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Movies You've Seen Recently | June 2018
- Thread starter Divius
- Start date
The Burden: You've seen musicals about existential dread before, but have you seen a 15 minute-long musical about existential dread as performed by stop-motion animal puppets in Swedish? I didn't think so! This was rather dryly humorous despite the overwhelming sense of a coming darkness throughout, and while it's not going for toe-tappers, the musical numbers do have a strange appeal to them due to their wordiness and relationship to what's happening on screen. I'm not sure this could hold up at feature length at all, but for the duration that it does last, it does leave a solid impression.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Still a ridiculously fun film with a nice sense of momentum and plenty of material for each member of the core cast to play off one another. It was fun to see this with someone who hadn't seen it before and see how much they reacted to it, especially when that person is your sister who was visiting for the weekend!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Still an ambitious misfire that overloads on every element to mixed results, as well as making the error of keeping the Guardians apart for as long as they did, but it's a big step up visually from the original, the jokes that land land hard and despite me not being on board with where they decided to take Yondu, Michael Rooker puts in that work to help make some of that up. Also another one I got to see with my sister, who hadn't seen them before, and she really liked Baby Groot!
Guardians of the Galaxy: Still a ridiculously fun film with a nice sense of momentum and plenty of material for each member of the core cast to play off one another. It was fun to see this with someone who hadn't seen it before and see how much they reacted to it, especially when that person is your sister who was visiting for the weekend!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Still an ambitious misfire that overloads on every element to mixed results, as well as making the error of keeping the Guardians apart for as long as they did, but it's a big step up visually from the original, the jokes that land land hard and despite me not being on board with where they decided to take Yondu, Michael Rooker puts in that work to help make some of that up. Also another one I got to see with my sister, who hadn't seen them before, and she really liked Baby Groot!
Is that Death Wish remake worth seeing? The critics and audience scores have a very large gap.
17% on Critics and 77% of users/audience liked it.
17% on Critics and 77% of users/audience liked it.
lmao fair enough
I remember liking Cabin Fever but it's been like a decade since I saw that one.
All I remember from Cabin Fever is "Pancakes!!!"
That was some movie
Game Night
What an incredibly funny movie! I really want to give this a 5/5 rating but that's just from riding the emotional high I got watching it so I'm going to temper that to a 4/5. The comedy was extremely well done. What was even better was the camera work, especially when their juggling the egg. About half way through that sequence I realized it was all done in one take. I haven't gone back to watch it again, but seeing that unfold and realizing what was being done was very awesome. A lot of other shots throughout were pretty awesome to look at too. Definitely putting this one on the buy pile.
Justice League
Ok, so I loved Batman vs Superman. I waited until the directors cut came to bluray and bought that. It has its flaws but overall was very well done. Wonder Woman was another step up from BvS and I actually enjoyed Suicide Squad quite a bit as well so I had some hope this would turn out well.
Except...that it really didn't. I still enjoyed this, but what a step down from the other three films. The story was decent overall. It's pretty much along the lines of Infinity War. Bad guy needs thing that kills universe/planet and has to collect pieces. Once he gets it, our heroes need to unite and vanquish the baddy. Pretty stock story at this point.
So let's start with the bad and that was the atrocious cgi tendril things towards the end. I don't know if someone forgot to put the final rendering in the film or what, but that was some awful, awful cgi. It's cool to see some ideas like this made, but don't bother if its going to look like an old Playstation two game. Especially when I recall actually enjoying (ie not complaining about) the cgi in the other three movies. The dodgy cgi felt rushed quite honestly and maybe this whole thing was rushed. There were moments that it felt like a made for tv thing since those are usually low budget affairs anyway.
Before I forget, one other complaint I have is that this really felt scatter brained. Story threads come and go at a fast clip which wouldn't be bad if they were connected better. As with the cgi, this really did feel like a rush job.
Moving on to the good, which was the cast/heroes. I think they all meshed very well together and just worked. When I saw the trailer, robot guy looked kind of stupid, but in the film I think his costume worked fairly well. Just looked him up...he's called Cyborg. Really? Just Cyborg? Nothing cool like a play on words...nothing. Wow. Moving on.
When the credits rolled on this, definitely wasn't as happy as I was on the three previous movies. I did enjoy it, although I do see why this one was criticized so badly.
The Lost City of Z
Hunnam was good in Sons of Anarchy, but how would that translate to a future career and can he get out of being typecast? Turns out, yes. Take off the tats and dress him up like a proper Englishman and he fits right in. Robert Pattinson was even decent in this although he just had a bit role pretty much. Tom Holland had an even smaller role. Sienna Miller was good though we didn't really see enough of her character.
Overall I enjoyed this a lot. In fact, it made me fire up Cannibal Holocaust right after because it had a lot of the same feel of the jungle and the tribes within. Obviously a vast difference, but enough of a similarity.
On the good side, the scenery and settings were very well done. My only real complaint is that the film was kind of scatter brained which I suppose happens when you try and tell the life story of someone in a short time. Some scenes shift away quickly where others linger a bit long. Then we have the whole fortune teller scene which felt like an odd thing to put in this at all. Either way, I'm glad I watched this. Decent film.
Cannibal Holocaust
This second viewing was because of the Horror 52 challenge. That list needed some rewatches and I was curious how this held up. Then seeing the Lost City of Z earlier in the day really primed me to want to watch this again so I finally filled that slot on my Horror 52 list.
My score on this definitely toned down. Seeing it for a second time allowed me to focus on how this was crafted and it definitely has a b movie feel complete with soldier guy that waves an Uzi around like a complete maniac where no bullet would land. I still love this though.
The first time I watched it was eye opening and I remember how dirty I felt after seeing it. The way the story unfolds is tremendously well done so that the horror elements lead you to a place you didn't see coming. Everything starts off different and we assume to know who the bad guys are but then the second half really turns that back on itself. I love the questions this film bashes over your head as you watch everything unfold. Not recommended for the squeamish, but this is well worth watching as a horror fan.
