R
roenick
Lurker
Agree. Other then one scene I absolutely hated I thought the movie was fun. Especially the ending ...
Last Movie Watched
- Thread starter adgy-san
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G
gokor84
Lurker
Wow dead pool was amazing
First off, props to this thread & those who contribute....ive been sick as a dog this week which is really the only time I have to watch movies. Based on the recomendations here are my thoughts....
What we do in the Shadows- This was very funny. As others mentioned its a mockumentary that had some parts that were very, very funny. One of the quotes that cracked me up was the human in the vampire ball when someone asked him....Are you a Demon? And the guy says Im actually a software developer. Anyhow...this was one from left field that more should watch if given the chance.
Spring- The less you know going in the better...will say that films like this spotlight the importance of indi film. You could see how this script been pitched to a big studio they would have effed it up to no end. Interesting film for sure.
Blue Ruin- Interesting, but of the three films I watched maybe the least worthy. Not saying it sucked, just didnt move the needle for me.
Vacation- Saw the reviews that said how bad it sucked. But you must judge movies like this on the Adam Sandler scale....
That said, it was funny and didnt try to be anything else that a knock off with visual humor and absurd situations and even joking about that movie franchise in the script. Wont say its Airplane or Caddyshack...but if you go in with no expectations the movie has a good quick pace and semi variety of gags to keep your attention for 90 minutes.
James Griswold: I've never even heard of the original vacation.
Rusty Griswold: Doesn't matter. The new vacation will stand on its own.
What we do in the Shadows- This was very funny. As others mentioned its a mockumentary that had some parts that were very, very funny. One of the quotes that cracked me up was the human in the vampire ball when someone asked him....Are you a Demon? And the guy says Im actually a software developer. Anyhow...this was one from left field that more should watch if given the chance.
Spring- The less you know going in the better...will say that films like this spotlight the importance of indi film. You could see how this script been pitched to a big studio they would have effed it up to no end. Interesting film for sure.
Blue Ruin- Interesting, but of the three films I watched maybe the least worthy. Not saying it sucked, just didnt move the needle for me.
Vacation- Saw the reviews that said how bad it sucked. But you must judge movies like this on the Adam Sandler scale....
That said, it was funny and didnt try to be anything else that a knock off with visual humor and absurd situations and even joking about that movie franchise in the script. Wont say its Airplane or Caddyshack...but if you go in with no expectations the movie has a good quick pace and semi variety of gags to keep your attention for 90 minutes.
James Griswold: I've never even heard of the original vacation.
Rusty Griswold: Doesn't matter. The new vacation will stand on its own.
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adgy-san
PJ Harvey is God
Alright, I need to get caught up.
The Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honor And Humanity - 5 classic Japanese Yakuza films finally get re-released on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video. The films are in many ways similar to the Godfather, at least as far as impact and effect on the gangster/genre films that came after them. That's pretty much where the similarities end, though.
These movies have a lot of handheld camerawork and are much more visceral. They are pretty ****ing fantastic, though. The first two are especially great. The only drawback is that there are a ****load of characters who get introduced rather quickly and it can be confusing if you aren't familiar with the actors involved. Still, supposedly they're going to release the films individually later this year and I definitely recommend them.
Trouble Every Day - Artsy vampire flick that takes a little while to get where it's going, but once it does... oof. There are only a couple bloody/violent scenes in the film, but they're both ****ing fantastic. Like, I would buy this movie just for them. One suggestion if you're planning to watch this, though (it's on Amazon Prime currently): don't watch it while your wife is asleep on the couch next to you. Because she might wake up to the sounds of someone's face getting eaten off and she might not appreciate that. You're welcome.
Foxcatcher - Based on the true story of a rich guy who really liked wrestling. Really good performances all around, Steve Carell looks really creepy and did a great job. You know everything is going to end badly for everyone, even if you don't know exactly how it ends, because there is a very well crafted atmosphere throughout the movie. A solid, enjoyable movie, though I don't care if I ever see it again.
Yakuza Apocalypse - **** yes, the new Takashi Miike vampire yakuza movie is on Amazon Prime right now, and I ****ing loved it. It seems like it's going to be a relatively straightforward movie at first (even though it's yakuza vampires), but... some **** happens and the movie becomes EXACTLY what you want it to be. The ****ing frog guy is worth the price of admission alone. In fact, I would buy it right now but for some reason the distributor didn't bother to release it on Blu-ray. ****ers. If I was going to re-do my list of favorite movies from 2015, this would definitely be near the top.
No Country For Old Men - Just in case you were wondering if this was still one of the best movies ever made, I double checked and it is.
