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

[Jrzag42]

Dragonheart - A man with a constantly shifting, unplaceable accent becomes a dragonslayer, and accidentally falls in love with the bad cgi dragon that he's been hunting (voiced by Sean Connery). All of the scenes with our two leads together are fantastic, their interactions are just really sweet. The villain king is the absolute worst character, which I guess is good for an antagonist.
A great time, I kinda wish that I grew up watching this.

 

[mnkykungfu]

Death & the Maiden (1994)
A British production that strips all the specifics out of the 1990 Chilean play, so it is easier to just watch this as a thriller about whether a husband should trust his wife or if she's crazy. But really it's about this wife as a torture victim of the Pinochet regime, thinking she's found her torturer...great 3-hander.

Beats (2019)
A Netflix original, but don't hold that against it. Music video director/producer Chris Robinson brings some really hard-hitting and groovy style and ...er, beats... to this story of a Chicago kid suffering from PTSD and holing up in his room. Anthony Anderson is the down-on-his-luck music producer who tries to rehabilitate him. Shades of Begin Again, but with the mentor/talent relationship stripped of any romance.

Shirkers (2018)
Critical darling doc about an American immigrant from Singapore revisiting her high school days and that time her and her high school friends tried to make a movie. I found her insufferable and to have zero perspective, and she keeps telling how amazing their high school film would've been and how it should have a place in Film History, despite her never having actually finished it. Annoying, True Crime adjacent.

Marie Antoinette (2006)
Was blown away by Sofia Coppola's first-person telling of teen queen Marie's life. Such a vibe, such a fun time, but not at all slight or dismissable. A truly unique film, and probably her most-accomplished work.

 

[Eyepainter]

Poor Things (2023)

I confess that I went into this reluctantly because I'm not a fan of the director's work, namely The Lobster. I'm glad that this turned out to be a welcome surprise, even if it's not for everyone. It's very weird, morbidly hilarious, and proudly anti-social in its own way (not to mention filled with politically incorrect sex and nudity). I liked this a lot, and I hope Yorgos Lanthimos makes more movies like this one. Arguably my favorite film of 2023.

Night on Earth (1991)

I consider myself a Jim Jarmusch fan, and this movie did not disappoint. I like the scale. All the stories were well confined to their simple taxi rides. The performances, which contain both no-names as well as heavyweights like Ryder, Rowlands, Stahl, Benigni, and now Giancarlo Esposito, are all as great as they are numerous. Fun fact: This is the first time my roommate has seen a Jim Jarmusch film, and I think I've found a new fan.

 

[JasonFlippy]

Poor Things (2023)

I also very much enjoyed this movie (second in Yorgos's lineup only to The Favourite) but my wife really disliked it. She said "do we really need another movie where an innocent woman learns about sex through deliberately offensive gropings and assault?" and I semi-agree. It reminds me of a Marquis De Sade book, Justine, also about a young girl seduced into the world of vice and sexual violence who eventually commits several murders.

 

[Prism_Skywalker]

All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989) - 6/10 (While some parts feel a bit too mature and weird, I really like the idea here.) The film is really trying to tell a redemption story for Charlie's character, and I think it was a great idea, dogs are always shown as the angel says "as good and loyal" so I like that the films plot was Charlie's journey to become that. It's a really sweet story, and I just love the dirty and grungy visuals, not saying the film looked grose, but the way it looked felt like it made sense. I miss the look it had, films today look way too polished!

The Secret Of Nimh (1982) - 8/10 One of Bluth's best films, with beautiful composition in score and visuals, great voice acting, and showing Disney that animation can be more then it was. I honestly feel bad Bluth lost in the long run in the animation war, because he had something going for him, perhaps though he didn't really lose as his goal was to teach Disney to step up there game, in which they did!

All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 (1996) - 6/10, While being a really fun entertaining movie, I think it's too bright of a follow-up, the story I am here for, but I think the villain choices were poor, for example Carface, is dumbed down to being a henchmen and not even that, but Charlie trusts him so quickly with little reason to. The Cat-Devil idea works as I guess that would be a dog's demon, but I don't know they set up the true terrifying version of hell in the first movie, yet in this one it feels like they forgot about it. Because they wanted it to be kid friendly. must I remind that the first film is rated G, meaning that films can be dark and gritty, while not being totally over-the-top?

Sister Act 1: (1992) A musical comedy that isn't overly cheesy or outstaying in it's welcome. It's a good movie and it knows how to be a PG film without feeling like it's a kids movie. - 7/10
Sister Act 2: Back In Action (1993) 4/10 A movie that feels straight to video for kids, due to it's less comedic moments, and kid themed storyline. I wanted it to be as funny as the first, not just a drag you watch because it's well a sequel to a movie you like. ;/

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1 - 6/10 A cosmic adventure for Marvel, and one that works, with a terrifying villain, ties to the end-goal, funny moments, and enjoyable characters / castmates.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 5/10 More innapropriate then the first, but the way it's stroy and ideas play out is enjoyable, the new characters are fun to watch and I like the twists! (Haven't finished it fully, at the final act, currently.)

Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special (5/10 - Not bad by any means, just felt generic, not as funny as I thought it'd be but I liked it!)

 

[kinnikuman]

I watched the marvels - holy moly!! So this is like a space adventure movie but it felt like they brought their family and even their home with them ?So now space never felt cold and vast and dangerous it just felt so loca! the threat of the “bad guys” never felt imminent - you kinda feel sorry the baddy?? My wife tells me to stop watching these movies taht they’re meant for kids - but I tell her taht I enjoy lots of kids movies. This one was just bad. I wonder if anyone here can work their magic ???

 

[mnkykungfu]

^I believe @tremault was working on something. But for me, the family was one of the best parts, and something that made this more distinctive than other random sci-fi stop-the-bad-alien movies. And yeah, you're supposed to feel sympathy for the "baddy". That is indeed the point.

 

[kinnikuman]

^I believe @tremault was working on something. But for me, the family was one of the best parts, and something that made this more distinctive than other random sci-fi stop-the-bad-alien movies. And yeah, you're supposed to feel sympathy for the "baddy". That is indeed the point.

The Toy Story movies have sense of urgency than this slop - but to each their own

 

[tremault]

^I believe @tremault was working on something. But for me, the family was one of the best parts, and something that made this more distinctive than other random sci-fi stop-the-bad-alien movies. And yeah, you're supposed to feel sympathy for the "baddy". That is indeed the point.

It is on the cards, but I have several projects I'm juggling atm so It could be a while. We can't have too many ITW topics so I have to hold back and think strategically, but I have timelines for a particular SW series, TRON legacy, She Hulk, GOG3, Lotr, SW IV ANH, Avengers.
After I complete some projects, I would like to look at The Marvels but maybe I could look at Ms Marvel first, since it was requested a while back.

I recently watched Prey. it was kinda good but there were some small issues and some things I wish were different. I mean, it's a little unbelievable that those guys didn't know the difference between lion and wolf scat, since that is their whole life, going out and tracking and all that. I was a little disappointed that they went with the old 'everyone was killed except her' thing. I mean it would have been nice if, for a change, her brother had survived and they came back together. I did think it was pretty fantastic when they double teamed that predator guy, I actually shouted out in triumph when he impaled it, that was really cool. 8/10

 

[addiesin]

I was a little disappointed that they went with the old 'everyone was killed except her' thing.

While I understand the disappointment here or finding it less than believable, I thought

Reveal message

the whole point is nobody sees her as a predator, including the (capital-P) Predator alien who hunts other predators as trophies. They ALL see her as prey. So Predator isn't even interested in her, a fatal mistake.

I thought it was cool. But again, I get that there are other interpretations.

 

[kinnikuman]

It is on the cards, but I have several projects I'm juggling atm so It could be a while. We can't have too many ITW topics so I have to hold back and think strategically, but I have timelines for a particular SW series, TRON legacy, She Hulk, GOG3, Lotr, SW IV ANH, Avengers.
After I complete some projects, I would like to look at The Marvels but maybe I could look at Ms Marvel first, since it was requested a while back.

I recently watched Prey. it was kinda good but there were some small issues and some things I wish were different. I mean, it's a little unbelievable that those guys didn't know the difference between lion and wolf scat, since that is their whole life, going out and tracking and all that. I was a little disappointed that they went with the old 'everyone was killed except her' thing. I mean it would have been nice if, for a change, her brother had survived and they came back together. I did think it was pretty fantastic when they double teamed that predator guy, I actually shouted out in triumph when he impaled it, that was really cool. 8/10

So many humans have killed predators at this point! Lol maybe humans are the ultimate hunters !!

 

[Prism_Skywalker]

Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3, great movie, did not expect how some things occurred, really liked it. Someone should’ve died permentantly though. Still solid 6.5-7/10

I think so Marvel can’t continue the franchise without its creator everyone should’ve died? Dark but hey how to stop franchise continuation.

 

[Eyepainter]

Down By Law (1986)

After Night on Earth, I decided to watch some more Jim Jarmusch with my roommate. I don't think either one of us enjoyed this one as much as Night on Earth, but we're glad we saw it. The black-and-white cinematography and the performances are the best thing about this movie, and it's worth checking out for those two. If there had been more tension and conflict going on in the story, it'd be a five star winner.

 

[mnkykungfu]

Poor Things (2023)
I've heard some people loved the beginning of this and then liked the rest less, and others opposite....for me it was kind of just all of a piece. More style than it knows what to do with or than is justified, but I loved The Favorite so much that I was totally game for anything. Probably should win Best Director but not Best Picture.

Straw Dogs (1971)
And then on the other hand, it's hard to not look at this as a thoroughly misogynistic film that didn't fully work as a novel and is even less of a coherent vision as a film. One of these performances by Hoffman from his early career that is what turned me off all his films until he got older. Smarmy and annoying, there's really no one to root for in this frustrating slog of a movie.

