Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Part#: Some High Number +2

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Halloween II (the Rob Zombie one) - I've always been somewhat of a slasher flicks fan, but I never buyed into the whole original Halloween reverence. I actually think that it's - like pretty much all of its siblings - a fun but overall pretty poor film. I'll push it further, I think its original sequel was a more interesting film. I know, not a popular opinion. Want me to go even further? I think John Carpenter, even though he made one brilliant film (The Thing), a couple of very interesting ones (In the Mouth of Madness, They Live), and a handful of very fun ones (Halloween being one of them), was overall a very poor director. As for Zombie, I think he could have been a great horror director, but saddly as with some people everything they touch turn to gold, with Zombie it seems that everything he touches has to turn to white trash. That being said, and even though it's pointed to as the worse Halloween entry, I had a blast with this one at the time of its original theatrical run. What we have here is the sequel to the remake of the original film, and not the remake of the sequel to that film. Still, it includes that very remake, as a dream sequence "not reaching the end" - moments of pure bliss to me, since I have a soft spot for everything intertextual. There's a lot of stuff added to the Halloween formula that feels unnecessary (and quite honestly a little dumb - especially the dictionary of dreams quote to open the movie), which explain in great part its very poor reception, but as a slasher it works pretty well. And it's the most brutal slasher killer I can remember - there's just no more fun and games with this version of Michael. Very hard to rate that type of films that are inherently poor, it obviously can't compare to real serious cinema... 3,5/10 (but as a slasher film, 8/10)

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I watched The Ritual on Netflix. If I could describe this movie in one sentence I'd say it's a completely average horror plot/premise that is elevated by good direction, but that in itself can only do so much. Overall just like a decent horror movie. Everything about this feels generic, the inciting incident that looms over the rest of the movie, the alien setting of being in a different country in the woods, the monster, the cult-ish aspect. The director finds a way to make really basic and cliche things interesting though, whether it's going into a creepy cabin, or hearing a spooky noise in the woods. I do think it falls apart on different levels in the last act, but for the most part I was kept pretty engaged throughout. I really appreciated the use of subtlety throughout even though I thought the monster design itself was interesting/cool.

I know people want a payoff (seeing the monster), but once they showed him I started laughing and it ruined the movie for me.

If his presence was felt like Blair Witch, but never seen, I think it would have worked better for this movie.

 

[Trap Jesus]

I know people want a payoff (seeing the monster), but once they showed him I started laughing and it ruined the movie for me.

If his presence was felt like Blair Witch, but never seen, I think it would have worked better for this movie.

I think some type of payoff is a good thing (I liked nothing being shown in The Blair Witch Project but that's not always the answer). I think they showed just the right amount of it until the very end. Even the shot of it in the fire was kind of cool, but after that it was just too much. The CGI didn't completely work, although I do think the design itself was cool and creative.

 

[Osprey]

I watched The Ritual on Netflix. If I could describe this movie in one sentence I'd say it's a completely average horror plot/premise that is elevated by good direction, but that in itself can only do so much. Overall just like a decent horror movie. Everything about this feels generic, the inciting incident that looms over the rest of the movie, the alien setting of being in a different country in the woods, the monster, the cult-ish aspect. The director finds a way to make really basic and cliche things interesting though, whether it's going into a creepy cabin, or hearing a spooky noise in the woods. I do think it falls apart on different levels in the last act, but for the most part I was kept pretty engaged throughout. I really appreciated the use of subtlety throughout even though I thought the monster design itself was interesting/cool.

I watched it last night and my thoughts are similar to yours. It's not original, but it's executed pretty well. I liked that the script gives the men a reason to be hiking in the Swedish country (i.e. it's not quite the horror cliche of dumb people gallivanting in a strange place) and that the guilt subplot adds a little dimension to what would've really been an unoriginal horror. I actually liked the last act because it changed things up just as the "running through the woods" part was close to getting a little old. I liked it enough to recommend it as a slightly above average horror.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I think some type of payoff is a good thing (I liked nothing being shown in The Blair Witch Project but that's not always the answer). I think they showed just the right amount of it until the very end. Even the shot of it in the fire was kind of cool, but after that it was just too much. The CGI didn't completely work, although I do think the design itself was cool and creative.

Ya less was probably more in this case.

The idea of the monster god was cool, but their visual execution fell short the more you saw him.

If you liked The Ritual, check out Calibre.

