Twins65 Reviews

Promising Young Woman (2020)

A nice way to spend a couple hours with Carey

[8/10 · 15 April 2021]

I'll keep it short:

Miss Mulligan is definitely one of my fave. Actresses these days, and can pull off an American accent with ease. I first caught her acting chops in "Inside Llewyn Davis", and have enjoyed her work since then.

I was really invested heavily in this all the way through, and can't recommend it enough. It was also nice to see a revenge movie where the pain inflicted was more psychological than physical.

Check it out when you can.

Ms .45 (1981)

I Spit On Your Death Wish

[4/10 · 4 February 2020]

After a recent 3rd viewing of "Bad Lieutenant" and a "30-years-delayed" rewatch of "King of New York", I decided to take a swing at an early Abel Ferrara movie. He's an interesting (if not mainstream) filmmaker, and those 2 movies I referenced have some great scenes in them.

So I found Ms .45 through a library loaner, and settled in for a quick 80-minute blast back 40 years to the grimy streets of NYC. The story of a mute garment worker about age 20 who is unbelievably raped twice IN THE SAME DAY was of course hard to fathom. She takes the ultimate revenge on the 2nd perp., and then spends the next hour basically blowing away several dudes, most of them don't even remotely have it coming. The final party scene was more disturbing than shocking, and that damn song which was played continuously by the band (who weren't really playing their instruments) was in fact more grating than the carnage dished out by our heroine, Thana.

I'd say take a pass on Ms .45 unless you feel like taking a trip back to the gritty, NYC Charles Bronson/Death Wish era exploring similar results dished out by the opposite sex.

Blinded by the Light (2019)

A movie set in the 80's that's basically an "80's movie"

[6/10 · 4 February 2020]

So, I finally got around to checking out "Blinded By the Light", the 2019 Sundance Film Festival darling which prompted a bidding war for its distribution rights. It was a pleasant enough movie experience, but once again, what gets people excited at 8,000 feet in January in Utah didn't translate to any sort of box office success when it was unleashed on the masses in late summer 2019. And I'm not really surprised by that, as it's really hard to get any young people to go to the cinema in the streaming era we're currently in if you're not showing a horror or an "event" movie. So curl up at home and check it out anyway.

The story's been written about several times here in the comments, so I'm not going to get into it. It didn't really ring that true, as several sections of the movie just seemed way to "illogical", to put it bluntly. But the creative license taken by the filmmakers in the story (including the extended dance sequence) worked just enough me to get on board with the overall saga of a U.K. high school Springsteen loving immigrant getting persecuted by (and with) his family in suburban London. The feel-good ending would even make the late John Hughes happy.

So check your brain for a spell and just go with it if you care to.

Free State of Jones (2016)

"Matty Mac" drops out of society in the middle of The War Between the States and forms his own

[6/10 · 10 January 2020]

I finally got around to watching this Matthew McConaughey movie from 2016. I'd seen Matt sporting a god-awful looking beard in some photos and heard he was growing it for a role. Turns out that role was mid-1800's southerner Newton Knight and the movie was "Free State of Jones".

I was unfamiliar with the story, so I had to do some reading up on Mr. Knight and his story as a kind of Mississippi "conscientious objector" during the Civil War. He originally is in the Confederate army as a battlefield nurse, but after seeing his nephew get killed in action, he deserts. Along the way, he hides out with some runaway slaves (including the great Mahershala Ali as Moses) and spends the rest of the war recruiting other deserters and fighting off the Confeds. who are looking for them. They end up taking over and ruling a county seat in SE Miss. for a spell before retreating back to the swamps as the war ends. He later becomes a farmer during reconstruction and watches the rise of the KKK wreak havoc on him and his new life living out his remaining years with a former slave woman while his orig. wife and son living nearby.

This movie had some high production values, and the war scenes were very powerful. I 'm glad I watched it, but it seemed to be lacking something, and I can't tell you quite what that something is. It's also about 25 minutes too long, IMO, so I was getting antsy for it to get over.

Check it out sometime if you're into Civil War history.

