The Movie (and TV show) Watching Thread
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President Johnson
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« Reply #225 on: May 14, 2021, 02:52:58 PM »

Some updates of recently watched on Netflix:

- Flight: 2012 movie with Denzel Washington. As usual, he was awesome on playing a pilot suffering from alcoholism

- Both Jack Reacher films: Don't like Tom Cruise for his Scientology, but very well played and strong plots.

- All Die Hard films: Classics I never watched before. Bruce Willis at his best.

- True Lies: Great 1980s film with Arnold Schwarzenegger

- Captain Phillips: Based on a real story in 2009, Tom Hanks playing a captain of a ship kidnapped by Somali pirates. Also gives insight to the poor life conditions and motivation of the pirates.

- Wind River: Moving story about an Indigenous girl murdered as the FBI tries to solve the case.

- News of the World: Brand new adventure movie with Tom Hanks playing a newspaper reader in America of 1870.

- I care a lot: A court-appointed guardian who seizes the assets of elderly people for her own, only for her to get mixed up with a dangerous gangster.

- Prisoners: The plot focuses on the abduction of two young girls in Pennsylvania and the subsequent search for the suspected abductor by the police.


Not a movie, but we started watching the series The Blacklist, just finished with Season 2. Honestly one of the best series I ever watched so far. Ironically, I neither knew James Spader nor Megan Boone before, who are in the main roles. Spader is playing the genius criminal Raymond Reddington, a former naval officer, who voluntarily surrenders himself to the FBI after two decades  of building a worldwide criminal network. Subsequently he delivers a ton of criminals from his "blacklist" and saves many lives; but not without self interest of course. However, he only talks to the 30 year old FBI agent played by Boone as they share some mysterious past she's not even aware of. Especially love the character of Raymond Reddington, who's a well articulated genius between vanity and ruthlessness and still likeable.
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John Dule
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« Reply #226 on: May 17, 2021, 12:33:50 AM »

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.
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« Reply #227 on: May 29, 2021, 07:36:45 AM »
« Edited: May 29, 2021, 07:51:50 AM by Scott🦋 »

1. The Green Mile (1999) (9/10) - Simply put, a masterpiece. Tom Hanks makes pretty much any movie good, but overall it's just a fantastic movie that's made me more against the death penalty, even though, to my knowledge, Old Sparky's been retired. But the dry sponge execution scene was the most disturbing thing I have ever seen in any movie. If anything, it is easier to have sympathy for the heinous killers than the correctional officers, who themselves are dressed like Nazis. (Incidentally, the actor who plays the officer responsible for the botched execution isn't such a good guy in real life either; he groomed a 16-year-old girl at one of his acting workshops, married her, and abused her. So he definitely got a good role here.)

OH, and I would be remiss to not point out the obvious Christian symbolism throughout this movie! Or at least, if Pulp Fiction is a Christian movie, then this is practically a retelling of the Gospels if they took place during the Depression.

2. Gone with the Wind (1939) (7/10) - Above-average movie, but it's way too long. And although it was made in 1939, the problematic aspects are clearly visible. The slaves are content and affable, and no one really expresses their dissent to slavery. Ashley seems to have some moral compass with regard to how slaves are treated, but he's still kind of an oddball, bragging about his marriage to his cousin. Although he does make one remark about war that stuck with me:

"Most of the miseries of the world were caused by wars. And when the wars were over, no one ever knew what they were about."

But he's not exactly a moral exemplar, and neither is Rhett for... reasons I'm not gonna spoil.

And, although it is a controversial film and quite a product of the time it was made, it did make Hattie McDaniel the first black person to win an Oscar. But it also typcast Butterfly McQueen as the black nanny figure in her subsequent work, which she retired after so many years of it.

Anyway, if you want to see a truly neutral version of the Civil War from the perspective of the South at the time, I can't recommend it enough. It's earned its place in history, warts and all. I would've rated it higher if wasn't four hours long. I had to watch it in increments.

One last thing I'll point out, which isn't too spoil-ish but definitely remarkable, is how
Spoiler alert! Click Show to show the content.


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« Reply #228 on: May 30, 2021, 11:30:45 PM »

 I watched this on May 5th




And I'm planning on re-watching this sooner or later


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Ferguson97
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« Reply #229 on: May 31, 2021, 02:01:50 PM »

Working through Kubrick's films.

