Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Part#: Some High Number +3

[member 157595]

Terminator (1984) - 9/10

Having not seen it many, many years, I forgot how truly amazing this movie is. I like it more than the sequel; it's grittier, darker and scarier. Michael Biehn does such a great job in this movie, totally underrated performance.

 

[kihei]

Ordinary Love (2020) Directed by Lisa Barnes D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn 6A

Ordinary Love is very similar in some ways to last year's Hope from Norway. Both focus on middle-aged couples dealing with cancer but the approaches vary greatly. Hope is about the effect cancer has on an already struggling relationship. Its insights are searing and universal. Ordinary Love takes an almost clinical approach, more concerned with the trajectory of the disease and the physical and emotional toll it takes on a couple who have been partners for a very long time (Leslie Manville and Liam Neeson). Both Hope and Ordinary Love avoid cheap sentimentality, but the latter film is a wee bit too distant, suffering from the British stiff-upper-lip syndrome, I suppose. Ordinary Love is a good movie with an excellent performance by Manville and a rather flat one by Neeson. But the real difference between Ordinary Love and Hope is the difference between craftsmanship on the one hand and art on the other. Let's face it--neither of these movies are going to be crowd pleasers for obvious reasons. But if you can handle one of them, wait on the off-chance that Hope will be released in North America.

 

[Chili]

Breathe (2017) - Inspirational true story. Very well done. 9/10

 

[OzzyFan]

1917
3.15 out of 4stars

I think I'm in the same boat as most people on this...a very well executed "parlor trick" and a great attached storyline, that doesn't bring much new to the table and is handcuffed a bit by it's own "filming style" and "story style". It definitely brings more good than bad to the table, especially in the beaten to death war drama genre, but intimacy is lost by using this directing style and storyline of 2 young soldiers speedily sending a dire message across multiple miles of war zone. For me the adrenaline worthy premise and style didn't overwhelm like it could have on paper to make up for the other minor weaknesses it had.

PS=Very odd now that I think about it, but in one of the main trailers, it literally shows every major action sequence of the film in it. Didn't hold back anything there huh, lol.

 

[sr edler]

Gaslight (1940) by Thorold Dickinson – 9/10

I liked this film a lot. It started out really smooth with the camera shot sliding in over a London square, and it didn't lose any grip on me. A very tight composition, tight atmosphere, et cetera.

My plan initially was to watch both films based on the Patrick Hamilton play from 1938, this British one and the American version from 4 years later (1944) with Ingrid Bergman, and make a joint review, but after having seen this one I couldn't really keep up any interest in the Hollywood film and gave up 30 minutes in. It didn't have the same feel at all. Apparently the producers (or something) of the Hollywood film were jealous of this film and even tried to destroy its negative after having bought the rights for a remake, and I can see why.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

A Good Marriage (Askin, 2014) - Haven't read the short story, but Stephen King adapted himself that minor work for the screen, so I guess it's legit. The character is supposed to be based on the BTK serial killer, but from little readings I don't really see anything interesting in that direction. Not that there is any other interesting direction where that film could really be going. It's weirdly written, so straightforward that something seems fishy and I really thought the wife was hallucinating a lot more of these scenes and that the spectator was mislead. But no, it's just what it is. 3/10

 

[OzzyFan]

You Were Never Really Here
3.00 out of 4stars

Has an artsy feel, an apparent knack for showing many different things to the audience and using minimal, and sometimes none at all, dialogue to tell it's events. That's on purpose though obviously. That said, it's very effective. Phoenix is fantastic, the themes hit hard, the emotions and interpretations the audience feels/absorbs are well earned, the movie is executed masterfully, and the twists are good if not great. Given the above though, I feel this isn't a movie everyone (not that there ever truly is) will enjoy the same given it's delivery method.


The Lodge (2020)
2.30 out of 4stars

A nice twisted psychological horror film with a great performance from Keough in it. Nothing spectacular and you're either going to like the twist or hate the twist, but this was a well chosen dark path to take the viewer on while subliminally or not making some interesting references to the subject matter in the film (religous extremism/mental health/etc). Although I kind of wish they had explored this path taken in a more vivid way and/or gone a less dark/possibly more entertaining angle...

