Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| Nov 2013
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I've shifted gears from Horror to Science Fiction this month. So far I've watched:
1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Always considered this one of Spielberg's best films. It's not as epic a film as some of his later stuff, but I always loved the fact that a film about something as grand as Alien life, is done in such an inward fashion from a character standpoint. It doesn't devolve into the usual bullshit that most Aliens fall victim too. Seeing such scope reduced down to such an extent is a breath of fresh air, which is why I always have a thing for films like this and Contact. 4.5 out of 5
2. Soylent Green - I really loved the universe of the film. Not many post-apocalyptic films appropriately capture the hopelessness of their settings, but I felt Soylent Green succeeded to great effect, especially within scenes housing Edward G. Robinson. It's not a perfect film by any means, but it's definitely effective at what it sets out to accomplish. 4 out of 5
3. Westword - I loved the concept behind the film, and truly appreciate the pace of the film, but I would have liked to see a longer film. 90 minutes felt much too short to give the setting and concept justice (which is why I'm excited for the HBO series!). Having said that, the film is really good. It has a few inconsistencies and plot holes, but that's par for the course as far as 70s films of this cut are concerned. The slow pace was used effectively, and the payoff within the final act when shit finally hits the fan was definitely worth the wait. Yul Brenner was great as always. I kind of wish they would have refrained from showing the other theme parks though, especially given the constraints of the runtime. 4 out of 5
4. Logan's Run - I'm conflicted on the film. I was on both sides of the fence with respect to everything in this film. Sometimes the set design was awesome, and other time's it was laughably campy. Sometimes Goldsmith's score was on point, and other times it was WTF. I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the film, although the part where they
I dug the concept, enjoyed the chase aspect of the narrative and appreciated the imaginative setting. The film was definitely before its time, and huge inspiration on science fiction moving forward. It's a film that I really enjoyed despite all of its glaring issues. 3.5 out of 5
I'll likely be watching Repo Man tonight.
1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Always considered this one of Spielberg's best films. It's not as epic a film as some of his later stuff, but I always loved the fact that a film about something as grand as Alien life, is done in such an inward fashion from a character standpoint. It doesn't devolve into the usual bullshit that most Aliens fall victim too. Seeing such scope reduced down to such an extent is a breath of fresh air, which is why I always have a thing for films like this and Contact. 4.5 out of 5
2. Soylent Green - I really loved the universe of the film. Not many post-apocalyptic films appropriately capture the hopelessness of their settings, but I felt Soylent Green succeeded to great effect, especially within scenes housing Edward G. Robinson. It's not a perfect film by any means, but it's definitely effective at what it sets out to accomplish. 4 out of 5
3. Westword - I loved the concept behind the film, and truly appreciate the pace of the film, but I would have liked to see a longer film. 90 minutes felt much too short to give the setting and concept justice (which is why I'm excited for the HBO series!). Having said that, the film is really good. It has a few inconsistencies and plot holes, but that's par for the course as far as 70s films of this cut are concerned. The slow pace was used effectively, and the payoff within the final act when shit finally hits the fan was definitely worth the wait. Yul Brenner was great as always. I kind of wish they would have refrained from showing the other theme parks though, especially given the constraints of the runtime. 4 out of 5
4. Logan's Run - I'm conflicted on the film. I was on both sides of the fence with respect to everything in this film. Sometimes the set design was awesome, and other time's it was laughably campy. Sometimes Goldsmith's score was on point, and other times it was WTF. I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the film, although the part where they
escape to outside of the city into the natural world and the moments directly preceding it and thereafter were a bit weak.
I'll likely be watching Repo Man tonight.
Count Dookkake
Member
I kinda read it as a satire of The Nice Guy.
Man, I REALLY loved this movie. I need to give it a rewatch. The final 20 minutes were so good.
kurisu_1974
Banned
Repo Man, Logan's Run, Westworld? You are watching all my favorite movies!
ThisWreckage
Banned
Films I have enjoyed in 2013 so far:
Stoker
Upstream Color
Mud
The Conjuring
Blue Jasmine
Prisoners
Gravity
Her and American Hustle are really the only films I'm looking forward to that haven't been released. Very ho-hum year so far, but I haven't seen maybe four or five films that have already been released that I'm interested in.
