movies What's the last film you watched? And rate it!

Pete, :lol:, yeah...

I liked it more than you did.


*****


Total Recall (2012).

It's not too bad. I don’t mean to "knock" a film like this when it's clear enough that a lot of money was spent on it (138 million - IMDb. You can see the money on the screen, I think.), people worked hard on it, the talent are all good, it has nice art direction, nice set design, it has admirable CGI that's mixed well with the live action elements, etc.

What's probably lacking is character development...even story development. I was a little surprised to find that this 2012 version is actually five minutes longer than the original 1990 adaptation. I had been thinking that perhaps a shorter running time might help to explain this difference. But no. It's longer.

I guess what it comes down to is that TR 2012 has a number of quite long, complicated, and time-consuming action sequences, while, comparatively, TR 1990 has a lot less action, in point of fact. Which feels weird to say, since I would have previously said that TR 1990 is an action-packed film. Well, now...maybe not so much so when compared to TR 2012. TR 1990 spends more time on such things as the mystery of who Kuato is and the discovery of the secret Mars technology that could liberate the 99 percent, so to speak, etc. While TR 2012 is more about spectacular action sequences.

I missed Mars. I think this film needed Mars.

I missed Arnold. I like Colin Farrell. His work in this film is fine and I'm happy for him getting the work etc. But I agree with Roger Ebert. Arnold brought something to this role that I missed in this "re-imagining."

So, this is a re-make that really didn't need to be made. But it's a decent enough popcorn action flick.

Maybe (a 5 or) a 6 out of 10. Production value is high. But the above mentioned feeling it gave me of rather shallow story development (not the worst sin in the world of summer blockbuster movies) must, I think, keep the score lower. Of course that's partly due to the inevitable comparisons to the 1990 version, which feels like it has more story (a more satisfying amount of it, anyway).
 
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Nude Nuns with Big Guns - 4/10 - gping in I knew it wasn't going to be good, its not a movie I would typically go after but I needed a terrible, campy movie and this delivered at that. Great rendition of an exploitation film. If grading off that, I'd give it a 7.5/10
 
Pete said:
Valhalla Rising - 6/10

Depending on your perspective, this movie was either horribly paced or impeccably paced. Horrible because of the awkward silences, cutting, and line delivery that added to its anti-film appeal.
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This is on my to watch list... Keen to check out Refns earlier work as really loved Drive.

I really enjoyed The Cell. Obviously the casting is completely daft and some of the story was very hammy but looked great and some real fun in there. Might have to check out The Fall. :lol:

Watched Night of The Hunter for the first time the other night. The pace and narrative show their age a bit but some of the shots/scenes are jaw dropping!
 
Blow-Out - 8/10
DePalma at his best. A visceral, fast-paced tour de force. There is a bad performance and weak line every now and then, but in all a technical masterpiece. The ending is spectacularly poetic.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer - 7/10
Absolutely the most disturbing film I have ever seen. But it's too well acted, well written and too thought-provoking to disregard. An amazing but horrifying accomplishment.

The Silence of the Lambs - 10/10
A full-out masterpiece. Breathtakingly chilling performances from the amazing duo of Foster and Hopkins, amazingly tense sequences and unforeseen twists far from cliche. But the icing of this mesmerizing cake is the incredible symbolism: the whole film is really the tale of Clarice's sexual awakening, or puberty, and her reluctance to lose her innocence. A coming of age story disguised as a chilling thriller. Flawless.
 
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Pete said:
Valhalla Rising - 6/10
If you're in the mood for it, go for it! Otherwise I would recommend picking a different movie.
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Yup.
Seriously. If you're not in the right state of mind for this it's complete rubbish, but if you're in that right place that numbing pace, imagery, and music are... emotionally satisfying.

There are a few movies out there like this.
I just watched 'The Fountain' the other day. It's fruity. It's weird. I liked it.
Again, "If you're in the mood for it" it's fine. Otherwise...


The Darkest Hour - 4/10
I had heard this was a poorly received film. Yup.
Interesting premise, executed along a juvenile story line.
Characters are idiots. I bitched at them all the way through.
IDK who screws these things up; the writer, the director, or the producers.
My 13yo daughter enjoyed it though, and maybe that's the best audience for this.


