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[Ridley327]

LIGHTNING ROUND!

Pale Flower: Well, this was a pretty fucking great noir from top to bottom. I am now looking for what other Masahiro Shinoda films I should see.

Cruel Gun Story: Decent little riff on The Killing, with good direction and a colorful cast, but you really feel the strain of having to get this past an hour long with all the stuff that feels tacked on when the big climactic shootout turns out to be not so climactic. It seems to go out of its way to make sure that every character gets something to do, even if you're not even sure that they should have been in there in the first place. I'd say two-thirds good, one third fairly bleh.

Killers on Parade: I suspect this is not particularly representative of Shinoda's other films, as it feels like a Seijun Suzuki film without any kind of semblance of structure to it. It's got a lot of neat elements in it with the shifting pool of musical numbers that take on different moods throughout the film, and you can already spot Shinoda's visual eye beginning to find a lot of fascinating architecture in otherwise mundane spots, but it never stops feeling like a patchwork of good ideas needing someone that gives a damn about putting them together in a satisfying way.

 

[Ridley327]

I feel like Destroy All Monsters remains one of the ultimate "instantly turns you into an impressionable 10-year-old" films ever made. It's unbelievably silly from beginning to end, but it's got more monsters than it knows what to do with them (poor Baragon and Varan, who have a combined 15 seconds of screen time), and finds the most ridiculous reasons to have them suddenly appear (best one: King Ghidorah showing up with stock footage from Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and being there just because he's from space). It doesn't matter, since all the destruction and the throwdowns that the posters promised are more than capably delivered. And really, what more can you ask from a film like this?

 

[Currygan]

Elizabeth part 1. Jesus what a terrible movie. You know the sad part? I also bought part 2 blind

 

[Apdiddy]

Terminator Genisys - Saw this over July 4th weekend with a barely filled theater. If you don't focus on the story at all, it's not bad. Jai Courtney is better than Sam Worthington in a lot of ways and the whole movie felt like a 'less great' story arc of Sarah Connor Chronicles. Emilia Clarke is also very good. Jason Clarke and Arnold were the best parts of the whole film.

Foxcatcher - I found this completely engrossing and very moving. I was roommates with a guy who did wrestling in high school and Channing Tatum acted exactly like him. I found Channing Tatum actually to be really good in this (same way I actually like Magic Mike).

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

Love and Mercy - 5/10 - it was alright
Song of the sea - 7/10 - charming enough I guess.
Amy - 9/10 - great documentary, kinda sad, liked it a lot.


Christ. Ant man and Inside Out seem to be the only big bright spots in this summers movies so far.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Saw Terminator Genisys over the weekend. I'd say it was worth the price of admission personally ($11.25). Definitely no Terminator 1/2 (only others I've seen from the franchise), but as far as modern action movies go it kept me entertained well enough. I'd probably give it a 6.5/10.

 

[KAKYBAC]

Wow, is this real life! I have lurked the gaf for at least 5 years and have yearned to be involved in this thread.

I now have a voice... Hello!

As per new members of the Movies You've Seen Recently thread, i shall fill out the following.

1. What's your favorite Movie?

Ikiru (1952) - Just pure unadulterated catharsis. The only film to have made me weep for 15 minutes straight after watching. The ultimate film upon the human condition which delivers a message that is irredeemably true to us all: we will die. What can we do to make the short time until then as meaningful as possible?

And most importantly with this theme, Ikiru is not saturated in naive idealism or unbridled optimism;

Spoiler

when the main character eventually succumbs to his fate

, the film is not happy enough to simply trade in on the viewers sorrow but crucially goes on to posthumously critique the life and integrity of the main character with such earnest ferocity.

And so we have a film which is not simply satisfied by it's own thesis of finding meaning and a silver lining to life but a piece of art which most acutely aggregates the essence of life, of what it means to live and die.

2. Who's your favorite director?

Stanley Kubrick - So much integrity and economic meaning. I could live and bathe in many of his films. Couldn't we all...

3. Who are your favorite actors/actresses? & 5. What's your favorite performance in film?
Daniel Day Lewis - His performance for In The Name of The Father (1993) is so naive, earnest, strong and raw. A frankly ridiculous actor.


4. Favorite Genre(s)?

My taste changes with the seasons. I am currently on a "anything on Netflix" run.


Anyway, that is it for now. I can't wait to get involved.http://letterboxd.com/le_rowe/

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

Welcome!

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

Welcome to our past-its-prime collection of misfits. It's like you signed with the WWE in 2015.

