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I really like Inside Man and have seen it multiple times, too, but I entirely forgot it was a Spike Lee film.
It's also got Willem Dafoe and Christopher Plummer in it - really quite a stellar cast, and they do a great job.
The Movie Preview, Review, & Recommendation Thread pt. II
- Thread starter Grand Potentate
- Start date
I really like Inside Man and have seen it multiple times, too, but I entirely forgot it was a Spike Lee film.
It's also got Willem Dafoe and Christopher Plummer in it - really quite a stellar cast, and they do a great job.
Pimpernel Smith
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Nothing quite like bad publicity:
variety.com
‘Gone With the Wind’ Hits No. 1 on Amazon Best-Sellers Chart After HBO Max Drops Movie
“Gone With the Wind” zipped to the top of Amazon‘s best-sellers sales chart for TV and movies, a day after WarnerMedia’s HBO Max pulled the movie for “racist depictions.” Amazon bases its rankings on sales data. The site currently offers the 70th anniversary two-disc DVD edition of “Gone With...
variety.com
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Last Days of American Crime.
I went into this with low expectations but it was a riot. Very Tarantino at his best with some wild action, fun characters, good pace, sexy chick and lots of clever plot twists.
Solid 7.5
I went into this with low expectations but it was a riot. Very Tarantino at his best with some wild action, fun characters, good pace, sexy chick and lots of clever plot twists.
Solid 7.5
ter1413
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Dave Chappelle gets up on stage and explodes for 27 minutes! This is raw emotion!
He had not been on stage for a while so he had a journal to remind himself what he wanted to say. The jokes are few. The realness is apparent! The anger is understandable!
Few comedians can weave/tell a story like Dave can. This show was not done for laughs. It was done to express how so many are feeling!
Wow!
4.5/5.
Grand Potentate
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Im surprised. This got horrible rewiews across the board.
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My DJ friend actually sent this to me this afternoon and I listened to it. This is definitely not comedy.
ter1413
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I would argue that no one can put a film together with music/history/politics/current events/storyline better than Spike Lee!
His latest film takes a basic premise and incorporates all of the above into Da 5 Bloods!
4 black ex-Vietnam partners head back to the land where they met to A) find the remains of the 5th team leader member...and B) search for the trunk of gold that they buried years ago.
As you can imagine, it isn't that easy searching for a buried partner and a pot of gold from 40+ years prior in a land that is now foreign to them.
They liaise with a contact in the country who will help turn the gold into cash...if they find it. Their local guide helps get them close to where they should start to look.
Spike incorporates flashbacks, historical vids and a Marvin Gaye soundtrack to help paint the picture of this 2.5 hr flick. Don't let the 2.5 scare you. The film moves along and didn't drag.
PTSD, infighting and locals all attempt to derail the plan of the original 4 + 1(one member's son tags along.)
What can I say? Spike again captures some the raw emotions of what is happening in the US(and parts of the world) today!
I didn't feel that the fact that this was 2.5 hours was a deterrent. As I said, the flick moved right along.
Solid 4/5.
Kingstonian
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Well done for avoiding a spoiler.3 flicks today:
I thought that had seen this before, but it may have been another Pacino movie.
Pacino plays a sorta retired police officer who can't leave the past behind. When a series of murders starts to take place, a past colleague contacts him for help/advice.
As the title states, the killer "hangs" his victims and leaves clues for the next murder. Brittany Snow plays a reporter who gets access to the police force and tags along while Al and his reunited partner(Urban) search for the killer.
To be honest, this was not horrible. It was worth a watch. Pacino isn't Michael Corolone, Serpico, Tony Montana or Carlito...but the movie itself holds itself together until the end. 2.5/5.
Jeez.....who looks better in a dress and heels than Ms. Chastain?
She plays the title role...Molly Bloom...who goes from a "failed" potential olympic skier to running the biggest underground poker game in the USA.
How? Well, she gets a job at an investment firm and a guy there runs a somewhat successful underground game. He asks Molly to help out and she learns the ropes(the game/recruiting/hosting/etc)...and after a dispute, decides to go out on her own.
She uses her knowledge and the funds that she saved to expand. Little does she know that some of the big fishes she has playing in her games are "connected". The Feds come calling.
Not a bad watch. It seems that Ms. Chastain's past flicks all have her narrating in the background(Zero Dark Thirty/Miss Sloane...both of which I really liked.) This was similar.
