RA Movie Thread (Read 5918 times)

    Mud was a good flick.

    The Way,Way Back was another good flick.

    Kings of Summer.

    The Book Thief.

    Philomena.

    5 really good movies that i would recommend to anyone.

    mab411


    Proboscis Colossus

      Just watched a couple of dumb action movies, that ended up being, in a way, different sides of the same coin:

       

      The Expendables 2 (2012)  Every bit as mindless as the first one, which is to say, "incredibly."  But you know, I found it kind of refreshing that Stallone (.5 of the screenplay credit), as in the first one (and presumably in the third), clearly makes no attempt to couch the proceedings in any sort of moral tale or character development, and if you looked at any press surrounding these films and expected otherwise, you deserve to feel swindled.  For all of these movies, he obviously used his Hollywood contacts to gather to himself as many action stars of any age as possible, wrote a stream-of-consciousness script that somehow utilizes all of them, shoveled in as many explosions, "witty" one-liners, and action movie cliches as possible, and released the whole mess upon the world.  I admire them in the same way Sam Neill admires the velociraptors in Jurassic Park...they are designed to do only one thing of questionable value, but they do it very, very well.  Credit where credit is due, some of the fight scenes, impossible as they may be, are well-choreographed.  The only thing I wish had been left out are all the references to the actors' other films and/or reputations - Arnold says some form of "I'll be back" at least three times, until Bruce Willis finally says, "You've been 'back' enough!" and rushes off to shoot some more bad guys.  At which point Arnold practically looks at the camera and says, "Well, yippee-ka-yay."  That kind of thing.  The movie itself is a huge wink to action movie fans my age...we don't need any more winking nested within.

       

      Coincidentally enough, the very next movie I watched was A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)  Like I say, kind of the opposite of The Expendables franchise...where that one made no apologies for being a movie about explosions and shooting and jumping, and jumping over explosions while shooting, this one tries hard to get you to think it's really about the relationship between fathers and their children, and how sometimes even as much as we don't want to grow up like our parents, we inevitably follow in--LOOK OUT! Truck's exploding, better jump and shoot!  Again, some very pretty action sequences (though more heavily reliant on CGI than The Expendables), but that's about all I can compliment about this one.  I don't know that I could say why, but I think the John McClane formula started failing the bigger and more open the setting became.  They haven't come close to the first one, IMO, when he was cooped up and slithering past the bad guys in Nakatomi Tower.  Second one was still good but not great in an airport, and then as there was more and more city to destroy in the subsequent films, the charm became more and more diluted.

      "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people


      god hates us all

        Linklater is a national treasure. Right up there with Woody Allen.

         

        I watched The Heat last night. My wife loves that fat woman.  She's ok but the movie kinda sucked. Sandra bullock gets better with age for sure. Best thing about the movie imo.

           

          I watched The Heat last night. My wife loves that fat woman.  She's ok but the movie kinda sucked. Sandra bullock gets better with age for sure. Best thing about the movie imo.

           

          Seemed a lot of people thought that movie was funny, but my wife & I both found it to be a major disappointment.

          Dave

          FSocks


          KillJoyFuckStick

             

            Guardians of the Galaxy was a little too much of a sensory overload for my tastes, and I feel an urge to go for a quiet trail run after seeing it. A sensory overload is just what the doctor ordered sometimes, though, and this movie is fun in the same oddly cathartic way that roller coasters and water parks are fun. I was initially hesitant to venture out to the theater for this one, because the commercial trailers full of walking trees, green people, raccoons with machine guns, and 1970s music had led me to believe that the people at Marvel Studios had tripped out on LSD one too many times, but the enthusiastic recommendations of several friends and the glowing reviews from many trusted sources finally compelled me to check out the excitement for myself.

             

            In a way, Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be exactly what I expected from the trailers. If the rest of the Marvel superhero films are stately and prestigious fraternity houses on a college campus, then this movie is the Animal House, with toga parties, blow-up dolls, and random objects flying out of the upstairs windows. I was taken by surprise, however, by the likability of Peter Quill and the motley crew of alien characters who reluctantly take his side against forces of evil. Each of the Guardian characters is given a few moments of emotionally resonant screen time to shed some light on background details, and, in the end, I wanted to give everyone a high-five. My favorite aspect of Guardians of the Galaxy, though, is that it emphasizes the importance that music can have on a person's life, by way of Quill's "Awesome Mix" cassette tape that he has treasured for the 26 years since he was abducted by aliens during his childhood. This premise makes me want to compile my own "Awesome Mix" soon.

