The Movie (and TV show) Watching Thread

[John Dule]

The Dig: I had some hopes for this movie about the Sutton Hoo discovery, as it stars Ralph Feinnes and covers subject matter that's fairly fascinating. However, the true story behind this is ultimately too sparse to adapt into a feature-length film. This could easily have been a one-hour documentary, and it would've lost nothing for it. In their efforts to stretch this narrative out, the filmmakers threw in a number of wholly unnecessary subplots, including a laughable and entirely fictional gay affair. This movie could have benefitted from a wholesale fictionalization; if they were really willing to make things up to this extent, the screenwriters should've decided to fictionalize the story entirely, amping up the drama and the tension between the museum curators and the diggers in the process. As it is, the movie is nothing more than a morose, colorless slog padded with uninteresting ancillary characters. 4/10

Kodachrome: A wretched, cliche-ridden piece of filth starring the ever-awful Jason Sudekis. This movie is essentially unwatchable; after about half an hour you will be able to predict the rest of the film to an astonishing degree of accuracy. The story-- about a record company stooge who is forced to reconnect with his dying rock star father-- has been told in countless other similar films, none of which plunged to these depths of insipid Hollywood schmaltz. Part of me suspects that every single line of dialogue in the film was lifted from other scripts and then painstakingly pieced together into one modestly coherent narrative. It is derivative to the point that it can hardly be called an "original screenplay." 2/10

[John Dule]

Nomadland: Tonight I watched (ok, pirated) this Frances McDormand movie, which many critics named as their top film of 2020. While I liked certain aspects of it, I was nevertheless constantly comparing it to Leave No Trace in my head (a 2017 movie that dealt with similar subject matter, and I think in a better way). McDormand was solid, but I think the film often shied away from depicting the harsh reality of homelessness, painting an annoyingly romanticized image of life on the road. Practically every character was a serene, vaguely spiritual, innately altruistic do-gooder; there was strangely very little diversity among the nomads, and they only seemed to represent one particular segment of the American poor (that segment, not coincidentally, is the one that appeals the most to coastal liberals). Altogether I'd say it was a fine movie, but it wasn't as good as Leave No Trace and it frequently overreached in its social commentary. 6/10

[John Dule]

The Long Kiss Goodnight: It's amazing I had never heard of this movie until yesterday, when I decided to watch it on a whim. That was a good notion. This Shane Black script clearly set the tone for countless rip-offs, notably the much less enjoyable Bourne series. Geena Davis plays an amnesiac housewife who, after hiring a private detective played by Samuel L Jackson, begins to remember her previous life as an assassin. Davis is shockingly believable as an action star; she plays the two personalities in clever and creative ways, ultimately blending them together in the end for a satisfying conclusion to her character arc. Jackson is as fun to watch as ever, and his hilarious dialogue rounds out a very enjoyable action/comedy. Despite an ending that arguably goes on too long (and too over-the-top), this was a real treat. 8/10

Unknown: I watched this Liam Neeson thriller about a week ago, but I'd forgotten about it until I realized that it ripped off The Long Kiss Goodnight (I won't get into specifics due to spoilers, but it's a very similar premise). It's a decently made movie, but without much humor, wit, or cleverly crafted set pieces, it's pretty forgettable. Not nearly as good as Taken. 4/10

Thoroughbreds: I'd been meaning to watch this film for a while; the trailers intrigued me, and many of my friends recommended it. While I enjoyed aspects of it-- mostly the two lead performances-- the movie was a bit dry for my taste, and its social commentary was nothing particularly original. While the setup for the story is interesting, the actual plotting is pretty threadbare; there are no twists or turns to this straightforward tale of suburban depravity. Altogether I liked it, but not as much as I expected to. 6/10

[John Dule]

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: I hadn't seen this classic for a really long time, so when I watched it tonight I felt like I was watching a wholly new movie. I think in retrospect, some elements of the plot could've been done better-- I'm not sure why the writers felt the need to give the two main characters such an age gap, for example. I think the racial divide was enough to highlight their differences, so the other questionable aspects of their relationship made me think "Yeah, I'm kind of on Spencer Tracy's side." However, the rest of the movie feels remarkably fresh, especially the way the scenes are edited and how the conversations flow. The dialogue proceeds naturally, and the uncomfortable interpersonal moments are enough to get your adrenaline pumping. Watching this movie, I noticed strange similarities with current comedies like The Office, at least in terms of how adeptly it crafts cringeworthy social interaction and then draws it out for maximum tension (and humor). 8/10

Thoroughbreds: I'd been meaning to watch this film for a while; the trailers intrigued me, and many of my friends recommended it. While I enjoyed aspects of it-- mostly the two lead performances-- the movie was a bit dry for my taste, and its social commentary was nothing particularly original. While the setup for the story is interesting, the actual plotting is pretty threadbare; there are no twists or turns to this straightforward tale of suburban depravity. Altogether I liked it, but not as much as I expected to. 6/10

Do you need a twist in every story. I'm actually not a fan of it, since it requires deliberately misleading the viewer, and sometimes the whole story doesn't make sense because of a twist.