But damm...she is a pleasure to look at!
3/5.
I was really looking forward to seeing this(and Molly's Game). I was surprised when I checked Netflix today and it was available.
Adam Sandler plays a NYC/diamond district dealer who is in over his head in sports bets. He has several people after him. How does he feel that he can pull himself out of this situation? He gets his hands on an "uncut" opal stone from Africa and is looking to sell it for upwards of a million bucks(easier said than done!)
Kevin Garnett(NBA player) makes an appearance as...Kevin Garnett...and he may be interested in purchasing the rock. Sandler "loans" him the stone while Garnett is in town and than starts the downward spiral vs auctioning it off as planned.
The alluring Julia Fox plays Sandler's mistress. He is married with kids and Fox stands by him when it seems that he has no other way out of this situation.
I was just about to say that everything was tying itself up nicely...when........
Do watch.
I know that there was uproar re Sandler not getting an Academy nomination. I mean....he was born in Brooklyn(NY) and basically played a NY'er. The movie itself was ok. 2hours+. Not sure that the uproar was warranted.
3/5.
Maybe Sandler did not get nominated because he has associations with crappy comedies? I don’t know enough about Academy nominations or politics though. The Korean film was a worthy winner.
formby001
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I would argue that no one can put a film together with music/history/politics/current events/storyline better than Spike Lee!
His latest film takes a basic premise and incorporates all of the above into Da 5 Bloods!
4 black ex-Vietnam partners head back to the land where they met to A) find the remains of the 5th team leader member...and B) search for the trunk of gold that they buried years ago.
As you can imagine, it isn't that easy searching for a buried partner and a pot of gold from 40+ years prior in a land that is now foreign to them.
They liaise with a contact in the country who will help turn the gold into cash...if they find it. Their local guide helps get them close to where they should start to look.
Spike incorporates flashbacks, historical vids and a Marvin Gaye soundtrack to help paint the picture of this 2.5 hr flick. Don't let the 2.5 scare you. The film moves along and didn't drag.
PTSD, infighting and locals all attempt to derail the plan of the original 4 + 1(one member's son tags along.)
What can I say? Spike again captures some the raw emotions of what is happening in the US(and parts of the world) today!
I didn't feel that the fact that this was 2.5 hours was a deterrent. As I said, the flick moved right along.
Solid 4/5.
I'll watch that. I've enjoyed quite a few Spike Lee films over the years especially Malcolm X (even though it was a bit of slog) and BlackkKlansman.
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365 Days.
Swarthy Sicilian mafiosi kidnaps attractive (ish) Polish girl and tells her he is keeping her for one year in order to woo her and make her love him.
Mild-nudity (boobs and butt) and sex scenes. Awful acting and ridiculous plot. Some nice sets and scenery.
Full disclosure: I couldn’t finish it, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t end with a shockingly bloody scene with the captive brutally killing her captor with a pasta press.
3/10.
Swarthy Sicilian mafiosi kidnaps attractive (ish) Polish girl and tells her he is keeping her for one year in order to woo her and make her love him.
Mild-nudity (boobs and butt) and sex scenes. Awful acting and ridiculous plot. Some nice sets and scenery.
Full disclosure: I couldn’t finish it, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t end with a shockingly bloody scene with the captive brutally killing her captor with a pasta press.
3/10.
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For whatever reason I decided to watch High Rise on Amazon Prime. It was originally to kill time but I felt like I was watching a soft porn set in the Barbican Estate.
ter1413
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I think that I have posted this before......
What can I say about The Sting? It is in my top 5 flicks of all time. That scene alone should make you want to watch it if you have not!
Redford's character(Hooker) teams up with Newman's(Gondorff) to try to take down a major mob boss. Mob boss exacts revenge after Hooker, and a small time grifter, Luther Coleman, swipe some $ off of the mob boss's messenger.
Coleman is killed. Hooker survives and teams with Gondorff after the mob/shady cops come after him.
They weave an intricate plot to get back at the boss....including swindling him at a poker game on a train ride(see above.) Watch that scene....so good!
The grift is complicated....complex and fun!
The mob boss....is it..... Lombard.....Linneman? It's actually...Lonnegan....and is played by the absolutely brilliant Robert Shaw(see Jaws....Black Sunday....Pelham 1 2 3, etc.) This man is 1/3 of what makes this flick!
It doesn't get any better than this people. This is absolutely brilliant! I can watch this over and over.
The Sting! Top notch....top 5!
