Talk about whatever you want to here, but stay correct
#325182 by fragility
Sun Jun 19, 2016 12:38 pm
Just saw The Revenant (yes, parents of small children are slow...and also, iTunes clearly isn't marketing to us with is rentals - you think we're going to get through an entire movie I'm 48 hours?!!!)

I really didn't fancy it, but I enjoyed it. Makes me laugh that a movie in which Leo largely grunts won him best actor, but I thought it was really entertaining, if incredibly predictable.
#325226 by EphelDuath666
Sat Jul 09, 2016 11:10 am
fragility wrote:Just saw The Revenant (yes, parents of small children are slow...and also, iTunes clearly isn't marketing to us with is rentals - you think we're going to get through an entire movie I'm 48 hours?!!!)

I really didn't fancy it, but I enjoyed it. Makes me laugh that a movie in which Leo largely grunts won him best actor, but I thought it was really entertaining, if incredibly predictable.


but that scene with the bear :shock:
#325256 by vt1100
Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:21 am
Not exactly movie, but I watched Band of Brothers (6 episodes first day, rest 4 next day) again and enjoyed every episode of it.
#325258 by fragility
Sun Jul 17, 2016 6:45 am
EphelDuath666 wrote:
fragility wrote:Just saw The Revenant (yes, parents of small children are slow...and also, iTunes clearly isn't marketing to us with is rentals - you think we're going to get through an entire movie I'm 48 hours?!!!)

I really didn't fancy it, but I enjoyed it. Makes me laugh that a movie in which Leo largely grunts won him best actor, but I thought it was really entertaining, if incredibly predictable.


but that scene with the bear :shock:


I am so concerned that there are people who's minds went to "rape" while watching that!

Watched Jurrasic World last night. Big fans of the original so it was nice to watch something with that vibe, and loved all the refernces back to it. It just could have done wih a couple of scenes with some real tension...I guess it's hard when you make the main dinosaur so big and bad that you can't really have too many close encounters and survive. Enjoyed it though :)
#325261 by Bookwyrm83
Tue Jul 19, 2016 5:29 am
The Ghostbusters remake.

Ok, we all know the controversy, the division and the hype that has made this movie more polarizing than BvS, Civil War and that awful first trailer for Star Trek Beyond combined.
So what do I, a nerdy white guy in his early thirties who grew up with and loves the original movies think of this new incarnation?

Spoiler: show
It's halfway decent, wouldn't put it higher than Ghostbusters II. The audience I saw it with had mixed results, with most of the giggles coming from the ladies and other audience members (of both genders) sitting for periods in silence.
I personally found the first hour or so to be almost bereft of solid entertainment, with only mild chuckles or smirks to be had amidst all the awkward humour and SNL cast-off gags. No real scares in this movie either, unless you count predictable loud noises.
That being said, once we get the concert scene I found that's when the film finally gets going and offers some really good stuff. From here to the end it's uneven, both visually and in tone (though the worst visuals, and jokes for that matter are on full display in the trailer).
Of the four actresses I can see why Kate McKinnon is getting the most praise, as she has the most fun character. Leslie Jones has some shining moments as well, despite the stereotypes that go with them.
The villain sucks, as instead of a cool and creepy god/monster, we get a cliché sociopath that begs to be identified with - fuck that noise. I'll admit to enjoying some of the possession scenes, though. And as for Chris Hemsworth...he pretty much embodies the movie's habit of being funny in one moment and unwieldy in several others.
Overall a good cast that's nearly wasted on throwaway gags, cartoonish effects and a lazy copycat script. There are a few gems and big laughs but not enough for my tastes. 4.5/10.
#325285 by Bookwyrm83
Tue Aug 02, 2016 7:52 am
I Am Not a Serial Killer

Interesting tale of a Midwestern teenage sociopath with a fascination for real life murderers. When his small town is suddenly stricken by a series of savage killings, he decides to use his knowledge of psychological profiling to find the culprit himself, leading down a strange path even he couldn't have anticipated.
Dark, thrilling but also charmingly fun, with a few neat twists and a great cast. Christopher Lloyd puts on an especially great performance as a fragile, elderly neighbor. Worth checking out.