Hereditary
My girlfriend and I both have talking birds that click so the little girls clicking habit was far too amusing. The mother screaming wipe that face off your face to her son was hilarious too. Although the words probably were slightly different. Still though, that was too funny. I get that parents say weird things when pissed, but come on, at least make the dialog decent in the script. The dad said something weird too. He jumbled some words so they came out odd.
People call this great? I just don't see it. It did have some cool scenes but it was just a messy thing all around. A lot of things just didn't connect. From the trailer, I had expected more to do with the doll houses but they were just a job/hobby thing that really went nowhere. The little girl went around making odd totem things that really didn't go too far. This felt a bit shattered to me and my girlfriend agreed. We both liked it, no regrets seeing it, but this is definitely not the great hotness everyone else makes it out to be. I didn't even mind the slow burn, it was just fractured in the way it was told.
What an incredibly funny movie! I really want to give this a 5/5 rating but that's just from riding the emotional high I got watching it so I'm going to temper that to a 4/5. The comedy was extremely well done. What was even better was the camera work, especially when their juggling the egg. About half way through that sequence I realized it was all done in one take. I haven't gone back to watch it again, but seeing that unfold and realizing what was being done was very awesome. A lot of other shots throughout were pretty awesome to look at too. Definitely putting this one on the buy pile.
Justice League
Ok, so I loved Batman vs Superman. I waited until the directors cut came to bluray and bought that. It has its flaws but overall was very well done. Wonder Woman was another step up from BvS and I actually enjoyed Suicide Squad quite a bit as well so I had some hope this would turn out well.
Except...that it really didn't. I still enjoyed this, but what a step down from the other three films. The story was decent overall. It's pretty much along the lines of Infinity War. Bad guy needs thing that kills universe/planet and has to collect pieces. Once he gets it, our heroes need to unite and vanquish the baddy. Pretty stock story at this point.
So let's start with the bad and that was the atrocious cgi tendril things towards the end. I don't know if someone forgot to put the final rendering in the film or what, but that was some awful, awful cgi. It's cool to see some ideas like this made, but don't bother if its going to look like an old Playstation two game. Especially when I recall actually enjoying (ie not complaining about) the cgi in the other three movies. The dodgy cgi felt rushed quite honestly and maybe this whole thing was rushed. There were moments that it felt like a made for tv thing since those are usually low budget affairs anyway.
Before I forget, one other complaint I have is that this really felt scatter brained. Story threads come and go at a fast clip which wouldn't be bad if they were connected better. As with the cgi, this really did feel like a rush job.
Moving on to the good, which was the cast/heroes. I think they all meshed very well together and just worked. When I saw the trailer, robot guy looked kind of stupid, but in the film I think his costume worked fairly well. Just looked him up...he's called Cyborg. Really? Just Cyborg? Nothing cool like a play on words...nothing. Wow. Moving on.
When the credits rolled on this, definitely wasn't as happy as I was on the three previous movies. I did enjoy it, although I do see why this one was criticized so badly.
The Lost City of Z
Hunnam was good in Sons of Anarchy, but how would that translate to a future career and can he get out of being typecast? Turns out, yes. Take off the tats and dress him up like a proper Englishman and he fits right in. Robert Pattinson was even decent in this although he just had a bit role pretty much. Tom Holland had an even smaller role. Sienna Miller was good though we didn't really see enough of her character.
Overall I enjoyed this a lot. In fact, it made me fire up Cannibal Holocaust right after because it had a lot of the same feel of the jungle and the tribes within. Obviously a vast difference, but enough of a similarity.
On the good side, the scenery and settings were very well done. My only real complaint is that the film was kind of scatter brained which I suppose happens when you try and tell the life story of someone in a short time. Some scenes shift away quickly where others linger a bit long. Then we have the whole fortune teller scene which felt like an odd thing to put in this at all. Either way, I'm glad I watched this. Decent film.
Cannibal Holocaust
This second viewing was because of the Horror 52 challenge. That list needed some rewatches and I was curious how this held up. Then seeing the Lost City of Z earlier in the day really primed me to want to watch this again so I finally filled that slot on my Horror 52 list.
My score on this definitely toned down. Seeing it for a second time allowed me to focus on how this was crafted and it definitely has a b movie feel complete with soldier guy that waves an Uzi around like a complete maniac where no bullet would land. I still love this though.
The first time I watched it was eye opening and I remember how dirty I felt after seeing it. The way the story unfolds is tremendously well done so that the horror elements lead you to a place you didn't see coming. Everything starts off different and we assume to know who the bad guys are but then the second half really turns that back on itself. I love the questions this film bashes over your head as you watch everything unfold. Not recommended for the squeamish, but this is well worth watching as a horror fan.
Hereditary
What was the last thing that little girl said as her head hit the telephone pole? *click* lol Yea...that is most certainly tasteless and I laughed way too hard at the ant covered head that got tossed on the screen briefly. That was too over the top. A head on the ground would have sufficed, why cover it with ants?
My girlfriend and I both have talking birds that click so the little girls clicking habit was far too amusing. The mother screaming wipe that face off your face to her son was hilarious too. Although the words probably were slightly different. Still though, that was too funny. I get that parents say weird things when pissed, but come on, at least make the dialog decent in the script. The dad said something weird too. He jumbled some words so they came out odd.
People call this great? I just don't see it. It did have some cool scenes but it was just a messy thing all around. A lot of things just didn't connect. From the trailer, I had expected more to do with the doll houses but they were just a job/hobby thing that really went nowhere. The little girl went around making odd totem things that really didn't go too far. This felt a bit shattered to me and my girlfriend agreed. We both liked it, no regrets seeing it, but this is definitely not the great hotness everyone else makes it out to be. I didn't even mind the slow burn, it was just fractured in the way it was told.
