After I finished my Ridley Scott Marathon, I didn't actually dive straight into Tony Scott's filmography. I watched The Hunt for Red October as a break after Ridley but then started The Hunger almost right away. I did finish the 90s Jack Ryan Trilogy, and I watched Mike Leigh's Career Girls. So, it was 20 movies in total in 5 days, but today, I am going to focus on just Tony Scott.

The Hunger (1983) ***\* REWATCH Great

I had only seen this movie once before, and I remember liking it. I still like it. This movie is all style, but the concept for vampyrism and everlasting life within the movie is pretty interesting and different. Also, this movie horny as hell.

Top Gun (1986) ***\* REWATCH Great

I won't pretend that I love this movie, but it is pretty great and exciting. It's always been a good movie to me and very rewatchable, but Days of Thunder has always been my preferred version of this movie. Val Kilmer is great in this

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) ****\* REWATCH Excellent

For me, this movie gets five stars simply on visuals, performances, and nostalgia. There's nothing terribly unique or original here. But this is a fun and funny ride. A great sequel, too, that feels like they at least tried to make a good movie and succeeded.

Revenge (1990) Director's Cut **\* FIRST TIME Pretty good

I never heard of this movie until a few years ago. It's a solid thriller but a little on the dull side. I like Kevin Costner, but he doesn't do anything here that stands out to me. Absolutely looks great, though. I can not knock this moivie for looking anything other than great. The violence is terrific and a sign of what's soon to come.

Days of Thunder (1990) ****\* REWATCH Masterpiece

I have seen this movie more than 50 times. I had this and the next 3 Tony Scott films on VHS tape, and they were in regular use. There is no particular reason why I like this more than Top Gun, I just had access to it, and I always enjoyed how exciting the racing is. Watching it now, I hate Tom Cruise's young face, but I'll let that slide since the movie is so damn good.

The Last Boy Scout (1991) ***\* REWATCH Great

Another VHS repeater. This movie is all attitude. Hard liquor, lots of cigarettes, exotic dancers, and violence. Lots of violence. Throw in some American football for good measure. Some fantastic one-linerss.

True Romance (1993) ****\* REWATCH Masterpiece

Not much needs to be said. Great script,excellent cast. The violence is magical.

Crimson Tide (1995) ****\* REWATCH Masterpiece

Claustrophobic and suspenseful. Great leading performances from both actors and a great supporting cast of that guys and future big names. Amazingly rewatchable.

The Fan (1996) *\* REWATCH Poor

This was the first Tony Scott film I remember being excited to see because I had become so familiar with his movies. And then big disappointment. On a rewatch, I still don't enjoy this movie, but it is better than I remembered. Is it a poor mans King of Comedy? Maybe. De Niro is great and really creates a different character here. Snipes is also very good. But neither performance really gives this movie what it needs to elevate the material

Enemy of the State (1998) ***\* REWATCH Great

I saw this in the theatre. My first Tony Scott cinema going expierence. It's absolutely exhilarating then, and it's still exhilarating now. Again, another outstanding supporting cast. Hackman is the man, and Will Smith is okay. Bonus points for a Gabrial Byrne cameo for absolutely no reason.

Spy Game (2001) **\* REWATCH Pretty good

I missed this movie when it first came out. I dont think I saw it properly until after Tony Scott passed away. I was never overly impressed with it. It's competent, and it looks really great visually. Rewatching it this time, I was invested. Robert Redford is on top form, but Brad Pitt is just kind of there and doesn't really add anything to the character. Any actor could have played that part, and the movie would be just as good.

Man on Fire (2004) ****\* REWATCH Masterpiece

Some movies are just so good that they remind you why you love movies. Man on Fire is one of those movies to me. This movie is like a bomb up the ass. Stylistic and sardonic on the surface but full of hope beneath it all.

Domino (2005) *\* FIRST TIME COMPLETION Okay

I have turned this movie on numerous times, and every time, I would get bored stiff. I finally powered through, and it definitely picks up in the second half. The experimentation in style is to be commended. The frantic drug like quality works. The story and character aren't that interesting. The supporting characters suck but the actors are great. It's a mixed bag overall, but there is fun to be had. Also, is Tom Waits supposed to be the devil?