Long Strange Trip (2017)

It took almost 4 hours, but we finally heard "Ripple"

[6/10 · 3 July 2019]

I was hoping for some good inside info. on why this band became a cultural phenomenon, and this documentary did deliver on that. Decent recent interviews with surviving members Weir, Lesh, Hart & Kreutzmann (and many others from inside the Dead camp) helped give this movie a whole bunch credibility, but there was something missing. And that something, to me, anyway, was the discussion of several of their iconic songs/albums which stand the test of time.

Off the top of my head, I'd have liked to have seen & heard just what inspired such gems as U.S. Blues, Uncle John's Band, Sugar Magnolia, Scarlet Begonias , Friend of the Devil, Casey Jones, Franklin's Tower, Alabama Getaway, the aforementioned Ripple, and of course the discussions of the albums those gems were first released on.

But I'm still recommending this to anybody who wants to know just what all the fuss was/is about on a band that's been around in the public's consciousness (in one form or another) for about 55 years.

London Town (I) (2016)

If you ever wanted to watch Karen from "Californication" sing an Only Ones song...

[7/10 · 17 December 2018]

...YOU'RE IN LUCK!

Being that it was a British production, I hadn't even heard about it until recently. And since it was very "Clash themed", I had to check out LONDON TOWN. It was a nice, not-totally believable late-70's period piece that breezed by in about 90 minutes. And you also get to hear "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" again, which will surely put a smile on your face.

I couldn't really buy all of the adult life responsibilities the boy was saddled with, nor could I see the Clash's lead singer befriending a high school kid to that degree, but I just went with it.

I was unfamiliar with all of the actors except D. Scott, N. McElhone & Jonathan Rhys Meyers (as Joe Strummer), but they were all quite serviceable. The lead (Daniel Huttlestone) looks like somebody we may be seeing big things from down the road.

So do check this out if you're still a fan of the Clash all these years later.

Filth (I) (2013)

Bad Lieutenant: Edinburgh...

[7/10 · 8 November 2018]

...or...If it's not Scottish, IT'S CRAP!

This thing was out of control right from the get-go, but I mostly enjoyed the hell out of it. McAvoy really had to bring the nasty to turn into his Bruce Robertson, and he pulled it off nicely.

Being a boring Midwesterner from "flyoverland USA", it necessitated I watch this with English subtitles (and boy, did I need them), as my dialect ear is more keen to understanding Green Bay Packers fans from Upper-Wisco. talk than people from inner-city Edinburgh. And I also didn't have a clue as who to just WTF this Frank Sidebottom character was they were watching on TV, so that went way over my head until I researched it later. But everything else was OK, and not having read the book, I surely didn't see the ending coming.

So all in all, I'm recommending My Fellow Americans (pardon my LBJ) go out and rent this one, as it's probably not going to be shown on TNT anytime soon. HA!

Let It Be (1970)

It should be a much easier for Paul to find some California grass in 2017...

[6/10 · 26 December 2017]

...as he can just get a medical card, which apparently Calif. hands out like bus transfer slips.

I just watched LET IT BE for the 1st time, even though it's been out for only 47 years. Much like MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (which is way below this IMO), it's pretty much for fans only. But this is a band with a lot of fans, so jump in if you're so inclined. The 80 minutes breeze right by.

We get to see embryonic versions of almost all the cuts on their last two albums, and it's engrossing to watch them crank out snippets of the songs that have held up for eternity. I especially enjoyed Ringo banging on the piano as George and the boys get a read on his song, "Octopus's Garden".

Of course, the big finish includes the famed Apple rooftop concert on Jan. 30, 1969. Our heroes run through 5 cuts, the highlight for me being "Get Back", which closed the festivities as the cops busted up the show.

Magical Mystery Tour (1967 TV Movie)

All You Need Is Love

[2/10 · 6 December 2017]

All we got was sh*t!

I had heard for years this was really bad, but I'd never seen it. And after a recent great UNCUT magazine cover story on this period of The Fabs, I just had to finally check it out.

Oh, I'd seen the movie still photos, including Paul in military garb, the fat lady with the spaghetti, and the boys prancing in their white suits inside the record album my brother bought about 50 YEARS AGO. And of course I'd seen the decent "I Am the Walrus" video which was included here, but I'd never seen the whole film of MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR. But thanks to the wonderment of library DVD loaners, I dove in last weekend expecting the worse. And that's just what I got.

