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  • In the Time of the Butterflies, 2001

    From 1930 until 1961, General Trujillo held absolute control over the Dominican Republic.
    His secret alliances with the church, aristocrats, intellectuals and the press were foundation of his dictatorship.
    His formula to remain in power was simple: murder anyone who opposed him.

    Film is based on fictional novel with same name. It is about three sisters called "The Butterflies". Most of details are clearly inaccurate and even made such so you can not even slightly understand individuals motivation.

    You can see capitalism in the state where capitalists want to use all power openly and get rid of any complex things. So, yes, church, army, aristocrats, intellectuals and press under proper guide of capitalists did it all, it was not some secret alliance, fully clear and open. It is just handy to put all blame to someone.

    Film is actually about single sister - María Argentina Minerva Mirabal Reyes. You can observe strange good and warm dictator with unanswered love to her (it was not the case, of course, it seems all such idea comes from novel). You also see very strange revolutionary guys who do not completely understand what they are doing, why they are doing it, and only things we actually see is printing agitation papers and storing some weapons directly in their house. Guys break all and every rule of underground work. In the end they are sentenced, released (actual reason not shown property) and later murdered. It was their death that caused some publicity , but it did not change anything. As dictator was assassinated by other top guys, as history says most probably they had some misunderstanding with CIA over some economic issues, his friends ruled country many years after this under more complex capitalist state called "democracy".

  • Wild Things, 1998

    For being twisted.

    Small tip - just not overthink this movie, turn your throttle down a little bit.

  • En man som heter Ove

    Outstanding Swedish film based on very good book.
    Good pace, good acting, proper simple music.

  • Lillehammer, series

    Cool, stylish and pretty good series.

    Good song

  • Hysteria

    Well, you have very solid reason to watch it - everyone must know history of vibrator development.

  • Experimenter

    Film about famous experiments made by Stanley Milgram. Of course things had been more complex and not fully as shown - https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/psych-lies-and-audiotape-the-tarnished-legacy-of-the-milgram-shock-experiments/ . Man fought for position money and, later, book sales. But all of experiments are useful and interesting. Some explanations provided by author are weird and focus on individual and some abstract authority instead of focus on society and brain adaptation to live only in society. Most fun is that it is not hard to invent experiments where same behavior mechanics can be interpreted as courage and very much approved.

    Good film must force you to read more.

    I find this film really useful. I think it set absolute record on reducing personal and invented drama parts. Of course some is present, bit they tried hard. Even Holocaust thing is on the point as Milgram was at the time obsessed with it, mostly due pragmatic marketing reasons, contrary to film, but anyway.

  • Teorie tygra

    What happens if you plan to tell story of normal people and do not plan to show lots of shooting, bad CGI and cheap car chases? Well, something like this film.

    Nothing outstanding here, but no need for it. Just some interesting points about life.

  • Matilda, 1996

    Little known Start Wars spinoff about most powerful Jedi in the Galaxy that is very very close to ours. This little girl is learning the way of the force with big help of ancient Jedi books and little help of her master teacher. Her parents being slaves can't help her, as they are tightly chained to TV and their money.
    As everyone know - the real way to become the Jedi is to fight evil dark lord Trunchbull.
    And this epic battle concludes the saga.

    P.S. Also can check how you can use camera position, angle and movement to fully change perception.

  • Man on Wire, 2008

    Very good documentary.

    It is very recommended to watch it and as later it'll simpler to understand why recent film failed

    The Walk

    Film fails in most departments. All you see is quite good actor playing, trying to be similar. Yet failing to gasp all core values. Script is quite bad, author and director fully missed tone and actual pace of preparation, failed with all characters, actually all is bad, except some final visuals. All the money went into CGI.

  • Hard Rain, 1998

    Quite good very wet film.

    If you want some short and entertaining guide to bourgeois consciousness and bourgeois ideology. Everyone in this film is extremely vivid portrait - petty bourgeois wanting to die to save their shop, guys who want money, police who ... hate their life and.. well, see film.

  • The Accountant

    Slightly sad version of Mr.Right, with Anna Kendrick acting in both :-) So remember to check another Safe list member.

