Film Club
Join the RSC Film Club, all you need to do to join is take part as often as you want.
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Welcome to the RSC Film Club A chance to watch and discuss films, maybe your favourites, maybe something you’ve never heard of before, with all your favourite crew mates. We will be watching one film per month, hopefully giving everyone a chance to watch the film and to have a decent discussion about it before moving on to the next one. How do we choose what to watch? There will be a different theme/genre every month to keep things fresh, which will be announced in this thread. Everyone is free to nominate a film in this thread, all of which will be put in a random draw and chosen by good ol’ trustworthy @Con (it’ll just be luck that his films …
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Monty Python and the Holy Grail [RSC Film Club 55]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 1 reply
- 1.5k views
This month's film club selection, thanks to @djw180, is Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the first feature length film from the legendary British comedy troupe made up of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. Directed by the two Terrys, Jones and Gilliam - both of their directorial debuts - the film is a spoof of Arthurian legend in the Python's own surreal and slapstick style. Chapman stars as King Arthur (I didn't vote for him) who, after assembling his knights of the round table, is given a quest by god, to seek out the Holy Grail. Their journey sees them face off against animated monsters, rude Frenchmen and…
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The Reader [RSC Film Club 53]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 1 reply
- 980 views
The first half of our awards season double-bill, nominated by @djw180, is the 2008 drama The Reader, for which Kate Winslet won the Oscar for Best Actress. This is a film I know nothing about, but the synopsis sounds interesting, with Winslet playing a guard at a concentration camp. It co stars the always brilliant Ralph Fiennes as well as Bruno Ganz and Lena Olin. As well as Winslet's win, the film was nominated for Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Cinematography. it doesn't matter what i feel, it doesn't matter what i think. the dead are still dead
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Leaving Las Vegas [RSC Film Club 54]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 1 reply
- 689 views
The second half of our Oscar double-bill is the film that got Nicolas Cage a Best Actor award, Leaving Las Vegas, as nominated by @omarcomin71. Cage plays suicidal, alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson who, when he feels like he has nothing left to live for, resolves to go to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. While there he meets prostitute Sera, plated by Elisabeth Shue and the bond they form may be enough to bring him back from the brink. As well as Cage's win, the film was nominated for Best Director, Actress for Shue, and Adapted Screenplay. i don't know if i started drinking 'cause my wife left me or my wife left me 'cause i st…
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Akira [RSC Film Club 39]
by LimeGreenLegend- 2 followers
- 3 replies
- 1k views
The first film of 2022 will be our second animated film, and that is Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira, nominated by @djw180. An absolute landmark in the history of animation, Akira is a cyberpunk film about a biker gang getting involved in military experiments exploring the limits of telekinetic power. Incredibly detailed backgrounds of the towering, neon drenched Neo-Tokyo set the standard of what cyberpunk looks like and the soundtrack, a mixture of the traditional and the futuristic, perfectly sets the mood. And then there's the finale, which I'll leave you to experience for yourself. I only watched this recently but I'm glad for an excuse to re-watch it as this w…
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Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles [RSC Film Club 52]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 1 reply
- 948 views
Our first film of 2023 is the winner of the latest once-a-decade Sight and Sound poll to determine the greatest film of all time, Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles by Chantal Akerman. The film stars Delphine Seyrig as the titular Jeanne Dielman, a middle aged widow who lives a quiet, orderly life with her teenage son Sylvain (Jan Decorte), while also entertaining the occasional gentleman caller for some extra money. The film follows her over three days where you can watch her slowly unravel in the most subtle way. This isn't a film that everyone will enjoy, being nearly three and a half hours long and consisting of minutes long stat…
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The Muppet Christmas Carol [RSC Film Club 51]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 758 views
I'm pretty sure that Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is one of, if not the most adapted literary work of all time, and this right here is the best of the bunch. Directed by Brian Henson, son of the legendary Jim Henson, The Muppet Christmas Carol stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge with a supporting cast that includes Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy as Bob and Emily Cratchitt, The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens and Rizzo the Rat as himself. Everyone knows this story, but if you've never seen this version before I think you'll be surprised at how faithful this is to the source material. Michael Caine is genuinely brilliant as Scrooge, playing it straight…
