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Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| February 2017
- Thread starter Divius
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Nope. The part with Ripley's daughter, Hadley's Hope, sentry guns and one or two other scenes are all directors cut. I caught the special edition once years ago but always saw the theatrical until I finally bought the AvP set. Couldn't stand the theatrical once I knew what got cut.
Vault Dweller 111
Member
I thought Emma Stone was amazing.
She is good but I feel just about everyone else who was nominated was better
Earthquake I didn't think the effects would hold up but am pleasantly surprised. The models are great and the disaster portion is very well done. Compared to the trash San Andreas was in all its cgi glory Earthquake is an excellent disaster film. What I didn't like was Charlton Heston. His man's man rough and tumble 2x4 acting is terrible. This is the second film I've seen him in recently and I haven't cared for his style in either but that's a minor complaint against the whole.
For better and worse, Charlton Heston is always Charlton Heston. He has such a commanding screen presence and voice that one can forget that he never had the greatest range. I think that more often than not, whatever role he had at the time would be almost unimaginable to picture someone else in it.
Can't think of the names but my top 5 actresses of 2016 would be. Also Amy bit getting nominated is bs
1. Natalie portman
2. Isabelle Huppert
3.Sonia Braga
4. Annette Bening
5. Amy Adams
Edit: I am watching loving this week
Cripplegate
Member
Hmmm. My favorite female performances of the year:
1. Isabelle Huppert, but in L'avenir and not Elle (because I still haven't seen Elle)
2. Zhao Tao, Mountains May Depart
3. Lily Gladstone, Certain Women
4. Janelle Monáe, for both Moonlight and Hidden Figures (but she was probably better in Moonlight)
5. Adriana Ugarte and Emma Suárez as the same character, Julieta, at different ages (in the Almodóvar joint, obvs)
1. Isabelle Huppert, but in L'avenir and not Elle (because I still haven't seen Elle)
2. Zhao Tao, Mountains May Depart
3. Lily Gladstone, Certain Women
4. Janelle Monáe, for both Moonlight and Hidden Figures (but she was probably better in Moonlight)
5. Adriana Ugarte and Emma Suárez as the same character, Julieta, at different ages (in the Almodóvar joint, obvs)
Two good lists. Need to see Moutains May Depart and Aquarius. A top 5 for this is tough, lot of great work this year. My go (keeping in mind I enjoy several of these performances more [a LOT more] than their surrounding movies):
–HM: I love every performance in Certain Women but think what makes them remarkable is how they reflect on and echo off each other. If Dern, Gladstone, Stewart, and Williams could be considered a joint performance it'd be my #1.
–Dakota Johnson, How to Be Single
–Jenjira Pongpas, Cemetery of Splendor
–Emma Stone, La La Land
–Janelle Monáe, Hidden Figures
–Isabelle Huppert, Elle
–HM: I love every performance in Certain Women but think what makes them remarkable is how they reflect on and echo off each other. If Dern, Gladstone, Stewart, and Williams could be considered a joint performance it'd be my #1.
–Dakota Johnson, How to Be Single
–Jenjira Pongpas, Cemetery of Splendor
–Emma Stone, La La Land
–Janelle Monáe, Hidden Figures
–Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Morgan (dir. Luke Scott) - Welp, that was a terrible sci-fi film (good thing I saw it for free on an airplane). Stupid characters doing stupid things, letting some artificial human hybrid get away with it all. Anya Tayler-Joy should hopefully pick better films after The Witch. The only good thing is Kate Mara wrecking shop as a risk management specialist who also doubles as a martial arts badass. I still wanted to punch Rose Leslie in the face for being this stupid hippie girl who wants to just play with Morgan and is totally cool even after Morgan starts beating up and killing other people.
