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Divius · Jul 1, 2017

Source: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

June Wall of Shame:

Remember:

DO NOT just post the title of the movie you wratched. It isn't conducive at all to the kind of discussion & communication we want to engender here, because it tells us nothing of you, the movie, the impact of the latter on the former. Post scores, descriptions, essays, poems, gifs, hashtags, whatever provides you the best outlet for personal expression, you unique little digital snowflake. Also, Marvel movies are mostly shit. - icarus-daedelus

Interesting movie listing/rating sites:

Letterboxd
iCheckMovies

Our ICM group: http://www.icheckmovies.com/groups/neogaf/

Regs on such sites:

- Post your top 5 of June!

- Are you new to the Movies You've Seen Recently threads? Let us know a bit about yourself:

1. What's your favorite Movie?
2. Who's your favorite director?
3. Who are your favorite actors/actresses?
4. Favorite Genre(s)?
5. What's your favorite performance in film?

- Unsure of what to watch?

ICM has a compilation of many official movie lists with lots of interesting recommendations. Or you could ask members in the thread; we don't bite. Participate!
---
June thread.

b&jy77VjiKn$#F · Jul 1, 2017

shamelessly copied from the last thread:

gibberish thoughts on Baby Driver

I passed my driving exam today, and what better way to reward myself than watching a film called Baby Driver, from Edgar Wright no less?

Yeah, I really like it.

The film is immensely enjoyable, and almost everything is fantastic: directing, editing, acting, music, and so on. Probably the most well made film of this year so far on the technical front, Baby Driver isn't afraid to show off its flashiness; couple that with great performances (shout out to Jon Hamm), witty writings, a killer soundtrack and there's your summer masterpiece (I may jump the gun on calling it a masterpiece, but I don't care since I like it so much).

Simply put, Baby Driver is this year Fury Road, but with a lighter tone (I still like Fury Road better though).

If I have to have one complaint, it will be that while the editing is great, I feel like it's done for style but not clarity *please note that I read this opinion on GAF (from a mod I believe) before I went to see the film, and I can't help but to agree with it*. However, since the actions isn't really difficult to follow (being sync'd up to the music really helps), I will give that a pass.

An additional note is that the film has the tendency to betrays my expectations of how things would go down, and I believe that it is for the better.

<...>

The more I think about the film, the more I like it. Fury Road also did the same thing to me, so I guess the comparison is apt.

Also love is the main theme of this film, and I will disagree with anyone who says otherwise *laughs*

Divius · Jul 1, 2017

Watched 14 movies in May

TOP 5 NEW VIEWINGS OF JUNE
5. The Lost City of Z
4. Okja
3. Dead of Night
2. The Beguiled (1971)
1. Withnail & I

MOST VALUABLE REWATCHES
The Thing
Stoker

WORST NEW VIEWINGS OF JUNE
Power Rangers

Blader · Jul 1, 2017

Baby Driver
So dope. I honestly wasn't feeling it at the start; the opening car chase is cut together too quickly, and Ansel Egort's performance was rubbing me the wrong way (which may or may not be a leftover from The Fault in Our Stars). But about halfway through the movie won me over hard. The romance between Egot and Lily James is sweet; the car chases, foot chases, and shootouts are a real sight; the dialogue is slick; I love how Wright fleshes out Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Kevin Spacey's characters, both individually and how they interact with each other (and Baby). The plot structure of this movie is really strange, and it reminds me in an odd way of The Empire Strikes Back (the two movies are otherwise nothing alike, it's the flow of plot points that strikes as similar), but I liked it. Not my favorite Wright movie, but a hell of a good time.
8/10

Top 5 of June:
1. Baby Driver
2. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
3. The Driver
4. Wonder Woman
5. Premature Burial / Rebel Without a Cause

Divius said:
2. The Beguiled (1971)

This movie is so good. I'm seeing Sofia Coppola's version tonight and hope it turns out well, but if nothing else, I hope it turns more people on to the original. Possibly the weirdest movie Clint Eastwood ever did but definitely among his best.

Divius · Jul 1, 2017

Blader said:
Possibly the weirdest movie Clint Eastwood ever done but definitely among his best.

"12 years? Old enough for kisses!" ehhhhhh

Krev · Jul 1, 2017

Top 5 of June
1. Belle du Jour
2. Call Me By Your Name
3. The Other Side of Hope
4. Good Time
5. Double Play: James Benning & Richard Linklater

Pachimari · Jul 1, 2017

Watched 12 movies in June.

Top 5 June

Wonder Woman
Fury
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Hot Fuzz
Baby Driver

Other movies I've been watching include Free Fire, The Lost City of Z, Assassin's Creed and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Rewatches include Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Messofanego · Jul 1, 2017

Krev said:
Top 5 of June
1. Belle du Jour
2. Call Me By Your Name
3. The Other Side of Hope
4. Good Time
5. Double Play: James Benning & Richard Linklater

The Other Side Of Hope is great and hilarious.

