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Saw V (2008)
Saw V (2008)
2008 | Action, Horror
7
6.5 (12 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Good Work Detective
Saw V- this frachise is keeping me on a loop, so many twist and turns, im on the edge of my seat, cause its soo good. This franchsie is keeping me questioning everything about the charcters, john and his motivation, the detective's, the victims, so many questions and so many unexpected answers, that you wont see coming from a mile away. I love this franchise.

The Plot: Despite the fact that fiendish serial killer Jigsaw is dead, his work lives on through a new apprentice, Lieutenant Mark Hoffman, a cop who appeared to be hot on the murderer's trail. As fellow lawman Agent Peter Strahm begins to suspect Hoffman is Jigsaw's protégé, the fledgling killer sets out to dispose of him.

What will happened next, i will soon find out. Cant wait.
  
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
1969 | Classics, Drama

"The ultimate road movie, set along the stretch of 42nd Street known as “the Deuce.” I first saw this film way earlier than I should have and probably never recovered. New York City and Times Square in all their glorious (and now extinct) sleaze and seediness. As a time capsule and historical document it is fascinating, and as a story of exiles and outcasts finding love and friendship amid the rubble and rabble it is touching and powerful. Hoffman and Voight are as good as they will ever be, and Sylvia Miles, John McGiver, and Barnard Hughes add eccentricity and authenticity to John Schlesinger’s bold and brash filmmaking. Harry Nilsson sings the theme song and you will remember it forever."

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Jane Lynch recommended The Big Lebowski (1998) in Movies (curated)

 
The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
1998 | Comedy

"The Big Lebowski. Jeff Bridges – I almost put Starman down, too, but I really think I kind of don’t remember the movie so much because I haven’t seen it in so many years – but I love Jeff Bridges, and I love the movie he just did. What was it called? Crazy Heart, he’s great in that. But, I mean, there’s something about The Big Lebowski and that combination with the Coen brothers sensibility, which, he nailed that down. I don’t know exactly what you’d even call that, but brilliant. I loved his performance in that, and I loved John Goodman, and I loved Steve Buscemi. And you know who else was great in that, was Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was really good in that movie, too. Yeah, great, great, great fan of that movie."

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Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Synecdoche, New York (2008)
2008 | Drama
Strange and unique, just like its writer/director!
To say the films of Charlie Kaufman are not a one-of-a-kind experience would be a gross understatement. Anyone who has seen Adaptation or Being John Malkovich would agree.

This film follows its own path (or lack thereof) through the life of a troubled playwright, his relationships with women and his ultimate desire to leave a lasting impression on the world.

Not sure if I became fully immersed in this one or not. Having just finished it may need to sink in a little. I definitely love the strange and unusual and this one foots the bill for sure.

 It was glorious, yet tragic to see another amazing Philip Seymour Hoffman performance knowing he won't give us any more of them.

Recommended for those who seek a challenge.

  
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CKD (37 KP) rated The Runaway Jury in Books

Dec 7, 2018  
TR
The Runaway Jury
10
7.7 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a book about a jury in a tobacco company trial. A widow is suing a tobacco company because her husband died from lung cancer from smoking this company's cigarettes for many years. (No real tobacco companies were named in this book). At first glance, it appears that one juror (#2) is controlling the jury. But is he? Is he acting alone or is he working with someone on the outside? A woman keeps calling a jury consultant and giving information that turns out to be true - could she be working with Juror #2? One side wants/needs a verdict in favor of the tobacco company and the other side wants/needs a verdict in favor of the widow. Who will win?

Was also made into a movie in 2003 staring John Cusack, Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman, among others.
  
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Judy Greer recommended The Big Lebowski (1998) in Movies (curated)

 
The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
1998 | Comedy

"I would say The Big Lebowski, because I’ve always felt like John Goodman should have gotten an Oscar for his performance in that movie. He’s perfect and brilliant. And it’s so weird and so funny, and takes all these turns. And we got to meet Phillip Seymour Hoffman and be like, “Brandt? Who the f— is that guy? He’s hilarious.” So, thanks for that, Coen brothers. It’s so weird. It’s so hard to make a movie with such extreme characters and keep it tonally so grounded. I don’t feel like it’s ever over the top, but all the performances are over the top, but it’s just so perfectly directed. Plus it makes me laugh, always, even though I’ve seen it so many times. God, really, I just love it. I think there’s something in it for everyone."