Well, I don't mean a twist in the sense of a Usual Suspects twist where you have to reexamine the entire film and its story. Once the gears of the story were in motion, Thoroughbreds proceeds in a surprisingly linear fashion (to the point that I would argue it becomes predictable). An example: There's one sequence in the film where a character is hired to kill another character. A similar setup is present in Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder as well; in that film, the murder is botched in a surprising way that completely upends the story and sets in motion a third act that would've been wildly different if anything else had happened. In Thoroughbreds however, the killer just sort of... chickens out. And then he doesn't factor into the story ever again. The whole movie is remarkably anticlimactic.

[John Dule]

Since a lot of people are no longer quarantined, this thread is now just the "Movie Watching Thread." What have you guys been seeing lately? Here's my list.

I Care A Lot: Perhaps the best movie on Netflix streaming I've seen in months, and a scathing indictment of both government overreach and obnoxious girlboss feminism. This movie has several themes that will appeal to Atlas users-- it's political, it's exceedingly modern, and it lifts the curtain on a particular type of scam that deserves more attention these days (elder abuse). Rosamund Pike is solid, with a performance that echoes her Gone Girl character in many ways. According to Rotten Tomatoes, critics loved this film while audiences hated it. As usual in instances like this, it is the mob that is wrong. 8/10

Suspicion: A bizarre, lesser-known Hitchcock film that I'd never heard of until a few days ago. For a good deal of its runtime it feels rather aimless, and the plot only really kicks in about halfway through the film. However, I think this is to the movie's advantage, as the gradual buildup fits the tone of the story perfectly. The audience, like the main character, feels like a frog in a pot of water that's slowly boiling. Cary Grant is disturbingly believable as a villain, and the movie has just enough edge to it that it doesn't feel dated. I will say, however, that the ending probably won't hold up under #MeToo scrutiny. 7/10

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: The last truly good Star Trek film, and one that unapologetically leans into the political aspects of the series while eschewing flashy space action. In terms of pacing, this is probably the best of these movies-- its streamlined script and laser-focused plotting are a masterclass in screenwriting. Every scene is both its own compelling story and simultaneously a step forward in the plot, which makes the exposition go down nice and smooth. Of course, it all falls apart at the very end, which is pretty cornball even by Star Trek standards... but up until that point, it's a brilliantly constructed movie that expertly explores Cold War themes. 8/10

[John Dule]

Has anyone seen The Father? It's incredibly depressing, but it's an amazing visualization of dementia. Having seen my granddad go through a similar experience, it was painful to watch this. Probably Hopkins' best performance ever.

[John Dule]

Has anyone seen The Father? It's incredibly depressing, but it's an amazing visualization of dementia. Having seen my granddad go through a similar experience, it was painful to watch this. Probably Hopkins' best performance ever.

I thought Anthony Hopkins was much better in Magic, Nixon, and especially The Two Popes and The Silence of the Lambs, although it wasn’t a bad performance by any means.  

I’d argue The Father was a brilliant idea for how to depict dementia that should’ve been a great movie on paper, but somehow managed to just be passable.  The acting, directing, script, etc were all solid, but it just didn’t click for me.  Idk, maybe it’s b/c I saw it early in the morning and I was still kinda groggy, but I didn’t really have strong feelings about it one way or the other tbh.

I completely agree with you about Nomadland though.

Perhaps I was particularly attuned to Hopkins' performance because I know someone who went through much the same thing. Still though, there were many subtle mannerisms and tics of old age that he nailed spot-on, to the point that I forgot Hopkins wasn't actually demented. The moments where he became distracted and confused (and then tried to cover for himself) were filled with little details like these; he conveyed overwhelming frustration and loss with a single twitch of his eyes. It wasn't a particularly showy performance, but it was astonishingly realistic.

The Two Popes was a great performance as well, though. I'd forgotten about that.