Very relevant in these anti-immigration times.

Baron von Loathsome · Jul 1, 2017

Top five first time viewings in June:

1. Casablanca (1942)
2. Harold and Maude (1971)
3. John Wick (2014)
4. GoodFellas (1990)
5. Lost in Translation (2003)

Also gotta give special nods to Yojimbo, The World's End, Life of Brian, Heathers, Blow Up, L'avventura, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The Thing, American Pop, and Naked Lunch.

And I saw Wonder Woman and Captain Underpants in theaters. Loved both, but I think I liked Captain Underpants more.

phoenixyz · Jul 1, 2017

Top 5 of June
1. John Wick: Chapter Two
2. Song to Song
3. Timecrimes
4. T2 Trainspotting
5. The LEGO Batman Movie

I only watched 8 in total though last month...

TissueBox · Jul 1, 2017

Best movie I saw last month was neo-noir After Dark, My Sweet. Watch it..!

Sean C · Jul 1, 2017

Woohoo, I made the Wall of Shame again!

I saw 23 films in June (fewer than usual, but I devoted a good chunk of time to watching a few Netflix series, which took up space).

Top 5 new viewings of June:

1. Baby Driver
2. Lust, Caution
3. A Matter of Life and Death
4. Wonder Woman
5. Lovesong

TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared · Jul 1, 2017

Baby Driver is the most fun I've had in a cinema all year so far. It's a musical/comedy/action piece with incredible musical choreography , superb acting from nearly all the cast, an incredible soundtrack, a nice little love story, and I adored it from start to finish.

It has great action from car chases to... stuff not involving car chases, all set to an amazing musical score thats choreographed to within an inch of its life, and its an incredible sight to behold. It has funny, crackling dialogue between the characters, even the underdeveloped women characters. It easily passes the 6 laugh test. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat (which is harder to do in a cinema than at home incidentally) during the break neck action.

I also didn't use to be a fan of Ansel Engort but he knocked it out of the park as Baby here. Kevin Spacey does the Spacey thing, Jonn Hamm just needs to be in every film ever, Lily James does a good turn as a the sweetheart who offers Baby a chance at a new life, and Jamie Foxx is kind of interesting in the sense of we never figure out what his deal is.

If I'm gushing just a little, its because Baby Driver was just incredible, and puts all the other mediocre summer blockbusters to shame with its incredible crackingly energy. Highly reccomended.

big ander · Jul 1, 2017

top 5 of June:
1) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8
2) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8
3) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8
4) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8
5) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8

nah but really:
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Beeswax
Paris Can Wait
You Wont Miss Me
The Dish & the Spoon

Managed to not see anything particularly bad too. Well, Alien Covenant was a massive letdown by being middling. and on TV the first three episodes of American Gods sucked and are a conclusive sign that streaming-style drift has fully infected "normal" TV.

Divius said:
Watched 14 movies in May

TOP 5 NEW VIEWINGS OF JUNE
5. The Lost City of Z
4. Okja
3. Dead of Night
2. The Beguiled (1971)
1. Withnail & I

MOST VALUABLE REWATCHES
The Thing
Stoker

WORST NEW VIEWINGS OF JUNE
Power Rangers

Stoker, it's amazing everyone...never gonna stop repping it, at least until the world catches up and realizes how great it is

Blader said:
This movie is so good. I'm seeing Sofia Coppola's version tonight and hope it turns out well, but if nothing else, I hope it turns more people on to the original. Possibly the weirdest movie Clint Eastwood ever did but definitely among his best.

I'm as excited to get the disc of this as I am to see the new one. It sounds nuts.

mariachi507 · Jul 1, 2017

I read "Easy Riders Raging Bulls" last month which gives a behind the scenes look at the rise and fall of the new Hollywood movement. This was my second time reading it and it's just as entertaining as it was the first time. If anyone wants to get an insiders view of how all of our favorite egomaniacal directors got their films made then check it out, it's fucking bonkers. It's basically a who's who of the movement spilling dirt about each other and being shitty people.

I planned on following up the book by watching a huge block of movies from the era. For some reason I stopped in the middle of my fifth movie, which was Nashville. I guess I wasn't in the mood for the collage style of storytelling at the time, but I'll take another crack at it in the future. Now it's been over two weeks since I've watched a movie, but this Mad Men rewatch is stylish enough.

Top Four New Viewings
1. Paths of Glory (My God, what an incredible film)
2. Easy Rider
3. The Last Detail
4. Wonder Woman

Top Re-Viewings
1. Chinatown
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
3. The Bride of Frankenstein
4. Wall-E

AngmarsKing701 · Jul 1, 2017

Seven movies total last month, 5 new and 2 rewatches.

