Last Movie Watched

[orpheus]

I wanna watch that Puppet Master movie too especially after I found out that there is a Jewish puppet named...

The Money Lender! mhihi:

 

[IceWarrior]

South Park. Bigger, Longer, Uncut. It was funny.

 

[jerseydevil]

Wow. Things were a lot simpler when I was a kid. Used to love this flick. Hadn't seen in forever. And boy, did it not age well. Add to that, the MST3K...errrrrrrrr Rifftrax guys were just savage. Justifiably. In between the mourning for my more forgiving tastes I laughed quite a bit.

Man. The reviews and 'projections' killed this. I laughed. Is it high art? Most definitely not. But, I would see a flick like this over most of the so-called comedy flicks these days. Really, the Spy Who Dumped Me? No thanks. If anything this failed because the lead...who was a puppet, was strong enough that you stopped looking at him as a puppet. So stuff that should have been stranger was kinda muted. I will definitely rewatch on home video, download, stream...whatever.

 

[chaingunsofdoom]

Watched Peppermint today. Jen Garner always great. Nothing earth-shattering. Really liked it.

 

[roenick]

Saw this on Tuesday and really liked it. Cooper's vocals were unknown obviously but dude can sing. Not a big Gaga fan but she did well. Saying it right now - if Cooper decided to try a career as a singer - and stayed with the genre from the movie - I would lay money down to go see/hear it.

 

[roenick]

Saw this last night (hey $5 Tuesday movies have moved up weekly Date Night nicely!). Very well acted and good movie. Not sure what the "controversy" issue was all about. Told a necessary story about a seminal event in our recent history.

 

[LetTigerIn]

Free Solo

The year isn't even up yet, and already there is a sequel to Solo: A Star Wars Story. Okay, not really.

This is one of the few documentaries I'd say you need to see on as large a screen as possible. It's a documentary about Alex Honnold preparing to free solo El Capitan — that is to say to climb El Capitan alone without any ropes, harnesses, or other protective equipment. As a piece of cinema, it's breathtaking both in its beauty as well as its harrowing danger, and it even made me consider my own life and mortality in more than a few ways. I very highly recommend this one, especially if it was even remotely on your radar. After seeing it this week, I was sorry that I missed seeing it in the Cinerama Dome.

 

[LetTigerIn]

First Man

So happened that I already had tickets to see this in IMAX last night, so I thought I'd add a couple of thoughts to roenick's.

This movie turns out to be a good companion piece to Free Solo. Like Free Solo, this is a movie that's served well by seeing it in on a big screen, specifically in IMAX, since some of the scenes were shot in IMAX. Also, like Free Solo, it's about a man undertaking a challenge in which failure may also mean death. Interestingly, the real-life Alex Honnold shares some similarities to the fictional account of real-life Neil Armstrong.

This is a mostly claustrophobic movie, which is a bit strange for an IMAX film. I think the idea was to force the viewer to consider the internal process of the characters in the dialogue scenes; and to likewise immerse them into the intensity of the flight scenes. It's also much more of a character study of Neil Armstrong than anything else, with strong performances all around but, of course, a special nod to Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong.

This continues to be a really good year for interesting movies, IMO.

 

[LetTigerIn]

The Sisters Brothers

This was definitely not what I was expecting. For one thing, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

It's hard to pin this one down. It's a film that wears many different skins and changes between them rapidly. Its shifting nature can sometimes lead to frustration over uncertainty of where it's all leading, or to exhilaration over being on such an unusual journey. I found myself getting impatient with in in the beginning, but before I realized it, I was completely sucked in, if not invested. I felt it was a bit like,"what if the Fabulous Baker Boys were hired killers in the old west?," which is partially why I classified it as a Jazz Western. Even the score reflects that.

In any case, this movie still has me thinking on it days later, which is something I like. This may end up high on my list, and this year that's really saying something. Great performances, as probably expected given the cast; and great craftsmanship all around, really.

The Hate U Give

I did not read this book, but I thought the movie was decent. It pretty much delivers what you'd expect and hits all the right notes, but doesn't really surprise or rise above. Because of K.J. Apa and Anthony Mackie being in it, I couldn't help but think "Archie Andrews vs. Sam Wilson" sometimes. The cast is good, except for Common, which was disappointing, because I just saw him in All About Nina, where I thought he was really, really good.

