Mr Jiggyfly
Registered User
- Jan 29, 2004
- 34,436
- 19,483
It’s a very special rating to save my fellow film lovers from suffering like I did.
Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Mid-Spring Edition. Happy Beltane!
- Thread starter ProstheticConscience
- Start date
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It’s a very special rating to save my fellow film lovers from suffering like I did.
Black Panther 3/10
Even by comic book movie standards, this is bland and uninspired as heck. An 88 rating on metacritic, are you kidding me?!
Even by comic book movie standards, this is bland and uninspired as heck. An 88 rating on metacritic, are you kidding me?!
Rear Window 9/10
I'm a sucker for movies which take place in a single location and Hitchcock is the master at this type of story telling (see ROPE as another example). My only complaint in what is a mostly flawless film is the fast forwarding in the final scene adds nothing and takes away from some of the suspense that Hitchcock had masterfully built up throughout the film.
I'm a sucker for movies which take place in a single location and Hitchcock is the master at this type of story telling (see ROPE as another example). My only complaint in what is a mostly flawless film is the fast forwarding in the final scene adds nothing and takes away from some of the suspense that Hitchcock had masterfully built up throughout the film.
Chili
What wind blew you hither?
- Jun 10, 2004
- 8,726
- 4,821
Serpico-1973
Just read the book and impressed with how much of the story is in the film. Al Pacino is awesome as the honest cop who doesn't want to be part of the corruption he sees around him. Serpico's attempts to bring up the evidence of what he has experienced to his superiors and officials reminded me of the bureaucracy in Kafka's The Castle. Appreciated that there is little music or violence for this type of film. Maybe my favorite police film.
ProstheticConscience
Check dein Limit
Army of the Dead
with Dave Bautista looming over everyone else, and also various d-list movie people
A convoy of army trucks is hauling a secret cargo across the desert while not looking where they were going. A random guy getting a bl**j** in oncoming traffic is also not looking where he's going. Crash, giant fireball, opening credits montage of the zombie apocalypse overwhelming Las Vegas. Later, a hulking Dave Bautista takes a job from a casino owner to break into his vault and get the cash trapped there before the remains of Vegas gets nuked. The plan is to find a human smuggler (coyote) to take them through the ruins (now populated by intelligent zombies with a ruling couple and everything), break into the vault and take the cash to the roof, where a lone helicopter sits. How much does $100 million in cash weigh? How much do seven or eight full-grown adults weigh? What's the weight capacity of a busted-ass Huey that hasn't flown in years? Don't worry, nobody knows or cares. Dave gets a retinue of various stock character sidekicks whose names you'll instantly forget. Tig Notaro basically plays Harry Dean Stanton after a sex change. Zombies happen.
It's established more or less immediately that this is a deeply stupid movie, even for the genre. I can't begin to imagine how this would look in the theatre; half the movie is close-ups of Dave Bautista who, while massively muscled and charismatic, is not exactly the handsomest guy in the world. There's a reason he's usually in heavy makeup, folks. Nobody's too worried about the incoming nuke, the zombie society isn't explored at all, Dave's given a side plot about getting back in his estranged daughter's good graces that you won't care about, and the whole thing goes on and on and on and on for far too long. Oh, and there's a zombie tiger.
Stupid waste of time even by the low standards of zombie movies.
On Netflix. Don't watch it.
Not quite Geraldo opening Al Capone's vault bad, but it's not far off.
with Dave Bautista looming over everyone else, and also various d-list movie people
A convoy of army trucks is hauling a secret cargo across the desert while not looking where they were going. A random guy getting a bl**j** in oncoming traffic is also not looking where he's going. Crash, giant fireball, opening credits montage of the zombie apocalypse overwhelming Las Vegas. Later, a hulking Dave Bautista takes a job from a casino owner to break into his vault and get the cash trapped there before the remains of Vegas gets nuked. The plan is to find a human smuggler (coyote) to take them through the ruins (now populated by intelligent zombies with a ruling couple and everything), break into the vault and take the cash to the roof, where a lone helicopter sits. How much does $100 million in cash weigh? How much do seven or eight full-grown adults weigh? What's the weight capacity of a busted-ass Huey that hasn't flown in years? Don't worry, nobody knows or cares. Dave gets a retinue of various stock character sidekicks whose names you'll instantly forget. Tig Notaro basically plays Harry Dean Stanton after a sex change. Zombies happen.