Stoker
Upstream Color
Mud
The Conjuring
Blue Jasmine
Prisoners
Gravity
Her and American Hustle are really the only films I'm looking forward to that haven't been released. Very ho-hum year so far, but I haven't seen maybe four or five films that have already been released that I'm interested in.
I've seen this twice already. Had to support my boy Chiwetel.
There's a yearly film festival in town, so I'll be seeing lots over the next couple of weeks.
Last night we saw Gloria, a Chilean film about a middle-aged woman dealing with her ordinary life. She's divorced, has two grown up kids, starts a relationship, has a neighbour with mental health issues, that sort of thing. A pretty decent film, but maybe something I would get more out of if I had experienced more life.
We also saw Wakolda, an Argentinian film about Josef Mengele during his life on the run in South America. It was a fairly good drama about a family that get involved with his experiments, a bunch of ex-Nazis and a Mossad agent (who really existed), but it didn't quite hide enough to be a great mystery or delve into any characters enough to be a great character study. Still worth a watch, though.
Last night we saw Gloria, a Chilean film about a middle-aged woman dealing with her ordinary life. She's divorced, has two grown up kids, starts a relationship, has a neighbour with mental health issues, that sort of thing. A pretty decent film, but maybe something I would get more out of if I had experienced more life.
We also saw Wakolda, an Argentinian film about Josef Mengele during his life on the run in South America. It was a fairly good drama about a family that get involved with his experiments, a bunch of ex-Nazis and a Mossad agent (who really existed), but it didn't quite hide enough to be a great mystery or delve into any characters enough to be a great character study. Still worth a watch, though.
I watched White House Down yesterday. WTF. How does this movie have 50% on RT? An action blockbuster with that rating is usually at least watchable. But this is just a huge trainwreck. It feels as if they took pure stupid and compressed it into a movie script. Absolutely cringeworthy. And the CGI looked cheap as hell.
Inferno313
Banned
Not gonna see 12 Years a Slace? Or Inside Llewyn Davis?
You should check out A Field in England and To The Wonder.
kurisu_1974
Banned
Seconding To the Wonder. A Field in England is a funny diversion but ultimately nothing more than that. Would have made a great short movie.
OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather
Member
I think I may be the only who prefers To the Wonder over The Tree of Life.
that would have been ok.
Cosmic Bus
pristine morning snow
That this is the state of things is really depressing to me.
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
EDIT: Misjudged a Neil LaBute joke.
I need to make sure he makes Ned Rifle, but the Criterion sale comes first. Hit me.
I need to make sure he makes Ned Rifle, but the Criterion sale comes first. Hit me.
John Dunbar
correct about everything
Ivan's Childhood: First film by Tarkovsky I've seen, and it is quite an impressive debut film, one of the best I've seen. Generally I abhor child actors, but perhaps because I don't understand a word of Russian the kid playing Ivan actually did a good job. Russian life was very sad, as the song goes.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: I've always had mixed feelings about Gilliam's movies. I feel like I should like them more than I do, and this one was no exception. There's a lot of cool stuff, and overall it's quite a ride, but at times it felt like it dragged a bit.
The Wind and the Lion: I knew nothing about this movie going in except that it had Sean Connery in it and that it looked like a desert adventure so I at least expected some nice cinematography. I bought it at a flea market and had never heard of it before. It pretty much delivered, it was an entertaining movie and at times even beautiful, though at times it was a bit inconsistent tone-wise, like the flippant murdering and the decapitation of prisoners might tamper the general mood a bit. Apparently based on real events to some degree. Brian Keith gave the best portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt I've seen on screen.
Sunset Boulevard: A great movie. Billy Wilder sure could make 'em. There's something amazing seeing a movie that has Cecil B. DeMille playing himself and Buster Keaton doing a cameo. Interesting how this and All About Eve came out in the same year, them being pretty much the two best take-downs of show business put on film.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: I've always had mixed feelings about Gilliam's movies. I feel like I should like them more than I do, and this one was no exception. There's a lot of cool stuff, and overall it's quite a ride, but at times it felt like it dragged a bit.
