Movie/film suggestions.

with all due respect @immatthewj it was a weird movie. It totally missed the Whitey Bulger and Boston aspects. Nicholson (I love him) butchered it. The way Scorsese got New Jersey right in Goodfellas, he missed the scene in the Departed. I lacked the ambience a 100%. OK, maybe 90%.

btw the Karen Read trial is a very dark and typical Bostonian story, it will be a movie for sure 

I think Black Mass was decent, @immatthewj but I wouldn't watch it twice. It was made after I was over Depp, but still not completely turned off. I was living there and working a menial job when Whitey disappeared along with a few more guys. It turned my boss' was connected to the mafia by association, his cousins were in the Winter Hill Gang. Little did I knew, I also lived on the edge of Winter Hill and Spring Hill. 

Obviously, when it's made by the locals, they get it right. The Town, Gone Baby Gone, Ted are fantastic movies in their own genre and they are "pitch perfect". Just like the accent, you either get it right or don't bother, keep it generic. 

@immatthewj well, I should be fair.

In the Departed, there were several epic performances. Martin Sheen before he was thrown down, his performance was incredible. He is a genius. DiCaprio, Wahlberg were a delight. It has many incredible episodes and moments.

I remember your ranting on Yellowstone and you are the expert in that. To be honest, I was in Boston a few months ago and it has become a freak-show and watered down, but my memories of it and my compassion/passion will never change. It is the ultimate movie location when it is done right. Don't get me started on every movie in Europe, shot in Hungary/Budapest. But movies to happen in Boston and shot in Seattle is a crime - like a A Million Little Things...

@immatthewj Todd Blanche was a prosecutor and then defended the last person one should defend if you are serious about law and order. So I don’t understand lawyer’s logic and ethics. 

Funny you mention Cut Bank: a very similar production story is Virgin River. According to the original script: somewhere in Utah, according to the series script it’s in Humboldt county, CA. In reality it’s East of Vancouver. However, it’s a Hallmark story which is always in some imaginary land but still. It’s a disservice to Humboldt county, the home Redwoods among other things. So, yes, location matters.

Btw I don’t know if Karen Read is guilty. Based on everything we know, she has no clue either. She was so wasted, she barely remembers getting home. What’s disgusting though is how the police acted. Just above the law all the way brotherhood.

@cleeds because of our very serious differences, I don't comment on what you write, partly for my mental health, partly to not derail the threads.

I don't think my views on ethics has to be defended or argued since it's just an opinion nothing more, not right, not wrong, just what I feel. However I don't argue about facts.

@cleeds perhaps I confuse you with someone, i am easily confused. I can't keep up with the various aliases who attack me/pick a fight with me

it's continuing, not evolving, I would say

@slaw Crazy Heart is a classic. It reminds me several of my alcoholic friends. An amazing performance from all 4: Bridges, Gyllenhaal, Duvall, Farrell.

@immatthewj Karen Read is an interesting character. Definitely spoiled, white privileged lady, the type of well-to-do liberal who does not help the cause. The type who wants to talk to the manager in the restaurant before she's seated. Regardless, if there is reasonable doubt, she must walk. The investigation was botched in 10+ ways. It was a shame there is a 2nd trial. I think it was a misogynist jury in the first trial. If there is such a thing as circumstantial exculpatory evidence, there was a ton of it. All the cops involved are despicable.

you are back to the Departed @immatthewj. Nice. I am listening to the interview now.

One other weird, or not so weird connection: Roy Cohn and the Rosenberg trial. 

@immatthewj I love the D Train. It is so uncomfortable and heart-warming, I have to re-watch it every once in a while. It makes me think what I would do for popularity (no, not Marsden, but Mercury, perhaps, who knows), as I was way more of a Dan in high school than Oliver.

@immatthewj I am not a huge Pacino fan but Dog Day Afternoon is irresistible. 

Glengarry Glenn Ross and the Heat are also ridiculously great performances. 

I like that he is very consistent, no weird embarrassing roles like De Niro would do. 

@immatthewj the Brutalist was loosely based on Marcel Breuer. His designs were in the movie. 

I thought it was terrible, incoherent, boring, I suffered through the second half. I was told by Hungarians that his Hungarian pronunciation and accent was unintelligible. You wouldn't know what he said, only from the subtitles. His English accent was also horrible. Yes, Marcel Breuer was brilliant, yes, he was a jerk to people, not sure which point the movie succeeded with and if it had to. I want my 3 hours back.

@immatthewj I am curious to anyone's opinion who liked The Brutalist. If I may say, especially yours because you are a very intelligent and strange (in a good way) individual. 

As I said, the second half was painful. Which implies the first half was OK,  for me, even enjoyable at times. The rape was symbolism I guess, I didn't like it but understood it. I am big architecture nerd which kept me going but it wasn't very entertaining on that front either. I wish the proceeds would have gone to save some buildings designed by Bauhaus people like Breuer and his contemporaries. They are actively deteriorating and being sold to build shopping malls in their place, so that bother me more than the movie. 