Super Fly (1972)
I also found this to be a slog, which is even more impressive since it's so short. There's just hardly any plot and again hardly anyone or anything to root for. Has a bit of style -as expected- but honestly it's mostly just a soundtrack album for Curtis Mayfield, and I'd recommend throwing that on and doing some cooking or laundry instead.

 

[JasonFlippy]

Poor Things (2023)
Probably should win Best Director but not Best Picture.

Fully agreed, it felt like as it went on it was less and less... coherent? And actually when she made her last journey at the end, I found myself thinking "Jesus, there's more??" I really enjoyed it but I think you could cut 30 mins out EASILY, I found the whole Jerrod Carmichael/Hanna Schygulla philosophical boat scenes really cringe and poorly acted, and I don't think I actually needed to see her have give that lesson to that guy's kids.

Straw Dogs (1971)

I recently watched...
George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead"
I'm actually shocked at how tense it was, considering how absolutely slow the zombies were. The soundtrack cracked me up and the acting was surprisingly good. I remember watching it when I was 15 and being so bored but now twenty years later I'm embarrassed for my younger self. This movie is a true camp classic and it deserves everything great anyone has ever said about it. 10/10.

 

[mnkykungfu]

Dawn of the Dead is amazing.

I think I liked Poor Things more than you (hence my 4/5 Letterboxd rating). I've heard the boat scene complaint...and I've also heard it was some people's favorite part. I've also heard the sex scenes complaint. Personally, that feels a bit prudish, like people always need sex or nudity to be extra "justified" in a film. For me, it's a part of life, and important part, and I'd rather say films need to extra justify themselves if they cut away from it. I could've seen a whole film about Frankenhooker, and indeed, it's been made. I suspect just that it was crass and not done in a beautiful, arty tone is what turned off some people. The film simply has a lot of tones all over the place, and that's very challenging. I normally complain about tone management, but Lanthimos somehow pulls if off for me.

Heh. Speaking of crass.

 

[Eyepainter]

Pink Flamingos (1972)

Well... I've officially seen everything now. I'm sure the film will continue to be remembered more for its NC-17-rated content than for its humor, because most of it failed to get a laugh out of me. Yet I've never seen anything like it, and probably never will. I don't think I'll watch it again, but John Waters can proudly say he made it. My roommate says we must never speak of what we've seen with anyone, and I agree. Now, where was that "post reply" button again?

 

[JasonFlippy]

Holy. Shit. Can we please talk about how absolutely horrible Madame Web (2024) was?

I literally laughed out loud dozens of times. I absolutely could not predict what the next INSANE thing they were going to say or do would be.

When people said this was The Room of superhero movies I thought for sure it was another exaggeration but I swear to you my wife and I laughed probably 50 times at things that were clearly not meant to be funny. The plot is so insanely thin but the movie is 2 hours long, nearly every single second of action was in the trailer, the acting is ludicrously bad, every line from the villain is ADR'd horribly, and my god in heaven when that post-climax scene hits in the apartment loft? I swear to god I've never ever laughed so hard at something that was clearly supposed to be dramatic.

I refuse to spoil a second of this movie for anyone. You need to get a few friends, have a drink or two, and go see this movie.
I swear to god if you like so-bad-it's-good movies then this is the absolute peak of the last 10 years, maybe more.

 

[Eyepainter]

Holy. Shit. Can we please talk about how absolutely horrible Madame Web (2024) was?

I literally laughed out loud dozens of times. I absolutely could not predict what the next INSANE thing they were going to say or do would be.

When people said this was The Room of superhero movies I thought for sure it was another exaggeration but I swear to you my wife and I laughed probably 50 times at things that were clearly not meant to be funny. The plot is so insanely thin but the movie is 2 hours long, nearly every single second of action was in the trailer, the acting is ludicrously bad, every line from the villain is ADR'd horribly, and my god in heaven when that post-climax scene hits in the apartment loft? I swear to god I've never ever laughed so hard at something that was clearly supposed to be dramatic.

I refuse to spoil a second of this movie for anyone. You need to get a few friends, have a drink or two, and go see this movie.
I swear to god if you like so-bad-it's-good movies then this is the absolute peak of the last 10 years, maybe more.

I'd watch it myself, but I also know that the film industry thrives on what moviegoers pay tickets for (see any live-action Disney remake and the upcoming live-action Zelda movie for examples), and I'd rather pay Sony for something like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse instead. Maybe when it's out on Blu-Ray or streaming, I'll give it a watch, but for now, I wanna be a box office sadist and torture Sony for thinking Madame Web was a good idea.

On top of that, I'm enjoying all the wonderful memes this movie has resurrected. It would be a shame to ruin them.

 

[daedal]

The Creator (2023)
I did not like this movie. I'm generally a big fan of sci-fi driven by human stories but, just like Rogue One, I could not care less about those characters. The production values are great though so if you are into that you may like it better than I did! In fact the recent VFX artists react video from Corridor Crew was very interesting. It featured Gareth Edwards himself talking about the production and FX from the movie!