Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| August 2016

Status
Not open for further replies.
Emotion and sentimentality always won over with him over violence and sex and gore, usually. He just had strong disgust for some things. He may have written them Russ Meyer titty flicks but as a critic he gave four stars to The Polar Express and shit on anything he deemed too nasty.

Simply not true.

Dawn of the Dead
Last House on the Left

He gave those films 4 stars where many of his fellow critics shit on.

Recently he loved Rob Zombie's The Devil Rejects and saw things in that movie that many critics dismissed. etc...
 
Frygtelig lykkelig - Henrik Ruben Genz

A tale of amorality. Idk why but I expected this to be a kind of dynamic, stylish detective movie but it's more of a slow burner kind of thing, a fish out of a pond kind of story. A city cop who goes to a small village and discovers that the town has a set rules of their own. Interesting vibe, mood, visuals. The main character characterization is pretty damn interesting.
 
Hell or High Water - A terrific crime drama in just about every area of craft. Even-handed portrayal of cops'n'robbers, refreshingly meditative pace, thematic consistent, strong cinematography, confident direction, note perfect performances. It even has an ending that manages to be a climax and an epilogue at the same time. You walk out the theater thinking, "Damn, that was a good movie!"
 
I did in fact have that thought as I left the theater. So nice to combo break the mediocre/shitty movies I had seen a string of at the theater before that.
 
finally saw green room. fucking great. didn't enjoy it as much as blue ruin but i still loved it. great ending. also it nailed the punk scene pretty good, although i'm proud to admit i know next to nothing about the oregonian white power scene. the club reminded me of a politically inverse version of gilman
 
Chris Pine won't get enough credit for his performance in this movie, especially cuz Foster is the more showy role as the hothead brother. I think his best gift are his eyes. He has these beautiful blue eyes, staring out under a physique that's been visibly worn down by grief and death. The script quickly sketches out the characters, and you get a lot of their history from the brothers' body language, what they say or don't say, the pauses that sit between their interjections. You can feel the yearning he wants for another life when he stares at the waitress or the woman who comes to him in the casino. The fear and anxiety he has robbing banks, those emphatic eyes looking out from his ski mask. For the movie to work you have to emphasize with criminals who end up doing some very bad things, its hard not to lookin at Chris Pine.

05-hell-or-high-water.w529.h352.jpg
 
Yeah I was very impressed with Pine's performance. It was nice to see him outside of a blockbuster for once. He usually plays sort of goofy, naive characters so it was cool to see him play a character who is very clearly an adult.
 
I haven't seen him in anything above decent in my life so this is refreshing hearing he's in a grown up movie.

Looking fonward to seeing this after reading the glowing impressions in here. We haven't had a movie this summer since nice guys that wasn't mediocre tbh. Its been abysmal
 
Saw Sicario yesterday and what a good movie. Cinematography was unbelievable.
Also Benicio Del Toro stole the show

8.5/10
 
I did in fact have that thought as I left the theater. So nice to combo break the mediocre/shitty movies I had seen a string of at the theater before that.

Had the same experience with seeing Pete's Dragon. It was kind of like a sigh of relief walking out the theater, "ahhh, finally, I enjoyed that one!"

This summer's been so terrible haha
 
Rosemary's Baby. Finally got around to watching this. First time I tried I thought it was super boring and gave up but I found out it was part of a sort of trilogy with Repulsion first and Tenant last. So maybe that helped with this viewing. Good film but Repulsion was better. I did enjoy it and the atmosphere and the visuals but it just had something a little lacking to where it didn't rate as good as Repulsion. Glad to say I've finally watched this though.
 
Awesome-o.jpg


Awesom-O: So like, Adam Sandler is a single parent with 3 daughters, one of which is named after a cable channel, and Drew Barrymore is a single parent with 2 sons, and they go on an African safari together. Oh, and they drive the exact same minivan.
Studio executive: We'll call it Blended, because they're blended families, and we'll make sure everyone is made aware of that countless times on the safari!