It's established more or less immediately that this is a deeply stupid movie, even for the genre. I can't begin to imagine how this would look in the theatre; half the movie is close-ups of Dave Bautista who, while massively muscled and charismatic, is not exactly the handsomest guy in the world. There's a reason he's usually in heavy makeup, folks. Nobody's too worried about the incoming nuke, the zombie society isn't explored at all, Dave's given a side plot about getting back in his estranged daughter's good graces that you won't care about, and the whole thing goes on and on and on and on for far too long. Oh, and there's a zombie tiger.
Stupid waste of time even by the low standards of zombie movies.
On Netflix. Don't watch it.
Not quite Geraldo opening Al Capone's vault bad, but it's not far off.
Serpico-1973
Just read the book and impressed with how much of the story is in the film. Al Pacino is awesome as the honest cop who doesn't want to be part of the corruption he sees around him. Serpico's attempts to bring up the evidence of what he has experienced to his superiors and officials reminded me of the bureaucracy in Kafka's The Castle. Appreciated that there is little music or violence for this type of film. Maybe my favorite police film.
Lumet was at the top of his game during this period. Anyone would have been proud to have one of this one, Murder on the Orient Express, Dog Day Afternoon, Network and Equus on his or her filmography, but Lumet happened to have directed them all in about 5 years. Lovin' Molly is sandwiched in there too, but it is tolerable to have one miss out of 6.
I also find that he is probably the best director at films without musical scores too. Along with this one, 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network all famously do not feature any scores. Fail-Safe has almost no score too, and The Verdict is also quite quiet.
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LeafalCrusader
Registered User
Genre movies are often tricky, because since they are usually designed to be B-movies, they often become campy and cliche. South Korea, however, have figured out a way to consistently take worn-out and overdone subject matters and repackage them into something that is fresh and fun, with Beasts Clawing at Straws the latest example of that.
Inspired by a Japanese novel of the same name, the movie is nothing new, as it is clear that elements and inspirations from greats of the past, like Hitchcock's use of the Macguffin, Pulp Fiction's chapter framing device, down to the plot and even characters and plots from different Coen brothers movies, especially No Country for Old Men, are freely taken and used. Often, such a mishmash of ideas can lead to a mess, and indeed, the story can be a little jumbled at first, as all three plotlines are introduced all at once, and they intersperse with one another as the story progresses. The first-time director, however, has the presence and sense of a veteran, and he never loses control of the story. Soon, everything falls into coherent place, and in the end, with very tight camera work, a gritty colour scheme and atmosphere, and a very appropriate music score, he is able to craft a fast but controlled paced movie that thoroughly entertains. I especially love his skilled use of foreshadowing, because the viewer is rewarded when he or she recognizes the clues he left previously, and that helps to keep the audience engaged and energized. That said, as much as I like it, I am a little annoyed by the cliched sense of morality, as characters are rewarded and punished by the perceived sense of guilt by the filmmakers, but at least the movie does not pretend to be high art. It is designed to be a mainstream thriller, and nothing more.
The cast is great too, with a lot of recognizable names in the Korean filmmaking circle like Jung Woo-sung, Bae Seong-woo, and the most recent Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, who I think is actually better here than Minari. However, the standout is Jeon Do-yeon, best known for Secret Sunshine, which she won the Cannes Best Actress award. I really like the subtle body movements and facial expressions she adds to her character, and even though she does not appear until near the middle of the movie, after all the characters have been introduced, and she is not a flashy character, she still mesmerizes and manages to steal the screen every time she appears.
I give this one 7.25/10. Frankly, at this point in time, if one does not know what to watch, one cannot go wrong with a South Korean movie, because one hits more often than not with movies from over there. There is nothing new that they do, but they put enough of their own stamps into the movies, that thee movie from their look fresh and feel unique. This one, though, is indeed a standout, and I highly recommend it.
