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Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| September 2017

I just walked out of Dunkirk after about 45 minutes. I was absolutely bored to tears. First movie I've ever walked out of in my whole life. Fortunately with MoviePass I didn't feel bad about it at all. I even sat through The Dark Tower last week, it was awful but at least it kept my attention.
 

big ander

Member
Does anyone know what version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the best? Watching it with some friends soon and we don't know which one to rent.

I've only seen '56 and '78. between those two I'd say '56 is handily the best, an uncut burst of adrenaline. at the same time '78 is probably more fun to watch with a group of friends, it's pretty good.

'93 is supposed to be great, been meaning to catch it.
I just walked out of Dunkirk after about 45 minutes. I was absolutely bored to tears. First movie I've ever walked out of in my whole life. Fortunately with MoviePass I didn't feel bad about it at all. I even sat through The Dark Tower last week, it was awful but at least it kept my attention.

lame, movie's pretty good. and it's upfront about how its narrative structure is going to rely on dovetailing so you really played yourself.
 

Icolin

Banned
I just walked out of Dunkirk after about 45 minutes. I was absolutely bored to tears. First movie I've ever walked out of in my whole life. Fortunately with MoviePass I didn't feel bad about it at all. I even sat through The Dark Tower last week, it was awful but at least it kept my attention.

Too much fire for me in this post, whew.
 
maybe his theatre has really shitty sound

Nothing about the sound really stood out to me. Even so, good sound is not enough to make me keep watching a movie I find utterly boring. I have liked pretty much all of Nolan's stuff in the past, but Dunkirk just did nothing for me, I started tuning out almost immediately.
 

kevin1025

Banned
Nothing about the sound really stood out to me. Even so, good sound is not enough to make me keep watching a movie I find utterly boring. I have liked pretty much all of Nolan's stuff in the past, but Dunkirk just did nothing for me, I started tuning out almost immediately.

What are some of your absolute favorite movies? I'm curious what you're into!
 

dickroach

Member
I just walked out of Dunkirk after about 45 minutes. I was absolutely bored to tears. First movie I've ever walked out of in my whole life. Fortunately with MoviePass I didn't feel bad about it at all.

I feel ya. I almost fell asleep when I saw it last night, but I stuck it out, and the second half was better. I left liking it.
 
I just walked out of Dunkirk after about 45 minutes. I was absolutely bored to tears. First movie I've ever walked out of in my whole life. Fortunately with MoviePass I didn't feel bad about it at all. I even sat through The Dark Tower last week, it was awful but at least it kept my attention.

You missed one hour of more endless-seeming dogfight scenes.
 
Tarkovsky's Stalker is probably the best example of cinematic hypnosis there is. As the trio of characters finally journeys into the mysterious "zone" we are lulled into a trance by the rhythmic, and increasingly distorted, sounds of a rail car during this absurdly long sequence. From there on the journey becomes one that is increasingly interior rather than physical, which is certainly off-putting the first time around, but whether you give yourself to the film and its idiosyncratic pacing and style or not, it remains a transformative experience. And the peerless atmosphere Tarkovsky creates keeps you suspended in this sort of haunted, isolated, and timeless space. Many would call it "boredom", but the half-asleep torpor is fully intentional for the hypnosis to take effect, since Tarkovsky films work more in liminal dream spaces than the literal cause and effect we are used to.

This time around though, my first time watching Stalker again in five years, I was prepared for the journey, and so I was able to appreciate far more of the film beyond just the level of the sensory (which, by the way, is a perfectly fine way to enjoy this experience given just how amazingly Tarkovsky textures this world with all its verdant, water-logged scenery and haunting echoes). I appreciate that the film gives no easy answers, and even its more obviously allegorical elements refuse to be pinned down to obvious explanation as they are constantly put into question by the surprisingly psychologicaly complex characters. Stalker's opaqueness is likely just as big a point of contention as its languid pace for some people, but whether you realize it or not, through actively watching the film you will likely be wrestling with the same themes and ideas of hope, belief, and morality that the characters do, as the film does an incredible --and subtle-- job of keeping you immersed in the headspaces of the characters. Understanding anything is truly secondary to the experience (I would even go so far as to argue that not understanding IS key to it). Stalker is a journey into "the zone" for the viewer as much as the characters, and nobody comes back the same.
 