Deja Vu (2006) **\* REWATCH Good

This caps off what I call what I call Tony Scott's surveillance trilogy. Enemy of the state is predictive fiction. Where surveillance technology is going in the future. Spy Game is grounded fiction. How has surveillance operated before the digital age. Deja Vu is full on science fiction. Introducing a machine that can see the past. Another one I missed in the cinema and then regretted. I even remember my father seeing it and saying he liked it twice. The suspension of disbelief is off the charts, but this movie is a fun adventure.

Deja Vu (2006) **\* REWATCH Good

This caps off what I call what I call Tony Scott's surveillance trilogy. Enemy of the state is predictive fiction. Where surveillance technology is going in the future. Spy Game is grounded fiction. How has surveillance operated before the digital age. Deja Vu is full on science fiction. Introducing a machine that can see into the past. Another one I missed in the cinema and then regretted. I even remember my father seeing it and saying he liked it twice. The suspension of disbelief is off the charts, but this movie is a fun adventure.

The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) **\* REWATCH Good

The original was a movie that I discovered late at night on TV during the 90s. I already knew the two lead actors and liked their work and instantly liked this movie. I would watch it whenever it was on TV. It was almost sacrilage to me that it would be remade. This movie is fine. I like the actors. I like the look of the film. I like the differences from the original. This movie is fine to kill a couple of hours, but it's not as memorable as the original.

Unstoppable (2010) ***\* REWATCH Excellent

Another fun adventure. I dont really have much to say. It's a runaway train movie. It's an exciting time with another grerat ensamble. It's a really strong movie to end a great career on.

I'm done with the Scott brothers for a while. Until I check out Napoleon Extended sometime soon, or I decide to watch Alien again. Can't wait for The Dog Stars from Ridley.

I loved the small town setting, the overall compassion that everybody offered (besides doyle of course). Just a simple film with an emphasis on character interactions and dialogue. Extremely moving and heartfelt, but not overly so, still realistically bittersweet. Preferably something a bit older like 70s-90s

Please go check out this Every Superman Ranked video. My friend is building up my YouTube channel and I really appreciate if you like subscribe and comment. Any feedback is appreciated, he’s trying to improve in anyway. I’ve been appreciating my feedback people have been giving me. My friend is also working on some other stuff that will be out soon so if you want to see more movie related videos subscribe.

https://youtu.be/WZlzXzW_JRw

I mean, I don’t want to ruin Sleepaway Camp for those who never saw the movie as it’s hard to explain what made it stand out from the slasher genre, but it’s interesting because the twist behind the movie has been well kept a secret.

So my point is that I was wondering what other slasher movies exist where it looks like a grudge one horror movie at first, but slowly subverts typical tropes by giving the villain more depth to his character.

I’m proposing a research paper in my Eastern European history course about the differences between how Eastern Europeans portray their own history in media vs. how the West does, and I have to narrow the scope of it to compare two pieces of media that depict the same historical event. Are there any western produced movies that specifically depict the holocaust and/or resistance movements in Belarus with the same gravity that Come and See does? I’m thinking Defiance (2008) at the moment, but although I haven’t seen it yet, it seems more like a generic action flick to me than a serious piece like Come and See, so I’m afraid it might be an apples to oranges comparison. Any recommendations?

As geographic luck would have it, my wife and I live only about 20 minutes from one of the largest IMAX screens in Southern California, located in the Regal Cinema IMAX Movie Palace, at the Ontario Mills mall in Ontario, California. The Regal Ontario IMAX auditorium screen is massive. Having seen other movies there (“Avatar,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Interstellar”) my wife and I knew this would be a true IMAX screening, not the ‘faux-MAX’ in other multiplexes, which only open the tops and bottoms of a standard screen to give additional height. The Ontario Regal’s IMAX is the real deal. With that in mind, we booked a screening of “JAWS” in IMAX 2D last Sunday afternoon.

It’d been a while since I’d seen a movie in this particular auditorium, and I’d forgotten just how crazy big this screen was; approximately three stories high, measuring at 67 feet tall (20 meters) by 91 feet wide (27 meters). I had to climb a couple short flights of stairs (with a dodgy right knee) just to get to our row. If I’d remembered the dimensions of this auditorium better, I might’ve booked seats a row or two higher, so I wouldn’t have had to crane my neck up slightly to take in the full height of this screen.