The 5 new ones ranked:
1. Baby Driver
2. John Wick 2
3. Wonder Woman
4. The Girl With All the Gifts
5. The Great Wall

2 rewatches ranked:
1. Passengers
2. Prometheus

kevin1025 · Jul 1, 2017

Heck yeah, Valerian getting the top spot! Heck yeah, #2 on the wall of shame! Heck yeah, Canada Day!

I watched 29 movies in June. Top 5 were:

1) Baby Driver
2) It Comes At Night
3) Crimson Tide
4) Anomalisa
5) The Beguiled

Jimothy · Jul 1, 2017

Top 5 of June for me:

1. Men and Beasts (1962)
2. Fate of a Man (1959)
3. The Ear (1970)
4. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
5. Night and Fog in Japan (1960)

FTF · Jul 1, 2017

This month is so jammed packed with movies I want to see:

Baby Driver
Spider-Man
War Planet Apes
Dunkirk
A Ghost Story
Valerian
Atomic Blonde

...phew

Baroquemantic · Jul 1, 2017

Top new watches in June:

1. John Wick: Chapter 2
2. Kong: Skull Island
3. American Hustle
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
5. Life (2017)

Worst new watches:

- Power Rangers (2017)

Other new watches:

- Raw
- Before I Fall

Ridley327 · Jul 1, 2017

Woo-hoo, finally back on track with a full month of movies under my belt for June!

Top 5 new watches, no particular order:
-Batman & Bill
-The Red Turtle
-Out of the Past
-My Neighbor Totoro
-The Blackcoat's Daughter

Most valuable rewatch: The Godfather (it was in a theater, for crying out loud!)

The first monthly "Fuck This Shit" Award, feature length: Beyond the Gates

The first not as frequent "Fuck This Shit" Award, short length: The Puppet Man

Since there's little reason to post it in the June thread at this point...

The Blackcoat's Daughter: Despite this being Oz Perkins debut as a director, it strangely and satisfyingly feels more like the more assured and confident work when compared to last year's I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. Initially, the film is a tad off-putting due to throwing your right into the mix with what seems like total disarray as it darts between characters with seemingly incompatible storylines, but stick with it and you'll find out that this is a meticulously well-plotted film that rewards the observant viewer every step of the way, as it gets clearer just how connected all threads wind up being. Much like his previous/follow-up film (gotta love late pick-ups!), Perkins is able to generate enough dread for at least a dozen films, but unlike that film, there is also a level of genuine menace to help give the film a great sense of momentum that I felt was missing from his Netflix film, leading to some hair-raising moments throughout and, eventually, some of the most disturbing scenes of violence I can recall in a recent film. All of this leads up to one of the gutsiest endings that I know of, one that subverts your expectations and gives the film an emotional power that will certainly haunt me for a while. Really strong on all fronts, and one that I feel like will grow in estimation in the years to come.

Toothless · Jul 1, 2017

Wrapping up June...

After its killer opening credits, Cop Car settles into a real problem for a piece of indie cinema. Despite its influences being clear, it never finds its own identity or atmosphere to make it stand out from the crowd. The lackluster pacing leads one to believe this would be a much better short film than feature, and outside of the pretty good performances from the lead child actors, the only moment of acting worth noting is a chilling monologue from Shea Whigham. Everything else is dull, and thanks to the lack of atmosphere, an 87-min-long film feels much, much longer than that. Only moments with the kids discovering how to use a car and a thrilling setpiece near the end of the film make this more than average, but those moments are far too few to truly recommend this film. Cop Car ends up being a wholly average piece of independent cinema, entirely unremarkable in nearly every way, yet still remaining watchable enough not to be considered a total loss. 4/10

Toothless said:
Okja is a striking parable, telling a magical story through horrific satire. Both elements work perfectly, as the bond between Mija and Okja is undeniable and both are utterly lovable in their own misfit-y way. Ahn is a spectacular lead, and the rest of the cast varies from joyously hammy (no pun intended) and uniquely charming. Besides Ahn, the clear stand-out is Dano, whose kind terrorist makes him a rare one to root for, besides the girl and her super-pig.

The scenes of the food industry are difficult to watch in a very good sense; the cruelty is utterly terrifying and biting in the best sense. We might not have super-pigs, but our world certainly has food production similar to the atrocious methods used in this. Jung's score is whimsical and Khondji's cinematography frequently astonishes through the various locales the story takes us.

However, it all comes back to Mija and Okja, and how their bond cannot be broken. Despite all the horrors Bong throws at them, it's clear he loves the two characters as much as audiences will. The heart-pounding and heartwrenching ending that he gives them is satisfactory and the film's best element, despite several other great qualities. Okja is a remarkably well-made fable with a strong point but even stronger characters and even a bit of magic. An absolute delight.

