Movie News, Reviews, and Discussion Super-Thread

[Tasty]

So after watching the Bats v Supes trailer a couple more times, I'm slightly, slightly, slightly more positive on it. Batfleck is going to be awesome (as I've said since the day he was cast), Jeremy Irons' narration as Alfred sounded great, the shitty Man of Steel sepia isn't present at all, and I suppose I'm just interested in whatever the plot turns out to be, since it sounds pretty atypical for a comic movie (i.e., new bad guy shows up and hero has to beat them.) I'm still fairly confident it'll be an utter mess, but there should still be something for me to get out of it as a massive DC fanboy.

Leaked set photos kinda soured me a little though because of an apparent plot point.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

No Nightwing in the DCCU. Why couldn't they just have it be Jason Todd like everyone expected? >_<

[close]

[fistfulofmetal]

The Babadook beats you over the head with it's symbolism. The entire movie is SYMBOLISM SYMBOLISM, DO YOU SEE? DO YOU SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE?

But that's not a complaint. The symbolism is apt and intelligently intertwined into the story. It never asks you to decide if it's all real or to try and interpret the events in a realistic context. I felt it had a meta layer where, as a film, it knows you understand that this is just a movie and none of this is actually happening. You're meant to identify the symbolism and just go with it.

[Tasty]

Looking OK.

[cool breeze]

I like the last trailer when it hinted at being some science exploration movie.  but this trailer is all "Stop...DOOM!"  it's marketing so it could be making it more generic comic movie sounding for audiences.

[nudemacusers]

I like the last trailer when it hinted at being some science exploration movie.  but this trailer is all "Stop...DOOM!"  it's marketing so it could be making it more generic comic movie sounding for audiences.

worked for the avengers.

but that was a generic comic movie, so I guess it made sense.

[Madrun Badrun]

Ya F4 as a adventure movie makes way more sense to me, especially as a way of distinguishing itself from the other comic book movies.

[Great Rumbler]

I like the last trailer when it hinted at being some science exploration movie.  but this trailer is all "Stop...DOOM!"  it's marketing so it could be making it more generic comic movie sounding for audiences.

If you're expecting any storyline creativity in these superhero movies, you're looking in the wrong place. Every single one of them boils down to "In order to save the world, the hero must punch the villain in the face really hard."

[team filler]

it follows was pretty good, much better than that babadookie garbage

[Tasty]

Opening July 29 in France, “The Little Prince” features the voices of Jeff Bridges, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Ricky Gervais, Paul Giamatti, Benicio del Toro and Albert Brooks.

This looks so good.

[Eric P]

I spent my weekend watching motherfucking ninja movies on a big screen thanks to Subway Cinema's annual Old School Kung Fu Fest. This year was Ninja Centric

http://www.subwaycinema.com/oldschool15/

Saturday was gorgeous so I decided to go outside instead of sit indoors all day but here's what I caught

Enter The Ninja - the worst ninja movie i have ever seen in my life.  five stars.  must watch. Franco Nero is a ninja and all of the fights are prowrestling style instead of martial art style.  Great example of a "good bad" movie

Revenge of the Ninja - Sho Kosugi's first lead role (also the first time an Asian has their name above the title in an American movie) and it's actually pretty good for what it is.  It's CERTAINLY hampered by budget and the skill of the director, but everything Sho touched was pretty golden.  Features one of my fave martial arts film tropes which is the "bad ass child martial artist" who gets a scene kicking the living hell out of an adult woman but is no match for an adult man. 

Samurai Spy - Paranoid cold war spy noir wrapped in a 1960s historical drama about ninjas caught between "the east" and "the west." A fascinating oddity.  Really worth tracking down if you can.

17 Ninja - this is apparently a super rare movie.  when it was requested from the archives for this fest, the only existing copy of it was on archival tape.  It was actually really good.  It's a "men on a mission" movie that turns into a game of strategic cat and mouse between two master ninjas.  One trying to defend a castle and the other the leader of the ninjas who must get a macguffin that something something the shogun. 

Also for god's sake if you haven't seen Ninja III: The Domination, go find it.  It's flashdance except the lead character is possessed by a ninja spirit who must be exorcised by sho kosugi.  It's crazy.

[Eric P]

horror and comedy are the most divisive genres because horror and comedy are so personal.  I loved Babadook, but can see how others would hate it. 

