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

Ok, The scribbling Man said it already but since I wrote a shit load of things I'm gonna post them too, lol.

Alien is great:

Because it was amazing in 1979 and the fact that you still can somehow enjoy it in 2019 is a testimony to its power.

Because back in 1979 (and to an extend up until Aliens was released) no one really knew the look of the creature unless they saw the movie or a picture in a magazine and that's a big part of the thrill. When I first saw it I didn't even know the creature was going to grow. It was totaly part of what made the scenario super interesting and frightening.

Because the music is amazing.

Because Sigourney Weaver.
Remember that at the beginning of the movie it's the character of Dallas that is proposed to the audience as the leader. People didn't know Sigourney as an actress and it was a shock when Dallas died and that Ripley became the main character. So the "They all die one by one" story was well done from this point of view. First the shock at the dinner table. Then the characters think the "little" creature is not a huge threat (big mistake!) then they take the thing seriously but their first attempt to kill it failed, then they are not enough to really make anything against the monster plus one of them is a traitor, then Ripley (a woman!) face the thing alone at the end (even Laurie strode in Halloween 78, even if super smart, is still just a scream queen who needs someone to protect her in the end). That's a really good progression in tension. So maybe there are elements of a slasher movie but it's a good damn crafted one then!

Because EVERYONE else in the cast is brillant.

Because it is (to me) the only time in movie history that a monster design was as original and iconic (Godzilla? A dinosaur's shape. Predator? Insteresting head but ultimately a humanoid warrior. The Thing? Great concept but not a clear defined design).
 
The Next Three Days (2010)
While I feel conflicted with the moral dilemma of the premise, there's no denying that the emotional intensity is thick in this one. The story is pretty straight forward, but there are some unique mis-directions that casting creates that give this a slight edge over other movies of the same nature. I can't quite describe what I'm feeling at the end of this movie. It's definitely one that makes you analyze your own self. 7/10

 
I see both sides of the Alien debate.  I saw Aliens when I was a kid in the 80s, didn't see Alien for several years after that.  Seeing Aliens first, and then not seeing Alien until sometime in the 90s, kinda warps your perception of it a bit.  I like it but I still find myself enjoying Aliens more, and I think if I had been old enough to see it in 1979 I'd feel differently.
 
Alien is a better movie. It’s better directed, acted, filmed, art directed, written... But I’m generally not a horror movie fan so I tend to prefer Aliens.  But I’m not a huge fan of either.
 
Alien totally ripped off this 1950s flick...


It's a lame film, Alien did a way better job at telling that story.
 
Moe_Syzlak said:
Alien is a better movie. It’s better directed, acted, filmed, art directed, written... But I’m generally not a horror movie fan so I tend to prefer Aliens.  But I’m not a huge fan of either.
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I really dislike blanket statements like this, especially when the films are two completely different styles.
 
TVs Mountbatten-Windsor said:
Moe_Syzlak said:
Alien is a better movie. It’s better directed, acted, filmed, art directed, written... But I’m generally not a horror movie fan so I tend to prefer Aliens.  But I’m not a huge fan of either.
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I really dislike blanket statements like this, especially when the films are two completely different styles.
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Just my opinion on the matter.
 
The Phantom Menace - 6/10

Why did I rewatch this, and why did I actually like it this time?  The flashy surface seems to mask deep nihilistic dread and political cynicism, and I neither know nor care if ol' George intended it, I thought it was hilarious.

The rest of my thoughts are deeply political in nature (and also pretty scattered) so I'll refrain from posting them here.
 
jrWHAG42 said:
I love Phantom Menace.
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If I ever become President, Senate, and House, my first action will be to pass and sign a bill prohibiting this.
 
TVs Mountbatten-Windsor said:
jrWHAG42 said:
I love Phantom Menace.
Click to expand...

If I ever become President, Senate, and House, my first action will be to pass and sign a bill prohibiting this.
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giphy.gif


1/3 of the way there!
 
TVs Mountbatten-Windsor said:
jrWHAG42 said:
I love Phantom Menace.
Click to expand...

If I ever become President, Senate, and House, my first action will be to pass and sign a bill prohibiting this.
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Including fanedits?  Are we not allowed to love Ridiculous Menace?  Where is the line drawn on this Theseus' ship?
 
suspiciouscoffee said:
TVs Mountbatten-Windsor said:
jrWHAG42 said:
I love Phantom Menace.
Click to expand...

