Last movie you watched thread

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Jul 2008

2345

Piegoose said:

YoungVagabond said:

The killings, fancy dinners, partying, and even discussing 80's pop music. All of it.

For instance, when Bateman first discusses Huey Lewis, it's marvelous. Part of the best scene of the movie. When he talks about Phil Collins and Genesis, it's fun and amusing. By the time he is discussing Whitney Houston, it is neither interesting nor funny.

His speeches on music wasn't the only thing he did. Every killing involved very different things and different preparations. Basically the entire time they were unpredictable, like the homeless man scene.

Your original argument was that "Bale acts so unpredictability" when I mentioned the movie got repetitive during the last 40 minutes. When I point out that Bateman's whole day and routine is highly predictable, from his morning facials and exercise, to his discussion of 80's pop music, to the fancy dinners, to the sex and killings, you change your argument to "oh, just the killings are unpredictable".

This new argument is irrelevant to my point, since the majority of the final 40 minutes do not feature killings.

Even there, you're wrong with regards to the film. (As I pointed out, the killings do became more elaborate and fucked-up in the book)

Throughout the movie, the planned murders we see go stabbing -> axe-murder -> stabbing -> chainsaw. At the end, there are a string of unplanned shootings. Not a lot of variety or unpredictability.

The homeless man stabbing occurs 20 minutes into the film. I was talking about the movie becoming repetitive over an hour in.

Thus, whether it was unpredictable or not is irrelevant. In fact, you seem to have forgotten what we were originally discussing.

Piegoose said:

Oh, well I've forgotten that at this point lol. Haven't seen the movie for a while. I can see the bluray on my shelf though

If you don't even remember the (rather iconic) expository ending, why are you arguing about it?

Nov 2, 2014 9:21 PM

#103

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Feb 2013

1690

Spoilers for American Psycho

YoungVagabond said:

There is a routine side to him, but there is also an unpredictable side to him. Even though he does the basic things of cleaning himself up, fine dining, and acting very orderly, there are many random moments like when he yells at his date in the restaurant and even not knowing what his reaction will be when the gay man tries at him in the bathroom. I expected he would kill the gay man on the spot, but he instead looked distressed which I didn't expect. Of course I don't remember what happens by every dozen minutes and I don't know what exactly has happened by the last 40-minute mark. When you said he was predictable beforehand, you didn't clarify that you only meant in his normal living routine. Even if you did though, there is still a very unpredictable nature to how he treats people in that consistent routine. Also, his killing side and his daily routine are not two separate things all-together.

Many moments in his day life, it's unpredictable to how he will converse with people and how he will react to things, some of those reactions being violence. His trait isn't being predictable exactly, but being consistent in his living habits, with the inconsistency of his inner desires. I haven't read the book, but I doubt I'm plain out "wrong" about my view on it. Even if I am, regarding the book, a movie and a book are two very different things.

When you list the weapons used to kill, I'm not sure how that relates to the killings not being unpredictable. There can be two very unpredictable stabbings that are led by different planning or amount of planning.

YoungVagabond said:
If you don't even remember the (rather iconic) expository ending, why are you arguing about it?

Because I wasn't. I asked if you meant the phone-call scene, and you said no. Therefore, I was concluding that part, which is why the entire comment wasn't even making a statement. Also, I didn't intend this to be an "argument", and I never had that sensation while I was responding.

Nov 3, 2014 10:07 AM

#104

bokami

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Mar 2008

113

I did watched Boyhood recently

and I don't really know what to say about it.

Pls. help me to say something

Nov 3, 2014 4:38 PM

#105

13579wp

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Oct 2012

316

so i just watched oldboy(2013) and oh boy was it bad what it didn't change from the original wasn't executed as well and what they did change i just didn't like but i have to say i'm a little biased

I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking "did he fire six shots or only five?" Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow you head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

Nov 3, 2014 5:06 PM

#106

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Feb 2013

1690

woody130496 said:
so i just watched oldboy(2013) and oh boy was it bad what it didn't change from the original wasn't executed as well and what they did change i just didn't like but i have to say i'm a little biased

I saw it with my friend a month-or-so ago and we both thought it was pretty entertaining lol. I don't know about my friend exactly, but I wouldn't call it bad for sure. I haven't seen the original, but the movie on its own was very interesting and had some great scenes. The long fight scene was pretty impressive too and reminded me of Batman: Arkham Asylum. The actor wasn't bad and the budget seemed fine. The direction of the story was strange, but memorable still. I gave it a 7/10 on my personal list.

What didn't you like about it? I hear a lot of negative views on it after watching it.

Nov 3, 2014 9:11 PM

#107

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Jul 2008

2345

Piegoose said:

woody130496 said:
so i just watched oldboy(2013) and oh boy was it bad what it didn't change from the original wasn't executed as well and what they did change i just didn't like but i have to say i'm a little biased

I saw it with my friend a month-or-so ago and we both thought it was pretty entertaining lol. I don't know about my friend exactly, but I wouldn't call it bad for sure. I haven't seen the original, but the movie on its own was very interesting and had some great scenes. The long fight scene was pretty impressive too and reminded me of Batman: Arkham Asylum. The actor wasn't bad and the budget seemed fine. The direction of the story was strange, but memorable still. I gave it a 7/10 on my personal list.

What didn't you like about it? I hear a lot of negative views on it after watching it.

If you remake an all-time great film, add nothing new or good to it, and make it 25% worse in every single way...that's still going to be a "pretty good" movie in a vacuum. Only because the source was so damn excellent.

Now, it's also a shitastic remake and an insult to the original, but again, pretty good in a vacuum.

Nov 3, 2014 9:34 PM

#108

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Feb 2013

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YoungVagabond said:

I wouldn't always too closely compare the past when viewing remakes. I also can't see completely new creations as being "insults" to past creations, myself, as they usually have different visions (unless the movie is somewhat connected the original literally, like the 2011 "The Thing" to the Carpenter version). I haven't seen the foreign original, but if they changed the story to fit more to the American culture, for example, than that's a reasonable change. Also if some story elements were changed but still carried out reasonably, I can be fine with that. If the original is that good though I suppose I'll watch it sometime soon.

