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Y-Hat posted:So is this easily the worst year for movies since Current Releases started? Worst year? Maybe. Grumpiest year? Almost definitely.
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Jun 18, 2013 14:35
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Yeah, I don't know if it's an actual dip in quality, but I've sat through so many bullshit films over the last four years, my tolerance is dropping. However, I'm still convinced bodysnatchers took Hollywood in 2011. The truly bad movies are bad in bizarre, inhuman ways.
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Jun 21, 2013 17:11
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Well now I feel like I have to see World War Z. Do you guys plan on reviewing Maniac? I caught it a few days ago and I liked it a lot but I'd still love to hear your take on it.
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Jun 23, 2013 20:02
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I can't really tell if World War Z's review was written in all seriousness. I've not read the book and the trailer didn't interest me much, so I can't tell if this is meant to be some sort of meta-joke on people who got really mad about the film or if the whole thing's written sarcastically because it's actually really bad. Plus all that stuff about movement and midlife crises, it was hard to tell if that's actually the message from what looks like a weird Brad Pitt zombie movie. Or was it all completely serious and this film warrants a perfect score?
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Jun 24, 2013 14:26
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Dolash posted:I can't really tell if World War Z's review was written in all seriousness. I've not read the book and the trailer didn't interest me much, so I can't tell if this is meant to be some sort of meta-joke on people who got really mad about the film or if the whole thing's written sarcastically because it's actually really bad. Plus all that stuff about movement and midlife crises, it was hard to tell if that's actually the message from what looks like a weird Brad Pitt zombie movie. Or was it all completely serious and this film warrants a perfect score? Yo, our reviews may have jokes in them, but they're never joking. If Clumsy wrote it, he really loves it that much. I can't comment, since I haven't seen the movie yet, but now I really want to. EDIT: Also, it would be weird for a zombie film not to have a deeper subtext. Clumsy's reading may or may not be the intended one by the filmmakers, but you shouldn't dismiss a film as not having any potential for deeper meaning because it has zombies, or Brad Pitt. Vargo fucked around with this message at 15:13 on Jun 24, 2013 |
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Jun 24, 2013 15:10
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DumbWhiteGuy posted:Do you guys plan on reviewing Maniac? I caught it a few days ago and I liked it a lot but I'd still love to hear your take on it. I think it opens near me next weekend, so it's a definite possibility!
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Jun 24, 2013 15:41
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Dolash posted:I can't really tell if World War Z's review was written in all seriousness. I've not read the book and the trailer didn't interest me much, so I can't tell if this is meant to be some sort of meta-joke on people who got really mad about the film or if the whole thing's written sarcastically because it's actually really bad. Plus all that stuff about movement and midlife crises, it was hard to tell if that's actually the message from what looks like a weird Brad Pitt zombie movie. Or was it all completely serious and this film warrants a perfect score? I don't know if it warrants a perfect score, but I saw it last night (at the Empire Leicester Square, London - awesome screen) and I thought it was pretty drat amazing. Some of the action sequences are insanely, almost traumatically, intense - and there was a collective "whooosh" of breath from the audience after several of 'em. I managed to put aside any thoughts of the book (which I love) - and just had a ball with it. A movie to restore your faith in blockbuster cinema, after the tepid and washed-out Man of Steel.
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Jun 24, 2013 15:59
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I think the perfect score gives a false idea of objective "perfection," like the film is completely beyond scrutiny. In truth, as a film critic I just have to react to stuff sometimes and my reaction to World War Z was an entire day of self examination and it took me a while to realise I was doing that because of the structurally weird comedy horror Brad Pitt movie I'd seen earlier. There are better films, but few in recent years to which I've had such a reaction. Seems silly, but there it is.
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Jun 24, 2013 16:21
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War Z is legitimately an excellent movie and the fact that internet nerds can't get over 'it's not just a remake of the book!!!' is really sad.
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Jun 25, 2013 00:34
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I'm still upset that WWZ is PG-13, that's the major turn-off for me. Since it looks like an action movie and not a traditional zombie movie, I suppose it can get away with that rating, but I still want blood. And yes, I know it's not rated R because Hollywood wants to maximize its profit. In my mind, that's not an excuse.
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Jun 25, 2013 09:37
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Well I have a confession: I am an enormous wwz fanboy to the point of writing fanfic set in the universe and discussing ideas like 'fortified motorways'. I absolutely hated the idea of the new movie as a cheap way to produce a Hollywood version of a great and challenging story. Trusting you guys as I do, though, I read the review and was determined to see it with an open mind. I really liked it. I think te review hits the nail on the head - zombie movies can do something other than use zombies as a metaphor for political and social trends. I really resonated with the movement/stasis concept, particularly the way the images and audio in te opening credits set that up as an enduring theme. But man, that third act. All that tension? Gone. The slightly mysterious ambiguous nature of the zombies? Bugger that, traditional zombies slower than heroes for te final section. I guess that wasn't too bad - the only disappointment was Malcolm not screaming obscenity right at a zombies face, causing it to cower in fear like a Tory intern.