The Love Witch

A deliberately trashy and often hilarious call back to the sleazy soft core and horror films of the 60's and 70's, with a garish style to match. Tells of a young Wiccan woman with a shady past who moves to a coastal town in California to start a new life. She also has a fetish for love and it isn't long until she starts seducing men into devoting themselves to her completely - with disastrous results.
This is like a movie Jess Franco would have made, with a good feminist message woven in to boot. Also recommended.
#325313 by Bookwyrm83
Fri Aug 12, 2016 10:15 am
Another lot and then someone else take over, please.

The Lure
Polish musical about two mermaid sisters who join a seedy cabaret club with dreams of starting a new life. Tensions rise when one falls in love and the other won't relinquish her bloodthirsty nature. It's like watching The Little Mermaid but with more gore, sex and vampirism, all set against a Eurovision soundtrack. More style than substance but definitely entertaining.

The Devil's Candy
Heavy metal horror film involving a young family who has moved into a new home but are stalked by a highly disturbed former resident. Good mix of art, Satanism and diegetic musical choices while telling a pretty straightforward thriller. The use of Sunn O))) also made me smile. Absolutely enjoyed it.

Star Trek Beyond
This one was a blast. Visually brilliant, excellent action and some good character building. I don't understand all the reviews I've seen stating Idris Elba had a weak villain, I thought he was great. Some of the story could've been strengthened but overall a worthy instalment to the franchise.

Phantasm - remastered version.
Impressive presentation for this movie, looks better than most remasters I've seen for films from the 70's. The movie itself still holds up in its own way. Great musical score, some starts and genuine sense of mystery. That said, there's also a lot goofiness and unintended laughs. Gotta love the Tall Man and his Sentinel Spheres, though.
#325316 by Bookwyrm83
Tue Aug 16, 2016 5:43 am
Image

Suicide Squad

Like BvS before it, this is not the bad movie that most critics are making it out to be. It has plenty of problems (choppy editing, cliché slow-mo, too much CGI, the distinct feeling a lot was cut out and will be later seen on video, etc.) and took interesting lore and characters and put them in a messy action film.
On the bright side, it is way more fun (and noticeably shorter) than BvS and when the characters get to do awesome stuff, the movie proves its mettle. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is portrayed as beautifully and Will Smith plays a good Deadshot, though less of an asshole in the film as the villain is in the comics. I want to see more of Amanda Waller and Killer Croc in any follow ups, though. And it should be noted Jared Leto plays a decent (if aesthetically absurd) turn as Joker.

The BFG

An underrated and sweet adaptation of Roald Dahl's book. Not quite as dark as its source material but manages to keep the story tonally balanced. It's well acted and visually lovely, and often quite funny. The giants are cartoonish but this suits the tone of the movie (Fleshlumpeater was nastily enjoyable). A shame it hasn't received as much attention as it should.
#325319 by EphelDuath666
Wed Aug 17, 2016 10:25 am
Bookwyrm83 wrote:Image

Suicide Squad

Like BvS before it, this is not the bad movie that most critics are making it out to be. It has plenty of problems (choppy editing, cliché slow-mo, too much CGI, the distinct feeling a lot was cut out and will be later seen on video, etc.) and took interesting lore and characters and put them in a messy action film.
On the bright side, it is way more fun (and noticeably shorter) than BvS and when the characters get to do awesome stuff, the movie proves its mettle. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is portrayed as beautifully and Will Smith plays a good Deadshot, though less of an asshole in the film as the villain is in the comics. I want to see more of Amanda Waller and Killer Croc in any follow ups, though. And it should be noted Jared Leto plays a decent (if aesthetically absurd) turn as Joker.



Gonna try to possibly watch that one this week. I'm actually looking forward to it. And I'll give the extended cut of Batman v Superman a chance too. Actually kinda looking forward to that too even if I didn't like the theatrical cut all that much.
#325341 by Bookwyrm83
Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:28 am
The Shallows

One of the better shark movies in recent memory. More to the point, the best one since The Reef.
Blake Lively is quite believable as a stranded heroine facing off a large, near Jaws-sized white. I also appreciate this movie didn't make the shark an arch-villain, for the most part. Great effects, too.
A little light on character development and suspense but thankfully not loaded with needless jump-scares, and keeps a good pace with a fairly short running time. Worth giving a look.
#325356 by Bookwyrm83
Mon Aug 29, 2016 5:45 am
Don't Breathe

An impressive and genuinely intense horror movie. Another with no needless jump-scares (indeed every jump moment was relevant and paid off) and relied primarily on suspense rather than gore.
It also plays on audience perception of the characters with every passing moment; you want the burglars to get caught but at the same time, you want them to get the hell out of the house and away from the madman who lives there. Even the villain (a blind war vet) is someone you'll be both cheering for and cringing from.
Spoiler: show
Frankly, the only part I didn't like much was the coda, which felt tacked on and took away from the tension of the climax. It also explained things that we pretty much have figured out by that stage.