Lolita - 8/10
2001: A Space Odyssey - 10/10
A Clockwork Orange - 9/10
Barry Lyndon - 7/10
The Shining - 9/10

Tonight, I'm watching Full Metal Jacket and tomorrow I'll be watching Eyes Wide Shut.
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« Reply #230 on: June 03, 2021, 08:30:38 AM »
« Edited: June 03, 2021, 11:37:32 AM by Scott🦋 »

Lords of Chaos (2018): 5/10

This actually came out for me several years after reading the book that it's based on of the same name: the true story of the Norwegian black metal scene, and the ensuing arsons and later murders in a race to see who could be the Most Metal™. The events are already pretty well-documented, so I'm not going to be particularly hesitant about spoilers. What I will give is my impression of the movie and how the characters and narrative are portrayed.

Still, the details are graphic enough that I should avoid pissing off the mods and just post everything as a spoiler.

Spoiler alert! Click Show to show the content.


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vitoNova
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« Reply #231 on: June 03, 2021, 10:16:02 AM »

I watched Burn After Reading yesterday.

It was basically A Serious Man, DC edition.

In that life is just random sometimes.  Without rhyme or reason.
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Progressive Pessimist
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« Reply #232 on: June 05, 2021, 06:32:18 PM »
« Edited: June 05, 2021, 06:46:47 PM by Progressive Pessimist »

It's been awhile since I posted here. Needless to say, I've watched quite a bunch of movies since I last posted. I'm not going to go too in-depth on too many of them, for once...or I'll try, at least:

-The Founder: I rewatched this one recently, and it's one of the most underrated biopics I've ever seen. I tend to not like conventional biopics, and while this one may strike some as conventional, I was just so enthralled with Michael Keaton's portrayal of Ray Kroc, and the character himself. The best biopics, to me, involve figures who border on being villains much like 'The Social Network.' Whether the portrayal is accurate or not, they are just so much fun to watch. Kroc in the film is one of those figures who can't help himself but to acquire what he wants, even if its at the expense of others, which it almost always is. For all those reasons I love this movie and recommend people give it a watch. It's also a very informative and intriguing insight into the rise of one of the biggest fast food empires on Earth, if not the biggest, certainly the most famous. Again though, that assumes it's accurate, which it might not be. Even the most on-point biopics usually have to dramatize some things. Sometimes that gets on my nerves, but here I was able to forgive it and take it as a film. It's also notable for being a movie that was first released around the time of Trump's inauguration, because this character reminded me a lot of Trump and his rise to the presidency. In that sense, this film also might be an ominous cautionary tale about what happens when people trust men whose biggest asset is their confidence and audacity. It's kind of scary.

-Good Burger: After watching 'The Founder' again I decided to revisit this childhood "classic" also involving fast food. It's terrible, but I still kind of like it, and not just because of nostalgia. I still actually found it enjoyable since, even though it's dumb as f***, so much of that dumbness is completely bonkers that i can appreciate more as an adult. Like Ed almost dragging a girl to her death, a baby being thrown through a basketball hoop, talking hamburgers, a teacher who is also a 1960's-esque blaxploitation character, being able to commit people to a mental asylum solely because you know someone who works there, exploding hamburgers, sexual innuendo, a woman who looks exactly like our lead male character, Abe Vigoda, Shaq and his inability to deliver lines, and more! That's just scratching the surface. What kind of f***ed up universe does this movie take place in!? I recommend anyone else who grew up with 90's Nickelodeon to revisit this film too. Hell, get high and watch it.

-Ordinary People: I saw this one for the second time. I really shouldn't watch this movie because I identify too much with it and with Timothy Hutton's character, even though the things I have grief and regrets about are nowhere near as significant as what Hutton's character goes through in this film. I love this movie, probably because I enjoy torturing myself. It makes me cry every time.

-Manchester By the Sea: Being in a grief film mood, I watched this one after 'Ordinary People,' also for the second time. My first time watching it something was off about it. I liked it, but I felt that some of its emotional moments fell flat even while still finding it completely depressing and emotionally draining. For instance, the flashback scene where the tragedy happens to Casey Affleck, when we learn about what actually happens, was done in a tell instead of show manner, and that dampened the impact to me. That happened a lot throughout the movie in how I responded to its content. Subtlety is often preferable to the opposite, but this film got a little too subtle for my tastes. And that unfortunately continued in watching it the second time for whatever reason. I can't quite put my finger on it, but for everything I've heard about this being one of the saddest films ever, I would agree, but it never evoked more than a "that sucks" from me. I didn't cry at it either time, and I'm one of those who cries at movies all the time, as seen in the above entry. I also can't help but find the main character's interactions with his nephew as being less interesting than him going through his grief. I get the purpose of him becoming his nephew's guardian, but the scenes involving all that left me feeling a bit blase compared to the flashbacks about Affleck's character going through an unspeakably awful time. I do appreciate how real the move feels though. People talk realistically, interrupt each other, and act like one would in real-life. The performances are great too. It's a fine movie overall, just not really worth all the hype it got back when it was released as far as I'm concerned.

