends). It felt incredibly gritty and realistic....

Well, he has to take some risks too.

goldenhound32 said:I wasn't confused.

The movie's great. 8 out of 10.

👍

David Price5 said:Well—if those were actually the rules for surrender...

Look, the Allies did use some US Army units as basically police forces for about two or three months after Germany surrendered—just to let the SS officers, especially the generals, run wild...

.There was no way the SS units ever became actual law enforcement. They were basically given a free pass to do whatever they wanted regarding their own interests..

That movie was absolutely incredible. Thank goodness for the thunderstorm last night—otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have sat through it.🙂 I'm actually downloading it right now... does anyone happen to have the subtitles? Please! I've been telling everyone about it all day. I was totally sucked in. -.-'

nimblewalker12 said:The movie was absolutely wonderful. Thank God for the thunderstorms last night, otherwise I wouldn't have watched it.🙂 I am downloading it online right now—does anyone happen to have the subtitles? Please! I spent all day retelling the story to everyone. I was completely swept away.-.-'

You can pick up the movie at Walmart for $6.75. It’s cheaper than a pack of cigarettes, and it'll last you much longer... assuming you don't try to smoke the DVD somewhere.😁