The Film Thugs Movie Show

The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 17:

Rififi

Spine Number: 115

Director: Jules Dassin

Genre: Heist

How much money do you need to make a masterpiece? Well, back in 1955 blacklisted filmmaker Jules Dassin wrote, directed, and had a role in one. The budget? $200,000. Roughly $1.7 million today. Most big budget films spend more on catering. Dassin himself wrote the script in six days, played the safe cracker, and directed it for a fee of $8,000. That's roughly $71,000 today. Most filmmakers wouldn't return a phone call for that much.

Rififi is an absolute landmark heist film. Lean, efficient story telling with an amazing visual aesthetic, engaging characters and one of the best heist scenes in film history. How good is it? In the book that the film is based on, the heist takes up 10 out of 250 pages. In the film it's almost a half hour. With no dialogue. And no music. Just a perfectly planned and executed heist.

This movie is so God damned cool it's almost frustrating.

Again, this is tight, elegant film making at its best. It's cool and complex, but still completely manageable. Some films make the collection and you wonder why, other make the collection, and when you see them you just wonder why it took so long to get around to seeing them.

So do yourself a favor and watch this movie, then join us in our discussion of this absolute masterpiece.

Next week:

Spine Number 119: Withnail and I

Be ready to have a drink or two for this one.

Also, check this out.

The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows!

Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.

It will also be on iTunes as soon as the feed is verified.

http://fantasymovieleague.com/
Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.
It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.
You have an 8 screen theater.
Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.
Then you compete against other theaters in your league.
It's fantasy football for movie people.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.

If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.

E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of  an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.

Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.

You can also click on one of our sponsor links below and THEY will pay us. That's right. You won't have to pay a PENNY extra, and Amazon/Onnit/Teefury will give us a little taste.

Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.

Thanks for listening, and until next week...

Jim out.

The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 16:

The Rock

Spine Number: 108

Director: Michael Bay

Genre: It's a Michael Bay movie.

Before the giant space rock and giant space robots made Michael Bay all the money in the world he was somehow able to get recent Academy Award winner Nic Cage and Sean GODDAMNED Connery to appear in one of the most gloriously decadent action movies of all time.

Actually, that's selling it short. This is a pretty decent movie. The plot is somewhat logical and coherent, the bad guy, if you want to call him that, has a point of view and a fairly noble goal, and there is more amazing action in the first 30 minutes than most movies can fit in their entire run time.

Welcome to The Rock!

What can you say about this thing. It's balls out action done the way it should be. Balls out from beginning to end. Not a breath is spared through this thing. It's amazing.

So, shut up and watch it, then listen to us go off about it and whatever else we feel like. It's good to be back.

Next week:

Spine Number 115: Rififi

Also, check this out.

The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows!

Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.

It will also be on iTunes as soon as the feed is verified.

http://fantasymovieleague.com/
Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.
It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.
You have an 8 screen theater.
Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.
Then you compete against other theaters in your league.
It's fantasy football for movie people.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.

If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.

E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of  an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.

Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.

You can also click on one of our sponsor links below and THEY will pay us. That's right. You won't have to pay a PENNY extra, and Amazon/Onnit/Teefury will give us a little taste.

Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.

Thanks for listening, and until next week...

Jim out.