 

[Currygan]

hello mate, your taste is rather fine. I second your appreciation for DDL, probably the greatest Western actor today

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

More new people is always good! Who knows, thread could explode!

A lot of movie watchers who don't talk about what they watch in here!

 

[SuperInuit]

Hurray A fellow long time lurker, recent poster! They're all pretty nice people here.

 

[Infernostew]

May - This Carrie rip off was pretty much right up my alley. A weird but hot girl who talks with a doll her mom gives her and

Spoiler

gets dumped by both men and women, then kills them and makes a human doll

. Lots of fun and Angela Bettis and Anna Faris making out! 7/10

edit: Also, welcome KAKYBAC! I lurked for quite a bit before I became active in the thread/group thing

 

[Net_Wrecker]

More new people is always good! Who knows, thread could explode!

A lot of movie watchers who don't talk about what they watch in here!

A lot of movie watchers don't be watchin


I watch vicariously through Ridely though

 

[ViewtifulJC]

I used to watch more when I didn't have a job ;_;

fuck real life

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

A lot of movie watchers don't be watchin

I know

 

[Divius]

I used to watch more when I didn't have a job ;_;

fuck real life

Amen brother

Although I did watch 11 movies this month so far! That's already 2 more than last month!

For example I just rewatched the ever so lovely Laura (1944). It's about love. It's about murder. It's about obsession. It's as pretty as any film-noir will ever look and I love it.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I used to watch more when I didn't have a job ;_;

fuck real life

We need to unplug from the matrix and live free, watching movies all day like the good lord and George Washington intended. This oppressive society of 9 hour work days can not- must not win.

I know

It's a good thing IMDB and Letterboxd reviews are a good substitute for actually watching movies or I'd never have time for any of em.

I do have Lawrence of Arabia loaded up on my mobile telephone though. Maybe I'll try to watch that tonight while browsing GAF in another tab.

 

[Discotheque]

We need to unplug from the matrix and live free, watching movies all day like the good lord and George Washington intended. This oppressive society of 9 hour work days can not- must not win.



It's a good thing IMDB and Letterboxd reviews are a good substitute for actually watching movies or I'd never have time for any of em.

I do have Lawrence of Arabia loaded up on my mobile telephone though. Maybe I'll try to watch that tonight while browsing GAF in another tab.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKiIroiCvZ0

watching all of lawrence of arabia on a phone would be crazy. i wonder if anybody has the mental capacity to do that.

 

[FloatOn]

The gallows was terrible. Avoid

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKiIroiCvZ0

watching all of lawrence of arabia on a phone would be crazy. i wonder if anybody has the mental capacity to do that.

I knew it was coming. lol

I know Net_Wrecker wouldn't watch Lawrence of Arabia on a fucking phone.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

***_******* watches LoA on his phone during WWE Raw commercial breaks and Big Show matches

 

[Arnie7]

Ted 2
Some funny moments here and there but for the most part very predictable. Not as good as first film.

 

[Max Armstrong]

I used to watch more when I didn't have a job ;_;

fuck real life

Too true. :/

I miss watching 3 movies every day, now I barely watch that in a month. Though I finally started reading books after all these years of thinking about it, at the moment it's a little more convenient than movies.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I knew it was coming. lol

I know Net_Wrecker wouldn't watch Lawrence of Arabia on a fucking phone.

Breh, you don't know me. The best way to watch Peter O'Toole's overacting and those gratuitous desert panoramic shots is through a 5.5" Retina Display®

***_******* watches LoA on his phone during WWE Raw commercial breaks and Big Show matches

#MultiTaskLife
#BestGeneration
#HashtagMovies

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

Breh, you don't know me. The best way to watch Peter O'Toole's overacting and those gratuitous desert panoramic shots is through a 5.5" Retina Display®

I thought we were friends!

I once watched Hurt Locker on an iphone. True story.

 

[Blader]

I used to watch more when I didn't have a job ;_;

fuck real life

The key is to get a job where you get to work from home part of the week... I ain't watching these 20 movies a month all on my weekends!

 

[ViewtifulJC]

The key is to get a job where you get to work from home part of the week... I ain't watching these 20 movies a month all on my weekends!

great, just hit me up in PMs and give me your job!

 

[big ander]

I think I watched Nolan's Following on an iPhone. no #multitasking, and I went as far as to turn the lights off and use nice headphones, but I'm sure David Lynch would still snarl at me

More new people is always good! Who knows, thread could explode!

A lot of movie watchers who don't talk about what they watch in here!