 

[Osprey]

Calibre (2018) - 7/10 (Really liked it)

Two friends go hunting in the Scottish woods, things go terribly wrong and, soon, the locals are breathing down their necks. Even though Mr Jiggyfly recommended it if we liked The Ritual, this is a realistic thriller instead of a supernatural horror, similar only in the aspect of friends hunting in unfamiliar woods. It very slowly and steadily ratchets up the discomfort until it turns to suspense and, finally, boils over. I was on the edge of my seat in the final act and did not see the ending coming. The direction is good because it's uncomfortable and tense even when not much is happening, and the acting is very good throughout, as well. I definitely recommend it if you feel like watching a good, simple thriller. It's available on Netflix because it's an original film of theirs.

 

[Osprey]

The Others (2001) - 8/10 (Loved it)

A mother (Nicole Kidman) and her two children begin to feel that there are "others" occupying their mansion in this spooky, 1940s-set supernatural thriller. Why did I wait 18 years to watch this? Oh, right... I used to be snobbish about horror films that were only PG-13. What a silly notion, especially since I've always known that less is more when it comes to horror. This film is engaging and spooky without showing anything for the longest time and the ending is just awesome. It does so much without showing much and has such a classic style that it felt like old Hollywood filmmaking to me, such that I could imagine that an Alfred Hitchcock version with Janet Leigh 40 years earlier wouldn't have looked or felt much different. It has to be one of the best haunted house films that I've seen and one of the better horror/supernatural films of the last 20 years, IMO. BTW, this is something that you don't see every day: the writer and director, Alejandro Amenábar, also scored the film.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Calibre (2018) - 7/10 (Really liked it)

Two friends go hunting in the Scottish woods, things go terribly wrong and, soon, the locals are breathing down their necks. Even though Mr Jiggyfly recommended it if we liked The Ritual, this is a realistic thriller instead of a supernatural horror, similar only in the aspect of friends hunting in unfamiliar woods. It very slowly and steadily ratchets up the discomfort until it turns to suspense and, finally, boils over. I was on the edge of my seat in the final act and did not see the ending coming. The direction is good because it's uncomfortable and tense even when not much is happening, and the acting is very good throughout, as well. I definitely recommend it if you feel like watching a good, simple thriller. It's available on Netflix because it's an original film of theirs.

I recommended Calibre because it was similar to The Ritual in the fact that friends go into the woods to have bro time and things get f***ed up.

The build up and ending in Calibre is far superior and much more rewarding though, once you get over the shock of what you just watched.

There is another movie like these two but it’s kind of quirky and off the edges after a promising start... Bullitt County... about friends that have a reunion and go treasure hunting in the woods for old prohibition treasure... and things don’t go um... very well.

Not nearly as good as the other two films, but along the lines of this genre of film.

 

[Osprey]

I recommended Calibre because it was similar to The Ritual in the fact that friends go into the woods to have bro time and things get ****ed up.

Yeah, I figured that out and tried to clarify that for others, since I assumed that it was a supernatural film and didn't want others to do the same and either be disappointed or skip it because that sort of film doesn't interest them. It's a film that would probably appeal to more people if they understand that it's about events that could really happen. Anyways, thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Trap Jesus]

I watched Society. My god, this was absolutely wild and I loved it. I know this is a cult classic, but I was pretty out of the loop on it. All I really knew is that it had some body horror stuff and I had seen a picture of the butthead thing.

I just thought the tone throughout was so interesting and unique. It had the feel of like a teen romantic comedy, but mixed with things/vibes that were just unsettling in the same vein as a David Lynch movie. They had a lot of comedy mixed in throughout including a comic relief character that wouldn't have looked out of place in like an Adam Sandler movie or something. Bizarre is really the only way you can describe it. But all the way throughout it kept you hooked with a plot and character dynamics that always kept you guessing, outside of the lead who is just so damn likable that you can't help but cheer for him.

And then you get to the climax of the movie. I'm always seeking out movies that are weird or off-center and I love the horror genre as a whole, but I honestly don't think I've ever been as taken aback at a finale as I was with this one, which I think is saying something because in a way you get desensitized to different things the more you watch. Just absolute insanity, but in all the best ways. I always thought The Thing was the gold standard for body horror and practical effects, but this movie makes me second guess that.

 

[Osprey]

I watched Society. My god, this was absolutely wild and I loved it. I know this is a cult classic, but I was pretty out of the loop on it. All I really knew is that it had some body horror stuff and I had seen a picture of the butthead thing.

I just thought the tone throughout was so interesting and unique. It had the feel of like a teen romantic comedy, but mixed with things/vibes that were just unsettling in the same vein as a David Lynch movie. They had a lot of comedy mixed in throughout including a comic relief character that wouldn't have looked out of place in like an Adam Sandler movie or something. Bizarre is really the only way you can describe it. But all the way throughout it kept you hooked with a plot and character dynamics that always kept you guessing, outside of the lead who is just so damn likable that you can't help but cheer for him.