Good ehrlich take on wonder woman yday

do feel like people are being *very* forgiving of some *VERY* bad / basic biopic storytelling because the film is progressive in other ways
 

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
I finally watched 1408 last night, been meaning to watch it for years. Wasn't expecting much but it was a surprisingly solid horror. The extended hallucination towards the end was great. I coulda done without the whole 'guilt over a dead child' angle, kinda sick of that one.
 
The first ten minutes of Wonder Woman is pure exposition while a shitty child actor mugs for the camera while doing karate (after the DEAR BATMAN opening lmao). Like, that's how they decided to draw people in to the story.

I don't get what people see in Wonder Woman either.
 

lordxar

Member
Tarkovsky's Stalker

This one has stuck with me. I loved the sci-fi side of it but the understanding, or lack thereof, really put me off. Like you say though, it's about dat journey. I still find myself wanting to revisit it...like some weird zone in Russia is drawing me back... I saw the bluray the other day and I was right back in the grassy field tossing stones ahead of myself.
 

Iceman

Member
There are two different versions of Dunkirk. The first and holiest is the 70mm true IMAX version and then there is everything else.. the pan and scan/modified to fit your tiny screen/looking through a peephole/might as well be well be cranking it through and old-timey nickelodeon version.

Anecdotal, but went with a friend on opening night and saw it on a 70mm IMAX screen and we were both blown away (by the experience). And the following day he went and saw it again, but on a standard wide-screen presentation and was thoroughly underwhelmed. He said it made a big difference. I personally can't imagine ingesting a movie of that cinematic scope in such a restricted format. I weep for the home conversion.

Side note: re-watched Wedding Crashers and found the first half to be thoroughly enjoyable and really well executed, but was frustrated by the second-half turn, especially for Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Bradley Cooper*'s characters. Every other character stayed true to themselves, but these three bent cartoonishly to satisfy the screenplays forced Hollywood ending. Felt totally unearned. Will Ferrell's cameo was still as legendary as I remember.

*it took captions for me to learn Bradley Cooper's character name was Sack Lodge. lol. I just thought Walken exaggerated his pronunciation of Zach.
 

UrbanRats

Member
See, you shouldn't even bother with the genre anymore. Do as I do, only watch the wacky stuff on the fringe, such as Super =)
I think i'm still gonna give Spiderman a shot, but i'll try to stop watching these movies just because they are in the current zeitgeist.

Used to be, just watched whatever looked up my alley from the trailer, and was much more happy that way.

Managed to avoid GoG2 and Suicide Squad at least.

The first ten minutes of Wonder Woman is pure exposition while a shitty child actor mugs for the camera while doing karate (after the DEAR BATMAN opening lmao). Like, that's how they decided to draw people in to the story.

I don't get what people see in Wonder Woman either.
Some dialogue seemed straight out of a Pokemon cartoon or something, like these movies are mainly meant for children i think, but then so much of them is clearly aimed at adults.

Don't want to act holier than thou, i like martial arts movies, not exactly high brow entertainment, but at least those follow the tried and true narrative structure of a porno.
 
There are two different versions of Dunkirk. The first and holiest is the 70mm true IMAX version and then there is everything else.. the pan and scan/modified to fit your tiny screen/looking through a peephole/might as well be well be cranking it through and old-timey nickelodeon version.

Anecdotal, but went with a friend on opening night and saw it on a 70mm IMAX screen and we were both blown away (by the experience). And the following day he went and saw it again, but on a standard wide-screen presentation and was thoroughly underwhelmed. He said it made a big difference. I personally can't imagine ingesting a movie of that cinematic scope in such a restricted format. I weep for the home conversion.

That happens with all films that know how to make use of the scope that cinema provides. You watch a Lean or Leone or (whatever) movie on a big screen and then on a nice tv and it feels like a phone. I grew up watching the good/bad/ugly and was really used to it and then one day i watched it on a big screen and it was mesmerizing but also saddening cause it reduces the value of future rewatches. First time I saw it was on a small 4/3 crt but watching Tuco/Blondie/Angel eyes faces on a gigantic screen with Morricone blasting all over the theater will more or less erase any past experiences.