If I ever become President, Senate, and House, my first action will be to pass and sign a bill prohibiting this.
Click to expand...

Including fanedits?  Are we not allowed to love Ridiculous Menace?  Where is the line drawn on this Theseus' ship?
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TRM is a poison pill that will kill the bill, Jill.
 
The Scribbling Man said:
^^^ You've probably seen a fair few "pick em off one by one" horrors by this point, so maybe you're too familiar with the formula? Remember this came out in 1979, and paved the way for other films of that ilk.

Bearing in mind the period, look at the production design, look at the alien design, listen to the score, observe the quality of performances and the way the plot builds and unfolds. It's all masterfully done, and in a way very unlike many other flicks in that genre.

All the characters feel like characters, and I feel like it's only towards the end that Ripley is more clearly portrayed as the main character and the one survivor. The entire thing with Ash is really well done and for my first few watches still took me by suprise. Ian Holmes' performance is cleverly deceptive. 

Is it perfect? No, and aspects of it have aged, for sure. But it's a damn fine film, and well worthy of its reputation IMO. 

Aliens is a different beast, by a different director. Still a horror (sort of), but more an action flick. Bigger budget, bigger setpieces; its strength is spectacle. I'm not belittling it, but it's a different kind of film and should be treated as such.

Which cut did you watch btw? The "directors cut" makes quite a few trims to the pacing, among other things.
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I watched the theatrical cut, but I've seen both multiple times. I think they've each got their merits. All of the points that you bring up are valid in my opinion. Like I said, I do like this movie and I think it's very good, and the reasons I keep going back to it are the reasons that you and TMBTM mentioned. The acting is great, the sets are great, the mystery is great, the score is great, the design is great. I've seen the film more times than I can remember and I always feel bad about not quite getting whatever it is that other people get out of it. When it comes to classic movies, Alien is probably the one more than any that I wish I liked more. Ultimately what hurts it most for me are the slasher elements and since those become so prominent later, I find myself having a very uneven experience when watching Alien during its second half. 

I will forgive the movie in one place that's always bothered me, and that's where Bret (Harry Dean Stanton) gets taken out. It has always irritated me to no end that they send him off on his own to look for the cat. Even by forty year-old horror movie standards that seemed incredibly unintelligent to me, but as TMBTM mentioned, none of the characters at that point realize (or have any reason to expect) that the alien is growing as fast as it is, so I suppose it did make sense for them to believe that any one of crew could handle themself if they ran into the tiny chest-burster alien.
 
Creed II (2018)

A bit of a letdown even if not bad.
There were so much more things to do with the characters of Ivan Drago and his son...
I was hoping for a kind of a redemption story for Ivan who would be wiser and would team with Sly to calm down his son or something like that. Instead I got what the trailer said this movie was going to be, and nothing more.
The first Creed did a good job to be its own thing even with hitting all the story plots of a Rocky remake... this one had a cool main plot idea but made the strict minimum with it and remade all the story plots we already saw in previous Rocky movies, with less passion.
Sly was good as usual though. I was surprised to see him that much.

6/10
 
Incredibles 2 (2018)
Not the best, but not the worst. A casualty of the mystery twist that is too overused now. 7/10
 

Class of 1984 is the weirdo love-child of Blackboard Jungle and A Clockwork Orange. It was frustrating but ultimately rewarding. It tricks you into thinking it's a trashy grindhouse flick then it surprises you with great character moments and poignant dialogue, then two seconds later it's dumb again, then oh shit Roddy McDowall goes nutzo and you're loving it.
 
DigModiFicaTion said:
Incredibles 2 (2018)
Not the best, but not the worst. A casualty of the mystery twist that is too overused now. 7/10
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In a lot of ways I liked it better than the first one.  Any part with Jack-Jack was amazing.
 
Neglify said:

Class of 1984 is the weirdo love-child of Blackboard Jungle and A Clockwork Orange. It was frustrating but ultimately rewarding. It tricks you into thinking it's a trashy grindhouse flick then it surprises you with great character moments and poignant dialogue, then two seconds later it's dumb again, then oh shit Roddy McDowall goes nutzo and you're loving it.
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I've seen the "sequel", and that one is definitely a trashy grindhouse flick. I should check this one out, too, to see how they compare.
 
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