-Bad Trip: I love 'The Eric Andre Show' and its dark, surreal hidden camera humor; and with this feature film of his we get that for 90 minutes, but perhaps in a little more broad fashion than the absurdity of the show. It follows in the vein of road trip mockumentaries like 'Bad Grandpa' or 'Borat,' but even more so it borrows from 'Dumb and Dumber'...literally. There are moments that feel like complete rip-offs from the film rather than just inspiration. It was very distracting to me in spite of still enjoying the film and some moments from it. Knock-off baggage aside, I would still consider this a lesser, more forgettable, entry into the mockumentary road trip, buddy genre. I still have to see 'The Impractical Jokers Movie' so when I do, we'll see how the ranking changes or doesn't. I still recommend it though for those moments where I did get some really genuine belly laughs out of it.


-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.


-Some Like it Hot: Another film by the director of 'Sunset Boulevard,' I saw this movie parts before, but never in its entirety. It surprisingly holds up for a movie about men in drag taking place in the 1920's. It's still funny, and not all that poorly aged when it comes to its jokes...well, maybe with the exception of the "why would a man want to marry another man" line. I also enjoyed that the movie, which prominently featured Tony Curtis deceiving Marilyn Monroe's character, never reached the point of the two of them having a falling-out when Curtis is revealed to be her new friend and not the man he was making himself out to be. I don't think it's realistic, but that made it a refreshing outlier from a typical, and annoying, romantic comedy cliche. Even though this movie ends up becoming a romantic comedy, a genre which I typically hate, it distinguished itself enough from it that I enjoyed it and would put it among the top movies ever in that genre. Though I must say that the ending was a bit too abrupt and unsatisfying for me. Sure, it ends on a funny, and famous line, but I wanted just a little more.


-The Odd Couple: Finally, we have another Jack Lemmon movie. This movie kind of has a ubiquitous place in popular culture where even if you haven't seen it, you know about it. Felix and Oscar as archetypes of characters and even real-life people being compared to them, is hard to avoid and in my life it's been especially relevant. All my life I've identified with Felix Unger even before seeing this movie in its entirety very recently. All my life, my mom would often refer to me as "Felix" for my persnickety, detail-oriented nature and obsessive need to tidy up...a "clean freak," if you will. Meanwhile, my sister is the opposite, being very absent-minded and messy who she would call "Oscar." The movie obviously reflects this but makes the characters more three dimensional than I had always assumed. While their behaviors are a very large part of their being, there is more to them than just those aspects. And needless to say, I identified far too much with Felix Unger, even more than I expected. I don't know if I should be embarrassed of that or not. It's yet another comedy from fifty plus years ago that I would recommend and think aged pretty well and reinforces why these two men became such staples of popular culture...even though it was a tad darker than I expected. *Spoilers?* Like the movie opening with Felix contemplating suicide.

I watched this on May 5th




And I'm planning on re-watching this sooner or later




I gave a review of "Who Killed Captain Alex" a few pages back. I loved it! Especially the "VJ." WALALA! ACTION!

I would also recommend "B14" from Ghana. At least watch the trailer, it's a masterpiece:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s37C6f8s2JY

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John Dule
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« Reply #233 on: June 06, 2021, 03:00:56 AM »

-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.
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« Reply #234 on: June 19, 2021, 03:19:42 PM »

Der Dritte Weltkrieg ("The Third World War") is a fictional alternate-history documentary film released in Germany in 1998 that theorizes about how the transition to democracy in the USSR goes horribly wrong in 1989 and leads to a full-scale nuclear war in April 1990 that wipes out humanity.

Audio is in German but there are official English subtitles.


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« Reply #235 on: July 03, 2021, 06:30:15 PM »

I just came back from the cinema, having watched A Quiet Place Part II.