Nov 4, 2014 1:58 AM

#109

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Jul 2008

2345

Piegoose said:

YoungVagabond said:

I wouldn't always too closely compare the past when viewing remakes. I also can't see completely new creations as being "insults" to past creations, myself, as they usually have different visions (unless the movie is somewhat connected the original literally, like the 2011 "The Thing" to the Carpenter version). I haven't seen the foreign original, but if they changed the story to fit more to the American culture, for example, than that's a reasonable change. Also if some story elements were changed but still carried out reasonably, I can be fine with that. If the original is that good though I suppose I'll watch it sometime soon.

I'm explaining why your question is completely irrelevant to woody's review. You liking the remake without having seen the original doesn't mean that the remake isn't a massive downgrade on the original, which is what woody's post was about.

Nov 4, 2014 1:52 PM

#110

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Feb 2013

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YoungVagabond said:
I'm explaining why your question is completely irrelevant to woody's review. You liking the remake without having seen the original doesn't mean that the remake isn't a massive downgrade on the original, which is what woody's post was about.

How is the question, "what didn't you like about it", ever "irrelevant" when someone states their opinion on a film? It is impossible for it to be "irrelevant" when he says "oh boy was it bad".

I also didn't claim that the remake isn't a downgrade. I only picked out possible examples of changes that I commented on as not always having to be considered as a downgrade. And woody's post wasn't that in detail to what you say it was all on about. He said he didn't like the changes, I asked what he didn't like. You explain the perspective from someone who's seen the original, and show your opinion on it. However, Woody states (which you didn't) that "what they did change i just didn't like", which fueled the direction of my comment.

You're being unnecessarily defensive in your comments. I'm only here to chat about movies, not argue over them.

Nov 4, 2014 7:24 PM

#111

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Jul 2008

2345

Piegoose said:

YoungVagabond said:
I'm explaining why your question is completely irrelevant to woody's review. You liking the remake without having seen the original doesn't mean that the remake isn't a massive downgrade on the original, which is what woody's post was about.

How is the question, "what didn't you like about it", ever "irrelevant" when someone states their opinion on a film? It is impossible for it to be "irrelevant" when he says "oh boy was it bad".

Except he already explained this. He thought it was inferior to the original Chan-Wook Park film.

woody said:
so i just watched oldboy(2013) and oh boy was it bad what it didn't change from the original wasn't executed as well and what they did change i just didn't like but i have to say i'm a little biased

(Bolded emphasis mine)

I guess he could go into the specific nitty-gritty (which I like to do, but most people posting in these topics don't), but you know what would answer your question in far greater detail? Simply watching the original film.

Piegoose said:

You're being unnecessarily defensive in your comments. I'm only here to chat about movies, not argue over them.

I like chatting about movies too, but only if the discussions are worthwhile. Simply because you have seen a movie and have a differing opinion on it doesn't necessarily mean you need to respond, as the discussion might not lead anywhere interesting.

As an example of an unworthwhile discussion, you disagreed with me disliking American Psycho's ending. In defending it, you didn't write about the ending at all; you described the scene preceding it, which merely set up the ending. Eventually, you admitted that you had forgotten the ending entirely. That's an unproductive conversation.

Nov 4, 2014 9:35 PM

#112

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Jan 2013

1037

Guess it's been piling up, but I've seen a batch of movies recently.

Summer Hours is this French film about an extended family centering on 3 adult children inheriting their mother's cottage and antiques. It's all about how the family is evolving and they have different priorities and ideas with what to do with the possessions; the mother confides in the eldest son that she wants him to sell the paintings and the cottage because his kids won't appreciate them given their generational values, but he's very sentimental and wants to preserve those inherited things. Meanwhile the sister is a bit apathetic to it but would prefer all of it be sold for the income as well as the fact that she will probably be staying in America for the rest of her life and then the younger brother is vehement about selling them because he wants his business to take off in China and needs it to get off the ground, so ultimately they preserve and sell a few things to compromise, they start to head on their separate ways, and the eldest son's kids in their late teens/early 20s, host a party at the cottage with some of their friends before the property is sold, etc. It has a few cool ideas on the intrinsic values of art, the changing generational values, sentiment and personal preservation vs getting ahead financially, etc. It's heavy-handed and aimless for quite a bit, but pleasant.

The original Godzilla oddly clicked with me; the whole devastating spectacle, little human dramas and political affairs and other things made it more absorbing than I was thinking it was, but perhaps it too had a bit too much levity and nothing too thought-provoking or complex, although, I don't think I get the purpose of the Oxygen Destroyer. It's all about anti-nuclear weaponry, yet they make another scientific weapon as some ultimatum, follow through with it and it works. Is there some kind of ideological difference here that makes that weapon feel more warranted? It eluded me at least; I would've liked if they ended it when they kind of led Godzilla back to the sea with those fireworks I guess, or just really the idea of the big guy doing his damage and Japan embracing it full force while moving on with the aftermath of it all. Just my two cents.

Ocean Waves is a Ghibli black sheep I planned to watch for a while and wanted to love, but the story arc felt a bit bumpy and some of the character interactions and circumstances felt poorly timed, too coincidental, etc and kind of irked me at times. It had some fairly good nuance though and was kind of meditative and captured teen hormones fairly well, but still didn't feel exceptional.

Sansho the Bailiff was a sad story of slavery, strife and family being torn asunder, but some of the events came off as illogical to me and felt like it was trying to milk the drama for every extra drop when some of it felt poorly grounded. Beautifully made and staged though.