Ok, now that I've had an excuse to make that reference, Blended is the weakest Adam Sandler movie I've seen (granted, I haven't seen the worst of the worst like Jack & Jill and Grown Ups). Almost everyone is unlikable here. There are a bunch of awkward jokes. And then there's the product placement. Adam Sandler works at Dick's Sporting Goods. There's a scene where Drew Barrymore tries to use Dr. Scholl's shoe inserts as bra padding. There's a scene where Adam Sandler goes shopping for tampons, and he names off the brands while the camera looks directly at the shelf. The minivans are Chryslers (and they have a closeup of the grill, so you know it's a Chrysler). There's an off-handed Mountain Dew reference. Yeah, stay away from this one, but it's Adam Sandler, so I'm sure you guessed that already.
 
Talk to Her (2002)

So this is my first Almodovar film and whoa, I'm obviously aware that this film is highly rated but it turned out to be far beyond what I've expected. Without getting into the details of the plot, let's just say that it's unusual, bizarre even, but emotional and sad but not depressing. It's a great study about loneliness, love and communication, and very well-done I must say. This is exactly what I needed to get me to watch all the other recommended Almodovar films that I've been putting aside for ages.

10/10
 
22 Jump Street (Rewatch): I had fun with this one when I saw it in theatres, and wanted to watch it again when I saw that it was on The Movie Network. It's still a fun and funny movie the second time around.

I watched the opening of Aloha, too, but ended up turning it off and deleting it.
 
Ideally this will just check all your expectations and tf make you enjoy the movie even more, but: I thought Hell or High Water was decidedly average. Pine really didnt work in it for me for precisely the reason VJC thought he was good: he's way too goddamn pretty for this. He doesn't look like a cowboy with a heart of gold, he looks like a fabulous sexy Hollywood actor with dirt on his face dressing up like a cowboy with a heart of gold. Foster and Bridges are both loud but not particularly detailed, the movie overall is an examination of today's economic problems so free of nuance that by the fourth "Debt Free!" billboard I felt like the movie was calling me dumb. Has some flair (first bank robbery starts with a great 360+ degree pan) but I can't say I saw in it what everyone else has.
 
I thought the movie was really good but I do agree with Ander on a couple of those points. The socio-economic themes it's exploring aren't subtle at all (although like in my review, I think that they do a good job engraining the world with those details so even if it's not subtle, it makes the setting feel like a distinct place), and Pine is too pretty but I think his performance definitely overcame that.
 
Badlands. This was a very engaging movie amd it looks incredible on bluray. For some reason I kept thinking of Full Metal Jacket. Maybe it was the general look and feel but for some reason I think this followed by FMJ woukd be a good marathon. Anyway Martin Sheen played one off individual and definitely played up the James Dean aspect. I loved the random imagery here and there. Like the garbage truck scenes. It's super rare you get to see a 50's garbage truck in that kind of detail. Why is it such a focus? Who cares it added a bit of depth to Sheen's character. Same with other scenes. It kind of felt like you were experiencing what they were as they enjoyed the journey.
 
Finally watched Jackie Brown last night. This might be my favourite Tarantino film by far. Very nice multilayered plot I particularly like the sequence in the mall which is told from three different perspectives, Samuel L Jackson nailed it as Ordell. Also the blu ray transfer is one of the best I have seen.

Great cast particularly Robert Forster as Max and Pamela Grier who wears her age the way most women can only dream of, she is still beautiful even in her late forties. Deserves a second viewing for soon, maybe later this week.
 
Finally watched Jackie Brown last night. This might be my favourite Tarantino film by far. Very nice multilayered plot I particularly like the sequence in the mall which is told from three different perspectives, Samuel L Jackson nailed it as Ordell. Also the blu ray transfer is one of the best I have seen.

Great cast particularly Robert Forster as Max and Pamela Grier who wears her age the way most women can only dream of, she is still beautiful even in her late forties. Deserves a second viewing for soon, maybe later this week.

Love that movie best scene for me is the trunk scene with Chris Tucker and Samuel L Jackson. Tarantino should go back in this genre and make another classic.
 