Inspired by a Japanese novel of the same name, the movie is nothing new, as it is clear that elements and inspirations from greats of the past, like Hitchcock's use of the Macguffin, Pulp Fiction's chapter framing device, down to the plot and even characters and plots from different Coen brothers movies, especially No Country for Old Men, are freely taken and used. Often, such a mishmash of ideas can lead to a mess, and indeed, the story can be a little jumbled at first, as all three plotlines are introduced all at once, and they intersperse with one another as the story progresses. The first-time director, however, has the presence and sense of a veteran, and he never loses control of the story. Soon, everything falls into coherent place, and in the end, with very tight camera work, a gritty colour scheme and atmosphere, and a very appropriate music score, he is able to craft a fast but controlled paced movie that thoroughly entertains. I especially love his skilled use of foreshadowing, because the viewer is rewarded when he or she recognizes the clues he left previously, and that helps to keep the audience engaged and energized. That said, as much as I like it, I am a little annoyed by the cliched sense of morality, as characters are rewarded and punished by the perceived sense of guilt by the filmmakers, but at least the movie does not pretend to be high art. It is designed to be a mainstream thriller, and nothing more.
The cast is great too, with a lot of recognizable names in the Korean filmmaking circle like Jung Woo-sung, Bae Seong-woo, and the most recent Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, who I think is actually better here than Minari. However, the standout is Jeon Do-yeon, best known for Secret Sunshine, which she won the Cannes Best Actress award. I really like the subtle body movements and facial expressions she adds to her character, and even though she does not appear until near the middle of the movie, after all the characters have been introduced, and she is not a flashy character, she still mesmerizes and manages to steal the screen every time she appears.
I give this one 7.25/10. Frankly, at this point in time, if one does not know what to watch, one cannot go wrong with a South Korean movie, because one hits more often than not with movies from over there. There is nothing new that they do, but they put enough of their own stamps into the movies, that thee movie from their look fresh and feel unique. This one, though, is indeed a standout, and I highly recommend it.
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ProstheticConscience
Check dein Limit
Wonder Woman 1984
with people. You know the ones.
The second attempted Wonder Woman MCU tentpole finds our heroine continuing to mope around the Smithsonian almost 70 years after her boyfriend blew himself up over Germany in WWI, occasionally foiling robberies in malls and awkwardly dealing with 1980's workplace harassment. One wonders if she's got some Highlander-esque scam going to explain how she never ages...but anyway. Along comes this blond chick with glasses and a bad perm, and as this is the 80's that makes her the ugly duckling with a bone to pick. She's basically Michelle Pfieffer in Batman Returns, Pedro Pascal shows up as a bleached blond scammer who's basically 175 lbs of antagonist brand mayonnaise stuffed into a suit, and there's a rock that grants wishes. Literally. That doesn't work out too well.
Usually the MCU/DC superhero movies I've thought were the strongest tended to be the ones that focused on one person and one story; those need a strong story and lead, which this doesn't have. Below the original Wonder Woman in every way, not that I was big on the first one. Goes out of its way to make the 80's as garish and tasteless as possible. I was there. It wasn't that bad.
"Ten thou is the last bid! Going once...going twice..."
with people. You know the ones.
The second attempted Wonder Woman MCU tentpole finds our heroine continuing to mope around the Smithsonian almost 70 years after her boyfriend blew himself up over Germany in WWI, occasionally foiling robberies in malls and awkwardly dealing with 1980's workplace harassment. One wonders if she's got some Highlander-esque scam going to explain how she never ages...but anyway. Along comes this blond chick with glasses and a bad perm, and as this is the 80's that makes her the ugly duckling with a bone to pick. She's basically Michelle Pfieffer in Batman Returns, Pedro Pascal shows up as a bleached blond scammer who's basically 175 lbs of antagonist brand mayonnaise stuffed into a suit, and there's a rock that grants wishes. Literally. That doesn't work out too well.
Usually the MCU/DC superhero movies I've thought were the strongest tended to be the ones that focused on one person and one story; those need a strong story and lead, which this doesn't have. Below the original Wonder Woman in every way, not that I was big on the first one. Goes out of its way to make the 80's as garish and tasteless as possible. I was there. It wasn't that bad.
"Ten thou is the last bid! Going once...going twice..."
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ItsFineImFine
Registered User
- Aug 11, 2019
- 3,709
- 2,380
Any of you seen a Korean film called The Attorney which was added on Prime Canada? Watch or no watch?