The Virgin Spring... (this one is longer and HAS some spoilers, so I will hide it)

was my first taste of Mr. Bergman, but I didn't really like it. The pacing is incredibly slow and I felt it could've been done in about 1/3 of the time, the story is very slight and kind of self-aggrandizing or cloyingly melodramatic in the way it tries to make its circumstances so somber, but it just kind of irked me instead. It's kind of like Little Red Riding Hood if there were 2 girls - one pregnant and looked down upon and one a pure virgin, the wolf was 2 boys (3 if you count the youngest one who didn't really do much) and throw in a few Christian elements of posterity and such. What troubled me most about the film was the awkward choreography really, the rape scene kind of works in a start-stop-start sequence that just felt really awkward; they cut the virgin girl off, then they let her by, then they catch up and cut her off again, then they let her walk away a bit, then they pounce on her and rape her, get off her, get on again, let her go and then beat her with a club as she's turning away. Then there's the scene where the father of the girls locks the boys in the house to ambush them later, grabs his sword, but then goes to cut down a tree's branches with the sword, returns home with them and beat himself with the branches to atone for the murder he's going to commit, puts the sword away and grabs a knife instead, enters the room where the boys are sleeping, notices them, goes to sit on his strange chair and put his knife in the table, then takes it out, goes to slap the older 2 boys awake, the one runs up to the aforementioned chair and perches there with a knife, gets stabbed, kills the oldest brother and then throws the innocent youngest boy (who was showing signs of guilt and trepidation earlier which I would say could seem like presumably guilty but harmless mind) off the ground into some shelves and--to my recollection--killing him. Then he goes off to find his dead daughter's body, blames God for all this crap but then digresses, and lifts her body up to unveil a new spring (hence the title). I take all the endless praise I've heard for Bergman fully and don't doubt him, but this film was just mediocre to me, idk.

P.S. I was also bothered by the scene when the eldest brother shows one of the village women the dead girl's dress of his own volition and claims it is his dead sister's, but it's pretty obvious that the nearby village would recognize the dress (or maybe I missed something), it was baffling.

Lastly there was Ugetsu... (same as above)

which kind of ironed out a few of the troubles I had with Sansho the Bailiff despite coming a year before it. The woman's sacrifice actually made more sense this time around and had some poignancy with how it illustrated the fallacy of the man's despondency to the woman, in this case women because it was a dual narrative. The dual narrative also helped draw some comparisons and contrasts in the characters' lives to give a bit more optimism and nuance in ideologies between the two men and their pursuit of their goals clashing with the strength in their familial bonds, it was touching and fascinating. The men's "sacrifices" too also felt more smooth in Ugetsu too. In Sansho, Zushio was able to reclaim a position of power and make progressive changes to help the people but then by some odd logic and roundabout adherence to his parted father's principle, he gives up his political power for some petty reason rather than keeping it to actively change lives for the better and then goes off to see his mother he was apart from for decades as a peasant...again and it felt wonky. Meanwhile the character in Ugetsu finds his wife as a prostitute and gives up in his MILITARY position to be able to get her adjusted family life and home back after leaving her behind to become a samurai. The driving force for his removal is more urgent and makes more sense and plays out...adequately, which leads me to my nitpicks with the film: the pacing and the stories are too unevenly balanced. Compared to Sansho and some of these other recent films, the first 20 mins of the film covers a lot of ground that would take the other films twice or three times as long, but then it starts to indulge quite a bit, particularly with Genjuro's story and his delusions, and I know it is to illustrate how caught up he is, but it's still too long I find, and whenever it cuts to the other story, such a long time will have passed that I would forget what was happening, and leaves them hanging at certain bits at a time which robs the other story of some of its emotional power. Still a great film and the best of the 3 Mizoguchi films I've seen thus far (Sisters of the Gion, Sansho and Ugetsu) so I recommend it.

Nov 4, 2014 10:31 PM

#113

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Sep 2012

1062

I still haven't watched any Mizoguchi, but I tried to expand my horizons with older Japanese cinema by watching The Sword of Doom. It's a very strange movie. Tatsuya Nakadai's performance was pretty good, but even though the movie really wanted you to buy into how messed up his character was, I felt like they didn't give him nearly enough time to himself. A lot of it is spent on people sort of just reacting to the fact that he exists. It's not necessarily pointless or unfitting, but it left him without a lot of impact. The action was good, but it kind of faltered the longer the movie went on, and ultimately it wasn't up to the level of Seven Samurai or Harakiri (although that's obviously a high standard). The ending is also SUPER anti-climactic, which again isn't unfitting, but it is really jarring.

I also watched The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, another movie that I was expecting a lot out of. It certainly wasn't bad, but it felt kind of ramshackle and the end didn't sit right with me. Like Sword of Doom, it made sense and it wasn't unfitting, but it just seemed like overkill. It wasn't the gold's fault that things turned out the way they did, it was Humphrey Bogart's fault.

The last movie I watched was High and Low, and I have nothing bad to say about that. It's very sharply divided into two very different halves, but I still loved every minute of it. The first half is all set in a weirdly empty, yet claustrophobic room while the second half consists almost entirely of these really dense shots that are claustrophobic for a whole different reason. There's a lot of subtlety here that pokes holes in the system of values it shows us and definitely takes a stance on it, but it also makes it abundantly clear why that system even exists. I've heard this is one of the Coen brothers' favorite movies, and I can definitely see where it would have influenced them with its long-take style and tone of mystery with heavy emphasis on character. Definitely the better Toshiro Mifune/Tatsuya Nakadai movie I watched, and something I could call a new favorite.

Nov 5, 2014 12:45 AM

#114

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Jul 2008

2345

AngelsArcanum said:

The Virgin Spring... (this one is longer and HAS some spoilers, so I will hide it)

I'm not a Bergman expert either, also only having seen one of his pictures, but I would give Wild Strawberries a shot.