    Solomon Grundy,
    Born on a Monday,
    Christened on Tuesday,
    Married on Wednesday,
    Took ill on Thursday,
    Grew worse on Friday,
    Died on Saturday,
    Buried on Sunday,
    That was the tale,
    Of Solomon Grundy.

    Script is one of the best from list of last action flicks, but not too complicated, Mr. Right again kill all the bad guy. Just this time he is accountant and mathematician genius with autism paired with Rambo and Terminator skills. Quite usual combination. If you can stand people who stare at scribble and make wow face because this shit is made by some famous name you will like this film.

  • Train to Busan

    Proper Korean Zombie Apocalypse Movie. Simple, clear, zombies are active and hungry. Acting is good.

  • I, Daniel Blake

    Simple film about simple capitalism horrors. Best reason to read Lenin works.

  • Miss Sloane

    Solid film about smart female lobbyist.

    Most interesting - "Miss Sloane" was the first screenplay writer Jonathan Perera has ever written.

    And this guy did a really good job. As well as Jessica Chastain did for her character.

  • La cara oculta, 2011

    Film about normal male and female nature.

  • Nokas, 2010

    Bank robbery shot in documentary and amateur style. No emotions at all.
    Good watch for anyone who still thinks that shallow DOF equals film like experience.
    And that you can do it with average focus puller. Shot during years of DSLR style video dementia.

    In the 10 years from 1994 to 2004, Norwegian police fired some 79 shots; 48 of these were fired during the Nokas Robbery in 2004

    Lillehammer style Norway. :-)

  • HouseSitter, 1992

    Really cool movie of the times Hollywood still could produce funny dialogs and actors could actually.. act, instead of pronouncing words while thinking where to spend the money they got for role.

  • Death Becomes Her, 1992

    Back in the day, you could even not believe me, films was not about just effects alone.
    You know, even Hollywood could produce humor.
    Of course recently surfaced theories what all good 90s movies was actually shot in late 60s by Stanley Kubrick in his secret studio space. But I do not believe them much. They couldn't fake so much thing.... On other side, after watching 2017 movies you can not believe in original public history either.

  • Dangal, 2016

    Story about normal people and hard work.

  • Happy Death Day

    Well, for starters film actually has script not made during heavy drug usage.
    Second, it is made with knowledge of the subject (aka Groundhog Day) and with good humor towards it.
    Third, it is easy film to watch and made with normal people.

  • El Cuento de las Comadrejas

    Really good and warm film. Has lot of forgotten by Hollywood good film values.
    Despite some small shortages, most acting is very solid and dialogs are really good. Btw, it is distant remake of 1976 film "Los muchachos de antes no usaban arsenic" and film has some funny references to original :-).

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  • Togo

    It is nice to have actual story in modern Hollywood film, and it is mostly accurately depicted.
    Recommend.

    Nice book on the subject - https://www.amazon.com/Cruelest-Miles-Heroic-Against-Epidemic/dp/0393325709/

  • The Collini Case

    Very interesting pro Nazi movie presented as anti Nazi one.

    Based on Ferdinand von Schirach book - Der Fall Collini ("The Collini Case"). He is interesting mainstream writer advertised by top media, as well as lawyer. He is grandson of the Nazi youth leader and war criminal Baldur von Schirach, and a great-grandson of Hitler’s official photographer Heinrich Hoffmann.

    Idea is the book and film is to perform certain twist. Stating that following certain specially arranged laws made it impossible to be accountable for capitalists and rich people who performed murders or ordered mass murders while serving Nazis. The main twist is that certain few people are blamed for making this laws, despite lot of politicians, lawyers, ministers and clerks had been ex Nazis and most of them kept same ideology while serving under capitalist Germany regime. Second part of big twist is constantly tell you how rich Nazi scum had been caring and nice guy. Next part of the twist is that author present opening scum crimes as something surprising but instantly later declares that in 1968 it had been already revealed and dismissed (not because of law, but because system had been full of the same guys).

  • Ironclad

    Brutal but good. With very small budged, not much historically accurate (but still far from Hollywood shite), made by fans for normal people.