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The Last Movie(s) You Watched... (quick one or two sentence reviews)

kinnikuman said:
I have a funny history with fight club -
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It's interesting...I think sometimes people's reactions to a film say more about them than about the film. I love Roger Ebert's line about films being "empathy machines" though... I always hope for films to put me in the shoes of their characters and help me appreciate things from their pov, rather than me placing my own pov on the film. Obviously, that's easier with some more than others though.

Jrzag42 said:
Today I finished reading Fight Club, and decided to rewatch the movie after.
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I'm actually kind of in the opposite position from you, in that I love both but prefer the movie. I do find that people almost never like the film as much when they read the book first, no matter what film/book we're talking about. So I do make a habit out of delaying reading so that I'll be able to enjoy both.
 
Cobra (1986)

Well, I can't recommend this one. I can imagine someone enjoying this Stallone vehicle, but that someone isn't me. Cobra is a hypocrite who is supposed to be a Dirty Harry-esque character, but he's also a moralist who criticizes his own friend for "being too violent." The plot is a mess, and everything goes by way too fast. The editing is terrible, and after doing some research, I know why. A lot of the more violent scenes were cut to avoid the dreaded X-rating, and when Top Gun became a smash hit that same year, the film was cut even further to get more showtimes, and therefore, give the studio more cash at the box office, hence the 87-minute runtime. Needless to say, it didn't work. I've heard that an extended cut of the film does exist, but I don't think there's been an official release for it. It would be interesting to see if it's an improvement, though.
 
No Country for Old Men. Wasn’t sure if I should call this a book review or movie review, but let’s call it both and this forum, for obvious reasons, gets more traffic than Books. I re-watched this movie after reading the book last week. It’s an incredibly faithful adaptation. Where it does stray from the book, I agree with the choices. It does lack much of the philosophical ruminations, but the Coens do their best to include them through Sherrif Bell talking with his deputy (mostly) in a diner. It’s a crackling read and a suspenseful movie, both well made. The underpinning messages—I suppose you could call it a parable—were all a bit simplistic to me. Your triumvirate of good past, grey present, and evil future is all a little too convenient and unexamined. Still, as a straight suspense thriller, both movie and novel are top notch.
 
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

It's taken me way too long to sit down and watch this movie (I first heard of this film back in 2008). Oh well, better late than never in this film's case, because it's quite a good thrill ride. Great performances by Matthau, Shaw, Elizondo, and a bunch of others. Great music. And yes, the ending got me good. A most watchable
suspense thriller.
 
Three films as sort of anti-programming for the recently passed US Mother's Day holiday....

Ma (2019)
Apparently Horror fans immediately dismissed this due to bad marketing, but fortunately I discovered it through a podcast and never saw any trailers. It's the rare Horror film that plays like a character drama for at least half the film, has an awesome cast of Oscar winners and nominees, and relies on mental suffering rather than jump scares.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)
The first half of the film plays so dry that it's almost just an infomercial or training video kind of vibe, but I agree with everyone else on Earth that the titular conversation is very powerful. Of course, the back half of the film after that is still quite unemotive and you leave the film never knowing much more about the characters than at the start. I think it's an affecting exercise in empathy that could have been a lot more effective.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
This really blew me away. I could see people changing their minds back and forth about this on rewatches, deciding if it balances the tragedy and comedy from scene to scene, or feeling like they hated or empathized with the characters. Personally, this was a morally-complex and wonderfully realized portrait of messy imperfect people struggling through their own pain in a small town, and it immediately jumped to my favorite movie of 2017, retroactively.
 
Ant man 3 - I can only blame myself. Morbid curiosity. I know these movies have been trending younger but I’ve invested so many years it almost feel mandatory. But yeah cringy humor, mailed in performance by Rudd, wasp was invisible. Michael Douglas and Michelle pfeofer look like they have giant wigs and a pound of makeup. So sad seeing them fight and run. And I think there’s a subplot to the housing crisis? This movie also suffers from the zillion nameless bad guys that are meant to make you feel hopeless but you know they pose zero threat and you know any of the hero’s can take out hundreds of them. 70 year old michel pfeifer was swatting them like flies. Also, predictably, the bad guy wants a thing that will give him ultimate power and he needs the good guys to get it or he will hurt one of em. 2/5 ⭐️
 
Guardians of the Galaxy 3
Pulled some heart strings, got some laughs. Recommended for fans of the series; total newcomers will be confused or horrified.
 
Just saw Del Toro's Pinocchio. It was fine, not really my cup of tea. When I said it was between this and The Last Wish for last year's best animated feature, he said this one was head heels above "the cat movie". I don't blame him. This had actual artistry and passion behind it where The Last Wish still feels like a standard corporate picture. That said, I honestly found myself enjoying The Last Wish slightly more. I guess I just don't really like slow, melancholy films, and I know all too well I can't handle arthouse films. Regardless, if Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio are the best animated movies of last year, I don't think animation is in a very good place.
 
Ender said:
if Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio are the best animated movies of last year, I don't think animation is in a very good place.
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I feel the opposite, I think both were fantastic and animation is in a great place, especially compared to live action stuff these days
 
Yeah, I realize I'm in the minority here and most people loved both those films.
 
Land of the Dead - understands the point of I Am Legend better than the I Am Legend movie. I mean the same could be said about NotLD in some ways, but here I mean in regards to how the monsters are treated. Anyways, it's a great time, and still my favorite Romero "Dead" film.
 
