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

[x Tame Impala]

That sass sounds like her.


I am still not a fan though. It is just not for me.

I was under several influences last night so it might not be for me either

 

[OzzyFan]

Sorry to Bother You
3.20 out of 4stars

A creatively weird satire on capitalism, communism, activism, and identity among other things. I feel I must start off by saying that because this film's choice of delivery is energetic, odd, and meandering with some bits that miss the mark....I don't think this movie is for everyone/everyone will not enjoy it. That said, it's a great movie. It's a trippy ride with endless food for thought and discussion while being honestly funny at times.

Coherence (2013) - 6/10 (Liked it)

I do and enjoyed that about it, though I did find that I could predict the next step in several cases and the ending felt a bit disappointing.

Yeah, there were definitely a few bits that you could see coming and just given the runtime of the movie I had a feeling it was going to wrap up like it did. Kinda wish they took the same ending at least 5-10minutes further. That might have solved that.

 

[Osprey]

I was under several influences last night so it might not be for me either

It's a fun movie even when sober. I remember seeing it in the theater just before leaving on vacation and looking forward to getting back to go see it a second time. The visual effect where you see through the hole in the character's body was mind blowing in 1992.

Yeah, there were definitely a few bits that you could see coming and just given the runtime of the movie I had a feeling it was going to wrap up like it did. Kinda wish they took the same ending at least 5-10minutes further. That might have solved that.

Spoiler

I was kind of hoping that there'd be a showdown between two of the houses, with a dash of Highlander ("there can be only one [of us]"). We got a little bit of that, but with only one character, which is not what I was expecting from a movie that was more of an ensemble until that point. I was also hoping for more exploration of the "what if we're the evil versions of ourselves?" question. I would've loved for the characters that we were following to terrorize and murder nicer versions of themselves. Again, I guess that we did get that, but with only one character and it wasn't really established that she was replacing a nicer version of herself, since she was pretty nice, herself. I suppose that murdering someone isn't nice, by definition, but my point is that the themes could've been explored a little more extensively, like you also suggested. Of course, a big finale would've increased the budget and they were operating on a shoestring, so it's not a surprise that we kind of got a shoestring ending. That's not a really a complaint, per se, more just a disappointment.

 

[OzzyFan]

Assassination Nation
No rating

Interesting ideas for a movie and exploration worthy themes are destroyed by a majority of the time throughout: bad dialogue, bad set-ups, shock vs depth style, and everything you can think of underexplored/barely scratching the surface(with a preachy attitude none the less).

Spoiler

I was kind of hoping that there'd be a showdown between two of the houses, with a dash of Highlander ("there can be only one [of us]"). We got a little bit of that, but with only one character, which is not what I was expecting from a movie that was more of an ensemble until that point. I was also hoping for more exploration of the "what if we're the evil versions of ourselves?" question. I would've loved for the characters that we were following to terrorize and murder nicer versions of themselves. Again, I guess that we did get that, but with only one character and it wasn't really established that she was replacing a nicer version of herself, since she was pretty nice, herself. I suppose that murdering someone isn't nice, by definition, but my point is that the themes could've been explored a little more extensively, like you also suggested. Of course, a big finale would've increased the budget and they were operating on a shoestring, so it's not a surprise that we kind of got a shoestring ending. It's not a really a complaint, of course.

I think you hit the nail on the head. That would have been great or another angle I thought of that could be interesting was....

Spoiler

Playing the whole angle out on Em/Emily/the Blonde killing her "twin" in a "1 person/no doubles reality" or even "a reality where she has a twin already and killed her twin angle"...ooooo that'd be interesting. Maybe go down the whole "but Em's twin Kelly is in Hawaii right now" and see her updated online status in another state or country and expand on that? or the other angle "killing your unbeknownst twin to take her life angle" or "continue supernaturally with conversations from maybe the older woman "I was at Emily's birth, she doesn't/never had a twin", what type of thing or monster are you? etc. etc., maybe or maybe not get even more crazy....aliens, cloning, robots, US/government intervention sort of already was covered by Peele's Us(albeit years after this movie was even made, ha. Just some options I thought of. I think the crazier it gets the better it should be for this type of movie.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

At Close Range
Motivated to watch this after Madonna's Live to Tell popped up in one of my music streams. This deserves a better legacy than that song (though it is one of her best). True-life inspired story of the son of a criminal who is pulled into his dad's web. There's a pair of great lead performances here with a genially menacing Christopher Walken as the dad and a brooding Sean Penn as the son. It's a good gripping story and has a solid and recongnizable supporting cast, most notably David Stratharin as one of Walken's goons and Penn's young crew of kiddie crooks (which interestingly goes four-for-four in real life troubled/weird actors with Crispin Glover, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Penn and Stephen Geoffreys).

 

[Osprey]

Star Wars: The Rise of Palpatine Skywalker (2019) - 2/10 (Hated it)

A once-great saga comes to a sorry end. I've ranted enough about this in the dedicated thread, so I'll leave it at that.

