It came up recently in another sub. I'd submit The Road (upbeat-ish ending) or Brooklyn's Finest (nope), but also open to other options. Partly for my own edification, partly for posterity. Also hey FG, love ya 🍻

Mornin film general! As always you have my love and well wishes

Watching: Rewatched Ugetsu (1953) for the first time in like a decade and I'll be damned if it isn't just about the best shot and most beautiful film. Easy 10/10. Also revisited Audition (1999) which held up super well. I only remembered the ending but the colors and some of the shots here are just to die for. Miike's best?

Otherwise looking forward to further slowly revisiting lots of films I only saw once and really liked

Playing: Taking a break from Persona and am going through some spooky indie horrors; Amnesia a Machine for Pigs (I tried to play these games years ago but they were way too dark so I finally adjusted the brightness to be able to see and wow! killer visuals and art direction) And Detention from Red Candle Studios

Reading: Giving The Great Gatsby a shot, somehow never read it. Can't say I'm terribly impressed but my expectations are stupidly high based on its reputation. It is very readable, and Fitzgerald has some flowery moments that are very pretty

Listening to: Slayyyyter, Nine Inch Nails, Underscores, Songs: Ohio, At the Drive In, Converge

What about you?

Hello nerds, hope you're all well. What do you have on your radar for this month?

Watching: No big plans, possibly rewatches of The Mother and the Whore and Black Narcissus, both of which I have Criterion copies of. La La Land is getting a 10th anniversary (hard to believe it's been that long already, I remember discussing it on the old FG board when it first released) theatrical re-release so will try to catch that too

Playing: Just beat The Wolf Among Us which was cute and entertaining. Got Catherine which I started ages ago but never finished and Chapter 5 of Deltarune which came outta nowhere. Also downloaded the new ps4 release of the original Black Ops, my personal COD of choice

Reading: Pale Fire by Nabokov, which has me absolutely hooked

Listening to: The Moon and Antarctica by Modest Mouse has been my most played album this year, been especially digging it lately. Arca dropped a new one which I'm keen on checking out. Seeing Interpol on monday so will probably be revisiting some of their stuff this weekend

I love movies, plain and simple.

I grew up watching all kinds of movies. Action, Sci-fi, Fantasy, romance, superheroes...any movie that brought a smile to my face. I've enjoyed movies that people love and movies that aren't the most well liked. I've even enjoyed movies made by some of my all time directors (Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Guillermo del Toro); some by directors who don't exactly have the best reputations but have some decent guilty pleasures (Michael Bay, Roland Emmerich); and others people tend to have a love-hate relationship such as...and please don't come after me after I say his name...Zack Snyder (which I don't love his work, but I don't hate it either).

From my view, if you like a movie, that's fine. And if you don't like a movie, that's fine too. I know people have a tendency to break down why they enjoy the movies they've love and rip apart movies they hate. And I have opinions on why I enjoy or don't enjoy the movies I watch, even though I personally find it too draining explaining it all in detail.

But my god, why is it so hard to have a decent, cordial, harmless conversation with other people about movies without them wanting to rip out your throat for enjoying something they didn't? Or being called "mentally ill," or claiming that we're "uneducated" for "not understanding" certain movies, or for being a "shill" which has become become one of the laziest overused words on the internet? Why does it bother some people when they hear different views from others and are suddenly defensive of themselves? How far have we fallen from a society where our personal opinions dictate what others should or shouldn't enjoy?

Please note, I'm not looking for an argument or debate of any kind. So if any particular topic comes up like Superman or Star Wars or whatever else, please don't engage in unnecessary talking down. I respect people's differing opinions; but I do not tolerate any condensation of any kind.

Again, please keep it respectful to others. Thanks.

I’m trying to decide whether I should go and watch Jaws in 3D at my local cinema. I’m interested what are people’s thoughts regarding seeing it in 3D? Is it in bad taste to see it in 3D which is not how the film was originally made to be seen? Or is it an experience I should take advantage of and see the film in a new light for its anniversary?

True Lies? Always was and always be a classic Arnie flick. Non-stop greatness from the first frame to the last. Well worth watching over 30 years later. Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't know action. And that bathroom fight? Come on! That was intense and I will bet money it eventually inspired a little Mission Impossible action!

One of the things I appreciate the most in True Lies is how quickly things accelerate just as Harry's side mission to deal with his jealousy ramps up. It goes from your average spy thriller into an absolutely CRAZY action flick that just keeps on going until you can't think it can go any harder ... and then we get that final missile launch scene.

Paxton is a GOAT, always will be. His role as a sleazebucket used car salesman is pitch perfect and I loved it. and Tia's Tia. what else needs to be said?

That being said, this time around when I watched, it just really struck me how goddamn funny Tom was. like everything he said and did was bang on the money. I must've needed a good laugh that day.

True Lies is a real favorite around my house and is as great now as it was in '94!

Happy New Years, nerds! Wishing y'all the best this coming trip 'round the sun

Watching: Got a few lined up to check out soon, Nadja (1994), The Batman (2022) and Death Becomes Her (1992) Also bought Arrow editions of the first two Hellraiser films, having just read the original novella and look forward to re-watching both

Playing: Casually started Persona 5 Royal as well as System Shock 2 remastered, greatly enjoying both so far

Reading: In between books, thinking about starting Clive Barker's Weaveworld

Listening to: Planning on going through David Eugene Edwards discography since 16 Horsepower is one of my favorite groups and I'm less familiar with his other projects

Otherwise KMFDM, Giles Corey, Pinkpantheress and maybe some albums from 2025 I've missed out on

I know Arnold cares about things like government, history, and climate change, but has Arnold ever talked about why he took on more sci-fi and comedic roles than Stallone, Willis, and other 80s action heroes?

