Was able to see Joker last night, was I captivated with the acting of all the characters. JP of course really sold it.

Agree with all above and would score even higher

The rioting was the overlooked, forgotten and untreated needy of Gotham rebelling.

There are many realms of Mental Illness so many groups would always have issue.... this was also shown.

I am not sure if he is the same JOKER but I get what your saying as well.

I thought it was well done.

Also left out the fact that my wife was a bit creeped out since I sometimes laugh the way he did in the movie.

I got a kick out of that.

Glad you liked it DP. As of now, this is my favorite movie of the year thus far.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Tom Hanks does a fantastic job fantastic job in his portrayal of Fred Rogers and I'm sure this will garner him an Oscar nomination (which I believe would be rightly deserved). I didn't see WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR from last year but after watching this film, I have more of a desire (especially to compare how closely Hanks' performance was to the real Mr. Rogers). The film plays as an episode of the show, which I found to be an enjoyable take, although at times it almost seems the movie is about journalist Tom Junod as opposed to Mr. Rogers. Other than that, this is typical Oscar bait that may garner more nominations other than Hanks. Overall, it was a pleasant movie but once in which I'm sure many people won't have a long memory for in just a few months time. 6/10

KNIVES OUT

The modern day Agatha Christie tale of a millionaire who dies under mysterious circumstances. An all-star cast lead by Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc. The first 30-45 minutes the film really grips you and throws a lot of information your way. It's a roller coaster of a ride with humor, various storylines, and character introductions. The film is fast paced and for 130 minutes, flies by fairly quickly (with the exception of about midway into the film, where 2-3 characters are then solely focused on). I found the film to drag a bit during this portion but then the third act makes up for it with the reveal. A fun ride that I would be more than happy to ride again as well as see another story with Detective Blanc if Craig or Director Rian Johnson were so inclined to spin another tale for us. 7.5/10

Wow, 7.5 for Knives Out.

Will try to download that and Mr Rodgers as well once its available \\

Thanks i12

SOYLENT GREEN (1973)

It's 2022, and New York's 40 million population is choking on global warming (ahead of its time), pollution, overcrowding and food shortages. A wealthy elitist (Joseph Cotton) is murdered, and a thuggish, not-very-honest cop, Thorn (Charlton Heston) is assigned to find his killer. With the help of his roomie Sol (Edward G. Robinson), he uncovers a deadly secret about the main form of sustenance for the ordinary folks. You'll figure it out way before he does. This isn't a very good movie, though it has a few decent sci-fi scenes and a perfunctory love interest. Heston is sturdy as ever. but the only reason to watch it is Robinson in his last movie. He's great, as usual. Robinson, IMO, is the most underrated great actor in Hollywood history.

I have not seen that movie in a long time. Agree Turnbull, Robinson is great in the movie and his characters storyline is hard to forget. Two others that standout in the movie iard Connors and Kilpatrick who had limited screen time, but it fit the narrative.

No problem. Enjoy! And yes, I really did enjoy KNIVES OUT. Hope you guys do as well.

Watched the first minute or so of The Irishman. If that minute is any indication, I can't wait to watch the rest of it tonight or tomorrow. Che buono.

I watched The Irishman at the cinema. The last 45 minutes or so was very affecting. Bufalino and Sheeran were monstrous human beings, but dammit if Scorsese didn't have their demises breaking your heart.

A few notes.