Guns Akimbo (2020) - 5/10 (Didn't like or dislike it)

An ordinary guy (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself unwillingly in a Running Man-like game to the death against a top contestant (Samara Weaving) for the amusement of the internet. This is a stylish, violent, ridiculous action comedy that satirizes gaming and toxic internet culture. Much of the plot and humor revolves around the fact that the operators of the game have surgically attached a pistol to each of Miles' hands (presumably so that he can't just ditch the weapons and give up on the game). He can't dress himself without asking for help (so he spends part of the movie wearing a bath robe, animal slippers and no pants) and can barely use the bathroom without blowing off his willy. Most of the humor isn't as funny as it's trying to be, but I was still periodically amused and did laugh several times (especially during one scene with a perfectly cast hobo). I also enjoyed the 80s radio hits during fight scenes. When it comes to plot, there really is hardly anything there to speak of, just enough to be a vehicle for laughs and violence. In all, it's a fun movie that feels like it misses the mark, but not too badly. It's the kind of movie that I can see myself re-watching and maybe liking better the second time around.

 

[kihei]

Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? (1970) Directed by Werner Rainer Fassbinder 5D

In reviewing this film back in the day, Vincent Canby of The New York Times astutely commented on how the style of a Fassbinder film can become its subject. Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? is an assault of the German bourgeoisie, not a surprise coming from as political a director as Fassbinder. Herr R,. the central character, is basically a middle-class schmuck. He is married to an attractive wife, is a good father, and holds down a responsible, steady job. But he and the people around him are among the most tediously boring people on the face of the earth. In a series of very long takes, the movie bends over backwards to accentuate their tediousness with a discipline that is in its own way laudable. A very young Fassbinder is in complete control of this scenario and obviously relishes the portrait of this guy's bleak live that he is drawing. However, listening to vapid people saying vapid things to one another in dull living rooms and office spaces is a test of anyone's attention span. I fell asleep twice watching this movie unfold. If you will, picture the Thanksgiving from hell or a required family reunion where you are stuck listening to your old aunt and her new husband talk about their new washing machine or the cost of potatoes, and you will get an idea about what this movie feels like. Until the last 15 minutes, that is--then all hell breaks loose. The movie then reveals itself as a long preamble to a joke with a massive punch line. In a way Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? is a brilliant film, a scathing indictment of the German equivalent of the American Dream. Like Andy Warhol's long film Sleep, about a man sleeping for five hours, or Empire a single eight-hour shot of the Empire State building just standing there from dusk to dawn, a kernel of an interesting idea exists here. BUT WHY DO I HAVE TO SIT THOUGH IT TO GET THE POINT WHEN READING ABOUT IT SERVES THE SAME END AND TAKES FAR LESS TIME? To be fair, in the film's mundane progression, there are a couple of really funny scenes, especially one in a record store, and the movie does possess a surprisingly high audience approval rating on IMDb (7.4). So, some people enjoyed it. I'm giving it a neutral score largely out of respect for Fassbinder having the discipline to see this thing through in the style with which he chose to present it. That's really trusting your instincts. If nothing else, Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? certainly heralded the arrival of a brilliant and sometimes difficult director with no shortage of stories to tell and a uniquely personal way of presenting them.

subtitles

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Hired Gun

with lots of musicians

Documentary about the session musicians who play a massive amount of popular music. Go and buy an album by somebody (okay, imagine you're in a store buying an album by somebody). Who played the instruments on that album? Think it's the guys in the band? Well, not necessarily. There's an entire ecology of professional musicians who play on everyone's albums, tour in everyone's bands...yet don't make any money. Interviews follow with various unsung heroes and heroines of the music business who stand alongside the greats like Billy Joel, KISS, Alice Cooper, P!NK, ...*cough* Hannah Montana...various R'n'B people...producers like David Foster (who had time to arrange all his Grammy trophies on his piano before the interview) and others. Brad Gillis and Jason Newstead make things real after the deaths of Randy Rhoads and Cliff Burton...and you don't think about what it must have really been like to take over from them while their bands were still on the road and had to finish the tours after they died.

If you need to google Randy Rhoads or Cliff Burton, I don't know you.

I'm a musician myself; I'm a bass player and lived and breathed music for years. Went to music school right of out high school, jumped headfirst into the metal scene in my teens and watched as it morphed into the grunge/alternative scene...and while I have huge, massive respect for the musicians in this film, I have to admit I never wanted to be a session player. That just never occurred to me at all. Why would you want to play someone else's songs? I never got that. The movie follows a few people closer than others, and it's the little things you enjoy. Rudy Sarzo still hasn't totally lost his Cuban accent, Billy Joel really is an ass (big shock) and think of the song Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp. You know after the second chorus where there's that solo drum thing? Just before the "Oh let it rock...let it ro - oll..." part? Where the drums blast for a couple of bars? It has a great origin story.

*edit* Oh yeah. KISS and Alice Cooper are never on tour at the same time because they have the same drummer. Never knew that.

On Prime.

One of these people went on tour in Hannah Montana's backing band. Seriously.