I'm so glad the fact that I was on super hype mode for Hereditary from the first poster actually paid off lol, still need to see it though. Hate watching horror movies on opening weekend.
Anyway finally got around to Inside Llewyn Davis and man... I like the Coen Bros, love Isaac but this was just kinda a big bottle of nothing? Yeah it had solid acting from Oscar and a bunch of symbolism (some of it was pretty heavy handed) but I don't know. Was just kinda boring to me.The fact that some people call it one of the best films of the 21st century is puzzling. I tried to stop comparing it to Whiplash and even though they're different enough I think in terms of watching a career freak pursue a music career Whiplash was much better (and had much better music). I think I might have actually liked Hail, Caesar more? And I found that pretty disappointing too.
Anyway finally got around to Inside Llewyn Davis and man... I like the Coen Bros, love Isaac but this was just kinda a big bottle of nothing? Yeah it had solid acting from Oscar and a bunch of symbolism (some of it was pretty heavy handed) but I don't know. Was just kinda boring to me.The fact that some people call it one of the best films of the 21st century is puzzling. I tried to stop comparing it to Whiplash and even though they're different enough I think in terms of watching a career freak pursue a music career Whiplash was much better (and had much better music). I think I might have actually liked Hail, Caesar more? And I found that pretty disappointing too.
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Seeing it tomorrow, only thing I'm iffy about is the aspect ratio seems unnecessary - especially compared to A Ghost Story (which I found beautiful but boring).
OP
OP
Pick 3 Get 3 - June Matchups:
PM your buddy and have fun!
PM your buddy and have fun!
15:17 to Paris is the strangest movie I've seen in awhile. It's a hodgepodge of weird and boring that I swear to god reminds me of The Room or a robotic Linklater
In Darkness was great until the last act. I really liked how the theme of the movie changed with the first big twist, but the final twist was just a steaming pile of horse shit. I just don't buy it that
she suddenly regained vision as a result of a traumatic experience or alternatively if she faked it for the entire time then the movie is simply an insult to the viewer.
Finally saw the final cut of a film I helped fine-tune a few months ago. You may remember me making reference to a new installment of a beloved series from childhood. From the genius behind Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99 comes PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH.
Easily the best in the franchise, this is a distinct continuity/universe from the classic series and it is pretty effed up and hilarious. There is one kill in particular that is truly legendary (you'll know it when you see it), but the rest are also pretty gross amd even offensive. Some of the classic puppets are back (with variants, too) as well as some new ones. The human supporting cast is pretty good, with stand-outs being Udo Kier as a really slimy Toulon, Skeeta Jenkins as "Cuddly Bear," and Barbara Crampton as a cop.
Highly recommended to fans of the original series, but equally recommended to folks who appreciate transgressive gross-outs.
Easily the best in the franchise, this is a distinct continuity/universe from the classic series and it is pretty effed up and hilarious. There is one kill in particular that is truly legendary (you'll know it when you see it), but the rest are also pretty gross amd even offensive. Some of the classic puppets are back (with variants, too) as well as some new ones. The human supporting cast is pretty good, with stand-outs being Udo Kier as a really slimy Toulon, Skeeta Jenkins as "Cuddly Bear," and Barbara Crampton as a cop.
Highly recommended to fans of the original series, but equally recommended to folks who appreciate transgressive gross-outs.
Wait, did Zahler actually direct it? I know he does quite a bit of writing otherwise, but that'd be a hell of a gig to get these days.
My wife really wanted to see so we rented it from redbox. It is boring af.
Well this is a long one :/
Source Code
This movie has some interesting ideas that are well presented and is possessed of good, snappy pacing, but i can't help but feel underwhelmed after Moon. The writing and acting are solid but there's a certain spark missing here, to elevate this movie from being slightly above average genre exploration. Still miles better than Warcraft though.
Mad Max: The Road Warrior
Still love this movie. I think Fury Road overcomes it, but not by much, and this is still my favorite Max incarnation, weary and defeated, disconnected from his humanity. Road Warrior manages a perfect balance between the farcical camp of the two factions in dispute and an almost noir approach to the character of Max and his trajectory, and the last 20 minutes of the movie are still absolutely fantastic and exhilarating.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
It felt a bit uneven and uncharacteristic of Wes Anderson, probably due to the source material, but it's still really good. Meryl Streep is, as usual, the star of the show here, and i liked Clooney and Eric Anderson a lot as well. I adore the animation and the cinematography, while the shot composition is undeniably Anderson. Can't wait to see Isle of Dogs.
Bridesmaids
I've heard a lot about this movie, but only now sat down to see it, and was a bit disappointed, maybe due to the high expectations i had. It mostly feels like a typical formulaic american studio comedy, which i don't really tend to enjoy, although Kristen Wiig's script and performance elevated it enough for me to enjoy it. Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd are really good here. I love Freaks and Geeks but haven't really enjoyed anything else coming from Paul Feig as much as that. Why do these comedies always fall into the schmaltz trap? There's a couple of very good scenes here but most of the movie averages at ok.
Fast Five
It's got an extremely dumb plot and some entertaining action. Vin Diesel sleepwalks through it and Paul Walker still has no new expressions. The main cast pretty much consists of Dwayne Johnson and three moon rocks. The team that is put together for the heist is actually the best part of the movie. After being the best thing in the second movie, Tyrese Gibson shines again in this as the most charismatic actor on display. The action is not particularly well shot but it's so silly and over the top that it carries the movie by itself. Also this is probably one of the most nonsensical plothole ridden travesty of a 'story' that i've seen in a long time. Can't wait for number 6!
