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Bottom Liner posted:Echoing this, though I give it 8/10 just because the young girlfriend character was so over the top and more of a caricature in an otherwise super grounded and intense movie. Every time she spoke it completely ruined the momentum of a scene and took me out of the film. Woody Harrelson was also fantastic. I'm going to go back on this and change my score to a 6/10. I rarely change my mind so much after seeing a movie, but the more I thought about this film the more things bothered me. There are a lot of sloppy elements in both script and production, but the acting generally still carries the movie pretty well. I especially disagree with the original review I quoted that the comedic elements come at the right time, I thought they were really jarring and out of place many times especially when the son pulls the knife on the dads throat .
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Dec 12, 2017 21:16
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Bottom Liner posted:I'm going to go back on this and change my score to a 6/10. I rarely change my mind so much after seeing a movie, but the more I thought about this film the more things bothered me. There are a lot of sloppy elements in both script and production, but the acting generally still carries the movie pretty well. I especially disagree with the original review I quoted that the comedic elements come at the right time, I thought they were really jarring and out of place many times especially when the son pulls the knife on the dads throat . FM gives a great performance, but it relies too much on that and there's not a good movie around to back her up.
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Dec 12, 2017 22:01
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Darkest Hour (2017): B+ Gary Oldman is so drat good as Churchill. Definitely an Oscar nom for him, maybe even a win. A great supporting cast all around.
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Dec 14, 2017 03:33
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Flambeau posted:Guardians of the Galaxy 2
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Dec 14, 2017 15:24
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The Shape Of Water: A Beautifully shot, fantastic and subtle performances from everyone on board, a wonderful microcosm of colliding emotions. Can't believe this really broke through the way it did but it deserves the accolades it's garnering.
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Dec 15, 2017 05:08
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi - 10/10 best Star Wars since Empire. I had a lot of worries about how they'd handle Leia, Luke's role in the story, and what they would do with Kylo. All fears were completely blown away by the fantastic script. The surprises were great, the action and cinematography were among the best in the franchise, and the score was Williams at his best. Rian Johnson has earned his own trilogy for this one and holy poo poo I can't wait. It really is that good.
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Dec 15, 2017 06:47
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Bottom Liner posted:Star Wars: The Last Jedi - 10/10 best Star Wars since Empire. I had a lot of worries about how they'd handle Leia, Luke's role in the story, and what they would do with Kylo. All fears were completely blown away by the fantastic script. The surprises were great, the action and cinematography were among the best in the franchise, and the score was Williams at his best. Rian Johnson has earned his own trilogy for this one and holy poo poo I can't wait. It really is that good. Just searched his name, he was the dude who did Brick? I loved that movie.
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Dec 15, 2017 09:09
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Mr Shiny Pants posted:Just searched his name, he was the dude who did Brick? I loved that movie. Yup. Crazy career arc. The best part of this movie is that it stays true to Star Wars but still has his unique voice, something JJ Abrams desperately lacks.
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Dec 15, 2017 09:36
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Lady Bird is a coming of age film so it is hitting well trodden ground, but still manages to feel smart and original somehow. I dunno, it felt really complicated even though it was a simple story. See it for Sacramento. I am a huge Gremlins 2 fan, but I hardly have any memory of Gremlins 1. I watched it this weekend and was kind of surprised. The humans are kind of dicks, beyond creating the Gremlins problem, they are the first aggressors. It's not Gremlins 2, but it's still a watchable film. Disaster Artist was my most anticipated movie of the fall and it was unfortunately kind of disappointing. But overall, still really good and if you're a fan of the room or just curious about it, you should see it. I was beaten down by the prefilm hype and product placement, but drat I really enjoyed and recommend that anyone who's a Star Wars fans sees Last Jedi. I don't think everyone is going to like it, because it takes some risks, but I really loved it.
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Dec 15, 2017 22:56
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Everything I'm hearing about Last Jedi suggests that the die-hard purists hate it while the people who don't want the same movie every time like it a lot. Which sounds rad as hell.
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Dec 15, 2017 22:58
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nerdman42 posted:Everything I'm hearing about Last Jedi suggests that the die-hard purists hate it while the people who don't want the same movie every time like it a lot. Which sounds rad as hell. My really hard core friends love it.