Mulholland Drive. A very Lynch movie and one not for me. It was pretty cool, very weird, chock full of symbolism, and pretty far out there. I read a synopsis and still don't get it. I mean I understand what it's about and that there are several interpretations but this one didn't click home for me. Too much Lynch maybe? Like its over and I have zero desire to go back and revisit this to see the dots connect if that makes sense.
 
Mulholland Drive. A very Lynch movie and one not for me. It was pretty cool, very weird, chock full of symbolism, and pretty far out there. I read a synopsis and still don't get it. I mean I understand what it's about and that there are several interpretations but this one didn't click home for me. Too much Lynch maybe? Like its over and I have zero desire to go back and revisit this to see the dots connect if that makes sense.

Give it time to let it settle in. You'll be back.
 
The Peanuts Movie (2015)

Peanuts_2015.jpg


I liked this. As a first exposure to the franchise it was really nice, held my attention easily, and was relaxing to watch. The other nice standout was the animation. It came off as really unique but worked very well and gave the movie a distinct look. I really liked it.
 
Finished all the Zatoichi movies.

I have reviews written for each, but it's way too much for a single OT, would have to have multiple posts after that. Haven't made a thread before so it'll be some trial and error. Overall experience was really great, and I loved reading about the behind the scenes and doing research. There were so many recognizable actors and directors and cinematographers involved with that series it was like going down a rabbit-hole.


Also watched the In-Laws, a blind buy from the last Criterion sale. Absolutely loved it. I love Falk and Arkin already but man are they as Falk and Arkin as I've seen. Really clever and fun script and sharp, witty dialogue.

Only other Hiller movie I've seen is Silver Streak, which was ok, but this one is just fantastic. Anyone watch more Hiller? Would love to get some recommendations.
 
Finally watched Jackie Brown last night. This might be my favourite Tarantino film by far. Very nice multilayered plot I particularly like the sequence in the mall which is told from three different perspectives, Samuel L Jackson nailed it as Ordell. Also the blu ray transfer is one of the best I have seen.

Great cast particularly Robert Forster as Max and Pamela Grier who wears her age the way most women can only dream of, she is still beautiful even in her late forties. Deserves a second viewing for soon, maybe later this week.

it isn't my fave Tarantino, but it's
definitely the most rewatchable. it's just brilliant under every aspect. De Niro playing the mentally damaged gangster was also phenomenal
 
Those are the only two Almodovar's I've seen as well and yeah they're pretty fantastic. I really should watch All About My Mother sometime soon.
 
Hell or High Water - A terrific crime drama in just about every area of craft. Even-handed portrayal of cops'n'robbers, refreshingly meditative pace, thematic consistent, strong cinematography, confident direction, note perfect performances. It even has an ending that manages to be a climax and an epilogue at the same time. You walk out the theater thinking, "Damn, that was a good movie!"

Awesome to hear! Hoping to see this, this week.
 
It seems late summer/early fall is the time when i watch films.
Been watching quite a lot of films during this weekend. And some are from earlier, just lumping them here. And not in any order.

Some scifi:

Martian
Eh. It is okay, entertaining scifi but... it just didn't care for it really. I am a big fan of hard science fiction usually but this sort of "twenty minutes into future" stuff rarely interests me. (Gimme hard scifi space opera like what Alistair Reynolds writes or something like that, and make it as big as Star Wars and i'm really interested.)
It doesn't help the story is basically Robinson Crusoe in space. The protagonist's ability to survive alone is a bit of a stretch, especially his luck... or, well, his ability to survive misfortune.
A bunch of funny moments. Realistic design (space-suits aside) gets bonus points.
It is certainly watchable, and i recommend it if one is interested in scifi even mildly.

Star Trek Beyond
Very entertaining. It is a dumb popcorn flick really, but an entertaining one.
I find Star Trek's optimism nice, even it is a bit naive and overdone. But it does allow for some fantastic vistas and stupid fun/awesome moments.
I cannot say i recall much about the story or characters but the film did leave me happy and entertained, so it is all right.
Recommended, if one likes action-adventure scifi.

Re-watched Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness as well.
Honestly, Star Trek Beyond is just more of the same. Fun nonsense scifi.
Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison is great for sure though.
Same recommendation as Star Trek Beyond.