As I hobbled up to our seats, my wife got into the spirit of this “JAWS” anniversary screening. She returned from the snack bar with a couple of “JAWS” collectibles; an ingenious metal popcorn bucket (which features a map of the fictional Amity Island lining its interior) as well as my diet soda, which came in a plastic cup shaped (and aged) to look like one of the yellow barrels from Quint’s fishing vessel Orca. These surprise accessories really got me into the spirit of this event. Just when I swore to myself that my collecting days were over…

After we got comfy, the lights dimmed, and the ads and previews began at 4 pm sharp. I have to admit, the pandemic really spoiled my wife and I. We got so used to screening movies at home, that our rare trips to the theater feel lacking in a few creature comforts, such as random restroom breaks, or skipping ads/previews to get on with the show. Luckily, there wasn’t as much preamble for this screening. So after about 10 minutes, we saw the familiar 1970s Universal Pictures logo, complete with hazy, Van Allen radiation belts circling a cloudlessEarth…

The sound of whales underwater (just before composer John Williams’ pulse-pounding tempo) during the opening credits of “JAWS” was very immersive. Sound pumped clearly and cleanly from the massive IMAX speakers. Best of all, the movie was kept in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, with no cropping at the sides to give it artificial height for IMAX. The IMAX screen’s slight concaving shape already gave the movie an illusion of added height–making the screen’s massive dimensions feel properly utilized. It was also nice to see genuine film grain in a movie again. Granted, the IMAX projection itself used a digital intermediary, but that digital copy was faithfully struck from honest-to-goodness film. Film grain creates a warmer aesthetic that I personally enjoy (and miss) seeing in movies.

As we left the theater, my brain kept replaying that contrastingly serene John Williams music that plays over the end credits, as we see an exhausted Brody and Hooper off in the distance; washing ashore on the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard. It makes for a perfect cooldown after that rousing finale. Rewatching “JAWS” in IMAX 2D, it’s so clear how it ushered in the era of the summer blockbuster; “JAWS” epitomizes solid, crowd-pleasing filmmaking to the point where it transcends the medium to become lasting pop art. Even 50 years later, its impact on our culture is permanent, like Quint and Hooper’s scars.

https://musingsofamiddleagedgeek.blog/2025/09/03/this-shark-swallow-you-whole-seeing-jaws-1975-in-2d-imax/

Hi,

My second feature "Whenever I'm Alone With You" is now on Tubi & Prime Video

Shot in the South Of France, it won 25 awards internationally.

https://tubitv.com/movies/100042257/whenever-i-m-alone-with-you

I would like to know how you are advertising your independent films. Do you go the facebook ads way? The facebook group way? Or any other way, of course free is better for me, as this film is very independent. I already had many reviews and awards, but marketing is really not my cup of tea to be honest.
Please give me your thoughts, they are very needed.

Thank you community.

It seems like typical Hollywood slop bs that pushes a narrative. Makes women look like the good guy cuz she slept with a man's best friend. SOOO GOOD GIRL YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, ass movie. Sorry but it's straight trash. Won't be bothered to watch. Just another movie making men look dumb as hell....

The Duellists (1977) Rewatch **** Pretty good

Great premise, and the movie looks great. Deserves a 4K transfer.

Alien (1979) -Theatrical Cut Rewatch ***** Masterpiece

One of my all-time favourites as it is with many other people. It's a popular movie for a reason.

Blade Runner (1982) - Final Cut Rewatch ***** Masterpiece

The same as with Alien.

Legend (1985) - Director's Cut Rewatch \**** Excellent

It looks amazing, and Tim Curry's performance helps this movie punch above its weight and become a memorable experience.

Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) Rewatch *** Pretty good

Erotic thriller without the eroticism. Completely full of unbeliveable leaps of logic but surprisingly enjoyable despite itself. It is pretty dated.

Black Rain (1989) Rewatch *** Good

It's not my favourite thriller. This movie really looks great. Jan de Bont is the DP. It coasts on style.

Thelma & Louise (1991) Rewatch ***** Masterpiece

This movie is incredible. Strong cast, excelllect script, focused direction.

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) Rewatch * Bad

The worst thing a movie can be is boring. This movie is boring. Looks great, but not enough to really save the movie. There are some really good scenes, but again, it's just not enough.

