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

Moe_Syzlak

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I know someone who is a pretty staunch defender of Nolan; he particularly gets bent out of shape when people accuse Nolan of being style over substance. That said, he hated Tenet, calling it by far Nolan’s worst and a clear cut case of style over substance. So, I’m going to wait to see it at home.
 

macmilln

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If you're interested in the film, and it's safe for you to do so, I'd strongly recommend making an effort to see it in theatres. The spectacle, especially when deprived of the theatre experience for however many months, is incredible.

I'm not even the biggest fan of Nolan - I think his direction is often irrefutably exceptional, but his writing usually fails for me on a number of levels. Tenet was no exception to this, albeit in a different way than normal (keeping it vague so I don't spoil anyone's experience). I really loved the first half, thought it was an excellent espionage affair, but the film started losing itself once it left those aspects behind.

I think a second viewing (which I'm going to in about an hour) would change my thoughts drastically on the film - as I could focus/pick up on things that'll change my outlook, for better or worse. 

My ranking of Nolan's work, for those interested. (yeah, I know it's a weird one) Also, since that's a Letterboxd list, it'll link to my reviews of all his films, if that's something you're interested in...
 

mnkykungfu

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Unbreakable (2000)
I actually watched the extended fanedit, but here are some thoughts on the film in general:  https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/unbreakable/
Long story short, this was the first time I could watch this and view it differently than just as the first third of a superhero movie.  It might work better this way.

Onward (2020)
Feels like this film got done dirty.  I was super impressed by the tightness of the script, and the love and attention to all things fantasy geek.  Full thoughts: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/onward-2020/
 

DigModiFicaTion

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The World Is Not Enough (1999)
These movies haven't aged well at all. Convenient and predictable plot movement. Bond has some major creeper scenes surrounding Elektra here. A bad guy that can feel no pain is fine, but if he picks up a smoldering rock or gets shot it still has a physical consequence that will effect how he can use his hand and arms, etc. Ridiculous...4/10
 

mnkykungfu

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Rope (1948)
Part of me wants to see a realistic remake of this where the victim voids himself upon his death, the murderers then saying "Quick, throw him in the chest!" while making disgusted faces. The rest of the film, the party guests repeatedly ask where the horrible stench is coming from, gagging on their cake and eventually fleeing the party.  Full thoughts on this sanitized version instead: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/rope/

Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003)
Props to @"Malthus" for pointing me to where I could finally watch this.  I like the central conceit that all truly gifted musicians are aliens who've been abducted from other planets and brainwashed by corporate executives to bring their otherworldly jams to the human masses.  Eagle-eyed viewers will catch a lot of references to past musical geniuses.  Full thoughts: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/interstella-5555-the-5tory-of-the-5ecret-5tar-5ystem/
 

DigModiFicaTion

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Gemini Man (2019)
Well this didn't disappoint in the over the top action category. It's not a horrendous story, but the cgi fights and ridiculous action scenes made it taxing. Parkour is neat, but do we have to see it everywhere now? Is there actually any utility in using parkour during a fight? Oh, and if I got hit by a motorbike like that, I'd be in the hospital....the idea of this movie was probably better than what actually came out of it, just like quality of the young Will Smith cgi faces. A forgettable 5/10
 

Malthus

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DigModiFicaTion said:
Gemini Man (2019)
A forgettable 5/10

Very much agree. I'd add that for me having seen the trailer before watching the movie it was very predicable. The trailer robbed the film's big reveal of any emotional impact. It's a serviceable action film but ultimately a rather limp effort.
 

Moe_Syzlak

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I’m Thinking of Ending Things. I’m not sure what I just saw. This is weird even for Charlie Kaufmann. I’ll probably need some time to digest it and talk it over with other people. My first instinct is this is Kaufmann at his most autobiographical and self-critical. And while I’m not sure I enjoyed it, I’d be disappointed if the “Things“ Kaufmann is thinking about ending are his screenplays. Though I’m not sure that’s a wild presumption.
 