 

[Osprey]

1917 (2019) - 8/10 (Loved it)

I finally got around to watching this and wasn't disappointed. The cinematography, especially, was incredible. I was satisfied with the story and pacing. The time just flew by and I was never bored. In fact, I didn't want it to end as soon as it did. I could go on, but it feels like everyone has either seen it or has a grasp of it by now and I'm late to the party, so I'm keeping this short and will just say that this is my favorite of the nine Best Picture nominees (which I've now seen all of) and of 2019.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Hey, there's always Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) which is just over 15 hours long. I watched it over about a three day period some years ago and thought it was pretty damn good, in terms of detailed narrative as close as film is likely going to get to Marcel Proust's seven volume novel In Search of Lost Time (formerly called Remembrance of Things Past). "Close" in that one respect doesn't mean better, though. Proust's mammoth work is in a class by itself.

You've actually read the 7 volumes...?

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Silence (1963) - 7/10

In this one, Bergman goes 'boobies!' It's a pretty decent film actually it just has too much of that restraint that's in Bergman films and the characters are all suffering the usual existential crisis resulting in unnecessary nastiness. Very hard to take it seriously once you've seen the same thing played out through previous films of his but both actresses in it are mesmerizing so that somewhat helps.

 

[kihei]

You've actually read the 7 volumes...?

Oh, yeah. I tried to find my long review on the Book page, but it seems to have been in a deleted volume of that thread. Anyway, I absolutely loved In Search of Lost Time, my #1 seed in all of literature. I carefully researched the various editions to get the best sequence of volumes, and I just plowed in. At first, I was intimidated by the raw tonnage of verbiage, but then I got into Proust's rhythm, an absolute necessity if one is to continue through all the works. I begin to adjust to sentences as long as paragraphs and paragraphs as long as chapters. The only work I can even mildly compare it with is Flaubert's Sentimental Education, another novel about a thoroughly unexceptional guy for his class whose limited awareness is presented in exhaustive detail--but nothing approaching the scope of the Proust work. In Search of Lost Time is like venturing into a whole other universe; it's almost like time traveling there, a totally immersive experience of Swann's life and loves. Eventually it felt like a luxurious experience just to keep reading it. I was sorry when it ended.

 

[kihei]

The Silence (1963) - 7/10

In this one, Bergman goes 'boobies!' It's a pretty decent film actually it just has too much of that restraint that's in Bergman films and the characters are all suffering the usual existential crisis resulting in unnecessary nastiness. Very hard to take it seriously once you've seen the same thing played out through previous films of his but both actresses in it are mesmerizing so that somewhat helps.

I agree The Silence is a difficult film on many levels. But I also think that after playing around with the nature of God extensively (The Seventh Seal; Through a Glass Darkly; Winter Light: The Virgin Spring), Bergman comes to the conclusion that all there is to God, at best, is silence, making The Silence the major pivotal work of his career. He may not have had much hope, but now that hope is well and truly extinguished. From that point on in his films, Bergman seems to switch to a view of life that is much more existential in nature (Persona; The Passion of Anna; Shame; Cries and Whispers; et al).

 

[Chili]

Broken Flowers- 2005

Interesting premise, a guy (Bill Murray) receives a letter from an old flame (unnamed) telling him he's the father of her 20 year old son and that the son has left home in search of trying to find his father. Murray's friend convinces him into going on a road trip to try to find out who sent the letter. The trip yields some interesting experiences. Slow paced, fresh which I found made it seem real. Good cast, enjoyed the performances, especially Murray in a laid back, serious role.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Oh, yeah. I tried to find my long review on the Book page, but it seems to have been in a deleted volume of that thread. Anyway, I absolutely loved In Search of Lost Time, my #1 seed in all of literature. I carefully researched the various editions to get the best sequence of volumes, and I just plowed in. At first, I was intimidated by the raw tonnage of verbiage, but then I got into Proust's rhythm, an absolute necessity if one is to continue through all the works. I begin to adjust to sentences as long as paragraphs and paragraphs as long as chapters. The only work I can even mildly compare it with is Flaubert's Sentimental Education, another novel about a thoroughly unexceptional guy for his class whose limited awareness is presented in exhaustive detail--but nothing approaching the scope of the Proust work. In Search of Lost Time is like venturing into a whole other universe; it's almost like time traveling there, a totally immersive experience of Swann's life and loves. Eventually it felt like a luxurious experience just to keep reading it. I was sorry when it ended.

How long did it take you? Did you read anything else in between?

 

[kihei]

How long did it take you? Did you read anything else in between?

That's s good question. I read the volumes in order with no breaks in between. I did no other serious reading, but I think the French Open drew my attention for a fortnight. I certainly wasn't rushing through them or anything. So I'd say about two and a half months, as a reasonable guess.