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Steve Jobs [RSC Film Club 44]
by LimeGreenLegend- 2 followers
- 4 replies
- 1.2k views
This month we're delving into the filmography of Oscar winning director Danny Boyle thanks to @Con's nomination. His is an incredibly varied filmography, from gritty drama to Bollywood musical through to sci-fi and feel-good family fare he's pretty much done it all. The film we'll be watching, nominated by @djw180, is a biopic, that of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, also the title of the film. Written by Aaron Sorkin of The West Wing fame, Steve Jobs stars Michael Fassbender in the title role. The film covers the period in his life from 1984 up to the release of the iMac in 1998. It co-stars Kate Winslet as Apple marketing exec Joanna Hoffman, Seth Rogen as A…
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Flash Gordon [RSC Film Club 50]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 835 views
Our fiftieth film for the film club is a cult classic and guilty pleasure, as per @omarcomin71's category nomination. That film is 1980's Flash Gordon, chosen by @djw180. Sam J. Jones plays Flash, football star of the New York Jets who has to defend the Earth from Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow). As well as Sydow there are a number of fantastic actors in supporting roles such as Topol, Timothy Dalton, and the shy and retiring Brian Blessed. I have vague memories of seeing this as a child but I couldn't tell you a thing about it apart from the legendary soundtrack by Queen, so I can't wait to watch this again. gordon's alive
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Rosemary's Baby [RSC Film Club 49]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 788 views
Our Halloween selection this year was nominated by our resident horror expert @Con, and that is Rosemary's Baby from 1968. It stars Mia Farrow as Rosemary Woodhouse, a young pregnant woman moving into a new apartment with her husband Guy, played by director John Cassevetes. But she soon starts to suspect that her elderly neighbours may have a less than innocent interest in her baby. Widely regarded as one of the great American horror films, it won several awards, including a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Ruth Gordan, who plays Rosemary's sinister neighbour Minnie. This is another classic horror film that I haven't seen yet, so I'm looking forward t…
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The Untouchables [RSC 48]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 879 views
We're diving into the world of organised crime this month with @djw180's nomination of Brian De Palma's The Untouchables. Based on a true story, this film stars Kevin Costner as by the book lawman Eliot Ness who is determined to bring down Al Capone (Robert De Niro) and his illegal bootlegging activities. He is helped by his crew of untouchables, so called because they can't be bribed, unlike most of the cops in Chicago. This group is made up of Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, and, in an Oscar winning performance, Sean Connery. Throw in a classic Ennio Morricone score (my favourite of his), and you have one classy flick. It's been a while since I've…
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Old Henry [RSC Film Club 47]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 1.1k views
Our second film for this month's double feature is @omarcomin71's nomination of the recent western, Old Henry. The film stars the always excellent Tim Blake Nelson in a rare leading role. He plays the titular character, a widowed farm owner who must protect it, and his sons, from local outlaws. Not having even heard of this film, let alone seen it, I don't have much to say, so here are some quotes from favourable reviews. From TheWrap, Steve Pond said he wished parts of the film were "more expansive" but overall described it as a "beautiful elegy" with a finale that feels "just right." Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney described the direc…
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Bad Luck Banging or Loony p*rn [RSC Film Club 46]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 1.3k views
This month the film club was open choice, and the first of the two films selected is Radu Jude's confrontational and explicit Bad Luck Banging or Loony p*rn. This film stars Katia Pascariu as teacher Emi whose s*x tape that she makes with her husband is somehow leaked online. Kids in her class see it and she is quickly summoned before a group of teachers and parents who are to decide if she's fit to be a teacher. Told in three distinct acts, this is the very definition of confrontational cinema, with it opening with the McGuffin of a s*x tape in all of its glory. But the real meat of the film is the meeting to decide Emi's fate, things getting more and…
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Young Frankenstein [RSC Film Club 45]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 753 views
This month we are celebrating the work of the legendary Mel Brooks by watching one of his films, namely Young Frankenstein, as nominated by @djw180. Gene Wilder stars as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of the infamous mad scientist who re-animated a corpse. After inheriting his estate, Frederick takes up his grandfather's work and makes a monster of his own (the brilliant Peter Boyle). This is peak Brooks, with the jokes coming thick and fast - the first joke happens before a single word is said, just count how many times the clock tolls over the opening credits - all delivered perfectly by an incredible supporting cast including Marty Feldman, Cloris Le…
