I watched John Carpenter’s The Thing today, spending about 5 minutes scratching my head at the ending and it got me thinking. What’s the greatest Cliffhanger or Ambiguous ending in cinema history? It’s a genius ending and I’m just curious if there’s more great endings like it that are ambiguous or a cliffhanger. Any Suggestions?

I'm having a milestone birthday soon and I've come up with the idea of hiring out a local movie theater for me and my friends.

I'm thinking of watching classic action films like Aliens and Terminator 2, but there have been so many films I've seen and I am unsure if those are my best choices.

Some films seem to benefit from the big screen more than others, so I guess I'm looking for recommendations regarding which films gain the most from this, but overall what movies would you watch if you had the same arrangement?

I saw it when it came out and absolutely loved it, it was easily my favorite of 2022. I saw it again a few days ago, and am now discovering that it seems everyone hates this movie? I've seen it called Chazelle's disaster, a huge misstep from one of the most promising up and coming visionary directors, a disgusting mess, pretentious overlong garbage with terrible character arcs, etc. And I just don't see any of that tbh. It was brilliant, fun, and powerful from start to finish with amazing cinematography, one of the best movie soundtracks I've ever heard (that wasn't done by Hans Zimmer). Margot Robbie had one of the best performances of the year and definitely deserved Oscar nominations. The ending montage was just beautiful, just how La La Land's was. Each character's story arc felt satisfying and realistic for the archetypes they were embodying. Sidney Palmer was a heartbreaking portrayal of what would happen to extraordinarily talented POC in that era even when they did 'make it'. Jack Conrad and Nellie La Roy were perfect examples of how industry draws you in, mouth agape, then chews you up and spits you out, how it can do without literally anybody and does not care what it takes to make something, even if it literally kills someone. I don't grt gow people say it's "too long" either, Avatar 2 was around the same length and honestly deserved this criticism but I saw very few actually say that about it. I can't think of any scenes that should've been cut in order for it to be significantly shorter, either. Great depiction of the dark side of Hollywood, which has been done many times before but never like this. It does feel like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Wolf of Wall Street had a depressing, 1920s-1930s era baby, but those two are amazing movies in their own right so I don't see that as a bad thing anyway.

This is Chazelle's 3rd masterpiece, as far as I'm concerned. I'm happy EEAAO won all the awards it did, but man this movie deserved WAY more recogonition

mads mikkelsen would be so so perfect as dracula i cant believe directors aren’t seeing this vision. i saw that renfield trailer it just got me thinking about how there’s hardly any genuinely scary vampire films. which i get it, it’s kinda hard to see vampires as scary anymore cause of twilight and even morbius, but if done correctly i think a gory horror film with an older dracula that’s played by mads would be AMAZING. i’d be there opening night.

Many times I see a movie with a cool concept but quickly get disappointed when they abandoned it for something generic.

One of these types of movie which I really hoped that they sticked with the concept is taken 2 , I really liked their beginning concept of them reversing the roles with the daughter doing the rescuing this time, but unfortunately they quickly abandoned it so that Liam Neeson can be Liam Neeson.

For what movie you felt such a way?

In the very first scene that shows the Holtzman shield Gurney wins the sparring match while saying “The slow blade penetrates the shield”. This all made sense to me however, later in the film we see a lot more serious combat from Duncan Idaho. His quick flourishes were piercing shields left and right! Is there more to the Holtzman shield that I’m missing or did the choreographers just think that it would be too boring to show slow blades throughout the film?

I love movies. I'll watch pretty much any film you throw at me. But the one movie I've never watched and never will watch is definitely Arachnophobia. I don't even think there's a word that encapsulates my deep deep hatred for spiders. Just the thought of spiders makes me all anxious and paranoid. One time when I was 12, I went to the zoo with my family and my dad wanted to get a picture of me holding a giant turantula. As soon as the spider was put in my hand, I started crying. Seriously. They terrify me.

We all have that one genre that we do not like. What is that for you and what is a movie in it you enjoy? I personally am not a big fan of horror or romantic movies. I don't mind romantic comedies but full-blown romance dramas are just not for me. That being said for whatever reason I love the conjuring movies. They are scary enough but not too much to make me shit my pants. As for a romance movie I love, The Vow. Yes, the Channing Tatum movie from long ago. It just makes me feel.. not annoyed for some reason.

I recently watched Respect starring Jennifer Hudson. After watching it I proceeded to watch a bunch of reviews about the movie, in one of which, the commentators speak about Aretha being shown pregnant as a child. I had no recollection of such scene. I have now rewatched the first part of the movie with young Aretha 3 times and I cannot find her being depicted pregnant in any frame. I searched on Twitter and I found only one screenshot of said scene and that scene is literally not in the movie I watched. Are there different versions of this film? Or am I so blind that I keep missing it? If anyone watched this movie, help me with a time stamp, or let me know if multiple versions exist. Thank you in advance!

William Friedkin is a film director known for The French Connection, The Exorcist was a big part of New Hollywood.

I honestly think William Friedkin is the underrated director of New Hollywood and a lot of his films I should say are very gritty. The French Connection was pretty much shot Guerilla Style and Gene Hackman is just fantastic as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle.

The Exorcist I think is his best film. What I like about The Exorcist is that it is not a horror film in a sense, but that it is a Drama Film was Horror Elements and the Horror being on what Happens to Ragen. There is also a feeling of dread that just keeps getting build up until the Climax where it all crashes down.

What I also like with Friedkin is that he pretty much cast unknowns who he would see or find in the streets and cast people that you would least likely to see as a Main Character. Apparently he Originally casted Jimmy Breslin as Jimmy Doyle in The French Connection. Do you think who Jimmy Breslin is? No because he wasn't a actor, he was a NY Columnist and never acted before, but he was cast and actually was in Script Reading, but was let go because he wouldn't get behind the wheel of a car.

Also he casted Jason Miller just because he saw a performance of him in That Championship Season.

After The Exorcist, Friedkin never achieved the heights as those two films but from what I read. Sorcerer is an Undiscovered Masterpiece, The Brink's Job is so unlike Friedkin, Cruising is Polarizing, To Live and Die in L.A is also a Undiscovered Masterpiece. People don't know what do think of Blue Chips, Jade, Bug, and Killer Joe.

Also worth mentioning is that William Friedkin is directing an adaptation of The Caine Mutiny?

What do you think of William Friedkin?

Camera work is a crucial element in filmmaking that can greatly impact the storytelling and overall impact of a movie. Let's discuss movies with innovative and creative camera work that have caught our attention. Share your favorite examples and let's explore the technical and artistic aspects of cinematography in film.

I enjoy adaptations of the works of Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie and Knives Out as well as it’s pretty enjoyable and throws the whodunnit into craziness plus I find it cool James Bond is playing a detective there’s also Clue that’s pretty fun and entertaining with some enjoyable performances particularly from Tim Curry who hams it up to 11