Fans of horror will definitely enjoy this. Highly recommended.
#325369 by EphelDuath666
Thu Sep 01, 2016 3:06 pm
watched 'Suicide Squad' yesterday. In English. Without subtitles. Yay! Our movie theaters don't do that too often but every once in a while it happens. I have to say I liked it. I mean, it wasn't perfect. The whole plot with the Enchantress was kinda 'meh' but I didn't really mind. The movie was fun anyways. Harley Quinn killed it....but that character is awesome in anything she's in. Not sure I loved Leto's version of the Joker all that much. Looked more like the 'crown pimp of crime' to me, heh. Will Smith was a good Deadshot too. Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc were a little underdeveloped I thought...but they were both still kinda fun.

This one shares one issue with BvS though. Bad CGI. DC and Warner really need to find a special effects studio that does a better job.

And now that I mentioned BvS....I watched the extended cut and liked it quite a bit better than the theatrical cut. Turns out the more Superman/Clark Kent and Batman/Bruce Wayne you put into the movie, the less Lex Luthor gets on your hairy low-hangers. And that's good news!
#325503 by Bookwyrm83
Wed Oct 05, 2016 5:44 am
Just sat through the extended BvS as well. Definitely an improvement, however only slightly. The added story makes the film more coherent and poignant in certain scenes. I didn't even mind the harder violence. Still, as a whole it remains flawed and messy. I won't be returning to the theatrical cut, though.

Also recently saw:
Hardcore Henry. Of all the movies I've seen that personify the phrase "guilty pleasure", this is one of them. The first-person narrative makes it interesting and I appreciate the direction to make the story unfold as the character of Henry encounters a new situation. That said, since most of the movie plays like an FPS, it's no surprise that plot takes a back seat to violent spectacle. Nonetheless, plenty entertaining and as has a hell of a finale.

The Magnificent Seven (2016). Saw this with low expectations and was surprised to find it was pretty good. Not destined to be a modern classic but it tells a fairly decent western story, is well cast and has some very intense sequences. It also doesn't grey the heroes (or villains) all that much as is wont with most movies nowadays, keeping both sides straightforward. While there are quite a few cliches and illogical aspects, it's still fun and doesn't require turning off your brain to enjoy.
#325614 by Bookwyrm83
Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:16 am
Shin Godzilla.
First, if you're not Japanese, you're gonna have a hell of a time watching this movie due to the fact it's loaded with text. And I don't just mean subtitles, but practically every character, group and location are introduced in almost every scene (even if only used once) and get a translation to go with it. Subtitles are fine but I'm here to watch a movie, not speed-read a comic.
Anyway, the direction is more fast-paced than its American counterpart and hearkens back to the old days of politics and nuclear themes, but in a modern context. Although only a few characters end up being memorable, they do tell the story well enough and the movie has a pretty cohesive narrative.
Thankfully we only have one monster to worry about and that's the big G himself. Interesting to see that not only does Godzilla evolve throughout the film but is also more powerful than previously portrayed. Great creature design, as well (despite tiny arms). I like that it's meant to be all CGI but the most part, I couldn't tell.
Spoiler: show
The first appearance can only be described as shocking. I have no fucking idea what they were thinking with that design but I immediately thought their 60's nostalgia had gone to their heads and maybe it was a different creature. Nope, just baby Godzilla. Thankfully once he shows up the second time he remains badass.

It should be noted that it's not gonna be for everyone. Despite the fast pace and good ideas (and plenty of in-jokes and references), it does drag in parts and a lot of the characters mesh with one another. Where Edwards' film was flawed by too much cutting away and waiting for things to happen, this is flawed by too much talk and bureaucracy (and seems to know it). The pay-off is awesome and for that I still recommend it for Godzilla fans.
#325682 by vt1100
Sun Nov 13, 2016 9:08 am
Doctor Strange
Even though my latest experience with this character was back in the seventies (yeah, that's right), this was quite entertaining piece of Marvel universe. And now that we have origins story sorted, let's hope that there's even better to come. 4/5

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