 

[member 51464]

Oh, yeah. I tried to find my long review on the Book page, but it seems to have been in a deleted volume of that thread. Anyway, I absolutely loved In Search of Lost Time, my #1 seed in all of literature. I carefully researched the various editions to get the best sequence of volumes, and I just plowed in. At first, I was intimidated by the raw tonnage of verbiage, but then I got into Proust's rhythm, an absolute necessity if one is to continue through all the works. I begin to adjust to sentences as long as paragraphs and paragraphs as long as chapters. The only work I can even mildly compare it with is Flaubert's Sentimental Education, another novel about a thoroughly unexceptional guy for his class whose limited awareness is presented in exhaustive detail--but nothing approaching the scope of the Proust work. In Search of Lost Time is like venturing into a whole other universe; it's almost like time traveling there, a totally immersive experience of Swann's life and loves. Eventually it felt like a luxurious experience just to keep reading it. I was sorry when it ended.

Would you mind sharing the translations or editions you ended up going with? I'd love to read this!

 

[kihei]

Would you mind sharing the translations or editions you ended up going with? I'd love to read this!

No problem:

In Search of Lost Time, by Marcel Proust

Volume 1: The Way by Swann's--Penguin Edition, Translator: Lydia Davis
Volume 2: Within a Budding Grove--The Modern Library, Translator: C. K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin
Volume 3: The Guermantes Way--The Modern Library, Translator: C. K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin
Volume 4: Sodom and Gomorrah--Penguin Edition, Translator: John Sturrock
Volume 5, containing books 5 & 6: The Captive & The Fugitive--The Modern Library, Translator: C. K. Scott Moncrieff and Terence Kilmartin
Volume 6, containing book 7: Time Regained--The Modern Library, Translator: Andreas Mayor and Terence Kilmartin

Thinking it through more, I would now figure it took me more like three months and a little bit to complete In Search of Lost Time. I remembered that I averaged about 50 pages a day and I think in its entirety the work is just under 4000 pages long. Add the relative layoff during Roland Garros and that time estimate seems more accurate to me. I did consciously try to average 50 pages a day because I didn't want to take any chances of falling off the horse. It was a big horse.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

I’ve watched more movies in the past month than I have in a few years. I like trolling Vudu for digital sales (e.g. 99 cent rentals or $5 buys).

So if I can have a self indulgent super long post to help relax me into hopefully falling asleep, here is what I’ve watched recently...

First the Arnold films:

Raw Deal - Saw it free on I think Amazon. From 1987 I think. Arnie in his prime I thought. What a hunk of shit. Couldn’t tell you the plot. The line “That’s why you should not get drunk and bake” was the only worthwhile part. It gets an F.

Total Recall (1990) - Hadn’t seen this in years. Interesting movie. Lauded for special effects but the story is the most interesting part. Very interesting science fiction premise about manufactured memories. B+ for me. Close to an A-.

The Running Man (1989, I think) - Initially I was confused because I thought it was a Stephen King story but the writer credited was Richard Bachman. Turns out that’s a pen name he used when he’s got tired of churning out successes under his regular moniker. Cheesy 80s action. Arnie is framed and forced onto a violent reality show where criminals are hunted and killed by gimmicky gladiators. Bonus points for one of the villains being hockey themed. Also bonus points for an old lady swearing. This one is a B-.

Deadpool 1 & 2 - I find superhero movies to be incredibly boring. Nothings at stake and I’m not wowed by over produced action sequences. So I appreciate a movie/hero that will address those tired tropes. Not that I know anything about the comics but Ryan Reynolds seems like a perfect fit for this character. I enjoyed these movies. B+ for both (they were virtually identical to me)

Waterworld (1995) - Always had a soft spot for the Costner post-apocalyptic movies (The Postman is next). The kind of movies you don’t love but often get caught up in on TV and suddenly 3 hours have passed. Got the UHD on Vudu and it was beautiful. The end gets a little sloppy and it would've been nice to get more story/character development. Ultimately it was a fun world to get lost in for a couple hours. So it’s a B-.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012) - Can’t believe this movie is that old already. Found it on Netflix. Loosely aware of its critical darling status. Found it well acted but highly overrated and poorly written. The scene after the football game where everyone (including the shrink) is at the house and they set up the dance bet is when I turned to my girlfriend and said I hate every character in this movie. To sort of borrow some language from a negative review I found, this is a cheesy rom com masquerading as a thoughtful portrayal of people with mental illness. C+

Blast from the Past (1999) - Brendan Fraser grows up in a bomb shelter and sees the world for the first time at 35. Bonus points for a quirky Christopher Walken muttering about commies and being the uniquely Walken-esque combination of weird and charming. To quote the gf “it was a cute movie.” C+ bordering B-

Poolhall Junkies (2004ish) - Speaking of Walken, another movie with him in a supporting role. Always loved this movie. Cult status. If you don’t like the humor the acting and story certainly won’t save it, but it’s not terrible. Factoring in my personal bias, it’s an A- for me.

The Departed (2006) - Wait, Mark Wahlberg got a best supporting actor nom fit this? He’s not even in it that much. A solid crime movie. I feel like what criticism it does suffer is half attributable to the high bar Scorsese has set for himself. Still an A- movie at worst in my opinion.

