losthighway wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:55 am I loved Benecio del Toro in this.

"I had a few small beers."

no weak spots but he was really terrific

penn was so hideous

eephus wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:50 am I am forever grateful for films that don't spend an inordinate amount of time on backstory. If the actors do their jobs, you don't really need it, and they did their jobs here.

Same here. Few things kill a movie quite like the monologue about a traumatic experience that explains everything after it. Ugh.

Sean Penn’s version of “nice” clothes (ironed tan khakis, sport coat) and the gross thing he does with the comb give your imagination a lot to work with, with regard to his childhood, etc. Bad backstory removes the mystery.

Wood Goblin wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 12:39 pm

eephus wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:50 am I am forever grateful for films that don't spend an inordinate amount of time on backstory. If the actors do their jobs, you don't really need it, and they did their jobs here.

Same here. Few things kill a movie quite like the monologue about a traumatic experience that explains everything after it. Ugh.

Sean Penn’s version of “nice” clothes (ironed tan khakis, sport coat) and the gross thing he does with the comb give your imagination a lot to work with, with regard to his childhood, etc. Bad backstory removes the mystery.

100%.

yes, exactly

it's incredible that they shot before Trump 2.0 really got going

and could sculpt it in editing into what it is...which is a pretty dead-on indictment and kind of a call to arms really, almost literally. but not quite. just enough not-quite.

Finally got a chance to rewatch it this weekend and I think I loved it even more than the first theatrical viewing.

Perfect combination of PTA's early coke films and his more recent weed films.

tallchris wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 11:53 am Finally got a chance to rewatch it this weekend and I think I loved it even more than the first theatrical viewing.

Perfect combination of PTA's early coke films and his more recent weed films.

Fully agree here. Several beats hit me much harder the second time around.

Two things I resisted the first time were two specific needle drops. Pulled me right out momentarily.

Second time? It hit me like a brick, both of them. It's the two hokiest songs they used (the dan one and the petty one). In the first case I got kinda choked up to be honest!

Isaac wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 1:47 pm

tallchris wrote: Mon Jan 12, 2026 11:53 am Finally got a chance to rewatch it this weekend and I think I loved it even more than the first theatrical viewing.

Perfect combination of PTA's early coke films and his more recent weed films.

Fully agree here. Several beats hit me much harder the second time around.

Two things I resisted the first time were two specific needle drops. Pulled me right out momentarily.

Second time? It hit me like a brick, both of them. It's the two hokiest songs they used (the dan one and the petty one). In the first case I got kinda choked up to be honest!

Oh man, the Dan one really hit me hard first viewing, but the Petty one GOT ME this time.

Also love that PTA wrote lines so fucking funny for Jim Downey that everyone assumes he improv'd them on set, but Benicio's "a few small beers" lines WAS improvised during that take. Oh and they shut down production for like three months so they could have BDT in it and then he basically reimagined the entire part of Sensei.

Is it just a coincidence that Steve Lockjaw is basically that Bovino asshole?

Krev wrote: Tue Jan 13, 2026 4:17 pm Is it just a coincidence that Steve Lockjaw is basically that Bovino asshole?

Believe so as the film was completed before that dude's public profile was raised.

Throw a dart and you'll hit one of those dudes in the military, though.

Ok Jonny Greenwood score, we get it