[Tasty]

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/unfriended/

How the fuck is the RT for this so high

[Tasty]

I did my part.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

Franco Nero is a ninja

Sold.

[Eel O'Brian]

I saw Revenge of the Ninja in the theater when it first came out. Sho Kosugi was awesome. That summer we all made homemade ninja outfits and bought throwing stars from the military surplus store, and ran around in the woods throwing (and losing) them like a bunch of jackasses, haha

[chronovore]

Franco Nero is a “ninja”

Sold.

FTFY

[Tasty]

http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2015/04/21/the-conjuring-team-to-reunite-for-the-entity-remake/

[Purrp Skirrp]

it follows was pretty good, much better than that babadookie garbage

Been on a horror kick but most have left me limp dicked.

The Exorcist had me

The Conjuring

The Shining

[Quaker]

That's the ghost rape one with Natalie Portman's mom from Black Swan, right? Not sure how that premise will go down nowadays.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

yes it is, and despite the crazy sounding premise it plays it pretty dang straight.

I just wish to chime in and declare doing anything with The Entity to be a pretty terrible idea, its not a revered cult classic (as its kinda shitty), its "true story" origins are to the surprise of no one rather questionable, and well, its about a women who keeps getting ghost raped.

"Hey, you wanna see that picture that's about spectral, sexual assault?"  Said nobody, ever.

[toku]

yes it is, and despite the crazy sounding premise it plays it pretty dang straight.

I just wish to chime in and declare doing anything with The Entity to be a pretty terrible idea, its not a revered cult classic (as its kinda shitty), its "true story" origins are to the surprise of no one rather questionable, and well, its about a women who keeps getting ghost raped.

"Hey, you wanna see that picture that's about spectral, sexual assault?"  Said nobody, ever.

Well I mean, like most great (or potentially great) horror flicks it's both about the thing it's about but also a stand in for more. They have a shot to make something powerful and important for the social climate but yes, I am not entirely hopeful that they'll make something great.

[Great Rumbler]

(Image removed from quote.)

Been on a horror kick but most have left me limp dicked.

The Exorcist had me

The Conjuring

The Shining

Check out the filmography of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, especially The Cure, Pulse, and Doppelganger.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

the original movie had no subtext, it was exactly about a ghost, graphically and repeatedly, raping a women. Just when you think it would open up the story and try to include some sort of commentary it would refocus its plotting and characters towards the extremely limited but pressing issue of ghost rape. If its worth seeing its only because its with the utter seriousness and sincerity (?) it takes towards a social issue that doesn't exist.

100 Feet is a good horror movie with a clever abused women subtext, The Entity was just exploitative, and also not good.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

Check out the filmography of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, especially The Cure, Pulse, and Doppelganger.

Weirdly enough, I thought the most tangible influence I felt from It Follows was from Kurosawa. It Follows shares his love of long takes, building tension, and graphically mundane violence. Maybe it wasn't a huge influence, but that was the vibe I got.

[chronovore]

http://io9.com/we-think-weve-finally-figured-out-tomorrowlands-insane-1699591587

I’m excited about this because of Brad Bird, but I’m not sure how seriously I should take this back story.

[Tasty]

Will watch.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

yeah, Cannon's Ninja trilogy is pretty dang golden, with Revenge coming close to being an actually good movie (some impressive stunts/fights in it). Anyways, you guys ever see Harry Brown, starring Micheal Caine? Its a full on potboiler, a lurid vigilante thriller that's simpatico to Death Wish, but with a main character who's aged more like the protagonist of Death Wish V. Anyways, I really liked it, not because of its story so much, or its really good main performance, but because it was just so damn well made. With artful cinematography, tons of striking visual compositions, and a healthy dose of effective thriller setpieces. It was a B movie made with prestige picture skill that never really lost sight of its mission statement. "Classy Pulp", I guess you could say.

This very long introduction is necessary because the director finally followed up Harry Brown with The Keeping Room, and its a thriller that plays many of the same notes, but I'll be danged if I didn't like it even more then Harry Brown. A trio of young women are left behind on a Southern plantation in the waning days of The Civil War and find themselves isolated and vulnerable to any sorts of neer do wells that might be in the area. Brit Marling is great as the head of household, but the supporting performances are even better. I never expected to be singing the praises of Sam Worthington, but here you go. It takes a small piece of history and tells an interesting story, but still well within the genre conventions of a home (sorry, plantation) invasion thriller. Classy pulp, this time with more effective drama and interesting subtext to boot. I liked it a lot, but maybe I'm just a sucker for natural lighting and austere filmmaking when used towards a typically trashy sort of genre. Its happened before (see also the first paragraph).