Ender said:
if Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio are the best animated movies of last year, I don't think animation is in a very good place.
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Well, Suzume was released in 2022, but didn't get wide US release at that time. Unicorn Wars as well, but that's from Spain. No Dogs or Italians Allowed, but that's...Italian. So really you could say that the issue is more that American animation didn't really have the most creative year. Even the most successful projects were interesting versions of tried-and-true properties and concepts. If you want to think a bit more outside the box, a lot of people really enjoyed Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe, but...c'mon. That was never going to win any awards.

Personally, I thought the best animated film of the year was released straight to Disney+. Actually, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers was just one of my favorite overall movies of the year. It's incredibly well-executed and creative in the way that they bring a panorama of animation styles together from across history, and in their commentary on the tropes and characterizations of each. It's essentially an unofficial Lonely Island film and an unofficial sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and I can't believe it got unceremoniously dumped by Disney while they throw billions of dollars into horrible remakes nobody wants. (I'm not sure what the rules are on live-action mixed with animation though...it seems like none of those films have ever won awards for animation? But that's a real shame since the challenge of executing them is so high!)
 
Neighbors (2014)
Less interesting than the old Belushi/Akroyd film, but reliably middle-of-the-road broad comedy where Rogen and Byrne make a surprisingly fun and funny duo. I guess they though so too, as they're now making their third film together, Platonic.

The Searchers (1956)
Like The Deer Hunter, I think the racist depictions here are not simply a product of their time and really do cross over from Depiction to Endorsement. We really are meant to be on John Wayne's side as a cantankerous unrepentant racist Confederate soldier who'd rather kill a girl that slept with a Native American than "rescue" her. The movie has a bit of a copout ending too, but damn does it have some stunning cinematography.

Station Eleven (2021)
A mini-series every critic seems to have loved that I found pretty insufferable. Loved the first episode, hated the next two when they moved off to other characters and actors and jumped all over in chronology. I have no patience now for LOST-esque stories that tease a million questions and absurdities that they'll probably never answer, so I turned this off.
 
mnkykungfu said:
Well, Suzume was released in 2022, but didn't get wide US release at that time. Unicorn Wars as well, but that's from Spain. No Dogs or Italians Allowed, but that's...Italian. So really you could say that the issue is more that American animation didn't really have the most creative year. Even the most successful projects were interesting versions of tried-and-true properties and concepts. If you want to think a bit more outside the box, a lot of people really enjoyed Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe, but...c'mon. That was never going to win any awards.
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Sorry, I forgot to specify Western animation. I'll accept those European films but Japanese anime is a different can of worms. Can't say I've heard of any of them though. The European ones, I mean.
 
Mario did a billion didnt it? I think animation will be fine. Also was there
mnkykungfu said:
Neighbors (2014)
Less interesting than the old Belushi/Akroyd film, but reliably middle-of-the-road broad comedy where Rogen and Byrne make a surprisingly fun and funny duo. I guess they though so too, as they're now making their third film together, Platonic.

The Searchers (1956)
Like The Deer Hunter, I think the racist depictions here are not simply a product of their time and really do cross over from Depiction to Endorsement. We really are meant to be on John Wayne's side as a cantankerous unrepentant racist Confederate soldier who'd rather kill a girl that slept with a Native American than "rescue" her. The movie has a bit of a copout ending too, but damn does it have some stunning cinematography.

Station Eleven (2021)
A mini-series every critic seems to have loved that I found pretty insufferable. Loved the first episode, hated the next two when they moved off to other characters and actors and jumped all over in chronology. I have no patience now for LOST-esque stories that tease a million questions and absurdities that they'll probably never answer, so I turned this off.
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I love the searchers, agree that cinematography is amazing. Saw neighbors the old one ant the new one - old was okay it was weird to see belushi as the straight but he did amazing! the new one was just middle of the road filler. Never heard of station eleven - but am looking for a new sci fi show.
 
Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

Although dated by today's standards, there's no denying that this movie is funny, and one of the more satisfying entries in the Animal House-ripoff competition. Didn't expect to see a young James Cromwell and John Goodman in the same movie. Great soundtrack by a then-unknown Thomas Newman. Loved the final speech at the end as well. Definitely worth seeing if you're a fan of the '80s college raunchfest genre.
 
3000 years of longing - I liked it a lot 4/5. Good acting , looks beautiful and pretty original especially by todays standards. It felt good to wonder what would happen next. It’s on Amazon.
 
The Blue Caftan (2023) ☆☆☆☆

One word. Amazing. It was Arabic with subtitles which didn't bother me because I was instantly drawn in. I could do without one plot element as it didn't add to the best part of the story.
 
Commando (1985)

I'm torn. On the one hand, I don't want to recommend this, because it's more or less a comedy for all the wrong reasons. On the other hand, I can't say that I was bored. If all you want to see is Arnold Schwarzenegger mowing down millions of baddies who got their degree from stormtrooper academy, then this movie is for you. If you're hoping for something deeper like The Terminator, skip it.
 
Batman (1989)
I haven't seen thisovie in forever. It also looks like my copy of the movie on Blu ray is in open matte? Anyone else can confirm this?
Anyway, it was interesting to see how well this movie stood up to the dust of time. Outside of some over the top 80/90's pop culture and ridiculous "love" story, it was very reminiscent of The Dark Knight at it's core for the Joker's character. We have the mob boss scene where he offs one fo the mob, we have the helicopter at night scene, we have the party interruption scene and obsession with Batman's squeeze. Yes it's the same character in theory, but it was interesting to see it so fresh with Ledger and Nolan's version as a filter. Anyway, maybe that sjsut in my head. It's a solid 7/10.
 
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