FJ - FZ
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Flatliners [2017] Flow [2024] Flu [2013]
Flypaper [2011] For a Few Dollars More [1965] Forbidden Planet [1956]
Forbidden World [1982] The Foreigner [2017] The Forest [2016]
The Forever Purge [2021]
The Found Footage Phenomenon [2021] Fracture [2007] Franklyn [2008]
Free Fire [2016] Free Guy [2021] Freelancers [2012]
Frequency [2000] Friend Request [2016] From Beyond [1986]
From Black [2023] From Dusk Till Dawn [1996] From Dusk Till Dawn: Texas Blood Money [1999]
From Dusk Till Dawn: Hangman's Daughter [1999] From Within [2008] Frontier(s) [2007]
Full Tilt Boogie [1997] The Furies [2019] Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga [2024]
Furious 7 [2015] The Fury [1978] Future World [2018]
The Found Footage Phenomenon [2021]

         
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A doc on the Found Footage genre of film, which consists of talking heads, split between FF film directors, authors and others connected with the genre. In that, it's very good and quite informative on the origins of the genre and how it affects the industry as a whole. But, being as that's basically all they do, it's also extremely long winded without much time given to the films themselves. It would have been wonderful if they actually highlighted some films rather than use the sparse footage to accentuate a point. As it is, very informative but rather dry.
For a Few Dollars More [1965]

            
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Two bounty hunters cross paths while trying to capture a gang of bandits and prevent a bank robbery. The only one of the 3 Leone / Eastwood films I hadn't seen, it tuned out to be my least favorite but still an excellent film. Watching Eastwood and Van Cleef is always a joy and Leone's direction and framing is always on-point. My only issues were the pacing in the last half ...it really dragged. Also, the villain, Indio, was presented as an unintelligent buffoon who appears as if he's continually stoned. Didn't inspire any sort of menace to me. Excellent film, though.
Flow [2024]
aka Straume
            

In another world and/or time, a cat gets caught in a major flood and teams up with some other animals for a grand adventure. The adventure is epic in scope, the animation is fantastic and the animals were believable and endearing. However, the film really lacks humor and uplifting moments. There's a few but it's mostly just one cataclysmic calamity after another to the point where I was becoming numb to it all. I was left waiting for a resolution that would make up for it but what I got was sad and ambiguous. Certainly worth the watch but could have been more fun.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga [2024]

            

The origin of Furiosa, who would go on to bigger and better things in Fury Road. This is a different film in that it is not a full tilt bozo, non-stop thrill ride like it's predecessor but it's an excellent origin story that was engaging and thoroughly entertaining. That's not to say there isn't action ...there's plenty but it's more a drama with some high octane action sequences. Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth gave everything they have to their characters and them some. The final confrontation came off a bit weak for me but overall, awesome viewing.
Free Fire [2016]

            

A weapons deal devolves into a gun fight that doesn't stop ...and that's it! My goodness, this was so much fun! You'd think that a hour long gun fight would be redundant and get rather boring. But, in this case, the extremely colorful characters were just quirky enough, with a delightfully sharp wit, you were rooting for all of them despite there being no good guys. Although their ammo seemed unlimited, the choreography of this chaos was logical, exciting, and played out fabulously. And, they tend to hit what they were aiming at. Awesome escapist entertainment!
Furious 7 [2015]
aka Fast & Furious 7
            

Toretto & co. find themselves under attack by the brother of a previous nemesis, an assassin under the guise of Jason Statham, who does what he does best. There's a sub-plot about Letty's memory that's nice but ultimately unnecessary. The action and stunts are over-the-top amazing rising to the level of incredulous but, my goodness they're fun to watch. The characters continue to be incredibly likable, lots of wit and humor, plenty international locations and a send off to honor the late Paul Walker that nearly brought tears to my eyes. Worth a whole tub of popcorn.
Free Guy [2021]

            
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A Non-player Character (NPC) in a video game begins to question his reality and, with the help of an avatar from the real world, must find hidden code or risk the deletion of his existence. This is a very exciting adventure with super likable characters (even Ryan Reynolds, who I'm not usually a big fan of), great action and eye-bulging special effects within a supremely real digital world. My only complaint is the necessity to occasionally stop the action with a humorous moment or emotional pause which, for me, served to defuse the energy. Great fun, though!
Future World [2018]

            
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A young man travels through a post-apocalyptic wasteland to find a cure for his mom. Apparently, director, James Franco, wanted to make a Mad Max style film but only had about $50 and a weekend. So what we have here is a collection of completely unauthentic characters doing things that made no sense in a story that's laughable. The young man is hopelessly defenseless and terminally naive. His robot friend with an advanced AI, who can't make up her mind, decides to become a lesbian. And it goes downhill from there. It's not terrible ...just ridiculous.
Franklyn [2008]

            
  