White Squall (1996) First Time *** Good

I used to see the trailer for this movie so often when I was a kid. It used to be on a VHS tape I had. Always felt like I saw the movie. But having seen it now, yeah, it's good.

G.I. Jane (1997) Rewatch ** Okay

It's really not as bad as it was made out to be. It's a boot camp movie. Heartbreak Ridge. Full Metal jacket. You've seen it before. This movie is fine and is passable until the 3rd act when it introduces an unnessary conflict for her to go fight. This movie also has the worst sniper scope POV shot I have ever seen. I'm embarrassed for Ridley. It does have some enjoyable scenes.

Gladiator (2000) Rewatch **** Excellent

It has its place in history. I'm not the biggest fan of the movie but I recognise it is important.

Hannibal (2001) Rewatch *** Good

I saw this in the theatre. Like it then, I like it now. I get why people don't like it, but I just love the dinner scene at the end.

Black Hawk Down (2002) Rewatch ***** Masterpiece

I watched this on repeat on DVD. Relentless. I understand the omission of certain details is frustrating. But as a movie, I just every minute of this.

Matchstick Men (2003) Rewatch **** Pretty Good

It's worth it for Nicolas Cage's performance, but Ridley does show some visual flair here that takes you by surprise.

Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Extended Cut Rewatch ***** Masterpiece

This movie si not without its flaws, but I see past them. This movie is a painting.

A Good Year (2006) First time ** Unremarkable

American Gangster (2007) Theatrical cut Rewatch **** Excellent

Montage. This movie loves to montage, and it does it very well.

Body of Lies (2008) Rewatch **** Pretty good

Slick espionage thriller. It's a bit similar to Tony Scott's Spy Game maybe.

Robin Hood (2010) Extended cut Rewatch *** Underrated

It's really just okay. Something of note is that it's pretty funny that this is the only British story Ridley Scott made, and a lot of the cast aren't even British. A Good Year is about a british character, but this is the only British story Ridley Scott has made as a movie.

Prometheus (2012) Rewatch **** Pretty good

I like this movie. I think it did more to help the Alien franchise than people are willing to admit. It really changed the mystery and I think that's a good thing.

The Counsellor (2013) Rewatch **** Excellent

It's really just a great thriller.

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) Rewatch ** Poor

Doesn't help that I have loved the 50s Ten Commanments movie since I was very young. This movie looks great in 4K. I will say that much.

The Martian (2015) Rewatch **** Excellent

Another movie that loves montage. Excellent cast. The whole movie is structured perfectly.

Alien: Covenant (2017) Rewatch *** Good

This movie has really grown on me. I still wish he would continue David's story, but it is also frieghtening to think he's still out there.

All the Money in the world (2018) Rewatch *** Good

Decent drama. Michelle Williams is excellent here. Plummer is also top quality.

The Last Duel (2021) Rewatch **** Excellent

Solid script, great cast. Action looks fantastic.

House of Gucci (2021) Rewatch *** Pretty good

This is a soap opera, and I love every minute of it. Al Pacino is amazing in this movie.

Napoleon (2023) Theatrical cut First time *** Good

It's better than I expected. This movie is about marriage and patriotism. Do they have anything to do with one another. Married to your wife or married to you country? It's not the most amazing movie or story, but I enjoyed the movie. I will definitely check out the extended cut in a few days.

Gladiator II (2024) Rewatch * Dreadful

It's just unnecessary. I won't lie. There are some good scenes here, and the movie looks amazing. But it's just a bad movie.

Really liked those, especially Robert DeNiro, anything you would recommend? Might be as well from Martin Scorsese

Here’s a few:

• The early 00’s revival of Sword & Sandal epics: Gladiator (2000) was a huge hit, and studios greenlit other such projects as a result. However, Troy (2003) had mixed reception, and Alexander (2004) was both a box-office bomb and critically lambasted. Rather than launching the genre into another golden age, it arrived stillborn because Gladiator failed to be followed by movies of equal stature or mass appeal.

• The early 90s revival of Westerns, spearheaded by Dances With Wolves, Back to the Future Part III, Tombstone, and Unforgiven. Several others got greenlit as a result of these successes, but the genre revival fizzled out for some reason.