A bunch of Pixar films:

A note on Pixar soundtracks: I don't recall much of them afterwards, except they're good. They fit the films very well, kinda feel like integral parts. They're not something i feel like listening afterwards. Kind of subtle really? Either way, very good, but not something i can really mention, so i'll just put this notice here.

Toy Story
I've seen this long ago and didn't really remember much. Honestly, i didn't have big expectations from it but... well, it took me by surprise and i ended up liking it quite a lot. The animation (well, rendering) does show its age for sure, but i can see it being something impressive in '94 and indeed lasting quite long.
For some reason, i had kind of stereotypes of the characters in my mind and they weren't positive. Ended up liking quite many of the characters.
Very much recommended. Big historical and artistic value, and it is a good film.

Toy Story 2
To my surprise, my brother claimed we've seen this long ago in theaters when i noted i had re-watched this. No memory of that really.
Anyway... the adventure continues. It is a good film but i cannot say i like it as much as the first or third film. It has awesome moments, but doesn't feel quite as memorable or important as the first one.
Still, very much recommend, because it is a good film.

Toy Story 3
And more adventure... except this time it gets pretty damn dark. But that makes the ending all the sweeter. It is just great, felt very good. Probably the most touching of the series, at least for me.
Again, very much recommend, worthy end (for now, given that Toy Story 4 is coming) for the series.

The Incredibles
I'm not a big fan of super-hero genre but i do like deconstructions of the genre, like Hancock. It is a funny film, with kind of classic-feel. You know, kind of stupid villains, death traps, stuff like that, combined with some funny characters.
Still, it does feel like one of Pixar's weaker films... but that could be because i don't care for super heroes that much. And it is a good film, Pixar's weaker ones tend to be greater than most others...
Recommended.

Inside Out
One reason i may not have that great opinion about the Incredibles is because i watched Inside Out pretty much right afterwards. And this, this is one of Pixar's very best certainly. I like Wall-E more, but this is superb, probably one of the best films i've ever seen.
Fantastic places, funny (and sad) characters, and it is very touching. It just works.
Do i even need to say i recommend this?

Some Disney:

Lion King
I haven't seen this before... Somehow. My friend was incredulous about that. I mean, the film did come out 22 years ago...
Eh. It is a good film but not one i count as excellent. I just don't see the charm. There are some good performances for sure, and it is pretty pretty at times but... *shrug*. The story is familiar and was predictable, and Simba lacked charisma, first with his arrogance, then with the predictable changes.
Recommended for the historical value if nothing else.

Zootopia
I actually watched this first nearly a week ago, i think. And then i watched it again. And again... and once more.
That i watch film more than once is, in my opinion, high praise from me. I'm not really a film person, and rarely find films i want to see more than once. Zootopia ended up being one of my favorites ever, it seems.
What can i say? The animation is superb, the city and the film look utterly fantastic. I believe i felt something like joyful amazement when i watched this.
Of course, it is the main duo that really sell the film. Judy and Nick are great characters, and the performances are superb.
And the film is damn touching. Inspiring. I regard myself as open-minded and free of prejudices but i figure i can always examine my thoughts and actions more closely. It is really easy to be insensitive by being thoughtless.
Very, very much recommended.

Tangled and Frozen
Seen these before. Still good, fun films, though they doesn't quite reach the par set by Pixar's films or Zootopia. Of course, this is like the third time i saw both, so...
Noticed i still had tension and excitement at certain moments despite seeing these before, that "aw shit, what's gonna happen now" feel, or this "yes yes!" grin.
Recommend both, though they certainly feel kind of old school now. But that is not a bad thing necessarily.


Well, that took some time to write out. I wonder if i forgot something...
Still have a big list of films to watch.

EDIT Yeah, it may look a bit ironic that i say "i'm not a film person" and then say i've watched half a dozen films. But i am pretty discriminating. Finding films that interest me even mildly is not terribly easy, especially since i dislike trailers (they always spoil or give wrong impression, or both). I need somehow read about a film, but also avoid spoilers while at it.
Usually, i watch perhaps two films at theaters per year, if that, and a few from TV/DVDs/whatever at most.