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Strictly Ballroom [RSC Film Club 43]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 1.1k views
This month's film club selection, nominated by @djw180, is the Australian rom-com Strictly Ballroom, directed by Baz Luhrmann. This is the first part of an unofficial trilogy, followed by Romeo + Juliet in 1996 and Moulin Rouge in 2001. The film sees talented dancer Scott Paul Mercurio) team up with beginner Fran (Tara Morice) as no one else will dance with him due to his unconventional style which has seen him denounced by the Australian Dancing Federation. I've not seen this before, but having had seen Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge I'm expecting something bold and brash and oozing with style and energy and melodrama. i'm not danci…
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Citizen Kane [RSC Film Club 42]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 3 replies
- 1k views
The second half of our Oscar special, a winning Best Screenplay film, is the legendary Citizen Kane, arguably the greatest film ever made, easily the most influential. When elderly, reclusive billionaire media mogul Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) dies in his palatial estate, dogged reporter Jerry Thompson (William Alland) sets out to discover the meaning behind his enigmatic last word, "Rosebud". He interviews people who knew him and we get to see Kane's entire life from childhood through to his lonely death. This is Orson Welle's debut film, and as well as starring in the lead role he also directed, produced and co-wrote the screenplay with Herma…
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Fargo [RSC Film Club 41]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 833 views
To celebrate this years Oscars, and Will Smith's mental breakdown, we're rounding out the 'big five' by watching films that won the award for Best Actress and Best Screenplay. @omarcomin71will be pleased with the results of the Best Actress pick, Frances McDormand's winning performance as Marge Gunderson in the Coen Brother's Fargo, something he's been nominating for months 😉 A pitch-black crime comedy, McDormand plays the sweet natured yet ruthlessly efficient cop investigating a kidnapping case for car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) and a series of murders committed by the psychopathic Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stomare) and his quick talking partne…
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The Long Kiss Goodnight [RSC Film Club 40]
by LimeGreenLegend- 2 followers
- 5 replies
- 947 views
This month we are celebrating the long career and extensive filmography of Samuel L. Jackson, the highest grossing actor of all time whose films have made a worldwide total of over 20 billion dollars. Billion. The film we'll be watching is the 1996 spy film The Long Kiss Goodnight. The film stars Geena Davis (whatever happened to her?) as amnesiac teacher Samantha who may have been a spy before she lost her memory. With the help of our man Jackson as private detective Mitch Henessey she attempts to put together the pieces of her past. Directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) and written by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Last Action Hero, The Nice…
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Barton Fink [RSC Film Club 37]
by LimeGreenLegend- 2 followers
- 3 replies
- 1.1k views
This month's film club selection comes from the filmography of Ethan and Joel Coen, as nominated by @djw180. The winning film is their lesser known 1991 thriller/comedy/noir film Barton Fink, selected by @Con. Set in the early 40s, Barton Fink stars John Turturro as the titular character, a hot new playwright who goes to Hollywood to start working on movies. However, upon arriving he finds that he is being told what to write, and has to stay at the rundown Hotel Earle, which may in fact be hell. This film has a great, and terrifying, supporting turn from John Goodman as Charlie Meadows, his hotel neighbour, and smaller but memorable roles for the likes of St…
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Die Hard [RSC Film Club 38]
by LimeGreenLegend- 3 followers
- 4 replies
- 1.2k views
It's taken three years, but we're finally celebrating Christmas at the Film Club with Die Hard thanks to @TheFox2000unit's nomination. Directed by John McTiernan (Predator, The Hunt for Red October, The Last Action Hero), Die Hard is a holiday classic about family, friendship and a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper. Bruce Willis stars as blue-collar New York cop John McClane, in town to visit his estranged wife and kids at Christmas. But soon after he goes to meet her at Nakatomi Plaza, the skyscraper in which she works, it is taken over by a group of terrorists led by Hans Gruber, played by Alan Rickman in a fantastically hammy scene-stealing …
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La Strada [RSC Film Club 34]
by LimeGreenLegend- 2 followers
- 6 replies
- 1.1k views
