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Andy K (10821 KP) created a poll

Jan 22, 2019  
Poll
Best supporting actor?

Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"
Adam Driver, "BlackKKlansman"
Sam Elliott, "A Star Is Born"
Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me"
Sam Rockwell, "Vice"
Vote
     
Tombstone (1993)
Tombstone (1993)
1993 | Action, Western
Kurt Russell (3 more)
Val Klimer
Bill Paxton
Sam Elliott
I'm Your Huckleberry
Tombstone- is a excellent fim. The action, the drama, the suspense, the thrills and the cast are all excellent.

The plot: Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers, Morgan (Bill Paxton) and Virgil (Sam Elliott), have left their gunslinger ways behind them to settle down and start a business in the town of Tombstone, Ariz. While they aren't looking to find trouble, trouble soon finds them when they become targets of the ruthless Cowboy gang. Now, together with Wyatt's best friend, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), the brothers pick up their guns once more to restore order to a lawless land.

Its a excellent film and highly recordmend.
  
Frogs (1972)
Frogs (1972)
1972 | Classics, Drama, Horror
I bet Sam Elliott is proud of this one!
I don't know what I was expecting, but this movie sucked. I was hoping for Slither or Arachnophobia type movie. I knew it would be cheesy, but this movie was boring and the budget must have been like 100 hundred bucks.

So disappointed.

  
Tombstone (1993)
Tombstone (1993)
1993 | Action, Western
This is one of my all time favourite movies. Every character is played so well (0 more)
Nothing (0 more)
Amazing movie
Kurt Russell was born to play Wyatt Earp. It is without a doubt his best role. All Earp wants to do is settle down to the simple life but it doesn't work out that way.
Val Kilmer makes a fantastic Doc Holiday. He lost so much weight to play the character but it's one of his best roles.
It also stars one of my favourite actors, Sam Elliott. You cannot have a western movie without him.
It ticks all the boxes.
  
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018)
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Drama
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot is a fantasticly B-Movie style title, hiding a genuinely touching and quite beautiful character drama.

The film focuses on the life of Calvin Barr, an old man portrayed by Sam Elliott. He's a guy who's lonely, seen some shit in his time, and feeling his age until one day, he's approached by the government to hunt and kill the legendary Bigfoot, and put a stop to a potential world ending plague. Calvin is a bit of a legendary creature himself, having served in WWII, and is said to have killed Hitler himself before it was covered up, and his immunity to this killer plague makes him the perfect candidate.
This quirky other wordly narrative is quite a jarring contrast to the otherwise grounded drama that makes up the rest of the plot. Flashbacks tell of Calvin's life before the war, and how he met the woman he wanted to marry. It's essentially a love story, that veers into bonkers territory at the flick of a switch.

Somehow though, it all works really well. The screenplay is top notch and gives us some engaging characters with a great cast. Sam Elliott has the grizzled old man role down to a tee by now. Aidan Turner plays the younger Calvin, and the relationship between him and Caitlin Fitzgerald's character is believable and touching. Larry Miller also stars as Calvin's brother and the two of them also have decent chemistry.
This movie is overflowing with gorgeous shots. The last third especially is a visual feast, and it's all complimented by a wonderful score, courtesy of Joe Kraemer.

If you're looking for a schlocky bad-good film suggested by the title then you're in the wrong place. This is a charming and quirky character drama with sprinkles of a creature feature, and I can fully see why some might not get on with it, but for me, it just works.
  
The Ranch  - Season 1
The Ranch - Season 1
2016 | Comedy
Acting, one liners, humor (0 more)
Laughing track, rocky start (0 more)
One of the best sitcoms out!
Bad- there was only one part where I felt like the beginning jokes were forced but after that it was pure gold. Same with the laughing tracks, most if not near all sitcoms use em but at first again it seemed like the tracks were being forced to make the joke funny. But I quickly ignored it and didn't notice after a while.

Good- where to begin? Ill start with the cast. Between Sam Elliott and Danny and Ashton's chemistry, there is so much to go off of. The humor that the show is able to get away with because it being on Netflix really fits and doesn't take away from the show like one might think. The style of the show (western) is a perfect match, even the music adds a certain degree of feeling to the show.
  