I'd read some of the IMDb reviews here of the newer released Blu-Ray disc which includes some (allegedly) OK scenes not in the original film. But certainly not enough to save this "thing" (it's not a movie, but rather a series of inane clips featuring their great music).

So I'll file this one in the "one & done" category, and everyone else should just avoid it altogether and spend an hour doing something more productive. Hell, just throw on the album and clean the house. You'll be better off.

Bad (1977)

So Bad...It's Good!

[7/10 · 6 September 2017]

I just watched "Andy Warhol's Bad" for the first time in 40 years, and it didn't disappoint.

I originally saw it at a midnight showing in late 1977 at the U. of Minn. with a raucous crowd, and we all hooted and hollered at various points. This time, I watched a DVD all by myself, and I was grimacing (in a good way) rather than hooting and hollering. This movie is still dark and shocking all these years later.

It was Warhol's attempt at a Hollywood-sized movie with a bigger budget to work with, but it's still filled with Warhol mid-70's "scene- sters" trying to act in supporting roles. However, three real actors (Carroll Baker, Perry King & Susan Tyrell) are the leads, and they all do fine work. And kudos to the late Charles McGregor, a 70's Blaxploition stalwart who plays a really creepy, crooked, "slacker" cop in his final role. He was excellent as well.

I kept waiting for the ***SPOILER ALERT*** "baby out the window scene", and it shows up late to churn your stomach in a thousand knots.

Check it out if you're looking for something a little different from a "blast from the past" movie.

30 for 30: Mike and the Mad Dog (2017) Season 3, Episode 19

Forget The Buggles! The internet KILLED the RADIO STAR!

[6/10 · 25 July 2017]

25 years ago, when people still read newspapers religiously and web based content, or "instant info.", was still in its infancy, a whole bunch of people actually listened to terrestrial radio. Satellite radio was still a ways away, and people were clamoring for something fresh going on in real time.

So WFAN decided to start the first 24/7 sports talk station. It took some time to catch on, as they had to wade through a year of losses until they figured out nobody wanted to listen to outsider national voices like Jim Lampley & Greg Gumbel opine on the NYC sports scene. But once they put Don Imus in the morning and gave the afternoon slot to Long Islanders Mike and the Mad Dog, New York City was absolutely giddy! How giddy, you ask? How about taking WFAN straight to the top of the ratings, where they stayed at or near for almost 19 years. It sure helped that New York is a sports crazy town and the Yanks, Giants, & Rangers all won titles in the 1990's. But I'm guessing they would have succeeded anyway if all those teams had sucked. Because people just love to argue about local sports.

To say imitation is the finest form of flattery would be an understatement. Literally hundreds of sports stations popped up all across the country in large & medium markets. Many with 2-man teams just arguing about anything and everything. But these two were the first and most-famous, so I even heard about them living in suburban Chi. back then. I can't say what they did was anything groundbreaking, but to New Yorkers, they were gods. Francesa has his own fan convention these days, which is kind of unbelievable.

Sports radio still goes strong all these years later, but with nowhere near the numbers this duo got. Just like anything else that used to be consumed by mass audiences (network nightly news, newspapers, prime time TV shows, etc.), the slice of the entertainment pie has withered significantly with the advent of the YouTube, satellite radio, smartphones, Netflix, you name it. So we'll probably never have a radio phenomenon like Mike and the Mad Dog again.

As far as this 30 for 30 film goes, ESPN did a nice job keeping it moving, and getting out in under an hour. It's worth a watch if you want to see what all the hype was about a generation ago when sports radio was just getting started.

Mr. Nice (2010)

"Blow", for Brits

[6/10 · 24 May 2017]

This is a straight-ahead biopic on Howard Marks, who was a famous drug dealer in the U.K., and who I was unfamiliar with. It was very similar in style to "Blow", the biopic of George Jung, a big U.S.A. cocaine dealer from yesteryear played by Johnny Depp. It even included a shot with the aged, incarcerated Marks meeting with his children, just as Jung did at the end of "Blow", when his grown-up daughter showed up.

