Last Movie Watched

[chaingunsofdoom]

Lady Bird was really good. Couldn't catch it in a theater last year, but well worth buying it on BD.

 

[jerseydevil]

Me and The Kq did a double the other day. First off...the Dolby screening of Pacific Rim2. The Dolby treatment(at Amc16 Burbank) was spectacular. Just shy of Imax screen + a ridiculous sound system. Worth the extra couple bucks.
we compensated by sneaking into Strangers 2. Look, I gotta get my money's worth.
Great double feature for all the wrong reasons. Complete re-purposings, both movies. Pale imitations of their forefathers...yet, entirely serviceable entertainment.
PacRim 2 was the more tragic. John Boyega deserves better. And so do fans of GDT. This movie was solely made for overseas market. And, it didn't need to be. This movie will make you appreciate how subtle and artistic GDTs first one was. This movie is a checklist first, and a coherent movie second. And, the perverse and so very GDT twist that re-introduces the pre-cursers and opens up new breaches is so wasted. As is Charlie Day and Burn Gorman. None of the subtlety and art...or care. Just a cash grab trying to create a cheap franchise.
Strangers 2...was sadistic. But in a really ugly way. Yeah...so was the first. But the first...also had subtlety. Suggestion. This was a 'hey, get to know the complex family in 10 minutes, just to watch us stick the knife in and twist.' And they diminish the mystery of the original movie.
So, to sum up...Decently entertaining, subordinate sequels that make you appreciate the originals.

 

[lagwagon0]

I can't disagree with your thoughts on either, visually fine but just going through the motions.

I had higher hopes for Pacfiic Rim 2 but after seeing the trailers and the initial reviews my expectations were reduced. The overall effort was just so lazy and formulaic and I caught myself rolling my eyes way too often. What was unfortunate was that this director has done some great TV work but the script among other things did him few favors.

All Strangers did was convince me I need to watch the original to see if it's better. This one is a passable horror movie but the utter stupidity of the characters drove me f'ing crazy. I honestly cannot believe the director didn't notice the utter lack of common sense with every decision made. In this day and age with so many well thought out micro budget horror movies better options can easily be found.

 

[IceWarrior]

I saw Spider-Man homecoming the other day it was good.

 

[jerseydevil]

Been looking forward to this. Pretty impressive...sound and tension on overdrive. Surprisingly effective work by all as far as presenting the real feeling of family closeness and loss, for a movie that has very little dialogue. Nice and tight at 80 some odd minutes. Sound design and music are outstanding, thankfully. Creature design was standard digital fx, shame really, because some practical fx would have fit so much better. And would have helped cement the danger a bit more.

 

[salami]

I'm watching Year One right now (Jack Black, Michael Cera)...much to my surprise, it's actually pretty funny.

 

[lagwagon0]

Ready Player One was really enjoyable and a visual masterpiece. Just a great popcorn flick and I may even go see it again in IMAX. A-
A Quiet Place was simple, well directed and acted but I didn't really feel the sense of dread I expect these type of movies to produce. I may have had unrealistic expectations. B

 

[jerseydevil]

Disagree about Quiet Place.

Ok, VEILED SPOILERS TO FOLLOW...


I SAID SPOILERS...


Ok, now that we are alone. I thought the bait and switch the trailer played with the prologue, you established some pretty solid stakes. The child actors, especially the authentic deaf child, and some genuine sincerity from Kraczinsky(seriously, have he and Zac Levi ever been in the same room together)/and Blunt, truly invested you in the family. And therefore, dread. Serious dread...

I truly felt that gut punch at the end.

 

[roenick]

Saw this last night. Loved it. Typical Wes Anderson film with off beat story and great dialog even if by dogs. Loved the use of Japanese language and English at various points. Story has some holes but also like a Wes Anderson film tremendously well acted.

 

[roenick]

Saw this last night. Interesting movie and no sugar coating a horrible event. No political call here on my part but illustrates how power/money helps get folks out of any situation. Amazing acting especially by Jason Clarke, Ed Helms and a sublime Clancy Brown.

 

[lagwagon0]

Super Troopers B- (solid laughs but nothing real gut busting)
Truth or Dare D (so bad it was almost good)
Rampage C (good final action sequence but what a p*ss poor script, tired to inject some humor that never hit the mark)

 

[jerseydevil]

Like Thorny, when they let Mac and Foster out of the Bunty Soap truck..."i'm not laughing."
Now, I reserve the right to change my mind after numerous repeat viewings, but initial reaction is that their hearts weren't in it so much. Or, it just didn't capture the lightning in a bottle. A few laughs, but almost out of my necessity to like this. Like I said, it may change, so don't lock me in here.

Ok, never read the book. And so I will judge the movie by one standard only. It did not make me want to read the book. PERIOD. It's a fine movie(sort of). Hits all the notes. But just missing whatever spark made the book such a beloved thing. Plus, lets be serious, this should be entered in the ANIMATED categories at the Oscars. The physical shooting was likely done in 3 or 4 weeks. And 2 years in post. The pop culture references that this movie over relied on, were too fast and fleeting to really catch and enjoy. It was distracting and frustrating. I did appreciate the Glaive from Krull being front-rowed though. That was nice. I had some problems with the diversity issues of the cast. Two Asian American characters. No problem with that. BUT, why do they have to avatar as a ninja and a shogun. I realize, it's part of their cultural history. But it's a thin line between onthenose and racist. Plus one of characters mentions that you don't know if someone is a 300 pound dude living in his mom's basement...which, given their level of ability, it's almost a given that one of them would be. But no, they are mostly young and attractive by society's guidelines, barring the street credibility character, who is 'studio' real. But, it's harmless overall. A wee bit overlong. Rylance was acting like he was in a better movie. And what was up with Ben Mendelson's ridiculous teeth that altered his ability to speak, curious.
So...B-/C+ ish.