Blank Check (1994) - Liked this movie a lot as a kid. Saw it on Disney +. It’s actually pretty terrible. Kid steals money from a criminal. Buys a house, toys, and a limo driver friend. Somehow dates and kisses an adult woman. Weird. D+

Hot Rod (20 something) - Heard it referenced on a podcast and needed something on the screen while I planned my garden. Even though I mostly dislike Andy Samberg. I’m softening a little. And Bill Hader with Danny McBride as comedic support seemed promising. About what I expected. C

The Foot Fist Way (early 2000?) - Old Danny McBride/Jody Hill movie. About a strip mall martial arts instructor. Dark, weird, rarely interesting, funny, or well acted. C- feels generous.

Say Anything (late 80s) - John Cusack holds a stereo outside of Ione Skyes bedroom playing In Your Eyes. She never even gets out of bed and goes to the window. Had some Mandela effect going with that, apparently. I guess for its time it was a more notable variation on teen romance. C+

Can’t Hardly Wait (1998?) - I remembered it as a classic 90s teen movie. But holy hell, the “romance” plot between Ethan Embry and Jennifer Love Hewitt was ridiculously thin. Cringeworthy. Otherwise, the movie is what it is. And that’s a C.

Encino Man (1992) - Sean Astin and the weasel Pauly Shore find a frozen Brendan Fraser caveman in their yard and thaw him out so they can bring him to high school. Bonus points for a hockey scene. I always had a weird enjoyment of Pauly Shore movies even before I ever did a marijuana and despite my awareness that he is mostly stupid and annoying. Watch with caution. C+ (including my bias bump).

Gemini Man (2019) - Will Smith tries to retire from being a super sniper but knows too much so an insidious agency sends a young clone to kill him and the woman that’s with him for paper thin reasons. To play his younger self Smith talks with a higher pitch and occasional lisp. I usually like him but he was bad in this and the story was a colossal disappointment. Film couldn’t decide if it was about characters or story, so it just did both in a subpar fashion. Reminded me of Ad Astra in that regard. UHD looked amazing at least. C- (it gets the extra minus because it should’ve been a much cooler premise)

Step Brothers (2003?) - Finally got around to seeing this. I thought it was too stupid when it came out and I was a stoner teenager. Just so ridiculous and not funny enough to make me tolerate it. Another C

Bad Words (2013) - Jason Bateman is an adult and an asshole competing in children’s spelling bees. Not much of a plot. Bonus points for its schtick essentially being adults being inappropriately mean to children, which is funny to me because I’m a bad person. Also bonus points for ending with one of my favorite Smashing Pumpkins songs (Snail). B- for this one.

Wayne’s World 1 & 2 (early/mid 90s) - Two of my favorites as a kid. As an adult, I kind of respect how clean all the humor is (not counting sex jokes which are still relatively timid). The second may be funnier, although the Alice Cooper bit is still the best scene in either movie. B+ approaching A-for me for being funny and good spirited but not corny movies.

The Naked Gun (87?) - Probable double murderer and probable statutory rape victim help a hardboiled noir detective/Enrico Palazzo impersonator stop Mr. October from assassinating the Queen of England. Need I say more? A comedy classic. B+

Get Him to the Greek (2008ish?) - Jonah Hill is a record company intern that needs to get unstable rock star Russell Brand to a concert. It was okay. Nothing memorably funny. C+

The Hangover (20 something) - Needs no description. Hadn't seen it since it came out. It’s a decent comedy. B- or a B.

Eurotrip (2003) - A group of young actors I’ve never seen in anything else travel Europe and meet both Bullet Tooth Tony and Boris the Blade from Snatch along the way. Matt Damon singing Scotty Doesn’t Know bumps it up half a letter. Also it’s appropriate that the main character’s best friend is like bargain bin David Spade, because Spade’s stand up bit about some movies being made “just to show some boob” came to mind. C+

Clerks (1994) - Slightly better than I remembered. Life as a 20 something in a miserable state with a miserable job. Hockey bonus. Very funny A-

Clerks 2 (2007ish) - Notably worse than I remembered. Not great or as funny as I wanted it to be. C+

Chasing Amy (1997) - A very good movie exploring sexuality (and feeling fairly forward-thinking for the mid 90s). Mega bonus points for a hockey scene taking place at a rink I’ve skated at and recognized the front of. I think this is a movie that hits a lot harder if you have some personal experience with some of what happens in the movie. An A for me.

Dogma (1999) - Two outcast angels find a loophole back to heaven and must be stopped. Liked it even more than I remembered. Bonus points for the most perfect George Carlin film role. This movie manages to be a gross ridiculous comedy that satires religion while simultaneously treating it with some reverence and respect. It was an impressive balance. A for me.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019) - Saw this was on Amazon so figured I’d watch it. Better than I expected (expectations were low) and what set me on my Kevin Smith rewatch series. Still probably a C+ at best. Maybe a B- if I still did drugs. Bonus points for Smith wearing a Carlin tshirt and the self deprecating humor. I do appreciate his attention to small details in this.