Rhys Ifans plays Marks from his high school days (which surely was a stretch to look at) all the way to the very end, which shows him addressing a crowd after he's released from prison and lighting up a bat fat joint. He does a decent job, and is a very watchable actor. In between, we get the standard biopic narrative of how it all went down. The drugs are dealt, the money comes rolling in, and the law eventually shows up later. Included are some scenes with Jack Huston and a totally over-the-top David Thewlis, both great actors. Chloë Sevigny does an OK job pulling off a British accent while playing his wife, who also gets pinched along the way.

Check it out if you're interested, but there's nothing ground-breaking going on in this movie.

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (2015)

This was a nice diversion

[8/10 · 25 April 2017]

I just watched this documentary about the rise & fall of National Lampoon magazine, a periodical I wasn't really supposed to be looking at when I was 14 in 1973, yet I did anyway (when I could find one). Despite average to good reviews here on IMDb, I found it quite enjoyable.

I especially liked the parts where we caught video of a pre-fame Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, and of course John Belushi. Those guys WERE FUNNY! And it also allowed me to travel back in time to the mid-70's, a time when there was and actual "underground" comedy scene. And it seemed to poke fun of everybody (whites/blacks, Dems/Repubs, Jews/Gentiles) and you could laugh and not worry about "politically incorrect repercussions". Sadly, that time is long gone.

Also, I saw a sh*t-load of 1970's era natural breasts, in both black and white and color! Say what you will about that long-lost magazine, they sure did know how to make funny visual jokes around naked women.

I'm recommending this for anyone who'd like to take a nice 40+ year rewind.

Se7en (1995)

20+ years later, I watched it again

[9/10 · 13 March 2017]

...and it was STILL STELLAR! Fincher's mid-90's crime drama SE7EN got a whole bunch of hype when it first came out, and deservedly so. Pitt was still on the upswing of his career, "Gwyn" was still not yet a household name (which was a good thing for this role), and of course Freeman was at the top of his game (see SHAWSHANK, UNFORGIVEN, OUTBREAK, etc.) once again playing the voice of reason to perfection. And throw in Spacey, who was still in the last stages of being a THAT GUY (albeit, one of the very best THAT GUYS-- he would pick up a Supporting Actor Oscar the next year for THE USUAL SUSPECTS), and you've got one helluva cast.

But it wouldn't have all mattered if the story wasn't any good, and this one, written by Andrew Kevin Walker, is top notch. I guess my only real beef is that we wait too long until we actually get involved visually with Spacey's John Doe. But once he shows, the movie is even more riveting down the stretch. The chase scene and then finally the car ride scene are tremendous, as is the final showdown which I won't spoil here but I think every movie buff is familiar with by now.

WATCH IT AGAIN WHEN YOU CAN!

Lucky Louie: Get Out (2006) Season 1, Episode 8

Watch a "pre-fame" Emma Stone trash her future All-American image in 24 minutes

[5/10 · 6 March 2017]

I recently read a Rolling Stone profile on Ms. Stone, and it mentioned that she was on this show eleven years ago, appearing shortly after she first arrived in L.A. to make it as an actor. So I thought I'd check it out, as I'd never seen her Pre-"Superbad", and hadn't seen this early Louis C.K. series either.

The overall show is supposed to be a throwback to the sitcoms of yesteryear (think All in the Family and/or The Honeymooners), with sparse sets, confrontational comedy and a live audience. While it certainly was watchable, and E.S. did a nice job as a brash teen, it just didn't seem to be totally working on any level, and I can certainly see why HBO axed this thing after one season. Ultimately, I'm sure Pam Adlon was happy it got whacked, as she jumped right into a long run on Californication, which no matter how much it got bashed at the end, was a better show than this one.

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016)

John was right. They really were bigger than Jesus...

[9/10 · 26 February 2017]

...and in some ways, they still are.

This is a group that played their last live (paying) show over 50 years ago, and they get still get a documentary movie made about their formative years which is released in theaters in 2016 and does respectable business.

I was all of seven years old when they quit touring, and don't remember it happening in real time. So even though I've seen a bunch of these clips "snippeted" in the last half-century of my life, many of the behind the scenes day-to-day nuggets were all new, and well worth a viewing.