 

[Dexter]

Like Thorny, when they let Mac and Foster out of the Bunty Soap truck..."i'm not laughing."
Now, I reserve the right to change my mind after numerous repeat viewings, but initial reaction is that their hearts weren't in it so much. Or, it just didn't capture the lightning in a bottle. A few laughs, but almost out of my necessity to like this. Like I said, it may change, so don't lock me in here.

Ok, never read the book. And so I will judge the movie by one standard only. It did not make me want to read the book. PERIOD. It's a fine move(sort of). Hits all the notes. But just missing whatever spark made the book such a beloved thing. Plus, lets be serious, this should be entered in the ANIMATED categories at the Oscars. The physical shooting was likely done in 3 or 4 weeks. And 2 years in post. The pop culture references that this movie over relied on, were too fast and fleeting to really catch and enjoy. It was distracting and frustrating. I did appreciate the Glaive from Krull being front-rowed though. That was nice. I had some problems with the diversity issues of the cast. Two Asian American characters. No problem with that. BUT, why do they have to avatar as a ninja and a shogun. I realize, it's part of their cultural history. But it's a thin line between onthenose and racist. Plus one of characters mentions that you don't know if someone is a 300 pound dud living in his mom's basement...which, given their level of ability, it's almost a given that one of them would be. But no, they are mostly young and attractive by society's guidelines, barring the street credibility character, who is 'studio' real. But, it's harmless overall. A wee bit overlong. Rylance was acting like he was in a better movie. And what was up with Ben Mendelson's ridiculous teeth that altered his ability to speak, curious.
So...B-/C+ ish.

Well, she did have that birthmark.

 

[LetTigerIn]

I'm generally not a fan of Broken Lizard… except for Beerfest.

 

[LetTigerIn]

Rampage — Agree 100% with [MENTION=492]lagwagon0[/MENTION] on this one. In fact, while I was watching it, I thought you could probably save some time and walk into this one an hour late, and leave better off than if you'd watched the whole thing. That's when all the best smashing occurs. I'll pile on a little more and add that not only was the writing terrible, but the directing couldn't possibly be more pedestrian. In terms of story and character, it was so bad that not even having both The Rock AND JDM could provide any spark at all.

Anyway, I've got a backlog of other movies to yak about… someday, I guess…

 

[jerseydevil]

Rampage — Agree 100% with [MENTION=492]lagwagon0[/MENTION] on this one. In fact, while I was watching it, I thought you could probably save some time and walk into this one an hour late, and leave better off than if you'd watched the whole thing. That's when all the best smashing occurs. I'll pile on a little more and add that not only was the writing terrible, but the directing couldn't possibly be more pedestrian. In terms of story and character, it was so bad that not even having both The Rock AND JDM could provide any spark at all.

Anyway, I've got a backlog of other movies to yak about… someday, I guess…

Do tell...

 

[roenick]

Saw this last night. Good movie, story. Well acted by Don Draper ...

 

[jerseydevil]

Ok, I LOVED Spring. I thought it was a little bit of miracle. This is NOT Spring. Spring was small and meditative, this is a different animal. And, despite some pacing and logic flaws, I enjoyed it very much. The directors also star, and they bring a real charm to their parts. And the movie is purposefully obtuse. Kingsqueen changed my mind about the ending with one sentence. So, if clarity/closure is your bag...be warned. If you like a movie that requires a little puzzle solving, then you should enjoy this.

This was a pleasant surprise. Imagine, a fairly high profile horror movie that I had NO knowledge of. I am getting old lazy and stoned far too much. Anyway, we wanted to plan a double feature and Laemmle NoHo was only place where Endless was still showing. So I saw Martin Freeman was in it, it was an anthology flick, and English. So I thought, how bad could it be. I knew we were ok when I saw IFC Midnight's production card in the titles. You likely will not get to see this in a theater. I was glad I did. Very compelling. Reminded me so much of _____ _____. When it hits digital...give this a shot. It's a quiet movie, until it isn't, that demands your attention. And no spoilers, but...this movie generated a LOT of conversation betwixt me and Kq. With more to come likely. A little sloppy on the resolution...but still a satisfying conclusion. Adapted from a stage play...and it shows. It's cleverly designed from the start. I will likely buy this when I can. This is one of those movies that might actuall REQUIRE an extra viewing or two.



[SXSW Review] ‘Ghost Stories’ Is Theatrical Horror at Its Best
http://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/3488386/sxsw-review-ghost-stories-theatrical-horror-best/

***the Laemmle NoHo may become a frequent habitat. Digital, nice enough screens...but an true OLD SCHOOL theater. Smallish theaters, great sight lines...and just a general MOOD that you don't get at the local googleplexes. I know what you are thinking, Laemmle...all art deco and artisinal barristas. NOPE. Nice cheery folks who radiate that 'I'm working in Hollywood' vibe and old movie posters and simplicity. Decent popcorn and 10 dollar matinee/13.95 full price. Check this place out, NoHo arts district...so it's got food and drink and people watching.

 

[NobleSavage]

Incredible. It hits pretty hard with a lot of psychology going on with the characters.
Parts were very hard to take in, but I really liked it.

 

[LetTigerIn]

Incredible. It hits pretty hard with a lot of psychology going on with the characters.
Parts were very hard to take in, but I really liked it.

Probably my favorite movie so far this year.