Spoiler

Having taken the kids exacting revenge for mother suicides on father's girlfriend path/reawakening her deep buried tormented religous extremist upbringing, the writing directing felt a little slow and off beat at times, especially earlier on in the movie, beyond the stage setting parts. Also, I kind of with they took a more full spectrum view of the situation, getting inside Keough's characters head and mind a little more throughout the whole process as she went mad (more hallucinations, some overthoughts of her concious being heard by the audience, more events showing her erratic state and past childhood issues and upbrinings, etc.)

The other path I thought they could have taken which wouldn't have been as dark, is the paranormal path. Making the 3 characters actually stuck in a purgatory post-death/or even a hell with each other(aside from brother sister) whom they have grown to hate. Maybe throw some supernatural occurrences in there, maybe angels/demons/devil in disguise visitations, maybe messing with Keough's psychi on a completely nother level, etc etc.). I think that angle could have been more entertaining than the one that was chose, albeit probably not as hard hitting/twisted/dark.

 

[member 51464]

The Lodge - 4/10

Play stupid games with the mentally ill, win stupid prizes.

 

[Spawn]

I was into the first ~75% of The Lodge.

Spoiler

That I'm supposed to believe that these two kids would go to such extreme lengths to prank this woman was just a bit too much for me. I get it. They're filled with grief. They hold this woman somewhat responsible for the suicide of their mother. But come on now...

But accepting that they did go to these legnths... I'm never one to victim blame, but if anyone ever had it coming in a horror movie it was those two kids.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

The Return of Swamp Thing (Wynorski, 1989) - amazing cheese with not a serious bone in its plant body. Jokes falling flat, monster fights, the most terrible kid actor ever (and I think he's dubbed, the original dialogue must have been even worse), and cleavage - no surprise there I guess, IMDB informs me that Wynorski, who signed some of the great cheese of my childhood (Chopping Mall, Not Of This Earth, among others) is also more recently responsible for a Cloverfield parody titled Cleavagefield.... ( ) - I will not report on that one. 1/10 (but a good 1/10! Proof that DC movies can also be fun )

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Jojo Rabbit

with a wacky Adolf Hitler, and lots of unhappy Nazi folks.

Taika Waititi brings us this sorta-comic romp about a 10 year-old Hitler Youth fanatic in an unnamed German city in the closing days of WWII. Johannes (Jojo) struts around in his Hitler Youth uniform, practices Heiling Hitler, and receives advice from his imaginary friend...who is Adolf Hitler played by Waititi. That's a lot of Hitlering for a 10 year-old. In fairness, his father is missing, presumed deserted by the other Nazis, his older sister died of influenza sometime previously, and his mom (Scarlett Johansen, who kills it) is trying desperately to hang on to cheerfulness and positivity in their situation. Jojo's eager for the big Hitler Youth camp for 10 year-olds, and it's run by a tired Sam Rockwell and a psychotic Rebel Wilson. The older kids note his uneasiness with the reality of actual soldiering, and try to get him to kill a rabbit in front of the rest of his troop. He tries to let it go, is chased off and tormented mercilessly with the new nickname Jojo Rabbit, and then he gets the idea in his head to demonstrate his bravery by grabbing a grenade off the instructor and being the first to throw it. Not a good idea. Later, back at the house after some time of rehabbing the injuries that left him scarred and with a limp, he hears strange noises while he's supposed to be alone. Turns out his mom isn't exactly down with Nazism and genocide, and he finds a Jewish classmate of his sister hiding in a cubbyhole in the wall. He's a good little Nazi and he can't have this...right? Well, there's a problem. The girl (named Elsa) is older, stronger and smarter than him, and Adolf isn't exactly full of great ideas on how to deal with the situation. A standoff ensues...but you sure as shit know mommy has something to say about it.

So how do you make a funny movie about late WWII from a German's perspective with Adolf Hitler in it? Well, Waititi somehow manages to. Of course it's serious as well, because duh, WWII. Great performances by the kids, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson and ScarJo in particular.

You'd think the lessons of Nazism wouldn't have to be relearned, but here we are.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I went 0-for-2 this weekend in a big way.

The Last Thing He Ever Wanted. Oooooh boy this is a bad one. There will PROBABLY be worse movies this year but surely none will be as deluded about not being bad as this one. Dee Rees is a good director. Her Mudbound was a top 10 for me the year it came out. The opening narration of this took me right out and I only drifted further and further away. Anne Hathaway's character is some combination of poorly written, poorly acted and maybe just poorly cast. Not sure what's to blame the most, but it's crippling to the movie. Ben Affleck looks bloated and sleepy and gets top billing despite a real nothing burger of a role (he's barely in the movie). The literary roots (a Joan Didion novel) are so obvious and absolutely do not work in the context of the movie. Story is absurd and no one involved has the chops to pull it off. Willem Dafoe injects a small amount of life, but not nearly enough. This is one of the worst movies I've seen in a very long time. Nothing redeemable about it.