EDIT Also, i'm aware my opinions may seem a bit limited. I'm better at talking about films than i'm at writing about them, even if i wasn't tired.
 
The Little Prince: Essentially 2 stories that intertwine, I prefer the Prince's exploration of the Super Mario Galaxy-esque universe over The Little Girl's story with The Aviator in their hyper-organized, geometric world. What makes the Little Prince's story good is the art style and use of materials, and the ultimate villain is one you don't expect. Still, this is an overall good and charming movie. I do recommend it.

While You Were Sleeping: A cute movie, but I find the most interesting thing is that it's set at the holidays in Chicago. Bill Pullman is in here, and having watched Spaceballs last night, all I see here is Lone Starr. I do tire of the "I must hide this terrible secret the whole movie" plot.
 
We Are Twisted Fucking Sister! Very cool documentary about early TS. I love seeing a band talk about their roots. This particular show spent the whole time of them coming up with nearly zero time famous which I really dug. Hell I wish this just kept going. Was very fun hearing their stories.
 
Wake of Death - Philippe Martinez

Sometime, somewhere, someone told me this was actually good. It wasn't. Typical straight to video JCVD hot garbage. He doesn't even hit people as the camera always cut right before it happens. Fuck whoever recommended me this. Why am I such a believer?
 
We Are Twisted Fucking Sister! Very cool documentary about early TS. I love seeing a band talk about their roots. This particular show spent the whole time of them coming up with nearly zero time famous which I really dug. Hell I wish this just kept going. Was very fun hearing their stories.

I thought it was great. I always thought they quickly formed and had a hit record. Didn't know they spent nearly a decade grinding it out. Certainly paid their dues. Like you I didn't want this doc to end.
 
I thought it was great. I always thought they quickly formed and had a hit record. Didn't know they spent nearly a decade grinding it out. Certainly paid their dues. Like you I didn't want this doc to end.

No shit they paid their dues and primarily drug and alcohol free by the sound. That's a helluva schedule to maintain for years much less sober. Well...maybe not too bad. Turn of the century factory workers did what 10, 12 hour days 5 or 6 days a week. Still impressive that they had that much stamina.
 
While You Were Sleeping: A cute movie, but I find the most interesting thing is that it's set at the holidays in Chicago. Bill Pullman is in here, and having watched Spaceballs last night, all I see here is Lone Starr. I do tire of the "I must hide this terrible secret the whole movie" plot.
From the title, sounds like a stalker movie lol
 
From the title, sounds like a stalker movie lol

Girl falls for guy, but he doesn't know it. He falls into a coma, and after a misconception she decides to go along with, girl poses as coma guy's fiancee. Family welcomes her with open arms, she worries what will happen when he wakes up, and falls for his brother along the way.
 
Sausage Fest is pretty much what you'd expect from a Seth Rogan animated vehicle for the most part*, so your mileage will vary depending on how much you dig his humor. I thought this was definitely one of his better films though because it gets a lot of mileage out of the whole "cute animated characters getting into very not cute very horrifying situations" scheme, and has a reasonably well-realized allegory about religious and non-religious people existing in harmony and accepting each other's beliefs.

*Until you realize that it's essentially a feature length HP Lovecraft cosmic horror story told by way of animated anthropomorphic food items.
 
Girl falls for guy, but he doesn't know it. He falls into a coma, and after a misconception she decides to go along with, girl poses as coma guy's fiancee. Family welcomes her with open arms, she worries what will happen when he wakes up, and falls for his brother along the way.
lmao
 
Boring day, so watched more films... Long list of things to watch. I let things collect for a long time...

Die Hard with Vengeance
Seen this before. Then, it was fun. Now, i was kinda boring. Guess knowing how things would work out ruined things? There used to be kind of expectation "what's gonna happen now" but... now, nothing. And the characters felt so lifeless. McClane complains about hangover, Zeus complains about whites, Simon's just pulling strings. No one has any depth or anything interesting to say.
I reckon the film works as a popcorn-action-flick but that's all.