Not to mention it's really, really, really stupid with
'omg saw that coming at the intro'
Cripplegate
Member
Paterson (9/10) - I find it hard to talk about a film that wins me over as much as Paterson did, without dipping into meaningless superlatives. And yet here it is: this is a beautiful, charming, funny, poignant film, observed gently and deeply with a skill Jarmusch has spent years honing, capturing the spirit of a place, and the souls of the people who reside there, in the way only he can. I'm a huge fan of his work, obviously. And this is probably my favorite film of his since Broken Flowers... maybe even Dead Man? It's a wonderous paean to a humble, working class poet, capturing a week full of random details, the nightly comings and goings of bar patrons, random bits of conversation overheard on a bus, a chance encounter with a Japanese pilgrim obsessed with William Carlos Williams... trillions of molecules, parting and colliding, pattern recognition and cosmic convergences (water falls), an endless stream of data both meaningless and significant. I walked out of the theatre and, even if only for a brief moment, the whole world looked different. That's what good movies do.
I haven't decided exactly where, yet, but this is definitely on my Top 10 for the year.
I haven't decided exactly where, yet, but this is definitely on my Top 10 for the year.
Net_Wrecker
Member
Definitely. Paterson is so subtly great. 2016 is a particularly tough year for trying to get my top 10 right, and I'll probably be leaving off at least 5 movies that could be in my top 5 of the year.
Discotheque
Banned
I could make a top 20 if I thought about it. An abundance of great movies this year. (last year)
mariachi507
Member
I've still got plenty to watch from last year and I've only got a week to do it! It's my own fault, I've gotten sidetracked the past couple of weeks with watching other things instead. I'm going to at least squeeze in Silence, Arrival, and Fences before the week is done at least.
Hexxen-Panda
Member
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Hey that's pretty good.gif
I really wanted to see this before I attempt to see Arrival. Not as great as it was hyped up to be, but it has its moments. It did bother me a bit that the characters took so long to realize that they were seeing Devil's tower.
It's always distracting af when directors use the split diopter technique because it looks like a bad green-screen composite.
Hey that's pretty good.gif
I really wanted to see this before I attempt to see Arrival. Not as great as it was hyped up to be, but it has its moments. It did bother me a bit that the characters took so long to realize that they were seeing Devil's tower.
It's always distracting af when directors use the split diopter technique because it looks like a bad green-screen composite.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
Like recent politics?
Cripplegate
Member
Yup.
I had a pretty solid list going by the end of 2016, but now I'm looking at it and I'm not sure what the hell to do with it. I'm seriously considering bumping off films from Terrence Malick and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. In any other year, these guys would be occupying the top spots with zero competition. They're two of my all time favorites. In 2016, I'm seriously thinking they might not make my list (and that's not one, but TWO Malick joints I'd be omitting; absolutely insane!). That's how you know it has been a damn good year. 2016 ain't nothin to fuck with.
What was infuriating about it?
Wiener Dog went on to help other people,
even in death.
mariachi507
Member
Mostly, along with a crop of pre 2016 movies.
Moana (like 40 different directors, 2016) - Which is called Oceania here, because "Moana" is a famous dead pornstar.
Film looked absolutely stunning, the main character was cute and all, and the songs were a big improvement over the shit show in Frozen.
Beyond that, it was the usual formulaic Disney pap, girl locked in castle/island for her own good, sings about being meant for bigger things, yadda yadda.
They continue to not have an interesting villain, probably thinking it's for the best, but it made everything feel just a bit too stupid, when the only hurdle is some lava lady stuck in the ground, and Maui being a prick for no reason.
But hey, who fault is it, if you watch children's movies and then complain they're not good enough for adults? Yeah.
Film looked absolutely stunning, the main character was cute and all, and the songs were a big improvement over the shit show in Frozen.
Beyond that, it was the usual formulaic Disney pap, girl locked in castle/island for her own good, sings about being meant for bigger things, yadda yadda.
They continue to not have an interesting villain, probably thinking it's for the best, but it made everything feel just a bit too stupid, when the only hurdle is some lava lady stuck in the ground, and Maui being a prick for no reason.
But hey, who fault is it, if you watch children's movies and then complain they're not good enough for adults? Yeah.
It was called Vaiana here in The Netherlands. (and iirc France/Belgium as well, had to do with patents or something)
Probably helps them avoid awkward google searches anyway.
Doesn't help that the SKY miniseries with Violante Placido, about Moana, isn't that old.
I'm in the same camp. It felt like a movie with only two acts, and the second rushed.
With the all-important NeoGAF MOTY voting deadline closing in, I made a list of stuff I haven't seen yet. Most notable are 20th Century Women, One More Time with Feeling and Your Name along with another handful of foreign films, the first of which (Forushande/The Salesman) I will watch today!