Teen Wolf (1986) - Michael J Fox is a teen. Also he’s a wolf. But hopefully not a you know what because Styles couldn’t handle that (funny to see a PG movie have lines that probably wouldn’t fly in an R movie these days). Not as good as I remembered (which wasn’t great). Also the girls name in it is “Boof” and that means something else to me these days. Anyway, it’s a C

And going back to slightly before the coronapocalypse, Back to the Future 2 & 3. Out of every movie I’ve listed this series is my only must watch. BttF 1 is an A+. The second movie is an A and the 3rd is a B+.

 

[member 51464]

I’ve watched more movies in the past month than I have in a few years. I like trolling Vudu for digital sales (e.g. 99 cent rentals or $5 buys).

So if I can have a self indulgent super long post to help relax me into hopefully falling asleep, here is what I’ve watched recently...

First the Arnold films:

Raw Deal - Saw it free on I think Amazon. From 1987 I think. Arnie in his prime I thought. What a hunk of shit. Couldn’t tell you the plot. The line “That’s why you should not get drunk and bake” was the only worthwhile part. It gets an F.

Total Recall (1990) - Hadn’t seen this in years. Interesting movie. Lauded for special effects but the story is the most interesting part. Very interesting science fiction premise about manufactured memories. B+ for me. Close to an A-.

The Running Man (1989, I think) - Initially I was confused because I thought it was a Stephen King story but the writer credited was Richard Bachman. Turns out that’s a pen name he used when he’s got tired of churning out successes under his regular moniker. Cheesy 80s action. Arnie is framed and forced onto a violent reality show where criminals are hunted and killed by gimmicky gladiators. Bonus points for one of the villains being hockey themed. Also bonus points for an old lady swearing. This one is a B-.

Deadpool 1 & 2 - I find superhero movies to be incredibly boring. Nothings at stake and I’m not wowed by over produced action sequences. So I appreciate a movie/hero that will address those tired tropes. Not that I know anything about the comics but Ryan Reynolds seems like a perfect fit for this character. I enjoyed these movies. B+ for both (they were virtually identical to me)

Waterworld (1995) - Always had a soft spot for the Costner post-apocalyptic movies (The Postman is next). The kind of movies you don’t love but often get caught up in on TV and suddenly 3 hours have passed. Got the UHD on Vudu and it was beautiful. The end gets a little sloppy and it would've been nice to get more story/character development. Ultimately it was a fun world to get lost in for a couple hours. So it’s a B-.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012) - Can’t believe this movie is that old already. Found it on Netflix. Loosely aware of its critical darling status. Found it well acted but highly overrated and poorly written. The scene after the football game where everyone (including the shrink) is at the house and they set up the dance bet is when I turned to my girlfriend and said I hate every character in this movie. To sort of borrow some language from a negative review I found, this is a cheesy rom com masquerading as a thoughtful portrayal of people with mental illness. C+

Blast from the Past (1999) - Brendan Fraser grows up in a bomb shelter and sees the world for the first time at 35. Bonus points for a quirky Christopher Walken muttering about commies and being the uniquely Walken-esque combination of weird and charming. To quote the gf “it was a cute movie.” C+ bordering B-

Poolhall Junkies (2004ish) - Speaking of Walken, another movie with him in a supporting role. Always loved this movie. Cult status. If you don’t like the humor the acting and story certainly won’t save it, but it’s not terrible. Factoring in my personal bias, it’s an A- for me.

The Departed (2006) - Wait, Mark Wahlberg got a best supporting actor nom fit this? He’s not even in it that much. A solid crime movie. I feel like what criticism it does suffer is half attributable to the high bar Scorsese has set for himself. Still an A- movie at worst in my opinion.

Blank Check (1994) - Liked this movie a lot as a kid. Saw it on Disney +. It’s actually pretty terrible. Kid steals money from a criminal. Buys a house, toys, and a limo driver friend. Somehow dates and kisses an adult woman. Weird. D+

Hot Rod (20 something) - Heard it referenced on a podcast and needed something on the screen while I planned my garden. Even though I mostly dislike Andy Samberg. I’m softening a little. And Bill Hader with Danny McBride as comedic support seemed promising. About what I expected. C

The Foot Fist Way (early 2000?) - Old Danny McBride/Jody Hill movie. About a strip mall martial arts instructor. Dark, weird, rarely interesting, funny, or well acted. C- feels generous.

Say Anything (late 80s) - John Cusack holds a stereo outside of Ione Skyes bedroom playing In Your Eyes. She never even gets out of bed and goes to the window. Had some Mandela effect going with that, apparently. I guess for its time it was a more notable variation on teen romance. C+

Can’t Hardly Wait (1998?) - I remembered it as a classic 90s teen movie. But holy hell, the “romance” plot between Ethan Embry and Jennifer Love Hewitt was ridiculously thin. Cringeworthy. Otherwise, the movie is what it is. And that’s a C.

Encino Man (1992) - Sean Astin and the weasel Pauly Shore find a frozen Brendan Fraser caveman in their yard and thaw him out so they can bring him to high school. Bonus points for a hockey scene. I always had a weird enjoyment of Pauly Shore movies even before I ever did a marijuana and despite my awareness that he is mostly stupid and annoying. Watch with caution. C+ (including my bias bump).