The Wind and the Lion: I knew nothing about this movie going in except that it had Sean Connery in it and that it looked like a desert adventure so I at least expected some nice cinematography. I bought it at a flea market and had never heard of it before. It pretty much delivered, it was an entertaining movie and at times even beautiful, though at times it was a bit inconsistent tone-wise, like the flippant murdering and the decapitation of prisoners might tamper the general mood a bit. Apparently based on real events to some degree. Brian Keith gave the best portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt I've seen on screen.
Sunset Boulevard: A great movie. Billy Wilder sure could make 'em. There's something amazing seeing a movie that has Cecil B. DeMille playing himself and Buster Keaton doing a cameo. Interesting how this and All About Eve came out in the same year, them being pretty much the two best take-downs of show business put on film.
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
The Wind and the Lion seems underrated as far as Milius goes; I'm more interested in films he scripted for other directors like Pollack and Huston, though Big Wednesday's a priority.
Grinchy
Banned
Loved that movie. It's the only good movie that Ben has directed so far.
that's seems backwards he's such a bad director (though the blood in dillinger is great) and peaked as a writer pretty early. i mean it's telling that his best script is jeremiah johnson and there's like 35 words in that.
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
I meant most people will cite Red Dawn or Dillinger, not some film he made about Teddy Roosevelt in the Middle East. Don't ask me for an opinion on the guy, I haven't gotten to him yet.
If he's done anything weirder than Abel, though, then whoa. This is my first Warmerdam flick (need to get around to Verhoeven), and it coming out the same year as Matador's pretty cool. A hilarious mixture of melodrama and satire, probably along the lines of Sirk and Buñuel. I know you've seen it, Ulster, so here's my endorsement.
If he's done anything weirder than Abel, though, then whoa. This is my first Warmerdam flick (need to get around to Verhoeven), and it coming out the same year as Matador's pretty cool. A hilarious mixture of melodrama and satire, probably along the lines of Sirk and Buñuel. I know you've seen it, Ulster, so here's my endorsement.
Head of Vengarl
Banned
Carrie
I watched the new one in theaters and then went home and watched the old one on Netflix.
Bleh. Don't see what the big deal is.
I watched the new one in theaters and then went home and watched the old one on Netflix.
Bleh. Don't see what the big deal is.
John Dunbar
correct about everything
Seriously though, if anyone's interested in some nicely shot adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously, The Wind and the Lion was surprisingly good for a movie no one ever seems to mention. And it has Sean Connery as an Arab brigand that hits women when they talk back. Just imagine.
And Keith as Roosevelt, oh my. He lays down some serious truths.
And Keith as Roosevelt, oh my. He lays down some serious truths.
Secret Fawful
Member
The Omen III: The Final Conflict
WHAT THE FUCK AT THAT ENDING? Damien loses, angel Jesus suddenly appears, and then there are two quotes from the Book of Revelations followed by credits?
Sam Neill was badass, though. He reminded me of a young Mark Hamill.
WHAT THE FUCK AT THAT ENDING? Damien loses, angel Jesus suddenly appears, and then there are two quotes from the Book of Revelations followed by credits?
Sam Neill was badass, though. He reminded me of a young Mark Hamill.