To see the fan-love of the tours (U.S. and around the world) is still pretty unbelievable to look at. It was a different era, so instead of online mass adoration, EVERYBODY (REALLY, EVERYBODY!) JUST WENT OUT & SHOWED UP TO CATCH ANY KIND OF GLIMPSE THEY COULD GET OF THEM!

This phenomenon probably wouldn't still be looked at with this much reverence today if the music doesn't stand the test of time. BUT IT DOES.

If you like the sixties, or love the Beatles, you gotta' see this one.

Hell or High Water (II) (2016)

No Country for The Dude

[9/10 · 10 February 2017]

FINALLY! An original, awesome movie to watch with nary any superhero spandex or sequel-itis in sight.

This thing had me right from the get-go. From the opening shot of Dale Dickey to the final (verbal) showdown between Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine, we got some great acting from great actors, many I was unfamiliar with. But I have been a fan of Ben Foster's since I first caught him playing a mentally challenged student in the pilot episode of "Freaks and Geeks" almost 20 years ago. And he also was stellar here as an ex- con with a grudge and ultimately a death sentence on his agenda.

So sit back and watch some modern day "Old West" bank robbers tear it up in the good old dusty Southwestern U.S. of A. You can almost see the grit from the dirt roads emanating right off your TV set.

Demolition (2015)

Probably the most-original movie I've seen in quite some time

[6/10 · 2 February 2017]

but that doesn't make it any more believable.

I finally saw "Demolition" after seeing the trailer for it almost two years ago, and I'm glad I watched it. Once again, Jake Gyllenhaal has ventured into the world of smaller dramas after "Prince of Persia" crashed and burned at the box office to mostly positive results. It sure helped to have a decent cast, as all of the supporting actors were quite good (Cooper, Watts, glimpses of the alluring Heather Lind and newcomer Judah Lewis),

I bought in on most of the story, including a guy somehow getting upset at getting burned by a vending machine mere minutes after his wife dies and writing letters to the vending company looking for retribution. He was obviously a bit off-center to begin with, and certainly went over the edge after her death.

But there were a couple of things that just didn't hold up. There's no way a guy could literally destroy the inside AND OUTSIDE of his house in an upscale neighborhood and not get either questioned and/or arrested for disorderly conduct. Nary a neighbor nor the police seemed to be alarmed that a guy was throwing sledge hammers out of his picture windows and later driving a heavy equipment top-loader into the front wall of his house! It just didn't ring true. And don't get me started about the scene where an untrained 13 year- old kid fires a pistol (TWICE!) at somebody wearing a bulletproof vest!

But the final act had a decent payoff, and I'm still recommending you check this one out.

Vag Magazine (2010– )

now almost 7 years old - still worth watching!

[7/10 · 30 January 2017]

I've watched all 6 of these short videos on YouTube. According to IMDb, the whole thing was done on a $2,500.00 shoestring budget, but they seem decently shot. Pretty sure the cast were all members of the NYC Upright Citizens Brigade back in 2010, and most of them have gone on to work steadily since then, mostly on TV.

Each one contains at least one good laugh, so I suggest you check them out, too. The first and last ones are probably the best. Plus, you'll get a chance to see the comic stylings of Kate McKinnon before she became famous.

So block out about a half hour and spend some quality time with Betheny, Sylvie, Fennel, Heavy Flo, Reba, Kit & Meghan. And be sure watch for the hilarious appearances by Jaybird!

Legend (I) (2015)

Hardy again on top of his game

[7/10 · 20 January 2017]

I know it's been fashionable to bash this movie, but I thought it was a good watch. Once again, Tom Hardy delivers not one but two awesome acting performances, and kudos to the production crew to make it all look seamless.

From what I can ascertain, the film touched on some areas a bit too much (Reggie's relationship with Frances is a key story line), and relegates the boys relationship with their mother to a mere scene or two. Also, Ron's homosexuality is portrayed as quite open, when in fact it wasn't. But that led to a couple of laugh-out-loud lines by Hardy as Ron, and this movie surely needed some humo(u)r.