[John Dule]

Contagion: I saw this movie when it first came out ten years ago, but I hadn't watched it since. I'd planned to give it a rewatch after I was fully vaccinated, and it didn't disappoint. This is a very prescient film, and it's especially clear now post-COVID that the writers consulted extensively with infectious disease experts in creating the script. So many little details-- the spread of online misinformation, the demonization of those in power, even the phrase "social distancing"-- seem like they were written with 2020 in mind. As for the rest of the film, Soderbergh is a great director, and I always appreciate when he brings his indie talents to a film of this size. If you check this movie out, please pay attention to the cinematography; the well-placed camera angles, the lingering shots of people's faces, and the soothing palettes of blues and yellows create a memorable visual experience out of a film that could very easily have been shot in a much duller way. Whereas every movie these days looks like it's being projected against a wet slab of cement (and every dialogue scene is composed of simplistic shot-reverse-shot camerawork), this is a masterclass in how to make a movie look both modern and aesthetically pleasing. I'll admit that the film sort of peters out dramatically towards the end, but it still deserves a solid 8/10, just as I gave it back in 2011.

[John Dule]

-Sunset Boulevard: I saw this movie for the first time ever recently. I liked it a lot, but don't really have much to say about it other than having a better understanding of why Trump loves it so much-whether he knows it or not, he basically is the living embodiment of Norma Desmond. And yes, I'm sorry for bringing Trump up again, but he's such a "reality is stranger than fiction" sort of person, that one can't help but be reminded of him while watching eccentric characters on screen. I guess I also have a better understanding of why David Lynch loves it so much and references it in a lot of his work.

Sunset Boulevard is one of my all-time favorite films, and my favorite Billy Wilder movie. He also did One, Two, Three, which you might like given its political themes.

Anyway, I'll post here too since I haven't written anything about the films I've watched lately. Recently I've been rewatching movies I loved from 2011, just to see if they still hold up.

Limitless (2011): This was a pleasant surprise for me-- ten years after its release, Limitless hasn't lost any of its charm. Yes, the whole movie is predicated on a stupid scientific myth, but it takes that outlandish premise-- a pill that allows you to access 100% of your memory and mental capacity-- and proceeds with it logically, giving the viewer a richly detailed analysis of how our world would react if this concept were introduced into it. Bradley Cooper is charming, and he manages to sell himself credibly as both a burnt-out loser and a high-flying Wall Street analyst. The movie might indulge a little in male fantasy-- but compared to the other Hollywood films that cater to these fantasies, this is high art. The cinematography and soundtrack are also both very innovative, creating a visual and auditory experience that enhances the storytelling by portraying the effects of the pill in clever ways. I'm not afraid to say it: I love Limitless, and I will happily give it a 9/10.

Paul (2011): Whereas Limitless held up, Paul was a bit of a letdown on a rewatch. I like Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as a comedic duo, but the projects they choose often fall short in other ways. This is one such project. Despite some funny running gags and genuinely touching moments, this movie often feels like an atheist grievance film made to mock Christians (and specifically American Christians). Its portrayal of Christians is degrading to the point of being mean-spirited. Before anyone says this is funny coming from me, I don't care about the portrayal of Christians one way or the other, but if a movie is going to be this blatant in its messaging, it has to be funny enough to back that up. To me, Paul crosses the Carlin Equilibrium (the direct relationship between how funny comedy needs to be in order to justify its obvious ideological motivations).



Paul gets a 5/10. It's a shame, because if it weren't for the obviousness of its messaging it'd be a very decent comedy.

[John Dule]

Pig (2021): Yesterday I saw Michael Sarnoski's Pig in theaters-- the first time I've visited a theater since the pandemic began. I was unsure what to expect, as Nic Cage's record for the past decade has been... sloppy (to put it gently). However, I was pleasantly surprised. This is Cage's best film in years, and a great re-entry point for seeing movies in theaters again. This is a subtle, contemplative film about dealing with loss and being authentic, and it provides Cage with a wonderfully sympathetic character to work with. In the hands of a lesser writer/director, this movie would've taken a turn towards violent vengeance as Cage searches for his stolen truffle pig. However, the climax to this film is the exact opposite of this-- our main character uses empathy, compassion, and honesty to confront his enemies, which makes this an emotionally fulfilling antidote to typical Hollywood fare.

One scene in particular stands out-- Cage's character is confronting a man from his past (who he clearly does not respect), but rather than belittle or attack him, he simply uses the facts of the man's life against him. In a brief, well-written monologue, he completely unmasks the man (played by David Knell), exposing his inauthenticity while simultaneously laying bare the charade of modern "concept restaurant." This five-minute scene alone is a whirlwind of emotions, and it doesn't even compare to some of the later scenes in the film, which positively drip with tragic catharsis.