Nov 5, 2014 12:52 AM

#115

Jodyqt

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Apr 2013

534

YoungVagabond said:

AngelsArcanum said:

The Virgin Spring... (this one is longer and HAS some spoilers, so I will hide it)

I'm not a Bergman expert either, also only having seen one of his pictures, but I would give Wild Strawberries a shot.

Of all the acclaimed Bergman I've seen, "The Virgin Spring" would probably have been the one that I was the most disappointed with. It's not Bergman's worst, but it is by no means his best either.

Nov 5, 2014 8:23 AM

#116

13579wp

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Oct 2012

316

Piegoose said:

woody130496 said:
so i just watched oldboy(2013) and oh boy was it bad what it didn't change from the original wasn't executed as well and what they did change i just didn't like but i have to say i'm a little biased

I saw it with my friend a month-or-so ago and we both thought it was pretty entertaining lol. I don't know about my friend exactly, but I wouldn't call it bad for sure. I haven't seen the original, but the movie on its own was very interesting and had some great scenes. The long fight scene was pretty impressive too and reminded me of Batman: Arkham Asylum. The actor wasn't bad and the budget seemed fine. The direction of the story was strange, but memorable still. I gave it a 7/10 on my personal list.

What didn't you like about it? I hear a lot of negative views on it after watching it.

to be honest its hard to point out what i didn't like with out spoilers of the original

I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking "did he fire six shots or only five?" Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow you head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

Nov 5, 2014 9:42 AM

#117

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Jan 2013

1037

Quixotes_Solace said:

YoungVagabond said:

I'm not a Bergman expert either, also only having seen one of his pictures, but I would give Wild Strawberries a shot.

Of all the acclaimed Bergman I've seen, "The Virgin Spring" would probably have been the one that I was the most disappointed with. It's not Bergman's worst, but it is by no means his best either.

Yeah, it seems to be the consensus that Wild Strawberries is the best entry point for Bergman but I guess I kind of went around it because the user on Letterboxd who highlighted that idea also had some leeway with like 5 titles that one could start with really, and Virgin Spring was his highest rated among them, so I guess I took the dive looking for something to blow me away because I've had a few great but not incredible or lackluster titles of late. But yeah I'll definitely get to Wild Strawberries soon then.

Nov 5, 2014 12:20 PM

#118

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Sep 2012

1062

Yeah, Wild Strawberries is excellent. Between the two Bergman films I've seen I guess I preferred Persona, but Wild Strawberries is certainly more accessible. To be honest, neither of them really did it for me as much as the movies I saw by the slightly similarly-styled Tarkovsky, but you should check them out soon.

Nov 8, 2014 2:35 AM

#119

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Jul 2008

2345

Haven't watched a movie in a week, so decided to watch a classic I had never quite gotten around to;

The Producers (1968)-

Former Broadway king turned old lady seducer Max Bialystock recruits neurotic, hysteric Leo Bloom to walk through Dublin...I mean, produce a flop called "Spring Time for Hitler".

Amazingly fresh and funny, even 46 years later. It's hard to think of another comedy that hits one comic beat after another so consistently, or displays such a wide array of jokes. There is low-brow comedy, high-brow humor, dialogue jokes, physical comedy, etc. Its 88 minutes is the perfect length, and it maintains an exceptionally fast pace that modern comedies could learn from. I haven't even mentioned the outstanding performances by the two leads, who have great chemistry.

Outstanding film, highly recommended to all.

Nov 9, 2014 9:01 AM

#120

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Sep 2012

1062

I watched Once Upon a Time in the West twice in the same day.

When I first watched The Good, the Bad and the Ugly I watched it three times in a row, and every time it got better because of just how visual Sergio Leone is as a storyteller and how much detail he packs into his movies without ever actually directing the audience toward anything but badass gunslinger stunts and one-liners. And the score is one of the best I've ever heard in a movie.

Nov 13, 2014 5:12 AM

#121

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Jul 2008

2345

I decided to re-watch a movie from my youth. This usually doesn't end well. Especially since I remembered this one being merely alright.

Kingpin (1996)-

Woody Harrelson is a one-handed drunk loser who used to be a hot-shot bowler. Randy Quaid is Amish, and Vanessa Angel is a slut who can't act. They go to Reno for a bowling tournament. Hilarity does not ensue.

How did I think this was remotely watchable as a kid? Not only are the jokes as fucking lazy and boring as they come. (Someone got hit in the balls, lol!), but I was shocked at how damn few of them are. During the last thirty minutes, all attempts at humor are abandoned, as the movie turns into a drama shittier than what I have seen on local cable access productions. Utterly inane dreck; I give it an extra ten points for Murray's obnoxious character, the lone bright spot in this mess.

Nov 15, 2014 4:11 AM

#122

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Jul 2008

2345

It's been forever since I have watched some Hong Kong kung fu, even if this is just "modern era" wuxia;

Swordsman 2 (1992)-

Jet Li is a drinking swordsman who wishes to leave the martial arts world with his brothers. Brigitte Lin is supposedly an evil man turned into a woman who gains unstoppable power in the process. There are a bunch of other characters with unique styles and motives.

The beginning is slow, schizophrenic, and confusing. Thankfully, the movie continuously improves, building to an exciting, memorable, and unique climax. On the entertainment side, I loved the bizarre, powerful freaks fighting with one another, even if the wire-fu choreography often left much to be desired. And this had an unusually good story, as both sides are cruel and evil, and Jet Li is simply a warrior trying to escape the blood-soaked frenzy of the martial arts world. Overall, it's good.

Recommended to martial arts fans.

Nov 15, 2014 9:27 AM

#123

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Sep 2012

1062

Finally I finished Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy. Three Colors: Red actually reminded me of Magnolia, except Magnolia was straight-up magical realism while Red was just borderline. But it was operating on the same basis, that people live in their own isolated worlds and don't realize how different lives affect each other. It makes sense, since the color "red" on the French flag is for fraternity, but what I thought was interesting was the ending; it ended up not just being a film about fraternity, but a cap to the trilogy as a whole that affirms the importance of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Nov 17, 2014 5:35 AM

#124

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Jul 2008

2345

My girlfriend wanted to watch this. I humored her.