[Phoenix Dark]

Looks good to me. Depp has been trash for years but I'm impressed with this.

[toku]

The oscar hunger finally caught up with him.

[Eric P]

that's funny because most trashy genre films have that kind of lighting due to budgeting and lack of actual skill (see, uh Don't Go In The Basement)

And seconding Harry Brown.  It's a conservative wet dream, like all of those things are, but it's worth watching due to Michael Caine being a stone faced murderer of young people

[Nibel]

Turns out when Depp tries to portray an actual human being he's pretty decent! Will watch for sure

[Great Rumbler]

So, I looked back on Depp's career and basically the last really good performance he did that wasn't some wacky, over-the-top thing in a Burton and/or Disney movie was Finding Neverland, all the way back in 2004.

[Stoney Mason]

Recently watched Resident Evil: Extinction(3rd film in franchise). I have a weird fetish where for some reason I actually want to watch all these movies despite hating them. (Actually I liked the first one.)

The second one I saw a long time ago and remembered hating it, which put this whole thing on hiatus.

The third one is also terrible. I can't remember if its as bad as the second because it was so long ago but its pretty terrible.

Worst of all its boring and slow for a movie that shouldn't be boring and slow.

So... on the next one I guess...

[Tasty]

The second was absolutely terrible. I still like the first one because of Michelle Rodriguez and the cool ending.

Haven't seen any of them past the third one which was passable.

[thisismyusername]

At least it's ending on the six one. Whenever that comes out.

[Barry Egan]

I'm not familiar with anything the director of Black Mass has done, but the main screenwriter is credited with Edge of Tomorrow. This could be good, the question is will it be Mortdecai good.

[chronovore]

Resident Evil - I have the same, weird, stupid drive: I want to see all of them. I saw the first one and loved it. Not sure, why, but I do. The second one is a complete loss; the big-bad boss character looks like a guy in a cheap monster suit. Well, it /is/ a guy in a cheap monster suit. And the other fan service character they entered is just pathetic. Still: bio-zombies in Vegas? Yeah, whatever. Sign me up.


Parasite / Kiseiju - Better than I expected. The CG is pretty tight, and the writing was pretty thought-provoking for a hyper-violent manga film adaptation. The acting was much better than I expected, to boot.

[Tasty]

the question is will it be Mortdecai good.

[Steve Contra]

Makeup, wig, weird accent, contacts.  Sure looks like a Johnny Depp movie to me.

[Dickie Dee]

Depp is reminding me a bit of Dicaprio in that trailer. He might act the shit out of the part but he doesn't physically disappear into the role, he just has a different hairdo.

[Bebpo]

Ex-Machina was great. 

spoiler (click to show/hide)

My SO greatly fears the cybernetic revolution like Elon Musk does and so this movie was horrifying terror for her 

[close]

[Tasty]

http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/434291-bamf-take-a-first-look-at-kodi-smit-mcphee-as-x-men-apocalypses-nightcrawler





Gonna be the best cape movie since DofP

[Phoenix Dark]

'scust

[Tasty]

This is the Kurt I remember. Best character in the criminally underrated X-Men: Evolution.

[cool breeze]

you just know he'll be introduced with a tears for fears or the the cure song

[Madrun Badrun]

Which ex machina?

[studyguy]

I'll wait for the action sequence.
These costumes though, there's no coming back from this shit despite how well the character is handled in the film.
That actor looks odd anyway. Something about the forehead/eye spacing ratio makes him look like a fuckup Skyrim character.


It could have been worse though.

[cool breeze]

thriller jacket.  denim everywhere.  1980s

 

[studyguy]

What year is this supposed to take in?

[Tasty]

What year is this supposed to take in?

"1980s"

[nudemacusers]

80s swag

[Tasty]

Whiplash

Tight script and good performances but surprisingly cliche. I don't get the buzz. I almost sort of resent its "message"

spoiler (click to show/hide)

That severe verbal and physical abuse is the only/best way to bring out talent.

[close]

2 / 5

[Tasty]

I thought it was a very good movie but don't really see the hype myself. I think you got something wrong out of it though. As that wasn't the "message" or at least not intended as such.

