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johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1960's) list
Notes: Before watching this flick the first time around, since it was such a classic, I had some rather huge expectations. Well, to be honest, I was a little bit disappointed by the whole thing. Basically, after waiting all these years, I finally saw the damned thing but even though I did like it, I wasn't exactly blown away. Sure, I have to admit that it was well done and entertaining and I definitely could see how it must have been quite frightening for the audience back in 1968. I could see as well how it has influenced all the horror movies which came afterwards, especially in the zombie genre, but in my opinion, the damned thing didnāt grow old very well. Of course, it is rather unfair since this movie must have been quite groundbreaking when it was released but, after all these years, I have seen so many movies dealing with the same subject which did have a much stronger impact on me. Basically, to me, it felt like a vintage version of 'The Walking Dead' but not much more than that, to be honest. Anyway, even if it didnāt really blow me away, it is still a major classic and it is basically a must see for any movie lovers.3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: To be honest, I thought it was rather difficult to judge this movie because there is James Dean in it and, in my opinion, everyone tend to overly praise his movies. I mean, by now, I have seen all 3 movies starring James Dean (see also āGiantā and āEast of Edenā) but, to be honest, I think it is really weird that the guy became such a legend just after showing up in 3 movies. Anyway, after watching this flick, I thought it was even more obvious. I mean, sure, I liked the damned thing and Dean gave a solid performance but I didn't think it was really a masterpiece. I donāt know, maybe, at the time, the teenagers thought it was fascinating as they were really able to identify themselves with the characters but, to be honest, I thought they were all rather whinny and even a little bit obnoxious. I mean, they were just really self-centered and I guess thatās what you are supposed to feel at this age but I thought they made it rather melodramatic. Still, even if I wasnāt completely convinced by this feature, I have to admit it was still a solid drama and I have to admit that James Dean was terribly charismatic. 3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2020's) list
Notes: To be honest, I have to admit that I was at first not really interested as I expected it to be another predictable vintage flick about Blues. And, indeed, during the first scene, you get to see Ma Rainey and Levee performing on stage, the tension between them was just so obvious and the whole thing seemed to be about a talented jazz musician and his jealous band leader. Fortunately, it went just way deeper than that and, at the center, you had Chadwick Boseman who not only delivered his very last performance but, actually, the very best performance of his tragically short career. To think that the guy was in the middle of his battle against cancer will working on his movie was not only quite mind-bkowing but also did add another tragic layer to this tormented character. Indeed, at first, Levee might seem to be another cocky trumpet player but he turned out to be so much more complex. Basically, even though the guy had some skills and seemed to be confident, he had been also heavily traumatised by life in general and, if you expect this movie to end up with a glorious happy-ending with Levee becoming the next Jazz sensation, you will be quite disappointed. In fact, while all the black characters were constantly cracking jokes, you could feel that under the surface, they were actually all some damaged goods and they were actually almost constantly functioning in survival mode. Concerning Viola Davis, she gave here also another strong performance but even though this woman was just as complex as Levee was, I think she didnāt get enough running time to fully develop her character. Anyway, the damned thing turned out to be much more interesting than I expected and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you want to see Chadwick Boseman shining one last time. 3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: Before watching this flick the first time around, since it was such a classic, I had some rather huge expectations. Well, to be honest, I was a little bit disappointed by the whole thing. Basically, after waiting all these years, I finally saw the damned thing but even though I did like it, I wasn't exactly blown away. Sure, I have to admit that it was well done and entertaining and I definitely could see how it must have been quite frightening for the audience back in 1968. I could see as well how it has influenced all the horror movies which came afterwards, especially in the zombie genre, but in my opinion, the damned thing didnāt grow old very well. Of course, it is rather unfair since this movie must have been quite groundbreaking when it was released but, after all these years, I have seen so many movies dealing with the same subject which did have a much stronger impact on me. Basically, to me, it felt like a vintage version of 'The Walking Dead' but not much more than that, to be honest. Anyway, even if it didnāt really blow me away, it is still a major classic and it is basically a must see for any movie lovers.3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2020's) list
Notes: To be honest, I have to admit that I was at first not really interested as I expected it to be another predictable vintage flick about Blues. And, indeed, during the first scene, you get to see Ma Rainey and Levee performing on stage, the tension between them was just so obvious and the whole thing seemed to be about a talented jazz musician and his jealous band leader. Fortunately, it went just way deeper than that and, at the center, you had Chadwick Boseman who not only delivered his very last performance but, actually, the very best performance of his tragically short career. To think that the guy was in the middle of his battle against cancer will working on his movie was not only quite mind-bkowing but also did add another tragic layer to this tormented character. Indeed, at first, Levee might seem to be another cocky trumpet player but he turned out to be so much more complex. Basically, even though the guy had some skills and seemed to be confident, he had been also heavily traumatised by life in general and, if you expect this movie to end up with a glorious happy-ending with Levee becoming the next Jazz sensation, you will be quite disappointed. In fact, while all the black characters were constantly cracking jokes, you could feel that under the surface, they were actually all some damaged goods and they were actually almost constantly functioning in survival mode. Concerning Viola Davis, she gave here also another strong performance but even though this woman was just as complex as Levee was, I think she didnāt get enough running time to fully develop her character. Anyway, the damned thing turned out to be much more interesting than I expected and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you want to see Chadwick Boseman shining one last time. 3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a review of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