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Jun 26, 2013 23:32
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I've never heard of the Before series before and now I feel obligated to watch all of them now.
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Jun 30, 2013 10:08
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N. Senada posted:I've never heard of the Before series before and now I feel obligated to watch all of them now.
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Jun 30, 2013 10:51
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N. Senada posted:I've never heard of the Before series before and now I feel obligated to watch all of them now. My work here is done.
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Jun 30, 2013 18:29
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Haven't had time to see Before.... movies yet BUT I did get to see World War Z. I'm pretty sure it's a sequel to Spy Game.  Two former spies (one abandoned by the CIA and one with a British accent) create a new, unassuming life in the US until a zombie outbreak pushes the husband back into the game that the wife so desperately wants to stay out of! How else did she know to get the flares!
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Jun 30, 2013 19:31
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That is really awesome.
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Jun 30, 2013 20:34
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I was almost out the door when I realized I didn't read the review for The Heat yet and now you've talked me out of it. I would like to see a movie someday but I just keep reading reviews that everything is terrible.
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Jun 30, 2013 20:51
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If you want a strong, character-driven, extremely low-budget "horror" film, I think The Battery is still on VOD. I wish I would've reviewed it when I saw it. And I put horror in quotation marks because while it's technically a zombie film, it's more about friendship and different philosophical approaches to dealing with the apocalypse. It's also a lot of fun. There are good movies out there -- good blockbusters even. It's just these last couple weeks haven't yielded many great films.
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Jun 30, 2013 21:11
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I've seen the first two Before and I really liked Jesse/Ethan Hawke. I may or may not watch the new one depending if my girlfriend can convince me to go. The thing is as much like Jesse/Ethan Hawke and everything I simply CANNOT stand Julie Delpy/Celine. Her neuroses generally just grates on my nerves. Mind you this holds true for any movie Delpy's I've seen such as her Two Days... series and Le Skylab. I haven't seen many of her movies for that very reason but she just gets on my nerves. I mean I guess it's good character work if she's created someone that genuinely bothers me but that's the very reason I don't want to spend time watching her on screen, much like I tend to avoid people I dislike in real life.
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Jun 30, 2013 21:23
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I'm convinced at this point that Current Releases is TruthMedia in disguise; just an enormous troll on people who read movie reviews.
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Jun 30, 2013 23:38
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Why's that?
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Jun 30, 2013 23:59
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Has Emmerich ever directed an R-rated movie to begin with? I want blood in my action movies as much as the next guy, but I don't expect it from him. I still want to watch it because all indications point to it not taking itself seriously, unlike Olympus Has Fallen.
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Jul 1, 2013 02:22
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Keanu Grieves posted:Why's that? I'm guessing it was the 42/50 they gave Battleship last year. At least that's when I started suspecting it.
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Jul 1, 2013 02:56
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Punting posted:I'm guessing it was the 42/50 they gave Battleship last year. At least that's when I started suspecting it. As much as I'm usually fully on board with Current Release reviews, that and the loving perfect score on World War Z definitely made me wonder.
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Jul 1, 2013 03:26
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The time to worry is when SMG is invited onto the writing staff.
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Jul 1, 2013 04:18
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N. Senada posted:The time to worry is when SMG is invited onto the writing staff. He was a guest once! It was for Iron Man 2
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Jul 1, 2013 04:46
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100YrsofAttitude posted:I've seen the first two Before and I really liked Jesse/Ethan Hawke. I may or may not watch the new one depending if my girlfriend can convince me to go. The thing is as much like Jesse/Ethan Hawke and everything I simply CANNOT stand Julie Delpy/Celine. Her neuroses generally just grates on my nerves. Mind you this holds true for any movie Delpy's I've seen such as her Two Days... series and Le Skylab. I haven't seen many of her movies for that very reason but she just gets on my nerves. If you already have a problem with Delpy's character, then most of Before Midnight is probably going to be a problem for you. The main conflict is very much introduced by her neuroses. However, it helps that she may not actually be wrong, and once the fight actally begins, you start to see where she's coming from. It's remarkably simple to empathize with both sides of the argument. Simian_Prime posted:I'm convinced at this point that Current Releases is TruthMedia in disguise; just an enormous troll on people who read movie reviews. Oh, good. This again. I'm tired of having this argument, but morbidly curious what made you say it on this particular week. This week seems pretty un-noteworthy. Chairman Capone posted:As much as I'm usually fully on board with Current Release reviews, that and the loving perfect score on World War Z definitely made me wonder. World War Z is a great film, and I think Ian was very clear about the fact that his perfect score came from a very personal reaction. His points about the film inside are still valid, as are the points in Battleship. Battleship got a much worse rap than it deserved. Also, I'm starting to wish we didn't even have a score or ranking system. People care way more about the numbers we tag at the end than the points we make in the essay. It's not a super-objective ranking of quality, folks. Please please please do not look at the number at the bottom and decide whether or not to watch the movie solely on that. Please read the review and feel free to say "Okay, I see that these are the reasons Vargo liked it, but it doesn't sound like it will appeal to me." That is a perfectly okay thing to do. But we rail against other critics and the Tomatometer concept (which most of you seem to like) specifically BECAUSE of how much attention is paid to making that numerical rating the be-all end-all determiner of quality. CopywrightMMXI posted:He was a guest once! It was for Iron Man 2 We've asked him to guest-star again, but he refused. He likes being an enigma or something. Also, he serves pizzas at a strip club for a living in the real world. Do with that information what you will. Vargo fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Jul 1, 2013 |
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Jul 1, 2013 04:47
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Don't get rid of the numbers. Some of the parts that make me laugh most come from a ludicrous grading system.
