Author Topic: Movie News, Reviews, and Discussion Super-Thread (Read 5392754 times)

Mupepe · « **Reply #28980 on:** January 28, 2018, 07:38:31 PM »

Watched Pan’s Labyrinth last night. I love del Toro but I’m kinda convinced he won’t hit that high again. I like all his movies but everything was perfect in Pan’s. Shape of Water was the best I’ve seen from since but while it was incredibly well made and even though I adore it the whimsical style of it doesn’t really work as well for me.

toku · « **Reply #28981 on:** January 28, 2018, 08:35:58 PM »

I think part of why Pan's works so well is because it's the Del Toro movie that feels the most like it's in our world. Del Toro's greatest strength is his ability to create a place that's believable but it usually still feels alien. Cronos and Shape of the Water seem to be more like this (Pan) as well.

HyperZoneWasAwesome · « **Reply #28982 on:** January 28, 2018, 09:50:52 PM »

I think Crimson Peak is actually better (only by a slight degree tho) than his latest work. I was mystifed that it didn't earn more fans for itself. Its still so strange to me that The Shape of Water is a leading Oscar contender. It breaks so many of the rules that the usual awards bait are supposed to follow.

Anyways The Post is alright. I found it better as a look at the casual sexism of its era than its actual subject matter. Spotlight blows it away in terms of Journalism-Drama. If Meryl Streep is gonna get a friggin Oscar nom every year she decides to show up, at least it can be for a film where she's the strongest element in it.

I never quite know what I'm gonna get from each new Paul Thomas Anderson film, excepting of course some general excellence. Phantom Thread is another delightful curveball. Straight forward even as its a bit dense, but so very richly and well realized that I feel churlish for nitpicking. What was most surprising to me, and its not really a spoiler to say as such, bit this movie is geniunely funny, frequently laugh out loud funny even. Its still a fascinating and extremely well done dual character study, but it almost qualifies as a comedy when its not psychologically probing with unusual skill. This is a great movie, go see it.

Tasty · « **Reply #28983 on:** January 28, 2018, 09:54:01 PM »

Crimson Peak is OK but it feels unfocused, and it gets really weird at the end which I wouldn't mind but the early parts of the film felt a bit too grounded for it IMO.

Tasty · « **Reply #28984 on:** January 29, 2018, 12:02:00 AM »

Also I'm not sure I ever mentioned it here, but the Director's Cut of 54 is really, really good.

I know the original version was something of a joke (probably the worst thing Harvey Weinstein's ever don-, um... well, it's up there at least), but the director's cut they were able to cobble together twenty years later or whatever (including some cuts of scenes being VHS-quality because a bootleg of the assembly cut is all they had) is really good. I pop it in from time to time, and despite only watching it a year ago, it still makes me oddly nostalgic.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #28985 on:** January 29, 2018, 01:30:04 AM »

Watched Blade Runner 2049

I liked it. Maybe not as much as the people who really love it but I did like it. The Blade Runner movies have a very specific feel, mood, and pacing that is unique to their universe. I like the mood of the movies maybe more than I like the plot or pacing of the films. I also feel this way about Ghost in the Shell. I like the mood of those pieces of work more than I necessarily like the plot of them. They are great movies to watch late at night and feel a sort of sadness.

I'm glad it was funded at such a level but its not surprising it struggled at the box office. Both movies really feel like art house fair masquerading in the skin of some kind of blockbuster movie. In a world where Marvel movies are the standard, something like Bladerunner feels out of time for a wide audience.

Definitely made me want to do a rewatch of it.

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #28986 on:** January 29, 2018, 05:18:47 AM »

Maze Runner was frustrating. Looked great and had good action, but they drug that movie out. Could've shaved a good 25 minutes. The amount of needless slo-mo was ridic.

Assimilate · « **Reply #28987 on:** January 29, 2018, 11:22:57 AM »

Shape of Water was fucking terrible and it's political message was too on the nose.

Tasty · « **Reply #28988 on:** January 30, 2018, 12:54:20 AM »

Manchester by the Sea

Good but a bit empty.

4 / 5

Human Traffic

Loved this from top to bottom. Sort of an annoying style at points but after a while it gels together really well. Felt Edgar Wright-ish at times, with a heavy dose of Clerks on top.

5 / 5

Project X (2012)

Truly loathsome.

