Movies Watched -- Flame and Citron (2008)

In Danish and German. 136 minute running time so at least 30 to 40 minutes too long… Danish resistance in WWII … the story of two guys, heroes of the resistance … it’s OK, not bad, it just isn’t great and it’s overly long … it’s a John Farr recommendation, which means it’s never *terrible,* but still, I wasn’t super thrilled, especially given the length. Has Mads Mikkelsen and his weird, effeminate mouth in it, as well as a bunch of other Danish stars whom I half recognize. You can skip it.

Look, a drawing of Conan O’Brien

TV Shows Watched -- Prime Suspect (1991)

Around 3.5 hour running time … I re-watched the original season of Prime Suspect that aired nearly 30 years ago now, and it stands the test of time, largely because of Helen Mirren’s performance … interesting to see younger Tom WIlkinson and a very young Ralph Fiennes … the rented garage with the clamps on the wall has long scarred my memory … deservedly considered a classic; see it if you haven’t. I don’t think I’ve seen one of the later seasons.

Someone at the Guardian said it well: “Bleak, brutal and beautifully rendered, this was British crime drama at its absolute best.“

George has always been a bit of a lad.

Movies Watched -- Easy A (2010)

92 minutes, so the right length … stars bug-eyed Emma Stone … plays a high schooler in California … there are some funny bits, but it’s sort of a ridiculous storyline, and I wasn’t thrilled. She would not be an “unknown” in high school given her looks. Give it a miss.

The Jews and I have a lot in common. Fashion-wise. And stuff. [Gluck directed]

Movies Watched -- Millennium Mambo (2001)

100 minute running time, so the perfect length, but this was pretty terrible and a complete waste of time even on fast forward, It stars then 25-year-old Shu Qi, who is very beautiful and can convincingly smoke a cigarette (after cigarette), but there’s no story here … t’s just a blank, who cares? The only thing I can think is that the old director, Hsiao-hsien Hou, is a bit of a perv and wanted to give her a lot of camera time, which she certainly got. But oh boy, full red, total avoid.

我该怎么办？[you can quit chain smoking for one thing]

Taking a Closer Look at Another Madaz Trade

Madaz was kind enough to share his screen footage from a trade he made in KRTX. You can open the enlarged chart below (by clicking on it) as you watch the video in another tab for a better understanding of this five minute scalp. Enjoy!

View fullsize

Click to enlarge

Earlier:

A Method to His Madness

Dissecting a Madaz Play

One Disaster and One Near Disaster

Studying Madaz's Trades in $SES

Movies Watched -- Prince of the City (1981)

168 minute running time, nearly 3 hours long! so at least 70 minutes too long…. corruption in the NYC police department … one cop turns informant and you’re never really sure why … interminable story, I can’t imagine watching it all at normal speed … lead overacts like a madman … not interesting … only thing of note is how awful New York City looks: trash-strewn, dirty and gray. Give this endless, on and on and on movie a miss!

Ciello de Rozzo

Movies Watched -- Witchfinder General (1968)

86 minute running time so the perfect length, but long sequences of horse riding through the countryside to pad it out means you can fast forward large sections … Vincent Price plays a witch-finder in 17th C. England … lots of gooey orange fake blood shed …low budget … pretty lame all around, definitely give it a miss.

Perhaps in the quiet of your room tonight, you might be able to help me prove him guiltless.

Movies Watched -- Dunkirk (2017)

107 minute running time so ten minutes too long … it wasn’t bad but I wasn’t super thrilled either … the music and sound effects were annoying for sure.

Dick Brody also wasn’t thrilled: “Nolan suppresses the mutilations and agonies of war to focus on its basic moral horror … a tribute to the virtue-inspiring power of war … ‘Dunkirk’ seems … like one of the self-censoring exhortations of wartime itself. “

David Edelstein also not a fan: “I find most of Nolan’s work to be pulp bloated by pomposity….“

Overly Orderly

Movies Watched -- Manchester by the Sea (2016)

137 minute running time, so at least 40! minutes too long ... what's with the love for foul-mouthed idiot white working-class Bostonians? I guess it’s supposed to be comical in parts, despite the tragedy (tragedies), and filled with confusing flashbacks. Too damn long, I couldn't even watch it at 4x fast forward. Armond White is the only mainstream critic who absolutely nailed it with his scathing review. A terrible movie you should definitely miss.

“a marathon of mutually fumbled schmaltz“

Movies Watched -- Indignation (2016)

111 minute running time so 10 to 20 minutes too long, which is a shame, but I didn’t hate this one…. smart adaptation of a Philip Roth novel … the story of Roth’s college years in the midwest in the 1950s, semi-autobiographical, though he plays with the ending … typical of Philip Roth, there’s a beautiful, blue-eyed, blonde-haired WASP who falls for him and gives him a blowjob on the first date, and hand jobs following his appendicitis — Roth had an active imagination!

Really good acting (“performances!”) from the two lead kids (Lerman and Gadon) .. I was impressed. I’m giving it a rare green, go recommendation. I did not watch it in one sitting, but I’m going to make an exception and say see it despite it being overly long. Recommended!

Spurned