My review.
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JohnnyBoy — 11 months ago(April 20, 2025 07:03 PM)
Vin Diesel was the biggest reason why I stayed away from the movie for a very long time despite it being directed by Sidney Lumet. I just didn't understand and wasn't keen on the DVD cover with Vin Diesel looking stupid with that "toupee." Finally, I took the plunge.
A lot of things bothered me while watching it. A midget dwarf? All the sympathy placed on the side of 20 defendants and their lawyers? The prosecutor being made out to look like the bad person? Was that supposed to be Rudy Giuliani? I say his name because he was successful in securing guilty verdicts during the Mafia Commission trial in 1985-86. That's something most people don't know nowadays. But the problem was I had never heard of this particular trial concerning Jackie DiNorscio et al. I searched for a summary online, and there's nothing but legal stuff. It was completely news to me.
At the end, I thought Jackie would be found not guilty and the rest guilty. To my surprise, all were found not guilty. I began to think about why the jurors went with that, especially arriving at the verdict in mere 14 hours after almost 2 years. It's their "**** you" message to the government for making them waste a significant portion of their lives when the trial should've been broken up into smaller trials. I'm quite sure the government had more than enough evidence to make their case. But I don't think the jurors could handle the aftermath if they decided on "guilty." Plus, there was a inside guy who could've made some threats or collected their personal information.
I had never heard or seen Peter Dinklage before. I don't normally watch movies made after 2000 and am just catching up now somewhat. The oddest part was seeing him back to back when I watched In Bruges and Find Me Guilty. The latter was supposed to be factual; that's when I had issues with him being cast. No matter what, he's not a bad actor. For a dwarf, I like what he's doing because he played two serious roles. That's more than can be said for Verne Troyer who did enough damage to set his little people back by decades due to these ridiculous Austin Powers movies. I hated Herve Villachaize back then and found him gross-looking. Peter Dinklage has the chance to cut down the stereotypes about dwarfs by being respectable. I'll check out the movie you mentioned. Speaking of dwarfs, I have no clue what they're normally capable of or what's holding them back; discrimination? Possible….I've never seen or encountered them in public on a regular basis.
I think Vin Diesel gave up trying something new for a change because Find Me Guilty bombed, and he went back to his tried-and-true formula for big paydays. The only movie he was excellent in is XXX. That's it.
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WarrenPeace — 11 months ago(April 20, 2025 07:57 PM)
I watched it once soon after it came out on disc.
Mostly for being a fan of Lumet.
(More on him below.)
I’m not exactly a big action movie fan.
Usually I end up watching them if they are on a movie channel out of curiosity to see what the hype was and if there is nothing better on.
I have enjoyed a few but mostly avoid the VD ones.
I watched one F&F movie and that was enough.
Seen one and seen them all since they all are ridiculous with impossible stunts where the laws of physics do not apply.
So I feel the opposite that this is the only VD movie I like.
Being a fan of Lumet I was looking forward to seeing Before the Devil Knows Your Dead which was his first for me on the big screen.
Which turned out to be his last one.
Not one of his best IMO.
Was a disappointment.
His glory days was the 70’s and 80’s.
Thinking of F&F brings up few more things for your “Hate seeing in movies,” lists.
The good guys always manage to survive ridiculous stunts and situations where they should be killed and it kills only the bad guys or a “Red shirt.”
In action movies protagonists always manages to grab a rope at the last second just before the car they were in plunges over the cliff or the plane or car stays in front of the speeding fireball and escapes from it at the last moment.
Every vehicle you’re in is a bomb waiting to explode if the gas tank gets shot or on any impact.
Even the front end.
Every. Time.
LOL
Incredible Movie coincidences:
1)
Over the phone: “Meet me at the mall.” Hang up.
The other person knows exactly where and when.
They don’t need to spend a minute figuring it out what works for both or bother with dates and a specific place.
2)
One person or two people meet in a random place then all of a sudden all these guys come down on ropes or they are surrounded by cops or military or rivals or friends who we did not see who knew about when to be there.
3)
If someone is looking for someone else, especially for revenge, they will always find that other person without looking for them.
I mean, everything goes perfectly to plan because it is written in the script to go that way.
"Please vote to preserve the unique character of Warren…" - Robert Duvall -
JohnnyBoy — 11 months ago(April 20, 2025 08:24 PM)
I will add them, good points.
Trust me, you'll like XXX. It's brilliant for the action-adventure genre. Vin Diesel's best performance ever. The whole thing works better than any James Bond picture. The only downer is Asia Argento; she ruined the show. The following have made my cut:
https://thecineviewer.com/BestActionAdventureFilms.html
I thought Sidney Lumet was brilliant for so long. Yeah, he directed a mediocre movie here and there, but he's overall a genius filmmaker. I wouldn't worry about his late output; he was way past his 70's, having been born in 1924 and was part of the Yiddish theater. There are still plenty left that I've not seen yet.
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WarrenPeace — 11 months ago(April 20, 2025 09:16 PM)
Three of my faves are on that list.
Aliens, The Fugitive and Runaway Train.
I own the last two and I find Train to be so underrated.
Also, I’ve been getting into The Fugitive TV show from the 60’s.
It’s a much slower pace but it’s interesting to see how Kimble, who plays a drifter getting odd jobs, gets out of the jams he gets into.
Where’s Tremors?
I would think that could be included.
(I am cool with your list. Just asking how it doesn’t meet your criteria.)
"Please vote to preserve the unique character of Warren…" - Robert Duvall -
JohnnyBoy — 11 months ago(April 20, 2025 09:38 PM)
I have Tremors in my Best Sci-Fi list; strongly more of that than Action-Adventure. Pretty sure the characters weren't asking for it, so they had to do whatever. I'll like to see that again so I can watch the rest of the sequels. Maybe I'll reconsider.
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WarrenPeace — 11 months ago(April 20, 2025 09:59 PM)
Fair enough and good to know it’s on one of your, “Best of,” lists.
The first sequel was OK then it jumped the shark after that.
They made a smaller, shorter version of the graboids and some could even fly!
I think there was even a TV series?
I just stick with the first one which is good enough as a stand alone and should have ended it there.
Where he calls the valley, “one long smorgasbord,” is one of the best lines I have ever heard.
"Please vote to preserve the unique character of Warren…" - Robert Duvall -
JohnnyBoy — 11 months ago(April 20, 2025 10:08 PM)
lol yes, the whole movie is so catchy, and I love the pairing of Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward. All I remember about the sequels is Michael Gross of Family Ties taking over.
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WarrenPeace — 11 months ago(April 20, 2025 10:32 PM)
Fred ward was in the first one and had a new young male partner and Reba left.
Yeah, it wasn’t the same without the original pairings.
"Please vote to preserve the unique character of Warren…" - Robert Duvall -
JohnnyBoy — 4 months ago(November 25, 2025 12:21 AM)
I am still watching the episodes of Night Court. Surprisingly, there's a midget lawyer played by Daniel Frishman in "Dan's Boss." Remember that was 1985. Not bad.
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