This month we are going international as the film club watches a movie in a language that we've not yet covered, as suggested by @djw180. So no films in English, French, Norwegian, Korean or Japanese could be nominated. The winning film, nominated by me, is Federico Fellini's neorealist drama, La Strada (The Road). It stars Giulietta Masina as Gelsomina, a naive and simple young woman whose mother sells her to a travelling circus to be the wife and assistant of the brutish strongman, Zampanò (Anthony Quinn). She soon falls in love with the circus's clown, Il Matteo (Richard Baseheart) and considers leaving her jeasous and violent husband for him. I…
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Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror [RSC Film Club 35]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 4 replies
- 1.1k views
It's spooky season and that can only mean one thing here at the film club, time for horror. Just like last year we are having a double bill with a classic and a modern horror film. For our classic selection we have F.W Murnau's legendary German expressionist vampire film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. Starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok the film is an unauthorised retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula, the names all changed to avoid lawsuits, but other than that it is a pretty faithful version of the story. It was so faithful that the estate of Bram Stoker sued the production company and won, putting the company out of business and having a judge rule that al…
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The Shining [RSC Film Club 36]
by LimeGreenLegend- 1 follower
- 2 replies
- 959 views
The modern half of our horror double bill was nominated by @PretendWereDeadand is Stanley Kubrick's haunted house masterpiece, The Shining. The film stars Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall as Jack and Wendy Torrance, a couple charged with looking after the isolated Overlook hotel during the winter months. Along with their young son Danny (Danny Lloyd) the soon discover that they may not be alone. I don't think I have to say much more about this film here, it's so legendary that even the carpet is iconic. It is interesting to note that Stephen King, author of the book on which this is based, hated this film so much that he made his own TV miniseries ver…
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American Graffiti [RSC Film Club 33]
by LimeGreenLegend- 2 followers
- 6 replies
- 1.1k views
The genre for August's Film Club selection, as nominated by @Conwas school/college films. The winning entry, nominated by both @djw180and @Squirrelis George Lucas's ode to his teenage years, American Graffiti. Set over the last night of summer vacation, the film follows a group of teenagers as they hang out for the last time, cruising in their hot rods, trying to pick up girls and looking to the future. It stars Ron Howard (Happy Days) before he became an Oscar winning director and Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws), with an expansive supporting cast that includes Harrison Ford (you know who he is). Not only did the film fuel the wave of 50s/60s rock 'n' roll nostalgia…
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A Bronx Tale [RSC Film Club 32]
by LimeGreenLegend- 3 followers
- 8 replies
- 1.5k views
This month's category, chosen by @djw180 was play adaptations with the winning film being @omarcomin71's selection of A Bronx Tale. The directorial debut of Robert De Niro, A Bronx Tale is based on the 1989 autobiographical play of the same name, which was a one man show by Chazz Palminteri, who also adapted the play for the screen. The film is a coming of age story where the young Calogero (Francis Capra/Lillo Brancato, Jr. as child and teen Calogero respectively) is torn between his father Lorenzo (De Niro) and local gangster Sonny (Palminteri). This is another film club choice that I haven't seen yet so there's not much more I can say. I'm really …
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249Rate the Last Film you Watched 2: Electric Boogaloo
Operation Mincemeat (2021) dir John Madden A WWII film focussing the efforts of British intelligence to trick Germany into thinking an upcoming major operation was going to happen somewhere else, so that they diverted defending forces away from the actual location. The basics are a true story. The characters are mainly the real people who were involved. It has a great ensemble cast. The main characters are two officers working for MI5, one from the navy and one from the air force, played by Colin Firth and Matthew McFadden, with Kelly MacDonald and Penelope Wilton playing their civilian assistants. It also features Johnny Flynn as the young Lt. Ian Fleming who narrates some scenes in a style that could well have been passages from his James Bond novels. You could, at a big stretch, almost class this as Bond film since it features characters referred to as M (head of MI5, Jason Issacs) and Q-branch (the gadget inventor, James Fleet). Simon Russel Beale also puts in a great performance as Winston Churchill. I have heard of Operation Mincemeat, knew the basics of it, that Ian Fleming was involved and what the outcome was. I don't think it's a spoiler to say the plan worked, as various characters in the film say that if it doesn't the allies won't win the war. The plan was to take the body of recently deceased man, a Welshman living rough in London called Glyndwr Michael, dress him in an officer's uniform, attach a brief case containing fake, but apparently top-secret documents, and then release it from a submarine such that it would wash up on a Spanish beach. Spain was neutral in WWII but under the regime of the Fascist, pro-n*zi, General Franco. So British