Joe Pesci's performance was incredible.
Harvey Keitel wasn't in it enough.
Probably one of De Niro's best performances, if not the best performance, over the last 20 years.
I thought Pesci, Keitel and Pacino de-aged better than De Niro.
If they were going to drag the movie out, I felt they could've devoted another 5-10 minutes of Sheeran's WW2 escapades.
De Niro the oldest looking mid-twentysomething I've ever seen in that WW2 flashback.
I fucking loved the scene where Pesci as Bufalino comes home covered in blood and walks up the stairs without saying a word to his wife. Expertly acted without a single bit of dialogue.
The scene with Sheeran and Bufalino eating in prison and Bufalino unable to eat his favorite bread almost had me choking up.
Speaking of emotional, it was tough to see Sheeran unable to reconnect with his daughter, if not entirely understandable.
It was wonderful to see De Niro and Pacino sharing the scene so often and in such a wonderful film for the first time since Heat. [Righteous Kill doesn't count]
Sebastian Maniscalco's portrayal of Crazy Joe Gallo was charismatic; I loved the scene where he disrespects Bufalino and Sheeran and you can see Sheeran seething with rage after Maniscalco brusquely told him to "get the fuck outta here".
It was a treat as a mob aficionado taking note of all the real-life mobster cameos (Persico, Colombo, Testa etc.]
The whackings were all expertly crafted.
I honestly thought Scorsese was going to retcon Hoffa's assassination because of Sheeran's visible internal conflict; not to mention the fact Hoffa's stepson unintentionally drove him to the scene of his murder.
I loved the soundtrack, particularly the doowop elements.

Fun note: The David Ferrie who appeared in one scene was portrayed by Joe Pesci in JFK.

THE IRISHMAN

I never thought I'd see Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Martin Scorsese work on a film together, but here we finally are! Pacino and De Niro are back on their game and Pesci, coerced out of retirement, puts together an as equally strong performance. Many Scorsese alum are seen throughout and even the de-aging technology was top notch and actually aided the film, rather than take away from it. My only 2 gripes with the film were the lack of a solid Scorsese soundtrack that we've come to expect from him and the runtime. I did enjoy the film thoroughly, but even at 3 1/2 hours, it was rather long. 8/10

Great review guys.

I just finished viewing it as well.
Enjoyed it very much, agree with thoughts above from you both.

Pesci was best of the bunch.
Was a bit too long.
Music choices could have been better and broader.

7.5 or if you rather Stars....4 out of 5

Just watched The Irishman. Superb! A bit long and it drags just a little in some places, but so, so good otherwise. Another classic in the vein of the GF, Casino, and Goodfellas.

I wonder though if some of the historical scenes and references such as the Teamsters, Hoffa, Cuba, Gallo, even Kennedy, etc. will be lost on younger viewers.

Of course, from the opening scene with In the Still of the Night I was captured.

Scorsese and I are of a Certain Age, Oli (as I suspect you are), and his taste in soundtrack music has a certain resonance...

THE CINCINNATI KID (1965)

After enjoying how Edward G. Robinson saved "Soylent Green," I tuned into this mediocre Steve McQueen vehicle. Robinson did it again. McQueen is the Kid, a rising card sharp in '30's New Orleans, determined to unseat "The Man," Lancey Howard (Robinson). McQueen dials in his performance, and the slow plot is encumbered with a sappy, pointless romance with Tuesday Weld, and an even more pointless infidelity with Ann-Margret. Karl Malden and Joan Blondell provide some color, and the card games are interesting. But it's Robinson who saves it from the pits--his Lancey is gentlemanly, borderline elegant, but always genial and never above the general riffraff that congregates around him and the Big Game with the Kid. Another great performance by Eddie G.

21 BRIDGES

Didn't have much of a desire to see this after viewing the trailer but a friend of mine wanted to go so I decided to take a flier on it. The opening act really grabbed my attention with the opening robbery scene and thought I might have undervalued this film. Taylor Kitsch was the high point of the film in that first act but by the third act, the film lost all of it's momentum and went out with a whimper. Chadwick Boseman was enjoyable in the lead role, although I never found myself backing his "cool guy" persona he was trying so desperately to convey throughout the film. 6/10