It was the first time I went to a movie theatre since August 2020.
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« Reply #236 on: July 06, 2021, 07:32:40 PM »
« Edited: July 08, 2021, 06:04:06 PM by Progressive Pessimist »

I'm back! And I just recently watched two movies that were previously HBO Max exclusives but have aired on cable now:

'Impractical Jokers: The Movie-" This might be the single most disappointing movie I have seen since 'The Rise of Skywalker.' I'm a huge fan of the show' Impractical Jokers.' I've seen every episode and even the spin-offs they do. I always thought that a movie by them would have had potential.

The problem is that they went the 'Bad Grandpa'/'Borat' route for their hidden camera comedy movie instead of the 'Jackass' route which would have been more preferable. I think these guys are hilarious and talented comedians, but they're basically jacks of no trades and masters of only one. The movie is framed with a narrative about them all going to a Paula Abdul concert in Miami, and them engaging in their usual shenanigans on the trip down from New York City. That's fine and all, as silly and random as it is, but the narrative really detracts from the pranks. The opening establishing it seems to go on forever and when they do finally get to the pranks they seem really rushed just to end up going back to this unfunny, awkward, forced scripted comedy meant to keep the "plot" moving. And even then, the hidden camera pranks aren't all that memorable or unique. Sure, they take some advantage of their higher budget, but it doesn't necessarily yield bigger laughs than on the show. Honestly, I didn't get more than a chuckle out of the movie. I guess this should have been expected though, because one spin-off from their short-lived show was so bad that it got cancelled after one season, called 'Jokers Wild,' and was sketch comedy by them instead of their usual spontaneous improvisational hidden camera schtick. The scripted bits of this movie were basically just that and proves that these guys are better doing what they usually do.

It's a shame to say that because I genuinely like this group of comedians and I wish I could support them wanting to branch out more. That sort of kinship you feel with the guys is one of the biggest things you get out of the show that is absent in the movie. Watching their show brings me back to when I was in an improv group with my buddies in high school and we were just having fun goofing around, and you get that from the show. You really do get to know these four guys as people and find them relatable. That's essentially why the show works-the authenticity of it all. This movie though just feels phony. This should have just been a compilation of more risque or higher budgeted hidden camera pranks like the 'Jackass' movies are, as I mentioned before. This movie isn't even all that more raunchy than the show. At the raunchiest there is a reference to drugs, fully-clothed strippers, and James Murray's bare ass. It's PG-13, so I guess I shouldn't have expected anything too taboo.

I can't really recommend this movie, even to other fans of the show. Granted, that's who this movie is for almost exclusively. Many of the jokes will not resonate if one hasn't seen the show. So, if you haven't seen, or don't like the show, definitely avoid it. But I guess if you really want to see it, and are a curious fan, like I am, fast forward through anything that doesn't match the format of the show. If you aren't a fan and are curious about the movie still, just tune into TruTv (if you have cable, it's on literally all the time) or HBO Max and watch some episodes from the series (I personally think that seasons one and two are the best) instead. In fact, the amount of challenges in the movie aren't any more than you get from one of the show's hour-long specials. Just watch one of those!

'Wonder Woman 1984-' I finally saw this movie out of morbid curiosity, and holy s***! It's as much of a disaster as I expected going in. I had no expectations for it, even from the first trailer (though that "Blue Monday" cover was badass!) and somehow it still managed to disappoint. This movie is f***ing garbage. It does almost everything bad. There is so much wrong with it that I can't even go into it too much without this post going over the character limit.

But I will just simply list some of the many problems like constant contrivances and poorly explained plot points. It's 1980's setting being completely unnecessary outside of a brief montage of 80's fashion and references to Cold War tensions. It could have taken place anytime, and probably would have made more sense in the DCEU canon if it did in modern day. Two of the worst villains with the worst motivations in a comic book I have seen since theatrical 'Justice League' Steppenwolf. Possibly the worst McGuffin ever. So many things being simultaneously overly simple and overly convoluted. Bad and/or over-the top acting from nearly everyone (with the exception of Chris Pine who is probably the best thing about the movie). Every character being a stereotype. A pointless prologue that goes on way too long and barely relates to anything later in the movie. A lack of understanding how military jet planes work. Cringe-worthy attempts at humor. Outright sexism (to both men and women). Wonder Woman's powers being inconsistent and difficult to understand. A very vague and stupid theme of "truth" which is supposed to somehow be related to a rock that grants wishes? Bad dialogue. Bad CGI, one of the most overly simplistic and dumbest resolutions to a world-threatening plot. A really cheesy cameo appearance. One of the worst Hans Zimmer scores ever (especially Wonder Woman's grating theme, which was in the first one too, to be fair). Lame-ass slow-mo in its equally lame-ass and unexciting action film scenes, which there are also very few of. Emotional moments that fall completely flat. And so much more that will probably come back to me in time. You name it, this movie fails at it. And it's also way too long at 2.5 hours.