(It's a true shame that it can't be seen on the big screen in all its glory. I'm glad Netflix invested in making this exceptional film, but their refusal to release anything theatrically outside of New York and Los Angeles is lamentable, especially when the effects, cinematography, and story of Okja would all be a true treat to catch in cinemas.)
9/10

Toothless said:
Baby Driver is a fun time. Wright directs with panache and knows exactly how to make the film constantly watchable. Foxx and Spacey are both really fantastic, easily stealing the show. The sound design is truly incredible, constantly making one astound even if they never notice such a thing. It's a joyous film, taking some of the best qualities of the musical and transplanting it into the action genre. Overall, despite all of its faults, Baby Driver remains fun and enjoyable throughout.

It's a shame that the film itself never really rises above its cheap fun though. Baby as a character comes off as a generic "adorkable" guy, and Elgort seems to be as severely miscast. He is fine in the role, but it's clear that so many other actors in Hollywood would've done a better job elevating such a mediocre role. Wright also needs to seriously examine how he writes his female characters, as it's super obvious how poorly conceptualized the females are in this film compared to the male characters. The music, although thankfully eclectic, sometimes comes across as picking obscure tunes just for the sake of being niche, and that's disappointing considering how fun it is when one finally recognizes a song that's playing.

The action is pretty great, but often blurs together since it all feels the same. Understandably, it's mostly vehicular, but considering how wonderful Wright does hand-to-hand combat, it's really disappointing there's none of that here. More variety would've been appreciated in addition to the spectacular car chases. It's also worth noting that the "action-comedy" label is a misnomer; this is clearly an action movie with a few jokes here and there, and that's slightly disappointing coming from Wright, but not necessarily a knock against the film.

Baby Driver amuses, and ultimately, that's all that matters. Wright has crafted a clever action film that utilizes music in a really enjoyable way. However, it ultimately feels more slight than it should, thanks to poorly developed characters and humor, along with a lack of variety with its own action. Still, it feels fresher than most films this summer, and it's definitely worth checking out in theaters for the really phenomenal sound design. It's just a shame it can't elevate itself to any higher than just good, as Wright has proven before that he knows how to play with genre better than most directors working today. He has made a solid straight-forward action movie, but it could've been so much more. An odd disappointment that remains still a fine, technically sound film that's well worth seeing. 7/10

Top Five First-Time Watches in June:

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Memento
3. Okja
4. Full Metal Jacket
5. Wonder Woman

pauljeremiah · Jul 1, 2017

Top 5 For June:

Wonder Woman
OJ: Made In America
War Machine
Freeheld
Baby Driver

Zousi · Jul 1, 2017

big ander said:
top 5 of June:
1) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8
2) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8
3) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8
4) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8
5) Twin Peaks: The Return, Part 8

So much truth in this. David Lynch. I don't even.

68 movies in June (Call for Help!!). Feel free to follow me on Letterboxd and i'll follow you back.

Top 5 new acquaintances:

1. A Woman Under the Influence
2. The Abominable Dr. Phibes
3. Hour of the Wolf
4. The Virgin Spring
5. Faces

AngmarsKing701 · Jul 1, 2017

Baron von Loathsome said:
Top five first time viewings in June:

1. Casablanca (1942)
2. Harold and Maude (1971)
3. John Wick (2014)
4. GoodFellas (1990)
5. Lost in Translation (2003)

Also gotta give special nods to Yojimbo, The World's End, Life of Brian, Heathers, Blow Up, L'avventura, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The Thing, American Pop, and Naked Lunch.

And I saw Wonder Woman and Captain Underpants in theaters. Loved both, but I think I liked Captain Underpants more.

Another Casablanca fan! I wish I could see it again for the first time. Great movie.

Peco · Jul 1, 2017

I was able to watch only one movie in June: Dante's The 'Burbs. It was alright.
Anyway I want to share with you the dream I had earlier this afternoon while I was taking a quick nap: I basically dreamed about Godzilla (its appearance was the one from Anno's movie) but the setting is now Europe, possibly France or Germany, I am not sure. Godzilla materializes itself from out of nowhere and it starts doing what it does best but humans are ready for the fight because they appear to have new war technology, some kind of machinery that works thanks to magic. The army plus what I believe are a team of scientists/techno-wizards are quick to set up a camp near the site of the monster arrival (uh). On the background Zilla is destroying military airplanes and obliterating all these gothic/medieval looking buildings/castles. Then I woke up and I felt pretty sad because I wanted to continue dreaming.

Hopefully July will be a good month.

Edit: I know this probably makes no sense but trust me it was insanely cool.

Cripplegate · Jul 1, 2017

Zousi said:
Top 5 new acquaintances:
2. The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Yes. I love Vincent Price and I adore this movie.

I often use this one to introduce people to Vincent Price, because it defies preconceptions about Price and his work, while seemingly conforming to them on the surface (i.e. people know Price as an icon of cult horror films, will often expect schlock, and are totally unprepared for a master class in acting from a graduate of the Mercury Theatre). Price always brings his A game, whether it's a prestige picture or a genre outing, and approaches every role with sincerity and dignity. I'm always in awe of his work.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again! is also worth catching, but it's a step down from the original (obviously; it's impossible to top death by catapult unicorn).