Tokyo Tribe - The latest Sion Sono movie is on Netflix and it's... uh... interesting. It's about a bunch of street gangs who all have their own territory and the war that happens when one of them tries to take over. And 99% of the dialogue is rapped. Parts of it are really funny, parts of it are really cool, but after a while I found myself wishing the dialogue was spoken instead, though I appreciate that Sono went all out. I liked it, but did not love it. Nice to see Riki Takeuchi again. He used to be in all of Miike's films, but I hadn't seen anything he's done in ages.
Bone Tomahawk - Oh, **** yes. JD's description of this as The Searchers by way of The Descent is pretty spot on. Enjoyed the **** out of it. Even when it's just 4 guys travelling through the desert, it stays interesting and engaging. All the dialogue is great and when you finally get to the payoff, it delivers. Eager to see what S. Craig Zahler does next.
Everly - A mostly-contained-in-one-room film where Salma Hayek shoots and blows the **** out of a ****load of bad guys. What's not to like? This was exactly what I expected and pretty much exactly what I wanted. It's on Netflix now and it's a good time. Nothing special, but fun.
Inside Llewyn Davis - Enjoyable character piece for Oscar Isaac. Mostly straight-forward, but there are a couple bits that are pure Coen Brothers that made me laugh out loud. I liked it.
Deadpool - Holy ****, I loved this.
Child 44 - In addition to having Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman (all of whom I love), this flick has Paddy Considine, Joel Kinnaman, Jason Clarke, Charles Dance and Vincent Cassell in it. So while it wasn't a bad movie, my biggest issue with this one was that it wasn't a great movie. It was fine, maybe a little long, and everyone is speaking english with a Russian accent which made it difficult to understand at points, but it was otherwise ok. I feel like in better hands, this might have been a better movie, though. It should have been.
The Bloody Judge - Pretty bad. I would voice my common complaint that this film didn't have enough Lee in it, but... even the scenes he was in were pretty ho-hum. The film summary says: Christopher Lee plays the Lord Chief Justice of 17th century England who condemns women as witches to further his political and sexual needs, but it was a lot tamer than that led me to believe. I mean, there are plenty of boobies, but it was still boring throughout. Even if you're a hardcore Christopher Lee fan, I'd put this on the backburner.
The Revenant - Ok, I finally saw this. I liked, but did not love it. Yeah, the scenery/cinematography were gorgeous. And the score was crazy good. And the general gist of the film I was into and going with. I can't argue that the movie felt bloated at times, though, or that it maybe felt like a little much. For me, it didn't detract enough to stop me from enjoying it, but I didn't like the movie as much as I'd hoped. For anyone wondering, my wife read the book and it is EXTREMELY different, so I think it's safe to say that any faults you have with the story can be squarely placed on the filmmakers.
The Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honor And Humanity - 5 classic Japanese Yakuza films finally get re-released on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video. The films are in many ways similar to the Godfather, at least as far as impact and effect on the gangster/genre films that came after them. That's pretty much where the similarities end, though.
These movies have a lot of handheld camerawork and are much more visceral. They are pretty ****ing fantastic, though. The first two are especially great. The only drawback is that there are a ****load of characters who get introduced rather quickly and it can be confusing if you aren't familiar with the actors involved. Still, supposedly they're going to release the films individually later this year and I definitely recommend them.
Trouble Every Day - Artsy vampire flick that takes a little while to get where it's going, but once it does... oof. There are only a couple bloody/violent scenes in the film, but they're both ****ing fantastic. Like, I would buy this movie just for them. One suggestion if you're planning to watch this, though (it's on Amazon Prime currently): don't watch it while your wife is asleep on the couch next to you. Because she might wake up to the sounds of someone's face getting eaten off and she might not appreciate that. You're welcome.
Foxcatcher - Based on the true story of a rich guy who really liked wrestling. Really good performances all around, Steve Carell looks really creepy and did a great job. You know everything is going to end badly for everyone, even if you don't know exactly how it ends, because there is a very well crafted atmosphere throughout the movie. A solid, enjoyable movie, though I don't care if I ever see it again.
Yakuza Apocalypse - **** yes, the new Takashi Miike vampire yakuza movie is on Amazon Prime right now, and I ****ing loved it. It seems like it's going to be a relatively straightforward movie at first (even though it's yakuza vampires), but... some **** happens and the movie becomes EXACTLY what you want it to be. The ****ing frog guy is worth the price of admission alone. In fact, I would buy it right now but for some reason the distributor didn't bother to release it on Blu-ray. ****ers. If I was going to re-do my list of favorite movies from 2015, this would definitely be near the top.