 I guess it struck me the way I imagine some old Russian novel would

That is spot on because the movie was very Eastern European in many ways. One: the dialogs and language were authentic - despite the pronunciation. 90% of the movie was shot in Hungary if not all. The style, cinematography was also very typical of Menzel, Forman, Jancso, Gothar, and I'd add Kusturica, my favorite but he is a bit less gloomy. Brody's character is spot on, the genius who is always unhappy and revels in his misery - Eastern European to the core.

so she's guilty of drunk driving?

Canton cops will be vicious tonight. 

@immatthewj there is a saying: "women hate women". The judge is doing everything she can to put her away. Either that or she is an incompetent judge. Maybe both. It's not looking great for Read, but at least the jury doesn't seem to think she killed him

@immatthewj If it's a hung jury and another trial will happen, that's not good for her. There seem to be some jurors who can't acquit her so there may be a conviction and the judge can come up with a harsh sentence. That's what I mean by not looking good for her. 

It's also not looking good for the truth. She is on trial when the sleazy Canton cops should be. 

MA is a racist, good old boy's privileges open all doors state. Despite the liberal image. As they say it's all different outside 128.

I can't freaking wait, just acquit her already!

@immatthewj on the OUI charges: she was drinking with cops, driving a cop to a another cop's house with a drunken party, maybe it should have been their job to not let her drive?

oh boy.

I am watching NBC Boston, the defense team was graceful to say the least. 

I am not convinced that she is innocent

I can list 10 reasons why it’s very unlikely she did it. Yes, that’s a possibility but very little compelling evidence was presented. The prosecution was about what the police provided, she is a crazy b%tch. Also, you can hit a large person in the snow from 15 foot with an SUV, 4 out 5 times he would survive - especially with the alleged injuries

they looked decent and savvy for sure, aiming - if not high but - the middle. I am not a huge fan of all lawyers but I won't politicize it @immatthewj 

@immatthewj I would say take a break from the court channel. It could be aggravating. Half of the world lies and they would do it on the stand too.

@immatthewj well it's a more than a novel. It's a masterpiece. It's a study in human nature, the big bang of how we process guilt. I am reminded of it all the time.

I would say Matt Damon doesn't have a huge range. You either like him or you don't. I think he is getting much better with age. Oppenheimer, Ford vs Ferrari, the Instigators were all stellar performances. I think he struggled with the Departed. 

I also know his classmate from Harvard who said he was a jerk with a giant ego. I don't trust her 110%, she also has a big ego, but sounds about right. Overall, with his activism, Jason Bourne dark charm, I take him any day over Vincent Vaughn.

@immathewj I think he would be good as a lawyer. He excelled in those roles. For Karen Read: Robin Wright, Natalie Portman, Jessica Alba, maybe Amanda Peet.

The actress has to have a wacky image. Also an evil smile. It's a tricky role, scary and vulnerable at the same time.

Is the movie being cast already?

it's not a bad suggestion. I also thought of Cobie Smulders. But I'd probably go with Amanda Peet. 

@immatthewj I like Amy Ryan - otherwise. First I was a hard no for this role for her. I almost pulled my sponsors and my 2 million I put aside because of this. I wasn't screaming but definitely raised my voice and the director asked for a 10 minutes break. On a second thought, Amy would be good, but she wasn't my idea. So, still a "no".

On Michael Keaton, semi-seriously, he is brilliant in everything. I don't know how he pulled off Dopesick. It is amazing.

Overall, we need to get good actors and actresses, not famous ones. Damon, Keaton are out.

If you leave the casting to me @immatthewj you can be in charge of the script 

Yes, but you will be limited to ONE Bruce song, sorry @immatthewj 

And you would let me pick one song (Aimee Mann of course)

It would be hard not pick Ben Affleck to be the director. Or Clint Eastwood? 

John O'Keefe = Jeremy Renner?

we need to audition for the Michael Proctor role some unknown locals too. It’s role that could jump start anyone’s career.

Dylan is an interesting choice. I imagined Aerosmith. Bostonians are proud of their local musicians just like everything local, their sports, their food, their beaches, etc. (The food sucks)

Flashback scenes of course! That’s a must. Smoke filled bars with with the townies, weird New England locals that Casey Affleck would hang out with.

I think we are obsessed with this.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/best-movies-21st-century.html the Departed is highly ranked

I have mixed feelings about Baldwin since Rust @immatthewj 

I don't know if it has to be so star studded :)

But Brennan has such a British look, I would probably look for someone from across the pond. 

I typed a novel and it got lost @immatthewj 

yes, Baldwin is a brilliant actor.