Speaking of comparing this to other movies, this is the third(?, even fourth, maybe?) movie this year where questionable police killings of unarmed minority civilians has been a key factor, and all three have been pretty interesting. The other two are Blindspotting and Monsters and Men. Monsters and Men, in particular, has a scene that is very similar to one in The Hate U Give and handles it much, much better.

Colette

I should have paired this one up with Lizzie, because there are certainly points to compare. I guess I'll put Lizzie in a post some other time, though. I'd also compare this one to RBG (the documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg) in that there is nothing remarkable in the filmcraft (save some of the performances), but the subject matter is so inherently fascinating as to elevate the whole picture. In other words, I didn't know much about Colette going into this one, but after watching the movie, I'm interested to find out more. I'd probably opt for a biography rather than read her work, but who knows? Lots of good acting in this one, but if you're one who wants a lavish period spectacle, you might find this one just a little spare.


Incidentally, between $5 movie Tuesdays and the A-List, I've been seeing a lot of movies lately. I especially like the way AMC has been programming lately. They are trying hard to remain relevant in fighting for entertainment dollars. I'm not always a fan of theirs, but I applaud them in this effort. I have so many more to blab about, but I'm also slow and lazy and my brain hurts, so…

 

[lagwagon0]

It was close to impossible for Halloween to live up to my expectations but it was at least competently made. It actually felt like it was shot on a very small budget between all the off-camera violence and pan-ins after a murder had taken place. I'm glad I saw it but don't have any interest in re-watching.
Grade: B-

 

[jerseydevil]

Full disclosure. I DO NOT like Italian horror. Dancing gives me terrible douche chill anxiety. I tend to resent what is considered 'Prestige' horror that claims to be GRANDER than the material, and is usually heralded by stories of people swooning. And I definitely raise an eyebrow when usually genre hating critics pick a horror movie to trot out as their 'see, we don't look down on horror' consensus choice.


Well ****.


Despite all those things...and an almost defiantly '**** you' attitude, this movie left me speechless and SHAKY. If anyone ever tells you this is their fave movie...they are posing or truly deeply disturbed. And you should report them.


that being said, this is for you guys out there. Luc...Tiger...Orph...and anyone else that loves a lucid nightmare that just hypnotizes you. But beware, like a great dream or nightmare, it's tenuous and abstract. There are enough moments of clarity to...at least mimic what you have seen before and have you succumb to the madness, but if you need traditional structure, look elsewhere.

 

[jerseydevil]

Wow. Another movie like Suspiria, that has it's hooks in me. Best not to know anything going in...such a cool journey.

 

[roenick]

Saw this last week and enjoyed it. Lots of out of character performances by all the cast. Not completely what you think or predictable.

 

[LetTigerIn]

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Every so often a movie actually delivers exactly what is promised in the trailer, and that's the case with this one. If either the trailer's presentation ofstory or, especially, the promise of either Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, or both is of interest, this should be an enjoyable ride. That's how it was for me, anyway. The craft of this film is immaculate, and the company along the journey is pleasant, even if the trip is not far or particularly deep.

Bohemian Rhapsody

No real shocks, surprises, twists or turns in this one, either. I think it's worthwhile only if you want to hear a bunch of Queen songs cranked up in a movie theater. If that's your bag, it's probably a good time, and if it's not your bag, you can certainly skip it. If you do go see it, find a theater with a good sound system. I saw it in the Citywalk IMAX, and it was fun. Solid performances, especially from Rami Malek. Solid direction from Bryan Singer as well.

The Great Buster

When it comes to movies, the theme of the year for me seems to be,"pretty unsurprising and straightforward, but the subject matter is so interesting that it merits viewing." So it is once again with Peter Bogdanovich's documentary about Buster Keaton. I would have liked to see more personal accounts, but, who am I kidding? I was really in it mainly to see footage of Buster projected on a big screen, and I got that. Still, as a primer on Buster Keaton, it is probably worth watching on any screen, big or small.