             

            Once again, Marvel Studios spares no expense with regard to the special effects, and I am glad that the age of decent computer-generated images has finally arrived. The digital effects, as always, come with a price, because the result is somewhat cartoonish, and, at no point during this movie did I feel that any of the characters were in real danger. Guardians of the Galaxy uses this carefree vibe to its advantage, though, and I had fun rolling along through all of the explosions.

             

            I was probably one of the last people in the world to see this movie, but I'll give it a thumbs-up just the same for those of you who may not have seen it yet.

            I finally saw this yesterday. Pretty spot on review. I came away more satisfied than I thought I would from this movie.  Better than average summer popcorn flick. But I'm dreading the number of sequels that I'm are are already planned.

             

            6.5/10 Socks

            You people have issues 

            FSocks


            KillJoyFuckStick

              We rented "They Came Together" with Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler over the weekend from the box in Red.  Allegedly this is a satire of the rom-coms.  But satire is usually funny or at least slightly amusing.  This moving was neither.  I honestly felt like I got ripped off paying the $1.20 to watch this movie.

               

              0/10 Socks.

              You people have issues 

                We rented "They Came Together" with Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler over the weekend from the box in Red.  Allegedly this is a satire of the rom-coms.  But satire is usually funny or at least slightly amusing.  This moving was neither.  I honestly felt like I got ripped off paying the $1.20 to watch this movie.

                 

                0/10 Socks.

                 

                Saw this one listed on On Demand, but watching the trailer disavowed me of any notion that it would be worth seeing. Sad, because these are two funny talented people.

                Dave

                  Wife & I saw Life of Crime on On Demand. Based on an Elmore Leonard novel. Interesting premise, but seemed like they could've done more with it. Either there was just not too much to the original story, or the execution of the movie adaptation was a bit lacking. Some good acting performances though. If you like other Elmore Leonard-based movies (Get Shorty, Jackie Brown), this one is worth seeing, although it is not quite as good as either.

                  Dave

                  stadjak


                  Interval Junkie --Nobby

                    Night Moves (2013) - Eco-terrorists blow up a bridge and then succumb to the weight of their own guilt and anxieties.  But the ending?  I don't get it.  (2/5)

                     

                    Yeah, that's all I got -- a post of frustration.

                    2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

                    Capt Awesome


                      I can't remember ifor I already mentioned this one but I saw the movie Snowpiercer. It's a post-apocalyptic thriller about a constantly moving train which is basically an Ark kept in humanity alive. Humanity somehow screwed up the atmosphere so the temperature plunged and everything froze, as would this train if it ever stopped. It stars Chris Evans, aka Captain America, and personally I was a fan. I'don't get further into the plot but don't want to spool it for anyone interested in checking it out... overall a pretty good movie, though I am a fan of this genre so I might be biased.

                      Birdwell


                        I can't remember ifor I already mentioned this one but I saw the movie Snowpiercer. It's a post-apocalyptic thriller about a constantly moving train which is basically an Ark kept in humanity alive. Humanity somehow screwed up the atmosphere so the temperature plunged and everything froze, as would this train if it ever stopped. It stars Chris Evans, aka Captain America, and personally I was a fan. I'don't get further into the plot but don't want to spool it for anyone interested in checking it out... overall a pretty good movie, though I am a fan of this genre so I might be biased.

                         

                        cool, I've been waiting for that one to hit DVD because none of the theaters around here played it.

                        stadjak


                        Interval Junkie --Nobby

                          Noah (2014) - Being a secularist, I had absolutely no interest in this movie.  Okay, maybe I was interesting in watching how beautifully Jennifer Connelly has aged, but that's about it.  Okay, and I have a penchant for the director, Aronofsky's movies (Pi, The Wrestler, but hated Fountain).  Still, the story of a guy who isn't a shipwright, told by a god to fashion the biggest boat that ever existed at the time, to house all the animals of the world?  Or the story of a god that is displeased with his creation and decides to sink it all?  Usually these religiously derived myths are caught in a stranglehold of current moral interpretation that makes them nothing but a polemic to the choir.   But . . .

                           

                          This movie was excellent.  It was an interestingly told story with some high stakes that are not directly biblical in nature: Noah has 3 sons and an adopted "barren" daughter.  So, what will become of humanity after the flood?  And is that this god's intention?  The acting was wonderful, except for maybe Hermionie, who kills it in a few scenes but otherwise just looks like a blank pretty girl who I keep hoping turns into an interesting woman/actress.  The other sons are the same w/o the killer scenes.

                           

                          Maybe religious folk won't like it for the liberties taken to make a good story, but I certainly enjoyed it much more than I expected:(4/5)

                           

                          MTA: just consider this a SciFi movie and it's pretty damn good.