Though this is certainly a dark film, it isn't depressing or gratuitously morose. It's actually rather hopeful. I would give Pig a 10/10, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone who would like to see a real movie for once.

[John Dule]

I also recently watched The Life of David Gale (2003), a Kevin Spacey movie about an anti-death penalty activist who is himself placed on death row. The movie is pretty competent when it comes to the acting and cinematography, but the entire film is predicated on a last-minute plot twist that pretty much anyone could guess after the first 20 minutes. Drawing this story out to a feature-length film and then making the "twist" this boneheadedly obvious turns the whole movie into a bit of a farce-- our main character, a reporter played by Kate Winslet, just comes across as an idiot for not figuring out what the audience has already guessed. It reminded me of 2016's Passengers, another movie that features a twist that (if delivered properly) could've been genuinely surprising, but in the hands of incompetent filmmakers all the suspense was sucked out of an otherwise interesting story. I'd give this a 4/10-- it doesn't deserve the total critical panning it received, but it's quite a letdown.

[John Dule]

Pig (2021): Yesterday I saw Michael Sarnoski's Pig in theaters-- the first time I've visited a theater since the pandemic began. I was unsure what to expect, as Nic Cage's record for the past decade has been... sloppy (to put it gently). However, I was pleasantly surprised. This is Cage's best film in years, and a great re-entry point for seeing movies in theaters again. This is a subtle, contemplative film about dealing with loss and being authentic, and it provides Cage with a wonderfully sympathetic character to work with. In the hands of a lesser writer/director, this movie would've taken a turn towards violent vengeance as Cage searches for his stolen truffle pig. However, the climax to this film is the exact opposite of this-- our main character uses empathy, compassion, and honesty to confront his enemies, which makes this an emotionally fulfilling antidote to typical Hollywood fare.

One scene in particular stands out-- Cage's character is confronting a man from his past (who he clearly does not respect), but rather than belittle or attack him, he simply uses the facts of the man's life against him. In a brief, well-written monologue, he completely unmasks the man (played by David Knell), exposing his inauthenticity while simultaneously laying bare the charade of modern "concept restaurant."

 This five-minute scene alone is a whirlwind of emotions, and it doesn't even compare to some of the later scenes in the film, which positively drip with tragic catharsis.

Though this is certainly a dark film, it isn't depressing or gratuitously morose. It's actually rather hopeful. I would give Pig a 10/10, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone who would like to see a real movie for once.

As an often noted pig enthusiast I was intrigued by the trailer and even more eager to see the film now that it's been getting such acclaim. It will probably make me cry. Hopefully it will come to streaming soon and I can watch it with my own pig!

Well if you like pigs, you should feel an especially raw emotional connection to this movie and to Cage's character. I really recommend this; I haven't seen a movie this good in theaters in years.

[John Dule]

I hate Gladiator so much it's not even funny.

[John Dule]

MORBIUS and KRAVEN are coming out without Spiderman and Dr Strange no Spiderman either I have mixed feelings but still are gonna watch them

I've asked you more than once, PLEASE stop discussing which characters are or aren't in which films that are coming up. Some characters are rumoured or leaked for movies but a lot of people avoid that kind of information on purpose, only to come onto Atlas and some loudmouth to post it. Have some respect for other people. If I want to know what the rumours and leaks are, I'll look them up myself. You would get infracted for this if this was a movie blog and not a politics blog.

If you are also not reading rumours and leaks and are just speaking from what you saw in the movie trailers, say that clearly so people know you aren't posting spoilers.

SOUR GRAPES

[John Dule]

This is a thread for the enjoyment of cinema. Please discuss superheroes elsewhere.

[John Dule]

Has anyone here seen The Banshees of Inisherin yet? I haven't been to the theater in months, but I might go for this. In Bruges is one of my all-time favorite films, and this has the same director and starring duo.

[John Dule]

Ok. I have been doing nothing but law school stuff for months. I will treat myself for my birthday weekend with this movie if it's the last thing I do.

[John Dule]

The Banshees of Inisherin was good. Not on the level of In Bruges, though. While the latter struck a darkly comedic tone that was extremely appealing to me, this recent McDonagh effort is much darker and much less comedic. However, its exploration of the tension between the mundanity of everyday life and the desire to be remembered for one's achievements ultimately won me over. I find myself thinking about this more and more these days-- does leading a successful life mean being decent to those around you, or does it mean making your mark on history through leadership, innovation, or art? I struggle to answer this question in my own life, so seeing it worked through in this film was very moving. It reminded me somewhat of the themes in Bullets Over Broadway (perhaps my favorite Woody Allen film), a great movie that similarly examines the extremes that great artists sometimes feel they must go to in pursuit of their art.

