What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[accies1874]

3 hours ago, BFTD said:

I recommend following it up with Plumbers Don't Wear Ties. A classic of the slideshow genre.

Deal. Plumbers Don't Wear Ties will be reviewed alongside In a Violent Nature whenever that comes out. If it's another mega post then I'm blaming you. 

[KnightswoodBear]

Godzilla Minus One

Great fun.  The VFX are tremendous, they've somehow managed to created CGI that looks a bit like the old school man in suit Godzilla, but it not look shit.

Highly recommend 8/10

[accies1874]

Not my best couple of trips to the cinema...

48. The Fall Guy - Cinema

I could tell as soon as the adverts started that the projection was awful with constant flickering, so I spoke to one of the staff members who came into the screening and said that she’d speak to her manager. Her manager never came, the projection was never fixed. I was upset.

I’m not sure if my bad mood contributed to how I felt about the film, as The Fall Guy annoyed me a fair bit. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some good stuff in here. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are great (they’re always great), I liked some of the commentary on blockbuster filmmaking, and there are a couple of set-pieces that I found surprisingly exciting given how hollow the characters involved were. I think a lot of that excitement came from the music – classic action fare alongside some remixed older pop tracks.

When the two leads weren’t the source of the jokes, I just didn’t find it very funny. There’s a lot of played-out humour such as tired pop culture references, obvious misunderstandings, lol random moments and some bathos. I thought that the whole thing was a complete mess. I struggled to get a handle on Emily Blunt’s feelings towards Ryan Gosling which I suppose contradicts my praise of her earlier, but I felt that it was more in the script, as the turns in their relationship either picked up out of nowhere or were quickly abandoned. There were key moments where I didn’t have a clear understanding of where key players in the plot were, both story-wise and emotionally, and then got confused when they just reappeared at a separate location. Or there would be a tense scene involving one of them that never gets resolved and suddenly he’s just doing his usual shit.

I really should’ve just looked at David Leitch’s writing and directing credits before watching, as they’re what would be best described as Reddit Movies.

49. The Strangers: Chapter 1 - Cinema

Don't make the same mistake I did; don't pay to see this. I thought that "Chapter 1" implied that it was a prequel, not that I'd be cheated out of an ending.

I'm not a huge fan of The Strangers series, but the entertaining simplicity of them made me think that this would be fine as a after-work cinema trip. It started off OK by setting up a generic remote village with generic yokels, and I quite liked a couple of its techniques once the horror/thrills started such as opting for quick cuts where you might expect some lingering which created a slight sense of uneasiness, and there's one scene that framed the main man (I can't remember his name) so that his head is the only thing taking up the middle of the frame and there's a big, unfocussed space either side of him. It didn't come to anything but was pretty much the only moment of tension.

Despite only rewatching the first one a couple of weeks ago I don't remember much about it, however I definitely know that this is essentially a remake of it. That approach has its issues, but it's by far the most interesting thing about Chapter 1 in terms of how that repetition relates to the text at the start of the film. If the thrills were actually fun then this idea might have been enough for me to go "oh... fair enough." Also if it had an ending.

I spent the final 15/20 minutes wondering what approach they would take to wrapping up such a copy-and-paste job (that was before I knew that we weren't getting a wrap-up), as it seemed to be heading for either the exact same as the original which would've tied it to the opening text, or they could've done a Halloween 2018 and twisted the conclusion to make the audience think about the new film within the context of something they've already seen. I thought that those were the only two available paths, so I suppose I should be happy that they went with a third. Too bad that the third was nothing.

[Scorge]

Caught The Fall Guy last weekend, and yes, quite underwhelming even though it's loaded with stunty-crashy-goodness. Wanted to like it more although it's by no means bad. Hitman, however, was very enjoyable - had no idea of the story going in and even though it gets slighty far fetched towards the denoument, it's great fun.

Edited June 7 by Scorge

[BFTD]

Enemy (DVD) - college professor Jake Gyllenhaal discovers that he has a doppelganger in bit-part film actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

I do like a good "wtf did I just watch" film, but unfortunately this is a particularly dull one. Not a whole lot actually happens, there are a couple of random giant spiders; that's yer lot. It's clearly an allegorical tale meant to be discussed and/or researched afterwards, but I didn't have much of an opinion about it and reading other people's explanations didn't make it seem any more interesting so...meh. Quite like Denis Villeneuve's films, but not this time. It did leave me interested in reading the book though, purely because I can't imagine it would have been so light on plot, nor would it surely have included a part where, apropos of nothing, a 500ft angular spider took a brief stroll through the city.

My son thought the ending was fucking hilarious, by the way.

[accies1874]

50. Riddle of Fire - Cinema

What a strange film. A group of kids want to play their stolen videogame but can't do that until they get the TV password which they can't get until their mum feels better which can't happen until she gets a blueberry pie which she can't get until... yeah. 

It almost feels like an ode to the freedom of a childhood summer of misadventure, albeit all set within around 24 hours, as they grow to compete against the adults who hold the keys to their success. I initially left the film thinking that I had some fun at the weird dreamlike silliness of it all but felt that it was lacking in anything worth considering beyond the vibes. However, I've since had a couple of thoughts that make it a bit more worthwhile in my mind. 

There's something satisfying about the typical fairytale storytelling of underdogs being presented with an Against the Odds task and watching them overcome this, and Riddle of Fire follows a lot of that knowingly with its title cards, rural settings, outbursts of magic etc. It contrasts this nostalgia with components of modern life: convenience stores that sell fantastical eggs, paintball guns up against real guns, retrofuturism through the lens of a smartphone. My half-baked thought is that it's a comment on how we're left dissatisfied in the moment even if we're going on a great adventure - an adventure that we'll only appreciate in retrospect. These kids live out a fairytale but that's all with the purpose of getting to play a videogame. We don't appreciate the joys of childhood until we're removed from it, which is why this film is, despite being from the perspective of children, very much an adult's point of view.

[BFTD]

The Garfield Movie (cinema) - fat cat likes lasagna.

A pretty generic, mediocre animated flick for young kids with some Garfield added in. Didn't feel like something that would normally get a cinema release.

The Devil Hunter (Blu-ray) - hot young American actress is kidnapped and held to ransom in The Jungle, where a bug-eyed cannibal deity awaits.

I made some poor decisions the other day, one of which was buying a Jess Franco film; the best one of his films that I've seen was Vampyros Lesbos, which is just interminable. This was both boring and dire.

The acting's awful, as you'd expect. The effects and stunts likewise; real amateur stuff. The script is threadbare and doesn't make a lot of sense. The whole thing seems to exist only to showcase a series of lassies in the buff, with Franco's trademark long John McVeigh is a tit zooms present and correct. He was like a twelve year old who'd never seen a scuddy woman before, never mind a guy who spent decades filming them.

Clearly I shouldn't be allowed out with my wallet anymore, but it gets worse; I also bought a Joe D'Amato film at the same time. TBC.

[scottsdad]

Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (cinema)

No clue how many times I have seen this, but the first time at the cinema. It really does feel like a different movie on the big screen. This is the first time that the death of David felt emotional. The music in this film is awesome. The only downside is the space battle. Very short. 

Only 20 or so folk in attendance, compared to quite a packed cinema when watching The Motion Picture.

I guess I will be back in a couple of years for The Voyage Home

"You Klingon b*****d, you killed my son".

[KnightswoodBear]

13 hours ago, scottsdad said:

Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (cinema)

No clue how many times I have seen this, but the first time at the cinema. It really does feel like a different movie on the big screen. This is the first time that the death of David felt emotional. The music in this film is awesome. The only downside is the space battle. Very short. 

Only 20 or so folk in attendance, compared to quite a packed cinema when watching The Motion Picture.

I guess I will be back in a couple of years for The Voyage Home

"You Klingon b*****d, you killed my son".

I think that this one doesn't get enough love, possibly because it was an almost impossible task to follow up TWoK.  Christopher Lloyd is great in this but he's no Khan.

I far prefer it to IV.

[MSU]

080 Run Lola Run -- Back for its 25th anniversary -- even if 1998 + 25 = 2023, but whatever -- I didn't see this at the time and not only that, I've managed to avoid it for quarter of a century. It's always been a movie that's intrigued me, although the blurb consistently managed to put me off. Well, I'm glad I finally got round to it because this is great fun. Franka Potente is incredibly engaging as Lola, no mean feat considering how much of the movie she spends sprinting, and Moritz Bleibtreu puts in a great turn as the frantic Manni. The direction and soundtrack, though, elevate matters with invention and care, throwing in animation for some scenes and using a grainy stock for some amusing and some touching And Then moments for the people Lola comes in contact with. 8/10

081 The Watchers -- There comes a moment faerly early on in this Nepobaby movie, after the Thing That This is All About has happened where I just asked myself, why am I sitting watching this? I'm still not sure of the answer. A woman tries to drive from Galway to Belfast, which somehow involves going down a single-track road in a forest, where her car breaks down and she's chased by an unseen presence to a house in the woods where she and three strangers are visited by malevolent beings in the night. It's like the hatch in Lost, but stupider. 2/10

082 Under Paris -- The problem with shark movies is that it's always going to compare poorly to the shark movie, by which I mean of course, Jaws 2. This French attempt tries to introduce some environmentalism at the start which is quickly forgotten as a freakishly large mako shark makes its way into the Seine round about the time that, wouldn't you know it, there's a triathlon event about to take place with the swimming segment taking part in the river. It takes a long time to get to that part of it and some dodgy CGI doesn't really make it a worthwhile wait. The end seems more determined to threaten a sequel than it does a resolution and is quite peculiar, even for a French movie. 3/10

083 Inside Out 2 -- Inside Out was perfect. This isn't that, but it comes pretty close. Riley's story continues as she and her friends qualify for a hockey camp where they will mix with high school girls and have a chance to impress the coach. But puberty hits just as she learns that her best pals will be going to a different high school, and a clutch of new emotions take over head quarters, sending the original gang to the back of Riley's mind. It has the regular aspects of a Pixar movie with great visuals and a sparkling script, but in my showing anyway, the jokes seemed to land better for the adults than the young kids in the audience. The focus on mental health in our youth perhaps pitches everything to an older group, and it's a brave decision that I found relevant and accurate, but maybe the cost of that is an experience that's a little over the heads of those for whom High School lies somewhere in their distant future. For me, overall it was lovely, heartwarming, it made me cry several times -- once just because Riley's friends seem so nice -- and just about lived up to some very demanding expectations. 9/10

084 Tuesday -- What a strong debut from Daina Oniunas-Pusić who borrows from The Seventh Seal, Alice in Wonderland, and perhaps unwittingly the book I wrote in 2008 (published in 2018) called The Scottish Book of the Dead, to create something unique of her own. Stories about grief and parenthood are always going to push a few of my emotional buttons, and this seemed to hit the lot. Tuesday, played brilliantly by Lola Petticrew is a terminally ill teenager, visited by Death, which is represented by a talking parrot whose size seems to change according to his mood. Tuesday convinces Death to give her time to say goodbye to her mother, Julia Louis Dreyfus, who is struggling to come to terms with her daughter's illness and pending fate, and who seems to prefer to spend time on her own. Dreyfus is just extraordinarily good in this and the arc she goes through from being the worst mother in the world (kinda), to how she is at the end is mesmerizing. There's also a lovely little metaphor going on in the background as the rest of the world contends with the fact that Death's pretty busy right now, which I thought perfectly articulates how the world can fade away because nothing is so important as what's right in front of your face. The end dragged a little bit and maybe it could've ended a little earlier, but a surprise hit that will stick with me for a long, long time. 9/10

[JustOneCornetto]

3 hours ago, MSU said:

080 Run Lola Run -- Back for its 25th anniversary -- even if 1998 + 25 = 2023, but whatever -- I didn't see this at the time and not only that, I've managed to avoid it for quarter of a century. It's always been a movie that's intrigued me, although the blurb consistently managed to put me off. Well, I'm glad I finally got round to it because this is great fun. Franka Potente is incredibly engaging as Lola, no mean feat considering how much of the movie she spends sprinting, and Moritz Bleibtreu puts in a great turn as the frantic Manni. The direction and soundtrack, though, elevate matters with invention and care, throwing in animation for some scenes and using a grainy stock for some amusing and some touching And Then moments for the people Lola comes in contact with. 8/10

I reviewed this on here last year saying that it's fast becoming one of my most watched films, just love the energy, the pounding soundtrack and the inventive premise of a scenario with 3 possible outcomes. Only seen it on DVD so I'll need to see if if it's going to be on a cinema over here.

[accies1874]

I bought it from a charity shop a few years ago. Went to play it a few days later only to discover the disc was covered in unidentifiable stains. I did wonder if it was bad if I asked a charity shop for a refund, then came to the conclusion that it was. 

[Mark Connolly]

Been to the cinema twice this week

Inside Out 2

The first one was excellent, and is a favourite of my nieces, so I was a bit nervous that this one might not live up to it. There was no need to be fearful, it's just as good, with some excellent new additions. Niece #2 expecially enjoyed the resemblance of Ennui to her older sister. Stay to the end of the credits

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

The plot is so thin and ridiculous it makes the Michael Bay originals look like Christopher Nolan and Charlie Kaufmann teamed up. But shit blows up, Miami looks cool as f**k, and the two hours just scoots by...

Maybe not worth a cinema trip, but definitely watchable when it comes on TV/free streaming

[Fullerene]

On 16/06/2024 at 19:06, scottsdad said:

Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (cinema)

No clue how many times I have seen this, but the first time at the cinema. It really does feel like a different movie on the big screen. This is the first time that the death of David felt emotional. The music in this film is awesome. The only downside is the space battle. Very short. 

Only 20 or so folk in attendance, compared to quite a packed cinema when watching The Motion Picture.

I guess I will be back in a couple of years for The Voyage Home

"You Klingon b*****d, you killed my son".

James Sikking is a great actor who has starred in a lot of great films (including Narrow Margin with Gene Hackman) but I will always remember him for "How can we be on yellow alert when we are still in space dock?"

[KnightswoodBear]

Took the kids to see "If" this afternoon. It's a perfectly lovely way to spend a couple of hours. Get's a bit dusty at times and there is enough jokes for the adults to keep you interested as well. 

7/10 

[Florentine_Pogen]

1 minute ago, KnightswoodBear said:

Took the kids to see "If" this afternoon. It's a perfectly lovely way to spend a couple of hours. Get's a bit dusty at times and there is enough jokes for the adults to keep you interested as well. 

7/10 

I'm assuming this isn't the 1968 Lindsay Anderson / Malcolm McDowell masterpiece ?

[MSU]

085 Firebrand -- After conveniently seeing A Man For All Seasons last week which covered the timeline between wives one and two, more of the life of Henry VIII was covered rather well as Firebrand takes a look at wife six. We are warned at the start that history is written by men so a story focussed on women is likely to follow some assumptions.

Historical accuracy aside, Alicia Vikander is Katherine Parr who has befriended Anne Askew, a protestant preacher who translates the bible into English so commonfolk no longer have to rely on priests and their Latin. To fund her escape from charges of heresy, Katherine gives her a necklace, while we wait for that to come back to bite her on the arse.

Vikander is brilliant as Katherine Parr, while Jude Law does a great turn as a horrible and pus-filled Henry in the final year of his reign. The movie has similar political whisperings as A Man For All Seasons, but the threat that Henry provides by being on-screen for more than a scene or two adds a bit of heft to proceedings.

Sets and costumes are also vividly done and for his first feature in English, Karim Aïnouz keeps things ticking over and very subtly creates an atmosphere that can shift in an instant with a mistimed question or sharp response and the creative license he employs does provide a most satisfying conclusion. 9/10

086 The Bikeriders -- This has been pushed heavily in trailers for months now and I've always scoffed at the title being so on the nose. What's this movie about, asked no one ever.

Tom Hardy plays Johnny, who I think is a truck driver who, after watching The Wild One, is inspired to start a motorcycle club for guys who like motorcycles and talking about motorcycles and riding their motorcycles. He calls the group The Vandals for no reason that's ever explained.

As the club grows, it attracts the attention of Benny, played by Austin Butler, who's a bit of a one-note guy. He doesn't say much, he has a short temper, he doesn't cry ever apart from one time, and if you thought the other guys loved motorcycles, wait til you get a load of Benny. He REALLY loves motorcycles. And wearing a jacket. Oh, and he also loves Jodie Comer's Kathy who for some reason is speaking in a thick New Jersey accent that'll be nails down a blackboard from her second scene onwards. Oh, and EVERYONE loves smoking so they'll all be doing that pretty much constantly.

During the two hour run time, the club continues to grow, they go for picnics, they ride their motorcycles an awful lot, they run red lights sometimes, they hang out in the club, occasionally get into fights with each other and other motorcycle clubs, and then eventually the old crew is pushed out by the new, young crew who are also keen on in running drugs and prostitution and things that generally make a movie more interesting, and then the movie ends.

The story is told through Kathy's eyes and recollections and things she's been told, so most things are flashbacks and because she's telling other people's stories, I'm sure there's even some flashbacks that contain their own flashback. Either way, it lends this really detached feel to everything where you end up not caring about anyone or anything that happens to them.

I'd be lying if I said it was boring but the whole thing is so inconsequential and I'd be hard pushed to explain to anyone now what the movie was about. So in that regard, I guess the title is perfect. 4/10

[KnightswoodBear]

34 minutes ago, Florentine_Pogen said:

I'm assuming this isn't the 1968 Lindsay Anderson / Malcolm McDowell masterpiece ?

Yes. My 4 year old loved it 

[Florentine_Pogen]

2 minutes ago, KnightswoodBear said:

Yes. My 4 year old loved it 

Interesting.

You're 4 year old, in later life, may well turn out to have an unnatural interest in corporal punishment or become a mass murderer.

 

[KnightswoodBear]

7 minutes ago, Florentine_Pogen said:

Interesting.

You're 4 year old, in later life, may well turn out to have an unnatural interest in corporal punishment or become a mass murderer.

 

Only if I do my job right.