Patton Oswalt: My Weakness is Strong (2009)-

Most comedians become 30% less funny when they have a wife and kids. In Patton's case, it's 80%. That's a problem when he wasn't very funny to begin with. Patton lacks quality material; I smirked once during the entire set, at the Judy Blume joke. As a sign of how desperate he is, it's 2009 and he is still making Bush jokes (getting the biggest pop of the night, predictably) while dick-sucking Obama in a particularly gratuitous manner, deep throat included, which seems particularly vile today.

Nov 18, 2014 8:37 PM

#125

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Jul 2008

2345

And now for something completely different;

The Rocketeer (1991)-

Live action Disney film based on a cartoon that is an homage to 30's serial heroes. In this case, a young pilot in 1938 gets an experimental engine that the Nazis are after.

More proof that jetpacks make everything awesome. Yeah, it's silly and formulaic at times. However, for a kid's movie that never takes itself seriously, who the fuck cares? It's action-packed, funny, and fast-paced. A rollicking adventure. I loved the variety of faux 30's character archetypes, especially a great turn by Timothy Dalton as the charming villain. Also features a great soundtrack by James Horner, back before he became mega-successful and started re-using the same themes.

On an amusing trivia note, the person who created the comic, David Stevens, was also a huge fan of pin-up art (drawing a bunch himself), and based the Rocketeer's girlfriend on the look of Bettie Page. (Played in the movie by a young Jennifer Connelly back when she was hot)

Recommended.

Nov 18, 2014 10:06 PM

#126

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Jan 2013

1037

Cool, cool. I heard The Rocketeer was a fun little black sheep title, and I find the poster/promo art to be one of the coolest looking things, good to hear more positive opinions of it, only further itches me to see it!

Nov 19, 2014 7:25 AM

#127

All we're doing is expending energy in a wasted effort, following signs that are unreliable. We don't know what things mean, or what is actually connected...

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Oct 2012

1918

Just watched Nightcrawler.

Really good film, although I feel that it used the main character's economic situation to the point that it was a crutch for his lack of humanity. There was nothing left to him outside of his demented need to gain more. But, the way the whole film played out was thrilling. The final sequence is intense and definitely pulled me in.

The film also reminded me to finish Brazil (which I did.)

This film is really absorbed in its premise. A clever shot at the aristocrats, the bureaucratic system, and people absorbed in their own little bubbles, played out in a demented, dreamy, and somewhat disturbing sequence of events. The whole film is connected and framed correctly but somehow still felt disjointed to me. It was probably since I sometimes lost myself in what was the surface level of the narrative and what was the symbolic level of the narrative. Kinda like Mawaru Penguindrum in approach, but I'd still say that Brazil gets away with it a lot better than Mawaru does.

Now off to watch Zerkalo and maybe a few Jean-Luc Godard films. So much to watch. Ugh.

Ducat_RevelNov 19, 2014 7:28 AM

Nov 19, 2014 11:52 AM

#128

13579wp

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Oct 2012

316

i just finished Iceman which is remake of the 1989 film The Iceman Cometh which i haven't seen but if its anything like this one then i don't want to. for a comedy martial arts film i thought it was lacking in both departments. the action was sub par at best which is a shame because Donnie yen is quiet a good choreographer as for the comedy i just found rather boring and unfunny.
I'm going to watch the original and see how they compare

I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking "did he fire six shots or only five?" Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow you head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

Nov 19, 2014 5:27 PM

#129

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Sep 2012

1062

Ducat_Revel said:
Just watched Nightcrawler.

Really good film, although I feel that it used the main character's economic situation to the point that it was a crutch for his lack of humanity.

You didn't think he was a sociopath?

Nov 19, 2014 10:02 PM

#130

All we're doing is expending energy in a wasted effort, following signs that are unreliable. We don't know what things mean, or what is actually connected...

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Popka said:

Ducat_Revel said:
Just watched Nightcrawler.

Really good film, although I feel that it used the main character's economic situation to the point that it was a crutch for his lack of humanity.

You didn't think he was a sociopath?

Oh I definitely think he was a sociopath. I would've just liked to see a bit more reasoning as to why he was that. But then again, the film works really well even without that. It's not really a problem because it never impeded the film's momentum or plot, but it's something that irked me a little.

Nov 22, 2014 12:14 AM

#131

All we're doing is expending energy in a wasted effort, following signs that are unreliable. We don't know what things mean, or what is actually connected...

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Oct 2012

1918

Got around to watching Tarkovsky's Zerkalo.

I have to admit that this film beat me. I still don't understand all its nuances nor some scenes in the film. I'll have to rewatch this in the future. But until then, Tarkovsky will have to wait.

I might watch La Dolce Vita or Breathless to make up for how inadequate of a viewer Zerkalo made me feel. But if those films make me feel inadequate as well then... ;_;

Nov 22, 2014 2:04 PM

#132

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End of Watch (2012)-

Supposed to be an ultra-realistic, gritty tale about two cops, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, on patrol in a violent South Central Los Angeles neighborhood featuring a turf war between a black gang and a Hispanic gang. What could go wrong?

Irritating and stupid. By pushing the realism angle so hard, the movie attains an Uncanny Valley effect, emphasizing the elements that ARE Hollywood bullshit in a more jarring manner. Why don't the cops use tasers, which is the first step in the force continuum? Why does this movie try (and fail) so desperately to come up with cool dialogue? Why do they try to make every female cop and criminal seem badass in the most contrived manner possible? Without the realism aspect, this is plain boring.