I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this movie yet, but I think it was better than Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards. Just getting to spend some time in Ireland was nice. What kind of dullard could dislike such a beautiful country?

[John Dule]

Also, Robocop holds up.

[John Dule]

Groundhog Day is a deep and spiritual film. I honestly think it might be perfect.

[John Dule]

I'm sure Rise of Skywalker was terrible, but let's not let that distract from the fact that The Last Jedi, Rogue One, and The Force Awakens were all just as bad.

[John Dule]

I'm sure Rise of Skywalker was terrible, but let's not let that distract from the fact that The Last Jedi, Rogue One, and The Force Awakens were all just as bad.

Objectively false, lol. Obvious to everybody except you (or you're trolling).

To be fair, I didn't see the Rise of Skywalker. But it's hard to imagine it sucking even more than the other Disney Wars movies.

[John Dule]

Everything Everywhere All At Once: While I love science fiction, I am not a huge fan of "anything goes" storytelling-- I much prefer it when a writer constructs a world in which there are clear limits on what can and cannot happen, and then follows those rules to logical narrative conclusions. Even in stories I enjoy (Futurama, Harry Potter, etc), a lack of clear rules can annoy me. Far from being boring, realism heightens the tension in storytelling because it sets clear stakes for the characters and limitations on what they can and cannot achieve.

Everything Everywhere All At Once, however, manages to have it both ways-- which is an impressive feat. Its multiverse concept is, on one level, both philosophically interesting and supported by the views of many physicists (as a determinist I don't believe in it, but it's still interesting). But at the same time, this concept allows the movie to explore a wide range of set pieces and concepts without ever feeling jumbled. Even though EEAAO may look like a jumbled mess in which rules do not apply, it has actually managed to construct a world that is both as silly and free-wheeling as Futurama while also being as profound and logical as some of the best hard sci-fi out there. It's not a perfectly logical piece of worldbuilding, but all of its weirdness flows from the same source, which creates an overarching sense of unity between its fractured pieces.

Obviously, the movie doesn't ride this line perfectly. There are some moments (such as the hot dog fingers) that, for me, became so ridiculous that they distracted from the film's central theme. Ultimately the multiverse concept is merely a way to explore the competing worldviews of the movie's mother-daughter duo. The daughter represents modern youth-- breaking with tradition and embracing nihilism. Because the older members of her family do not accept her sexual orientation on the basis of their moral views, she chooses to abandon the concept of objective morality altogether. The result is an interesting exploration of how the accidental circumstances of one's birth shapes one's views. I enjoyed almost every visually clever situation the film introduced in order to develop this theme-- even the absurd "Bagel With Everything" won me over-- but at some points the movie crossed the line into gratuitous silliness.

While I did not find the resolution of the film's grappling with nihilism to be wholly satisfying, the fact that it explored this subject at all was a breath of fresh air. This is a much better film than Daniels' previous outing (Swiss Army Man, which I couldn't get into), and it's probably the best film I've seen from 2022 (granted, this isn't saying much).

[John Dule]

IDK why people are hating on this new Velma show. I never felt represented on TV until Fred.

[John Dule]

Red Letter Media and their various video series are among my favorite film-based internet personalities that I consider when I determine what movies and television to watch, and that's especially true for bad movies which I enjoy and suffer through as much as them. I have watched many amazingly bad movies as per their recommendations, and very rarely will I have seen one of those infamous films before they do.

The film I'm going to talk about is one of those: 'After Last Season.' They made a video just this week trying to figure it out. I watched it last year though and to me it is the worst movie ever made, objectively speaking and also in my personal experience. And I have intentionally watched many movies that are considered for that title (many through Red Letter Media like 'Things'). It's cheap and atrocious in every way with virtually no amusement to be had, which even other movies considered among the worst usually have at least a little of. There is nothing worse than something being boring while also being abysmal in quality, confusing, and incomprehensibly nonsensical like this piece of frustrating beige-grey dogs*** is. I was never so infuriated and bored simultaneously like this. It was torture and I did it to myself out of morbid curiosity. I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess, what else can I say?

 Red Letter Media somehow managed to mine 42 minutes worth of comedy content from the movie, and I was amazed at that while also feeling something close to PTSD in revisiting it. But watch that video instead of the movie itself if you're even remotely curious. I fear that I may be selling some on watching it. It's not worth watching in full, no matter how many potent substances you are on or who you're with.

I saw their video too and looked that movie up afterwards. Some dude on the internet was saying that the movie was made just as some kind of tax scam, which is legitimately the only possible explanation I can think of for it (short of mental illness).