1 / 5

Tasty · « **Reply #28989 on:** January 30, 2018, 02:49:01 AM »

Soderbergh's iPhone flick

Pushing phone filmography forward

chronovore · « **Reply #28990 on:** January 30, 2018, 08:53:11 AM »

Spider-Man: Homecoming
It was a lot of fun. Best villain of any Spider-Man movie so far; Keaton just kills it. Holland is a vivacious, enthusiastic Peter Parker. Kinda felt like the diversity card was played a little too hard, but that's better than not playing it at all. New MJ is pretty awesome. I also enjoy any Marvel movie where it doesn't devolve into having the hero(es) fighting an actual army of creatures. Keeping this movie as one hero and one villain, with viable goals, was so, so welcome.

Tasty · « **Reply #28991 on:** January 30, 2018, 09:38:22 AM »

Keaton better than Molina? Nah breh.

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #28992 on:** January 30, 2018, 09:57:17 AM »

Keaton felt more grounded and real.

Molina wasn't really given enough to work with. You get an introduction, then he becomes mad.

Raist · « **Reply #28993 on:** January 30, 2018, 11:32:52 AM »

TBH I think it has more to do with the script they were given rather than the actors themselves.

Close call, but I agree that Keaton's Vulture was better.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #28994 on:** January 30, 2018, 12:32:55 PM »

toku · « **Reply #28995 on:** January 30, 2018, 12:33:18 PM »

bit of a shit trailer but it's duncan jones so I'm sure I'll still bang with it

BobFromPikeCreek · « **Reply #28996 on:** January 30, 2018, 12:47:07 PM »

I like Duncan Jones a lot but man, those cyber punk dystopia effects look sad in a post Blade Runner 2049 world.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #28997 on:** January 30, 2018, 12:49:01 PM »

Mute probably has 1/10th the budget of Blade Runner, though.

BobFromPikeCreek · « **Reply #28998 on:** January 30, 2018, 01:01:50 PM »

For sure. It's just shitty to have to follow that.

Clockwork5 · « **Reply #28999 on:** January 30, 2018, 01:22:34 PM »

Quote from: Quaker on January 28, 2018, 07:16:11 PM

Quote from: Clockwork5 on January 28, 2018, 12:31:03 AM
Watched Apollo 13 again for the first time in like 20 years. After spending way too much time playing Kerbal I went down a deep rabbit hole of watching too many NASA documentaries and reading too many articles about the Gemini, Mercury, Apollo and shuttle programs.

I was wondering what kind of impact the movie would have on me at this point in my life and I'll say there is a reason the movie is so well regarded.

Can't wait to watch it again someday.
Tom Hanx.

If you haven't, check out For All Mankind and The Right Stuff. An Ending (Ascent) still floors me.

Thanks for the suggestions I'll definitely check those out. I'd also like to finally get around to watching the Martian as I have heard good things.

TVC15 · « **Reply #29000 on:** January 30, 2018, 02:13:56 PM »

Oh god I hated Manchester by the Sea. I would have murdered that bastard kid if I could’ve he’s the worst. And those fucking accents. I’d rather fuck an uneducated Deep South pig diddlin Southerner than someone from that area. Worst American accent. It was like listening to distinguished mentally-challenged fellows trying to communicate with each other for several hours.

TVC15 · « **Reply #29001 on:** January 30, 2018, 08:41:36 PM »

The Shape of Water was pretty good stuff. Easily the best GDT’s done since Pan’s, but it’s not a patch on that. It’s very pretty and I swear that GDT has the ability to make new colors.

Purple Filth · « **Reply #29002 on:** January 31, 2018, 12:10:22 AM »

Ant-Man and the Wasp Trailer

This looks fun and i guess it will be the polar opposite of whatever dread that's gonna happen in Infinity War

Purrp Skirrp · « **Reply #29003 on:** January 31, 2018, 06:19:04 AM »

seagrams hotsauce · « **Reply #29004 on:** January 31, 2018, 07:54:33 AM »

Never thought there would be something in a Duncan Jones movie would require me to suspend belief more than his movie about a guy discovering he's a series of clones, his movie about a guy who dies on a train a bunch of times, or his movie about magical elves and orcs, but lo and behold, here's Paul Rudd playing a serious role with that mustache.