Nov 22, 2014 8:57 PM

#133

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Sep 2012

1062

So, Interstellar

I liked it. It operates on simple emotions, and a concept that is equally simple, but also justifies almost everything that happens in the movie. That said, parts of it were very silly. I could go into detail, but it's hard to without spoilers. I'll attribute this to Nolan not being used to making films with this kind of emotional honesty. But you know what, the silly parts made me happy (for the most part). Overall, I thought it was a pretty good watch.

Nov 26, 2014 6:03 AM

#134

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The King's Speech (2010)-

King George VI tries to speak without a stammer, aided by an unorthodox Australian speech therapist.

A modest movie. It's predictable, safe, and strives to merely be good, not great. And it mostly succeeds at that, thanks to a fine ensemble performance, particularly from Geoffrey Rush, as well as solid pacing and a handful of quality scenes. Maintains the pleasant fiction that David abdicated the throne because of his love for Wallis Simpson, as opposed to the reality that he was "strongly encouraged" to do so because he was a Nazi sympathizer. Some weak melodrama, but it's decent enough.

Moderately recommended, but you won't miss much by skipping it.

Dec 1, 2014 3:03 AM

#135

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Decided to watch an early John Candy work;

Going Berserk (1983)-

Candy is a Canadian limousine driver about to marry a blonde American girl whose father is an asshole congressman, as well as the target of a murderous aerobic cult.

A madcap, cheesy film that reeks of the 80's. John Candy is his usual charming, awesome self, and carries another questionable script. However, it has some funny ideas; the fake kung-fu film, Ernie Hudson as a a violent escaped convict, the crazy version of "Leave it to Beaver", and Eugene Levy playing a sleazy Italian wannabe director are all highlights. Feels like a series of loosely tied-together comedy sketches than a coherent film, but it's funny nonetheless.

Recommended for the folks here.

Dec 1, 2014 4:03 PM

#136

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Expiring on Netflix;

Double Indemnity (1944)-

An insurance salesman falls for a married woman and helps her commit the perfect murder for the insurance money.

A perfectly executed noir. It's gripping, dramatic, tightly paced, and nary a moment is wasted. MacMurray and Stanwyck are outstanding as the leads, and the great Edward G Robinson is iconic as Barton Keyes. Good dialogue, too. The only slight weakness is that the script is a solid crime drama, but nothing special. The detective work is a little simple, and the drama unfolds a bit too predictably to be "great". Nevertheless, a marvelous adaptation of a decent story makes for an excellent film.

Highly recommended to all.

Dec 1, 2014 4:35 PM

#137

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1037

YoungVagabond said:
Expiring on Netflix;

Double Indemnity (1944)

Yeah I've heard about that, I really wanted to get around to it, and I think Popka likes it a lot, but I think it expires tomorrow or something and I might miss it. Maybe I'll get around to buying it on Blu-Ray or something.

Dec 1, 2014 7:14 PM

#138

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Feb 2013

1690

I watched Fury.

Was kinda surprised how average it was. There wasn't any smart dialogue, along with a lack of intelligent or slightly quick-witted characters. The visuals weren't that great either. The gore was done fairly well, but the consistent tracer bullets being shot during fight scenes appeared a little too surreal and just looked like Star wars lasers. The battles were inconsistent in how one would win and were very random and illogical. The sets were also very small, and there was no large sceneries like in movies like Saving Private Ryan. It gave the impression that I was watching a TV-show episode of some WW2 series. The Walking Dead actor was nearly unbearable also, and the three side-characters acted in a way (as they were always together, so LaBeouf gets throw in the feeling) that made the movie feel almost cartoonish. It was hard to take anything seriously. There was a scene similar to the intro of Inglourious Basterds, but the lack of witty lines made it quickly dull, and the entrance of the three stooges didn't help either.

My friends liked the movie though. One of them tends to be a heavier critic than me, and somehow I saw the film in a far different way than he did. I found it lightly enjoyable for the first third to half, but I'd prefer changing the channel if I could beyond the half-way point.

Dec 2, 2014 1:02 PM

#139

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1062

AngelsArcanum said:

YoungVagabond said:
Expiring on Netflix;

Double Indemnity (1944)

Yeah I've heard about that, I really wanted to get around to it, and I think Popka likes it a lot, but I think it expires tomorrow or something and I might miss it. Maybe I'll get around to buying it on Blu-Ray or something.

Yeah, I love Double Indemnity. This is disappointing, especially since they also removed The Apartment about a month ago. They better get something good soon to replace them.

Dec 2, 2014 3:58 PM

#140

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Popka said:

AngelsArcanum said:

Yeah I've heard about that, I really wanted to get around to it, and I think Popka likes it a lot, but I think it expires tomorrow or something and I might miss it. Maybe I'll get around to buying it on Blu-Ray or something.

Yeah, I love Double Indemnity. This is disappointing, especially since they also removed The Apartment about a month ago. They better get something good soon to replace them.

I don't recall there being too much of significance when I found a link detailing all the new arrivals sadly, but I'll have to scavenge it up again and see what's up.

Dec 7, 2014 6:25 PM

#141

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Popka said:

AngelsArcanum said:

Yeah I've heard about that, I really wanted to get around to it, and I think Popka likes it a lot, but I think it expires tomorrow or something and I might miss it. Maybe I'll get around to buying it on Blu-Ray or something.

Yeah, I love Double Indemnity. This is disappointing, especially since they also removed The Apartment about a month ago. They better get something good soon to replace them.

I watched my first Billy Wilder picture in April of 2013, Sabrina (1954). It was very good; a romantic comedy that avoids the pitfalls romcoms still fall into today, 60 years later.

I have now watched 6 Wilder films in all, and they're all outstanding. Whether it's a serious drama, a romantic comedy, a straight comedy, crime noir, or a weird blend of genres like The Apartment, he is consistently magnificent. At this point, I feel comfortable in calling him one of the very, very greatest directors and writers who ever lived. Here is how I would rank his pictures;

1. Sunset Boulevard (1950) One of the greatest masterpieces of all time, decades ahead of its time and still too uncomfortably real to this day. Gained Wilder a lot of hate from various Hollywood executives and producers, particularly Louis Mayer, head of MGM.