And then you get to the climax of the movie. I'm always seeking out movies that are weird or off-center and I love the horror genre as a whole, but I honestly don't think I've ever been as taken aback at a finale as I was with this one, which I think is saying something because in a way you get desensitized to different things the more you watch. Just absolute insanity, but in all the best ways. I always thought The Thing was the gold standard for body horror and practical effects, but this movie makes me second guess that.

Stop it! I already have enough horror films to try to cram into the next 3 nights. I don't need another one. I'll probably watch this tonight, and if I end up not being able to watch all of the films by Halloween night that I made plans to weeks ago, I'm blaming you... and Mr Jiggyfly... and Violenza Domestica... and KallioWeHardlyKnewYe.

(The ending is going to have to be something to top that of Sleepaway Camp when it comes to taking me aback. I'm still not over that bit of body horror.)

 

[Trap Jesus]

Stop it! I already have enough horror films to try to cram into the next 3 nights. I don't need another one. I'll probably watch this tonight, and if I end up not being able to watch all of the films by Halloween night that I made plans to weeks ago, I'm blaming you... and Mr Jiggyfly... and Violenza Domestica... and KallioWeHardlyKnewYe.

(The ending is going to have to be something to top that of Sleepaway Camp when it comes to taking me aback. I'm still not over that bit of body horror.)

I think it's a completely different effect than something like Sleepaway Camp. That was kind of this still image thing that they mix in with the score and really creepy sound design, but this is like a really long drawn-out thing that's just insanely creative, bizarre, and grotesque.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

100% co-sign everyone watching Society.

The less you know the better.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I watched Society. My god, this was absolutely wild and I loved it. I know this is a cult classic, but I was pretty out of the loop on it. All I really knew is that it had some body horror stuff and I had seen a picture of the butthead thing.

I just thought the tone throughout was so interesting and unique. It had the feel of like a teen romantic comedy, but mixed with things/vibes that were just unsettling in the same vein as a David Lynch movie. They had a lot of comedy mixed in throughout including a comic relief character that wouldn't have looked out of place in like an Adam Sandler movie or something. Bizarre is really the only way you can describe it. But all the way throughout it kept you hooked with a plot and character dynamics that always kept you guessing, outside of the lead who is just so damn likable that you can't help but cheer for him.

And then you get to the climax of the movie. I'm always seeking out movies that are weird or off-center and I love the horror genre as a whole, but I honestly don't think I've ever been as taken aback at a finale as I was with this one, which I think is saying something because in a way you get desensitized to different things the more you watch. Just absolute insanity, but in all the best ways. I always thought The Thing was the gold standard for body horror and practical effects, but this movie makes me second guess that.

100% co-sign everyone watching Society.

The less you know the better.

Yes! Screaming Mad George!!

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Stop it! I already have enough horror films to try to cram into the next 3 nights. I don't need another one. I'll probably watch this tonight, and if I end up not being able to watch all of the films by Halloween night that I made plans to weeks ago, I'm blaming you... and Mr Jiggyfly... and Violenza Domestica... and KallioWeHardlyKnewYe.

(The ending is going to have to be something to top that of Sleepaway Camp when it comes to taking me aback. I'm still not over that bit of body horror.)

Dude you have to watch Satan’s Little Helper by Halloween.

It’s the best horror movie ever made on a $39 budget.

 

[nameless1]

Gemini Man is one of those damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't hopeless movies. The movie is touted for its technical advances, but because it does not transfer over to a regular screening, as it looks just like any other movie, it has to be seen in 3D or IMax to realize its full potential. Unfortunately, the plot is so tedious and boring, despite the decent action, that I just cannot justify the extra money for the upgrade in experience.

Honestly, it is just best to skip it, even it shows on TV for free.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Just watched Under the Silver Lake. This one had been on my radar forever for a number of reasons, mainly it being the director of It Follows, and it having such a bizarre release. I was always hesitant to check it out though due to a number of people whose opinion I respect saying it was self-indulgent, bloated and just downright bad. Like, divisiveness usually draws me in further to a movie because it probably means it's interesting, but this one slanted more towards the side of it turning off people who usually like movies that are more on the "interesting" side.

I watched it and can understand why it turned so many people off, but all I can say is that I absolutely loved it, easily one of my favorite 2018 movies. Outside of the general weirdness that turned people off, I think people who view movies a bit more artistically thought it was maybe a bit heavy handed or on the nose with its symbolism in parts but I didn't mind that because it was so unbelievably densely packed, that there's just so much to grasp on to. I never got frustrated and trying to keep track of what was going on or what it meant though.