Dude spends the entire movie getting slapped and yelled at by JK Simmons only to finally want to please him in the last five minutes.

And they share a smile right at the end, maybe JK Simmons-dono was right all along

And they constantly reference that dude getting a symbol thrown at his head and humiliated by his teacher. "But man, he turned out great. They sure don't make em like they used to!"

[Vertigo]

I thought it was a very good movie but don't really see the hype myself. I think you got something wrong out of it though. As that wasn't the "message" or at least not intended as such.

Dude spends the entire movie getting slapped and yelled at by JK Simmons only to finally want to please him in the last five minutes.

And they share a smile right at the end, maybe JK Simmons-dono was right all along

And they constantly reference that dude getting a symbol thrown at his head and humiliated by his teacher. "But man, he turned out great. They sure don't make em like they used to!"

I think you were reading the film wrongly. His fathers reaction shows that he knows his probably lost his son. Especially after their earlier conversation about Fletchers former pupil the successful one he was crying about who he said had died in car crash but had in fact hung himself after getting put under too much pressure in Fletchers class and never really recovering.

The chase for perfection will probably drive Tellers character crazy and make him shut everyone else out which he was already doing. While the ending is euphoric seeing him nail that drum freestyle. It's bittersweet.

[Joe Molotov]

I thought it was a very good movie but don't really see the hype myself. I think you got something wrong out of it though. As that wasn't the "message" or at least not intended as such.

Dude spends the entire movie getting slapped and yelled at by JK Simmons only to finally want to please him in the last five minutes.

They made a gay 50 Shades of Grey?

[Vertigo]

I thought it was a very good movie but don't really see the hype myself. I think you got something wrong out of it though. As that wasn't the "message" or at least not intended as such.

Dude spends the entire movie getting slapped and yelled at by JK Simmons only to finally want to please him in the last five minutes.

They made a gay 50 Shades of Grey?

TBH their is a homoerotic undertone to the whole movie young smooth cool young dude. Bald muscled, older man who enjoys seeing young man cry and beg for his approval.

 

[Rahxephon91]

Kurt looks ok. A lot better than the sad and dire one from X-2.

Hard to be excited though since DOFP was garbage. New and smaller cast is good, maybe they'll actually be characters this time. On the other hand Jenifier L is still in this with her shitty Mystique. Which ruined a good portion of DOFP. I really hope she's not a major character.

I really hope Fox stops making X-men movies. They all just seem so boring and run of the mill. There's nothing intersting to them. The Marvel movies at least have this big universe filled with big stand alone characters. I don't give a fuck about anyone other than Wolvierne and they have failed at making other characters stand out.

DC at least has a tone and probably a more dynamic visual style.

The X-men movies are just there and they suck. With DOP probably being the most disapointing.

[chronovore]

Horrible Bosses (1) - A fun, by-the-numbers comedy which openly acknowledges its connection to Strangers on a Train, only to throw most of that connection out the window before the halfway mark. Jamie Foxx’s “‘Motherfucker’ Jones” character was a highlight. Bonus points for Kevin Spacey as a believable dickbag boss, and double-bonus points if I can find a supercut of Jennifer Aniston’s horny dentist parts on YouTube.

Horrible Bosses 2 - I lasted the first 10 minutes, as the tone had changed to some kind of three-man Dumb and Dumber sight gag comedy, with fake gay sex on live morning TV as an opener.

The November Man - Pierce Brosnan as a CIA assassin, protecting Olga Kurylenko from... well, eventually everyone else in the cast. It’s not a bad movie, but several clichés I’d hoped would not come into play did. The action sequences were good, and most of the spy craft was kept believable, including a couple of red herrings thrown in for good measure. It’s possibly down to direction, but the acting is very ham-handed across the board. Olga Kurylenko never had a chance, because she’s inherently awful, but even Bronson and the CIA boss, Bill Smitrovich, I’ve seen be able to act, but not so much here.

[Quaker]

Olga Kurylenko never had a chance, because she’s inherently awful...

I thought this too after she kept showing up as embarrassingly blatant eye candy in stuff like Hitman/Quantum of Solace/Seven Psychopaths but I quite liked her in To the Wonder. That alone puts her above someone like Jessica Alba who hasn't managed a single instance of convincing acting in like 15 years. Even Jennifer Lopez had Out of Sight.

[Tasty]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/28/8511639/james-cameron-avatar-more-sequels