Gemini Man (2019) - Will Smith tries to retire from being a super sniper but knows too much so an insidious agency sends a young clone to kill him and the woman that’s with him for paper thin reasons. To play his younger self Smith talks with a higher pitch and occasional lisp. I usually like him but he was bad in this and the story was a colossal disappointment. Film couldn’t decide if it was about characters or story, so it just did both in a subpar fashion. Reminded me of Ad Astra in that regard. UHD looked amazing at least. C- (it gets the extra minus because it should’ve been a much cooler premise)

Step Brothers (2003?) - Finally got around to seeing this. I thought it was too stupid when it came out and I was a stoner teenager. Just so ridiculous and not funny enough to make me tolerate it. Another C

Bad Words (2013) - Jason Bateman is an adult and an asshole competing in children’s spelling bees. Not much of a plot. Bonus points for its schtick essentially being adults being inappropriately mean to children, which is funny to me because I’m a bad person. Also bonus points for ending with one of my favorite Smashing Pumpkins songs (Snail). B- for this one.

Wayne’s World 1 & 2 (early/mid 90s) - Two of my favorites as a kid. As an adult, I kind of respect how clean all the humor is (not counting sex jokes which are still relatively timid). The second may be funnier, although the Alice Cooper bit is still the best scene in either movie. B+ approaching A-for me for being funny and good spirited but not corny movies.

The Naked Gun (87?) - Probable double murderer and probable statutory rape victim help a hardboiled noir detective/Enrico Palazzo impersonator stop Mr. October from assassinating the Queen of England. Need I say more? A comedy classic. B+

Get Him to the Greek (2008ish?) - Jonah Hill is a record company intern that needs to get unstable rock star Russell Brand to a concert. It was okay. Nothing memorably funny. C+

The Hangover (20 something) - Needs no description. Hadn't seen it since it came out. It’s a decent comedy. B- or a B.

Eurotrip (2003) - A group of young actors I’ve never seen in anything else travel Europe and meet both Bullet Tooth Tony and Boris the Blade from Snatch along the way. Matt Damon singing Scotty Doesn’t Know bumps it up half a letter. Also it’s appropriate that the main character’s best friend is like bargain bin David Spade, because Spade’s stand up bit about some movies being made “just to show some boob” came to mind. C+

Clerks (1994) - Slightly better than I remembered. Life as a 20 something in a miserable state with a miserable job. Hockey bonus. Very funny A-

Clerks 2 (2007ish) - Notably worse than I remembered. Not great or as funny as I wanted it to be. C+

Chasing Amy (1997) - A very good movie exploring sexuality (and feeling fairly forward-thinking for the mid 90s). Mega bonus points for a hockey scene taking place at a rink I’ve skated at and recognized the front of. I think this is a movie that hits a lot harder if you have some personal experience with some of what happens in the movie. An A for me.

Dogma (1999) - Two outcast angels find a loophole back to heaven and must be stopped. Liked it even more than I remembered. Bonus points for the most perfect George Carlin film role. This movie manages to be a gross ridiculous comedy that satires religion while simultaneously treating it with some reverence and respect. It was an impressive balance. A for me.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019) - Saw this was on Amazon so figured I’d watch it. Better than I expected (expectations were low) and what set me on my Kevin Smith rewatch series. Still probably a C+ at best. Maybe a B- if I still did drugs. Bonus points for Smith wearing a Carlin tshirt and the self deprecating humor. I do appreciate his attention to small details in this.

Teen Wolf (1986) - Michael J Fox is a teen. Also he’s a wolf. But hopefully not a you know what because Styles couldn’t handle that (funny to see a PG movie have lines that probably wouldn’t fly in an R movie these days). Not as good as I remembered (which wasn’t great). Also the girls name in it is “Boof” and that means something else to me these days. Anyway, it’s a C

And going back to slightly before the coronapocalypse, Back to the Future 2 & 3. Out of every movie I’ve listed this series is my only must watch. BttF 1 is an A+. The second movie is an A and the 3rd is a B+.

You get a like just for sheer quantity if nothing else.

When you watch, are you actually locked in? Or usually playing with your phone or on the internet during? Just curious.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

24 Hour Party People (2003) - 6/10

Why didn't I just watch an episode of Alan Partridge. I like music but films about music generally suck especially in the parts where they show partying and drugs which really isn't entertaining to watch at all. Still, I watched this without subtitles and understood a good 80% so that's something.

 

[kihei]

At Close Range
Motivated to watch this after Madonna's Live to Tell popped up in one of my music streams. This deserves a better legacy than that song (though it is one of her best). True-life inspired story of the son of a criminal who is pulled into his dad's web. There's a pair of great lead performances here with a genially menacing Christopher Walken as the dad and a brooding Sean Penn as the son. It's a good gripping story and has a solid and recongnizable supporting cast, most notably David Stratharin as one of Walken's goons and Penn's young crew of kiddie crooks (which interestingly goes four-for-four in real life troubled/weird actors with Crispin Glover, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Penn and Stephen Geoffreys).