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Jul 1, 2013 05:00
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Punting posted:I'm guessing it was the 42/50 they gave Battleship last year. At least that's when I started suspecting it. I wouldn't rate Battleship as highly as Clumsy's review did, but it outshines its reputation. Long before anyone saw a single frame of the film, a popular consensus was reached that it was terrible, and nobody gave it a fair shot. That's a lazy way to think about movies.
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Jul 1, 2013 07:31
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Oh, don't get me wrong, I love Battleship. It's great fun. It's just not...well, high cinema.
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Jul 1, 2013 07:40
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Punting posted:Oh, don't get me wrong, I love Battleship. It's great fun. It's just not...well, high cinema. Not every film can be Dude, Where's My Car?
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Jul 1, 2013 11:51
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Schwarzwald posted:Not every film can be Dude, Where's My Car? In your words, Truth.
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Jul 1, 2013 12:12
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There is no possible way I can make this post without seeming like a nitpicky rear end in a top hat. I'm going to go ahead with it anyway because I don't know any of you people and so I am unconcerned with that fact. couldve happened to anybody but it happened to jay dub, sorry bud posted:"Is this funny? This is what funny is made of, right?! Yes and! Yes and sand!" what the gently caress, ampersands, holy poo poo keanu grieves posted:Cale, who's told he's not quite good enough to serve the Secret Service only minutes before the attack, becomes & our nation's & only hope & as he tries to keep the president and his daughter (but mostly the president) safe from harm. you're breaking my balls here keanu please stop posted:And yet & he's presented as the most noble character in the film Vargo's two articles were flawless as far as I could tell from a cursory reading. Thank you Vargo.
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Jul 1, 2013 14:55
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poo poo, that one's on me. I proofread Keanu's review for weird formatting, but I guess a couple things fell through the cracks. Sorry  Though I don't get why you're singling out a line from my review. Unless you just didn't think it was funny. In which case, I guess turnabout is fair play.
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Jul 1, 2013 16:22
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Jay Dub posted:poo poo, that one's on me. I proofread Keanu's review for weird formatting, but I guess a couple things fell through the cracks. Sorry I leave you in charge for one week so I can watch cars go fast and this is what I come back to? I've already explained my rationale behind the perfect score for World War Z. Sometimes you just need to go with your gut. Also, Battleship is high cinema.
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Jul 1, 2013 18:18
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Jay Dub posted:poo poo, that one's on me. I proofread Keanu's review for weird formatting, but I guess a couple things fell through the cracks. Sorry No really I feel lovely for even bringing it up, I'm no English teacher or anything but some of them were just really bizarre. The multiple ampersands mostly. I only brought out the "Yes and! Yes and sand!" because it was the only other error that stuck out to me and I wanted to have at least three quotes before bothering to make my dumb post. Stuff like that happens all the time when transcribing your thought into written word, its not a big deal. I don't know why I bothered to post about it since normally I would just shake my head, maybe furrow my brow a little bit, and move on with my life. Maybe its because I like the movie reviews a lot, as probably the best front-page feature in my opinion. But, you guys are proofreading, so I have no complaints. Please continue to write more reviews because they are good.
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Jul 1, 2013 19:08
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Oh, in that case I guess I could've explained that one a little better. "Yes and..." is a term used in improv comedy to keep scenes moving. My distaste for improv is well-documented in the annals of Current Releases history. It's fine for stand-up or TV comedy, but I think it makes for incredibly lazy film comedies.
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Jul 1, 2013 19:18
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See and I would never have known that. Thank you Jay Dub.
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Jul 1, 2013 21:11
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As for the ampersands, they replaced the ellipses in my review when it was copied from Google Docs to SA's super-secret blogging software. It surely wasn't intentional, and my heart sank when I saw the finished product.
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Jul 2, 2013 02:34
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I am genuinely ashamed of myself for not catching them.
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Jul 2, 2013 02:46
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