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See Adam Sandler like you’ve always seen him before. Rude. Cold. Always yelling at the top of his lungs. But see him in a movie like he’s never done before. Or anyone else, for that matter. The Safdie Brothers have a unique style of film-making that is original, thrilling (and relatively new). Since 2006, brothers Benny and Josh, have been learning how to craft thrillers, leading to 2017’s Good Times and now, one of the best films of the year, Uncut Gems. The movie follows Howard Ratner (Sandler), a Jewish jeweler who runs a store in New York City’s Diamond District. He’s also a part-time family man to his wife Dinah (Idina Menzel) and two kids. His real passion though is hustling and gambling- two activities he’s not too good at. You could see it on his face. When he has the money to pay people off, he gambles on it. When he doesn’t have money, let’s just say he takes chances. It’s an Opal from an Ethiopian mine shaft that’s Howard’s get rich scheme. He hopes to score big with it at an auction. He lends it to Kevin Garnett, who feels connected with the opal himself (after smashing the glass he was leaning on while holding it). Garnett lends him his NBA ring and off to pawn it Howard goes. It’s the first of many “I can’t believe he’s doing this” moments that will annoy you, then terrify you. Because he crosses the kind of people you never want to meet. Indeed, this film is an Adam Sandler standout. But the movie does with some amazing (and surprising) supporting cast. Kevin Garnett, former Boston Celtic, plays himself and he plays himself real well. (Don’t kid yourself, it’s not as easy as Garnett makes it out to look.) The beautiful Idina Menzel is also amazing as Howard’s wife. But it’s new comer Julia Fox who steals the show as Howard’s secret lover and work assistant. This thrilling story of a man with a serious gambling problem was brought to Sandler’s attention ten years ago. A time where the Safdie brothers were not well known, and Adam Sandler was starting his worst period of film-making. It all comes down to a wonderful close for the both of them. The Safdie Brothers finally got Sandler into their project and Adam Sandler could win his first Oscar. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6iteZ2FF3o/?igshid=18uek19ap9m0t

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• Parasite is the perfect title for this thrilling South Korean black comedy about a poor family that attempts to receive employment from a rich naive family. Bong Joon-Ho's, who's filmography includes great titles such as The Host (06), Mother (09) and Snowpiercer (13) crafts his best movie and arguably one of the best films of 2019. There's no shortage of interesting scenarios that you'll find in this movie. And Just when you think it's going one way, it surprises you with another baffling situation. What starts out as a hilarious movie turns into a violent story about class struggle. A strong recommendation from me! 8.1 https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Z2PGeFHUH/?igshid=1v99hvioq0ijd

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Yeah, Popeye after Raging Bull, cause why the heck not. I've been curious about this movie for quite some time now. Mostly because Robert Altman directed it and Robin Williams starred as Popeye. And, it's cute enough. A lot of the mannerisms of the show, I was surprised, transferred pretty well into live-action (and in the 1980s no doubt). The Story revolves around Popeye who just entered into Sweethaven. He mingles with the locals and settles down. His purpoise there is to search high and low for his father, who had abandoned him as a kid. Robin Williams is actually fantastic as Popeye. He's got his voice and matter of speaking down real well. And Shelly Duvall as Olive Oyl, she was okay (she didn't have Kubrick pestering her). It's a musical. And the music is okay, but not very memorable. The story too is thin as it relies around characters and their schtick to entertain. You're not going to find any kind of insight like you will in other Altman movies (watch The Player), but if you ever enjoyed Popeye, it might be worth a watch. F: 5.0 https://www.instagram.com/p/B5vWf6slKoz/?igshid=1mqjw4awcfwme

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• Based on Jake LaMotta’s 1970 autobiography “Raging Bull: My Story”, Scorsese’s Raging Bull skips over LaMotta’s childhood and goes straight to the boxing. He’s already married, already won a few boxing matches and has now set his sights on a new girl- the under aged Vickie (Cathy Moriarty). This is the movie’s biggest focus: LaMotta’s (Robert De Niro) insecure feelings toward the woman he loves. He’s already an angry young man, taking his anger on his boxing competitors. But it’s his jealousy of seeing Vickie with other men that really upset him. Just before his first encounter with Vickie down at the local community pool, LaMotta is having an argument with his then-wife over meat. It’s obvious that Jake is the one who’s unable to hold back his anger. That’s why it’s really sad to see Jake pursue Vickie, or any woman, for that matter. But she’s no push-over. Cathy plays Vickie as like-able, outgoing, comforting, but she’s a fighter too- resembling Ann Dvorak in Scarface (1932). Even fighting off Jake’s older brother, Joey (Joe Pesci) when he tries to take her away from a table full of men Jake despises. Joey is no less toxic than his brother- although he’d like you to believe he is. “Go over and apologize” he tells his brother when just a few scenes later, he scolds his own wife for “butting” into Jake’s relationship. And what does he do when he fails to take Vickie away from the men in the Copacabana? He slams a guy’s head with a car door. Yes, Scorsese men are toxic. Their unlikable. Unrelatable. Unfathomable. But that’s what Scorsese explores best. Our interest in such vile men. On a technical side, the cinematography is quite confusing- stressful at times. It is shot beautifully in black and white with an almost dreamlike essence. The opening sequence itself, with LaMotta gracefully taking jabs is a sight to behold. But there’s something strange about its use of close-ups in 90% of its run-time. Although it does give the movie that claustrophobic feeling. This movie is, after all, dialogue driven. So you don’t need to enjoy boxing or sports. It’s the movie that saved Scorsese and his career. A character study to rival any. https://www.instagram.com/p/B5sucirFe-j/?igshid=dxtb3s90dngc

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THE NATIONAL - LIGHT YEARS Starring Alicia Vikander

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Mind blown!