Yes and travelling mate from the 1920s look SO BAD when you compare them to Avatar. Sad, directors!!!
Fancy Clown
Member
I will not tolerate split-diopter slander. Brian de Palma is the God of the technique:
John Wick 2
Pure pulp garbage sequel. Takes all the simplicity and fun from the first film and flushes it down the toilet in lieu of ~deep lore~ nonsense. The concept of the world of assassins in John Wick makes no sense, has no real internal logic, and is obviously a shitty attempt at cheesy comic book stuff. The action was really good. The fights in the middle and the end are top notch. The hall of mirrors was creative. The Rome scenes were all dreadful and boring. This is the Star Wars prequels of John Wick.
Pure pulp garbage sequel. Takes all the simplicity and fun from the first film and flushes it down the toilet in lieu of ~deep lore~ nonsense. The concept of the world of assassins in John Wick makes no sense, has no real internal logic, and is obviously a shitty attempt at cheesy comic book stuff. The action was really good. The fights in the middle and the end are top notch. The hall of mirrors was creative. The Rome scenes were all dreadful and boring. This is the Star Wars prequels of John Wick.
Will watch John Wick 3.
this is probably the most minority opinion I have seen for a movie since I read that one time someone called Mad Max Fury road trash.
You are faulting the movie for expanding on the same concepts presented in JW1.
The Star Wars prequels also expanded on the same concepts presented in the original trilogy...
yea but they actually suck..
So does this script? I mean I could spend 1000 words picking everything apart, but I don't think I need to bother since clearly it was made just as an excuse for John Wick to kill 500 people in various brutal ways. Would the movie be worse if they left out all the nonsensical stuff? What difference would it have made?
The Royal Tenenbaums
Rewatch. For my money, still the best Wes Anderson film. It's the best depiction of his style, the best cast he has assembled, and the best use of one of his casts. Every character beat and interaction and relationship just works.
8/10
All the President's Men
Rewatch. It is fucking eerie how similar the events leading up to Watergate mirror today. I mean, I already knew that in the broad strokes, but even the word choice and language of the era -- from the White House's attacks on journalists to the descriptions, and implications, of stolen DNC documents -- sounds extremely familiar. I like but don't love the movie itself. My impression of it now hasn't changed all that much from when I saw it years ago: kind of slow (and not really in a methodical, building-its-case way, but just a slow way), the structure is a bit scattershot, and the ending sucks. Woodward and Bernstein's story completely stalls, but don't worry, the postscript covers all of the other important shit that brought down Nixon. Anyway, all the same, the film is an important reminder of why an adversarial, free press is such a critical America institution and that journalism will always have a crucial role to play in holding politicians accountable when the rank-and-file voter doesn't.
7/10
Streep is a long shot every year because her nominations are usually undeserved...
Rewatch. For my money, still the best Wes Anderson film. It's the best depiction of his style, the best cast he has assembled, and the best use of one of his casts. Every character beat and interaction and relationship just works.
8/10
All the President's Men
Rewatch. It is fucking eerie how similar the events leading up to Watergate mirror today. I mean, I already knew that in the broad strokes, but even the word choice and language of the era -- from the White House's attacks on journalists to the descriptions, and implications, of stolen DNC documents -- sounds extremely familiar. I like but don't love the movie itself. My impression of it now hasn't changed all that much from when I saw it years ago: kind of slow (and not really in a methodical, building-its-case way, but just a slow way), the structure is a bit scattershot, and the ending sucks. Woodward and Bernstein's story completely stalls, but don't worry, the postscript covers all of the other important shit that brought down Nixon. Anyway, all the same, the film is an important reminder of why an adversarial, free press is such a critical America institution and that journalism will always have a crucial role to play in holding politicians accountable when the rank-and-file voter doesn't.
7/10
Streep is a long shot every year because her nominations are usually undeserved...
J-Roderton
Member
Bone Tomahawk
Awesome. Did not expect it to be that brutal.
Awesome. Did not expect it to be that brutal.