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Nick Kroll recommended Tombstone (1993) in Movies (curated)

 
Tombstone (1993)
Tombstone (1993)
1993 | Action, Western

"I was never a western guy but I happened upon Tombstone one day on TV and was really sort of taken with it. It’s one of those movies that, if it’s on TV, I can’t turn it off. I just have to watch the whole thing. I really love Kurt Russell in it, but I think Val Kilmer’s performance in Tombstone is perfection. I just think he’s funny and cool and sad and broken. He’s a bad guy, but you’re rooting for him. He’s an interesting sidekick because Doc Holiday is a criminal, you know? But it’s like, “I’ll be your huckleberry” is such an amazing kind of line of bravado and bravery. And then at the end, when he’s dying, Kurt Russell wants to play cards with him, and Val Kilmer just wants him to leave and let him die. It’s beautiful. And Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton and Kurt Russell — it’s just quite a team. And you’ve got Billy Bob as a bully on the card table. It’s just expansive, and I’ve lived a little bit in Wyoming and being out there — really it just gives you a scope of the West: those big skies, and it’s beautifully shot. It’s just one of those movies that, when it’s on, I’m going to watch it."

Source
  
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018)
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Drama
Good, But Was Hoping For More
The plot is exactly what the title entails: A man who settles down in a small town after killing Hitler is called back into action years later one last time…to kill bigfoot. You may love it, you may hate it, but you won’t be able to knock its originality. Ten minutes in and it didn’t take me long to figure out I was watching something I had never seen before.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10
From the beginning, you will be focused on this movie as it grabs your attention immediately. You find yourself wondering, What exactly is this man doing? I loved the intrigue to start, hooks you in right away. You also quickly learn that Calvin Barr (Sam Elliott) is nothing to be trifled with. You get to see his first taste of action and it’s fun to watch.

Characters: 10
Calvin isn’t that hard to figure out. He kicks ass and takes names and gives zero shits about it. He’s the kind of guy you can get behind. He’s hardened by the things he has seen, causing him to shell up into himself. Life experiences, man. They have a way of shaping people.

Cinematography/Visuals: 9

Conflict: 8

Genre: 4
I can’t rate this any higher because I don’t think the movie ever really decided what it wanted to be. Sometimes action, sometimes drama there is a mix here that puts it in a weird place. I would be fine with it if it did one or the other exceptionally well, but I feel like it missed the boat in some spots, just shy of being a really solid movie.

Memorability: 9
Hate it or love it, this is a movie you won’t soon forget. I expected to get short-changed when it came to the bigfoot, but, no, you get to see the creature in all its glory. And what a creature! Definitely an interesting spin on the mythical beast. It’s imagery like this that really has a way of sticking out in my mind.

Pace: 9

Plot: 8

Resolution: 2

Overall: 79
I’m mad because I wanted this to be better than just a “Folding Clothes” movie. It’s good, but falls just short of great unfortunately. I think a little more tonal direction and a better ending could have put it in the range of a classic. Alas, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot is just ok.
  
A Star Is Born (2018)
A Star Is Born (2018)
2018 | Drama, Romance
4th time IS the charm
I, like many, rolled my eyes when I heard that Bradley Cooper (of all people) was tabbed to write, direct and star in the 4th film adaptation of A STAR IS BORN. I was not a big fan of the Streisand/Kristofferson version from the 1970's, have vague memories of the Garland/Mason version from the 1950's and never saw the original Gaynor/March version from the 1930's. But when I heard that Lady Gaga was cast in the female lead of this film, I was intrigued and decided to check it out.

And...I'm glad I did as A STAR IS BORN now resides atop my list of BEST PICTURES OF 2018!. The music, acting, directing and story all work well in conjunction with each other to bring this tearjerker new, relevant life for a whole new audience.

For those of you not familiar with the plot, A STAR IS BORN tells the tale of an up and coming performing talent who is taken under the wing of an aging, on the decline, alcoholic superstar performer. We watch her rise and his fall.

In the lead role of Ally, Lady Gaga is outstanding. From her first musical performance to the last, you can clearly see that she has the musical chops, bravura and heart to pull off these scenes and this character. She really brings it here and you are drawn in whenever her character is on-stage, performing. As an actress she is better than "fine". You can see some moments of acting skill and depth, but you do see some of her lack of experience in her acting in some of the quieter scenes. All that said, I will be shocked if she is NOT nominated for an Oscar for this performance - she certainly is going to be nominated (and will probably win) as well for Best Song.

Complimenting her - and holding the screen, and our attention throughout - is Bradley Cooper's performance of Superstar-on-the-decline Jackson Maine. His Country/Rock legend lives up to the billing in voice, musical performance and attitude. This is Cooper's finest performance of his career, nuanced and crushing, drawing us in while simultaneously pushing us away. He is, easily, the front-runner for the Best Actor Oscar.

Complimenting these two are Andrew Dice Clay (interestingly enough) as Ally's father , who brings a multi-faceted character to life. He is star-struck, hopeful, protective and angry - always wishing for the best for his daughter, and protecting her from those that will prey on her. I would say he could be nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but he is not the Best Supporting Actor in this film, not by a long shot.