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Robby the Robot: Sorry Miss, I was giving myself an oil job!

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Seen 3+ times

First Seen: Sometime in 2013

Last Seen: Feb 8th, 2019

It was one of many Warner Bros. and Hollywood movies produced in 1942 with no sign of its potential impact for the history of film. The story came from an unproduced stage play called Everybody Comes to Rick's, written by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison. The studio put more money, time and resources into other films they felt had a better chance of being loved by audiences. The actors themselves preferred to be in other films and it is widely reported that the films stars, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, heavily disliked each other. But what happened next was unprecedented. After its wide release in January 1943, the movie went on to win Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay and it was one of the highest grossing films of the year. The movie stars Bogart as Rick Blaine, an American expatriate who owns a bar in Casablanca where shady events happen and innocent citizens attempt to leave to America and other safe countries during World War 2. A woman, Ilsa Lund (Bergman), and her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), arrive at his bar and we learn that Ilsa and Rick had a past romantic relationship. Will Rick give her and her husband passports to leave Casablanca or will his bitter feelings for her keep him from allowing her to leave Vichy-controlled Casablanca? Casablanca has withstood the test of time as it is still considered one of the best romantic films of all time, even 75 years later.

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Tentacles (Ovidio G. Assonitis, 1977)

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Stroszek (Werner Herzog, 1977)

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Leizure’s Movie Roundup 12/3/18

Cool, I have one follower!! You are too kind sir, or mam. Welcome to my... blog?

Billionaire Boys Club (18)

I wanted to see what the buzz, or lack thereof, was about. I was pretty sure this movie got bad reviews because Kevin Spacey was in it but, nope, it’s truly boring and unbearable to watch. The characters were so bland and the the plot was unexciting. One of the worst films of the year.

Venom (18)

I get it, we want this movie to be good, but if you had any hopes that it was gonna Knock your socks off, I’ll grab those socks and slap it over your head with.

Don’t Look Now (73)

Rest In Peace Nicholas Roeg, but..., I don’t know, the killer at the end was kind of silly. Not sure why this movie is highly praised.

The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (64)

Full of brigh pastel colors and the whole movie sing-songy, I could see the appeal to the movie. Didn’t love it as much as I wanted too, but definitely makes me want to check out more French movies, though I don’t think there’s any other movies like this out there. Oh yeah, there’s La La Land.

Thoughts on Teasers and Trailers

A Dog’s Way Home

Am I the only person getting tire of dog movies? Nope? Just me??

Anticipation Level: 2/5

Artemis Fowl

I’m pretty much done with kid book adapted movies at this point.

Anticipation Level: 2/5

State Like Sleep

I keep forgetting what the trailer was about for this one honestly.

Anticiaption Level: 3/5

Once Upon a Deadpool

Wait, wasn’t the fact that Deadpool was rated R the reason it was soo good?

Anticipation Level: 3/5

Happy Death Day 2U

I enjoyed the first movie, it was a wonderful surprise. I’ll definitely be checking out it’s sequel, but you know how most sequels go... they are usually not better than the first one.

Anticipation Level: 4/5

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Movies I’m Looking Forward To... December 2018

10. Mary Queen Of Scots

(Focus Features)

I’m not necessarily looking forward to this, it’s just that there are other movies I that I feel are going to be real bad (or mediocre at best): “Mortal Engines”, “Bumblebee”, “Second Act”, “Holmes & Watson”. It does have good early reviews, so there’s that.

Anticipation Level: 3/5

9. Mary Poppins

(Walt Disney Pictures)

I must confess, I still have not seen the first Mary Poppins. I’ll probably be watching it while this one is out. Usually I’m annoyed by movies that come out at the end of the year and are full of magic, but this one better be magical (and good)!

Anticipation Level: 3/5

8. Aquaman

(Warner Bros./DC Entertainment)

You know what, I’m really rooting for this one. And I’m not some DC comic-book fan at all, it’s just I really want it to go well for James Wan. Not everything he’s done is good, but I feel like it has to be the best adapted DC comic book movie because he’s a part of it.

Anticipation Level: 3/5

7. Destroyer

(Annapurna Pictures)

Just from the 1st trailer, this movie looks like quite a ride. Can not wait to see Nicole Kidman’s performance in this one.

Anticipation Level: 4/5

6. Cold War

(Amazon Studios)

Another movie who’s trailer captivated me. With positive early reviews, why would I miss this? The less I know about it coming in, the better. All I know is that it’s at least part romance.