Contagion
I don't think that Soderbergh's approach to telling this story is very successful. Contagion left me cold. It starts well enough, but i feel that there are too many stories for the running time, for them to be well fleshed out to any satisfactory degree. Cotillard disappears for most of the movie and so does her character development, Jude Law hams it up trying to salvage a pretty terribly written character, Matt Damon and the daughter's storyline is toothless after the tragedy at the beginning, Kate Winslet's story is the most interesting and feels like the human core to this tale. The dialogue ranges from serviceable to outright bad and clunky. I didn't really have a sense of what was going on in the world at large for most of the movie. It ultimately feels like a butchered longer movie. And i hated that ending. There was no need for it. As positives, i loved the clinical, almost documental direction and, again, Kate Winslet. Her work in here is above everyone else's.
The English Patient
Mon Dieu Juliette Binoche. She radiates charm and beauty here and is by far the best thing in this movie, which is saying a lot, as it's an actor's movie through and through. Everyone else in here is on point. A tale of loss and ghosts that linger on in despair, it's a heartbreaking movie. The cinematography is mesmerizing and the sweeping soundtrack arresting. Classic film making, though it feels at times that Minghella doesn't quite have the chops for certain scenes. He's great when filming people and at texturing this inhospitable desert, not so great at filming more action oriented scenes.
Damn this movie gets me weepy every time :(
Source Code
This movie has some interesting ideas that are well presented and is possessed of good, snappy pacing, but i can't help but feel underwhelmed after Moon. The writing and acting are solid but there's a certain spark missing here, to elevate this movie from being slightly above average genre exploration. Still miles better than Warcraft though.
Mad Max: The Road Warrior
Still love this movie. I think Fury Road overcomes it, but not by much, and this is still my favorite Max incarnation, weary and defeated, disconnected from his humanity. Road Warrior manages a perfect balance between the farcical camp of the two factions in dispute and an almost noir approach to the character of Max and his trajectory, and the last 20 minutes of the movie are still absolutely fantastic and exhilarating.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
It felt a bit uneven and uncharacteristic of Wes Anderson, probably due to the source material, but it's still really good. Meryl Streep is, as usual, the star of the show here, and i liked Clooney and Eric Anderson a lot as well. I adore the animation and the cinematography, while the shot composition is undeniably Anderson. Can't wait to see Isle of Dogs.
Bridesmaids
I've heard a lot about this movie, but only now sat down to see it, and was a bit disappointed, maybe due to the high expectations i had. It mostly feels like a typical formulaic american studio comedy, which i don't really tend to enjoy, although Kristen Wiig's script and performance elevated it enough for me to enjoy it. Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd are really good here. I love Freaks and Geeks but haven't really enjoyed anything else coming from Paul Feig as much as that. Why do these comedies always fall into the schmaltz trap? There's a couple of very good scenes here but most of the movie averages at ok.
Fast Five
It's got an extremely dumb plot and some entertaining action. Vin Diesel sleepwalks through it and Paul Walker still has no new expressions. The main cast pretty much consists of Dwayne Johnson and three moon rocks. The team that is put together for the heist is actually the best part of the movie. After being the best thing in the second movie, Tyrese Gibson shines again in this as the most charismatic actor on display. The action is not particularly well shot but it's so silly and over the top that it carries the movie by itself. Also this is probably one of the most nonsensical plothole ridden travesty of a 'story' that i've seen in a long time. Can't wait for number 6!
Contagion
I don't think that Soderbergh's approach to telling this story is very successful. Contagion left me cold. It starts well enough, but i feel that there are too many stories for the running time, for them to be well fleshed out to any satisfactory degree. Cotillard disappears for most of the movie and so does her character development, Jude Law hams it up trying to salvage a pretty terribly written character, Matt Damon and the daughter's storyline is toothless after the tragedy at the beginning, Kate Winslet's story is the most interesting and feels like the human core to this tale. The dialogue ranges from serviceable to outright bad and clunky. I didn't really have a sense of what was going on in the world at large for most of the movie. It ultimately feels like a butchered longer movie. And i hated that ending. There was no need for it. As positives, i loved the clinical, almost documental direction and, again, Kate Winslet. Her work in here is above everyone else's.
The English Patient
Mon Dieu Juliette Binoche. She radiates charm and beauty here and is by far the best thing in this movie, which is saying a lot, as it's an actor's movie through and through. Everyone else in here is on point. A tale of loss and ghosts that linger on in despair, it's a heartbreaking movie. The cinematography is mesmerizing and the sweeping soundtrack arresting. Classic film making, though it feels at times that Minghella doesn't quite have the chops for certain scenes. He's great when filming people and at texturing this inhospitable desert, not so great at filming more action oriented scenes.
Damn this movie gets me weepy every time :(
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Incredibles 2
Better than the first on nearly every level. The animation is absolutely gorgeous and full of life but what really allows for this to be superior visually is that the advancements in technology really showcases the art design. I mean, you can see it in the first film but it seems utterly alive and vibrant here as though it's a whole new thing. Bird notes this is what he wanted the first film to be like but the technology just wasn't there, so now we have him at his full power in style and substance and I'm amazed I even doubted the existence this movie after I saw it.
It might have some plot contrivances I wasn't on board with early on but honestly it all is minor against a grander and more creative story and plot with great humor and a baby that steals the show.
5/5
Better than the first on nearly every level. The animation is absolutely gorgeous and full of life but what really allows for this to be superior visually is that the advancements in technology really showcases the art design. I mean, you can see it in the first film but it seems utterly alive and vibrant here as though it's a whole new thing. Bird notes this is what he wanted the first film to be like but the technology just wasn't there, so now we have him at his full power in style and substance and I'm amazed I even doubted the existence this movie after I saw it.
It might have some plot contrivances I wasn't on board with early on but honestly it all is minor against a grander and more creative story and plot with great humor and a baby that steals the show.
5/5
Still cool! He's got a great ear for genre, so I'm sure it'll be by far the best written film in the series.
The aspect ratio feels very deliberately chosen and implemented
Unsane: 6/10. Thanks for the solid Matt Damon.
Revenge: 4/10. Wait how did burning the tree help? Oh it's a meaphor. How clumsy. I don't know why I thought this was for me.