20th Century Women
I really sort of didn't like it at all. While I like the premise behind it, How a single mum had trouble raising her kid along with other misfits in her house, I thought the the actors were misscasted. As much as I liked Greta Gerwig in other movies, I couldn't take her seriously in this movie, it looked like she was trying hard not to crack a sarcastic remark here and there. Elle fanning was awfully casted too, yes, she can play a spoiled brat well, but I could never sympethise with her.
The son was unlikable as well, while the Billy Crudup was just.... there. Never made an impact, always floated about with no real purpuse.
Annette Bening was fantastic, from start to finish, but her support characters all let her down in this curiously set film about the deprection era and how women survived in a world where melancholia and sadness was the norm.
I really sort of didn't like it at all. While I like the premise behind it, How a single mum had trouble raising her kid along with other misfits in her house, I thought the the actors were misscasted. As much as I liked Greta Gerwig in other movies, I couldn't take her seriously in this movie, it looked like she was trying hard not to crack a sarcastic remark here and there. Elle fanning was awfully casted too, yes, she can play a spoiled brat well, but I could never sympethise with her.
The son was unlikable as well, while the Billy Crudup was just.... there. Never made an impact, always floated about with no real purpuse.
Annette Bening was fantastic, from start to finish, but her support characters all let her down in this curiously set film about the deprection era and how women survived in a world where melancholia and sadness was the norm.
huh? you went in for a good plot? oh honey. you went in for a different movie, which makes no sense since it is 1 on a bigger scale. Like I said you are in the minority on that one.
edit: go post your summary in the JW thread and see what they got to say.
AngmarsKing701
Member
Stone will probably win. I didn't see Elle or Moonlight or Jackie so can't comment on Huppert or Monae or Portman, but Amy Adams was fucking amazing in Arrival and it's just utter bs she's not in the running. Her performance was better than Stone's.
I'll say i really liked Rebecca Hall in Christine.
Don't know if i'd give her the Oscar, but she was pretty damn good in it.
The Remains of the Day (1993): The absolute pinnacle of Merchant Ivory's golden period, and surely one of the most successful faithful adaptations of a great novel on record. Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, despite its suitability for a glossy production of this sort, has a deeply reserved and internal lead character who would present a challenge for any screenwriter and actor. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and Sir Anthony Hopkins proved up to the task, bringing Stevens' frustrating but deeply moving character to the screen. Emma Thompson is terrific opposite him, as is the rest of the supporting cast (including a very young Lena Headey).
As an historian I've sometimes quibbled with the "professionals" analysis put forward by Christopher Reeve's Lewis in a pivotal scene, and the degree to which this may be at odds with the story's other theme of increased need for democratization and individuals to involve themselves in the nation's affairs. Perhaps there isn't a neat answer there. But Lord Darlington's background story as a man whose good intentions (and, at times, moral blindness) lead him down a ruinous course, is wonderfully told.
As an historian I've sometimes quibbled with the "professionals" analysis put forward by Christopher Reeve's Lewis in a pivotal scene, and the degree to which this may be at odds with the story's other theme of increased need for democratization and individuals to involve themselves in the nation's affairs. Perhaps there isn't a neat answer there. But Lord Darlington's background story as a man whose good intentions (and, at times, moral blindness) lead him down a ruinous course, is wonderfully told.
Yeah, she was great. The "yes, but" scene was one of my favorite pieces of acting in the past year.
No! I'm just commenting on how bad the script is! I said it's trash but it's enjoyable trash.
As I do every year, I'm trying to catch up on all the Best Picture contenders. I watched La La Land and was very surprised by how much I liked it.
The word "musical" can go two ways for me these days. Is it going to be the old-school type that you just have to roll with even though it breaks all immersion from the story on the screen like Les Miserables (which I thought was awful). Or do you get a more modern version of a musical that tries to blend the music coherently into the story like Once, Begin Again, or even Inside Llewyn Davis (I loved all three)?
La La Land found a middle ground that worked really well. Chazelle's Whiplash was my absolute favourite movie of 2014 and the only one I would've considered a true "10/10" that year, so I should've had more faith in this. There weren't any surprises in terms of story and characterization in La La Land. It did what was expected but did it while looking really really ridiculously good. I'd be shocked if this doesn't win the Best Cinematography award.