Oh, and Wonder Woman rapes a guy. Yeah.*SPOILERS* (do you really give a s*** though?) she wishes for her boyfriend, Chris Pine, that she hasn't gotten over from the last movie (which took place during World War f***ing I) to come back and for some really weird, and pointless (there's that word again), his conscience takes the place of some other, random guy. It's implied at one point that they have sex so the weirdness and discomfort is just compounded at that point. What were they thinking with this? Just have Chris Pine come back! It's a magic wishing rock that did this that makes even more fantastical things happen later in the movie. Why go this problematic and convoluted (there's that word again too) direction? And why the f*** didn't Wonder Woman get over this guy after 70 years or so? She's played by Gal Gadot! She's one of the most beautiful women on Earth right now. She can have any man she wants! Surely there are somehow men even handsomer than Chris Pine who would give her the time of day. Instead she just spends 70 years sulking about him and curating art at the smithsonian while occasionally fighting petty crime with a weakly protected secret identity and apparently never getting involved in world affairs anymore that she could have made a huge difference in like World War II. Is it because every man in the movie is a creepy, chauvinistic, sexual harasser? As I said before, this movie is sexist towards both sexes. It makes all of the men that aren't Chris Pine look like monstrous predators and all the women, especially Wonder Woman and Kristen Wiig's character, need validation from men they are interested in. F*** this bulls***! Sorry, I said I wouldn't elaborate too much, but that body-switching aspect is kind of an elephant in the room when discussing this movie.

I swear that Patti Jenkins made this movie out of self-sabotage to try and pull a Ben Affleck/Henry Cavill to get out of her DC/WB contract so she could go back to making competent indie films again, like 'Monster.' It's actually a shame because that first 'Wonder Woman' movie was actually pretty good. It certainly surprised me, someone who usually roots for non-Batman DC movies to fail. It was definitely the DC Extended Universe's best film by far until 'Shazam!' came out. But even then it was still probably only really on par with an average Marvel Universe film since I didn't care much for the film's first twenty minutes which was just boring, and last twenty minutes which was just an over-the-top CG clutter. So basically the sequel was just those portions of the movie amped up in terms of how much I was irritated by them.

So yeah, I f***ing despised this movie and found it insulting and hard to get through. But what got me through it was the objective of figuring out whether this or 'Batman V. Superman' was the worst DC universe film. And I came to this, somewhat of a cop-out, conclusion. 'Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice' is still the worse movie in terms of quality for being a more tonally and narratively inconsistent, more incoherent mess, but I personally like it better and would rather watch one again than 'Wonder Woman 1984,' which I would say is only like 1% better at best. I find 'Batman V. Superman' absolutely fascinating and love it ironically in how it fails at everything and how absurd its choices were, while I found 'Wonder Woman 1984' to just be frustrating and conventionally bad with its failures. It's like this decade's 'Catwoman,' except even 'Catwoman' is something I would rather watch again.  I mean, 'Batman V. Superman' had a jar of piss and bribery with Jolly Ranchers as plot points. Nothing as stupidly bonkers really happens in 'Wonder Woman 1984' to keep me engaged like that, not even Pedro Pascal's overacting.

This is easily the worst comic book movie of the 2020's so far, even edging out 'The New Mutants.' Though it may have competition soon from that 'Venom' sequel coming out this year. There is no way that's going to be good.
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« Reply #237 on: July 26, 2021, 03:49:57 PM »

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.
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John Dule
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« Reply #238 on: July 27, 2021, 06:28:56 PM »

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.
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« Reply #239 on: July 27, 2021, 07:24:05 PM »
« Edited: August 29, 2021, 02:15:15 AM by THG »

I watched Fast and Furious 9.

They went into space. And they drove cars fast. But they also went into space AND drove cars fast at the same time. Truly revolutionary, I know.

3/10 movie if you're sober- but possibly a 6/10 if you're drunk.
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« Reply #240 on: July 29, 2021, 06:05:00 PM »

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!
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« Reply #241 on: July 29, 2021, 06:14:54 PM »

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.
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« Reply #242 on: July 30, 2021, 06:30:13 PM »

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.