First Reformed: 8/10. The best movie of 2018 movie I've seen by far though that's not saying much. You may now freely discuss this film, thank you for your cooperation.
Revenge: 4/10. Wait how did burning the tree help? Oh it's a meaphor. How clumsy. I don't know why I thought this was for me.
First Reformed: 8/10. The best movie of 2018 movie I've seen by far though that's not saying much. You may now freely discuss this film, thank you for your cooperation.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) - ★★★★☆
Just came out of Jurassic world: Fallen Kingdom. It was way better than I had anticipated. It was a big improvement over JW1, and I liked a lot of things here and where it has left us at. There was one incredibly stupid thing that was super dumb, but most other things worked. A lot of pretty cinematography here, with a few nice action pieces. I loved when Bayona played around with shadows and mirroring to enhance the tension. The supporting cast was better too and I liked the "bad guys" motivation. Still, I really disliked that there was no grey area and how they made this connection between the good guys and the dinosaurs. It's still a far cry from Jurassic Park, but it was such an improvement over Jurassic World.
Just came out of Jurassic world: Fallen Kingdom. It was way better than I had anticipated. It was a big improvement over JW1, and I liked a lot of things here and where it has left us at. There was one incredibly stupid thing that was super dumb, but most other things worked. A lot of pretty cinematography here, with a few nice action pieces. I loved when Bayona played around with shadows and mirroring to enhance the tension. The supporting cast was better too and I liked the "bad guys" motivation. Still, I really disliked that there was no grey area and how they made this connection between the good guys and the dinosaurs. It's still a far cry from Jurassic Park, but it was such an improvement over Jurassic World.
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Old Man: Pretty wild experimental animation that somehow manages to be less crazy than the phone interviews with Charles Manson that are collected here. That's actually something of a relief, because for as eclectic as the barrage of styles and techniques get, there's the sense that nothing could begin to measure up to the rantings from Manson himself and even help to make him go down about as easy as you can get with a genuinely evil person such as he was. There's probably not much replay value here, even at around five minutes long, but it does leave a strong impression all the same.
Weird Science - 8/10
The plot itself seems silly in the sense two nerds are able to somehow end up creating this bombshell of a figure. You think it'll be an love story but then Lisa turns into something unexpected. Her attempt at forcing the boys to show their courage and their fear of looking as cowards is adolescent talent. The invaders into the house are fantastic characters and just villainous. Either the boys are going to step up to the challenge or continue to be trampled over.
The plot itself seems silly in the sense two nerds are able to somehow end up creating this bombshell of a figure. You think it'll be an love story but then Lisa turns into something unexpected. Her attempt at forcing the boys to show their courage and their fear of looking as cowards is adolescent talent. The invaders into the house are fantastic characters and just villainous. Either the boys are going to step up to the challenge or continue to be trampled over.
It's a good movie, but overrated, agree.
I don't even think it's a top five Coen movie of the 2000s. I like No Country For Old Men, A Serious Man, O Brother Where Art Thou, The Man Who Wasn't There and True Grit better.
First Reformed - 8.75/10. The majority of the movie had me thinking this was a masterpiece, and likely was going to be the best movie of the year so far. The performances and in particular the screenplay were sensational. The direction was simple but effective. My biggest issues were the ending and the scene where
Ethan Hawke is putting on the barbed wire. It looked really bad (He looked like he had a baby's body).
The Final Year
Not the depressing horror show I thought it was going to be, but overall a good tribute to the diplomatic achievements and (failed) efforts of the Obama administration, specifically John Kerry and Samantha Power. Doesn't really tell you anything new, but it is a nicely packaged recap, with some interesting and amusing interviews with Obama, Kerry, Power, and Ben Rhodes. Two things I wish this movie did more of: provide more on-the-ground footage of the actual diplomatic efforts than talking about them after the fact (though this is admittedly probably hard to do, given that most diplomats prob don't want HBO camera crews hanging around in their meetings) and spend more time on some of the wedge issues that Rhodes and Power butted heads over. The movie gets to this point pretty late in the game, and it's the only time in the whole thing where you really see more fractured opinions than general consensus in the administration. Maybe it's too recent for Rhodes and Power to really feel comfortable litigating these differences, though; they usually demur with "You'll have to ask the other person."
7/10
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Like with most play adaptations, I was worried this would be too stagey and sometimes it is, but Mike Nichols - in his directorial debut! - brings a lot of interesting camerawork to the table, especially in the latter half of the film, to liven up the structure of the film. Burton and Taylor are fantastic, and while Taylor sometimes skirts the edge of OTT and histrionic, she (almost) always pulls it back from the edge, and especially nails it out of the park in the final 10-20 minutes of the film. The actors playing the younger couple, though, are less convincing and feel more scenery-chewing than not.
8/10
Unsane
Shot-on-iPhone makes for a weird effect; it's like you're FaceTiming with the actors for two hours. Claire Foy is excellent, occasionally dodgy American accent aside, and Jay Pharoah is also a surprisingly good supporting player. A lot of the rest of the cast comes off as very amateurish. The plot prob takes two contrived turns too many, but it's otherwise an engaging pulpy genre thriller.
7/10
Not the depressing horror show I thought it was going to be, but overall a good tribute to the diplomatic achievements and (failed) efforts of the Obama administration, specifically John Kerry and Samantha Power. Doesn't really tell you anything new, but it is a nicely packaged recap, with some interesting and amusing interviews with Obama, Kerry, Power, and Ben Rhodes. Two things I wish this movie did more of: provide more on-the-ground footage of the actual diplomatic efforts than talking about them after the fact (though this is admittedly probably hard to do, given that most diplomats prob don't want HBO camera crews hanging around in their meetings) and spend more time on some of the wedge issues that Rhodes and Power butted heads over. The movie gets to this point pretty late in the game, and it's the only time in the whole thing where you really see more fractured opinions than general consensus in the administration. Maybe it's too recent for Rhodes and Power to really feel comfortable litigating these differences, though; they usually demur with "You'll have to ask the other person."