5/5!
Pimpernel Smith
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I would argue that no one can put a film together with music/history/politics/current events/storyline better than Spike Lee!
His latest film takes a basic premise and incorporates all of the above into Da 5 Bloods!
4 black ex-Vietnam partners head back to the land where they met to A) find the remains of the 5th team leader member...and B) search for the trunk of gold that they buried years ago.
As you can imagine, it isn't that easy searching for a buried partner and a pot of gold from 40+ years prior in a land that is now foreign to them.
They liaise with a contact in the country who will help turn the gold into cash...if they find it. Their local guide helps get them close to where they should start to look.
Spike incorporates flashbacks, historical vids and a Marvin Gaye soundtrack to help paint the picture of this 2.5 hr flick. Don't let the 2.5 scare you. The film moves along and didn't drag.
PTSD, infighting and locals all attempt to derail the plan of the original 4 + 1(one member's son tags along.)
What can I say? Spike again captures some the raw emotions of what is happening in the US(and parts of the world) today!
I didn't feel that the fact that this was 2.5 hours was a deterrent. As I said, the flick moved right along.
Solid 4/5.
Started watching it and Lee is a bit outside of his comfort zone with the battle scenes. More TV movie than big screen. But the rest moves along well and I'm looking for some good moral closure at the end. I will watch the rest over the weekend.
The Sting is one of the best films of the 70s and I certainly would include in my top list of films of all time, close to the top.
Indeed, Robert Shaw is essential to the film, if you haven't already, check him out to as Henry VIII in a Man for All Seasons.
I first watched it when it was shown on the BBC one Sunday night, I was at primary school, and I can remember the next day it was the topic of discussion in the playground it was up there with a James Bond film. Such was the common culture at the time.
ter1413
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So ex tennis pro(Meyers) gets a job at an upscale London tennis club. He is struggling to get by and find his place in the world. He meets a well off member(Goode) and ends up dating his sister(Mortimer.....who lives a few blocks from me in real life.)
This is a good(pun?) for Meyers. He gets a job at the family firm and all is good(pun again?) as Mortimer really wants to get married and have kids. All is AOK. Or is it?
Wait......Goode is dating low level American actress(sexy Scarlett.) Meyers can't take his eyes off of her....and neither can I! During a weekend retreat at the family's country compound....passions rise.
Now what? Sexy Scarlett or rich Emily? What to do? Well...watch this pretty good(again?) flick and find out if Meyers can sort out his feelings and his needs!
A short clip:
4/5.
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You live down the street from Emily Mortimer? She's not ageing very well. Scarlett Johansson on the other hand...
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I watched Gemini Man. I don't know why I did given it was Will Smith acting with Will Smith and some female character that was like the Julia Stiles character to Jason Bourne but somehow shoots very accurately.
I also watched that Mr. Rogers movie which I realised is not so much about Mr. Rogers as it is about the journalist covering him and how covering Mr. Rogers enabled him to come to terms with Chris Cooper's portrayal of his father.
I also watched that Mr. Rogers movie which I realised is not so much about Mr. Rogers as it is about the journalist covering him and how covering Mr. Rogers enabled him to come to terms with Chris Cooper's portrayal of his father.
ter1413
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Yep. Her family lives around the block.
EM is a very nice woman. Her husband, Alessandro Nivola, can be found having a drink at one of the local bars...especially when there is a soccer match on.
The actor Ethan Hawke lives 2 blocks away. A regular guy. Walks around doing "normal" things. No sunglasses or silly hats. Says wassup all the time.
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Here's the original article that I believe inspired the film: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a27134/can-you-say-hero-esq1198/
Tom Junod's a good writer - he's written some excellent articles, including one about his own dad, who was always stylish and well-dressed: https://www.gq.com/story/fashion-generation-tips-national-magazine-award
ter1413
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I is a Lucy Liu fan. I was bored this wknd and figured that I would take a look at this and free up some queue space.
Think....The Devil Wears Prada x 2!
Zoey and Glen are the personal assistants to Lucy and Taye. Lucy and Taye are a$$holes and demanding. Neither can even order lunch without their assistant doing it for them.
One evening(since everyone works in the same building), Zoey bumps into Glen and they are surprised that anyone else is working so late. They compare notes and realize that they both are working for not so charming bosses.
Lightbulb! They will set them up and when the romance takes off, Zoey and Glen will have a life! This takes planning, spending time together and comparing notes/schedules....and while doing that, they start to develop some feelings for each outer.