I forgot I have this on my watchlist on Kanopy, definitely gonna try to watch it this week to boost up my 70s views trying to get that closer to 100 films. I think I put it off because I get bad anxiety from any film involving a guy being wiretapped. Also just saw The French Connection and To Live And Die In LA recently so probably wanna space out old cop movies.
I forgot I have this on my watchlist on Kanopy, definitely gonna try to watch it this week to boost up my 70s views trying to get that closer to 100 films. I think I put it off because I get bad anxiety from any film involving a guy being wiretapped. Also just saw The French Connection and To Live And Die In LA recently so probably wanna space out old cop movies.
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Pranzo Oltranzista
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
- 3,955
- 2,850
Based on the life of the 16th President of South Korea, it is the 15th best selling Korean movie of all-time. I have not seen it yet, but it is somewhere on my backlog, and I know people who like it.
Personally, I will watch anything with Song Kang-ho in it, especially after 2010. By that time, he is rather selective with his roles, so there is a sense of quality in his projects.
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Middling movie. I felt I needed more knowledge of the political context to come close to scratching the surface of the story's significance. Here's my review at the time:
KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
Hey! We won!
- May 30, 2003
- 15,723
- 3,716
Beastie Boys Story. Not a traditional documentary, but rather a filmed version of a live event the two surviving members held in New York. More stand up or one-man (well, two-man) show. Interesting choice. One could argue the stage-bound setting takes a lot of the kineticism out of a pretty energetic band. I wouldn't! I think it strips away a lot of the shtick (and it is definitely shtick) and puts the focus on the guys themselves. They're charming and personable. Introspective and quite naturally funny. This isn't an academic exercise. No talking heads. No analysis of their role in history. Just two guys telling stories about themselves and their friend (RIP MCA). It worked for me.
Those Who Wish Me Dead. Taylor Sheridan as both a writer and director has shown to be a good hand with tough, modern neo-westerns (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River). This is ... not one of his better efforts. For every small touch I liked such as how matter-of-fact a father is with his son or how every character is pretty straightforward you get what you get types, which really fits this type of story there were things that made me roll my eyes like when the kid randomly touches the face of a wild horse (WTF??) or when the Angelina Jolie character says a line at the end that was both completely predictable and utterly laughable. Basically whenever a moment veers from thriller to "man, nature!" I guffawed. Not a bad little paint-by-numbers thriller but can't imagine ever returning to it.
Mortal Kombat. By far the best movie I've ever watched on my phone while waiting in line at the BMV.
Those Who Wish Me Dead. Taylor Sheridan as both a writer and director has shown to be a good hand with tough, modern neo-westerns (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River). This is ... not one of his better efforts. For every small touch I liked such as how matter-of-fact a father is with his son or how every character is pretty straightforward you get what you get types, which really fits this type of story there were things that made me roll my eyes like when the kid randomly touches the face of a wild horse (WTF??) or when the Angelina Jolie character says a line at the end that was both completely predictable and utterly laughable. Basically whenever a moment veers from thriller to "man, nature!" I guffawed. Not a bad little paint-by-numbers thriller but can't imagine ever returning to it.
Mortal Kombat. By far the best movie I've ever watched on my phone while waiting in line at the BMV.
ItsFineImFine
Registered User
- Aug 11, 2019
- 3,709
- 2,380
To Live and Die In LA (1985) - 7.5/10
Almost a natural progression for Friedkin from The French Connection. Basically take the same film and sprinkle a bunch of coke on it and give it an LA aesthetic to combine with the 80s. It's not as thin on character but the strength is still more mood and visual than plot. You certainly have a better villain and while the chase scene goes on for tedious lengths but it hits harder like everything else.
Just a shame that the weird ending feels like it was from a TV movie rather than a more polished Hollywood one.
Almost a natural progression for Friedkin from The French Connection. Basically take the same film and sprinkle a bunch of coke on it and give it an LA aesthetic to combine with the 80s. It's not as thin on character but the strength is still more mood and visual than plot. You certainly have a better villain and while the chase scene goes on for tedious lengths but it hits harder like everything else.
Just a shame that the weird ending feels like it was from a TV movie rather than a more polished Hollywood one.
KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
Hey! We won!
- May 30, 2003
- 15,723
- 3,716
I've been meaning to revisit these two for a while. I've long held a hot take that To Live and Die in LA is the better movie but I wonder how much of that was driven by cool, contrarian youth ...
More character than Popeye Doyle? A better villain than Frog One??? Mon dieu.
ProstheticConscience
Check dein Limit
The thing I remember most about that movie was how ridiculous a pre-CSI William Petersen looked with wind-blown David Hasselhoff hair and skin-tight jeans.
Other than your comparison to The French Connection and the claim of a better villain, your assessment is spot on.
The movie is quintessential 80s cinema. Everything in it, from the look, the style to the music, all screams the 80s, and that is what makes it stands out, then and now. When it was released, people enjoyed how it reflects the times, and nowadays, there is an added sense of nostalgia because of how much it reflected the times. The car chase also helps its reputation, because it is certainly one the best I have seen.
Unfortunately, it is a little poorly paced, because there are lulls at different points that breaks the rhythm, which becomes more prominent as the movie moves closer to the end, and the final confrontation absolutely kills the movie, with how rushed and illogical it is. I also dislike the ending, as the change within the remaining lead is quite sudden and without any prior warning. That said, I do understand what the director wants to do, and I like the idea, but it is just poorly executed.
I have it at 6.75/10. It is a good movie overall, and there are parts where it is exceptionally well-done, but frankly, I only liked about 3/4 of it.
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V for Vendetta (2005) directed by James McTeigue
In a dystopian London controlled by a fascist regime, a mysterious anarchist known by the name of V (Hugo Weaving) sets off a revolution with the aid from Evey (Natalie Portman), a girl caught up in his revolution. V for Vendetta was a formative film for many in my generation when it came out, however I did not watch it when I was at an impressionable age and instead I’m watching it 16 years after it was released and I’m sorry to report that just not very good. Everything about it is just cheesy as hell, from the dialogue to the action and the characters. It looks like and feels like a TV movie and I don’t really understand why some hold this in high acclaim. I guess you had to have seen it in 2005. It’s full of just complete stilted and unnatural performances and dialogue that tries to articulate a deeper meaning as a "smart blockbuster film" than what it actually represents. Not trying to restart The Great Pretentiousness Debate but this is an example of a pretentious film in that it uses a wealth of very shallow literary and artistic references to try to convey some deeper meaning that doesn’t actually exist. A film that’s aiming for gravitas and begging for viewers to say “wow that’s deep, you’re really smart” but it doesn’t really deserve it and comes off as just stupid and goofy unless you’re an impressionable teenager.
In a dystopian London controlled by a fascist regime, a mysterious anarchist known by the name of V (Hugo Weaving) sets off a revolution with the aid from Evey (Natalie Portman), a girl caught up in his revolution. V for Vendetta was a formative film for many in my generation when it came out, however I did not watch it when I was at an impressionable age and instead I’m watching it 16 years after it was released and I’m sorry to report that just not very good. Everything about it is just cheesy as hell, from the dialogue to the action and the characters. It looks like and feels like a TV movie and I don’t really understand why some hold this in high acclaim. I guess you had to have seen it in 2005. It’s full of just complete stilted and unnatural performances and dialogue that tries to articulate a deeper meaning as a "smart blockbuster film" than what it actually represents. Not trying to restart The Great Pretentiousness Debate but this is an example of a pretentious film in that it uses a wealth of very shallow literary and artistic references to try to convey some deeper meaning that doesn’t actually exist. A film that’s aiming for gravitas and begging for viewers to say “wow that’s deep, you’re really smart” but it doesn’t really deserve it and comes off as just stupid and goofy unless you’re an impressionable teenager.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Very proud of my teenaged self for having seen it for the dreck that it is at the time. I watched it maybe 2-3 years after it was released.
Just a really dumb film. A film that markets itself as a film for the thinking man, when it is really a film for the man who likes to think he's a thinking man but who actually is not. Such as most teenagers. The cinematic equivalent of the college freshman who grabs the thesaurus to add fancy language to their C+ paper
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
One of my best friends definitely used to fit - sometimes still does - into that category. Thank God for the other qualities that make a friendship because if this were online...
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