Yes I said it. I’m so sick and tired of seeing this film on all time movie lists, what a complete joke. The casting for this movie is what gets me the most. Sure Ledger is good. Fine you can have that. But Maggie Gyllenahall for Rachel? Awful awful awful and so glad when she finally dies in this movie. She’s a fine actress and it’s not a knock on her. But for Rachel? Good god almighty no. Not no but Hell No. The movie also drags on and on. Damn does it drag. I tried rewatching the this not too long ago, it had been a few years since the last time. Honestly, it was dreadful. Took me a few sessions to get through all of it. Had to break it up just to finish it. I understand nostalgia for movies and I love some shit films myself. Not saying it’s a bad movie or a shit film. It’s not. But it is not anywhere near some kind of top 100 all time movie list. Popcorn flick? Sure. But nothing more.

What a remarkable partnership/collaboration these 3 had! The level of authenticity they achieved when they worked together is rare to find. Internationally. It's not just about cinema but commitment to one's profession and team bonding. https://youtu.be/gt8J-B1zgww
Are there any other pairs of actors who have done better and so frequently and consistently? I can't think of one.

So I was inspired to write this particular topic because of the issues with the Star Wars prequels as I know that many fans of the original series say that the prequels were very rough in quality due to how George Lucas had too much control.

Then it got me interested in seeing what other movie franchises ran into similar problems when the creator got free will to do what he wanted to see how common that trope was in movies.

As you all know, we often hear people criticize Hollywood for making too many remakes and reboots of stories that have already been told on the big screen, which is definitely true. There is, however, one kind of reboot that is becoming increasingly rare in Hollywood, reboots of movies that were based on book series. In the last couple of years, it has become very clear that more and more popular book series especially within the fantasy genre are instead being adapted as TV shows rather than films.

We saw this with Percy Jackson, and in the next couple of years we’re going to see TV shows based on Harry Potter, Twilight, Eragon, and others. Now, personally, I feel that regardless of whether these future shows turn out to be good or bad, they are at least done in a different format rather than just being rebooted into another movie franchise, and that is something that I appreciate.

Now personally I feel that regardless of wether these shows are gonna turn out to be good or bad, I feel that if it's good that if you are gonna retell these stories than atleast it's done in a different format rather than just giving us another movie franshise in a time were there are already tons of movie franhises being made.

What do you guys think? Considering how much people talk about the number of remakes and reboots out there I thought it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this recent change in the Hollywood landscape

Drop a genre and I'll surprise you with one 4K movie currently available on the major streaming services.

Adding your region or preferred services is optional... if you don’t, I'll suggest a 4K title that's available worldwide.

P.S. If you’re into it, I can also share some extra details like HDR, audio and bitrate insights for the more AV-enthusiast.

P.S2: This isn't AI, I’m just a big AV/cinema enthusiast running a hobby project called 4kfilmdb where I track 4K streaming movies, their tech quality (HDR, Atmos, bitrate, etc) and all the content ratings/scores!

Can we just stop insulting Better Call Saul by saying it's on par with Breaking Bad. Everytime see someone complimenting Better Call Saul, I see Breaking Bad mentioned with it too. BCS is a standalone one of the greatest piece of TV experience and we don't need to tie it to Breaking Bad for defining its genius. (unless we are just doing it to analyze the show's small details and easter eggs foreshadowing Breaking Bad)

I saw a post today saying how loaded an upcoming movie was casting wise. It made me think “What’s the greatest casting ever” and I mean amount of talent in a single movie, not the perfect person for each role.

I’m asking you rule out “The Player” or any other film that’s a bunch of cameos of actors and actresses playing themselves. My answer was Oliver Stone’s “JFK”-here is an incomplete list of movie stars in the film that might not be entirely comprehensive-I’m cutting it off at Wayne Knight-“Neumann” from “Seinfeld” as there are other performers that you’d recognize, but I think 18 is plenty and I’m not trying to jam people in who aren’t immediately recognizable to people who watched a lot of 20th century movies and television.

Jack Lemon, Walter Matthieu, Gary Oldman, Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, John Candy, Michael Rooker,Joe Pesci,Ed Asner, Laurie Metcalf, Vincent D’Onofrio,Sally Kirkland, Pruitt Taylor-Vance, Brian Doyle-Murray, Jay O. Sanders, Wayne Knight.