Assimilate · « **Reply #29005 on:** February 01, 2018, 12:13:45 AM »

Downsizing- wtf did i just watch? The marketing fucked everyone's expectations prior to seeing this i bet. I tried to hang on, and i admired the risk taking but it does not hit any of the high marks it attempted.

TVC15 · « **Reply #29006 on:** February 01, 2018, 12:20:45 AM »

Secretary.Watching this in the midst of a job hunt was such a tease. Where’s my James Spader? Dat spanking scene nom nom

me James Spader

TVC15 · « **Reply #29007 on:** February 01, 2018, 12:53:59 AM »

I liked the ending!

toku · « **Reply #29008 on:** February 01, 2018, 12:20:05 PM »

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #29009 on:** February 02, 2018, 05:06:07 PM »

What a shit week for movies releases. Got nothing to watch and I've seen all the good movies released in December/January already.

BlueTsunami · « **Reply #29010 on:** February 02, 2018, 06:42:01 PM »

Well, two weeks from now we get to see comic book based black on black violence set to an ill soundtrack. But yeah shit week. Thinking about seeing The Shape of Water this weekend.

chronovore · « **Reply #29011 on:** February 03, 2018, 11:08:30 AM »

Quote from: TVC 15 on February 01, 2018, 12:20:45 AM

Secretary.Watching this in the midst of a job hunt was such a tease. Where’s my James Spader? Dat spanking scene nom nom me James Spader

Maggie Gllyllennhhhalll looks like a 60-year-old hiding in a 30-year-old's body. Something about her jowly face completely sends me reminiscing about grandparents. I'll never watch Secretary for fear of damage requiring therapy.

I'm a Puppy! · « **Reply #29012 on:** February 03, 2018, 01:25:28 PM »

I totally agree. The acting was fine. But she seemed terribly miscast

etiolate · « **Reply #29013 on:** February 03, 2018, 05:21:49 PM »

I'm all into Maggie. Them cheeks.

Arrival Enjoyed this quite a bit. I am hoping the director's streak continues with Dune.

Shape of Water I didn't finish this. I actually got bored halfway through and stopped it. Maybe someone can encourage me to go back to it. I really like GDT. It's visually nice, but something seems missing. The villain is.. corny. The woman's water fetish is odd. Her neighbor is kind of a creep. It has the time period at its edge but I don't ever feel the goings on in the film. As opposed to Pan, where the surrounding war felt like a real factor and you could see the girl's escapism.

Mupepe · « **Reply #29014 on:** February 03, 2018, 07:01:11 PM »

I’m gonna assume if you weren’t into it half way then the other half won’t change your mind.

HyperZoneWasAwesome · « **Reply #29015 on:** February 03, 2018, 07:30:31 PM »

I will intentionally go for dissimilar double features. Outdid myself with two 80's flicks, Yentl and Leviathan. Yentl is a high production value Barbra Striesand (no, you shutup) musical that must have seemed like a throwback, even back in the early 80's. But its surprisingly low on the hokum-scale, its sincerity and well composed visuals helps a lot. I don't know of any other films that depict this time a place (early 1900's Eastern European hadisic villages), and its even more intrinsically Jewish than every Isreali film I've ever seen. Call me square(I mean, its pretty square) but I dug it.

Levithan is a legally distinct ripoff of Alien and The Thing. More towards the B-movie side, but like those also with a good cast and some really fun practical special effects. Great monster concept too. Doesn't make the most of its considerable potential, bit only being merely good still aint bad.

BlueTsunami · « **Reply #29016 on:** February 03, 2018, 10:40:19 PM »

Quote from: TVC 15 on February 01, 2018, 12:20:45 AM

Secretary.Watching this in the midst of a job hunt was such a tease. Where’s my James Spader? Dat spanking scene nom nom me James Spader

i always thought she looked like a tired gopher and yet I'll occasionally find myself jerking it to her compilation vids

HyperZoneWasAwesome · « **Reply #29017 on:** February 04, 2018, 02:35:27 AM »

Antonio Banderas probably didn't plan on spending the back half of his 50's churning out low profile B-action movies made in Bulgaria, but the biggest ever Spanish movie star really demonstrates his professionalism (and still great physicality) by doing his damedest to make the best version of such possible.