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Saw VI (2009)
Saw VI (2009)
2009 | Horror, Mystery
9
6.2 (15 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
With Saw VI we get more of the same, more traps, more gore and more story which is exactly what you'd expect. Saw VI seems to fit into the overall story better than the previous film, the game fits into the over all story better, with the victims actually being connected to what is happening and the back story doesn't interfere with what has happened before, instead it adds to the overall mythos.
Where the last three films focused on the back story of three of the main characters; Amanda the Pig, John Kramer aka Jigsaw and Detective Hoffman, Saw VI focus on their relationship and the power struggle between Hoffman and Amanda and explains a bit more of Amanda's actions at the end of Saw III.
We get to find out what was in the box Johns wife received as part of her inheritance and we get the feeling that the franchise is beginning to come to it's conclusion .
There's not much more that can be said that hasn't already been said about the previous films, there's gore and violence which interweave the main story which follows on from the the previous film.
I do think Saw VI is one of the better films, the games are imaginative and linked to the main story, there is gore but not enough as to overwhelm the viewer and the story/timeline makes sense.
So, if you're a fan of the franchise then watch it. However if you're new to the whole thing then best start with an earlier film as we are quite far into the story.
  
Saw: The Final Chapter (2010)
Saw: The Final Chapter (2010)
2010 | Horror
9
6.1 (14 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is it, the Final Saw film (it's not), It even says it in the title, Saw: The Final Chapter (but it's really not.)
After escaping the reverse bear trap placed on him by Jill in the previous film, Detective Hoffman is out for revenge, whilst also running another game or two (Where does he find the time?)
I think this may be the most outrageous Saw film yet, Jill is having nightmares about being ripped apart, there is a Jigsaw survivor group and Hoffman goes over the top with the traps and then decides it's easier to just go on a killing spree. Honestly if he'd decided to do that two films ago we could have saved ourselves a lot of time.
As usual, the traps are interesting and gory with three 'games' played this time (maybe four or even five, depending on what you class as a game) although I'm not sure about the machine gun.
There isn't the backstory in the same way as the other films, not until the end of the film anyway as 'The final chapter' concentrates on the new player of the game and Hoffman's hunt for Jill and yet 'Saw: The final Chapter' still manages to bring the story full circle, with the help of another of John's recruits.
If it's possible I think that this is the most violent of the Saw films (up to now) as we not only have three main games but Hoffman's killing spree and the machine gun and the return of the original bear trap.
For a film that calls itself 'The Final Chapter' it leaves itself quite open, there seems to be an increase in the 'pig' population as well as the return of an old character as a new (old) disciple.
I do like the fact that Jigsaw (John) died in the third film and was never brought back (or faked his death) and the ways that the new disciples are weaved (retconned) into the back story, I think bringing John back would have been a mistake.
Anyway now I've finished the Saw films it's time for, Oh Jigsaw because films don't know the meaning of the word final (especially as there is ninth film out this year (2021)) oh well, on with the gore.
  
Jigsaw (2017)
Jigsaw (2017)
2017 | Crime, Horror
275. Jigsaw. Yea, I'm just about a full year late on this one. I wanted to see it, just got put on the back burner and forgotten, sorry Tobin. So somewhere along the way I was lead to believe this was a prequel. Well, it wasn't. Not sure why they changed the name to Jigsaw and not just Saw VIII. Several of the chapters took place after the death of John Kramer. Is it because the previous one was "The Final Chapter"... Friday the 13th did two final chapters, lol. So really there wasn't anything new to this one. I mean the trailers give away the most of the movie, so... We are lead to believe Jigsaw has a new game going, even though he's been a corpse for a decade, cops are baffled, bodies are piling up, who the hell could it be??? And if you are a fan of the series, c'mon you got this, the last one ended with Jigsaw having a cult like following, the audience knows he is very much indeed dead, and its been a common theme, that John is really just a guy there to help you... Help him, help you!!! And he once in awhile takes someone under his wing... duh... Amanda, Hoffman, and of course Dr. Gordon (I was kinda dissappointed he didnt pop up in there) But all in all... Jigsaw was a pretty cool blood fest, and sequel... you may disagree... but this is mainly for me... Filmbufftim on FB
  
Saw V (2008)
Saw V (2008)
2008 | Action, Horror
9
6.5 (12 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
Ok so another review for another Saw film (with 4 more to go), it would be easy to just write 'more of the same' but that's the good thing about the Saw movies, they give the viewers what they want, more games and more gore. but they also expand on the law and the characters.
The previous two films have focused on Amanda (The Pig) and an John (Jigsaw), Saw V concentrates on Mark Hoffman, the first copy cat killer and (I think) the first pig.
As with the previous few films, Saw V tells Marks tale in the present and via flashbacks and manages to weave Mark into the events we have seen in the other films. All the whilst we have another 'Game' being played out. However this time around the game is almost irrelevant where as the games in the other films normally end up being part of the ongoing story in Saw V it's just something else that is happening. The police don't even seem to know or find out about it being more interested in if there is a traitor and who it is.
Saw V does go back to it's roots whilst pushing the franchise forward, there are flashbacks to the previous films, showing how Mark was involved, all though they did seem to almost totally ignore Amanda. There is a small nod to the film 'Seven' which was an inspiration for the first film when Johns wife receives her inheritance.
The Biggest problem with Saw V is that the time line is getting too complicated to follow and seems to interfere with the events in Saw IV but that doesn't cause to many problems.
We never did get to find out what was in the box though, maybe in Saw VI.