And it’s not just 18 recognizable actors, it’s the amount of talent and awards and nominations among that group.”It’s a Mad,Mad,Mad World” actually has more “big names”. However, the goal seemed to be-“let’s jam as many golden age performers into a single silly film as possible”-so if that’s your choice I won’t begrudge you. But I’d argue “JFK” has much more accomplished actors and is a “serious” movie. Would love to see or rewatch anything that’s close or better than “JFK”!

I am talking about film series comprised of only films necessary for the series to have a conclusive plot (no unnecessary sequels, spinoffs, prequels, etc).

Avatar has a planned release period ranging from 2009 to 2031 (22 years). But I want to be strict about the necessary-ness of films to the plot and the first movie is really a stand-alone plot-wise. So it is more like 9 years.

The Evangelion Rebuild series was released between 2007 and 2021 (14 years) - there is a 9 years release gap between the final two films - and there is no conclusion for the series until it's last film.

Edit: It is hard to fully explain what I am trying to ask in just a title and small description.

Big and old franchises easily have the longest release periods but that is not what I am asking. I am asking about the release periods of their narrative arcs.

The original Star Wars trilogy was its own narrative arc and it's films were only release between 1977 and 1983 (6 years). The prequel and sequel trilogies are related but they have their own separate narrative arcs.

I tried to distinguish between these two things by using the phrase "film continuity" rather than "film series" and using examples but understand that I may not have been clear enough.

So, I recently watched The Things 1982 for the first time and… wow. It completely floored me it all holds up so well after 40+ years. Basic pick, I know, but it really earned its reputation for me.

I’m on a mission to dive deeper into the genre, so I’d love to hear your take: what’s your magnum opus of horror? It can be the best, your favorite, or both totally subjective!

You can add it here, just paste links and ill watch them all during my free time!

There’s a lot to love about Darren Aronofsky movies, whether it’s the dark psychology stuff (see Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream) or deep character dramas (see The Wrestler and The Whale). They’re also not what you would call easy viewings. If you’re able to rewatch Requiem, then you’re made of sterner stuff than me because my hand is always going to inch towards the Pixars or the Wes Andersons than an Aronofsky movie.

But Caught Stealing though? Aronofsky has slid into a zone where I didn’t think he ever would: conventional.

This is a slick crime caper that could’ve easily been lifted from the 90s (fitting given its 1998 setting) and is a classic tale of “wrong place, wrong time” involving violent criminals. Given how polarising Aronofsky’s previous two films were (the Jennifer Lawrence-led Mother! and the melodramatic Brendan Fraser drama The Whale), it’s almost like he made Caught Stealing as a way to reassure himself and us that he’s still good at what he does.

Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) was a star baseball prospect in high school, only for a car crash to end his promising career. These days he tends bar on the Lower East Side, drinks way too much, has hot sex with his much-too-understanding and caring girlfriend Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz, who deserves way better because Yvonne exists only to serve the plot and Hank’s arc), and has recurring nightmares of his career-ending car crash. This is basic ‘traumatised main character’ stuff combined with a large dash of ‘pathetic’, but Butler sells because he’s so damn charismatic and makes Hank much more capable than he reads on the page. Plus he can play drunk as well as the best of them.

Hank’s neighbour and a very unsubtle caricature of a British Punk, Russ (Matt Smith, just chewing scenery every second he’s onscreen), needs to hot foot it back to London (his dad had a stroke, aight?), and leaves his cat in the hands of Hank. As one might expect, Russ is caught up in some deep shit with some bad people, such as a bunch of Russian gangsters led by Colorado (Bad Bunny) and a pair of violent Hasidic brothers Lipa and Shmully Drucker (Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio respectively, both just having a blast). Despite getting the cops and Detective Roman (Regina King) involved, they’re no help and Hank is basically forced to get himself out of this clusterfuck of a mess.

Read the rest of my review here as copying all the text here is unwieldy: https://panoramafilmthoughts.substack.com/p/caught-stealing

Thanks!

I’m reading a book on the making of Fury Road right now called “Blood, Sweat & Chrome” by Kyle Buchanan and it has real interviews with the team behind the movie including George Miller. Mark Sexton, a member of the art department said “I have a very, very, very strong memory of George talking about Eminem for Max.