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Dec 15, 2017 23:00
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Not giving a dollar more to Disney, whatever the hyperbole.
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Dec 15, 2017 23:06
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Why's that? I know a lot of people don't like the direction they're heading owning 40+% of the entire entertainment industry but I'm curious what your reasons are. And full disclosure I'm pretty biased because my wife works for Disney.
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Dec 15, 2017 23:10
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Bottom Liner posted:Why's that? I know a lot of people don't like the direction they're heading owning 40+% of the entire entertainment industry but I'm curious what your reasons are. And full disclosure I'm pretty biased because my wife works for Disney. I work at an independent art cinema and I object to the further consolidation of the film industry. I feel like Star Wars, Marvel, and other Disney properties (some more than others) are creatively bankrupt or verging on it and have managed to pull off a momentous campaign of homogenization throughout the film industry. Much of my childhood and young-adulthood was spent adoring properties like Star Wars and Marvel, but as my tastes changed in adulthood I became aware that the very franchise appeal that I loved in my youth for its simplicity and elementary emotional appeal had become anathema to my appreciation of the art form as a whole. Many of my favorite films were made in the auteur era before the original Star Wars trilogy managed to convince filmgoers that what they were looking for was big, surface-level, and perpetually adolescent PG-13 pictures. I hate to see that happening all over again, major anti-trust violations aside, and I'm not supporting it. I object to Disney Corp's bullying of critics and journalists, the composition of their higher-ranking staff from a revolving door of former federal employees and regulators, their perpetually lovely labor practices and corporate lobbying for such, and their bandying of particular political ideologies inside marquee titles, specifically those related to the national security state (seeing as how Disney has a history of developing US war propaganda, overt or otherwise). Not to mention the massive amount of exploitation and social engineering involved with the 'Princess' trope. Additionally, I don't think it's a valid excuse for well-established veteran actors/directors/etc (Hopkins, Blanchett, Jackson, Bridges, Hurt, Skarsgard, Jones, Branagh) to work with Disney and bring these enormous productions additional prestige simply because it's an easy/friendly paycheck. Of course it's an easy/friendly paycheck. It's a paycheck that's intricately tied to profits made from flattening, eliminating, or absorbing entire swaths of the independent film industry. These people should feel ashamed. Disney buying 21st Fox just solidifies the choice I made earlier this year to stop supporting them. edit; and yes, I know I'm just a crazy voice shouting in the wilderness on this. 
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Dec 16, 2017 00:02
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Well put
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Dec 16, 2017 00:19
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Yeah, very well said.
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Dec 16, 2017 00:52
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Its a good point but the fact Disney and other big corporations own so much makes it a lot harder to avoid buying their products. Protesting a whole brand never really seems that effective to me because I'm probably gonna end up spending my money on some other business that they happen to own and not realize it until years later. Aka there's no ethical consumption under capitalism etc etc
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Dec 16, 2017 00:57
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nerdman42 posted:Its a good point but the fact Disney and other big corporations own so much makes it a lot harder to avoid buying their products. Nah, it's actually pretty easy.
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Dec 16, 2017 00:58
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Not when you live in Anaheim and your tax dollars go to their parking garage.
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Dec 16, 2017 01:12
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nerdman42 posted:Its a good point but the fact Disney and other big corporations own so much makes it a lot harder to avoid buying their products. Protesting a whole brand never really seems that effective to me because I'm probably gonna end up spending my money on some other business that they happen to own and not realize it until years later. I mean, it's mainly about doing your best to be consciously ethical, you know. Having a personal code is work sometimes. If it's free then I'm not going to raise hell over watching it, but I'm no longer supporting Disney at the box office (or letting friends support them on my behalf) with regard to Marvel, Star Wars, or Disney animation. This does not mean that I require myself to know about all of Disney's thousands of shell corporations and subsidiaries, because that's just a force of nature that's bigger than me.
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Dec 16, 2017 01:19
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There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.
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Dec 16, 2017 01:21
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:I mean, it's mainly about doing your best to be consciously ethical, you know. Having a personal code is work sometimes. Fair enough. That's a stance I can respect pretty easily
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Dec 16, 2017 01:23
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Maxwell Lord posted:There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. ...is an excuse people use to further rationalize unethical behavior.