DARK WATERS

This film focuses on DuPont poisoning residents in West Virginia for decades. Mark Ruffalo, an environmental attorney, takes the case on for one of the locals. While I applaud the film for being able to sift through the almost 20 years this case went through from beginning to end, to present a digestible and comprehensive account of what happened, the story at times seems to be spotty. And while I am a big Anne Hathaway fan (and to a lesser extent, a Mark Ruffalo fan as well), both seem to mail in their performances. Hathaway as the "this case is costing you your family because your never home" wife, who ever once in a while has a breakdown. Whereas Ruffalo seems dazed throughout with the exception of a few times he actually gets emotional and passionate. Interesting subject, but averagely executed. 6/10

@ Irishman

Me and my otha brotha are really looking forward to seeing Motherless Brooklyn as we are big Edward Norton fans. Have you seen it yet? The trailer looks really good.

I haven't yet. I'm passing on it in the theaters. Gonna wait until it drops on Blu-Ray.

I tried to stream it and it seams to be low Rez right now, but will try it again tomorrow and watch it either way.

JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL

The cast from the original is back and while the first was a surprisingly fun ride, this was a disappointment. Bad choice to insert both Danny DeVito and Danny Glover to the mix. You could even make a point about Awkwafina, but she was more tolerable than the other 2. The jokes are what really killed this for me as they just weren't funny, relying on DeVito and Glover to carry most of that load, which they were unable to accomplish. Jack Black tried his best to pull his own weight and out of everybody, he did the best he could considering the material. If you enjoyed the first one, be prepared to be disappointed by this one. 5.5/10

I watched The Terminator with my otha brotha the other day. I think it ages pretty well all things considered.

Your otha brutha? From anutha mutha?

Reservoir Dogs.

I watched conspiracy movie, Cutter's Way, without knowing the first thing about it. I went in blind but I enjoyed it. Good performance by John Heard and Jeff Bridges in the lead.

I watched Chinatown again. Movie perfection with an ending that knocks the stuffing out of me every time I see it. Jack Nicholson during this era was so charismatic and magnetic.

I'm looking forward to watching the sequel to Chinatown, The Two Jakes, one of these days, especially seeing as Harvey Keitel is in it.

Speaking of noir movies, I watched Motherless Brooklyn with Edward Norton. I wanted to enjoy it more than I did. It was dense and a little hard to follow at times. Respectable effort but I feel there was a much better movie hidden in there somewhere.

RICHARD JEWELL

Clint Eastwood returns about the 1996 Olympics bombing and the security guard, Richard Jewell, who first noticed the bag and began evacuating the area, becoming a hero for his efforts. However, soon after his discovery is made, he is filleted by the media and FBI and becomes the main suspect. I really have enjoyed Paul Walter Hauser's work since I first saw him in I, TONYA. Usually he plays the bumbling idiot and while that is still mainly his role in this film, he does show a dramatic range here. Olivia Wilde is detestable as reporter Kathy Scruggs, who has no morals or conscience to speak of whatsoever, and does whatever she can to get a story. Overall, the movie seems quite repetitive: FBI tries to get Jewell to implicate himself, Jewell assists to clear his name or assist them with their investigation, Jewell's lawyer Watson Bryant (played by Sam Rockwell) yells at him to not cooperate with them, repeat. Could have been a better study at the power of the media and how they can ruin lives when they don't get the facts straight/jump to conclusions. 5.5/10

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

For anyone who hated THE LAST JEDI, rest assured, JJ Abrams gave you a worthy conclusion to this trilogy. This is on par with THE FORCE AWAKENS (if not better). At times a wonderfully dark film that paces well as the longest Star Wars at 2 hours and 21 minutes. For everything that has been written about this new trilogy over the years, while I was never a big fan of it and I won't miss these characters as much as other characters from the past, I hope this is indeed the end of the cannon. If Disney wants to do spinoffs or movies with new characters, that's fine. I think over the course of the last 40+ years, this cow's been milked dry. 7.5/10

Will check the others out but want to mention I felt the same of Motherless Brooklyn, I think their was a great story in there but slapped together, rushed and could have been better told if right people were involved.