Project X - 7/10 (One of those points is just for the writing)
Umm... Strangely, I enjoyed this film.
It received p!ss poor reviews, I don't fit into the target demographic AT ALL, (never did), totally missed all the misogynistic stuff because... I think there's a rather large population of teen boys who do think the only way they can get any tail is by getting a girl drunk, so... I really don't see how that's a condemnation of writer identifying and pegging Generation Z for what they are.
As far as I'm concerned this is just an update of Animal House and Risky Business.
I enjoyed how the party just kept getting progressively more and more out of control. It was nice writing.
Same writer as for 21 Jump Street, which I also enjoyed immensely.
 
rayw said:
Project X - 7/10 (One of those points is just for the writing)
I enjoyed how the party just kept getting progressively more and more out of control. It was nice writing.
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I actually gave it a 7 as well. It's a stupid, stupid film with no point and a horrible message, especially for my dumbass generation (Throw an insane drunken party, ruin your future but hey, everyone will think you're cool!)... but it's enjoyable, well-shot and massively, tremendously immersive. The music, the shots, the pace, you feel like you're in the party.

But nice writing? What writing? It's one of the most poorly-written films of its kind (American Reunion was better) and the party-out-of-control plot is hardly original. Not to mention the horribly uneven vulgar-to-corny dialogue.
 
fernando97echeverria said:
But nice writing? What writing? It's one of the most poorly-written films of its kind (American Reunion was better) and the party-out-of-control plot is hardly original. Not to mention the horribly uneven vulgar-to-corny dialogue.
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The construct of HOW over the top the whole event becomes.
"Original" doesn't matter. You got me there. Can't claim that it is.
But HOW stupid can stupid get - without being just unbelievable?

Kid's got an 18th BD. Fine.
Kid and his hanger on friend moon around a poser-gangsta-wannabe. Fine.
Poser-gangsta-wannabe is actually fairly good at promotions.
Promotes the living sh!t outta what's agreed to be a 50peeps party.
Nah, it's 50+1 = 100+
Mass email, craigslist, radio ads. It's all gone crazy apesh!t behind BDboy's back.
But they need booze: Dude at store commits to booze, and he brings more gasoline girls.
Friends of friends all come. Fine. DJ. Fine. Moonbounce. Fine. Inflatables. Fine. "Nude Girls Only" in pool signs. Fine. Topless girls in pool. Great. Wonderful. Fine.
And this is where most normal 50peep parties stories top out at 200strangers doing all sorts of dumb sh!t. Whatever.

But then there's the extacy pills in the gnome turned pinata.
Everyone hushing in the backyard while the cops get deferred by two stupid kids.
Then the news helicopter.
Then the roof diving into the moonbounce.
The the cops being run off by the 1500 strong party people.
Then the flame thrower guy.
The the hood's on fire.
The riot police.
The benz into the pool by the groin punching little person.
Then firefighting helicopters dousing everything with water.
Everyone runs away.
It's total effing lunacy.

Animal House and Risky business were backyard playdates compared to this.
American Pies and The Hangovers were very limited in relative scope.

It's the story construct I was impressed with, not the stupid teen dilemmas and dialog.
 
I see what you mean. I just think that is better classified as a plot and you have to agree with me that it doesn't take more than the mind of a stoned college student to come up with that chain of events :lol:
 
I just got the Blu-ray of Detention, which Joseph Kahn (Torque, a bunch of music videos) apparently self-financed. A really fast-paced, meta teen slasher that really pulls the lid off in the last act. Had Dane Cook and Josh Hutcherson in it, and they were actually a real pleasant surprise. Kahn's passion really shows through and the end result is absolutely the movie he wanted to make. Check out the trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UkdZd_muq4

Detention.png
 
The Hunger Games - 6/10
I've seen The Human Centipede and I was still a bit put off by the film's concept: kids gruesomely killing kids. But the overall themes of heroism and courage were enough to distract from the horrifying premise.

First off the film took way too long to start. The prelude to the games was almost unbearably long and awkwardly paced. The camera was already beginning to be way too shaky (I got headaches) and the film didn't seem to know what shots to use and when. But from the start we know the cast was absolutely perfect: Lawrence is strong but heartfelt, Hutcherson is lovably oblivious and Harrelson is wonderfully drunk. Too bad they don't have enough individual screen-time.

Once the games actually begin, they're riveting, intense, and when the camera is not having a bout of Parkinson's, they're poetic. The pacing is excellent and the tension reaches outstandingly high peaks. You genuinely feel for the characters- something most films cannot accomplish -and it builds up to a satisfying conclusion.