Acts of Vengeance doesn't quite meet him halfway though, but it is very much worth noting that he really throws himself into the stuntwork here. Issac Florentine remains a terrific director of fight scenes and a middling everything else director in this could-stand-to-be-more-eccentric spin on Death Wish. Florentine actually makes wonderful cheeseball fight flicks (any of his films starring Scott Adkins as a Ninja or Prison Fighting Champ are well worth a watch) but outside the fights featuring a very game Banderas and a beefy Karl Urban there's not so much of interest here. Its disposible action trash with some pretty good highlights in it, great to put on the background where you can occasionaly take in the pretty cool sight of a well performed suplex or two.

Better still is Security, which takes its siege-movie premise to a mall, adds a light tone, and budgeted enough to supply sufficient mayhem and Sir Ben Kinglesly (good choice) to provide a good time. Banderas gets to lead a motley crew of the exact sort of people who would plausibly be an overnight mall security crew against a squadron of mercanaries. I was actually surprised by how well it was made. Its a much better action movie than the recent theatrical release Proud Mary, for instance. And of course friggin Banderas is there trying to win an Oscar for a part in which he stabs a guy with his keys soon after his big emotional speech, what a pro. Now this is a satisfying, junky action picture. Hell, the obviously constrained budget barely shows.

VomKriege · « **Reply #29018 on:** February 04, 2018, 04:26:08 AM »

Quote

I don't know of any other films that depict this time a place (early 1900's Eastern European hadisic villages)

Fiddler on the roof perhaps ?

HyperZoneWasAwesome · « **Reply #29019 on:** February 04, 2018, 06:51:57 AM »

Quote from: VomKriege on February 04, 2018, 04:26:08 AM

Quote
I don't know of any other films that depict this time a place (early 1900's Eastern European hadisic villages)
Fiddler on the roof perhaps ?

Okay, you got me. But I've never actually seen it. Folks wouldn't let me watch it when I was a youngin'. Said I watched too mich Tevye already.

(Ba-dum Tsh)

Mupepe · « **Reply #29020 on:** February 04, 2018, 11:34:27 AM »

Oh my god. All Eyez On Me is terrible. I can’t recall any music biopic that doesn’t blow.

Clockwork5 · « **Reply #29021 on:** February 04, 2018, 03:34:01 PM »

Quote from: Mupepe on February 04, 2018, 11:34:27 AM

Oh my god. All Eyez On Me is terrible. I can’t recall any music biopic that doesn’t blow.

I liked that Val Kilmer Doors movie.

Assimilate · « **Reply #29022 on:** February 04, 2018, 06:00:54 PM »

Quote from: etiolate on February 03, 2018, 05:21:49 PM

Shape of Water I didn't finish this. I actually got bored halfway through and stopped it. Maybe someone can encourage me to go back to it. I really like GDT. It's visually nice, but something seems missing. The villain is.. corny. The woman's water fetish is odd. Her neighbor is kind of a creep. It has the time period at its edge but I don't ever feel the goings on in the film. As opposed to Pan, where the surrounding war felt like a real factor and you could see the girl's escapism.

No need. It fucking sucks don't worry.

toku · « **Reply #29023 on:** February 04, 2018, 06:28:26 PM »

Quote from: Mupepe on February 04, 2018, 11:34:27 AM

Oh my god. All Eyez On Me is terrible. I can’t recall any music biopic that doesn’t blow.

Control is one of my favorite films:

VomKriege · « **Reply #29024 on:** February 04, 2018, 06:31:11 PM »

On a fellow Borean advice...

spoiler (click to show/hide)

a few months ago

[close]

...I watched A Dog's Heart, a Soviet (TV?) film from 1988, adapted from a Bulgakov short story.
Basically the film opens from the POV and narration of a stray dog (fairly fluent in arcane Soviet regulations) in 1920's Moscow. While in a precarious situation, he get rescued by a rich old professor, worldwide famous and sought by all Moscow to cure sexual impotence. As such the professor is extended significant protection despite being no friend to Bolsheviks and gets to keep his 7 room floor and domestics while the rest of the building is turned into communal flats.

As it turns out, the dog is ultimately needed in some weird transplant experiment (to cure lack of boners) with a freshly deceased crook which succeed... beyond all hopes as the dog slowly transform into an human being. The rest of the movie is the tense and ever degrading cohabitation between creator and creature.