Rhomega Beta · Jul 2, 2017

Top 5 of June:

1. Commando
2. Cars 3
3. Zodiac
4. Young Frankenstein
5. Hero

Net_Wrecker · Jul 2, 2017

I barely saw anything last month. If it's not Twin Peaks related, I don't even want to see it right now tbh. Part 8 was more enchanting, adventurous, and mystifying than anything I could've watched in June. Maybe in July I can get back on a solid pace, but idk.

Toothless · Jul 2, 2017

Since we're halfway through the year, my top 10 2017 releases so far:

1. Get Out
2. Logan
3. Okja
4. Lou *short in front of Cars 3*
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
6. Wonder Woman
7. Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King *Netflix comedy special*
8. Baby Driver
9. The Lost City of Z
10. John Wick: Chapter Two

I have seen 34 releases. And my top 10 first-time watches (out of 86) so far:

1. La La Land
2. True Grit
3. Get Out
4. Hot Fuzz
5. Silence
6. Sing Street
7. O.J.: Made in America
8. Memento
9. 2001: A Space Odyssey
10. Rushmore

Good year so far.

Icolin · Jul 2, 2017

Top 5 of June:

1. Goodfellas
2. Get Out
3. John Wick: Chapter 2
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
5. John Wick

HM: Hercules (1997), Batman Beyond: The Movie

Sean C · Jul 2, 2017

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010): Rewatched this for the first time in some years, as it's Canada Day, and this is the very rare film set in Canada and featuring Canadian characters but made by a foreign auteur (indeed, I struggle to think of many other examples). This is a very unique-looking film, and its irreverent style remains engaging throughout. This is probably the most fluid attempt I've ever seen to translate a comic book-style aesthetic to the big screen, which various other directors (Zack Snyder, Ang Lee) have attempted in more divisive ways (though I remain a fan of Lee's crazy panel aesthetic from the 2003 Hulk).

The cast is one of the most interesting things to revisit, since there's a bunch of people here who went on to become much more high-profile, most notably future Academy Award-winner Brie Larson; and a few people who appeared to be running on fumes but who then re-energized their careers (e.g., Chris Evans). I recall Kieran Culkin being widely hailed as a scene-stealer at the time of release, but he's done very little since.

TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared · Jul 2, 2017

The Book of Henry is to use a kind word, interesting. It's a very odd mismash of a few different films and ideas, and its all kinda mixed together into something which isn't really a coherent story. It's pretty entertaining though!

So Henry is a precocious genius who is also the adult of his house cos his mum played by Naomi Watts is an irresponsible yet very loving adult child, and he protects his brother from bullies, and makes grandiose statements about life and philosophy and creates experiments and machines, and is the most annoying child actor I can remember ever.

All that stuff is presented as mildly sentimenal and sweet, until a thing happens, and the tone shifts from sentimental family film, to comedy drama assassination film. No really, that happens. Naomi Watts is walked through how to kill someone with a sniper rifle, step by step, by Henry (who is 11 years old) narrating her through it, and a bunch more stuff happens, while it still tries to keep the original sentimenal tone too. It then tries to throw in a bunch of stuff about grief and moving on and the 5 stages of grief, and there's also a romance sub plot!

It's a mess really, the story doesn't make sense, the shifts in tone are bizarre and jarring, and some of the acting is just awful.

But it was pretty entertaining! I enjoyed it, really. If you can groove to the insane rhythm it attempts to create, I think most people would have a pretty good time with this one, and its definitely not the worst thing I've seen this year by a wide margin. Not sure if thats a reccomendation mind.

Messofanego · Jul 2, 2017

Was I always daydreaming?

In This Corner Of The World (dir. Sunao Katabuchi)
This was hearfelt, funny, and gut-wrenching in equal measure. If you've seen The Wind Rises or Grave Of The Fireflies, animated wartime Japan (and a creative with turmoil in the background) should be a familiar sight. However, this ends up being more brutal than them because of it being a tonal mash-up so you never know what to quite expect next. You'll go from lighthearted moment to domestic drama and then to stunning audiovisual violence, especially in the second half. The film flirts around even with animation, like The Tale Of Princess Kaguya did for her running, this film does with explosions or a collage of shifting lifetime memories boxed in a wooden frame. On top of the variety of animation and tones, is the reality/dream misdirection. Much like Kaguya and the recent Lady Macbeth, this also deals with the uneasiness of young marriage in a new place (Kure) to the point where the main character Suzu believes she might have dreamt the whole thing and is actually still living with her parents in Eba. Whether it's her denial of reality or just having a very active imagination, it'll give you a mental workout much like other temporally flirtatious films. The film really doesn't pull back on how the war ended, and even though you're expecting it, you haven't seen it in animation quite this graphic. The characters are multidimensional, even what seems like the antagonist. The film has simultaneously the cutest animation quirks like Suzu's tilted face (literally this emoji &#128547

and the most battered character looks.