2. The Apartment (1960) Also a masterpiece, and one of the strangest, most unique movies ever.

3. Some Like it Hot (1959) An all-time classic, and the best comedy that had ever come out by then.

4. Double Indemnity (1944) An all-time great crime noir and excellent picture.

5. The Seven Year Itch (1955) Really good comedy and an outstanding adaptation of a Broadway play.

6. Sabrina (1954) Very good romantic comedy, and possibly even one of the best examples of that weak genre to this day.

Dec 8, 2014 2:22 PM

#142

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2345

Finally found another good sports documentary

30 for 30: Playing for the Mob (2014)-

Narrated by Ray Liotta, this examine how Henry Hill, the protagonist of Goodfellas, helped fix Boston College basketball games during the 1978-1979 season. Similar to how they finally got Al Capone on tax evasion charges, this case was what allowed them to initially jail the infamous mobster Jimmy "The Gent" Burke (played by De Niro in the movie), who was behind the The Lufthansa Heist at JFK that stole $6 million, and murdered dozens of people.

The story itself is fascinating, and to the directors' credit, they do a damn good, thorough job of telling it. They mention many of the ambiguities of the case, which significantly complicates the story, but also makes it more real and interesting. The criminals involved all tell different versions, as does the one player convicted of sports bribery, Rick Kuhn, and the two star players who weren't convicted, Jimmy Sweeney and Ernie Cobb. Cobb almost definitely appears to be lying and was a very willing participant . (Neither he nor any of the gangsters even claim there were threats made) Sweeney is a more complicated case; he was definitely threatened, as both his and Hill's account mention that, but I also believe he is lying and minimizing his involvement in several places.

They go into many of the specifics of the point shaving, including the fact that even to a trained eye, nothing unusual was going on. And why would it? They only fixed 9 games, Boston College finished with an excellent 22-9 record, and both Sweeney and Cobb had good seasons overall. If they won a game by 3 points when they were favored by 12, and lost a game by 22 to powerhouse UCLA when they were supposed to lose by 15, who would notice?

Briefly touches on the intrinsic corruption of the NCAA and what easy marks "student-athletes" are when they make no money from a collegiate basketball or football, sports that generate hundreds of millions of dollars.

Highly recommended, especially if you liked Goodfellas. The interviews with Hill and federal prosecutor Edward McDonald are terrific viewing by themselves.

Dec 27, 2014 12:17 PM

#143

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Jan 2013

1037

Man, this club's been quiet for a while. I've been meaning to try and be more active here once I reached my winter break, so I guess I should pitch in with a fairly lofty update. Also I need to see those group film watches now hahaha, hadn't occurred to me for a while.

Anyways, let's see:

Akira: Not big on it, but intrigued me enough to read the manga; short little two cents - http://letterboxd.com/angelsarcanum/film/akira/

There Will Be Blood: Some fantastic cinematography and a bunch of gripping, iconic scenes, but I felt there wasn't enough footing with the characters so I was kind of alienated by the end. 7/10

No Country for Old Men: Really dug the first half, but the direction after that and the ideas of determinism weren't to my liking. 7/10

Moulin Rouge: HNNG - http://letterboxd.com/angelsarcanum/film/moulin-rouge-2001/

Piano Teacher: Brutal and bizarre. I feel it meanders in places and the direction (particularly the ending) takes a really twisted turn, didn't love it but it was an experience. 7/10

Ringu: A good sleeping aid really - not the least bit scary and was rather slow and boring, but the music (by Kenji Kawai of GitS fame) and the lighting were oddly incredible. Above average I guess, but I can't get over the weird ending. 6/10

Thin Red Line: One of my favourites from Malick. Great anti-war film, rich details in the scenery and such (Malick's calling card), fascinating slew of characters, great pacing and just potent, natural storytelling. 10/10

Tree of Life: Not big on this one however - feels too artificially crafted and doesn't have enough emotional foundation, but still ambitious and intriguing. 8/10

Valhalla Rising: This one was reeeeeeally oblique, even for NWR; based on some readings did for the film, I guess it might end up better than Drive, but for now it kind of settles at 5/10 below it; to my recollection there was some inconsistency with the ideas and the narrative takes some kind of unsatisfying turns, idk.

Dogville: I did a theological reading of it for a project and I thought it was incredible. A wonderful parable of ethics, morals and reciprocity. 9/10

Somewhere: First exposure to Sofia Coppola and it sucked but I wasn't too put-off: http://letterboxd.com/angelsarcanum/film/somewhere/

The Bling Ring: An improvement after Somewhere, but rather formulaic, the satire elements weren't entirely fleshed out, the romantic subplot is trampled when it could've been promising and the ending isn't very satisfying. Spring Breakers did it better I find. 5/10

Jay and Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie: Saw it at a friend's house party as a joke viewing (I guess?) It was fucking atrocious. 1/10

To the Wonder: Very abstract and cinematic, I don't think I understood it all when I first watched it and might've conflated ideas in my head for larger depth in the film, but it definitely intrigues me to rewatch and I still really liked it the first time although many consider it Malick's worst so far. 9/10

The New World: What I consider Malick's weakest so far, but I'm told it gets better on (several?) rewatches, provided I have the patience. The pacing is quite slow, the ideas don't seem that interesting or apparent and the narrative feels a bit wishy-washy, but it's still gorgeous and quaint. 7/10

Boogie Nights: The Paul Thomas Anderson film that I wholly like (still need to see The Master and Inherent Vice): http://letterboxd.com/angelsarcanum/film/boogie-nights/

So yeah, that's my pretty big update haha.

Dec 30, 2014 3:47 AM

#144

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Sep 2012

1062

I'll finish the rest of Malick's filmography eventually, but so far I've found that I really liked all his movies the first time I saw them, then kind of forgot about them a couple weeks later.