No Country For Old Men - Just in case you were wondering if this was still one of the best movies ever made, I double checked and it is.
Tokyo Tribe - The latest Sion Sono movie is on Netflix and it's... uh... interesting. It's about a bunch of street gangs who all have their own territory and the war that happens when one of them tries to take over. And 99% of the dialogue is rapped. Parts of it are really funny, parts of it are really cool, but after a while I found myself wishing the dialogue was spoken instead, though I appreciate that Sono went all out. I liked it, but did not love it. Nice to see Riki Takeuchi again. He used to be in all of Miike's films, but I hadn't seen anything he's done in ages.
Bone Tomahawk - Oh, **** yes. JD's description of this as The Searchers by way of The Descent is pretty spot on. Enjoyed the **** out of it. Even when it's just 4 guys travelling through the desert, it stays interesting and engaging. All the dialogue is great and when you finally get to the payoff, it delivers. Eager to see what S. Craig Zahler does next.
Everly - A mostly-contained-in-one-room film where Salma Hayek shoots and blows the **** out of a ****load of bad guys. What's not to like? This was exactly what I expected and pretty much exactly what I wanted. It's on Netflix now and it's a good time. Nothing special, but fun.
Inside Llewyn Davis - Enjoyable character piece for Oscar Isaac. Mostly straight-forward, but there are a couple bits that are pure Coen Brothers that made me laugh out loud. I liked it.
Deadpool - Holy ****, I loved this.
Child 44 - In addition to having Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman (all of whom I love), this flick has Paddy Considine, Joel Kinnaman, Jason Clarke, Charles Dance and Vincent Cassell in it. So while it wasn't a bad movie, my biggest issue with this one was that it wasn't a great movie. It was fine, maybe a little long, and everyone is speaking english with a Russian accent which made it difficult to understand at points, but it was otherwise ok. I feel like in better hands, this might have been a better movie, though. It should have been.
The Bloody Judge - Pretty bad. I would voice my common complaint that this film didn't have enough Lee in it, but... even the scenes he was in were pretty ho-hum. The film summary says: Christopher Lee plays the Lord Chief Justice of 17th century England who condemns women as witches to further his political and sexual needs, but it was a lot tamer than that led me to believe. I mean, there are plenty of boobies, but it was still boring throughout. Even if you're a hardcore Christopher Lee fan, I'd put this on the backburner.
The Revenant - Ok, I finally saw this. I liked, but did not love it. Yeah, the scenery/cinematography were gorgeous. And the score was crazy good. And the general gist of the film I was into and going with. I can't argue that the movie felt bloated at times, though, or that it maybe felt like a little much. For me, it didn't detract enough to stop me from enjoying it, but I didn't like the movie as much as I'd hoped. For anyone wondering, my wife read the book and it is EXTREMELY different, so I think it's safe to say that any faults you have with the story can be squarely placed on the filmmakers.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
It's ok Adge...SAAAAAAAAY IT!!!!!!
THE REVENANT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!
PS: I read an interview with the screenwriter and he pretty much said out loud that the movie was 'influenced by' the book.
THE REVENANT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!
PS: I read an interview with the screenwriter and he pretty much said out loud that the movie was 'influenced by' the book.
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adgy-san
PJ Harvey is God
I enjoyed it, though. For real.
Yeah, the book... apparently, Glass has no family to avenge, he just gets left for dead by Fitzgerald and gets mad because Fitz also steals his rifle. So he goes through all this stuff (some similar to the movie, some not... there was no Tauntaun hotel in the book for example...) and finally catches up to Fitz at the base and then... wait for it... THEY HAVE A TRIAL to see if Fitz is guilty of being a dick (or something) and there is no bloody vengeance. Glass just wanted his rifle back.
The wife called in "unintentionally hilarious" at points, although she said she enjoyed some of the minutia of survival techniques and all that. But it sounds like they were right to only use it the book as a starting point.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
God's Not Dead, btw. Kinda movie of the week. As a lapsed Catholic I liked some of the heavy handed symbolism, but, ultimately Kevin Sorbo's horrible 'acting' kinda made it unravel.
P.S., it has one of the most...well, really ****ed up twists ever at the end. Kinda feels like the cinema equivalent of the Chick Tracts http://www.chick.com/ that you may have seen as a kid.
See. I like Ryan Reynolds. And I think this one kinda fell through the cracks. He chubbs up and musses his hair to play a deeply troubled man, whose life was scarred by a traumatic incident. Just so happens, his sense of reality is kinda...skewed. Female director gives this an interesting p.o.v. And there is just enough playful altered reality stuff to make serial murder kinda charming. Ends in a 'fade to the credits' musical number...