Moe_Syzlak

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/The Social Dilemma. A doc on Netflix. Although there’s some cheesy dramatization of a family and an “Inside Out” like thing with Pete Campbell from Mad Men, the bulk of it is a very good straightforward documentary. The sad thing is it doesn’t need the dramatized stuff and it feels more manipulative. The doc doesn’t cover anything I didn’t already know, but it’s still an eye opener as to how insidious it all is. I have to admit that even here I pay too much attention (which is really any at all) to things like “likes.” All that said, this is a very one-sided documentary. I do recommend watching it, but with a degree of skepticism. The aforementioned dramatizations and the lack of equal (or really any) time to opposing views makes it difficult for me to say this is a good documentary, however.
 

mnkykungfu

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Getting into some 'girl power' movies and moved into Labor Day films (for the US).
Ghost World (2001)
I loved the supporting performances in this, but the lead character is such a self-centered narcissist that I had trouble caring about her journey. Also used magic realism for the ending in my absolutely least favorite way, so I found this a frustrating watch.  Full thoughts: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/ghost-world/

Norma Rae (1979)
Sally Field is awesome and she is everything in this movie, though there are lots of other reasons to love it. A great companion piece to Harlan County, USA I think. Ripe for a remake that uses the name of the actual lady: Crystal Lee Sutton.  Full thoughts: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/norma-rae/
 

pulp

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Saw Tenet, the other day.

To be honest it was nice. seeing a movie in a theatre again. My friend found it creepy that there was so few people there, but having worked in movie theatres when I was younger I appreciated the matinee feeling to seeing a movie with so few people.

As for the movie itself I would describe it at the best kind of movie bullshit. The story was eh but man nolan can really direct the hell out of his action and effects. Makes me really appreciate seeing things that I had never seen in a movie before. 3/4 stars.
 

DigModiFicaTion

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Knight and Day (2010)
I'm usually not one for light-hearted action films, but this movie for the most part is pretty great. Basically if Mission Impossible was a comedy. The first two acts are tight and face paced, but the third act does kind of drag due to some lackluster action scenes that push the envelope of reality even for this over the top movie (bull chase, motorcycle gun fight etc.). Still this is a fun outing that is held up by Cruise's performance and charm. 8.5/10
 

mnkykungfu

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Some more Labor Day movies:
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
I read that when this played outside the US, it had title cards at the top that explained what was going on in "the Dustbowl" and how the Great Depression was in the US. I kind of wish the version I'd watched had had them, since I forgot until after the film that the conditions were still the same while it was being made. I'd been thinking the film was a period piece, but it was actually both contemporary and ahead of its time. Holds up wonderfully.  More thoughts: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/the-grapes-of-wrath/

Working Girl (1988)
Melanie Griffith is probably at peak gorgeousness here, which kind of took away from the stakes for me. I kept thinking "so what if she can't get her dream job, she can just become a model for that lingerie she's wearing".  To have stakes today, this would have to be made with a more approachable actress, or even better a woman of color to really drive home the adversity faced in a Wall Street workplace. But hey, this is a cut above other rom-coms.  Full thoughts: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/working-girl/
 

mnkykungfu

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If you're doing labor-themed films, you've got to watch
Modern Times (1936)
I'm not a huge fan of really old films or silent films, but I found this absolutely charming. And really funny, probably the funniest film I've seen in years. It was my first full Chaplin film, and an excuse to dig into his interesting personal life: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/modern-times/

Support the Girls (2018)
This is a lesser-known small film that I liked so much I wrote it up on my own website: https://nottheacademy.com/holiday-movie-review-support-the-girls/ For anyone not from the US, the whole service industry of people getting paid below a living wage and living on their tips instead has got to be bizarre. It opens up room for things like "breastaurants", which this film takes place in. I worked as a waiter and bartender for years, and they nail the details of the industry. A highly recommended dramedy.
 