If I were to try to describe this movie from other influences, it feels like a mix of a David Lynch movie, a Terry Gilliam movie, and the Shane Black movie The Nice Guys. I saw a movie review which said "David Lynch called and wants his ideas back" but I did not see it that way at all. It's interesting for the director to go from It Follows to this. I really liked It Follows, but when I think of it I'm really just thinking of the score and how overall it was just a really well executed horror movie. This one is just completely different and has so much more of everything going on. Hopefully the negative to mixed response this movie got doesn't perturb the director.

Under the Silver Lake - I understand that it could somehow be linked to lynchian tropes (especially to Mullholand Drive), but I thought it was closer to some of the cooler Brian De Palma entries (or mainly Body Double, my favorite film of his). It even brought back to mind something of Tinto Brass' frame composition and stylistic choices - kind of like if Tinto Brass had managed to make a good film. I liked it a lot, even though it fails at maintaining it's weird-absurd tone and falls into dumb-absurd in the whole last part. Made me wish I still had the energy to really sit down and have fun thinking about a film, didn't happen in some time. 7/10


Yesterday - Oh well, I'm a big Beatles fan so it was kind of fun.... 4/10

 

[kihei]

Under the Silver Lake - I understand that it could somehow be linked to lynchian tropes (especially to Mullholand Drive), but I thought it was closer to some of the cooler Brian De Palma entries (or mainly Body Double, my favorite film of his). It even brought back to mind something of Tinto Brass' frame composition and stylistic choices - kind of like if Tinto Brass had managed to make a good film. I liked it a lot, even though it fails at maintaining it's weird-absurd tone and falls into dumb-absurd in the whole last part. Made me wish I still had the energy to really sit down and have fun thinking about a film, didn't happen in some time. 8/10


Yesterday - Oh well, I'm a big Beatles fan so it was kind of fun.... 4/10

Parasite should take care of that.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Parasite should take care of that.

Seeing this Friday, can't wait.

 

[Puck]

I found this interesting.

Battle of the sexes: why this year's Oscars will be a gender war

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I found this interesting.

Battle of the sexes: why this year's Oscars will be a gender war

Asked by the Daily Beast’s Jen Yamato to respond to the criticism leveled at the film’s casting, Joel said: “It’s an absolute, absurd misunderstanding of how things get made to single out any particular story and say, ‘Why aren’t there this, that, or the other thing? It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of how stories are written. So you have to start there and say, ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’”
“You don’t sit down and write a story and say, ‘I’m going to write a story that involves four black people, three Jews, and a dog’ — right?” Joel continued. “If you don’t understand that, you don’t understand anything about how stories get written and you don’t realize that the question you’re asking is idiotic. It’s not an illegitimate thing to say there should be more diversity in an industry. But that’s not what that question is about. That question is about something else.”

Ethan concurred, adding: “It’s important to tell the story you’re telling in the right way, which might involve black people or people of whatever heritage or ethnicity – or it might not.” - The Coen Brothers

Coen brothers: diversity is important, the Oscars are not

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

The Terminator (1984) - 7/10

I enjoyed the action of it, but the relationship between Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese just didn't really that well for me. There was some fun action scenes, though, and the pacing was great. I honestly just thought the storyline was a little meh.

 

[Osprey]

I found this interesting.

Battle of the sexes: why this year's Oscars will be a gender war

I read that before realizing that it was The Guardian. I suggest that others skip it unless they want to read about how female-centric movies are encouraging but male-centric movies are "worrying."

This femme-friendly realignment could well have provoked some dad-centric counter-programming: tales of gangsters, warfare, cars and spacemen. Or does the gender gap suggest there are a lot of male auteurs out there who can’t or won’t tell women’s stories?

Yes, the fact that Hollywood still makes movies in 2019 about guys and things that guys are interested in is because some men refuse to write women's stories and are fighting back against the #MeToo movement /sarcasm.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

The Laundromat. My confession is that I'm a near total Steven Soderberg fanboy, so take this with a grain of salt, I suppose. But despite a combination of critical pounding and indifference, I found this to be a brisk and entertaining sit. Yeah it's a prolonged lecture, but it was an engaging one. Does it "rip off" The Big Short? Sure if you want to be real reductive about it. But who cares. I wouldn't say I was enlightened, but I was entertained. The assorted vignettes are good and Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas are enjoyably hammy. It ain't going to be canonized any time soon, but I've sure as hell spent worse 90 minutes with movies this year.

The Lighthouse. Eerie, tense, gross, funny (yes, legitimately, surprisingly funny). Robert Eggers is a wizard with atmosphere. Deeply weird. Totally compelling. Dafoe and Pattinson make for a well-matched pair with their ratcheting isolation and insanity. Not just a great movie, but an unforgettable experience. I felt like I could smell this movie. Between this and The Witch, Eggers is as dialed in a young filmmaker as I've seen in a while.

 

[ORRFForever]

Who's going to see The Irishman in the next couple days?