Not for everyone.
And this is why I dredge through the horror genre...
Bruce McDonald, (who directed the greatest horror movie in a LONG time, Pontypool) brings this surreal mash up of Trick'r'Treat and the Wizard of Oz...and it's as great as that description. You MAY HATE THIS. Consider yourself warned.
Tough one. I struggled with this. The main horror is watching people civilized enough to be irrational superstitious sheep due to religious paranoia. Think the self flagellating priests from Holy Grail. Great performances, direction, cinematography...oh yeah...this is an arthouse flick. And it's art, no doubt.
BUT...the end undoes the whole 'is it real or paranoia' vibe they spent SO MUCH TIME establishing. Granted, it's a satisfying ending, and a logical choice...but it just seems...too easy.
Man. Up till about the middle of the alphabet, this was a stinker. But then, some Plymptoons madness...and a few really really surreally segments...and it finished STRONG. Not s good as the first...but a brilliant concept I want more of
Huge Fincher fan. Up till now, this one had eluded me. Kinda lulled me to sleep in the theater. And Gyllenhall's twitchiness combined with GRuffalo's sandy panties style of acting, left me cold. Plays much better on the smaller screen. RDJ has NEVER been more at ease/charming. Lots of peripheral actors just slipping in and doing great work. It's a damned quiet movie. That's what took me so long to embrace. Gonna go...Fight Club, S7even, and maybe this next.
Ok. Saw this opening night. Was moved to tears. Waited till this past weekend to see again. Wondered if, once the hype fades, is it still...good. Well. I see the flaws better. And, I want to criticize the fan service/exploitation...but, like the first time...I can't. Because the motivations seem, justified. JJ gave us what we wanted, and...how can you be mad about that?
RR fan, always have been. Like SWTFA, the motivations on this are soooooooooooooo fanboy friendly. No criticism can be valid. Every once in a while...Hollywood does the right thing, and rewards fandom. Usually by accident.
Shoop shoop ba-doop
Shoop ba-doop
Shoop ba-doop ba-doop ba-doop
Shoop ba-doop
Shoop ba-doop
Shoop ba-doop ba-doop ba-doop
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
Got a couple others to post on...but in the interest of timing, I thought I would get this one up. Hurm. Good? Sure. But...and I am trying to be as impartial as I can be...there are ZERO surprises here. All this talk of 'don't spoil it by knowing anything going in', well...if you have seen the trailer, you can pretty much suss out what this one has to offer. And all this talk of SPOILERS
SPOILERS
SPOILERS
This only being a relative cousin to Cloverfield are pretty much false. The last 20 minutes or so, while not actually featuring the original Cloverfield monster, feature a plausible variation which pretty much colors the original movie as a sort of Pacific Rim Alien invasion by way of creature attack.
The performances are good, although it is quite frankly painful to listen to John Goodman breathe. But nobody does anything you don't expect them to do. So...enjoyable, but not at all original or innovative in any way shape or form.
BTW. There is a possible game changer of a plot thread concerning John Goodman's character. But it is painfully unresolved and that just makes the whole thing more frustrating.
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jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
I will say this, this movie is unapologetically unrepentently stoopid. It embraces and celebrates dumb dumb people. And I LOVED IT!!!!!! This movie tanking is just a sign of the death of fun. I blame the studio for not having the balls( the movie sure did...literally and figuratively) to get behind this movie. Sascha Baron Cohen is truly a fearless genius. And Mark Strong, who I already loved as an actor, proves that he is something special by allowing and participating in, what could be considered, a sabotage of his career. Do yourself a favor and see this. It's simple and the story is basically there to support the jokes, but...that's ok. Oh, and it's directed by Louis Letterier(Transporter, The Hulk) so the action pieces are surprisingly genuine.
I LOVE this movie, and it may be the best thing I've seen this year.
R
roenick
Lurker
Wait, wait, wait. I thought only Americans were the dumb ones nowadays ... i.e. the dumbing down of America and all ...
I will say this, this movie is unapologetically unrepentently stoopid. It embraces and celebrates dumb dumb people. And I LOVED IT!!!!!! This movie tanking is just a sign of the death of fun. I blame the studio for not having the balls( the movie sure did...literally and figuratively) to get behind this movie. Sascha Baron Cohen is truly a fearless genius. And Mark Strong, who I already loved as an actor, proves that he is something special by allowing and participating in, what could be considered, a sabotage of his career. Do yourself a favor and see this. It's simple and the story is basically there to support the jokes, but...that's ok. Oh, and it's directed by Louis Letterier(Transporter, The Hulk) so the action pieces are surprisingly genuine.
