16 Comments

So, so concur on Yaphet Kotto – he's brilliant in everything I have ever seen him in. He even makes a very poor Bond film almost passable. Also think it's worth giving a nod to the brilliant John Ashton in MR. Another actor whose work is undervalued, who makes a scene better by being excellent furniture.

In fact almost all of these films serve a similar purpose for me. Good skills.

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Yes, Kotto was a great talent and added presence to every role he played. It's a terrific ensemble cast working at their best and digging their fun roles and dialogue. The running joke of Walsh taunting Mosley by being a step ahead of him (and using his identity) always cracks me up, but De Niro and Kotto were a magic combination.

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On board with some of these, not personally so much with others, and I am embarrassed to say I’ve never seen Big Trouble In Little China.

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No embarrassment necessary! I have perpetual gaps in my film viewing... life is not long enough to see every movie & TV series.

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Happily, it’s on Disney+ so I can catch up

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Great!

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Now that so many TV shows are so readily available on demand, I think I tend to default to those more for comfort watches, but aside from the obvious LOTR, the last two films I can remember comfort watching were Donnie Darko and Lost in Translation. There are definitely a whole bunch of horror movies that fall under that umbrella as well.

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on looking back at your piece, I guess neither of those fits under the "usually the titles you don’t want your cinephile buddies to know you enjoy" category!

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Lol, I know plenty of cinephiles who would comfort watch art house flicks! And Donnie Darko is a great choice. 🐰

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Great shout outs on Midnight Run and Big Trouble in Little China. I think the former is De Niro’s best film and the latter is an often overlooked gem from my favourite director 👍🏼

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Thanks, Daniel, and I agree!

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Bladerunner is one of mine. Escape from New York. Total Recall. Also Solaris (Tarkovsky and remake). But I realise this all just makes me sound irredeemably cool 😅😎

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Good choices. I also love Bladerunner.

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Great list, but special love for recognising the brilliance of Big Trouble in Little China “It’s all in the reflexes” 👏

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I love that movie so much. 'I'm a reasonable guy. But I've just experienced some very unreasonable things.'

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I must rewatch LOTR, Matrix was my lunchtime watch (the last 55 minutes) 24 years ago, every lunch.... Saw me through the day. Not sure I watch that many films.

Watched Aliens Romulus last night, I enjoyed it, but it was very deja vu. The start was amazing, felt like alien, the 80s technology was fab, but Andy as Jones/Bishop and the hints at other films, it just was a bit dull.

I liked Rain.

But comfort films, I don't want anyone to know about, tbh I think as Emma says "endless you tube videos about things I watched" Star Wars Explained, New Rockstars etc are probably my evil.

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