With My Life As A Courgette and now this, it's been quite the year for emotional heavy-hitters in animation. I'm glad to see it's not just Studio Ghibli delivering the best and most mature animated films in the past few years. One of the best films of 2017.

Freewheelin' · Jul 2, 2017

Sean C said:
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010): Rewatched this for the first time in some years, as it's Canada Day, and this is the very rare film set in Canada and featuring Canadian characters but made by a foreign auteur (indeed, I struggle to think of many other examples). This is a very unique-looking film, and its irreverent style remains engaging throughout. This is probably the most fluid attempt I've ever seen to translate a comic book-style aesthetic to the big screen, which various other directors (Zack Snyder, Ang Lee) have attempted in more divisive ways (though I remain a fan of Lee's crazy panel aesthetic from the 2003 Hulk).

The cast is one of the most interesting things to revisit, since there's a bunch of people here who went on to become much more high-profile, most notably future Academy Award-winner Brie Larson; and a few people who appeared to be running on fumes but who then re-energized their careers (e.g., Chris Evans). I recall Kieran Culkin being widely hailed as a scene-stealer at the time of release, but he's done very little since.

Was really good at the start of Fargo s2

Pachimari · Jul 2, 2017

John Wick 2 (2017) - ★★★☆☆
Maybe it was because I was half-asleep and decided to watch it at 4 in the morning, but I wasn't as invested in it as I was with the original. The fights and gunplay was damn good looking and there were some great choreography as we have come to expect with these John Wick flicks, but I'm not sure the plot had much meat on it. Where did this whole concept with the medallions come from, was it mentioned in the first movie? If so, I can't remember. Anyway, poor Johnatan for not having a choice really, and having to deal with the consequences after, and I feel sad for him losing almost everything and taking that L once again. It was a beautiful movie, and very well shot thanks to the cinematographer and I might be interested in a third flick, especially if his new dog gets more screen time, cause it was super adorable.

The World's End (2013) - ★★★★☆
This was a rewatch as I was preparing for Edgar Wright's new Baby Driver movie, but I didn't get to finish it until yesterday, so I'm counting it as a July watch. It's still super endearing and it gets me invested into Gary and his determination to complete the road to all 12 pubs and to finally stand at the stairs of The World's End. It was lovely seeing him get the old band together who were portrayed by some very fine top class actors, and with Gary's enthusiasm you're always ready for more and excited for what's to come when they pay another pub a visit. Things will happen, and twists will blow you away, but it works, and is kind of an extension of the idea Edgar was playing with in Hot Fuzz. It still works in its own right, it creates tension, it brings you this fog of mystery you want to uncover, and you certainly want to learn more about your new friends. On this rewatch, I still think The World's End is Edgar Wright's second best creation, just right after Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

pauljeremiah · Jul 2, 2017

Forgot to add my top 10 films of the year I've watched so far.

pauljeremiah · Jul 2, 2017

Messofanego said:
Was I always daydreaming?

In This Corner Of The World (dir. Sunao Katabuchi)
This was hearfelt, funny, and gut-wrenching in equal measure. If you've seen The Wind Rises or Grave Of The Fireflies, animated wartime Japan (and a creative with turmoil in the background) should be a familiar sight. However, this ends up being more brutal than them because of it being a tonal mash-up so you never know what to quite expect next. You'll go from lighthearted moment to domestic drama and then to stunning audiovisual violence, especially in the second half. The film flirts around even with animation, like The Tale Of Princess Kaguya did for her running, this film does with explosions or a collage of shifting lifetime memories boxed in a wooden frame. On top of the variety of animation and tones, is the reality/dream misdirection. Much like Kaguya and the recent Lady Macbeth, this also deals with the uneasiness of young marriage in a new place (Kure) to the point where the main character Suzu believes she might have dreamt the whole thing and is actually still living with her parents in Eba. Whether it's her denial of reality or just having a very active imagination, it'll give you a mental workout much like other temporally flirtatious films. The film really doesn't pull back on how the war ended, and even though you're expecting it, you haven't seen it in animation quite this graphic. The characters are multidimensional, even what seems like the antagonist. The film has simultaneously the cutest animation quirks like Suzu's tilted face (literally this emoji &#128547 and the most battered character looks.

With My Life As A Courgette and now this, it's been quite the year for emotional heavy-hitters in animation. I'm glad to see it's not just Studio Ghibli delivering the best and most mature animated films in the past few years. One of the best films of 2017.

This is playing tomorrow night in my local cinema, in Japanese and for one night only. Will definitly check it out.

Ridley327 · Jul 2, 2017

Cripplegate said:
Yes. I love Vincent Price and I adore this movie.