That 70 mm experience is the natural environment to watch that particular movie (I haven't. Only liemax). All others will naturally be lesser experiences.
 
This one has stuck with me. I loved the sci-fi side of it but the understanding, or lack thereof, really put me off. Like you say though, it's about dat journey. I still find myself wanting to revisit it...like some weird zone in Russia is drawing me back... I saw the bluray the other day and I was right back in the grassy field tossing stones ahead of myself.

Yeah my first time watching I definitely can't say that I straight up enjoyed the movie, but once it was over I couldn't stop thinking about it, which I think is the hallmark of a powerful work of art.
 

Switch Back 9

a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
Wonder Woman was fun but the CGI amazons in the opening scene were like PS3 era cutscene material. It looked brutal.
 
Wonder Woman was fun but the CGI amazons in the opening scene were like PS3 era cutscene material. It looked brutal.
Yeah, the first and last 20 minutes made me not like the movie as much as a lot of other people seem to. The acting was atrocious at the start, and the end was the most cliche and most safe way they could've gone.
 

robotrock

Banned
Wonder Woman was fun but the CGI amazons in the opening scene were like PS3 era cutscene material. It looked brutal.

Yeah, the first and last 20 minutes made me not like the movie as much as a lot of other people seem to.
Do you guys have this issue with the Thor movies where you just can’t give a shit about anything going on in not-Earth land? I had this issue with Wonder Woman as well and also kind of have it pretty hardcore with a lot of Guardians of the Galaxy (only seen the first one).
 
Do you guys have this issue with the Thor movies where you just can’t give a shit about anything going on in not-Earth land? I had this issue with Wonder Woman as well and also kind of have it pretty hardcore with a lot of Guardians of the Galaxy (only seen the first one).

I've only seen the first Thor but I actually thought the Asgard stuff was significantly better (although that's not saying much) than the earth stuff. I think that's because Brannagh is a lot more comfortable with the Operatic/Shakespeare opulent drama that those scenes required though.
 
Do you guys have this issue with the Thor movies where you just can’t give a shit about anything going on in not-Earth land? I had this issue with Wonder Woman as well and also kind of have it pretty hardcore with a lot of Guardians of the Galaxy (only seen the first one).
I mean, considering how bad the second Thor is, it was kind of hard to care about anything at all with that movie. In regards to the first one though, I don't remember much of it, but I think I liked the Asgard parts better. I like it when Marvel goes really weird more than when they stick to their Earth stuff that's gotten a tad stale.
 

SeanC

Member
Do you guys have this issue with the Thor movies where you just can’t give a shit about anything going on in not-Earth land? I had this issue with Wonder Woman as well and also kind of have it pretty hardcore with a lot of Guardians of the Galaxy (only seen the first one).

I can see how something that's not grounded in our reality can take someone out of it, but I loved the high fantasy stuff myself. It was more interesting, but there is a disconnect because you're half-understanding the way of that world and maybe not 100% getting it or how it works.

That's where good characters come in to play and help you relate more, Thor didn't quite get that. WW kind of did but not enough. Guardians gets it in spades, though, but that's also because you have a human as your lead who has human/earth sensibilities.
 
Bland action rubbish with a nonsensical plot and a strong undercurrent of xenophobia towards non Americans strongly characterises American Assassin. The action is really boring and badly directed, despite having an 18 age rating it does nothing with it besides a tame torture scene. The plot is pure American TERRURIST tank fantasy, Dylan O'Brien still doesn't have sufficient action talent to pull this kind of role off. Michael Keaton tries and fails to save this, and the plot tastes such a weird out of field left turn, yet still manages to be dull its really amazing.

Not in a good way amazing, in an avoid this rubbish way mind.
 

shaneo632

Member
Flatliners (1990) - 6/10. Though the terrific premise is ultimately much more interesting than the actual execution, Flatliners is a solid B-movie thanks to entertaining performances, Joel Schumacher's stylish direction and Jan de Bont's marvellous cinematography.