Now this isn't groundbreaking at all. But as Lucy and Taye get closer, Zoey and Glen start to examine their lives and what they really want.
Not bad at all. Nothing to run out....or log on....and watch. But I sorta enjoyed it.
2.75/5.
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Ethan Hawke too? You sound like you live in this bubble full of late 1990s and turn of the century actors and actresses.
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Interestingly it didn't mention alcoholism with his father.
Obviously as a boy growing up in North America I've seen Mr. Rogers but I've become cynical of pure saints or pure evil. Usually saints have their own demons that make their fall so much more dramatic. Even those who are the devil incarnate seem to elicit pathos on one topic or another no matter how minute.
ter1413
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And the singer Norah Jones(i'm a huge fan) has a place less than 10 blocks away. I bump into her often at this really good butcher shop up the block from my casa.
Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger also used to live in the hood. No more. He would skateboard around all the time. MW is still in Brooklyn.
The actor Jason Schwartzman and his wife(and newborn) stayed in my landlord's duplex downstairs several years ago. He was in town filming something and my landlady was renting out the apt below mine(3 unit building.) When the real estate agent was over, she mentioned that my landlady could make some serious $ if she was open to renting her place for the summer. I mean SERIOUS $. She was open. So they stayed there for a few months. Both he and his wife were very nice.
QuandoDio
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So ex tennis pro(Meyers) gets a job at an upscale London tennis club. He is struggling to get by and find his place in the world. He meets a well off member(Goode) and ends up dating his sister(Mortimer.....who lives a few blocks from me in real life.)
This is a good(pun?) for Meyers. He gets a job at the family firm and all is good(pun again?) as Mortimer really wants to get married and have kids. All is AOK. Or is it?
Wait......Goode is dating low level American actress(sexy Scarlett.) Meyers can't take his eyes off of her....and neither can I! During a weekend retreat at the family's country compound....passions rise.
Now what? Sexy Scarlett or rich Emily? What to do? Well...watch this pretty good(again?) flick and find out if Meyers can sort out his feelings and his needs!
A short clip:
4/5.
Interesting as I saw this movie when it first came out and I thought it was one of the worst films ever made and arguably Woody Allen's worst.
I watched it again a few years ago on a flight and hoped my opinion was changed. It wasn't. It is a dire film.
Pimpernel Smith
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Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, a nice comedy about an Icelandic entry with good Icelandic accents all round.
Kingstonian
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I would argue that no one can put a film together with music/history/politics/current events/storyline better than Spike Lee!
His latest film takes a basic premise and incorporates all of the above into Da 5 Bloods!
4 black ex-Vietnam partners head back to the land where they met to A) find the remains of the 5th team leader member...and B) search for the trunk of gold that they buried years ago.
As you can imagine, it isn't that easy searching for a buried partner and a pot of gold from 40+ years prior in a land that is now foreign to them.
They liaise with a contact in the country who will help turn the gold into cash...if they find it. Their local guide helps get them close to where they should start to look.
Spike incorporates flashbacks, historical vids and a Marvin Gaye soundtrack to help paint the picture of this 2.5 hr flick. Don't let the 2.5 scare you. The film moves along and didn't drag.
PTSD, infighting and locals all attempt to derail the plan of the original 4 + 1(one member's son tags along.)
What can I say? Spike again captures some the raw emotions of what is happening in the US(and parts of the world) today!
I didn't feel that the fact that this was 2.5 hours was a deterrent. As I said, the flick moved right along.
Solid 4/5.
I started watching this after I finished all three series of the excellent ‘The Sinner’.
Formulaic. Stereotype black ‘Nam vets. I don’t really care what happens to them.
The Vietnamese girlfriend of one of the vets seems to have aged well. Will probably finish this, but I am not in any hurry. Might start ‘The Dark’ (from series 1) first
Pimpernel Smith
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It was indeed very formulaic and the jungle scenes were at the television movie level. Lee needs to stick to urban environments. The Vietnamese ex-girlfriend was a two dimensional character. The characters didn't develop and it didn't engage me much. It took me three goes to watch it and of Spike Lee films I've seen, this isn't in the same league.
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Blimey - is that the Will Farrell one with the bleach blond hair?
