What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[accies1874]

Aftersun (2022)

Quite simply, the greatest Scottish film ever made.

This was the third time I'd watched it, and these past couple of times have been met with apprehension as I've wondered if I maybe went over the top with my love for it the first time round (my opening sentence should answer that). When I watched it just before Christmas 2022 I was properly in The Pit, and despite, or perhaps because of, the subject matter I was left buzzing when I left the cinema. I knew I'd seen something brilliant, something that resonated with a lot of how I was feeling at that point. I hadn't posted on here in a while, and film got me to start posting again (I'm sure I even dropped @MSU a PM to talk about it) - so if you don't like my posts then you can blame Charlotte Wells.

There are so many shots from Aftersun that are stuck in my mind: the orange and blue as Sophie and her dad speak in different rooms, the fade from Callum being sung happy birthday to him crying in the room, the photo developing on the table, Callum in the airport, the reflection off the blank TV. However, there's one that I hadn't picked up on before and it came right at the start, and imo it sets everything up perfectly. Aftersun starts with Sophie interviewing her dad on camera - a scene we later revisit - but I only just noticed that you can see adult Sophie's reflection on the screen (her TV) after she pauses the video. I knew that the whole thing was her recount of the holiday through her adult eyes, but I didn't realise that it was set up like that. There's another shot with Callum and Sophie chilling at a bar during the day, which manages to effortlessly fade into people paragliding which then fades into leaves floating in the pool in the evening. That's then followed up by maybe the scene that sticks in my mind most of all when Callum is speaking to Sophie from the bathroom and he begins to recognise traits in her that he feels, before spitting at his reflection in the mirror. Two examples of wonderful filmmaking and they're back to back, pretty much flowing into each other.

It's clear how much death plays a part too. At one point, Callum dives into the sea to fetch Sophie's mask (to no avail). Next shot is of the same sea but no Callum, then we see Sophie looking on. He walks out in front of a bus, narrowly missing it... the next shot? A big GAME OVER on screen (one of the few laughs). He walks into the sea towards the end of the film and leaves Sophie alone. It's a ghost story with no ghost.

Perfection.

Edited August 13 by accies1874

[54_and_counting]

6 hours ago, KnightswoodBear said:

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Total nonsense, but no less enjoyable for it.  The Nazi's in it fall into the Indiana Jones category in that they are there purely to be shot, stabbed, blown up and generally dispatched with in a variety of different ways.

Wonder how many different ways Reacher killed a nazi in this, every killing seemed different 

[KnightswoodBear]

36 minutes ago, 54_and_counting said:

Wonder how many different ways Reacher killed a nazi in this, every killing seemed different 

Aye, he seemed to be having a blast playing a slightly camper, more Swedish Reacher 

[Arch Stanton]

The Founder

Excellent performance from Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, the unscrupulous rogue who duped the McDonald brothers into selling their burger business and lied to them about ongoing royalties. 

John Caroll Lynch and Nick Offerman are also great as Mac and Dick McDonald, and BJ Novak (from The Office (US)) makes a cameo appearance. 

[MSU]

8 hours ago, accies1874 said:

Aftersun (2022)

Quite simply, the greatest Scottish film ever made.

This was the third time I'd watched it, and these past couple of times have been met with apprehension as I've wondered if I maybe went over the top with my love for it the first time round (my opening sentence should answer that). When I watched it just before Christmas 2022 I was properly in The Pit, and despite, or perhaps because of, the subject matter I was left buzzing when I left the cinema. I knew I'd seen something brilliant, something that resonated with a lot of how I was feeling at that point. I hadn't posted on here in a while, and film got me to start posting again (I'm sure I even dropped @MSU a PM to talk about it) - so if you don't like my posts then you can blame Charlotte Wells.

There are so many shots from Aftersun that are stuck in my mind: the orange and blue as Sophie and her dad speak in different rooms, the fade from Callum being sung happy birthday to him crying in the room, the photo developing on the table, Callum in the airport, the reflection off the blank TV. However, there's one that I hadn't picked up on before and it came right at the start, and imo it sets everything up perfectly. Aftersun starts with Sophie interviewing her dad on camera - a scene we later revisit - but I only just noticed that you can see adult Sophie's reflection on the screen (her TV) after she pauses the video. I knew that the whole thing was her recount of the holiday through her adult eyes, but I didn't realise that it was set up like that. There's another shot with Callum and Sophie chilling at a bar during the day, which manages to effortlessly fade into people paragliding which then fades into leaves floating in the pool in the evening. That's then followed up by maybe the scene that sticks in my mind most of all when Callum is speaking to Sophie from the bathroom and he begins to recognise traits in her that he feels, before spitting at his reflection in the mirror. Two examples of wonderful filmmaking and they're back to back, pretty much flowing into each other.