That Best Support Actor performance belongs to Sam Elliott who plays Cooper's (much) older brother. Cooper and Elliott's characters have a love/hate relationship with deep familial scars. As often happens with Supporting Roles, Elliot's performance shines and then is elevated to another level from one scene late in the film. He'll easily get an Oscar nomination - and will probably, finally, earn the Oscar he deserves.

But this film isn't all about acting. The Direction by Cooper (who will probably be nominated in all 3 categories - acting, writing and directing) is sharp and to the point. He films the musical scenes with skill and doesn't let the camera get too crazy while driving his lens close in to the actor's faces during the quiet scenes, drawing us in to this pair.

And of course, with this type of film, it will hinge on how good the music, and the musical performances, are - and this film delivers the goods in that space. There is memorable song after memorable song, performed strongly by both Cooper and Lady Gaga. They are good separately, but are INCREDIBLE when they perform together.

I cannot say enough good things about this film - it IS that good. Check this film out, you'll be glad you did, and you'll be able to say that you've seen the front-runner for all the OSCARS of 2018.

Letter Grade: A

9 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
A Star Is Born (2018)
A Star Is Born (2018)
2018 | Drama, Romance
Dullsville Arizona.
It’s unusual for the illustrious Mrs. Movie-Man and I to disagree over our opinion of a movie. Sure, she doesn’t like some genres like horror and sci-fi that I do, and I will often go to them alone. But in the main if we sit there together then we tend to have the same general view as to whether we liked it or not. (I guess that’s why we’ve been such a good match for nearly 40 years!). Not so though with this film.

The story has been filmed three times before: in 1937 (with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March); 1954 (with Judy Garland and James Mason) and 1976 (with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson). In all of these films the story has been the same: an alcoholic and over-the-hill actor (or with Kris Kristofferson, rock star) finds a young talented ingenue to love and develop into a superstar.

The modern day remake is a little different in that Jackson Maine, our older star (now played by Bradley Cooper), is a stadium-filling mega-rock-star, recognised and idolised in every bar he goes into…. and he frequents a LOT of bars. Maine mixes the cocktail with drugs in this version meaning that as one star is ascending, his seems destined to be heading into a black hole.

At its heart, this is a good story of having self-confidence in your own abilities, no matter how people around you try to put you down. Gaga’s Ally is one such person; a waitress who is constantly being told, especially by her blue-collar dad and his boozy friends, that although she has a great voice she’s “never going to make it” because of the way she looks. In chilled fashion she meets Jackson Maine, who hears her sing and thinks she might be on the edge of glory. Not worried about her big nose, he appreciates she was born that way: in fact he likes her so much he wants to poke her face. (Sorry… couldn’t resist it).

I appreciate from the IMDB rating that I am probably in a minority here. (At the time of writing this – pre-general release – it is a ridiculously high – and I suspect artificially pumped up – 8.8). But for me, I found the whole thing a dull affair. I can’t remember the last time I went to a film when I actively looked at my watch… but 1 hour 45 into this, I did (it had another 30 minutes to run).

For one thing, I just didn’t believe Bradley Cooper as the rock star character. He just came across as totally false and unbelievable to me. I had more resonance with Gaga’s Ally. Even though she is a novice actor (and it showed at times) in general I thought she did a creditable job. But given these two factors together, there are long and indulgent exchanges between the pair that seemed to me to go on in–ter–min–ably. Best actor in the film for me was Sam Elliott as Jackson’s brother Bobby. The mellowing of the brothers is a scene that I found genuinely touching.

I’d also like a glance at the original script, since there are some passages (the “boyfriend/husband” lines is a case in point) where it felt like one of them made an script mistake and, instead of Cooper (as director) shouting “cut”, they kept it going as some sort of half-arsed improv.

What is impressive is that they got to film at live concerts (including at Glastonbury), although most of this footage is of the hand-held nausea-inducing variety. There is zero doubt that Gaga can belt out a song better than anyone. But I didn’t get that same feeling about Bradley Cooper’s singing: like a lot of this film (with Cooper as co-producer, co-screenwriter AND director) it felt to me like a self-indulgent piece of casting.

I know music is extremely subjective, and “country” isnt really my think anyway. But the songs by Gaga and Lukas Nelson were – “Shallow” aside – for me rather forgetable.

Overall, in a couple of years that have brought us some great musicals – “La La Land“; “Sing Street“; “The Greatest Showman” – here’s a film about the music industry that did nothing for me I’m afraid.

But with my new user-rating system (this is the first post on the new web site) you have a chance to have YOUR say, so vote away!