The Good German. I'm a big Soderbergh fan, but I'd never seen this. I knew it wasn't well received. I half wondered if maybe it was misunderstood now that's its drifted off into the ether. He's certainly had other small movies that came and went, some of which are very good! But this? Nah. It's bad. What if Casablanca but cynical is a bad pitch. The "old movie" gimmick of the filming and editing doesn't work at all. George Clooney as a Bogart stand in feels like it it's a good idea, but it isn't. He's flat, lacking Bogie's life. Clooney's never woken up hungover. Possibly a well-intentioned misfire, but a misfire all the same.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Rammstein: Amerika

with the guys and various other people.

Documentary about the life and times of juggernaut Neue Deutsche Harte band Rammstein. Starts from their early days as Eurotrash punks climbing over the remains of the Berlin wall to their present as one of the all-time great metal bands with one of the all-time great live metal shows. Interviews with various people such as Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, Paul Stanley from Kiss, Marilyn Manson, and quite a lot of Kiefer Sutherland. For reasons.

A must-see if you're into Rammstein at all. And if you're not, you should be.

On Prime now.

 

[nameless1]

If anyone is interested, Bong Joon-ho gave a list of 20 "new" directors he believes will lead the cinematic world forward.

1. Ali Abbasi
2. Ari Aster
3. Bi Gan
4. Jayro Bustamante
5. Mati Diop
6. Robert Eggers
7. Rose Glass
8. Hamaguchi Ryusuke
9. Alma Har’el
10. Kirsten Johnson
11. Jennifer Kent
12. Oliver Laxe
13. Francis Lee
14. Pietro Marcello
15. David Robert Mitchell
16. Jordan Peele
17. Jennifer Reeder
18. Alice Rohrwacher
19. Yoon Gaeun
20. Chloé Zhao

There is a description of their work on the Sight and Sound website. I am surprised by the number of horror directors, and I am only familiar with 3/4 of the list, but I do like his taste from what I know. The movies that I am familiar with are indeed quite interesting.

I particularly like Jaryo Bustamante, from Guatemala. That country is never a film powerhouse, but I have enjoyed his latest film, Tremors, about a affluent married man with kids who had recently came out to his family. It is a simple story, but it packed a lot of impact, and I learned a lot about contemporary Guatemalan society from it. Ixcanul from 2016 also scored a Oscar Best Foreign Film nomination too, so he is definitely quite skilled.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

The Return of Swamp Thing (Wynorski, 1989) - amazing cheese with not a serious bone in its plant body. Jokes falling flat, monster fights, the most terrible kid actor ever (and I think he's dubbed, the original dialogue must have been even worse), and cleavage - no surprise there I guess, IMDB informs me that Wynorski, who signed some of the great cheese of my childhood (Chopping Mall, Not Of This Earth, among others) is also more recently responsible for a Cloverfield parody titled Cleavagefield.... ( ) - I will not report on that one. 1/10 (but a good 1/10! Proof that DC movies can also be fun )

They don’t seem to make cheesy movies on purpose like this anymore.

The 80s were the golden age for these types of movies...

Would any studio ever make Toxic Avenger today?

 

[NyQuil]

Would any studio ever make Toxic Avenger today?

It would be a gritty, dark and satirical reflection of our collective responsibility vis a vis the destruction of the environment and global warming.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I watched both Parasite and Good Time in the past week. I really enjoyed both but I feel like the conversation for Parasite passed me by so I'll just say it was very good and smart and not dwell upon it, same with the latter movie. With that said, while I enjoyed both Good Time and Uncut Gems, I think it might be time for them to explore another narrative aesthetic and editing style. The novelty, heart-attack-inducing burger can only work so long before one wants to vomit its contents. I wouldn't make a trademark out of that style if I were them.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Uncut Gems (2019) - 6/10

Couldn't watch the whole thing at once. While Good Times had a rhythm to its uncomfortableness and a level of unpredictability and batshit insane-ness, this film is just a stressful mess.

