"[In Falling Down] Bill... represents every person who ever fell down and couldn't get back up again. Every person who followed the rules and did what everyone expected, and got punished for it. Who did everything right and still got screwed over by a system that was stacked against them.
Who spent their entire life striving for something better, only to discover that they were 'not economically viable'."
The Vancouver International Film Festival #VIFF#VIFF2023 came and went and I got a 10-pack of tickets. Here's a review thread of the films I saw. It's often a gamble at these festivals because most films haven't been reviewed widely yet or even have proper trailers. Nonetheless I was lucky that I didn't end up seeing any complete stinkers, although some were better than others: #film#MovieReviews
#RebelMoon had great potential, the story started on the right track but then didn’t really develop, characters that were interesting either just disappeared or had barely a minute of showtime, and the ending feels rushed, convenient and way too scripted. I also didn’t like the abuse of slow motion for the fight choreographies. What an unfortunate missed opportunity. #MovieReviews
Chariots of Fire: a bunch of unlikeable toffs fanny about at sports.
It's a mystery to me why this film is famous. Watch the first 2 minutes: it has the well known theme tune over the famous scene running on the beach. Spare yourself the rest of this tedious movie.
This story has stuck with me over the years. Warning tho, it goes into graphic detail of how meat gets to your table, and the inhumane treatment of animals.
Letters from Iwo Jima: the companion film to Flags of our Fathers, it tells the story of the battle for Iwo Jima based on letters written by Japanese soldiers. It's in Japanese with subtitles and no dub. I usually find that annoying, but I quickly forgave it. It's thought provoking, and much better than the first film. Also unlike that film it stays with the battle start to finish. Recommended.
Classics of Pagan Cinema: Weekend Editor Eric O. Scott takes a look at the new 50th-anniversary release of The Wicker Man and shares new perspective of the classic folk horror film.
A day in the lives of 22 people in the hours leading up to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. Great job capturing the turbulent times as experienced by fictional characters. Kennedy's speech on the "mindless menace of violence in America," just one month earlier and the day after Martin Luther King's assassination, is referenced at the end of the film. Sad to note the speech is still every bit as relevant today.
Amazing cast of actors in this 2006 film that you will not see in movies today, including: Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte, Emilio Estevez, Laurence Fishburne, Christian Slater, William H. Macy, Sharon Stone, Shia LaBeouf, Martin Sheen, and more. Directed and written by Emilio Estevez.