intelligence knew that the contents of the brief case should find their way into the hands of German agents, before being returned to Britain, and thus the fake information would find it's way to Berlin. The operation they were planning for was the allied invasion of Italy, then Germany's ally. The fake information was one part of bigger plan to convince the Germans it was occupied Greece that was going to be invaded. The subsequent invasion of Italy is one of the lesser known parts of the war. Much is made, quite rightly, of the D-day landings, but that was not the first invasion of German controlled Europe, it was this invasion of Italy, nearly a year earlier. So it's nice to see a film about this aspect of the war, because there aren't very many of them. The film shows the meticulous level of detail the agents went to, creating a whole fake identity, Major William Martin, along with personal letters, a photo of a fiancé, etc. The plot does come across somewhat unbelievable at times and includes a completely unnecessary romantic sub-plot. Even if some of that is what actually happened, the way the films portrays this comes across as if the producers wanted to “s*x it up” and add these elements in because they thought the story of the planning and execution of the operation was not interesting enough. I was all set to give this a lower score than I did, but the last 30 mins or so redeemed it a little. What I found really interesting was, after the the plan had been put into action, the role British diplomats in Spain then had to play to make sure that the brief case of fake documents did indeed end up in German hands. Because after all the detailed and careful planning, it could have easily been undone by a Spanish official simply handing the brief case straight back to Britain, as was technically the correct thing for a neutral country to do, but not what they were supposed to do according to the pro-German Fascist regime in charge. There's almost none of the action you usually get in war films, until right at the end when we see an American infantry sergeant, a minor character introduced earlier, on board a landing craft, storming a Sicilian beach which was taken and held with relatively light causalities. All due to the success of Operation Mincemeat diverting German forces hundreds of miles away. 6 / 10- 1
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249Rate the Last Film you Watched 2: Electric Boogaloo
What I Watched This Week #179 (June 2-8) Escape from Alcatraz dir. Don Siegel/1979/1h53m Clint Eastwood stars in this prison break drama based on the true story of the only man to escape from the famous prison island off the San Francisco coast, Frank Morris. This film takes its time, much like Eastwood's performance style it's understated, deliberate and measured, with none of the melodrama of something like The Shawshank Redemption. The plot is simple, Eastwood arrives at the prison, spends some time scoping it out, then enacts his plan. It's the little things that give weight to this film, particularly the character of Doc (Roberts Blossom), who quietly represents the unshakeable human yearning for freedom with his portraits and the symbolic use of chrysanthemums. At times the pace of the film does undercut some of the urgency of the escape attempt, but I did like the ambiguous ending that doesn't tell you what happened to Frank after he got past the prison walls. 7.5/10 Rhinestone dir. Bob Clark/1984/1h51m I was scrolling through Sylvester Stallone's filmography and came across this, and knew that I had to watch it just to make sure that it's real. Rhinestone stars Dolly Parton as aspiring singer Jake who needs to get out of her crummy contract at the titular New York country music club. To do this she makes a bet with the manager, Freddie (Ron Leibman), that she can turn anyone into a country singer. The person chosen is tone deaf cab driver Nick, played by Stallone. To do this she takes him back home to Tennessee for some real country experience. Stallone also co-wrote this based on the song Rhinestone Cowboy. Really, it even says so in the opening credits. This whole thing is like a fever dream, especially the scenes where Stallone sings by howling like a demented gibbon. He plays his role like an overactive child with attention issues. Parton is just as sweet and charming as she always is, and the moments when she gets to sing are obviously excellent. I also liked Richard Farnsworth as Parton's father. This is not a good film, but it is a bizarre film, and it has its charms. 6/10 The Hustler dir. Robert Rossen/1961/2h14m Paul Newman stars in his iconic role of pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson who is on the fast track to self destruction as he becomes obsessed with beating the best pool player in the world, Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). This is a film in three distinct acts. The first and third are Felson's showdowns with Fats which bookend a tragic romance between Felson and Sarah (Piper Laurie), a depressed alcoholic. This is a bleak film about addicts and losers, yet there is beauty in the direction that makes this world of smoky pool halls cool and alluring. It also helps that Newman is incredibly handsome. The two pool games between Eddie and Fats are the showpieces here and are given the attention they deserve, with Eddie losing even when he wins, that's just the kind of man he is. Gleason is great as Eddie's opposite, someone totally calm and in control of their emotions. Laurie is heart breaking as Sarah, with only one inevitable outcome for her. Rounding out the main cast is George C. Scott as Bert, the sleazy and manipulative pool hall owner. As a standalone film this is excellent, but wouldn't it be good if we caught up with Eddie let's say twenty five years later? 