Anticipation Level: 4/5

5. Welcome to Marwen

(Universal Pictures)

I’m not sure why I’m not putting this one much higher. It’s one of those movies you want to be good. Zemeckis has made some really great films in the past. Movies with good characters and fun and interesting plots. This movie looks like its back to basics for Zemeckis and I’m all for it.

Anticipation Level: 4/5

4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

(Sony Pictures)

I wasn’t going to put this movie on the list originally, or at least, I didn’t want to. But then the trailer came out and I didn’t hate the animation as much as I thought I was going to. In fact, with characters from different universes, the movie is a mash of different animation and it looks great. The movie actually looks interesting and funny and I can’t wait to see it.

​Anticipation Level: 4/5

3. Ben is Back

(LD Entertainment)

Im a sucker for these kinds of movies, and even though it’s reception has been lukewarm at best, I still can’t wait to watch it.

​Anticipation Level: 4/5

2. Vice

(Annapurna Pictures)

Adam McKay will follow his 2015 award winning movie “The Big Short” with a movie about Dick Cheney’s political rise of becoming one of the country’s most powerful Vice Presidents. It stars a lot of the actors from McKay’s previous film. Christian Bale as Dick Cheney, Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney and Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld. Sam Rockwell will play President George W. Bush. Its sure to be a great watch!

​Anticipation Level: 4/5

1. The Mule

(Warner Bros.)

I should have known there was going to be another Clint Eastwood movie this year! There was no way that “The 15:17 To Paris” was going to be his only release. The Mule looks like it could be one of Eastwood’s best films.

​Anticipation Level: 5/5

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Leizure’s Movie Roundup 11/26/18

So, I watch about 5 movies a week, following a simple routine. This week I watched movies from the 30s, 40s and 50s, plus two films from the current year, in this case, 2018. I like to talk very briefly about the ones I watched, starting with

My Darling Clementine (46)

It’s directed by John Ford and stars Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp and Victor Mature as Doc Holiday. It’s the 40’s, westerns were a little bit more romantic around this time, or at least less dangerous, and what we have here is a story of two individuals and the women they love (and don’t love). I’m not sure why this movie is so highly acclaimed, I can vaguely remember it. It’s definitely a slow burner and takes its time with the plot, so ultimately, I was left a little bit disappointed.

C+

Duck Soup (33)

Re-Watch: The infamous mirror-gag scene, the shenanigans at the lemonade stand, the groups gimmicks, Groucho’s one-liners: “I can see you right now in the kitchen, bending over a hot stove. But I can’t see the stove.” It’s all there in what is considered ‘The Marx Bros.’ best film. This is before the brothers went on to MGM, so there’s no romantic plot (no wasted time). It’s just pure Marx Bros. routines every step of the way, and I love it!

B-

Paths of Glory (57)

Finally checked out Kubrick’s “Paths Of Glory” and it was a lot better than I thought it’d be. We are first put out into battle, where we see the catastrophes of war unfolding. But that’s not what this film is about. It’s about a group of men being unfairly tried for not advancing far into the enemy’s territory (what would have been suicide), and what we’re left with is an anti-war masterpiece.

B

Note: Okay, I guess I lied. I wasn’t able to watch movies from this year because things just got a little bit busy (with Thanksgiving and all), but I’ll try not to skip them for next week. There’s very few movies I still need to watch in order to make my list for best films of 2018 (up to September), and I have to finish that by the end of December. Speaking of which, I’ll also release ‘The 6 Movies I’m looking forward to for the month of December’ soon, that should be fun.

Thoughts on Teasers and Trailers

What Men Want

(Paramount Pictures)

I’m gonna hate this movie. I know I’m gonna hate this movie if I watch it. It looks absolutely terrible, and if it’s as bad as I think it will be, I guess I’ll have to watch it (I try to see every good AND terrible movie). I keep rooting for Taraji P. Henson to be in good movies, but if she keeps making these mistakes of choosing bad ones, I can’t defend her anymore.

Anticipated Level: 0/5

I don’t know, it looks a slightly bit more interesting than ‘What Men Want’, I’ll give it that.

Anticipation Level: 1/5

The Lion King

(Walt Disney Studios)

At first I was really looking forward to this movie, being as ‘The Lion King’ is one of my favorite animated films, but then I saw the trailer and anticipated it even more. The trailer looks so much like the original movie, and at the time of watching the trailer, it skipped my mind of what a terrible idea that is. I want to love this version of the movie, but regardless of whether it’s a copycat or not, it still won’t be better than the original.

Anticipation Level: 3/5

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

(Warner Brothers)

Not a big fan of the first one (definitely one of the movies I need to re-watch), but I found some of the scenes in the trailer funny and clever. I don’t know, I kind of prefer a sequel to ‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ honestly.

Anticipated Level: 3/5

This coming week I’m watching movies from the 60s, 70s and 80s, including Nicolas Roeg’s “Don’t Look Now”, may he Rest In Peace. If you have any recommendations for the other decades, leave them in the comment section down below. I don’t know, this is my first time using tumblr... not really sure if there’s a comment section.