I'm downgrading my rating to a 4/10 because it's a pretty dumb movie thinking back and also because since I've seen it, I haven't watched a single other film therefore I blame Uncut Gems for killing my desire to watch movies.

 

[nameless1]

Birds of Prey is just a complete mess. First of all, the pace is all over the place. There are too many jump-start moments, that I actually feel as if I have motion sickness, and I just want the thing to end by the midway point. The narrative style also does not help, because while I understand the goal is to create an unreliable storyteller in order to highlight the inherent craziness of the character, all the techniques used, from a single flashback sequence that is out-of-place and then never utilized again, to the fourth wall breaks that are ultimately pointless, make the whole story unnecessarily confusing and downright annoying. Then there is the main antagonist, who is important in the comics, but he becomes a run-of-the-mill villain who never actually seems to be able to threaten the protagonists, and that is always fatal to any comic book movies. Finally, the moments of levity and the lines that are supposed to be funny all falls flat. I did not chuckle once during the movie.

What is it with the DC cinematic universe? After so many movies, it still cannot find its voice and identity. Other than Patty Jenkins, David F. Sandberg and to a lesser extent James Wan, no other director seems to actually knows the material. Warner Brothers wanted to be serious after Christopher Nolan showed that it can work, but the people in charge picked the worst possible choice in Zack Snyder, who cannot tell a story to save his life. Then they wanted to copy the success of Marvel, so they threw more jokes in The Suicide Squad, but that just made it a Frankenstein monster so terrible, the sequel is now called a "soft-reboot". At this point, DC needs to figure out something soon, or the whole thing will become a sunk cost. For every success, there is a failure in between, and that is no way to sustain a franchise. The DC superheroes can be great and resonate with people, as various comic book writers have shown, but the people in charge of the films absolutely do not know what they want to do. Marvel is not perfect, but the cookie-cutter formula works, and even when I complain, I am still entertained.

Birds of Prey is a 3/10 for me. Robbie is fun, even though she, at times, gets blogged down by the style of the director, and there are some great mise-en-scene here and there, but that is not enough for me to recommend the movie. Even if one is curious, just wait for it to be on streaming services. It is not worth the price of admission.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Would You Rather (David Guy Levy, 2012) - This should have been highly disturbing, and the characters should have been way more frantic and plain going crazy from the moment they understood what was going on until the last round. The film should have been a lot less predictable too. Overall, I guess I didn't like it much, even though I appreciated the casting of Jeffrey Combs and of the porn star - not that they're particularly good. 3/10

 

[sr edler]

The Wrong Man (1993) by Jim McBride – 8/10

Perhaps this film is a few minutes too long, but it has a gritty feel to it in the beginning, and, as it goes along, also a feeling of slight pensive sadness. Bumping along. This is not the Hitchcock docudrama movie but filmed on location in the port city of Veracruz, Mexico it chronicles the crossed paths of a trio Americanos raising slight havoc wherever they end up with their respective monkey businesses, with the Mexican police always a few steps behind. Apparently this is a television movie, screened Un Certain Regard at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

I like John Lithgow, but sometimes he's really walking a fine line regarding acting/overacting. This is around where he also starred as international terrorist Eric Qualen in Cliffhanger. It says somewhere this is around when he started playing more villainous roles, but this one as Philip Mills is quite far removed from the one-dimensional Qualen and contains a bit more depth or nuance. Also with Rosanna Arquette and Kevin Anderson.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Just watched Girl On The Third Floor and I’m only posting about it to save others from wasting 1.5 hours of their lives.

Just don’t do it - you were warned.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Just watched Girl On The Third Floor and I’m only posting about it to save others from wasting 1.5 hours of their lives.

Just don’t do it - you were warned.

Too late. Agreed, the only thing redeeming about it is that the gore effects are pretty good. There's one well executed scene near the end.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

An Inspector Calls (1954) - 7/10

I found the cure to my lost enthusiasm to watch movies after Uncut Gems ruined it for me. It was trying to watch a very accessible straightforward British classic so I chose this one. It's based on a play so that makes it even more simplistic. Unfortunately, the title is a bit misleading, it's more of a morale tale rather than an actual mystery/crime film and I found the weird looking Inspector character to be....tiresome rather than interesting but it worked as a whole.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Too late. Agreed, the only thing redeeming about it is that the gore effects are pretty good. There's one well executed scene near the end.

Ya, aside from CM Punk being a doppelgänger of Bruce Campbell in Army of Darkness, this movie was stupid as f***.