Guilty! I'll play catch up:

out of *****
Duelle (une quarantaine) (Rivette, 1976) *** My first Rivette and wow I think I jumped into the deep end. This is so rigorously academic and referential and steeped in mythology that I couldn't get close enough to really enjoy it in any big way. Even writing from the usually-reliable Rosenbaum isn't working as a life raft--"the intense desire to possess this [MacGuffin] jewel might be likened to the kind of desire set in motion by film narrative itself: "mortal" viewers wish to become "immortal" through their emotional investments in movie stars, and "immortal" movie stars wish to become "mortal"--ordinary folks like you and me--through their emotional identification with viewers." What?!?
Wooden Crosses (Bernard, 1932) **** Bernard brings a squadron to life through tableaux of between-battle "relaxation" merely to torment them with gruesome trench combat and pessimistic philosophy, then send them to heaven inside expressive sentimental dissolves. Excellent anti-war movie that bridges French Impressionism and poetic realism.
7 Days In Hell (Szymanski, 2015) *** In 45 minutes this has a lot of jokes and more of them are funny than are not funny so it's good.
The Hidden (Sholder, 1987) *** 48 Hrs. meets The Thing. Straight-forward fun, destructive car chases, Kyle MacLachlan bein a weirdo, plenty of location shooting in more pedestrian, familiar areas of Los Angeles.
Synthetic Sin (Seiter, 1929) *** Bit Classic-Hollywood-misogynist, a lot racist in the extended blackface scene. Mostly, however, this is a rollicking dark action-comedy with an astoundingly funny performance from Colleen Moore.
D.O.A. (Maté, 1950) ***1/2 Noir Crank. Exhilarating scenes in jazz clubs, a good pitch-black sense of humor. Formally not a stunner, though regular Robert Aldrich DP Ernest Laszlo does great work with what Maté gives him.
Gimme the Loot (Leon, 2012) **** just what I wrote on LB: Fantastic diaristic petty crime-comedy about the purity of artistic expression and an irresistibly romantic best friendship.
Hold Me While I'm Naked (Kuchar, 1966) ***1/2 Might adjust up a half star on another viewing, this time I was getting my bearings. Remembered after watching that this and Gimme the Loot were both AU suggestions. also an oddball diary of sorts like Gimme the Loot, this one made up of discarded softcore footage.
I Stand Alone (Noe, 1998) ***1/2 and might adjust this one a half star down on another viewing. It's scarily intoxicating being trapped in The Butcher's head. he's a person so twisted and misanthropic that he believes nobody can understand anyone else, that they're all just playing, but that Noe can get so deep inside his mind proves him wrong. Ultimately this is just Taxi Driver with more force and less finesse. Wish I'd been able to see Carne beforehand. Also kinda want to rewatch Irreversible, as foolhardy as that sounds--I watched Irreversible weirdly early in my serious viewing habits and remember parts vividly but couldn't critically evaluate it.

 

[Currygan]

I used to watch more when I didn't have a job ;_;

fuck real life

don't tell me

and you know what's worse? that despite having a collection of hundreds of dvds and brs I always end up putting on the same shit because I'm never in the mood for something different. ...

sucks man

 

[Infernostew]

don't tell me

and you know what's worse? that despite having a collection of hundreds of dvds and brs I always end up putting on the same shit because I'm never in the mood for something different. ...

sucks man

"I spend more time browsing netflix than I do watching"

 

[TheKaeptain]

I used to watch more when I didn't have a job ;_;

fuck real life

What are movies?

 

[ViewtifulJC]

don't tell me

and you know what's worse? that despite having a collection of hundreds of dvds and brs I always end up putting on the same shit because I'm never in the mood for something different. ...

sucks man

Aw man, that's me, too. I come home from work/working out at the gym/making dinner, finally get to chill, and I can A) finally take a chance on dat cool but kinda swoon lookin' western The Proposition or B) throw on the World's End haven't seen that in 6+ months here we goooooo

B almost always wins out. The ol' reliables. The ones that always work.

 

[swoon]

well i didn't like the proposition, fwiw.

combo of bloodborne/dark souls 2 /witcher 3 stole my movie time this year. but still just watch the next movie on a list and not think too hard about it.

or do what those icm freaks do and watch two shorts at once.

i can't believe i'm 20th now.

 

[Spinluck]

Think I'm gonna catch Amy tonight.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

Speaking of watching things on a phone, I watched "Citizenfour" on my Android phone over the course of several sessions at the gym.