I often use this one to introduce people to Vincent Price, because it defies preconceptions about Price and his work, while seemingly conforming to them on the surface (i.e. people know Price as an icon of cult horror films, will often expect schlock, and are totally unprepared for a master class in acting from a graduate of the Mercury Theatre). Price always brings his A game, whether it's a prestige picture or a genre outing, and approaches every role with sincerity and dignity. I'm always in awe of his work.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again! is also worth catching, but it's a step down from the original (obviously; it's impossible to top death by catapult unicorn).

I legitimately could not stop laughing for 5 minutes when that happened. Funniest death in a horror film, period.

Fancy Clown · Jul 2, 2017

I had a pretty light month for movies, and didn't even catch any of the stuff I wanted to see in theaters. Hope to rectify that this month with the beastly slate of blockbusters coming out.

Top 5 of June:
1. Gremlins
2. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
3. Gremlins 2: The New Batch
4. A Better Tomorrow
5. Split

Best rewatch:
Toy Story 2

Worst watch:
Krampus

Messofanego · Jul 2, 2017

pauljeremiah said:
This is playing tomorrow night in my local cinema, in Japanese and for one night only. Will definitly check it out.

Nice, hope you enjoy. Bring some tissues!

Freeza Under The Shower · Jul 2, 2017

best June watches.... eeeh... having rewatched Batman Forever, a movie I hadn't seen since seeing it in cinema at the time, I'll get back to you on that one.

I remembered it fondly. I no longer do.

AngmarsKing701 · Jul 2, 2017

Moana (2016) - rewatch. Again. The first time I watched this movie, I was enthralled with the animation (the hair and the water are unmatched). The second time, I realized the story is fairly rote, but still enjoyed it. This time, I really just let it all wash over me. Technically, the movie is amazing. There are two or three songs that are really great and have a solid impact timing-wise. I really like the ending, that it isn't Maui who saves the world but Moana herself.

Wonder Woman indeed.

Icolin · Jul 2, 2017

Apocalypse Now: Redux

First time watching this version and I'm kind of indifferent towards it. The added scenes are cool, but I'd be better off without them. Apart from that, this film is still a stone-cold classic well worth watching, regardless of what version you watch.

pauljeremiah · Jul 2, 2017

Went to see The House this afternoon, it was ok. Had a few funny moments but I have started to grow tired of Farrell's shtick.

One plot point though,

we are told during the film that they have 5 safes at the casino, and once all 5 are full then everyone involves wins as they will have $500K in total so $250k each. About 3/4 the way through they show that they have 3 safes full and about 1/4 of the 4th full. Why didn't Will's and Amy's character take their half that was clearly there and just leave? All three of them are in the room and they just ignore this fact and continue on with the film.

omgkitty · Jul 3, 2017

I've seen movies people, and I want to talk about them.

My opinions about Baby Driver are my own personal feelings. If you love it, well good for you I guess.

Baby Driver - I was thoroughly disappointed by this. I absolutely LOVE Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and I think Scott Pilgrim is great. This was easily one of my most anticipated films of the year, and I left with a big "meh" made worse by the amount of hype everyone else seemed to burden this film with. I can understand people liking this, but the overwhelming love and praise is the biggest load of shit I've seen since Mad Max.

My biggest problem with the film overall is how unfunny it is. A lot of the wit and clever writing of Wright's past films is almost completely missing. I get that this is a more action focused film, but there is an attempt made at humor here, so don't tell me that's not the point. Wright has always been great at using editing to convey humor, and it just feels very lacking. Also, for a film about driving, besides the opening, the driving was underwhelming, as were the car choices.

Some of the standard Wright staples are here, like the audio matching up to the soundtrack in fun ways. Speaking of sound, I didn't much care for the soundtrack, though obviously that's a personal problem. The only time the music genuinely made me happy was when there is a brief 30 second clip of "Ready Lets Go" from Boards of Canada.

In the end, it just felt like someone took a mediocre, by the numbers action film, and then got Edgar Wright to throw some of his ideas in a blender. Where films like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz take their genre conventions, and in most cases exceed them with a lot of wit and panache, Baby Driver is a limp, mediocre take on the heist film with some glitter thrown on it. It's clear Baby Driver takes some cues from Drive, but where Drive remains one of my favorite films, this will hopefully be a misstep in an otherwise great directors career.

The Beguiled - For better or worse, it's a Sofia Coppola film. It's well acted, and shot beautifully, but besides the last 20 minutes or so, there isn't a whole lot going on. Honestly, I just didn't ever find myself caring too much about what was going on. Feels a lot like a Hitchcock film without any of the suspense. If you've seen her other films, you probably know exactly what to expect here.

Okja - Of the 3 new films I've seen this week, this one seemed to be getting the most flack, and it's the one I enjoyed the most. I'm usually not a sucker for the "little kid with a magical friend" story trope, but it works here for the most part. I really have to commend them for essentially making an R rated children's film. All too often films like this forgo the horrors and realities of the situation, but this one does not shy away from that, and I greatly appreciate that. Some of the social commentary is a little too on the nose, but it works, especially given our current political climate. The weirdness of the world and people shown in Snowpiercer is back in great force as well, with Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal putting in work. It's not Joon-ho's best film, but worth watching for fans of his work.