The other thing I liked about La La Land (and this was done even better in Whiplash) is that there isn't a wasted scene. Every scene had something interesting to see, hear, or experience story-wise. Chazelle is an incredibly efficient director.
Only Hacksaw Ridge and Hidden Figures left now.
The word "musical" can go two ways for me these days. Is it going to be the old-school type that you just have to roll with even though it breaks all immersion from the story on the screen like Les Miserables (which I thought was awful). Or do you get a more modern version of a musical that tries to blend the music coherently into the story like Once, Begin Again, or even Inside Llewyn Davis (I loved all three)?
La La Land found a middle ground that worked really well. Chazelle's Whiplash was my absolute favourite movie of 2014 and the only one I would've considered a true "10/10" that year, so I should've had more faith in this. There weren't any surprises in terms of story and characterization in La La Land. It did what was expected but did it while looking really really ridiculously good. I'd be shocked if this doesn't win the Best Cinematography award.
The other thing I liked about La La Land (and this was done even better in Whiplash) is that there isn't a wasted scene. Every scene had something interesting to see, hear, or experience story-wise. Chazelle is an incredibly efficient director.
Only Hacksaw Ridge and Hidden Figures left now.
No! I'm just commenting on how bad the script is! I said it's trash but it's enjoyable trash.
"Pure pulp garbage sequel"-Duckroll
Lady Snowblood: As usual, 15 minutes into a movie I know I'll love I say to myself "you've had this bluray for a year at least what the hell took so long?" It had me hood and fast.
Absolutely loved this movie. It's so up my alley in the same way Zatoichi or Lone Wolf and Cub are but just more bloody and violent and incredibly stylish. It kind of slows around Chapter 3 with it becoming a little too self-aware but I love the visuals and the mood and Kaji is so amazing - you can see where Tarantino got a lot of his inspirations. I wish this was a longer series of movies.
John Wick 2: Yeah, it's a lot of set up for a final film, but it has some great set pieces and sequences even if it's not as self-contained as its predecessesor. I loved that the first head-shot of the movie was literally greeted with a massive cheer from a crowd. It really leans into it being an over the top action film but done in a stylish-grounded way that sets it apart from shit action movies that can't even shoot some basic punches being thrown much less an elaborate, long sequence of hand to hand fighting mixed with gunplay like this manages to.
Absolutely loved this movie. It's so up my alley in the same way Zatoichi or Lone Wolf and Cub are but just more bloody and violent and incredibly stylish. It kind of slows around Chapter 3 with it becoming a little too self-aware but I love the visuals and the mood and Kaji is so amazing - you can see where Tarantino got a lot of his inspirations. I wish this was a longer series of movies.
John Wick 2: Yeah, it's a lot of set up for a final film, but it has some great set pieces and sequences even if it's not as self-contained as its predecessesor. I loved that the first head-shot of the movie was literally greeted with a massive cheer from a crowd. It really leans into it being an over the top action film but done in a stylish-grounded way that sets it apart from shit action movies that can't even shoot some basic punches being thrown much less an elaborate, long sequence of hand to hand fighting mixed with gunplay like this manages to.
Messofanego
Banned
The bad thing is the screenplay for Morgan was a hot ticket (black list).
Ghost_Messiah
Member
Finally someone that agrees with me. Same here man - didn't enjoy this one at all. It had some cool cinematography with the tracking shots and ambient music but that was pretty much the only redeeming factor I could find. It's a film that thinks it's important but it's really about nothing and lacks substance. Really don't get the rave reviews for this one - it's an okay film at best and as you say some of the characters were really unlikable and miscast.
.
Moving on watched Everest last night and thought it was okay. A decent-ish way to kill two hours and really compelling and tense in its final third and definitely worth the watch but nothing too spectacular or amazing. A strong 3/5 film.
Next on the list is John Wick 2 and I'm really looking forward to it after loving the original.
Once you see the sequel, you will understand why it wasn't!
Truth be told, the first film covered so much of the manga that getting more out of it without making shit up (like said sequel) would have been really difficult. It would be interesting to see a new adaptation that incorporates more of the plot elements of the manga, though it would wind up being considerably more adult.
I think that describes the movie fairly well.
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