7/10
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Like with most play adaptations, I was worried this would be too stagey and sometimes it is, but Mike Nichols - in his directorial debut! - brings a lot of interesting camerawork to the table, especially in the latter half of the film, to liven up the structure of the film. Burton and Taylor are fantastic, and while Taylor sometimes skirts the edge of OTT and histrionic, she (almost) always pulls it back from the edge, and especially nails it out of the park in the final 10-20 minutes of the film. The actors playing the younger couple, though, are less convincing and feel more scenery-chewing than not.
8/10
Unsane
Shot-on-iPhone makes for a weird effect; it's like you're FaceTiming with the actors for two hours. Claire Foy is excellent, occasionally dodgy American accent aside, and Jay Pharoah is also a surprisingly good supporting player. A lot of the rest of the cast comes off as very amateurish. The plot prob takes two contrived turns too many, but it's otherwise an engaging pulpy genre thriller.
7/10
Death Wish (the new one with Dr John McClane) was good, damn I don't remember the last time I watched a movie with Bruce Willis in which he actually cared about delivering a solid performance. Really cool stuff although they went a bit too far with some of the one-liners:
-You're not gonna kill me?
- No, the jack is XD
- No, the jack is XD
My Neighbors the Yamadas - *** I ordered this when Takahata died (because netflix dvd didn't have Grave of the Fireflies, which I also haven't seen, for some reason) and just got around to watching it. It's delightfully animated, fluidly transitioning between childish doodle drawings and stylized manga recreations. It's tender and perceptive about how and why families stick together at all. And ultimately I...found it kinda treacly. Few of the sketches are meaty (the one with the motorcycle gang and the father's failure to confront them was my favorite), most are trifles with as much depth as any Sunday newspaper comic--which these were effectively adapted from, so that tracks. I'm sure if I had any connection to the source material I would be more enthused, if a For Better or Worse adaptation were done this way I'd sit up at attention. (I thought about saying the same for Calvin and Hobbes but I'm firmly in agreement with Watterson that it should stay in its original medium.)
The Breadwinner (dir. Nora Twomey) is one the best films I've seen this year. Cartoon Saloon pulls no punches on this Mulan-like tale set during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The passing down of storytelling reminded me of Kubo and the Two Strings and it's also an emotional rollercoaster. Don't miss out!
I thought this shot in particular was beautiful. People, go see this.
The Break-Up - Rewatch -
I usually watch this once a year when it's on TV. I didn't see it for the first time until several years ago, but enjoy it. It's not the best movie in the world, but it's entertaining and I like the cast.
I usually watch this once a year when it's on TV. I didn't see it for the first time until several years ago, but enjoy it. It's not the best movie in the world, but it's entertaining and I like the cast.
Thor Ragnarok is the only MCU movie worth a damn. It is so far beyond the rest that it is almost confusing how they let it happen.
I got around to watching The Disaster Artist on Amazon Prime, and I thought it was... OK? I found it rather dull, with most of the funny bits being used in the trailer. I Definitely didn't come away from it feeling like Wiseau was a sympathetic individual, he comes off as a manipulative asshole. However, I haven't read the book.
6/10
6/10
I watched a lot of movies in May, probably the most of the year. Really productive month for watching movies.
Top 5 New Watches:
1. Chinatown
2. Rosemary's Baby
3. Repulsion
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. The Beyond
Top Rewatches:
1. Chinatown (lol)
2. The Love Witch
3. Gone Girl
4. Death Proof (hard to watch that one scene after the NY Times Uma Thurman article)
5. Planet Terror (aged badly)
I watched two versions of The Big Sleep yesterday, and the Humphrey Bogart version is superior but the Robert Mitchum version is still really fun and super sleazy. For Robert Mitchum Marlowe flicks, I prefer Farewell My Lovely.
Top 5 New Watches:
1. Chinatown
2. Rosemary's Baby
3. Repulsion
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. The Beyond
Top Rewatches:
1. Chinatown (lol)
2. The Love Witch
3. Gone Girl
4. Death Proof (hard to watch that one scene after the NY Times Uma Thurman article)
5. Planet Terror (aged badly)
I watched two versions of The Big Sleep yesterday, and the Humphrey Bogart version is superior but the Robert Mitchum version is still really fun and super sleazy. For Robert Mitchum Marlowe flicks, I prefer Farewell My Lovely.
Went to Animafest Zagreb and these are the features I saw (not gonna review all the shorts, because well, that was a lot):
The Man-Woman Case (2017)
Fascinating film/miniseries about a real case in the 1920's in Australia about a transgender living as a man who (allegedly) killed his wife. It's portrayal of the way people back them looked at the transgender man as a monster and the way the case progresses is fascinating and scary, especially knowing that actually not a lot has changed in society nowadays. Great watch, highly recommended.
4/5
Captain Morten and the Spider Queen (2018) - World premiere
Lovely stop-motion kids feature by the great Estonian filmmaker and overall fun person at parties Kaspar Jancis (who also actually wrote the book this was based on). It's very well made and it's kinda impressive that Estonia managed to pull off their own feature (with some help from the Irish). I felt it does have some big issues with storytelling though, it tries telling three or four stories at the same time, while I feel that focusing on two or maybe even just one of them would've led to a more interesting and coherent film.
3/5
Perfect Blue (1998)
I shouldn't need to say anything about this, as you should know this is one of the best animated features of all time.
5/5
This Magnificent Cake! (2018)
The new film by Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels, known for their amazing stop motion masterpiece Oh Willy... (which can be seen here), again using the beautiful felt-created worlds they perfected in their previous work. This is their longest film to date, clocking in at 43 minutes and the first time they have used voice acting. Where Oh Willy... was a very dark and moody film, this is a much more funny affair, despite handling a pretty damn dark time in history (the film is about the Belgian colonization of the Congo). For me it worked amazingly, the humor can be very dark, but I love that kind of humor. It also helps if you're familiar with the Belgian/Flemish language and their style of humor, because this has a lot of it.