Monsters Inc.
Another film i've seen before. Aand... Well, this is one Pixar film i find kinda meh. I'm not sure if i find the premise too silly or what's wrong with it, it just doesn't quite work. Or maybe i've watched too many films in too short a time.


Fight Club
Eww.
I watched Fight Club again. Been years since i saw it. Back then, i thought it kinda interesting film.
Now? Eww.
I don't usually react to violence but here, i ended up finding it disgusting and disturbing. Indeed, the whole damn film's pretty disturbing. That does seem to be the point but.... man.
It is just wrong in so many levels.

And now i need something to wipe the film from my mind.

Also, probably shouldn't watch three films in a row.

EDIT I said watching i regard watching a film multiple times praise from me. Well, an amendment: It is praise if it is a new film for me and i watch it multiple times in a short time. Like, i saw Mad Max Fury Road twice in a month when it came out. Re-watching film after years doesn't automatically count.
 
No Country For Old Men: I can appreciate the movie for having no background music, and a lot of scenes with no dialogue (there's even a scene where the villain just sits on a couch, holding a bottle of milk, and staring at a TV that's not even on). Tommy Lee Jones isn't in this movie as much as I thought he would be. I do like Javier Bardem as Chigurh, who is a good villain even if he doesn't talk much, and he doesn't really need to. Overall, I think it's OK. It certainly has its strong suits, but it's not quite the movie for me.
 
Not a movie, but just watched John Carpenter's Masters of Horror episode Cigarette Burns. While it's not essential Carpenter, it lands squarely in the enjoyable side of things he's done, and easily the best thing he's done since In the Mouth of Madness. This is actually pretty similar to Mouth of Madness, about how works of art can have reality altering effects.

There's a lot of bad dialogue here, some bad acting, and because it was made for TV in the 90's you don't get any of that widescreen goodness, but it's made up for by how great the concept is. It's about a guy trying to find an 'evil' film, and there's a tension and curiosity that builds up that mirrors that of the protagonist (played by a youngish Norman Reedus!), and the climax is sheer insanity that is certainly worth the wait through the pretty much entirely dialogue based scenes that precede it.
 
No shit they paid their dues and primarily drug and alcohol free by the sound. That's a helluva schedule to maintain for years much less sober. Well...maybe not too bad. Turn of the century factory workers did what 10, 12 hour days 5 or 6 days a week. Still impressive that they had that much stamina.

That's what surprised me. Esp in the 80's excess that Dee and the guitarist (leaders of the band) didn't touch alcohol or drugs. Yeah, it was such a interesting doc and I knew nothing of Twisted Sister before hand except for their brief stardom in the 80's. I was really happy that they finally tasted success because it was certainly well earned.
 
Not a movie, but just watched John Carpenter's Masters of Horror episode Cigarette Burns. While it's not essential Carpenter, it lands squarely in the enjoyable side of things he's done, and easily the best thing he's done since In the Mouth of Madness. This is actually pretty similar to Mouth of Madness, about how works of art can have reality altering effects.

There's a lot of bad dialogue here, some bad acting, and because it was made for TV in the 90's you don't get any of that widescreen goodness, but it's made up for by how great the concept is. It's about a guy trying to find an 'evil' film, and there's a tension and curiosity that builds up that mirrors that of the protagonist (played by a youngish Norman Reedus!), and the climax is sheer insanity that is certainly worth the wait through the pretty much entirely dialogue based scenes that precede it.

yeah i was kinda wary of watching this because its new John Carpenter but it's pretty fun forreal.

they should consider bringing back this series. with the glut of indie and up and coming genre directors i would love to see them tackle an episode of an anthology series like this. People go on about how TV >> Movies (lmao) but aside from a characterization and depth perspective from some of the shows they never really felt that creative otherwise. It was always more of the writer's medium than the directors. (and that's nice but we rarely ever got the other end of the stick)

Only recently with stuff like True Detective season 1, The Get Down, Luck and Mr. Robot are you seeing so more of the creator's vision in the aesthetic of the show too now.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom