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

Mutant Girls Squad - 6/10
The Japanese directors... sheesh.
Okay, this is like a 'Tokyo Gore Police' with a quarter 'Power Rangers' blended in.
It's crazy. It's beautifully over-the-top at times. It tries to have heart. It's just weird.


Disconnect - 5/10
I hate this dysfunction-as-entertainment / let's-examine-crazy-people genré.
Looks good. Fine acting and technicals. Writing is fine.
I turned it off fifteen minutes into it hoping it was going somewhere.
Lotta people love it. Ain't my cup of tea.


Mortal Instruments - 5/10
Even my 13yo target audience daughter wasn't interested in even watching this, and she liked 'I Am Number Four'!
I turned it off after 40min.
Boring.


Perks of Being a Wallflower - 5/10
Same as 'Disconnect' above.
Dysfunctional-kids! Yaaaay. Whatevs... :rolleyes:


The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - 8/10
A "should see".
Jam packed with so much visual detail I couldn't even note all of what I know was there!
Smaug's animation is fantastic at times, others... eh.
Surprised the spider sequence was so short.
IDK WTH anyone's beef is with Jackson incorporating Tauriel into the story is.
The actress is gorgeous and the story needs to have some eggs mixed in with all the sausage-galore, juno?


The Wolverine - 6.5/10
Nice, conservative, non-cartoon entry into the franchise.
It's a one-and-done sort of film.
Will be interesting to see what he does with the return of his bone daggers going forward.
 
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. B-. Fairly fun.

Erased. C+ Not too bad. It has some parts that are difficult to believe. But oh well.

Haywire. 3 stars.

The American. B-

Grabbers. Not too bad. B-. Kinda fun.

Side Effects. B.

Shame. Quite good. B+

Blackfish. Oh gosh. I've been educated. I won't be patronizing those places. Well made documentary. A-
 
Last night, I had the displeasure of watching "The Heat". Not once did I laugh. Also, I'm all for profanity in films, but was the amount of swearing in this supposed to be 'the joke'? If so, I don't get it.

1/10
 
mad_hatter said:
Last night, I had the displeasure of watching "The Heat". Not once did I laugh. Also, I'm all for profanity in films, but was the amount of swearing in this supposed to be 'the joke'? If so, I don't get it.

1/10
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The tracheotomy scene was amazing
 
Happy Together directed by Wong Kar-Wai - 10/10
One of the most haunting and heart-breaking films I have ever seen. As usual, Wong's visuals (and the soundtrack) are incredibly beautiful and fit every emotion the film tries to convey. I actually feel like I know more about relationships after seeing this film, and it's one of those few films that I will re-watch almost immediately after the first viewing.
 
A Bug's Life directed by John Lasseter & Andrew Stanton - 7/10
One of Pixar's weaker films in my opinion. I liked the animation, but since there were mostly ants there was little variety in the character designs. The story is pretty good, but I feel like it is too derivative and not as unique or fresh as Pixar's other films. Overall, an enjoyable film but not on par with Pixar's masterpieces.
 
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - 8/10
A "should see".
Jam packed with so much visual detail I couldn't even note all of what I know was there!
Smaug's animation is fantastic at times, others... eh.
Surprised the spider sequence was so short.
IDK WTH anyone's beef is with Jackson incorporating Tauriel into the story is.
The actress is gorgeous and the story needs to have some eggs mixed in with all the sausage-galore, juno?
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I just saw it last night and I agree.
It was always going to be that awkward middle part of the trilogy, but it definitely got me excited for the finale.
About half way through I was starting to think it was a bit convoluted and clunky but it gathered steam towards the end (I guess once they reached that town run by Steven Fry onwards) I loved it. The dragon was great, and actually the barrel chase was cool too.
Overall, a really good film, not amazing but I agree, a "should see". I think the third part will be best of the trilogy but time will tell.
(Watching it did make me realise though just how great The Lord of the Rings was. Both films are technically superb but LOTR was just a lot more emotional, powerful and moving IMO.)
 
Dirty Harry directed by Don Siegel - 8.5/10
A really good engaging film, with awesome one-liners and one of the coolest characters ever. The best scenes are really incredible, and I loved following the plot. I only wish that there were a little more depth to the characters.
 
Cow directed by Aleksandr Petrov - 8/10
Another great beautiful animation by an underrated master. Unfortunately my appreciation of the film was diminished a bit due to subtitles that were very off, I will find a better copy online and see if my opinion changes.

Mobile Men directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul - 6.5/10
Some interesting ideas, but while I viewed the film I didn't get what made it special. After reading a bit about it, the concept sounds so interesting so I'll give it a re-watch.
 
The Original Star Wars Trilogy:

I wanted to view these three films back to back. Here's my thoughts on seeing these for the first time in many years:

Star Wars:

A great film. Who cares if Luke sounds whiny? Who cares if some of the acting isn't great? Well I don't because this film in my eyes is a classic and always will be. It's a lot of fun, lots of great character moments. The tone is light compared to the other two in the OT but because this was (at the time) the first foray into the world of Star Wars there's nothing wrong with that at all. It captured the imagination of a generation and still does to this day.

So many wonderful and memorable lines of dialogue. The practical effects still hold up really well. Keep in mind the versions I watched were the 2004 dvds. I've gotten over the changes that were made so they don't bother me any more. Yes, Han in this version shoots at the same time as Greedo. Yes, there's more background buildings in Mos Eisley. Yes, there's more Stormtroopers added in the scene where Han Solo comes running and screaming only to stop in his tracks, notice he's severely outnumbered and runs back in the opposite direction. But you know what? The essence of the film is still there and isn't really affected that much.

A quick digression to a comparison between Star Wars and The Matrix. Both were made to be stand alone films, both creators didn't know if their film would be a success. If they never made any sequels to these movies they would still be a satisfying film on its own merits. But because both were successful sequels were greenlit. However! The main difference is that the Matrix sequels were shot back to back and Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were shot individually and treated on a film by film basis. Where am I going with this? The Matrix sequels should have been done in the same way as Empire and Return, and perhaps more attention would have been paid to making the Matrix sequels better than what they eventually were.

Now onto Empire Strikes Back:

This is the darkest in tone of all the three OT films. It is the middle film though so the cliffhanger ending is appropriate even though I'm sure for audiences at the time it was excruciating having to wait three years for the next installment. How lucky those who were born after the OT had been released are to get to watch all three without needing to wait years in between.

The characters are taken to places where they are facing what seems like insurmountable odds. This film out of all the Star Wars films, including the Prequel Trilogy, focuses the most on The Force. Star Wars touched upon it but in Empire it's made a focus because of Yoda's introduction and the lessons Luke needs to learn. He is about to face a very dark time in his journey to becoming a Jedi.

This film is still the best Star Wars film ever made in my opinion. It does what good sequels are supposed to do and that is not rehash everything from the previous film but add new and well thought out layers to the story and put the characters into more challenging situations.

Return of the Jedi:

This film gets a bit of flack because of the Ewoks but to be honest I have no issues with these creatures or their ability to be formidable against the Empire, which some consider to be unrealistic. Well perhaps if these films were trying to be documentaries about a real species then perhaps but since not well it's not much of an issue.

What some people forget about this film is that it basically is a mixture of the light tone from Star Wars and the dark tone of Empire Strikes Back. The most interesting parts of the film though, and the parts that are the strongest and so make this film still a great addition are the whole Han Solo rescue from the hands of Jabba the Hutt, all scenes with Luke, Vader and The Emperor, and the space battles above Endor.

Overall I enjoy this film. It's not the best of the OT and the story in having another Death Star may seem a bit repetitive but still it is an enjoyable movie and deserves to be part of the saga.

Okay so the scores for each film:

Star Wars - 9/10
Empire Strikes Back - 10/10
Return of the Jedi - 9/10
 
The Matrix sequels should have been done in the same way as Empire and Return, and perhaps more attention would have been paid to making the Matrix sequels better than what they eventually were.
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Perhaps so, but wasn't 'Back to the Future' made as a stand alone movie and the sequels shot back to back? And they were all great IMO.
I haven't seen the Matrix sequels since they came out. I'm tempted to go back and watch them but I have a feeling I'll regret it. Might just follow your lead and put on the original "Star Wars" instead. :cool:

I just watched:
"The Great Gatsby" - the Baz Lurhman adaptation. It cleaned up last week at the local awards (best film, best director, best actor, best screenplay, best editing, etc, etc, etc) I guess that begs the question of how we actually classify an "Australian" film. Its a classic American novel, set in America and about Americans. Sure, it was filmed in a studio here, but then so were the above mentioned Matrix sequels and countless other films that aren't Australian. The cast is a mixture of local and overseas actors, probably mostly local, though the leads are from overseas. I guess the key creatives are mostly all Australian, so there's that, but the fact is it was made with a good dose of Warner Bros. money which would put the other nominees budgets to shame.
What do you other Aussies think? I guess I just felt bad seeing what felt more like an American movie to me cleaning up the local awards and taking exposure away from the lesser films which could have maybe used it.
Plus it's not that good of a movie. Performances and production design aside, its actually pretty bad. I recommend just reading the book instead.
 
You know, after rewatching them, I kinda like the Matrix sequels. I love where the story goes and some of the action sequences are pretty fun. Sure, there are some absolutely silly bits, but there was in the first (hell, the whole human battery concept is pretty silly). And I absolutely love the ending of the series. Of course, take that for what it's worth: I also like the Ewoks.

With the passing of Arthur Rankin Jr, I've been rewatching old favorites. Started with The Hobbit. I loved this as a kid, and it got me into the books. Some of the character design was pretty good, and there are a couple good songs in there. But you know, it's overall not very good. Some of the songs are really atrocious and a product of their era. It's not really a faithful adaptation of the book; more a "greatest hits" adaptation. With some pretty bad added dialogue. Part of my childhood, and I love it still, but it just goes to show how much better fantasy films are these days. Back then? Any port in a storm. We'll take what we can get. Now, however, we don't have to.
 
Blow-Up directed by Michelangelo Antonioni - 10/10
An absolute masterpiece! I love how it captures Swinging London, yet goes beyond with its very interesting ideas. I was engaged throughout the whole film, and it's still making me think a lot! I didn't think I'd like Antonioni much, but wow he is a genius! The dialogue and soundtrack for this movie is awesome, but the best scenes are nearly pure silence as the events unfold visually.
 
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JoshL said:
Sure, there are some absolutely silly bits, but there was in the first (hell, the whole human battery concept is pretty silly).
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+1
Stupid computer/machines couldn't figure out how to use a simple minded animal like a cow or pig to generate bioheat? :lol:
 
rayw said:
+1
Stupid computer/machines couldn't figure out how to use a simple minded animal like a cow or pig to generate bioheat? :lol:
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in the original concept, the machines intelligence itself was derived from using human brains as part of their hardware. The battery concept eventually replaced this because it was deemed easier to understand by the average moviegoer
 
I saw a few short films today. I started a D.W. Griffith Week for myself, as I try to explore this director's short films in an attempt to appreciate his work (I didn't enjoy his films that I saw about two years ago).

The Adventures of Dollie directed by D.W. Griffith - 6/10
A nice little film about a girl getting kidnapped, I was always engaged and Griffith demonstrated that he knew about storytelling through film here. The film just doesn't have a very interesting story or anything that stands out though.

The Sealed Room directed by D.W. Griffith - 7/10
This is more like it, I think the story here is interesting and there are actually some unexpected beautiful cinematographic moments. Not a stellar film but, I think it shows that Griffith is capable of great work (as many people say he has made).

The Marathon directed by Aleksandr Petrov - 7/10
A humorous little film, it isn't in the same style as Petrov's other work but it's short and sweet enough to be a fun watch. I'm not sure if it's trying to criticize Disney, or simply show its impact on people. Still, a fun little short.

Tomorrow's Sun directed by Nagisa Ôshima - 8/10
I didn't expect to love this film so much! It's a film filled with youthfulness and lots of fun experimentation. I love the use of color, the absurd situations, and the film's structure. I also love the little song in the film, this is just a very charming crazy film. The only reason I don't rate it higher than an 8 is because apparently there are no subtitles available, so I didn't quite understand it (though I'm not sure subtitles would actually help with this absurd story). Still, I think if I had the subtitles there would be some equally absurd narration and dialogue that would've been entertaining. I look forward to re-watching this once someone makes subs!
 
Still watching lots of cartoons! Hooray!

The Croods - 7/10
Not bad, but not really all that great. The creatures are fantastic and adorable (I was particularly fond of the Owl-Cat thing). I enjoyed it, but don't really feel like watching it again anytime soon. Very impressive texture work, and a fun, if not a little by-the-book story.

Flight of Dragons - 6/10 (+3 if you grew up on it)
Man, I love this cartoon. I loved it when it when it came out. I loved it as a teenager. And I still love it. The problem is it isn't very good. Or rather, the story is good. The art is great. The character design, fantastic. The voice acting good for the era. But the dialogue...again, product of the era. Rankin/Bass were not trying to break the "animation is for kids" stereotype in the way that, say, Ralph Bashki was. Like the Hobbit, it was made for TV, so didn't have the budget of The Last Unicorn (definitely the best of the R/B films in terms of quality).
 
Super Bowl XLVIII

Best movie I've ever seen! A++++++!!!!!!!!

Also, my official top-20 favorite movies of 2013:

1 The World's End A+
2 Gravity A
3 Catching Fire A
4 Thor: Dark World A
5 Her A
6 Man of Steel A
7 Star Trek Into Darkness A
8 Anchorman 2 A-
9 Pacific Rim A-
10 This is the End A-
11 Lone Survivor A-
12 Monsters University B+
13 In a World B+
14 Iron Man 3 B+
15 Dallas Buyers Club B+
16 The Wolverine B+
17 World War Z B+
18 Mud B+
19 White House Down B
20 Secret Walter Mitty B

Feel free to judge my character by this list, I don't mind. :D

This list is by no means intended to be an objective measurement of the quality of any films. It is simply an entirely subject measure of how much I enjoyed the movie.
 
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