                          2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

                          RunJasonRun


                            Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

                             

                            I just watched this movie for the first time since the mid-1980s.  Back in the day, I was underwhelmed by this Halloween sequel, because the movie has nothing to do with the Michael Myers storyline, and it stands apart from all of the other films in the series.  A lot of people apparently felt the same way, because this movie nosedived at the theaters at the time.

                             

                            As I watched Halloween III: Season of the Witch tonight, and enjoyed it from an adult perspective, though, I've decided that it's a criminally underrated movie.  In fact, I'd place it as my second favorite movie of the Halloween franchise after the first film.  (This is not saying much, of course, because the first three movies are really the only ones that I ever care to revisit, and the less said about the horrible Rob Zombie reboots, the better.)

                             

                            This third movie eschews the Myers saga in favor of a stand-alone tale about a nefarious novelty company that is producing Halloween masks designed to kill the children as a way of offering a mass human sacrifice to the gods from which the original Halloween holiday were designed to honor.  It's an awesomely twisted take on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and it also pays homage to Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  There's also a fun early 1980s mix of computer technology and the supernatural.

                             

                            If you, like me, were one of the 1980s kids who were burned that Halloween III did not feature Michael Myers, then I urge you to give this movie another chance, and watch it again at some point this fall.  It's one of those throwaway 1980s movies that has improved with age.

                            Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues.

                            Chantilly75


                              Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

                               

                              If you, like me, were one of the 1980s kids who were burned that Halloween III did not feature Michael Myers, then I urge you to give this movie another chance, and watch it again at some point this fall.  It's one of those throwaway 1980s movies that has improved with age.

                              I also enjoyed this movie better, watching it again in the 1990's.

                              "dancing on the path and singing, now you got away,

                              you can reach the goals you set from now on, every day"

                              Sonata Arctica

                               

                               

                               

                               

                               

                              mab411


                              Proboscis Colossus

                                Noah (2014) - Being a secularist, I had absolutely no interest in this movie.  Okay, maybe I was interesting in watching how beautifully Jennifer Connelly has aged, but that's about it.  Okay, and I have a penchant for the director, Aronofsky's movies (Pi, The Wrestler, but hated Fountain).  Still, the story of a guy who isn't a shipwright, told by a god to fashion the biggest boat that ever existed at the time, to house all the animals of the world?  Or the story of a god that is displeased with his creation and decides to sink it all?  Usually these religiously derived myths are caught in a stranglehold of current moral interpretation that makes them nothing but a polemic to the choir.   But . . .

                                 

                                This movie was excellent.  It was an interestingly told story with some high stakes that are not directly biblical in nature: Noah has 3 sons and an adopted "barren" daughter.  So, what will become of humanity after the flood?  And is that this god's intention?  The acting was wonderful, except for maybe Hermionie, who kills it in a few scenes but otherwise just looks like a blank pretty girl who I keep hoping turns into an interesting woman/actress.  The other sons are the same w/o the killer scenes.

                                 

                                Maybe religious folk won't like it for the liberties taken to make a good story, but I certainly enjoyed it much more than I expected:(4/5)

                                 

                                MTA: just consider this a SciFi movie and it's pretty damn good.

                                 

                                Eh, I'm probably what you'd call "religious folk," and I liked it.  My biggest beef was with some of the buzz surrounding it, the fawning over how "true to the original text" he was.  But it's mentioned several times in the OT version that Noah, his wife, their sons, and their wives boarded the ark.  And as you mentioned, that's one of the main plot points.  But, I also understand he drew from other sources, so maybe that wasn't the case in those.

                                 

                                Jason, I completely agree with your comment about Rob Zombie's Halloween remakes.  The first one is one of a handful of movies I've just given up on partway through.  If there was anyone to root for in that movie, he/she sure hadn't shown up by that point.

                                 

                                We finished watching It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) the other night.  It's been awhile since I'd seen this, so long that its unofficial remake, Rat Race (2001) had come out since my last viewing.  So I was curious if I was remembering correctly how closely they'd stuck to the formula for the latter film.  Answer: very.  And I still love both movies.  So much so, that I kind of wish this movie was more of a "thing," within reason.  The urgency and high stakes make for a quick tempo that had DW and I belly-laughing most of the way through (both flicks kind of lose steam in the back half of the third act, IMO).  And I think it'd be fine to, once a generation, just have a cattle call of comedic actors thrown together, buff the story so it shines in the light of current sensibilities, and remake it again.  Lord knows, they remake everything else over and over.

                                "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people