I will type it up again…

I was just going on and on about how, when I lived in Boston, I felt like I was in a movie because of the people, many of the old-timers felt very rich and extreme characters, theatrical, almost cartoonishly so. The folks there feel it’s worth preserving their identities, despite being American, maybe because the nuances are still holding up, along the power structure between the Irish, Italian and Jewish quarters, and the blacks of course. And these Canton people are no different. Even when they move away from Boston - and not many do, when I go to weddings there, it’s usually one or two family members in a big family - 20 or so - who come from California, the rest moved 5 miles in their whole life. And the ones who do live out of state (outside of 128 haha) remain Bostonians, they find other Bostonians in their new home. They know which bar to go to on day 2 to watch Celtic games. 

I only found it with New Yorkers and Chicagoans to some extent, the rest are just "yeah, I was born in [X] and moved around".

The "Bostonianship" is almost a spice, a sauce that you can pour on anything and make it way more interesting, enthralling, and also darker, mysterious. It’s like the mist and fog of London for Dickens. The Boston strangler, the Isabella Gardner robbery, Whitey Bulger, the Kennedys, etc. all swim in that gravy..

So not much lost with that novel. 

Have you seen; A Deadly American Marriage ?

I don’t know if it’s a fascinating story or presented in a tricky way, but I was fascinated.

Baldwin > Brian Higgins

re: Brennan versus Jackson 

yes, that's an astute point. The trial was about Boston vs. Outsiders. Karen Read wasn't from Massachusetts either. Ordinary people are not always happy about the good old boy culture, the dynasties. The locals in the legal and law enforcement world would not go against other Bostonians normally to defend someone who killed one of their own. It was significant in how all the cops would try get her convicted and lined up for the prosecution.

@immatthewj do not stop with casting suggestions. I enjoy shooting them down :)

I thought the Wahlbergs will enter the picture, eventually, as they should. I think Donnie could pull it off...

@voz those are stellar movies. 

I saw this on the plane, and it would be on my list of top 10 romantic comedies:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9328744/

Maybe Brennan would agree to play himself? 

Surprisingly I would not be surprised if he did

@immatthewj yes, Rebecca Pigeon is good. Fun fact, I looked her up, her husband is David Mamet who directed Glengarry Glen Ross which has Alec Baldwin.

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more on that how you can be a Bostoner subject:

Now it’s a freak show. It’s as transient as ever. People in Boston proper are unlikely from Massachusetts, maybe a few old families on Comm Ave and Beacon but it’s mostly people who can afford it, and want to be hit by Chinese tourists as they step outside. It has lost a lot of its old charm with all the tattooed, energy drink addict bitcoin licking hipsters. The "real" townies, multi-generation families are out in Medford, Milton, Braintree, etc. in Suburbia. Or Canton. Next week I should probably go over to pick some scenes for aerials. 

@immathewj

Re: Matt Dillon. I adore him. I should hate him for being so good looking but somehow he is so modest I can't. He has such a range I wonder why he is not cast more?

@immatthewj I watched Phil Spector per your recommendation (Mamet, Pigeon again) and found David Aaron Baker could play Brennan. Very prosecutorial figure.

Have not seen Haunted Heart . Yet :)

@immatthewj I can't argue about guns, here or anywhere, I am anti-gun. If Baldwin thought it's fun to point the gun at someone and pull the trigger, he was well aware of the 0.001% (being generous) that the gun could go off with a bullet. Which is a reason not to play with gun and when you do, you take responsibility. He should have been convicted. He killed a person, a mother, a wife for no good reason other than recklessness. I believe it's a charge category, involuntary manslaughter which is even more unintentional than pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger, such as a vehicle accident.

@immatthewj 

David Aaron Baker played Alan Jackson

that is just fascinating .

I thought Al Pacino was spot on and flawless for Spector. When I learned that he killed a woman I was conflicted about listening to his music. I felt I should have refused to but I have loved his body of work since I was a teenager. 

I do not have a strong feeling whether he was innocent or not. I think putting a loaded gun in someone’s mouth is risky enough to warrant a conviction. It’s kind of like Baldwin and rust, you cannot play with a loaded gun, and call it an accident if t goes off. Falling off the first vs the 20th floor can be both accidents but with very different consequences which is why we behave differently in those two situations.

I have no doubt Spector was  "crazy". I don’t know if he was a decent human being before his decline/bipolar diagnosis, but being mean is not a crime. He should not have had a gun. (and I could go on about who else should not have a gun, and have my comment deleted)

@thecarpathian oh boy why do you know sooo much about guns? 

and yes it was HUGE negligence

@immathewj 

 he was an actor on a movie set where actors routinely are pointing guns at one another

That's a valid point. But if I were on the set in charge of safety, here is what I would do: 

1. lock the guns

2. lock (NOT HAVE) live ammo

3. when someone requests a gun, they have to hand it over to someone who looks at the magazine. Preferably 2 people, one after another. Then s/he can hand it back to the actor

4. why can't they use fake guns?

@immathewj yes, I like the Crash. Saw it a few times. It's a bit different 20 years later, a bit simplistic and doesn't give me as much hope as it used to. We need more movies and discussion about the subject and progress maybe?

I will watch the Elephant and the American Dreamer. I also should add Albino Alligator to the Matt Dillon list. Irresistible in my opinion.