The film is set up as an anthology of sorts, with five semi-separate stories of varying lengths with five different characters. All of the stories look at the colonization effort from another perspective (the Belgian king desperately wanting his own piece of Africa, the pygmy 'working' in a colonizer hotel, the rich Belgian trader looking for his fortune in the Congo, a black slave 'working' for the aforementioned rich trader and a criminal who flees chooses exile to Africa over a prison sentence) and every single one of these stories is great. For me this is currently the front runner for best animated film of 2018 and I don't see anything soon dethroning this. If you have a chance to see this somewhere (a festival or elsewhere), absolutely don't miss it.
4.5/5
And now...
My favourite shorts at Animafest Zagreb
1. La Chute - Boris Labbé
2. Reruns - Rosto
3. Cyclists - Veljko Popovic
4. Augur - David Doutel & Vasco Sá
5. The Ogre - Laurène Braibant
The Man-Woman Case (2017)
Fascinating film/miniseries about a real case in the 1920's in Australia about a transgender living as a man who (allegedly) killed his wife. It's portrayal of the way people back them looked at the transgender man as a monster and the way the case progresses is fascinating and scary, especially knowing that actually not a lot has changed in society nowadays. Great watch, highly recommended.
4/5
Captain Morten and the Spider Queen (2018) - World premiere
Lovely stop-motion kids feature by the great Estonian filmmaker and overall fun person at parties Kaspar Jancis (who also actually wrote the book this was based on). It's very well made and it's kinda impressive that Estonia managed to pull off their own feature (with some help from the Irish). I felt it does have some big issues with storytelling though, it tries telling three or four stories at the same time, while I feel that focusing on two or maybe even just one of them would've led to a more interesting and coherent film.
3/5
Perfect Blue (1998)
I shouldn't need to say anything about this, as you should know this is one of the best animated features of all time.
5/5
This Magnificent Cake! (2018)
The new film by Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels, known for their amazing stop motion masterpiece Oh Willy... (which can be seen here), again using the beautiful felt-created worlds they perfected in their previous work. This is their longest film to date, clocking in at 43 minutes and the first time they have used voice acting. Where Oh Willy... was a very dark and moody film, this is a much more funny affair, despite handling a pretty damn dark time in history (the film is about the Belgian colonization of the Congo). For me it worked amazingly, the humor can be very dark, but I love that kind of humor. It also helps if you're familiar with the Belgian/Flemish language and their style of humor, because this has a lot of it.
The film is set up as an anthology of sorts, with five semi-separate stories of varying lengths with five different characters. All of the stories look at the colonization effort from another perspective (the Belgian king desperately wanting his own piece of Africa, the pygmy 'working' in a colonizer hotel, the rich Belgian trader looking for his fortune in the Congo, a black slave 'working' for the aforementioned rich trader and a criminal who flees chooses exile to Africa over a prison sentence) and every single one of these stories is great. For me this is currently the front runner for best animated film of 2018 and I don't see anything soon dethroning this. If you have a chance to see this somewhere (a festival or elsewhere), absolutely don't miss it.
4.5/5
And now...
My favourite shorts at Animafest Zagreb
1. La Chute - Boris Labbé
2. Reruns - Rosto
3. Cyclists - Veljko Popovic
4. Augur - David Doutel & Vasco Sá
5. The Ogre - Laurène Braibant
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Here Comes the Boom - rewatch -
I remember seeing this at a friend's when it came out, because he'd torrented it and wanted to watch it while we drank. I like Kevin James and decided to give it another shot late at night when it was on TV. It's nothing special, but it's entertaining enough. The way things end up is hard to believe.
I hate the UFC and that type of sport, but the movie is okay.
I remember seeing this at a friend's when it came out, because he'd torrented it and wanted to watch it while we drank. I like Kevin James and decided to give it another shot late at night when it was on TV. It's nothing special, but it's entertaining enough. The way things end up is hard to believe.
I hate the UFC and that type of sport, but the movie is okay.
Hereditary
Beautifully shot and acted, I would love to see Collette get a nomination for her performance because it is raw and visceral. The plot kind of lost me near the end but the constant sense of dread is ever present.
My big point for the movie, though, is the remarkable sound design and score. It's some of the best horror movie sound editing you could ask for that always has you edge, and the use of music (and an amazing final song that fits wonderfully perfect) really sells the whole thing despite my quibbles with the story.
4/5
Beautifully shot and acted, I would love to see Collette get a nomination for her performance because it is raw and visceral. The plot kind of lost me near the end but the constant sense of dread is ever present.
My big point for the movie, though, is the remarkable sound design and score. It's some of the best horror movie sound editing you could ask for that always has you edge, and the use of music (and an amazing final song that fits wonderfully perfect) really sells the whole thing despite my quibbles with the story.
4/5
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I've been thinking about this movie non-stop since seeing it last Thursday. Not because there's a deep message that I feel the need to discuss or understand, but just because it made an impact on me somehow. I miss talking about it, but I don't know what I need to say that I haven't already. It just checked all the boxes for me, and despite any flaws or issues I have with the movie, I feel like it may just be my favorite movie of all time.
I get why people may not like it, or could have been disappointed by it, but it was just right for me.
It's a movie that evokes an immediate emotional response. You kind of let it wash over you with the atmosphere and mood, the look of it all, and you get lost in the moments it puts out there. It's certainly one of the best of the year so far for me despite the issues and some of the things that would take me out of those moments and that immediate emotional response I was enjoying.
spiderqueen looks awesome.Went to Animafest Zagreb and these are the features I saw (not gonna review all the shorts, because well, that was a lot):
The Man-Woman Case (2017)
Fascinating film/miniseries about a real case in the 1920's in Australia about a transgender living as a man who (allegedly) killed his wife. It's portrayal of the way people back them looked at the transgender man as a monster and the way the case progresses is fascinating and scary, especially knowing that actually not a lot has changed in society nowadays. Great watch, highly recommended.