I LOVE this movie, and it may be the best thing I've seen this year.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
I suppose, if you really really look for it, there is social commentary about the poverty class of the UK...but really, it's only there to show lots of unattractive naked flesh and abysmal behavior.
Pain And Gain: 8.5/10. The best Micheal Bay movie you'll ever likely to see because it actually has something intelligent to say. Bay's trademark visual style (ott voyeuristic) actually plays into the films themes about buffed, beautiful but ultimately shallow and corrupt people doing really stupid things because they think they have a right to.
The fact that its based on a true story adds a level of Coen bros-esque black humour (its very funny in some places) to it all. It's the closeest MB well ever get to making Fargo.
The fact that its based on a true story adds a level of Coen bros-esque black humour (its very funny in some places) to it all. It's the closeest MB well ever get to making Fargo.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
Man, what a blast. Relentless from the get go. Don't be late, be in your seat when this one starts. Best way to describe...Unbreakable meets E.T.. Great performances by(of course) Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton. Kristen Dunst...meh, not so much. Only complaints, sloppy editing causes issues with plot threads getting short shrift, and the movie is too long to support it's relentless pace( coulda used 5-10 minutes trimmed). But when a movie, overall, is a good as this...it's easy to forgive. Playing in limited engagement, worth searching out.
P.S. It's easy to walk out of this with a lot of questions. Not everything is explained. That worked for me...but if you have issues with this type of thing you may want to avoid.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
Saw this over the weekend. Approve of it, very pro cat...and cute as hell. But really...kinda one note, like I think some of their sketch comedy can be. Funny-ish, especially a long riff on George Michael. Moments of clever flipping of stereotypes....but balanced out by long stretches of lazy stereotype hammering to balance out. Their first feature film...and I give em a pass because it was directed by someone else. Mixed bag, unfortunately. Wait to watch at home.
R
roenick
Lurker
We saw this over the weekend. We enjoyed it as a great idea. Some cheesy moments but Costner is great in it.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
Having seen Yorgos Lanthimos Dogtooth, I knew going in that this would neither be an easy viewing or immediately satisfying. He's not interested in pleasing you. This movie is full of unspecified rules, plot threads/characters that come and go, and ends on a note that tries to top the Sopranos finale' for vague conclusions.
That being said...it's a fascinating movie. Some really bad animal violence...and that is something that really bothers me, so go in forewarned. But, basically a conversation on whether people are meant to be single or 'coupled' in the movies terms. Colin Farrell continues to do great work, as does the majority of the cast. Some great ideas are introduced, but purposefully unresolved...almost frustratingly so. But the uncomfortable humor and really detached sweetness put this one over. NOT AT ALL FOR EVERYONE. And I recommend you see with someone simply because I think the point of this movie is to think and discuss. If you are adventurous, check it out.
And, hats off to the Arclight Hollywood. My new fave theater. If you are an adult...and you like to see a movie minus the multiplex 'disturbances', it's the place for you.
L
LetTigerIn
Lurker
I ended up seeing The Lobster by myself at an early morning screening, which turned out to be an interesting way to see it. The large theater was sparsely populated with either singles or couples. This is another interesting entry from Yorgos Lanthimos. I liked it. This movie will keep you processing it afterwards, maybe for days, if you're into that sort of thing. Also, I did not think the ending was vague.
jerseydevil
I'llPutPenniesOnYourEyes
Spoilers, but I gotta ask...
Do you think the ending was Colin Farrell's P.O.V. after completing his task in the men's room? That was my first thought.
L
LetTigerIn
Lurker
Actually, that possibility didn't even cross my mind, but that makes sense considering your comparison. It, like most of the film, warrants further discussion.
santiclaws
I was in the pool!!
This has been sitting in my Netflix queue forever and a day; I have absolutely no idea how it ended up there. I thought it was something foreign along "Mr. Vengeance" lines. Decided to watch it tonight and it wasn't remotely what I expected. Which was a good thing.
A modern noir, with some twists and turns along the way but quite the slow burn. An old sheriff pursuing leads in a strange case and a Japanese crime novel writer (Ayako Fujitani - Steven Segal's daugher. Wait, what?) who ends up in the middle of a crime story herself. A tight script and some very good performances. I love the experience of going into a movie knowing absolutely nothing about it (does that ever happen any more?) and being really surprised by it, in a good way. This was one of those.