I like Boogie Nights a lot, though I'm not sure whether it or There Will Be Blood is my favorite PTA movie. I like it now better than Magnolia, which I wasn't as into when I rewatched it.

Yesterday I watched Hang 'em High, which seems to be decently but not fantastically received, which makes sense because it's really weirdly edited and scored, and it seems to end before it should. But I really thought both of those things were perfectly fitting for the movie, and I loved its twisted portrayal of what justice means when the law is dictated by a culture of violence. One of my new favorite westerns.

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Jan 14, 2015 6:26 AM

#145

masterofgo

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Oct 2014

834

I watched a few films recently. I saw some sci-fi movie recs in one of the other clubs.

Looper - For a while I didn't know that guy was Joseph Gordon Levitt....I thought it looked like him but something was also off. Anyway, I think it had a lot of interesting concepts but the....weird psychic elements at the end really threw me off. Some of the simple things like

were pretty cool, despite being things you might obviously expect. But all in all, just an okay sci-fi movie.

Contact - This was pretty unexpected. From the synopsis I was expecting way more.....Contact...I guess, but instead it gave me a lot more drama and human elements that I wasn't expecting. The religious context really helped make the key moment at the end of the film really powerful, and I think the motif of belief and sublimity at the unexplainable were great and well developed ideas. It was definitely a great watch.

The Seventh Seal - This was an incredibly compelling movie, and I really loved how the film just came together and built up on all the motifs and images that were introduced early on (dance of death, the absence of God). Kind of like Contact, I was expecting more chess, but in return for less chess, I got some really great dialogues and scenes. The church confession scene was a fantastic monologue, much like all the other monologues in the story with Block. Block's journey to find God was incredibly evocative, and I loved how that was juxtaposed with this cowardly actor who actually has the ability to see things that Block cannot. Block's search for a final meaningful moment was also well contrasted with his Squire's nihilism and general apathy, which I thought was also a brilliant touch. Death's last words

were also incredibly haunting and the

at the end was a great ending to a great film.

Jan 24, 2015 2:25 AM

#146

All we're doing is expending energy in a wasted effort, following signs that are unreliable. We don't know what things mean, or what is actually connected...

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1918

Popka, I finally did it! I finally watched Red Shoes. It is gorgeous. It reminds me of Citizen Kane in some regards. I'm not big on the ending because

Also, Lermontov really won me over. I don't know why but I really like watching guys like Lermontov and Kane. There's something about men who feel powerless despite being in a seat of power and affluence.

Feb 28, 2015 9:50 AM

#147

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Sep 2012

1062

I got the chance to see Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen, which is good because I've heard that you have to see it on the big screen the first time. I'm glad I did, because it was clearly made to be seen that way.

It reminded me of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, but only in the emotional arc of the main character; thematically, Lawrence is almost the opposite of Blimp. The main character of Blimp is an ideologue who doesn't understand the terror of war or his own violent tendencies because he's never been on the losing side. Lawrence seemed like more of an iconoclast to me, and part of his problem was that he was extremely aware of his violent tendencies.

It was a very interesting character study of a man with the internal contradiction of instinctively wanting to be liked and accepted, but knowing consciously and through reasoning that ideologies and common wisdom needed to be defied.

Also, the shot of Lawrence coming over the horizon as a tiny black dot you can barely see is one of the best things I've ever seen.

Mar 4, 2015 11:29 PM

#148

All we're doing is expending energy in a wasted effort, following signs that are unreliable. We don't know what things mean, or what is actually connected...

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Oct 2012

1918

A bit of a controversial opinion here but I wasn't completely won over by Winter Light. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a really good movie, but the themes felt rather pushy and the mix of elements (like the priest's lover) didn't gel completely for me. I still think it works and I definitely get why others love it. But the approach towards the realization of the "loss of faith" felt too personal. I know this was the most personal and intimate work by Bergman and the accounts and thought process mimic his to an extent, but that's why I couldn't resonate with it. I'm not religious at all, but my reasoning and Bergman's are different.

On a technical note, it still is a triumph. Although, I'd hazard to say that in terms of cinematography, Persona blows this out of the water. My subjective reaction to this film was merely apathetic and the New Critic in me still saw small issues with the "necessity" of some elements to the narrative as a whole. Not big issues. Just small ones. So yeah. Don't kill me. ;_;

Mar 5, 2015 1:23 PM

#149

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Jan 2013

1037

I thought Bergman was supposed to be anti-religious (or at least anti-dogma) wasn't he? I thought Jody said Winter Light was kind of anti-religious in the end, and I can see bits of that in Seventh Seal and Virgin Spring perhaps (particularly the latter) but maybe I'll have to see Winter Light myself so I can really divulge into this.

Mar 5, 2015 2:16 PM

#150

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Sep 2012

1062

I don't see how Winter Light is "kind of" anti-religious, I would say it's outright atheist and anti-dogmatic.

I like it more than Wild Strawberries, and less than Persona or The Seventh Seal, and I will never watch it again. I like his less explicitly atheistic movies because his atheism is "staring into the void of hopelessness left behind by the falsity of religion" and for me it doesn't seem like a big deal. Maybe because I was never religious, or maybe because Bergman was working 30 years before I was born, but he comes across more Camus and I just don't care in general.

I liked The Seventh Seal because it actually moved past that viewpoint, and I liked Persona because it didn't even have a relation to Bergman's religious hangups. In Wild Strawberries it seemed kind of forced in; I don't normally care as much as Ducat about whether things are "unnecessary" in a story because most of the time I don't see how a story would be improved by removing them, and also because you could label anything down to costume design unnecessary if you get to the bare bones of it, but in this case he kind of made it the centerpiece where it didn't fit. In Winter Light it certainly works as the centerpiece, but to me the whole movie really came across as "Look what your religion does, you fuckers." Kind of like Legend of the Galactic Heroes, except, to its credit, not a strawman/caricature.