It's clear how much death plays a part too. At one point, Callum dives into the sea to fetch Sophie's mask (to no avail). Next shot is of the same sea but no Callum, then we see Sophie looking on. He walks out in front of a bus, narrowly missing it... the next shot? A big GAME OVER on screen (one of the few laughs). He walks into the sea towards the end of the film and leaves Sophie alone. It's a ghost story with no ghost.

Perfection.

I've still only seen it once for the same reason as yourself. Past Lives and All of Us Strangers also awaiting an oddly tentative second watch. Reckon I might do something about that soon. Cheers for the reminder.

[accies1874]

I saw both of them twice in the cinema and they had just the same effect second time around. I recently bought All of Us Strangers on Blu Ray, but I do accept that I'll need to mentally prepare myself for watching that at home. 

[BFTD]

I missed seeing Caligula in the cinema recently because I wasn't well.

I know, What Was The Last Movie You Missed thread for this pish.

[KnightswoodBear]

Deadpool and Wolverine. 

Lots and lots of fun. 8/10 

[BFTD]

14 minutes ago, KnightswoodBear said:

Deadpool and Wolverine. 

Lots and lots of fun. 8/10 

Sorry if it's been mentioned, but Victor from Still Game makes a brief appearance as a barman in Deadpool and Wolverine.

Massive opportunity missed to have Gavin Mitchell behind the bar, and Deadpool to yell "two pints, p***k" when he first meets Wolverine.

[accies1874]

1 hour ago, BFTD said:

Sorry if it's been mentioned, but Victor from Still Game makes a brief appearance as a barman in Deadpool and Wolverine.

Massive opportunity missed to have Gavin Mitchell behind the bar, and Deadpool to yell "two pints, p***k" when he first meets Wolverine.

Speaking of p***ks, you made me sit through a playthrough of Plumbers Don't Wear Ties. Would you like to explain yourself?

[BFTD]

35 minutes ago, accies1874 said:

Speaking of p***ks, you made me sit through a playthrough of Plumbers Don't Wear Ties. Would you like to explain yourself?

Seriously, it's barely any worse than Skinamarink. Very similar too, considering they're both virtually slideshows.

I'd start a top five for Films Worse Than Skinamarink, but I can only think of Plumbers Don't Wear Ties and this (although I hear the action really picks up around the six hour mark). The latter is similar too, considering all the long, lingering shots of coving and lampshades. Porn for DIY enthusiasts.

[accies1874]

68. Sky Peals - Cinema

This didn't hit me on an emotional level as much as I'd have liked, but writer-director Moin Hussain is, imo, a very exciting talent. 

The film starts with the main character, Adam, walking through Sky Peals service station where he passes a sign that says something like "enjoy the rest of your journey", which is a fun nod to our expectation that he's about to embark on an emotional journey, and it also made me consider the fact that no one 'belongs' in a service station, it's inherently a place of transience and no one's destination, yet for Adam it becomes the only place he keeps coming back to. It lets you know what to expect from him as a character, and those signs throughout the station are used in creative ways on a few different occasions. 

What impressed me most, though, was how confused I was made to feel by it. It's hard to explain, but scenes sometimes go from A to B without reason, as if Adam's trapped in a dreamworld that he can't really affect. This could be a criticism, but in a film about a lonely man whose estranged immigrant father just died, it worked for me in the sense that it made me experience the world just as the main character is. There's a sense of unresolved mystery to the whole thing. I've also seen folk criticising the pacing of it all - and yes, it's dreamy, maybe even sleepy - but I thought it was incredibly tight in terms of snapping from one moment to the next. 

It's reminiscent of films like All of Us Strangers and Punch-Drunk Love, and I would recommend it to fans of them, however Adam's a much less engaging character than the leads in either of those, and there are a dearth of emotional performances to latch onto (felt like a mix of amateur and first-time actors). 

69. Tuesday - Cinema

The premise of Tuesday is one of my biggest fears - knowing that you're seeing someone for the very last time - and it did a fine job of hitting those beats, even if it did sometimes feel a bit emotionally manipulative and was spinning its wheels for long stretches of the second half. Of course, that was somewhat intentional as Julia Louis-Dreyfuss prolongs saying the final goodbye to her daughter, but when it came to saying that goodbye, I couldn't help but feel that the film had wasted time as opposed to lingered in time. When it got to that point, I was thinking "finally" rather than "uh oh, I've been dreading this". 

Speaking of Louis-Dreyfus, someone really had to rein her in for this as that performance is a bit too much. It's obviously understandable that someone in her position would feel emotions so strongly, but it made the film feel much more melodramatic than it needed to be. 

[LIVIFOREVER]

The Bricklayer-about an ex CIA operative being dragged back into doing a clean up mission.

Add this to the Beekeeper-about an ex elite cleaner getting dragged back in to kill a load of cyber baddies robbing vulnerable folk of all their savings.

maybe could also add The Kingsman too-a lepidopterist with amnesia who is a secret agent using a high end tailor's as his cover.

& I'm now looking for when the Painter and Decorator, Plasterer, Florist films come out-about retired govt assassins  coming out of retirement for one last job.

[LIVIFOREVER]

19 hours ago, BFTD said:

Sorry if it's been mentioned, but Victor from Still Game makes a brief appearance as a barman in Deadpool and Wolverine.

Massive opportunity missed to have Gavin Mitchell behind the bar, and Deadpool to yell "two pints, p***k" when he first meets Wolverine.

Saying oh look who it is, Edward Scissorhands and his sidekick.......... 

[CraigFowler]

60. The First Omen

I'm probably a little more down on this than I would normally be, but it was hard not to continuously compare it to Immaculate while watching, a film I really... well, liked is too strong a word, but it was a horror movie that affected me more than any film I've seen this year. TFO actually is a bit more consistent with its lore and story, but it doesn't have the pure 'WTF is happening?!' terror of Immaculate's final scene. I did like the way it pointed the audience toward one conclusion the whole way before throwing a curveball, even if the very ending itself was a bit drab. It's creepy, well-acted and while it plays a bit with the mythology, which will annoy some fans of the origin, it's a well-crafted origin story.

61. Hotel Transylvania

Wouldn't say it was particularly hilarious or memorable, but it was good, light, Sunday afternoon fun.

62. Chuck, Chuck Baby

A musical in the way that the TV show 'Blackpool' was a musical, with the actors singing along to established pop songs which play over the top – a technique I don't mind at all. It manages to be both depressing and uplifting at the same time. The characters felt very real and grounded. On the one hand, their lives were very miserable, stuck in a rundown, austerity-stricken town, but on the other hand there was a lot of joy to be had in friendships and a newly-discovered love which offers fresh hope for the future. The cast are great, but Celyn Jones' portrayal of Gary was the highlight for me. He was such a complete and utter b*****d, but a comical bad guy. The kind where you'd feel sorry for him if he wasn't so damn pathetic. This had a very small release so I'd throughly recommend trying to hunt it out.

63. Hundreds of Beavers

If this was 20 minutes shorter then it would have been in serious contention for my movie of the year. I knew it was absurdist and slapstick comedy going in, but I wasn't prepared for a movie which is essentially a looney tunes sketch stretched over almost two hours. The first 10 minutes I sat there going "is this going to be like this for the entire runtime". Thankfully I soon settled in and really enjoyed it. For me it's the funniest film this year, but it definitely gets a bit repetitive and too slow in advancing the story as it gets beyond the hour mark. Cut it down and this would have been a 10/10 for me. I'd still recommend it for anyone who likes physical comedy.

64. Young Woman and the Sea

The story of Gertrude Ederle, the first women to swim the Channel. A biopic that reminded me of the type you'd sometimes see on Sky Movies and be called something like The Michael Jordan Story or The Tiger Woods Story, where there was some merit to them but largely they were a bit of fluff. Don't get me wrong, it's so much better than those, but the way it told the story, hitting all the major beats of her life leading up to her major sporting accomplishment, was something of a throwback. The first half of the movie is the main problem with it. It tries to cover too much and just ends up going from scene to scene too quickly. But once it gets to her making the first of two attempts to swim the Channel it really comes into its own. By the end I was rooting for her like I didn't know how the story would end and shed some tears when she finally did it.

65. The Bikeriders

This didn't do it for me. A rise and fall of a biker club. Like a condensed Sons of Anarchy. Better acted and directed, no doubt, but without any many likeable characters, secondary or otherwise. Also, the Jodie Comer narration was just pointless and, quite frankly, a little annoying. Because she's Jodie Comer I'll assume she nailed the accent, but that nail was also being scrapped down a blackboard.

66. Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Move over Anyone But You, there's new WORST MOVIE OF THE YEAR champion. Christ, what happened to this series? It's supposed to be an action/cop franchise with a bit of humour sprinkled throughout it, mainly due to the terrific chemistry of the two leads. Now it's just a full-out comedy with a ridiculous plot (yes, even more than the first movie) and a bunch of improbable action set-pieces. And that would be fine if it was actually funny, but it really wasn't. I laughed at it many more times than I laughed with it. I would've been a better movie if Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) died of that heart attack at the start.

67. Longlegs

Very creepy with a real sense of dread hanging over things. Very Silence of the Lambs, but for one major difference which I think is the problem with this film, and that's Nicolas Cage's performance. It'd be obvious to say he's not Anthony Hopkins, but I generally think he gets a bad rap and enjoy a lot of his movies, even when he's hamming it up. The issue is that Cage is known for hamming it up, so when he went full coo-coo with the character in this one, I just instinctively wanted to laugh and it took me out of the film. I kept seeing Nicolas Cage and not 'Longlegs'. Another actor without such a storied history for going OTT, or a relative unknown, would've been better and made this a more effective movie. 

68. Deadpool and Wolverine

Didn't have much hope going in, but they were elevated spectacularly with the opening scene in which Deadpool kills a bunch of guys with Logan's corpse while Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC plays. I laughed throughout and thought 'this is f***ing great!' Unfortunately the rest of the film didn't live up to that. It was funny, but like every Marvel movie where they turn the humour up to 11, I ended up not giving a single shit about any of the characters. The fan-service was off the scale, the fourth-wall-breaking went too far even for a Deadpool film and it still wasn't as funny as the original. I liked it better than Deadpool 2 though.

69. Babes

A comedy about two friends, one facing the aftermath of (a second) pregnancy, the other experiencing it for the first time. It does a lot of really nice things about subverting expectations and not going with the standard Hollywood tropes for what pregnancy is, so it's got a strong message running through it. The major issue is that it's just not funny. Think I laughed twice.

70. Dune: Part Two

For spectacle and sound, yep you can't get much better than this. I just don't really care about sci-fi stories where there's a lot of world-building going on. There's so many exposition scenes throughout the two movies and I still only really understood about 80 per cent of what was going on and why. And that's because it was just mentally easy to check out of it. The type of movie where I'll admit it's very good but it just isn't for me.

[BFTD]

22 hours ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

The Bricklayer-about an ex CIA operative being dragged back into doing a clean up mission.

Add this to the Beekeeper-about an ex elite cleaner getting dragged back in to kill a load of cyber baddies robbing vulnerable folk of all their savings.

maybe could also add The Kingsman too-a lepidopterist with amnesia who is a secret agent using a high end tailor's as his cover.

& I'm now looking for when the Painter and Decorator, Plasterer, Florist films come out-about retired govt assassins  coming out of retirement for one last job.

In keeping with the theme, I hear there's this thing called Plumbers Don't Wear Ties...

(alright, I'll stop mentioning it)

[LIVIFOREVER]

1 hour ago, BFTD said:

In keeping with the theme, I hear there's this thing called Plumbers Don't Wear Ties...

(alright, I'll stop mentioning it)

Had no idea what you were talking about and had to do a search on it, was half expecting some old porno about a plumber coming round.

Edited August 16 by LIVIFOREVER

[BFTD]

1 hour ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

Had no idea what you were talking about and had to do a search on it, was half expecting some old porno about a plumber coming round.

It's actually similar to those films, only with the sex removed, and even worse attempts at humour. Very odd.

[Fullerene]

On 31/07/2024 at 01:27, Chripper said:

For my money "Pet Sematary" (1989) and "Salem's Lot" (1975) are the best adaptations of Stephen King's catalogue.

They don't get the love of a "Shawshank Redemption" or "The Shining", but they should.

I love people who cite "Shawshank Redemption" like they've unearthed a Vibranium mine from under their garden gnome.

No shit, Sherlock. It's been on everyone's top 10 list since 1994.

For any Stephen King fans out there, read "Stephen King: On Writing".

Its half autobiographical and half a Masterclass on Writing.

Great read.

Apparently, he doesn't remember writing "Cujo". At all. It was in his alcoholic phase.

Some people refuse to watch any film associated with Stephen King.  Then unknowingly they watch Shawshank and discover they love it.

Similarly people who hate Jim Carrey but love the Truman Show.

Always good to prove a stupid prejudice wrong.

[Mr. Brightside]

I only recently watched Aftersun for the first time and I still can't fully compile all my thoughts and feelings regarding it, other than, it is utterly incredible. Truly one of the most relatable and moving pieces of cinema you could ever hope to find.