“I wasnāt really sure what to expect from this flick but since it had been very well received, I thought I might as well check it out. To be honest, I have to admit that I was at first not really interested as I expected it to be another predictable vintage flick about Blues. And, indeed, during th” read more
3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (2010's) list
Notes: To be honest, even though I did like this movie, I canāt say I was completely blown away after all. In fact, it took me a while to figure out what actually bothered with this movie which had been virtually universally loved so far. Was it the saturation? I mean, we get such an overdose of super-hero movies. Even with the Joker himself, it has been already at least the 5th iteration of this iconic character in 30 years and, even if Joaquin Phoenix was quite amazing, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and even Mark Hamill were just as heralded as he was. Furthermore, even though they are all making a big fuss about the fact that this movie could be a revolution in this genre, in my opinion, the story was actually rather basic and predictable. I mean, it was a decent story but this tale of a rather sad mentally ill man slowly becoming homicidal was not really original. Eventually, the genius moves from Todd Philips was not to deliver a great story but to include the Joker in the mix and to have this popular character played by one of the best actors around. Seriously, if you would remove these 2 elements, I wonder if this movie would make so many waves. And, yet, there is no denying that, once again, Joaquin Phoenix gave us here another intense and spellbinding performance. Basically, the whole thing was some kind of amazing dark one-man-show and Phoenix definitely made the most of it. 3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to Top 10 best movies 2020 list
Notes: To be honest, I have to admit that I was at first not really interested as I expected it to be another predictable vintage flick about Blues. And, indeed, during the first scene, you get to see Ma Rainey and Levee performing on stage, the tension between them was just so obvious and the whole thing seemed to be about a talented jazz musician and his jealous band leader. Fortunately, it went just way deeper than that and, at the center, you had Chadwick Boseman who not only delivered his very last performance but, actually, the very best performance of his tragically short career. To think that the guy was in the middle of his battle against cancer will working on his movie was not only quite mind-bkowing but also did add another tragic layer to this tormented character. Indeed, at first, Levee might seem to be another cocky trumpet player but he turned out to be so much more complex. Basically, even though the guy had some skills and seemed to be confident, he had been also heavily traumatised by life in general and, if you expect this movie to end up with a glorious happy-ending with Levee becoming the next Jazz sensation, you will be quite disappointed. In fact, while all the black characters were constantly cracking jokes, you could feel that under the surface, they were actually all some damaged goods and they were actually almost constantly functioning in survival mode. Concerning Viola Davis, she gave here also another strong performance but even though this woman was just as complex as Levee was, I think she didnāt get enough running time to fully develop her character. Anyway, the damned thing turned out to be much more interesting than I expected and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you want to see Chadwick Boseman shining one last time. 3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1980's) list
Notes: Obviously, it has become since then a major cult-classic but, to be honest, even though I did like it, I have never been a really huge fan, even after rewatching the damned thing recently. I mean, sure, I have to admit it, it is definitely a fun horror-comedy, no doubt about it, but, at the end of the day, I think it was above all a cheap flick that Sam Raimi made at the time to start up his career. Eventually, after all these years, if you look back at his legacy, it still is pretty much his most acclaimed directing effort which is, at the same time, pretty neat but also pretty sad, when you think about it. Since then, they have recently released a remake which was approved by Sam Raimi and since it was fairly well received, I was really eager to check it out but, eventually, I was amazed by how underwhelming this remake turned out to be after all. Anyway, coming back to our main feature, I have to admit it, after more then 30 years after its release, it still holds up pretty well and it is still really entertaining.3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 3 items to their collection
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3 years, 11 months ago
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3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe posted a video
3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies ... my own version (1970's) list
Notes: To be honest, I have a rather hard time with John Belushi. I mean, in the last 30 years, the guy basically became a legend and I was really eager to check his work, expecting to discover a comic genius. Eventually, he just made 7 movies over 3 years so and, a little bit like James Dean, he came and went pretty quickly. However, by now, I have seen his two classics (this movie and āThe Blues Brothersā) and, to be honest, even though I enjoyed both, none of them really blew me away. Indeed, since I kept hearing good things about this flick, I was really eager to check it out, but, eventually, in my opinion, it is a little bit overrated. I mean, I have to admit it, it is and remains a good comedy with some funny scenes throughout the whole thing but I can't say it was really hilarious though. I mean, the whole thing was basically a standard college comedy with some gross humor and I guess I have never been a fan of the genre. Still, you can see how it has inspired all the similar movies that came afterwards, thatās for sure.3 years, 11 months ago
johanlefourbe added 1 item to 1001 Movies Chosen By Johanlefourbe list
Notes: To be honest, I have a rather hard time with John Belushi. I mean, in the last 30 years, the guy basically became a legend and I was really eager to check his work, expecting to discover a comic genius. Eventually, he just made 7 movies over 3 years so and, a little bit like James Dean, he came and went pretty quickly. However, by now, I have seen his two classics (this movie and āThe Blues Brothersā) and, to be honest, even though I enjoyed both, none of them really blew me away. Indeed, since I kept hearing good things about this flick, I was really eager to check it out, but, eventually, in my opinion, it is a little bit overrated. I mean, I have to admit it, it is and remains a good comedy with some funny scenes throughout the whole thing but I can't say it was really hilarious though. I mean, the whole thing was basically a standard college comedy with some gross humor and I guess I have never been a fan of the genre. Still, you can see how it has inspired all the similar movies that came afterwards, thatās for sure.3 years, 11 months ago