9/10 Lime's Co-Film of the Week! The Color of Money dir. Martin Scorsese/1986/1h59m Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money catches up with Fast Eddie Felson (a returning Paul Newman) twenty five years after the events of The Hustler. He's now making a decent living off of whiskey, but when a hotshot young pool player, Vince (Tom Cruise), catches his eye he wants back in the hustling game. Without the context of The Hustler this is still a fantastic film full of Scorsese's trademark moves, but with the added history of the character a whole new tragic dimension is added. Eddie is a man full of regrets, so when he sees a chance to recapture his glory days he'll do anything he can to grab it, his old instincts kicking in almost instantly. He's there to use Vince, and he's open about it. But Vince is no d*mmy, even though he may act like it, and with his more emotionally mature girlfriend Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) he may end up teaching Eddie a thing or two. This has a much different vibe to the previous film, very fitting for the time it was made, and the pool scenes are edited violently by Scorsese's long time editor Thelma Schoonmaker, almost like they're fight scenes. This is a Scorsese film I've not seen before, and didn't really have any interest in before watching The Hustler, but I think this is one of his best works of the decade, only The King of Comedy is better in my opinion. Combined with The Hustler this is an epic, four hour rise and fall and rise and fall and maybe rise again story that spans decades. And it all ends on a high note with a brilliant one liner and a classic Scorsese freeze frame. 9/10 Lime's Co-Film of the Week! Bottom: Exposed dir. Adrian Edmondson/2024/1h30m This made for TV documentary covers the creation, production, reception and legacy of one of my all time favourite shows, Bottom. Written and performed by the late, great (he said so himself) Rik Mayall (seriously, his autobiography is called Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ) and Adrian Edmondson (director of this documentary), Bottom was a BBC comedy that ran for three series in the 90's and was violently crude, obscene, anarchic, absurd and offensive, and one of the funniest things I've ever seen, with slapstick fight scenes that would make Chaplin blush and a sound effects guy straight out of the Looney Tunes. The documentary itself is fine if very standard, featuring interviews with cast, crew and fans, but the real gold is when Edmondson is talking about Mayall, the two being lifelong friends since university. It gets quite emotional at points, which Mayall would have f*cking hated. One of my favourite memories is going to see the Bottom live show with my dad in 2003, their last of five live tours, and even though it's the worst of the five (my favourite is split between 2 and 3), it was amazing being so close to such raw, unfiltered energy. If you've never seen Bottom before, watch it, because the main thing I took from this documentary and seeing all the clips from the show, is that it's been too long since I've seen it. 7/10 La Cage aux Folles dir. Edouard Molinaro/1978/1h32m This French comedy stars Ugo Tognazzi as Renato Baldi, owner of drag club La Cage aux Folles, with Michel Serrault playing Albin, aka Zaza, his partner and star performer. When Renato's son Laurent (Remi Laurent), who the couple have raised since he was a baby, comes home he has some big news. He's getting married. But unfortunately the parents of his girlfriend are in politics, on the conservative side. The very conservative side. So he asks his father and Albin to tone things down a bit while they are visiting. I think this film has aged pretty well considering it was made in the 70's, and while it does rely heavily on stereotypes it never comes across as mean spirited. Tognazzi is good in the lead role, being pulled between his partner, his son and his own identity, with Serrault stealing every scene he's in as a flighty drag queen. The highlight of the film is the climactic dinner party between the two sets of parents with Albin showing some real depth and character here. A little dated but still with a pure heart, I can't wait to compare it with the American remake (see next review). 8/10 The Birdcage dir. Mike Nichols/1996/1h59m Robin Williams and Nathan Lane star as drag club owner Armand Goldman and his partner and star performer Albert in this American remake of La Cage aux Folles. The plot remains basically unchanged from the French original, just with some extra time to let Williams and Lane shine. Considering he's playing a gay drag club owner Williams gives a fairly understated performance, with really only one instance of that classic over the top exuberance. All of that is left to Lane, who is hilarious here. My only real problem with this film, same as the original though I didn't mention it in my review, is that their son, Val (Dan Futterman), is an unappreciative *sshole. Thankfully that doesn't take too much away from this, and the presence of Gene Hackman as republican senator Kevin Keeley, his future father in law, really alleviates this, with him getting to exercise his comedy muscles (and he looks great in drag). This is a slice of fabulous fun and, thanks to the lead duo of Williams and Lane, is better than the original. 9/10- 2
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