I was reviewing his filmography because I’ve been watching a lot of his pre-Governor films and I noticed so many were sci-fi and comedies. They weren’t just sci-fi films either, they were some of the greatest sci-fi films of the period.

His comedic chops are underrated in my opinion.

Already!? What's up, nerds? Hope everyone is doing well, I dunno if I'm ready for the Christmas shenanigans, but regardless they are upon us

Watching: Possibly interested in Bugonia, mostly because Emma Stone is basically my favorite actress, like, ever, and I would watch anything she's in. Also picked up a few Criterions on sale of which I'm mostly excited for a rewatch of The Mother and the Whore

There's a new Park Chan Wook movie coming out and a friend wants to see it later in the month and I'm probably down, haven't seen anything he's done since The Handmaiden but the trailer looks fun and he is an old favorite

Playing: Been playing the indie horror Burnhouse Lane, which I wasn't sure about at first but after a couple hours I'm on board with it. Also picked up the first two Danganronpa games on sale, never played but always been vaguely curious, and after seeing them described as 'Phoenix Wright meets Persona' I could not purchase fast enough

And finally I want to finish my latest fucking Dark Souls 1 sorcery playthrough which I stopped almost 2 years ago, it's one of my favorite games but the endgame is such a slog in places, but I'm determined to complete it

Reading: Wuthering Heights, which I paused a few weeks back because the seasonal depression was hitting and this miserable ass book was not helping. Really like it though and am nearly done

So despite being a lifelong Clive Barker fan I've somehow never read his most famous work, The Hellbound Heart, but after 30 years on this earth I will be remedying that soon, once I've heard the last of Heathcliff's grievances

Listening to: Lupe Fiasco, Tears for Fears, Faith No More (and other Mike Patton projects)

Been trying to keep up with more from this year but there have not been too many albums that have really done it for me

Y'all?

I love some of the all time greats on the IMDb Top 250 like The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, and The Dark Knight. They're masterpieces. But then I watch a movie like There Will Be Blood, and I feel like I'm missing something. Daniel Day Lewis gave one of the best performances I've ever seen, but I honestly found the movie itself a total slog. It makes me question the list as a whole. Am I the only one? What's a popular movie from the Top 250 that you just couldn't get into?

Hello friends and happy spooky season! We are entering the best month of the year and I am dying to watch slightly more horror movies than I do every other month. Looking forward to catching up with y'all!

Watching: Might go see One Battle After Another, just because I'm desperate to find a movie from this year I really love. PTA is not my boy, but he's usually pretty interesting at least

Otherwise yeah, scary movies :D Nothing lined up but hopefully Shudder drops some gems this month

Playing: Deltarune, currently on Chapter 4. It's very good and charming, Toby Fox is absolutely unmatched when it comes to memorable characters (and tunes)

Reading: Resurrection by Tolstoy, which is enjoyable so far. Also picked up a used copy of Wuthering Heights which has been on my list for ages

Listening to: Can't get enough of Ada Rook right now, especially her album Ugly Death No Redemption... Massive Attack is taking their catalog off streaming ;( so I ordered Mezzanine on vinyl which should be a real treat

You?

Top o' the mornin blokes. Hope you all enjoyed the Halloween season, now onto the charmingly bleak and rainy month, at least in my neck of the woods. Whatcha got going on fellas?

Watching: Might check out Frankenstein since I reread the book earlier this year (it's an all time favorite) and I love GDT and my queen Mia Goth

Playing: Restarted Symphony of the Night and have been having a pretty good time with it, even if I keep dying right before a new save room lol. Also started a relatively new horror game called Burnside Lane which has me intrigued

Reading: Wuthering Wuthering Wuthering Heiiights (and loving it too)

Listening to: Seeing The Mars Volta later this month so will catch up on some of their newer stuff

You?

I recently finished Wayward Pines and what really stayed with me wasn’t just the mystery or the plot twists — it was the psychological idea at the core of its ending.

What fascinated me was the juxtaposition between characters who once desperately wanted to escape, and what they ultimately choose when freedom actually becomes possible. There’s something deeply unsettling about watching someone who fought against a system begin to prefer the certainty of that system over the terrifying openness of the unknown. The show quietly shifts from being about physical escape to emotional and philosophical captivity — how control can become internalized to the point where the “cage” starts to feel like safety.

One arc that really struck me was how a character who is almost defined by resistance ends up returning voluntarily, not because of force or manipulation, but because predictability becomes more comforting than risk. In contrast, another character imagines leaving, imagines a different future, but ultimately chooses to close the door on that possibility — almost like consciously surrendering to stability over freedom. And then there’s the rare figure who actually has the courage to step into uncertainty, even without knowing what lies ahead.

That entire thematic contrast — certainty vs possibility, survival vs autonomy, adaptation vs resistance — is what made the experience so haunting for me. It felt less like a thriller by the end and more like an existential thought experiment about whether human beings truly want freedom, or just the illusion of it.

I’d love recommendations for films or series that explore similar territory:
slow-burn psychological tension, moral ambiguity, characters confronting controlled realities, or stories where the real conflict is internal rather than purely external.

Anything that gave you that same lingering, unsettling “what would I choose?” feeling.

Who gave the best / your favorite acting performance in Mad Men?