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Dec 16, 2017 01:24
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Maxwell Lord posted:There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. Delano grape boycotts worked pretty well
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Dec 16, 2017 01:26
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nerdman42 posted:Not when you live in Anaheim and your tax dollars go to their parking garage. Well who the hell told you to live in Anaheim??
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Dec 16, 2017 04:19
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Bottom Liner posted:My really hard core friends love it. I'm hardcore but my opinions on these are not always one to one with the so-called consensus. E: Oh and another movie that people should see is Shriek of the Mutilated. This movie featured someone literally fast asleep in the front row by the end of it, despite the fact it's a film about cannibalism and forest monsters and someone screaming every ten seconds. It's so weird that I feel like it has to be seen to believed even though it's pretty boring and racist even by 70s film standards. I'm glad I was able to stay awake to the end where it just goes completely batshit. Rick fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Dec 16, 2017 |
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Dec 16, 2017 04:37
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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:Well who the hell told you to live in Anaheim?? Mistakes were made.
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Dec 17, 2017 01:39
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:Not giving a dollar more to Disney, whatever the hyperbole. you could abstain from pretty much all disney films at this rate and not miss out on much, it's all superhero poo poo and remake of all their animated movies now. Every year for the last few years has basically become a "check what A24 is putting out this time" routine because most of my favorites are released under them.
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Dec 17, 2017 05:51
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Star Trek: A Last Jedi (2017) - As someone who never cared about Star Wars even as a kid born in 83, it's always been on my cultural radar but never important to me. So, as a "passerby" who likes ESB and who liked TFA but forgot about it 5 days after seeing it, for me, Star Wars The Last Jedi is top tier Star Wars. I found it fun, full of action that made sense, characters I gave a poo poo about, and full of stunning visuals. I liked the comedy aspects because it always felt like Rian was having fun WITH the goofiness inherent to Star Wars, not at the EXPENSE of it. I think TLJ is bombastic, a little uneven, pretty weird at times, a little too long, but ultimately dazzling. It could probably be 20 minutes shorter and a little more focused, but for me, TLJ is going to age MUUUUCH better than TFA and it and ESB are the only two Star Wars films I would care to rewatch a few more times. The film does make me afraid that Abrams is going to unweird TLJ in Star Wars 9 which may retroactively ruin of some of the risks taken, but for now, at least today, The Last Jedi is as good a Star Wars as I could reasonably want. 4/5
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Dec 17, 2017 06:09
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DLC Inc posted:you could abstain from pretty much all disney films at this rate and not miss out on much, it's all superhero poo poo and remake of all their animated movies now. Every year for the last few years has basically become a "check what A24 is putting out this time" routine because most of my favorites are released under them. A24 is a loving godsend.
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Dec 17, 2017 08:23
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Everything I've seen so far in theaters from 12/2-12/11 The Good: I, Tonya (not the I, Robot sequel I was expecting) Shape of Water (it's a hellboy prequel right? we've all decided this?) Shadowman The Disaster Artist The Pretty Good (but I doubt I'd ever rewatch it): -- The eh/mediocre/catch on cable: -- The I wish I could get my time back list: -- Everything I saw in December was really good! I guess let's just cram all the best poo poo to the end of the year then? Sure, whatever. I'm super on the fence on star wars (I still haven't seen the last two, I'm just not that into it) Jumanji and downsizing. Not paying to go see them helps, but even then I could easily not and not care. Thor and Justice League represent both ends of that stick. I didn't care about either movie, normally would have missed both if I was paying for the tickets, figured both were going to be eh and ended up liking one and hating the other. There are a few things on the radar in the first 1/4th of 2018 that I'm looking forward to, the first of which is "Have A Nice Day" at the end of Jan. I may even go see my first Tyler Perry movie this year??? (Acrimony looks kinda decent?!?)
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Dec 17, 2017 10:12
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Suspiria (1977): A This movie is amazing. Quite possibly one of the best horror films I've ever seen. Right from the beginning it captivates you with the musical score. The camerawork, use of color and shadow, and cinematography are all top notch.
