Last Film You've Seen

X-SOLDIER

Harbinger O Great Justice
AKA
X
I was just thinking about that movie the other day, because I feel like the new Robin Hood will probably feel very similar, and I (like you) rather enjoyed it.

Bad Times at the El Royale — one hell of a thriller. Beautifully shot, and just damned good. Definitely better the less you know about it, and the trailers have done an excellent job being vague about specifics. Also, there's a sequence later in the film that is incredibly beautiful, and I'm just outright stunned because there must've been a significant chunk of budget just for those 2-3 mins, but it was absolutely worth the payoff.




X :neo:
 

Ghost X

Moderator
Cabin in the Woods

Found the first half-ish pretty meh. Folks said "That part is supposed to be that way", but I think you can still make a movie that intentionally plays upon the tropes in an entertaining / not disappointing way. Anyway, I did enjoy the concepts presented in the last half of the film, and how the "virgin" would shoot her pot-smoking friend when presented with a flawed trolley problem without question. Whose to say they couldn't have escaped and the world's combined military capacity take these "gods" out? Extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence, etc.
3/5 stars.
 

wander

‪‫‬‭ ‮
Ghostbusters (2016)
So... honestly, I went in expecting garbage. I never intended to watch it, because the trailer made it look like a train wreck and I didn't really like the whole "only white people can be professors" thing that was going on (and Kristen Wiig/Kate McKinnon can be really, really hit and miss at the best of times).

But, there it was on Netflix and I'm like "okay, well it's this or Lost in Space, and I need to make Lost in Space last until January when Star Trek Discovery returns..." so I started watching it... and I actually made it through the film.

This is a big deal, because I will gladly bail on a film if it's shit, even if I paid to watch it, as I did when I walked out of the cinema showing the first film in the Star Trek reboot as soon as Sulu started sword-fighting on a gigantic drill. I enjoyed the second one a bit more, but it still had way too much action. But I digress...

In this case, I stuck with this film, and l even chuckled a couple of times. I am genuinely surprised it wasn't as shit as I thought it would be. That said, I harbour no transcendent affection for the original, which I didn't find spectacularly funny in the first place.

Of course, this film is not great either — obviously, the humour fell flat on many occasions, and the action element of the film was completely unnecessary and even cringey to watch (maybe that was the point, but I think they should have just scrapped it). I also felt like the film lacked substance, and while one shouldn't expect a whole lot of substance from such a film, the original at least had, like, a story. This new film's story is even thinner than the original and is, for all intents and purposes, absent.
___________

The Interview (1998)
This was actually all right for a random, forgotten/never-noticed Australian movie. Not great either, pretty predictable, but worth a watch if you're low on new material to watch.
___________

Operation Finale (2018)
meh.
___________

Children of Men (2006)
Well, this is in my top 5 of all time. Nothing much to say about it really, it's just a faultless movie that, tragically, manages to become more relevant with each year that passes — and this will probably continue.
 

wander

‪‫‬‭ ‮
Tempted to see it. I like Queen. Just afraid of it being a greatest hits movie as opposed to a proper biopic, which is the complaint of some critics.

don't get me wrong, critics are cunts with opinions that are often ill-informed or financially-fuelled. but in this case I'm guessing they're not just making it up.
 

Rydeen

In-KWEH-dible
Tempted to see it. I like Queen. Just afraid of it being a greatest hits movie as opposed to a proper biopic, which is the complaint of some critics.

don't get me wrong, critics are cunts with opinions that are often ill-informed or financially-fuelled. but in this case I'm guessing they're not just making it up.

Oh it's certainly a rose-glasses movie. I think it was produced by the surviving members. So there were some timeline changes for more cinematic flow and the film also glosses over some stuff it probably shouldn't have. I still found it enjoyable, though.
 

Soakette

Donator
AKA
Jess
My Husband and I watched The Greatest Showman the other day. I love musicals (he hates them). I thought it was just okay though. The sighing every time someone broke out into song from my husband probably didnt help me enjoy it since it was pissing me off so much!

