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Mpup54
Reviews
Operation Terror (2012)
I love how this film went all out
If you are looking for a film packing many theories into one film, this is the go to film, but I recommending watching a lot of other 9/11 films first so you can readily enjoy the particulars of this one as to how it evolved. I dont wish to spoil the great ride this one takes us on. Whomever made this did a lot of homework to come up with the plot scenarios and twists. If you spent a lot of time collecting documentaries and listened to scientific lecturers, this film becomes like a desert that follows a good meal.
Jack-O (1995)
movie within a movie
I thought I would just comment about movies within movie. I always appreciate when there are scenes where other movies are given tributes via a shot at a TV or a big screen theater showing of a movie.
In this case the movie tribute shown was The Coven. However, im not sure of its existence, so im asking other movie reviewers here to identify it as being real or not and listing the IMDb link.
On this site there are a couple tiles of The Coven. However, the oldest one dates back to only 2002. The film shown during Jack-O looks a bit older than 2002 or at least made to look that way.
So if anyone can identify The Coven in Jack-O (year, IMDb link), that would be some good IMDb sleuthing skills.
General Motors Presents: Flight Into Danger (1956)
Unavailable
As far as I can tell, unless you were watching this one when it came out in 1956, there is no other way it could have been viewed. The reviews here seem to indicate that at least 2 of the 3 reviewers, if not all three, have never even seen this particular movie but have seen the other remakes.
So if anyone out there can provide any information for viewing Flight Into Danger from 1956, I would love to view it and review it in any digital form. I would also accept the Alcoa Hour episode of Flight Into Danger made in the same year with a different cast which also appears to be unfindable. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0507662/
Nacho Libre (2006)
Hector Jimenez shows star potential in a supporting role
I avoided this film for 3 years before I saw it take me by surprise. The commercials definitely didn't represent this movie very well and that is what steered me away initially. I caught it on TV a few years later and got hooked on one surprisingly good performance...not Jack Black's.
I never realized the brilliance of Hector Jimenez (Steve, Esqueleto) until I saw him act in this. Every line he delivered in this movie was downright hilarious and memorable for quoting, even all the way down to a simple word or sound (oooOOOoooh).
In my eyes, Esqueleto played his comedic role to perfection while Jack Black sort of fished around for his moments of stale comedy. Nobody had really seen the likes of Jimenez and it was definitely more than a case of a role simply fitting a person.
Esqueleto stole the show by delivering his lines in a manner like the world has never seen. because he his first depicted as a street bum, food stealing renegade, the anticipation of his line delivery caught me off guard. He is freaking hilarious.
Typing the lines here does him no justice. Yes, many of the lines themselves are funny but its the way in which he approaches them and the manner in which he emphasizes certain words in these lines. Add to that an almost effeminate tone and cartoon-like physicality and you get one of the most hilarious side characters of all time.
I hope Hector goes on to do great things, he may not get a lead character role, but ill take all the future supporting cast roles that he can find his way into.
This movie would not be half as good without Hector Jimenez itn it.
The Gambler (1974)
Am I the only one who understands the underlying theme?
Just about everyone who has posted a reply about the shocking ending was simply left too much in the dark to realize that it tied together a different root demise of Axel Freed than gambling.
Just as a compulsive behavior leads to compulsive gambling, the root evil of Axel Freed was that he had a masochist behavior. When you look a little closer at all the scenes where he acts out this kind of behavior, it makes more sense. The problem lies in that the casual observer is only looking at the problem gambling aspect. There is more to this guy than just that.
The ways he handles his relationships with his mother, girlfriend, grandfather and feelings at the end towards the basketball player ALL indicate there is masochist behavior involved. These are more than just selfish acts. There is some actual self hatred going on as well. Without giving away the final scene, this scene further accentuates the point by sending himself into that situation. The final scene was a conscious act, not something resulting from random chance or risk.
So despite the movie having some gambling theme to it, this really wasn't necessarily about gambling addiction. It was about the nature of Axel Freed. If the movie had no gambling scenes in it at all this point would be more readily identifiable.
The only real oddity in the final scene is the placement of the final scene. If this scene was placed somewhere in the middle of the movie, the underlying theme of his masochist pattern of behavior would have been more easily identified with. Because the movie started with a gambling scene, we all assumed it was just about gambling. Wrong!
Its a tricky concept to catch the first time. Watch this movie again with this concept in mind and the movie will make more sense.