4/5
Captain Morten and the Spider Queen (2018) - World premiere
Lovely stop-motion kids feature by the great Estonian filmmaker and overall fun person at parties Kaspar Jancis (who also actually wrote the book this was based on). It's very well made and it's kinda impressive that Estonia managed to pull off their own feature (with some help from the Irish). I felt it does have some big issues with storytelling though, it tries telling three or four stories at the same time, while I feel that focusing on two or maybe even just one of them would've led to a more interesting and coherent film.
3/5
Perfect Blue (1998)
I shouldn't need to say anything about this, as you should know this is one of the best animated features of all time.
5/5
This Magnificent Cake! (2018)
The new film by Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels, known for their amazing stop motion masterpiece Oh Willy... (which can be seen here), again using the beautiful felt-created worlds they perfected in their previous work. This is their longest film to date, clocking in at 43 minutes and the first time they have used voice acting. Where Oh Willy... was a very dark and moody film, this is a much more funny affair, despite handling a pretty damn dark time in history (the film is about the Belgian colonization of the Congo). For me it worked amazingly, the humor can be very dark, but I love that kind of humor. It also helps if you're familiar with the Belgian/Flemish language and their style of humor, because this has a lot of it.
The film is set up as an anthology of sorts, with five semi-separate stories of varying lengths with five different characters. All of the stories look at the colonization effort from another perspective (the Belgian king desperately wanting his own piece of Africa, the pygmy 'working' in a colonizer hotel, the rich Belgian trader looking for his fortune in the Congo, a black slave 'working' for the aforementioned rich trader and a criminal who flees chooses exile to Africa over a prison sentence) and every single one of these stories is great. For me this is currently the front runner for best animated film of 2018 and I don't see anything soon dethroning this. If you have a chance to see this somewhere (a festival or elsewhere), absolutely don't miss it.
4.5/5
And now...
My favourite shorts at Animafest Zagreb
1. La Chute - Boris Labbé
2. Reruns - Rosto
3. Cyclists - Veljko Popovic
4. Augur - David Doutel & Vasco Sá
5. The Ogre - Laurène Braibant
First Reformed
Watched it a week back, but thought I'd toss up my impressions. An excellent film, Paul Schrader has made a film about closure and world anxieties, celebration and faith, anger and resentment, and the spirit of kindness and caring. Ethan Hawke gives one of his best performances, one that is quiet but starting to boil. A hell of a movie.
Faces Places
A soulful and beautiful film about art and its humanity. Following the young and the old artists around France as they touch on life and art and leaving behind art and life everywhere they go, it's a great in-the-moment documentary that really spoke to me.
Lean on Pete
Rewatched it. Still as near-perfect as it was before. It broke my heart a little more this time. I hope more get to watch it when it hits digital and disc next month.
Rocky Balboa
I never watched this when it came out, decided to finally give it a chance before watching Creed on the weekend (also will be my first time watching that!). It does a lot of really good character stuff up front, but by doing so it always makes the fight feel rushed, with its wild amount of smash cuts and flashes and fades. A lot of boxing and fighting films do that, and it's a move that leaves me a little disappointed every time. Warrior, I feel, did it right. But despite that, the movie is quite good despite some flaws, and I'm glad I finally got to see it. Rocky still had some fight in him.
Watched it a week back, but thought I'd toss up my impressions. An excellent film, Paul Schrader has made a film about closure and world anxieties, celebration and faith, anger and resentment, and the spirit of kindness and caring. Ethan Hawke gives one of his best performances, one that is quiet but starting to boil. A hell of a movie.
Faces Places
A soulful and beautiful film about art and its humanity. Following the young and the old artists around France as they touch on life and art and leaving behind art and life everywhere they go, it's a great in-the-moment documentary that really spoke to me.
Lean on Pete
Rewatched it. Still as near-perfect as it was before. It broke my heart a little more this time. I hope more get to watch it when it hits digital and disc next month.
Rocky Balboa
I never watched this when it came out, decided to finally give it a chance before watching Creed on the weekend (also will be my first time watching that!). It does a lot of really good character stuff up front, but by doing so it always makes the fight feel rushed, with its wild amount of smash cuts and flashes and fades. A lot of boxing and fighting films do that, and it's a move that leaves me a little disappointed every time. Warrior, I feel, did it right. But despite that, the movie is quite good despite some flaws, and I'm glad I finally got to see it. Rocky still had some fight in him.
Rewatched Amadeus via the Director's Cut on the big screen last night. Recently saw Barry Lyndon in a theater as well. Hard to say which one I prefer; both naturally lit, impeccably shot, beautiful period pieces with equal parts humor and drama. Feeling pleased to be able to see them both in a theater setting after initially watching them on laptops and CRTs.
It's a pretty fun watch and looks beautiful as is to be expected with a Nukufilm film.
Taxi Driver 1976
★★★★★
Would you believe that not only is this my first time watching this film, but going in blind as well? Taxi driver blew me away like a .44 Magnum would blow a face off. Truly a masterpiece.
Hereditary fucked me up royally. Great to see a rare Sundance horror flick actually live up to all the 5-star foaming.
Avengers Infinity War: solid Marvel movie as usual. Entertaining throughout, impressive how they juggled so many characters without it feeling unfocused
Solo: I liked it more than most it seemed. It had its problems that all seemed to stem from the last minute changes. I also found Glover's and Clarke's characters mediocre. Really dug all of the extended universe drops
Deadpool 2: really fun, really funny. I think it could have moved along a little more quickly in the first act
Solo: I liked it more than most it seemed. It had its problems that all seemed to stem from the last minute changes. I also found Glover's and Clarke's characters mediocre. Really dug all of the extended universe drops
Deadpool 2: really fun, really funny. I think it could have moved along a little more quickly in the first act