I also have been watching a lot of TV Christmas movies recently. I love them. Brings me lots of joy and warm fuzzy feelings.
 

fancy

pants
AKA
Fancy
What a snooze fest. I don’t understand what the hype was all about. From the get go, the ‘creatures’ were obviously lifted/borrowed from the Cthulhu Mythos. An unfathomable god-like something that drives everyone to madness? Check. A bunch of crazed followers who are trying to get the normies to worship/submit to this unfathomable god-like something? Check. Deep weird growling lmao? YEH BOI. One Follower even muthafucking drew a sketch of the “creature” and it looked exactly like Cthulhu lmaolmao. I’m ranting and raving about this particular aspect bc folks are online trying to theorise what the creatures are and it’s like... idk if all that speculation is necessary when it’s staring you right in the face? Tentacles even form in the pupils of the possessed LOL COME ON.

Why the fuck did Malorie name the kids Boy and Girl? She gets a name. Why didn’t she rename herself Woman? Don’t come at me with the book explanation, an adaptation should be able to stand on its own without needing the source material to explain everything!!

The ending was dumb. Why isn’t Cthulhu blowing up that sanctuary? Not everyone is blind, evidenced by the fact that the doctor could see Boy and Girl. Also WHY THE FUCK didn’t malorie name Girl Ella like her mum CLEARLY STATES like???? Put some respect on that???? She wanted her name to be Ella, where did this Olympia shit come from??

The actress who plays Ella is TOO CUTE FOR THIS WORLD.

Anyway. Yikes. It wasn’t the worst thing, but I wouldn’t give it a second watch.
 

X-SOLDIER

Harbinger O Great Justice
AKA
X
@fancy claws You'll appreciate this, then: https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/abqpop
Also, one of the last films I saw was also Bird Box, and I felt the same as you did for almost all those reasons.
How're they getting enough supplies to the blind community to keep them sustained, since they can't see locations to hit them up for supplies that aren't made accessible? Also, it's clearly Lovecraftian with the, "Invisible things that drive you mad and use your own memories to get into your head, that also leaves a cult of folks obsessed with it" but it's odd that they can effect leaves, and bump into trees... but nothing else. If they were just invisible, occasionally, shadow-casting things, I'd understand. But if they can physically effect real things, why aren't they opening doors or breaking windows or something? Also, why are they chasing her so fervently right at the end like they're going to catch her if they can't physically effect her at all?

Given all of the hype, I was expecting the ending to involve a lot more of it embracing the existential horror and dread, and leaving the characters in the unknown but openly dangerous, the way that A Quiet Place did, since that one was the "no sounds" movie in the way that this one is "no vision" but Bird Box ends with the "everything was nice and wonderful" ending that doesn't make any sense functionally. I'd've vastly preferred that they'd've just openly acknowledged her character knowing that it's just a lie to tell the kids, so that they can enjoy this place in the face of the inevitable impossibility of sustaining themselves there. That seemed more true to the narrative, and it feels like they pulled short.

If it'd committed to that, I'd've definitely added it to my Lovecraftian/Cosmic Horror list, but it fell just short because of how it treats the ending like a resolution when there's no way that it can be.




X :neo:
 

fancy

pants
AKA
Fancy
@fancy claws You'll appreciate this, then: https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/abqpop
Also, one of the last films I saw was also Bird Box, and I felt the same as you did for almost all those reasons.
How're they getting enough supplies to the blind community to keep them sustained, since they can't see locations to hit them up for supplies that aren't made accessible? Also, it's clearly Lovecraftian with the, "Invisible things that drive you mad and use your own memories to get into your head, that also leaves a cult of folks obsessed with it" but it's odd that they can effect leaves, and bump into trees... but nothing else. If they were just invisible, occasionally, shadow-casting things, I'd understand. But if they can physically effect real things, why aren't they opening doors or breaking windows or something? Also, why are they chasing her so fervently right at the end like they're going to catch her if they can't physically effect her at all?

Given all of the hype, I was expecting the ending to involve a lot more of it embracing the existential horror and dread, and leaving the characters in the unknown but openly dangerous, the way that A Quiet Place did, since that one was the "no sounds" movie in the way that this one is "no vision" but Bird Box ends with the "everything was nice and wonderful" ending that doesn't make any sense functionally. I'd've vastly preferred that they'd've just openly acknowledged her character knowing that it's just a lie to tell the kids, so that they can enjoy this place in the face of the inevitable impossibility of sustaining themselves there. That seemed more true to the narrative, and it feels like they pulled short.