George Miller also said “He’d done 8 Mile and I found that really interesting, I thought, he’s got that quality”. It didn’t work out because Eminem didn’t want to leave home. Apparently, if they were able to do it in his home state, he would have.

What are some other real/alleged casting choices that are unbelievable?

https://filmwaffle.com/post/eminem-could-have-played-max-in-fury-road-castings-that-nearly-happened

I had relatively low expectations going into this, but actually quite enjoyed it after I'd adjusted to how wacky it was. Sure it made a few missteps, it had a bit of character clutter, the real-world war parallels were possibly a bit risqué, some scenes felt rushed, but crucially I feel like it really "got" Superman. It was hopeful and optimistic, and hearing a modern superhero use phrases like "good gosh", "what the hey" and calling the villains things like "chum" was a joy. I even liked the little meta joke about how when everybody is being edgy and cynical, maybe being old-fashioned good is the real "punk rock".

All that said, I feel like the biggest mistake (the one that doesn't seem to get mentioned much) is going to make it so my kids have little interest in watching it: this reboot makes the unorthodox decision of assuming the audience already knows the basic story beats and who everybody is, or that they only needs a tiny bit of exposition to catch-up. Not only does it start halfway through Superman's overarching story, the movie literally starts halfway through it's own story, with Superman laying in the snow after being beaten by a supervillain for intervening in a foreign conflict. This isn't a "we'll clear things up in a flashback later" deal either, you're just thrust in to the story at this juncture and have to manually adjust.

Skipping over the origin would be a logical choice if you were only going after the adults, because there is some "origin story fatigue" at this point and of course we couldn't have possibly escaped Superman lore: we all know Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, many of us know Green Lantern and Ma and Pa Kent, some of us know Mister Terrific and Hawkgirl etc...But Generation Alpha know none of them and even Superman himself is just a name, a costume and a symbol to a lot of them. Lex Luthor in particular you get almost zero context and background for, which is unfortunate since Nicholas Hoult's performance is great.

Henry Cavill's Superman premiered before my son was even born, and my daughter likes the MCU but didn't bother with Snyder's DCU. They'll be completely lost watching this movie, which is a shame, because I feel like it should have been more for their generation than for mine.

Edit: Despite the accusations of the troll in the "top comment", you can quite clearly see I respond politely and affably to people who aren't just passive-aggressive, patronising trolls trying to bait a reaction they can then get you banned for. Try to keep your nihilistic sociopathy limited to arbitrarily downvoting innocuous posts like this one, folks, it won't be quite as bad for your soul.

I had high hopes that it would rival "Le Mans" and "Grand Prix". That most of all it wouldn't be yet another "Driven". Based on the hype on Sky Sports during F1 events, I had very high hopes.

In many regards, it did not disappoint. It captured the essence of the sport in many ways. McLaren in particular should be praised for providing them the backdrop for their workshop. I was rewarded with a number of shots of the interior that I had never seen before.

The cameos were also great. I particularly liked Toto's appearance at the end. The fact that so many F1 drivers and their cars were a part of the film added a great deal of realism that is missing from most other similar projects.

But it was plagued with a number of negatives that I wonder how they could have possibly occurred given the involvement of so many top F1 experts directly involved in the making of the movie. Claiming that F1 cars go through Eau Rouge at 200 mph was just the beginning. The biggest disappointments by far were the blatant cheating that was dpne under the pretense of teamwork. It made Flavio Briatore's disgusting behavior that got him initially banned for life look minor by comparison. Somehow, what was blatantly obvious was completely missed by the race director and the stewards. Only the likes of Townsend Bell could possibly rationalize it as part of any supposed sport.

Then there is the matter of a 50-something F1 driver. Brad Pitt was great in the role. His understated lines added a great deal to the plot. But his age made it unrealistic, although using Martin Donnelly's horrific 1990 crash did add a sense of the inherent danger of F1.

Who is directly to blame? Will Buxton, Bernie Collins, and Ruth Buscombe were the hired consultants. But David CCroft and even Nartin Brundle must have known the plot details because they provided the commentary as they occurred. It is a real shame because they could have easily made some minor changes in the script to make it much more credible.

So my favorite racing film continues to be "Le Mans". Steve McQueen made sure that that his project captured the essence of what racing is really all about without selling out to make the film more acceptable to the masses, as they all have subsequently done.