Overall a flawlessly cast, well-paced but stumbling, uneven film that has a good share of excellent moments.
 
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Fernando97 that's funny my 10 year old sister loved it, guess she didnt care about kids killing kids.

Middle Men is on Netflix, so if you have that please watch it. It really surprised me. Luke Wilson is a pretty good actor, but most of his movies bore me.

This one completely surprised me, I thought it was awesome. 8/10

- rock n roll soundtrack
- the blonde girl is drop dead gorgeous
- Luke Wilson is a likable protagonist
- interesting storyline
 
Pink Floyd- The Wall- 10/10
The most immersive, tortured and brilliantly insane film ever made. It ranks up there with 2001 and Blade Runner for its endless visual and philosophical scope, and the maddeningly beautiful relationship between image and music is unmatched.
 
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The Campaign. It's funny, pretty good. But I'm not the best person to comment on this kind of comedy. Comedy isn't my favorite genre, anyway. This kind of comedy is saccharin by nature. They leave me feeling empty and a little creeped out the way weird dreams that you're just glad were just dreams do (and your relieved to wake-up from them).


The Bourne Legacy. Oh boy, not doing so well on Rotten Tomatoes. But I liked it quite a bit. No new ground is really tread here, but it's a worthy sequel. In some ways, it's better than the previous two, for me. It's really intelligent, has good pacing, and is pretty satisfying, except, possibly, that it plays sort of like an episodical; as mentioned above, it's really about setting up the new Hero, Heroine, other players, and the next sequels. But that was just fine for me. It's all done very well.

The whole cast is exceptional.

The cinematography is outstanding. Robert Elswit was the DP, as he was for Michael Clayton.

Looks like Tony Gilroy has a team that he works with from movie to movie, and it looks like it's partly a family affair.

John Gilroy did the editing, as he did for Michael Clayton.

And again, also from Michael Clayton, James Newton Howard did the original music.

What a great team. Their work is some of the best going in contemporary cinema, as far as I'm concerned. Bunch of excellant filmmakers. I find their work and aesthetic choices to be quite simpatico with my own. I hope they keep making excellant films like Michael Clayton and like The Bourne Legacy.

Maybe an 8 or even a 9 for me.
 
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Safe - 6.5/10 : Had never heard of it before. Saw it at theater. Had a bit of a ridiculous body-count, but really enjoyed the four-way double-cross action. Shot well. Decent fight choreography. Over-the-top gunfights. Set brain to automatic & enjoy the show.

Prometheus 2d - 4/10 : Considering the huge thread about it on the forums, I was expecting something pretty spectacular. Very disappointed. I still can't figure out why the film is set in the Alien universe. It could have been an entirely self-contained non-connected film, and it would have made just as much sense. Film left too many things either unexplained or unanswered. Still can't figure out how the Engineers managed to build spacecraft, hyperbaric chambers, flashback holograph devices, but are unable to properly store their dna goo in containers that 1) aren't shaped insanely top-heavy & 2) that leak like a seive. And if David's excuse for doing what he did is going to be, "because he could"... I dunno, man.

For a movie that was going to explain a few things, it sure was murky about the answers. I expect a few sequels to be milked from this. Maybe that's why so much ambiguity was left in the film. Meh. Oh well. Got my money's worth, for the $1 ticket. :cool:
 
Hot Fuzz. Edgar Wright is brilliant! I give this a 10 out of 10. One of my top movies.

Watched Captain Ron the other day with Kurt Russel. This has been a family favorite for years in our family. Very underated movie. 9/10
 
The Campaign- 6/10

So, "The Campaign" was kinda funny... would've been better if Zach Galifinakis wasn't in it.... or had died during production....

But it had some good moments.... The only problem I saw, besides, Zach G. existing.... was that the premise just dragged the movie down. I heard someone in the theater say "There is no reason for them to be politicians! It's pointless!"

I thought to myself, "This movie would've worked so much better if they played egotistical movie stars trying to fight for the spotlight... or TV stars"

But the funny moments were incredible, and I love every Jay Roach film I've seen and most Will Ferrell comedies I've seen. I for one, cannot wait for the rumored movie he may be doing with Adam Sandler (Yeah I said it!!!)
 
With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story. I would think that anyone who's ever loved Marvel would want to see this. Pretty interesting. Could have been more. The filmmakers could have explained more and given more details. But still a pretty good show. Makes me appreciate more the sort of era of Marvel movie blockbusters we're now in and enjoying.

It's available on Netflix.
 
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