Didn't figure you for that sort of movie.
ter1413
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I really couldn't believe I missed this flick-2016 release. It tells the story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Marky Mark is in the lead role as Sergeant Tommy Saunders of the Boston PD. He was having some work issues and one of the last forms of "restitution" he has to do is get into uniform(including yellow "crossing guard" type vest) and help patrol the marathon. He gets assigned to the finish.
No big deal.....this is the oldest marathon in the US and the Boston PD have this down.
Wait.....2 brothers decide to go postal...and chaos erupts! The brothers get away.
Of course, the feds are called in and led by the always solid Kevin Bacon. The Boston PD can either work with them of step back and watch.
It was very interesting to see the middle part of this flick when the authorities try to piece together what happened and then try to track down the perps.
I won't give anything else away outside of saying that the last part is very captivating.
Solid 3.75/5.
(I will probably watch this again over the wknd.)
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I was on a training course at the end of last year and the lead instructor (a police sgt) used the Boston bombing as his first-hand experience examples of emergency management and mass fatality planning lessons. Can’t remember his name, but now I’m wondering if it could be the same dude?
Edit: I don’t recognise any of these faces or names. https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/mo...atriots-day/6NaXZqC4bIe1fip7ylvkKP/story.html
Edit: I don’t recognise any of these faces or names. https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/mo...atriots-day/6NaXZqC4bIe1fip7ylvkKP/story.html
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Pimpernel Smith
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The one and only.
The family picked-it out, so just went with the flow and good job I did.
Watched the romantic comedy Charade from 1963 with Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and James Coburn. The direction is tight from Stanley Donen who also directed some good musicals, notably Singin' in The Rain. Some good plot twists.
ter1413
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I caught this over the 3.5 day weekend.
A B-level cast of bank villains try to outwit a B-level cast of the Los Angeles sheriff's department robbery unit.
When I say that this attempts to be a B-level "Heat", I am not kidding. There is no Pacino or DeNiro in this flick. Heck....there isn't a Kilmer or Voight...or a preemo Ashley Judd!
But there is a bit of excitement as the robbery crew tries to take down the Fed Reserve Bank in LA.
Nah...it's not "Heat". It's not even "The Bank Job". Worth watching? Sure. I think I caught this on Sat night and I can't remember much about it outside the twist at the end.
Eh....
2.5/5.
Pretty neat French documentary about America circa 1959-1960. At times it seems like Koyaanisqatsi and at times like a French New Wave film. The tone is (obviously as it's French) a bit snarky, but deservedly so. America has it's idiosyncrasies. It's also a bit of a nostalgic look at what the 'golden age' of America was like. I enjoyed it.
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Sounds interesting - I'll have to see if I can track it down on one platform or another.
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I'm not sure I would count Gerard Butler as a B rate actor unless his frequent "xxx has fallen" movies have diminished him in your eyes. He did do some drama, sang in Phantom (albeit one of the weaker roles) and the usual action movies.
ter1413
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He is def B level to me. I man, those "XXX has Fallen" flicks are probably ok. I don't remember seeing any...and can't say what they did at the box office. But when I say A level, i'm talking leading roles, box office, appeal, etc: Denzel/Cruise/Will Smith/Downey Jr/etc. < that bunch.
fxh
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Yeah I watched it the other night as I was sick of sickening true crime docos. I enjoyed it. It is what it is. No false promises. It had a lot of nice little Eurovision jokes and did the groups/acts from various countries pretty bloody well.
Pimpernel Smith
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The Professor and the Madman: extremely well played by Mel Gibson, Sean Penn, Natalie Dormer, Eddie Marsan and Steve Coogan. The story of first Oxford English Dictionary.
Apparently Gibson and the director, Farhad Safinia, fell out with the production company over the version that was to be released and have disowned it. Don't be put-off, it's still a great film. Perhaps we'll get the Director's Cut in another few years that's an extra 2 hours long or so. But what we have now is good enough.
Apparently Gibson and the director, Farhad Safinia, fell out with the production company over the version that was to be released and have disowned it. Don't be put-off, it's still a great film. Perhaps we'll get the Director's Cut in another few years that's an extra 2 hours long or so. But what we have now is good enough.
ter1413
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Danny Trejo: The actor who went from prisoner to film star
A new documentary looks at how Danny Trejo left his criminal past to become a film star.
www.bbc.com
I haven't seen it yet.....but will prob check it out.
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I thought everyone knew Danny Trejo was a criminal.
There was someone from Sopranos that had the same background.
There was someone from Sopranos that had the same background.
ter1413
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