A very clever story of 4 individuals - a masked gumshoe in a dystopian world, a man searching for his son, a self-destructive artist, and a jilted fiance - and how they eventually collide. It's unfortunate that the main characters have a real lack of personality making much of their stories rather lifeless and dull (I almost turned it off) but it was interesting to spot the connections as they are slowly revealed and, in the end, it was certainly worth the watch. Surprisingly good entertainment ...especially considering this was a completely random movie selection.
Flatliners [2017]

            

Five med students experiment with near death experiences on themselves. Unfortunately, their experiments lead to some nasty side effects. Since I hadn't seen the 1990 version, I didn't know anything about the film or story besides what I noted above. The characters were excellent, the setup was realistic and the execution made sense. I was really getting into the journeys into the beyond and the aftereffects until they revealed why this is happening and what to do about it. It made sense but sorta fizzled out at the same time. Worth a watch, though.
The Furies [2019]

            
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A woman is abducted and inexplicably wakes up in a box, in the middle of nowhere, being pursued by killers in horrific masks. This film is the quintessential definition of mindless, escapist entertainment that wastes no time getting started and never slows down. The characters are all distinctly different and, although completely out of their depth, the filmmakers rarely resorted to someone acting like a moron to progress the story. The violence is visceral and bloody and, although I suspected where this was going, the ending provided a nice twist. Sequel, perhaps??
The Fury [1978]

            

Robin, a boy with extraordinary psychic powers, is kidnapped by a covert organization to weaponize him. While Robin's father searches for him, he discovers there's a girl that is equally as powerful ...and can see through Robin's eyes. This film is solidly a product of the 70s and I would suggest that's kept firmly in mind if you go into it. Also, as classic an actor as he may be, Kirk Douglas is wholly miscast in this film. Beyond that, it's a fairly good thriller and there's only a handful of films that can match the explosively climatic final scene. Wow! ...double Wow!!
Flypaper [2011]

         

Two separate crews attempt to rob the same bank at closing time. What they didn't count on was a Sherlock Holmes type hostage or that this may be far more than just a bank robbery. I didn't have much hope for this film early on as much of the humor fell flat and the characters were a little over the top. However, as the film wore on, the characters became far more likable, the film got funnier, more complex and entertaining and the twist ending was excellent. What I thought was going to bore me turned out to be a really fun ride with a few choice LOL moments.
Frequency [2000]

         
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A fireman is killed on-the-job. 30 years later, his son finds dad's old ham radio. When he turns it on, he finds that he can talk to dad 30 years in the past and prevent his death. Chaos ensues. Like The Butterfly Effect, any attempt to change the past changes everything and the story for this version is handled very well. I felt the ending was just a bit too clean for the subject matter, as well as being somewhat on the sappy side but, overall, this is a good, suspenseful movie that keeps you thinking and guessing.
From Beyond [1986]

            
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After bowling us over with his debut film Re-Animator, Stuart Gordon gave us this little gem. Bizarre and twisted, it brings the incomparable Jeffrey Coombs and Barbara Crampton back together and adds Ken Foree into the mix to present us with a psychedelic trip into another dimension. Great make up and special effects for its time. Exceptional balance of horror, gore, comedy and some truly outlandish and macabre moments, this film is really good fun!
Frontier(s) [2007]
aka Frontiere(s)
            

This French torture porn film is basically The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hostel rolled into one ...without the laughs. You have a group of criminals hiding out in the French countryside at a hostel run by Nazis with a whole lot of inbreeding going on. The characters do some pretty idiotic things, and you know how I feel about that, but this film is such an in-your-face assault of brutal bloodshed, vicious violence and disturbing visuals that human stupidity becomes secondary to the onslaught. Nicely done!

Here's a music video, by AWOL Nation, featuring clips from the film ...is you can stomach it. You have been warned.
Forbidden Planet [1956]

         
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A relief crew lands on Altair-4 only to discover that only one member of the original mission is left along with his daughter, now grown up. Then some invisible creature begins attacking them. A landmark production in Sci Fi with special effects and eye candy that's still exquisite to watch despite being dated. The social moors of the '50's are blatantly included but comes off more now as comedy relief than accepted behavior. The story is complex, scientific and easily appreciated by both the average viewer and hardcore sci fi fans.
From Dusk Till Dawn [1996]

            
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With half of Texas after them, two bank robbing brothers force a family to get them into Mexico only to find themselves in a desert bar run by vampires. This comedy, horror classic has a phenomenal number of people involved that are huge now but practically unknown back then. Although some of the gags are a bit too campy and last a bit too long, this truly is a classic gore fest and that dance by Salma Hayek ...absolutely nothing like it.
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money [1999]

            

Five thieves get together to rob a bank. Just before the job, one of them gets turned into a vampire. What follows is one crazy bank robbery. As a sequel, it's full of exactly what you'd expect ...whacky characters, lots of blood and mayhem and an exciting, action-packed ending. Obviously low-budget and straight-to-video, it didn't have quite the campy sense of humor as the first one and it certainly didn't bring anything new to the table but it's still a fairly entertaining thrill ride.
From Within [2008]

            