All in all, a decent two-hour viewing experience, and I'm giving it a thumbs up (sorry Roger & Gene).

Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

Linklater tries to recreate his college baseball days in a "Dazed & Confused" kind of way...

[4/10 · 29 December 2016]

...and comes up a bit short.

Yeah, I was 21 in 1980 and knew lots of obnoxious jocks from dorm-life back then, but I didn't want to spend any time with them. Still don't.

Linklater nailed the 1980 period look, and the music was actually better than "Freaks and Geeks" (which was good and also set in 1980, but pretty much used the entire 1970's as a music catalog). But his story of insufferable jocks living in a "bro-house" JUST WASN'T SUSTAINABLE for the entire movie. I pretty much hated every character, and nothing really interesting happened other than Wyatt Russell blowing a massive bong hit listening to Pink Floyd's "Meddle".

Take a pass on this one, or certainly wait until it shows up on TV some rainy Sat. afternoon.

Green Room (2015)

Sinister Purpose INDEED!

[7/10 · 23 December 2016]

...Knockin' at your door. Great song to end the movie, by the way.

This was a quick watch, which was just fine with me. I don't know whether or not to classify it as a "horror movie" or a "gore movie", but it was effective and exciting. My one real complaint is I couldn't really see ANYTHING well outside of the green room scenes, in the drug lab and/or the day after scenes.

But Mr. Saulnier has delivered once again (after "Blue Ruin"), and I'm going to check out his earlier movie "Murder Party" ASAP.

P.S.-R.I.P. Anton. 27 years old and a solid career of over 15 years in the movies. You will be missed.

The Last Waltz (1978)

Almost 40 years to the day after they filmed it

[6/10 · 15 December 2016]

I finally saw it.

Yep, I've heard about this concert pretty much my entire music consumption life (50 years!), and had never seen the movie of The Band's break-up. I just read an excerpt of Robbie Robertson's new book, so I had to check out the movie.

All I can say is...great production, flawed concept. It looks awesome. Scorsese delivers again. But the whole presentation of including interviews interspersed with performances just didn't work for me. One minute your grooving to a nice version of "Life Is a Carnival" or "Stage Fright", and then the momentum crashes as we get saddled with another interview. Plus, there was so much good stuff that didn't make the movie (see Wikipedia for all the details) that it just feels like we saw a shell of what a great night it was if you were there.

Still worth checking out, as it's a great mid-70's time capsule of the rock world before music videos took over a short-time later.

The Sopranos: Made in America (2007) Season 6, Episode 21

It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

[9/10 · 26 July 2016]

Just watched it again, 9 years later. There's been so much talk about the ending since 6/10/07, I just had to revisit it to see if all of the David Chase bashing was spot on. IT WAS NOT! EVERYTHING that was great about the series (great tension between characters {Tony vs. Paulie, Tony & Carmela vs. AJ, Tony vs. Uncle Jr.}, some dark moments (Silvio on life support, Phil getting whacked and then having his scull crushed) and some goofy humor (the tabby cat staring at a pic. of Christopher and freaking out Paulie) were all here. And even though I knew the "zap to black" was coming, the tension leading up to it was still riveting. I guess my only beef with Chase was his choice of a Journey song used at the end that I always hated (and I won't name again here). It has become ubiquitous in 2016, and is now something which seems like I can't go a single day without hearing at some point.

But here's a big thanks D.C. for throwing in that Dylan song from "Bringing It All Back Home" right before AJ's SUV went up IN FLAMES!

That '70s Show: Burning Down the House (2000) Season 2, Episode 15

Amy Adams goes back to high school

[6/10 · 14 June 2016]

Not a bad episode, but not one of the better ones from Season 2 either.

The adults play scrabble, and Bob fesses up about his rug.

The kids have a party, where a 26 year-old Amy Adams shows up in one of her early roles as a smokin' hot high school mean girl who disses Hyde in front of her friends, but ultimately comes back later for some action.

And Kelso (who seems to be in his glam rock rouge phase) does his best Fire Marshall Bill impersonation and attempts to douse a garbage can fire with brandy. The Kelso/Jackie & Eric/Donna relationships hit some turbulence, but you know this gang will get through it, right?

Watch at your own risk.