I thought it was easily one of Penn's best performances, and maybe Walken's, too. That last moment in the courtroom where Penn is asked to recognize his father still gives me chills.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

A Gangster's Tale (aka Siberian Education aka Deadly Code aka Boyz n the Novosibirsk Oblast)

with tattoo-covered people

It's a tale of a Siberian kid and his 3 droogs who grow up in a gangster family headed by his grandfather (John Malkovich being John Malkovich). We learn you're not supposed to bring money into the house (which seems counter-productive for gangsters, but anyway...), you're not allowed to do or sell drugs (again, surprising...) and consequently that the Siberian clans are the poorest but most feared of the Russian gangster clans. Okay. Childhood friends Kolyma and Yuri grow up in this environment, then take different paths as adults. Most of the movie is flashbacks of their various misadventures as kids and teens, then back to the present with Kolyma as an army sniper searching for criminal/terrorist leader Yuri in the wilderness. Yawn.

Watched this last night and barely remember a thing. Must have been come direct to video job. Meh. Throwaway movie, even with John Malkovich and Peter Stormare charisma-ing all over the place.

On Prime.

Worst. Spa day. Ever.

 

[Osprey]

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) - 2/10 (Hated it)

A woman who will eventually become the mother of a great resistance leader is stalked by a killing machine from the future, but a human is also sent from the future to protect her. Who says that Hollywood has no original ideas? I was under the impression that this was a sequel, but I often felt like I was watching a remake (at times, a remake of T1... at others, of T2), except with Linda Hamilton and Arnie playing supporting characters. Speaking of which, Hamilton's acting is really bad in this. She's forced to deliver some of the lamest dialogue, but still. Either way, it's cringe worthy and distracting, and her character's attitude is irritating. The writers managed to take a heroine that we liked in the first two movies and turn her into an unlikable one. Also cringe worthy are the bad attempts at humor and fan service. Arnie's character talking about his drapery business is not funny and there's a scene in which he starts to put on his sunglasses, to the thumping of the T2 soundtrack, and then doesn't that is a lame "subvert expectations" moment reminiscent of Luke tossing his lightsaber. On top of all of that, the action isn't any fun because it's way too CGIed. I'm not talking so much about the terminator (though less CGI on him would've been nice, too). All of the fights and even stunts like Mackenzie Davis' character jumping into the back of a truck are CGIed. Once upon a time, they'd use stunt doubles. Now, they just do it in computers and it looks much worse and fake. Nothing in this movie looks the least bit real. Also, everything is familiar (if not predictable) if you've seen the first two movies, which, again, this simply rips off because it's not original in the least. Finally, I won't go into details, but you can feel politics throughout the movie. In all, this is an incredibly derivative movie that adds nothing to the franchise and isn't any better than the mostly bad sequels that it retconned and was supposed to be better than. I am confused that the critic and audience scores are as good as they are because, IMO, this is a bad, run-of-the-mill, everything-that's-wrong-with-Hollywood type of movie that left me with a feeling similar to what the last two Star Wars sequels did.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

You get a like just for sheer quantity if nothing else.

When you watch, are you actually locked in? Or usually playing with your phone or on the internet during? Just curious.

It varies but for the most part I’m fairly locked in. Part of the reason my movie watching dwindled over the years was due to a growing inability to stay attentive. If my mind wanders I’ll pause and take a break. These days movies are serving an escapist function that was previously served by less healthy means. I’m definitely into popcorn flicks more than depressing dramas at the moment.

What are everyone’s favorite adventure/escapist kind of movies? Something visually robust and/or with captivating world building.

I’ll also add a couple more short reviews.

Top Gun (1986?) - Honestly, for the first time I noticed the thing about Tom Cruise’s front teeth being off center and was continually distracted by it. Also, ever since seeing that Tarantino clip about how the entire movie is about repressed homosexuality, it’s hard to watch and not think about that. But I told the gf this was a must see just because of cultural relevance. Her father and brother are happy I made her watch. She makes fun of me for growing up without cable TV. I don’t know how someone grew up with cable in the 90s and has never seen Top Gun. As for the actual movie, it’s pretty unremarkable. I remember thinking it feels like an over-workshopped script. Has anyone seen the Always Sunny Lethal Weapon episode where Mac’s character deliberately explains out loud how if he makes the basketball shot it will redeem him from failing the exact same thing earlier in the movie? That came to kind with this. C+

That reminds me, I rewatched Adaptation earlier this year. God I love that movie. How Charlie Kaufman managed to use all those screenwriting cliches and make a commentary on them at the same time was so impressive. That’s definitely an A+ movie for me.

Tonight I watched Last Action Hero (1993). This is a hard one to pin down. It’s an interesting satire of the over the top action movies of the 80s, and has a lot of funny meta jokes (like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character Jack Slater learning he is a movie character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and being unable to pronounce his name). There’s something lacking in this movie though and I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe with a slightly older kid costar and an R rating instead of PG 13 it would’ve been better. It’s still better than its reputation though. Also, apparently it was released a week after Jurassic Park. That’s rough... B-