Now it gets fun:

Blue - I enjoyed, but didn't love Blue. I feel as if things all work themselves out a little too neatly in the end, with Julie essentially making a complete 180 on a dime. I also found the musical cues a little too overly dramatic and overused. Still a great film, but not my favorite.

White - Fucking hell, love is bitter. Two people who love and hate each other go out of their way to show each other how much they love and hate each other. I enjoyed it, and it's certainly funnier than Kieslowski's other work, but the overall negativity kinda just doesn't work for me.

Red - The best film in the trilogy by a good margin. For most of the film, I wasn't sure what to think. I had heard it was more of a love story, which it is, but it's also not that. I like how Red plays with its attempts to confuse you and connect the dots of past and present, and the nod towards the other films at the end is pretty great as well. Also, I'm in love Irene Jacob now.

Side note: In all these Kieslowski films, what is it with these beautiful French actresses being attracted to these seemingly not very attractive men? It makes me realize I can't think of a single attractive French man except Alain Delon. It's like they perfected the mold once, and he sucked up all the pretty man juice from the country. Obviously as a man, I may be wrong about what women actually want, because it's also not me :|

Which brings me to....

The Double Life of Veronique - I had seen this before, 4 or 5 years ago, and while I remember not being sure how to feel about it at the time after watching it, I grew to love it. With films like this, I always feel conflicted about rewatching them, knowing my thoughts and views could change. It had been long enough that I remembered almost nothing about the actual plot of the film other than the doubles.

The first 30 minutes of the film are glorious, focusing on the Polish Weronika. Her untimely death is absolutely heartbreaking. The film then suddenly switches to Veronique, and things got muddier for me. There doesn't actually seem to be a reason for there to be this idea of a double in the film. There is the initial depression she experiences and then the outpouring of emotions at the end once she finally realizes what's happened, but other than that, it feels sort of pointless.

I am also very pessimistic about the idea of a woman (or anyone for that matter) falling in love with an unknown older man who also happens to be a fucking puppet master, that she's never talked to. When she finally meets the guy, she feels cheated when he can't tell her why he was essentially stalking her. He then chases her, tells her he loves her, and then they have sex. Then she experiences a great emotional trauma, at which point they have sex again. I'm no expert here, but something about all of that just feels wrong to me.

Despite this, I know the film is a masterpiece. Everything else about it is so perfect, but I feel cheated that I can't feel a personal connection to it any longer, to the point I immediately watched it again after finishing it, only to feel more unsure. I hate that I can't feel the same way about it that I did after watching it for the first time. Maybe I understand too much now. Maybe I see it's flaws. Maybe I'm just in the wrong state of mind at the moment. I don't know, but when there's something in front of you that you want to love, and just can't find it in you to do so, it makes me feel a lot like Karol Karol in White who just couldn't get it up for Julie Delpy. Thankfully, I don't have it that bad.

PS

I watched Last Year at Marienbad a few weeks ago. It's one of the best films ever made. It might also be about rape.

Icolin · Jul 3, 2017

Seeing Baby Driver again tonight! Will return with (likely still very positive) impressions later.

brianjones · Jul 3, 2017

I'm still pretty stunned by how much of a misfire baby driver was for me.. his worst, which feels weird considering how much of a passion project it was for him

also saw beguiled.. it was solid, I liked the lighting and general look of the film, but if you've seen the original I doubt you'll get much out of it. its like a cover song that isn't awful but tries to respect the original too much to be interesting

Alastor3 · Jul 3, 2017

Im looking for some good asian movie that's more like thriller, suspense, a bit drama.

AngmarsKing701 · Jul 3, 2017

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) - there's a fine line between so bad it's good and just so bad. This series and the Underworld series tread this line very carefully. For the most part, RE movies have been guilty pleasures. I've never gone to a theater to see these, always waiting for the inevitable showing on HBO or picking it up via redbox. This was no different for The Final Chapter.

And at first viewing, this one is probably just "so bad." The first half of the movie is basically two minutes of exposition followed by Alice kicking ass in different ways. One could almost find a fascinating bit of fun in it, except we grind to a halt once we get into Raccoon City and Alice interacts with other humans.

The plot, or what there is of it, comes to a decent conclusion eventually. Some of the typical action movie stupidity occurs. Can someone please just have the bad guy actually die when we think he's dead, instead of him magically popping up at the last second? It really is lame af.

Anyway... who knows... the number of times this will be on various TV shows, and I'm just flipping through the channels... and I get captured by a shot of Milla's cleavage or a bewildering killer move or the bad guy prattling on and on about his evil plan while NOT KILLING ALICE ... siggghghghgh... maybe it will eventually get into guilty pleasure range, but for now, it's just so bad.

2 / 5

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