If it'd committed to that, I'd've definitely added it to my Lovecraftian/Cosmic Horror list, but it fell just short because of how it treats the ending like a resolution when there's no way that it can be.




X:neo:

YES, THANK YOU. Haha, it’s like the saying goes, a story is only as good as it’s ending, eh? And the ending was soooo weak. Like they couldn’t commit to the themes they laid out before us. That’s why I sorta shrugged it off and rolled my eyes.

“Um, okay? It’s happily ever after I guess?“

I just felt like I wasn’t at all rewarded for the time I spent watching the film ? I felt distinctly underwhelmed. Curse the memes that hyped up this movie lmao.
 

lithiumkatana17

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Lith
So Mr. Lith and I watched that movie Rampage with The Rock the other night on Amazon Prime.

It... was better than I expected. Acting a bit over the top in some parts, but overall, an enjoyable popcorn flick. I probably won't watch it again.


But I was crying at the end over a fucking CG gorilla, don't judge me. :watchingu:
 

Ghost X

Moderator
Circle

Simple yet brilliant concept. Definitely recommend seeing. My rating behind spoiler tag.

I didn't really like the outcome, but that's also what's good about the film in a way. The morally "right" choice didn't survive (pregnant lady, imo), nor do I think it was possible in the rules for it to happen anyway (counting as two people, etc). I want to give it a 4.1/5 at least, but think aspects/stereotypes were a bit cliché and poorly written, so 4/5 from me.
 

Castiel Strife

Pro Adventurer
I’ve been rewatching a lot of movies lately. Rewatched The Waterboy last night while playing Mario Kart. Forgot how funny that movie is!!! I needed that laughter.
 

Clement Rage

Pro Adventurer
Green Book. Felt like a good film, but I feel nervous about saying that in case it was horribly racist and I missed it. Although Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen in the same room would be compelling if they were painting a wall.

EDIT:
THIS got Best Picture? It's good, but not that good.
 
Last edited:

Ghost X

Moderator
The Green Book

I avoided watching Aquaman by watching this film instead, and it was a choice well made. I recommend not looking at the spoilers until you see the film, where I basically give the plot away :awesome:.

Based on a true story too. Basically the audience sees the story through the eyes of a working class Italian from New York, who is famous for his bullshitting, can barely pays the bills, and constantly gambles to cover his costs (and is fortunately lucky). He does petty crimes, but avoids working with his mob contacts throughout the film, because he knows their crimes are more major and that's not his schtick. He is hired to drive a gay black classical musician around the deep south during the Jim Crow years in order to fill a couple of months without work because his old work site is having renovations. Because he worked in the entertainment business, from the get-go, he doesn't really mind his new boss's homosexuality, and the doctor and his driver develop a decent friendship.

I like how each trait of the doctor is revealed. Initially he is simply "a doctor" who seems to have rich tastes and a posh accent, so breaking all the stereotypes the viewer might preconceive, so you're wondering what his real story is. You quickly find out he's a musician (and eventually find out he has legitimate doctorates in various fields, and knows many langauges), and then you find out he's gay, and so on, and it all comes together. Of course the deep south deep-souths throughout the film and the Italian dude has to get the doctor out of trouble simply for being black, but is no angel himself, and gets the doctor in deep shit at one stage... but the doctor has a connection with Robert Kennedy, who promptly puts an end to that shit situation :P.

The doctor eventually sticks up for himself at a place that expects him to play music for them but won't let them eat in the dining area, and he decides to play at a black bar instead. As far as I know this should've broken his contract, so I'm not sure what happened in that regard, but there's a happy ending, with the Italian dude arriving home for Christmas like he promised his wife, and the doctor decides to join the dinner after initially declining.

Anyways, I like how it is pulled together, and doesn't surprise me it won an academy award, so 3.9/5 stars.
 

Clement Rage

Pro Adventurer
Resident Evil: Damnation.

Far better than it has any right to be, for a straight to DVD CGI tie in to a video game, they go way deeper than expected into the messiness of Post Soviet civil wars. Evenhandedly, too.
 
Top Bottom