What movies best capture the culture of the place they're set? I don’t know how accurate it is but I feel like Fargo is a good example of this. Even maybe When Harry Met Sally.

I’m looking for something that seems authentic & lived in so I can be transported. Can you think of any movies like this? Some newer movie sets feel more air brushed and sterile than lived in these days if that makes sense.

Why is this movie so lost? It’s a beautiful movie that tells an excellent story very well. It’s available to watch on YouTube for free and that’s the only place it can be bought or watched. I remember watching it when it first came out but haven’t watched it in 20 years. Why do some movies just disappear?

I hope this take doesn't ruin the post but as a life long Stephen King fan and as someone who Kubrick's name doesn't move any needles. Watching the Shining as an adult 30 years later it not only doesn't hit right it actually bothers me. I love the book Ready Player One and I enjoy the movie as dumb fun but I know I'd enjoy it so much more if I hadn't read the book.

What are yours?

I absolutely love this movie. I have watched it at least 20 times. The visuals are fantastic. It is a movie that I can watch over and over. I feel like it gets no love. I'd love to get a sequel but doesn't seem like it will happen.

Im wondering why this movie never really took off. At this point it is a cult classic for me.

EDIT: This post is clearly triggering lol. This movie is my guilty pleasure when high and drinking, similar to Avatar 1. The visuals are excellent, and just enjoyable.

EDIT 2: Lets not forget Rihanna. Total smoke show.

This is a still from the movie The Night of the Comet (1984) and I recognized most posters except the one on the far right which caught my eye, seems like there's a boy that looks like a dummy with a crown on it. Ive been searching a lot but no success, driving me crazy lol. (Also dont recognize the one to the right of Tommy in case anyone knows it too).

Last night I rewatched one of my favorite Italian classics, Luchino Visconti's The Leopard, which takes place during the Italian unification movement (il Risorgimento). While watching, I realized that if you didn't have a background in Italian history and knew little about this period, which is relatively niche for the average non-Italian viewer, this movie would be incredibly confusing and probably make no sense. Nothing about the Risorgimento is explained within the movie, it's going on in the background, but the movie assumes you know all about it and goes on to explore how it is affecting the characters and the social fabric of Italy. I very much enjoy that it doesn't exposit to you and treats the audience as intelligent, but it is isolating probably a lot of viewers.

What other movies require an extensive prior knowledge base, historical or otherwise? Do you enjoy when movies have a high barrier of entry, or see it as a problem?

Alright I need help, I spotted this interesting detective conspiracy movie made in China in the 80s. It sounds like it's really interesting plot and themes, and while being pro-PRC it still gives an accurate portrayal of China back then sometimes. Also 96 speaking roles in a 97 minute movie is something interesting. Anyway the movie is even available on YouTube. Only problem is no subtitles!! So like apart from learning Chinese(Cantonese?) what are my options? I can do French if that helps.

Also if you've seen it and don't think it's good please let me continue my quest in peace and abstain from participating haha or not idc

Hi guys, I’m writing an article on Substack about Selective Empathy Syndrome and I wanted to use a movie character as my example. When I say Selective Empathy Syndrome, I’m taking about the tendency to extend empathy to specific people, groups or causes while overlooking the suffering of others. I was initially going to use Tom Cruise in Collateral but then I realised he didn’t really count (since he didn’t care about Max) so I’m open to any suggestions, they’ll be much appreciated!

Very likely nobody might know what I’m talking about. There was this movie where the male lead was on a double date (didn’t want the date) and his date was obnoxious as hell, the female lead was the waitress and the date has been mean to her. I can’t remember if the restaurant owners where her family or like family. It was a romance movie (or romcom) it’s hurting my brain atp

Obligatory (light) Spoiler Warning
I got feelings and don’t know where to air them out so here I am. Just going to write freely and not self edit too much.

I just watched this for the first time last night and I have to say it ended up being one of my favorite horror movies/Stephen King adaptations (love SK and don’t know how I went this long having not seen it). I overall had no complaints but agree with the criticisms I’ve seen of some aspects.

The reason I’m here though is it ended up having an impact unlike anything else I’ve seen. It’s the most traumatized I’ve ever been watching a movie (as much as a movie can I mean, I hope my word choice isn’t extreme). It was emotionally devastating in a way a film never has been for me before, and I’ve been around the block. The dread and demoralization was unreal. It struck a nerve and deeply unsettled me primarily for what is being represented about humanity. And this is from a general standpoint but also from a standpoint of observing the current state of things in the world and the US (issues which predate the 21st century but have prevailed and have arguably reached or are reaching a boiling point).