Sort of a mix between It Follows and The Grudge, this is a unique film about a rash of suicides in a small, highly religious town. The story works well, excellent pacing, the characters were fully developed and believable and, although is was not particular high on spooks, it had a tension that continued to grow throughout. It was also a great example of how destructive fanatical believe, Christian or Witchcraft, can be. I thought the ending was going to be hokey but it turned out to be unexpected, ironic and frightening. Good film.
The Forever Purge (Purge 5) [2021]

            

The NFFA is back in power and, therefore, so is the annual purge ...except this time the killing doesn't stop. As viewers, we become part of a group of people trying desperately to get to Mexico before the entire U.S.A. falls into utter chaos and slaughter. Great pacing, real, intelligent characters via good acting, well-written story and some really intense, in-your-face, action, anger and hate. Few years ago, this may have been just another action film but considering today's climate, not so far fetched anymore ...in fact, it's kinda scary. Good stuff!
The Foreigner [2017]

            
  
A 61-year-old Chinese man living in London loses his daughter in an IRA terrorist bombing and he's determine to make the terrorists pay. A fantastic movie that is so much more than a simple revenge film. The story is actually quite complex that'll take a second viewing to put it all together but it's still simple enough to follow along. Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan were awesome. The action sequences are tight and realistic and the direction was flawless. I thought it was one of the best films of the year.
Freelancers [2012]

         
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Three friends just graduated from the police academy and find out what being a cop is really all about. One in particular is befriended by a Captain who deals drugs for a major drug lord. An enjoyable movie with the lead man being very clever in how he's able to manipulate just about everybody. But, unfortunately, the movie was somewhat slow and not particularly engaging. The ending has so many loose ends, it was like watching a TV series that was canceled after the first two episodes.
Forbidden World [1982]
aka Mutant
            
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A highly experimental research lab, on a barren planet, attempts to create a genetically engineered food source but creates something that regards the scientists as food. This Roger Corman production is exactly as expected complete with "intelligent" scientists who are dumber than rocks, a sterile and highly secure lab that's basically wide open, lots of sex, naked women, screaming and low budget spec fx. But the gore and creature were pretty cool and a rather entertaining watch. How does Corman do it?
Friend Request [2016]
aka Unfriend
            
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A popular college girl, with loads of friends on social media, decides to accept a friend request from a socially awkward girl in her school who has no friends ...unmindful of what this friendship will cost. This was a surprisingly complex and creepy film that maintains a disturbing level of unease throughout. The performances were well realized and appeared genuine without being forced. There's also some very good scare moments that sent some shivers down my spine. Well done ...certainly better than the ratings indicate.
Fracture [2007]

            
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A taut, cat & mouse legal drama pitting an engineer, who's developed a plan to murder his wife, confess to the crime and still walk away a free man, and a state's attorney who simply will not give up. Stellar performances from Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins (his best role since Hannibal Lector, imo). Great story with exceptional dialogue and a very satisfying ending. Bravo!
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter [1999]

            


This one takes place in the 1910's. Except for the time period and different characters, this is pretty much a remake of the first film minus much of the thrills, humor, gags, and imagination. The characters aren't nearly as colorful, either. The first hour was boring. The rest had a few good moments but nothing new to get excited about and no Salma Hayek. A pure example of trying to capitalize on a name brand.
The Forest [2016]

            

A woman searches for her identical twin sister in the Aokigahara Forest in Japan ...also known as the Suicide Forest. The first half hour spent its time setting up the journey into the forest and provided a couple jump scares (that had nothing to do with the story) to remind us this is a horror movie. The next half hour was spent wondering through the forest. Finally, the last half hour got interesting but not very scary and the ending was a let down. This might frighten some younger teens but I found it pretty dull. The trailer is far, far scarier then the movie.
Flu [2013]
aka Gamgi / Virus
            

A flu epidemic breaks out in a major city. This was pretty much as expected with unrelenting uncontrolled chaos and ultra stupid bureaucrats interrupted with a story of a rescue worker, a doctor and her daughter. It's not a really bad movie but I didn't like the main characters, the constant arguing among the officials, who're supposed to know what they're doing, got really old, everything seemed to drag out way too long and it never really felt authentic which only served to frustrate, as well as entertain.
From Black [2023]

         
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Via enormous guilt, a woman resorts to rituals in hopes of getting her dead son back. The first hour of this is a really, really slow burn as we're forced to wallow in the angst of our tortured characters to the point of despair. I would imagine most would just turn it off ...I almost did. But I found it interesting enough, and the characters compelling enough, to stick with it and I'm glad I did. Similar to A Dark Song, this got pretty intense and I thought the shaggy dog ending was brilliant. Would have been far more effective as a short film with about half of it cut out.
Full Tilt Boogie [1997]

        


A production documentary on the making of From Dusk Till Dawn. An interesting look at the people that put the film together and some of the trials and tribulations that go with making films but overall, I didn't see anything that made me go, 'Gee, I'm glad I watched that.' Pretty run-of-the-mill behind-the-scenes stuff.
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