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Dec 17, 2017 17:12
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Return to Glennascaul: A Story Told in Dublin (1953, dir. Hilton Edwards) [Blu-ray] - 3/5 Charming little "ghost story" produced by Hilton Edwards (co-star of Welles' Othello) also featuring Welles. Not much to it, but nicely shot. Killer's Kiss (1955, d.p. Stanley Kubrick) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 Fear and Desire is such a failure, this next feature-length work from Kubrick is a huge step up. I think half of it is owed to him shooting in his neighborhood, rather than the alien lands of California. The whole film looks straight out of his LIFE/Look photography work. While the story is a little silly, this has some absolutely phenomenal cinematography. It actually reminds me a lot of Cassevetes' Shadows in the low budget, realism. There's some great setpieces, like the fight near the end in the mannequin warehouse. Jamie Bell and Irene Kane don't really have much to work with here, but Frank Silvera (also in F&D) is wonderfully slimy. I do think it's neat that Kubrick cast Silvera, a biracial actor, in his first two films in roles where race really didn't matter. Othello (1955 US/UK version, dir. Orson Welles) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 The original 1952 "European" cut is far superior to this one, but it's not slighted too much. The main drawback is an inferior soundtrack, lacking the elegant spoken opening credits, and oddly truncating Iago's initial reason for his hatred (left ambiguous in this cut). I'll have to check on other differences, but the '52 cut is definitely the best one. The Killing (1956, d.p. Lucien Ballard) [Blu-ray] - 5/5 After three non-fiction shorts, two semi-amateur features, Kubrick finally makes his first masterpiece. A genre-defining noir. Packed with stellar character actors, a breathless pace, and an ingenious non-linear plot. I never get tired of this one because there's so much to soak in. So many movies have borrowed from this, but never equalled. Standouts in the cast are the always-amazing Sterling Hayden, Marie Windsor ("You've got a dollar sign where other women have a heart"), Elisha Cook Jr, and Timothy Carey. Paths of Glory (1957, d.p. Georg Krause) [Blu-ray] - 5/5 Another masterpiece. So many films meaning to be anti-war end up being just war films unwitingly, but this is one I think can be considered a truly anti-war film. There's absolutely nothing glamorous about war and it's shown as the tool of egos. Fantastic cast. Kirk Douglas is great, as always, but George Macready and Adolphe Menjou are worthy antagonists. The central characters of the three condemned are played to perfection by Ralph Meeker, Joe Turkel, and Timothy Carey. Kubrick almost ends the film on a nihilistic note, but brings back one last goosebumps-raising scene. This is a film I'd consider almost sacred in the history of cinema. Touch of Evil (1958, d.p. Russell Metty) [Blu-ray - 1958 theatrical cut] - 4.25/5 This is actually my first time seeing the original theatrical cut of Touch of Evil after only seeing the 90s reconstruction. It's still a fun movie, but it has all sorts of bizarre moments that seem wedged in, like a useless scene in a hotel lobby. The superimposed titles on the opening shot are ruinous. Still, this is a slick noir that bridges the gap between classic noir and neo-noir. I don't think I noticed before that Vargas speaks Spanish a few times. I will say, as awkward as Charlton Heston playing a Mexican could be, he handles the role beautifully and disappears into it. Also, Janet Leigh is a lot of fun, with a lot of attitude. The scene where she meets with Grandi is hilarious between her mouthing off and Akim Tamiroff's reactions. Great to see a lot of familiar Mercury faces like William Alland, Ray Collins, and Joseph Cotten (plus Mercedes McCambridge in a creepy role). This is one of my favorite Welles performances and might be his best since Kane. Also, I'll never not laugh at the ridiculousness of Dennis Weaver's character. Spartacus (1960, d.p. Russell Metty) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 I'll first say that my first viewing of this film was the old Blu-ray, which is notorious for being a smudgy, pasty mess. This is from the new 4K restoration. While I think it's still a little too long, I really appreciate the film more now. While it's set in Roman times, it's clear the film has a subtext of the working man against the elites. There's a lot of great moments where the film is basically saying, "gently caress the rich" - especially Laurence Olivier's slimy Crassus. There's plenty of great character actors supporting Kirk Douglas' central role. John Ireland, Peter Ustinov, John Dall, Charles Laughton, and Woody Strode, just to name a few. I do think Tony Curtis is miscast, though. There's also some great photography courtesy of Russell Metty (and allegedly Kubrick himself for the most part). Lolita (1962, d.p. Oswald Morris) [Blu-ray] - 3.5/5 I've seen this twice now and I want to like it more. While I found this viewing to be way funnier, I think it's largely neutered by production code restrictions. However, I really don't want to see a movie where James Mason is loving a teenager. Still, the innuendos are often amusing and there's some great visual gags. Mason is great, though. Apparently this is David Lynch's favorite Kubrick film and I can see why - it looks so much like a standard melodrama, but has this darkness underneath. Mr. Arkadin (1962 "Corinth" Version, dir. Orson Welles) [DVD] - 4/5 Way better cut than the "Confidential Report" version. I watched with a commentary, though, so I'm saving my thoughts on the comprehensive version later. Decasia (2002, Bill Morrison) [Filmstruck] - 4/5 Hard to describe. It's basically decomposing film and experimental "atmospheric" music. I found it entrancing. Not something I'll watch again and again, but I bet this is really something in a live performance.