DigModiFicaTion

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Dune (40ish years ago...?)
I saw some modern style trailers for the original Dune and noticed how similar some of the content was to the remake. Thought I'd try one more time to watch it. Last time I turned it off when the Baron does whatever he does to the slave.....*shudders*. I found myself fast forwarding through most of it this time and lost interest pretty quickly. Just not my thing. The inner dialogue was really weird and the scenes were painfully slow. I think this was possibly more for those who had read the source material? At least now I know that wasn't a huge weird gun in his shoulder from the vhs box. A disinterested 2/10
 

mnkykungfu

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^I'm the one guy who liked the original film.  I was not a fan of the original source material...couldn't slog through the books.  Everything you didn't like about the film is in there, plus the density is turned up to a million.

I will say I agree that the new trailer looks incredibly similar to the original film.  It's odd... I assumed they would attempt to appease all the book loyalists who hated the film and the theater audience that didn't get it.  Why stick so closely to something only a few liked?  Maybe future trailers will reveal bigger departures.
 

Moe_Syzlak

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I saw the movie before reading the book, but I liked both. The movie is not a stone cold classic that I love and return to often, but I do feel there’s a lot of good in it and fan edits have made it downright enjoyable for me.
 

mnkykungfu

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The last of my Labor Day films for this year:

North Country (2005)
The film opens with a bunch of statistics to let you know how bad the mining industry was for women, which should tell you something. This is not a movie content to reveal things by letting you walk in the character's shoes. It has to hammer the points home with speeches, OTT scenes, and fictionalized grandstanding courtroom scenes. Very loosely based on a true story, this is a slight cut above a Lifetime tearjerker, but owes a lot to earlier films like Norma Rae. Full thoughts: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/north-country/

Metropolis (1927)
I knew this from the robot and the city designs, but was hoping to find a lot more to it than its aesthetics. There is some there, though not as much as I'd hoped. It's overlong with a bit too much dated melodrama, but possibly the first ever film to make a case for not exploiting the working class.  More thoughts: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/metropolis/

Deux Jours, Une Nuit (2014)
I heard nothing but rave reviews about this from critics, but I found it inaccessible. The story structure didn't work for me and gave me no reason to root for the protagonist. I was never sold on the stakes or even that she was right, until it was too late. I think it asks a lot of the viewers without giving much back. Pretty boring watch, but more thoughts if you're just a slave for Cotillard, like me: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/two-days-one-night/
 

DigModiFicaTion

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Tron Legacy (2010)
I love this movie. Yes it has some slow moments and Sam's character isn't very dimensional until the third act, but when this movie shines it's an absolute stellar delight. The visuals are spectacular, the story is right inline with its predecessor and expands it in new ways, and that score. Wow. I don't know if it was just that the story required prior knowledge or what, but I wish this had done better. We could have had 3 or four films by now in this world. Thankfully Disney is finally making a third film. Here's hoping the new movie appeals to the masses so we can keep revisiting the grid in new ways. 9/10
 

mnkykungfu

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^Then I'd really recommend the gorgeously animated series, Tron: Uprising. It had a stellar voice cast and was a prequel series meant to explain all the gobbledygook brushed over in the beginning of Legacy about AI programs coming to life, etc. Unfortunately, it was canceled after the first season, but if you love Legacy, I'm sure it's worth a watch.

International Talk Like a Pirate Day was September 19th, and as is my custom, I celebrated by diving in to some pirate classics.
The Black Swan (1942)
Tyrone Power would later go on to star as Zorro, but he didn't do much for me here. He's running around as a British pirate with an American accent, sexually assaulting left and right. The "love story" is about 55% of the picture, and pirating is about 45%. I couldn't get past the constant rape threats to find much charm in this. Details: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/the-black-swan/

Blackbeard, the Pirate (1952)
I thought this was old and cheesy, but holy crap does it pop! My copy was real rough around the edges, so I wonder if there's a restored version that would allow me to appreciate the directing and editing. For me, they were weak, but the story and performances really elevated this.  Full thoughts: https://letterboxd.com/nottheacademy/film/blackbeard-the-pirate/
 
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