The film is fully available on YouTube with English subtitles (probably not the good framing though, guess it's supposed to be 1.33). It's not lavish but never cheap visually though the cinematography (in B&W) is mostly functional. Cast is good though and the story (apparently very faithfully transcribed into the whole 120mn) is very strong.

It's really a difficult film to boil down because while the themes are obvious, it doesn't really lecture you on the moral answers and you're left to ponder what you think of it. It's never entirely clear (except for his hatred of cats) what Sharikov inherited from his dog side or his human donor and while he grows up to become the caricature of Soviet citizen (crass, vulgar, sympathetic to Soviet mantras benefiting him but not really interested in the higher theory or that eager to die for them), it's hard not to concede he has a point at time on the latter if his rights as a man. And while it's a scathing portrayal of early URSS, the professor ain't exactly sympathetic himself.

Liked it quite a bit and it's a good curiosity, especially if you like Boulgakov style.

Optimus · « **Reply #29025 on:** February 04, 2018, 06:46:23 PM »

Go watch Alone in the Wilderness, it was on r/documentaries today and goddamn, it's a beautiful one. I'll watch part 2 tomorrow.

Description: Dick Proennecke, a retired diesel mechanic and WWII vet, moved to Alaska in 1967, built a cabin by hand, and lived alone for 30 years. The film is all footage from Proennecke, who filmed his experience there

The entire documentary here: https://vimeo.com/245398842

toku · « **Reply #29026 on:** February 04, 2018, 07:38:04 PM »

looks like im gonna have a new favorite mission impossible

spoiler (click to show/hide)

still haven't seen justice league #snydercutornocut but I'm just gonna go and uh, say, uh They made the right call by not letting Cavill shave because thats a fucking look

[close]

Tasty · « **Reply #29027 on:** February 04, 2018, 09:19:45 PM »

https://twitter.com/Marvel/status/960335115212615680

Aww yeah gimme dat Spidey action

Joe Molotov · « **Reply #29028 on:** February 04, 2018, 09:33:04 PM »

Cloverfield 3 is immediately dropping on Netflix after the Super Bowl.

Tasty · « **Reply #29029 on:** February 04, 2018, 09:40:26 PM »

Quote from: Joe Molotov on February 04, 2018, 09:33:04 PM

Cloverfield 3 is immediately dropping on Netflix after the Super Bowl.

So ready for this.

Madrun Badrun · « **Reply #29030 on:** February 04, 2018, 11:07:44 PM »

TVC15 · « **Reply #29031 on:** February 04, 2018, 11:32:44 PM »

That was Teenage Groot from the GotG2 end credits, right?

Madrun Badrun · « **Reply #29032 on:** February 04, 2018, 11:41:01 PM »

Tasty · « **Reply #29033 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:25:46 AM »

The Cloverfield Paradox

Another pretty good entry in the franchise. It felt a bit front-loaded in terms of mystique (to the point I was getting Sunshine flashbacks in the third act) but it still held together from beginning to end. My only complaint is the Earth segments broke up the flow a bit too much (reminiscent of the Sean Bean parts in Silent Hill) - IMO being on a space station and then teleporting to deep space is a very frightening concept on its own, and going back to Earth so much kinda messes with the tension.

10 Cloverfield Lane is still the best of the three and it's not even close. Still, glad they're continuing to make these things and keeping the anthology schtick.

3 / 5

Momo · « **Reply #29034 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:37:28 AM »

Steve Rogers : Agent Captain Beardmerica

Rahxephon91 · « **Reply #29035 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:46:22 AM »

What you gotta pay an extra $3 for 4k on Netflick?

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #29036 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:46:25 AM »

Yeah, it was alright. Felt like it missed an opportunity to get a bit more crazy and weird with its premise, but it was engaging enough to keep me entertained.

TVC15 · « **Reply #29037 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:47:41 AM »

It was alright and entertaining, but it felt like it was made up of parts from other movies.

This was probably a wise way to release it. I don’t think it had much of a chance at the box office.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #29038 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:50:40 AM »

Apparently, it went way over budget and Paramount didn't want to spend more on marketing and getting it into theaters, so they just sold it off to Netflix instead.

Tasty · « **Reply #29039 on:** February 05, 2018, 12:52:28 AM »

It did look pretty gud all things considered.

News:

Author Topic: Movie News, Reviews, and Discussion Super-Thread (Read 5392754 times)