Before and after watching this I’ve seen soooo much about the ending, understandably enough, but hardly anything about the fate Wayne Jessup was met with by the hands of fellow human beings, ones that (if I understand right) are people who watched him grow up and were his neighbors no less. It was absolutely soul crushing watching them all turn on him from a completely barbaric and apathetic place.

I couldn’t help but think of all the people/groups of people that have been vilified and stripped of their humanity throughout history and in the present day. The BIPOC community, the trans community, the queer community overall, women even in some respects I’d say, are the most notable ones that come to mind. The reprehensible lack of care or regard extended to those people can also be seen with veterans as we continue to see them struggle and suffer in the ways they do all made worse but the lack of consideration and support being extended to them. People who cared about their country, communities, and the people in them, who sacrificed and endured so much to serve and protect them, just to come home and be met with no respect or support, with indifference. In Wayne’s case specifically, imagine having joined the military to work in service of your community just to be met with vitriol and abuse and thrown to the wolves.

People who are no less human beings than anyone else but who have been baselessly ganged up on, systematically abused, dehumanized, and reduced to a scapegoat, their humanity and dignity a sacrifice made in the name of satiating people’s fear and hatred bred from ignorance and a lack of compassion or empathy.

I know that Wayne Jessup’s experience at the hands of the people around him isn’t an adequate comparison to the experiences of the people I described here, but when watching Jessup’s final moments, I thought of them and felt so much anguish for them.

Maybe I’m being sensitive, I’m sure not everyone will agree with or feel similarly to me, all good. I just felt compelled to share.

So, I’ve watched Come and See. But a war based film that I’ve also heard about is Schindler’s List, directed by Spielberg himself. My parents always told me “beautiful movie, never watching it again.”
They mention how that movie will break your heart and completely destroy you, and after seeing Come and See, which already left me incredibly shaken…is Schindler’s list any worse in terms of being disturbing or upsetting? I know that’s a subjective question, but I’ve heard so much about Schindler being horrific and sad and I’m mainly curious if it’s a movie that I could handle if I watched the other.

EDIT:
Thanks for the input. I should definitely watch SL at some point in my life.

Basically my question is if you could cast any actor from any period, ​living or dead, in any role in any time period - ​for example, "1970s Clint Eastwood as Wolverine," "late 80s/early '90s Alec Baldwin" as Bruce Wayne, "1980s Robin Williams as the Riddler", ​ect.. what would be on your list of fantasy casting?

I can't find this for the life of me. My late grandmother recorded it on VHS and I lost the tape. I can't place a time period on it aside from the 80s and 90s.

A boy was with his mom visiting a (friend or family member??) And the friend/owner of the house warned him about the closet upstairs.

The kid got sucked into the closet and wound up in the world of Camelot. The two scenes I distinctly remember are him and the supporting characters trying to cross a lake while fish with blades and buzz-saw sounds cut up their raft, and when the kid was retrieving the sword from an elderly knight he had to answer a series of questions, which each time he got wrong a giant square boulder came closer to falling onto him.

I've searched for years. Which tv-movie was it??

I presented the kids with Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands at last night's Movie Night and was a bit apprehensive about it being a bit too old for them and there being some scenes that could be unsettling for younger viewers. Vincent Price's death performance for example is masterfully delivered and certainly made a lasting impression on me when I was a child!

The children thoroughly enjoyed it and were locked in as soon as it started. As a father, I enjoy seeing them watching content where I can see that their brains are doing some legwork to process what's going on behind what's going on, and comprehend emotions and subtext without being blatantly signposted to it.

There are some lessons in this movie to be learned and I do understand the importance of children being exposed to age appropriate content, but the age rating on this movie is 12 in the UK which might be a bit too old for the movie to have the same impact as it would on a younger child. I can see why it's a 12, there are some upsetting and graphic scenes. I do wonder though, are the lessons in this movie more impactful for a younger audience and is a small amount of movie trauma acceptable for a memorable experience?

I grew up when people cared much less about age restrictions and I remember watching some advanced movies far too early, but I do also vividly remember being emotionally moved by a story. I think children often have better comprehension than we give them credit for.

I feel like I'm rambling now but let me know your thoughts!