BaronLundi
Member
MIND GAME - Masaaki Yuasa (2004) : first time in years I wished I had some weed. Will watch again on slow motion to understand what the fuck was happening. Loved it. 8/10
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER - Roy Ward Baker (1958) : Pretty impressive. That american woman on the rescue boat fuck yeah. 8,5/10
WALTZ WITH BASHIR - Ari Folman (2008) : wow. I wished the shrink gave the analysis of that one dream though. 8,5/10
CONFESSIONS - Tetsuya Nakashima (2010) : interesting first act and then it goes all shitty and unbelievable but in slow motion. Man what's with japanese films and their obtrusive non diegetic overuse of music ? 6/10
LE CORBEAU (THE RAVEN) - HG Clouzot (1943) (rewatch) : such a great build-up, ending doesn't live up to it though 7,5/10
MAGIC MIKE - S. Soderbergh (2012) : best thing about it was discovering this gem 6/10
SPEED RACER - Last time I watched it I was tired so I gave it another chance. Well, no wonder I fell asleep on my first try. What a boring tunnel of gimmicky crap. Also has a kid who can't act, a annoying chimp and a couple of good actors who look like they hope no one will notice they got lost in that colorful turd. 1 point because I was happy to see that Friday Night Lights kid again. 1/10
THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS - Heartrending in more ways than one. No one has ever meant so much by turning a light on. 9/10
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER - Roy Ward Baker (1958) : Pretty impressive. That american woman on the rescue boat fuck yeah. 8,5/10
WALTZ WITH BASHIR - Ari Folman (2008) : wow. I wished the shrink gave the analysis of that one dream though. 8,5/10
CONFESSIONS - Tetsuya Nakashima (2010) : interesting first act and then it goes all shitty and unbelievable but in slow motion. Man what's with japanese films and their obtrusive non diegetic overuse of music ? 6/10
LE CORBEAU (THE RAVEN) - HG Clouzot (1943) (rewatch) : such a great build-up, ending doesn't live up to it though 7,5/10
MAGIC MIKE - S. Soderbergh (2012) : best thing about it was discovering this gem 6/10
SPEED RACER - Last time I watched it I was tired so I gave it another chance. Well, no wonder I fell asleep on my first try. What a boring tunnel of gimmicky crap. Also has a kid who can't act, a annoying chimp and a couple of good actors who look like they hope no one will notice they got lost in that colorful turd. 1 point because I was happy to see that Friday Night Lights kid again. 1/10
THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS - Heartrending in more ways than one. No one has ever meant so much by turning a light on. 9/10
BaronLundi
Member
I was so mesmerized by Tatum's dance moves in that scene that I totally blanked out this awesome track.
If Gravity sparks the imagination a bit more because of its setting and its breakneck pacing, All is Lost finds a more contemplative, reserved approach to its tale of survival, and is none the lesser for it. Working with a significantly smaller budget that Gravity and last year's Life of Pi, writer/director J.C. Chandor makes due thanks in large part to a smartly pared down script that focuses on the mere survival of Our Man, with no gimmicks, no twists beyond what nature has in store for him, and a remarkable handle on having the small-scale tragedies feel even more significant than the holes in the boat or the storm that lies ahead. Even without sudden story twists, the film still feels remarkably suspenseful, thanks to nature's sudden bad turns and a particularly keen focus on the fastidiousness of the methods that our hero goes to repair the damage and to keep himself safe, or so he thinks, as well as being able to stage the larger, more physically intensive moments for maximum impact. And as Our Man, Robert Redford flawlessly portrays him as a man quietly angry at having the experience it takes get through the ordeal, but not the body to make it all possible. There's a palpable sense from every time you look into Redford's eyes when something goes wrong about how much easier it would have been for him 20 years younger, maybe even 10 years younger, and as the movie progresses, how he perceives his outward frailness begins to gnaw away at him worse than the weather or his living conditions. You may learn very little about the man himself, though small visual cues hint at his life's hardships before his time at sea effectively, but you can't help but feel for him by the sheer magnitude of the basic premise of his situation, and with filmmaking and a performance this great, you'll feel every wave of the ocean crashing just as hard.
-Stranger-
Junior Member
Should i see Prisoners or Captain Phillips at the cinema?
Which is better?
Which is better?
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
I was rather underwhelmed by House of Tolerance, myself. I'd maybe need to watch a few scenes again to remind myself of specifics, or perhaps have my mind changed, but outside of the quality of the costuming and scenery, I thought the characterization was done in a pretty obvious way (what I sometimes call "surface-level realism", where what's depicted is not exactly unrealistic, but doesn't really get at the heart of anything), the narrative plodding, and the imagery pretty contrived.
Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my memory of it.
Edit: Then again, I've nothing to add to the "recent French films" list, so I should probably fuck off.
Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my memory of it.
Edit: Then again, I've nothing to add to the "recent French films" list, so I should probably fuck off.
ThisWreckage
Banned
I did not care for To the Wonder. I haven't liked a Malick film since Days of Heaven, however.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
I don't have Netflix, so I haven't had a chance to watch it. I'm VERY intrigued, though, by the polarized reviews, if only to see what's so different about this one compared to his previous movies.