Await Further Instructions

Couldn't find this in the theaters, but it is available to rent online on Vudu, iTunes, and probably other places. I hunted it down, because I thought from the description that this could be my sleeper fave of the year. It's not, but it wasn't a complete waste of time, either. The bad is that the characters are poorly drawn, half the performances are good and half bad, the presentation is clumsy, and the allegory is ham-fisted; the good is that the premise is interesting. Genre fans could do worse than this, but How To Talk To Girls At Parties is a much better example from this year, IMO.

Bad Times at the El Royale

Wanted to second this as a fun and twisty ride. I think I have unrealistic expectations for Drew Goddard, though, and some of his predilections that worked so well for him in The Cabin in the Woods don't play as well here. Strong performances, as has been mentioned here before. Lots of people comparing this to The Hateful Eight, and I've heard the preference go either way. Goddard needs to find a way to get Thor into X-Force, so he can keep on casting Chris Hemsworth. Between this one and Suspiria, Dakota Johnson is in two of the really good movies in theaters right now. Although, to be fair, I think this has been a pretty stellar year for movies and have liked a whole lot of them.


I have to stop short again. I think I'm never going to get through this list. LOL.

 

[lagwagon0]

A Star is Born

A familiar story but the top notch acting and chemistry between the leads made this a very pleasant surprise.

Venom

Vilified by the critics but easy popcorn fare. I actually enjoyed it more than the new Antman even though it's not as well made.

Bad Times at El Royale

Huge fan of Cabin in the Woods and a big fan of actors involved here. Quirky and enjoyable as expected.

First Man

Thoroughly impressed with the visuals in IMAX which included amazing launch sequences and moon footage. Story was fine but forgettable.

The Grinch

Perfectly competent but completely unneeded. Will do well because of the IP but other movies deserve the money this will make.

Overlord

So well-directed for a supposed B-movie, this deserves to do very well but likely won't due to the subject matter (Horror/Nazi experiments). Highly highly recommended.

 

[roenick]

Do yourself a favor and go see this well acted movie. It will make you feel better. We loved it.

 

[jerseydevil]

I have seen all but one of Yorgos Lanthimos' movies in a theater. All strange and rewarding/endearing despite their awkward, almost Grimm's Fairy Tale quality. This is the first movie where he applied his 'otherness' to reality, at least as far as historical fiction. Olivia Colman is amazing, as well as Stone and Weitz. This should show well at the Academy Awards. It's technically amazing, beautiful. And the soundtrack is subtle as a hammer, yet so perfectly suited to drench every scene in a dread you can taste. The ending may not be what you want, but it is what you deserve. Go and see.

 

[LetTigerIn]

Apollo 11

If you are at all thinking about seeing this documentary, I implore you to run out as fast as you can and see it in IMAX. If that is not an option somehow, see it on as large a screen as possible with the best sound possible. This movie is breathtaking, and it's going to be hard to top it for best documentary in 2019, as far as I'm concerned. It really does a great job of placing the audience in the moment and underscoring the enormity of the Apollo 11 team's landmark achievement. There might even be a moment of pause where it dawns on you that this miracle was performed 50 years ago. The rest of time, you might find yourself forgetting to breathe.

OTOH, frequently when I like a movie this much, I'm the only one who does. LOL

 

[LetTigerIn]

Arctic

Perhaps unexpectedly, this one is a suitable piece to compliment Apollo 11. The narrative thread in each is minimal, but the impact is palpable. I'm not necessarily a fan of survival fiction, so I'm not sure how Arctic compares to other films within its specific genre, but technically and artistically it excels in almost every aspect. The images are beautiful, and the editing is superb. Mads Mikkelsen is (as always, it seems) great. I appreciate that there is marked tension despite the added obstacles not being overblown: the natural threat of death by exposure is enough. However, the movie itself barely endeavors to delve any deeper than its basic premise. Perhaps that is a statement in itself, but even so, that wouldn't necessarily add anything for me to what is already a very good film, probably my favorite fiction piece of the young year.

 

[jerseydevil]

Not great. Good enough, but considering the cast...expected more. Great production values...just a little soft in the story department. Shame...

Wow. So very little happened in this movie. It was beautiful...well done....easy on the eyes. Just, literally...you got to see NOTHING.

Look...it's crap. Entertaining in a really perverse way. But it's crap. Iwan Rheon rises above it all as Mick Mars, but the whole thing feels like a Lifetime flick.

Bat**** silly. Like Suspiria for the unwashed. Again, morbidly entertaining.