It's far too long at 114 minutes and a lot of the hallucinations are more unintentionally hilarious than unsettling, but I admired its go-for-broke lack of restraint.

I'm sure the rebootquel out this Friday is going to be a major pile of shit.
 

Sean C

Member
Incendies is his masterpiece though.
Yeah, even a lot of cinephiles don't seem to watch any of his Canadian films, despite being big fans of his Hollywood cinema

Yeah, the first and last 20 minutes made me not like the movie as much as a lot of other people seem to. The acting was atrocious at the start, and the end was the most cliche and most safe way they could've gone.
The ending was definitely not safe, seeing as
they kill off Steve. That's certainly a conventional ending (pretty much all endings have a solid literary foundation), but it's not the safest ending by any means
.
 

Borgnine

MBA in pussy licensing and rights management
Can I just say that UrbanRats has the best opinions. I can't remember the last we weren't on the exact same page regarding film. Don't act like you don't know what I'm taking about. <3
 
I watched John Wick: Chapter 2 again last night to see if it was still dope. Yup, it's still pretty dope.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (4.5/10) - This, however, was not dope. I wasn't a big fan of the first, but this is a complete step down in every way, with all the usual sequel bullshit of retcons (that character you like is coming back from the dead) and fan service ("If you do save the world again, you know what that means" anal sex is it anal sex it's anal sex right? iunderstoodthatreference.png) and whatnot, with barely a shred of the original's identity. The story sucks, the visuals are ugly and garish, and it looks like Vaughn replaced Brad Allan with Tetsuya Nomura (which would actually be cool, almost, if I was still thirteen years old). This is one hot mess of Hollywood garbage.
 
After all the hype Wonder woman was disappointing. Action scenes were decent but acting plot etc were garbage. Not even mid-tier marvel level.
 
After all the hype Wonder woman was disappointing. Action scenes were decent but acting plot etc were garbage. Not even mid-tier marvel level.

Nope. Mid tier marvel is exactly where it fits alongside. Tbh to the dumpster with all of these movies this year aside from Logan

(And I certainly include thor 3 and justice league in there, not expecting much good out of either. Even with the director they got on thor and my nostalgia bias for dc characters)
 

Icolin

Banned
Nope. Mid tier marvel is exactly where it fits alongside. Tbh to the dumpster with all of these movies this year aside from Logan

(And I certainly include thor 3 and justice league in there, not expecting much good out of either. Even with the director they got on thor and my nostalgia bias for dc characters)

Hey, what about Spider-Man Homecoming? (I thought it was pretty great, personally)
 
Don't wanna bother watching that one again tbh. It was nice but I didn't really care much for the characters or action, Michael Keaton was pretty good tho

It really didn't help its case for me either when I rewatched the Raimi movies around then too.

To each their own though. Like a lot of people really enjoy the marvel approach at the end of the day, I'm fed up with it. I just want more superhero movies like tdk or Logan tho. I'm hoping Reeves' Batman goes for it
 

Icolin

Banned
Don't wanna bother watching that one again tbh. It was nice but I didn't really care much for the characters or action, Michael Keaton was pretty good tho

It really didn't help its case for me either when I rewatched the Raimi movies around then too.

To each their own though. Like a lot of people really enjoy the marvel approach at the end of the day, I'm fed up with it. I just want more superhero movies like tdk or Logan tho. I'm hoping Reeves' Batman goes for it

If Reeves' Batman doesn't go for it, we'll still have the Joker origin movie to look forward to.
 
People were (understandably) overexcited that it wasn’t terrible
This.

That along with it being a female superhero and a female director and that just excited such an audience that it actually become more than the movie itself.

It's a perfectly serviceable superhero movie, which makes it a thoroughly average movie movie.
 

shaneo632

Member
Hellraiser: Deader (2005) - 3.2/10. The worst Hellraiser film up to this point, the preposterously-named "Deader" takes a spec script and loosely re-shapes it to slot into the franchise, but does nothing interesting with the existing mythology.

Kari Wuhrer is an incredibly sexy lady but she's got nothing to do here, Pinhead's only in it for about 7 minutes, and the ending is an eye-roller. Terrible.
 
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