IceDoesntHelp
Banned
Rewatched Love Exposure, I still like it very much.
"Surface-level realism" sounds like something that seems realistic but is not.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Perhaps the term is not apt, but I think the description is. I think of something like Ajami, which is not horrible and is, perhaps, naturalistic - in a sense - but doesn't really use the realism to say anything unique or penetrating.
With House of Tolerance, I recall a lot of scenes of the girls gabbing, but unlike in an Ozu or Cassavetes movie, where conversation on seemingly minor things can be more revealing than anything the characters actually do, I don't recall the dialogue being similarly piercing. "Believable", in a sense, but banal.
Anyone try the TCM thing? Felt like I was dropping a lot of frames. Honestly not to the point of being unwatchable, but when I've got a stack of other DVDs and hundreds of netflix choices I'm not going to opt for the stuttering venue. Maybe my connection's just bad though.
I need to watch it again.
What's weird is it's really not different. I took a sort of autobiographical reading on it: the film is about a woman who's willing to let everyone around her fall away in her pursuit of some ineffable wondrous quality in nature. She only wants to experience the movie in this one Malickian way. What wasn't clear to me was 1) why Malick felt the need to be so defensive about his worldview 2) whether this possible awareness is even defensive in the first place, it could be self-critical.
I need to watch it again.
ThisWreckage
Banned
Very similar to his other work, but it did not resonate with me. It seemed like a completely lifeless perfume ad.
You're not alone!
It's more like what the film is missing compared to other Malick films. It's pure Malick through and through, but it can said that the film lacks a certain emotional core that draws you in, it kind of has this cold detached feel that's hard to connect with, even I did find it to be pretty emotionally affecting in certain moments and a really good film otherwise though.
tensuke
Member
I watched Gravity, Ender's Game, and Escape Plan last Saturday. It was a long day, but all three were enjoyable. Had a few gripes with the first two (absolutely nothing could be wrong with a Stallone/Schwarzenegger film, though), but nothing that detracted too much. Overall I enjoyed all three, they all offered something different and executed their ideas well. Actually, I think the order I saw them in helped too. Gravity was a great introduction to space and heavy tension, Ender's Game continued the space theme while throwing in lots of action, and Escape Plan ended the day with mindless action and mayhem.
I would probably pick Gravity as the one to watch out of the three, but honestly they'd all be great depending on your mood.
I would probably pick Gravity as the one to watch out of the three, but honestly they'd all be great depending on your mood.
After Earth
Spoilers below!
I wanted to see for myself if the movie was as shitty as everyone says it is. And it is. Stuff just doesn't make sense. The whole planet freezes but Will Smith can stay in his aircraft all safe and sound. Bullshit. The ending was laughable as well. The entire movie Jaden Smith is scared shitless and suddenly he can ghost. You could see that coming a mile away because of the 'inspirational' story from his dad.
One last thing; everything is evolved to kill humans. Yet the bird helps our young hero.
Granted, the story seems interesting but the execution is horrible.
Rushmore
Another movie by Wes Anderson and I enjoyed it. It's a strange and sometimes funny movie. Just what you'd expect from a WA movie.
Now only Bottle Rocket remains and I'm caught up with WA films until The Grand Budapest Hotel comes out.
Spoilers below!
I wanted to see for myself if the movie was as shitty as everyone says it is. And it is. Stuff just doesn't make sense. The whole planet freezes but Will Smith can stay in his aircraft all safe and sound. Bullshit. The ending was laughable as well. The entire movie Jaden Smith is scared shitless and suddenly he can ghost. You could see that coming a mile away because of the 'inspirational' story from his dad.
One last thing; everything is evolved to kill humans. Yet the bird helps our young hero.
Granted, the story seems interesting but the execution is horrible.
Rushmore
Another movie by Wes Anderson and I enjoyed it. It's a strange and sometimes funny movie. Just what you'd expect from a WA movie.
Now only Bottle Rocket remains and I'm caught up with WA films until The Grand Budapest Hotel comes out.
Ha, yea, that was great. Is that scientology evolution or what? In a thousand years stuff evolves to kill a species which is no longer present on the planet.
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