I hope this movie is an good as you say. I enjoy meme-watching Fast and Furious movies, but I need to see a good movie in theaters for once.
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« Reply #243 on: August 25, 2021, 12:00:20 PM »
« Edited: August 25, 2021, 07:00:54 PM by Coolidge 2024 »

Two of the most recent ones I have seen:


The Last King of Scotland-

Features a very well acted performance by Forest Whitaker playing Idi Amin. I however have to note that this movie’s high point is his performance, as the rest of the movie isn’t that exceptional, being passable if not as great, and I wasn’t expecting James McAvoy’s character to be the main one- he does a solid job, but I simply didn’t really enjoy his character that much, and found him rather meh. However this movie does serve as an interesting political allegory (it’s a very obvious indictment of populism), so I think Atlas would probably enjoy it. Overall a decently well made biopic but not something I’ll be scrambling to rewatch, if ever.

Score: 7/10. 6/10 upon thinking about it more.


Gladiator-

“ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED???”

I rewatched this movie with my family recently. I have to say, while it is acclaimed and definitely has its moments I enjoyed watching, I found this movie somewhat underwhelming? Which is a same, because this is the exact kind of movie I should love.... but I do not.

Sure, the story “Good guy on the top of the world gets everything taken away from him and has to work his way up” has been done to death. But it’s not that cliched story I have an issue with.

The special effects have aged poorly, the dialogue isn’t anything special, and Russell Crowe is literally stoic for the whole movie while his character has no character other than being the “good guy who has to work his way up after being stripped of him”. Joaquin Pheonix does a great job but he isn’t enough to make this movie truly mesmerizing. Also, for a swords and sandals movie, much of the editing during the fight scenes is really rather sloppy at times.

I still enjoyed much of this movie, and it definitely isn’t the worst thing to watch for fun, but it isn’t anything other than a half decent swords and sandals crowd-pleaser. Definitely not one of the best Best Picture winners.

Score- Maybe a 6/10. Probably closer to a 5/10.

EDIT: It’s definitely a 5.
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« Reply #244 on: August 25, 2021, 06:50:25 PM »

I also saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Solid, iconic performances/castings, and truly excellent cinematography. I also really enjoyed the settings and locations of the film. It isn’t my favorite western of them all but is certainly one of the better (and most iconic) ones that I’ve seen.

8/10.
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John Dule
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« Reply #245 on: August 25, 2021, 08:48:04 PM »

I hate Gladiator so much it's not even funny.
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THG
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« Reply #246 on: August 26, 2021, 09:56:34 AM »
« Edited: August 26, 2021, 10:03:37 AM by Coolidge 2024 »


It’s not necessarily a terrible movie, and still has the kick ass cheesy-entertainment factor going for it, but it’s actually surprisingly horribly dated.

It’s a shame because there are aspects about it to like (some of the battle scenes in the beginning are great, the score is fantastic, there are some satisfying moments, and I like Pheonix even if he is incredibly hammy)- but the horribly aged CGI, poor dialogue, bland characters, and predictable story let it down. Also, the editing is sometimes downright terrible.
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« Reply #247 on: August 28, 2021, 06:23:53 PM »
« Edited: August 28, 2021, 06:40:41 PM by THG »

Tropic Thunder is pretty hilarious. One of the better comedies I’ve seen recently for sure. It’s a shame that such a movie would be canceled today (if they tried making it).
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Meclazine for Israel
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« Reply #248 on: August 29, 2021, 01:20:07 AM »

Tropic Thunder is pretty hilarious. One of the better comedies I’ve seen recently for sure. It’s a shame that such a movie would be canceled today (if they tried making it).

"Pump your brakes, kid. That man's a national treasure."

Classic.
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« Reply #249 on: August 29, 2021, 02:16:50 AM »
« Edited: August 29, 2021, 02:20:06 AM by THG »

Tropic Thunder is pretty hilarious. One of the better comedies I’ve seen recently for sure. It’s a shame that such a movie would be canceled today (if they tried making it).

"Pump your brakes, kid. That man's a national treasure."

Classic.

I didn't necessarily laugh out loud many times while watching it (though I rarely laugh out loud while watching movies), but I certainly laugh to myself thinking of the many hilarious lines of dialogue from it.

It truly is a very quotable movie and I think I'll like it even more upon a re-watch.
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