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Dec 18, 2017 00:52
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Egbert Souse posted:
Sort of a testament to the quality of the source material. You could take the best elements of the Kubrick version and mix them with the best elements Lyne version and the end product would still end up feeling like it's missing something. The book is where it's at.
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Dec 18, 2017 01:12
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:Sort of a testament to the quality of the source material. You could take the best elements of the Kubrick version and mix them with the best elements Lyne version and the end product would still end up feeling like it's missing something. I’ll add it to my list, but I do most my reading while traveling and don’t think it would be a good book to walk around with. Also, I kept thinking about how much better was Nicholas Ray’s perversion of the melodrama, Bigger Than Life, which also stars Mason. Though, that’s a horror movie, while Lolita is a comedy. Or is it?
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Dec 18, 2017 05:05
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Egbert Souse posted:I’ll add it to my list, but I do most my reading while traveling and don’t think it would be a good book to walk around with. Well, it's an english language masterpiece acknowledged the world over, and it's pretty much a travel story in itself, so I doubt too many people would raise an eyebrow. I don't think Lolita is a comedy, but the prose can be incredibly funny at times. Lolita is primarily infused with tragedy and innocence-lost (regarding both Dolores and younger HH with Annabelle) but the unreliable narration of events by HH is more on the level of the ecstatic.
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Dec 18, 2017 07:59
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Free Fire (2016) dir. Ben Wheatley 6/10 The Disaster Artist (2017) dir. James Franco 7.5/10 Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) dir. Rian Johnson 9.5/10 I Love You, Daddy (2017) dir. Louis C.K 6.5/10
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Dec 18, 2017 11:44
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Where a Good Man Goes (1999) 3/5 Sign o the Times (1987) rewatch 5/5 - this is seriously among the very best ever concert films and everyone should watch it. Electric Apricot (2007) 2/5 Violent Cop (1989) 4/5 Zatoichi (2003) 3/5 - This could have been so much better. There are a few moments where Takeshi is doing a very good Shintaro Katsu impression and he's probably the ideal actor to play an old Ichi. It's fine, not really bad, there's just something missing that didn't get carried over from the older films and I just can't care about any of the characters. As for the cg blood, I try very hard not to let those sorts of effects ruin a movie for me and this is the one that has tested me the most. On the Beach at Night Alone (2017) 4/5 - Kim Min-hee is incredible. Beautiful film but maybe not recommended as someone's first Hong due to how personal it is, reflecting on both his previous work and the affair with Kim. Shin Godzilla (2016) rewatch 5/5 Society (1989) 5/5 - I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into, but the ending was still completely insane
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Dec 18, 2017 17:48
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FancyMike posted:On the Beach at Night Alone (2017) 4/5 - Kim Min-hee is incredible. Beautiful film but maybe not recommended as someone's first Hong due to how personal it is, reflecting on both his previous work and the affair with Kim. Could you expand on your thoughts on these two? I'm interested to hear more about them.
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Dec 18, 2017 17:56
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - A The mrs. and I saw this last night, and it was excellent. Well written, well directed, well acted, etc. There was a lot of laughter and we both even shed a few tears at a few scenes. I was expecting a pretty dark movie and a pretty funny movie going in, but I didn't expect it to be so touching. The scene Sheriff Willoughby killed himself and everything after that was possibly the most poignant to me. I know a lot of people have been saying its praises so I may be just echoing those, but it is still great and I recommend it to pretty much everyone.
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