It's good, and subverts a few conventions - mostly notably when, instead of doing a montage of media outlets covering Snowden's identity, they simply cut to a dialogue-free shot of Snowden's mien blown up to the size of a Times Square building in NYC, which says it all. And yet, in many ways, it's the polar opposite of what Snowden claimed to have wanted when first he brought the information to the attention of the media, which is that the facts, not he, himself, be what are focused on in the ensuing discussion. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but Snowden's an odd bird in that he's only about halfway to being an interesting protagonist. He shows much courage and integrity in bringing to light the government's abuses at the risk of incarceration, demonstrates intelligence and craft in his explanations of why he came forward, yet there's always a hollowness to him that seems to pervade. He can explain all day the mechanics of how we are being violated, yet he doesn't seem to have much insight into the real implications of this, any curiosity about its place in the broader historical tapestry of governmental overreach and abuse. Instead, what we get is mostly just warmed-over Orwellism, the kind of thing that, as a reformed Libertarian, I've seen plenty of in the past and which has an inescapable puerility to it.. This makes no real difference in his import and impact as a public figure, nor his status as a true patriot, but it gives the documentary in which he is the leading figure less impact because, while his actions are exceptional, he's a pretty ordinary guy in other respects, and so much of the movie turns on his, frankly, rather predictable reactions to watching events unfold.

That's not to mention other problems, like the symbolically trite opening and closing images - a dimly-lit tunnel with no visible exit and someone literally "picking up the pieces" of torn pieces of paper, respectively - but those aspects are forgivable in comparison to the bigger problem of the film just being kinda dull in those moments where it's not actually revealing anything about the modern surveillance state.

 

[big ander]

The thing with the browsing game for me is that, especially when choosing from IW, I'll pick a movie early on and then think "hm, what if that's not exactly what I want to watch right now/what if I'm not in the mood or prepared for that..." Then I spend 30 minutes deliberating and end up going for whatever's ≤90 minutes on my shortlist. I try to just go with my first call right away

well i didn't like the proposition, fwiw.

combo of bloodborne/dark souls 2 /witcher 3 stole my movie time this year. but still just watch the next movie on a list and not think too hard about it.

or do what those icm freaks do and watch two shorts at once.

i can't believe i'm 20th now.

I should be like 1700 by the time the year ends. couple more years and I'll have won movies.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

I should be like 1700 by the time the year ends. couple more years and I'll have won movies.

And to think we were neck to neck at one point. You took my mojo, man. I never recovered.

 

[Currygan]

Aw man, that's me, too. I come home from work/working out at the gym/making dinner, finally get to chill, and I can A) finally take a chance on dat cool but kinda swoon lookin' western The Proposition or B) throw on the World's End haven't seen that in 6+ months here we goooooo

B almost always wins out. The ol' reliables. The ones that always work.

yeah, pretty much my life. Get back home from work, make dinner, feed the cat, fiance thank god is doing her shit, there's that Sideways bluray I bought like, five years ago but nah, It's either Hot Fuzz, Bourne Ultimatum or Tootsie. Always the goddamned Tootsie

comfort food, basically. Like these guys in Gaming who wriote a LTTP for playing Chrono Trigger for the 40th time and hey, it's always awesome, the tears omg

I like to think I've had my share, though. 2000+ movies gotta mean something

 

[Ridley327]

Daimajin surprised the hell out of me by evoking more the original Godzilla than any of that film's sequels, in that there's more of a somber, atmospheric mood to it that doesn't glorify any of the death and destruction that goes on, and in a fairly bold mood, little of it coming from the title monster itself. A period daikaiju film that plays out more like a Zatoichi installment (a feeling no doubt aided by the sheer amount of talent from that series in front of and behind the camera) sounds like it has the potential to be a disaster, but it boasts an earnestness to not treat the material in a condescending manner for even a second, and the strong technical aspects show a level of craft very seldom seen in the genre, even today. It's like someone forgot to tell the cast and crew that these kinds of films had to made a certain way (especially compared to Daiei's other kaiju bonanza in Gamera), but those suggestions were soundly ignored. It's a film that punches way the hell above its weight class, and while it's not the immediately resonate feature that Godzilla was, it's pretty crazy that Daimajin evokes that film's strengths so well to put it in the same conversation.

 

[Toothless]

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 held up surprisingly decent to a rewatch. Nothing really happens, yeah, but the characters are entertaining and the last half hour is very good for blockbuster filmmaking.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

So, I rented Jupiter Ascending last weekend. Holy fuck, that movie was a piece of shit. I didn't expect it to be amazing, but I thought it'd have some interesting action at least. Nope. I can't believe they thought the whole "skating through the air with gravity boots" looked cool. It looked lame as fuck, and it was in every single action scene. Like, it was THE thing. And it sucked.

 

[Currygan]

So, I rented Jupiter Ascending last weekend. Holy fuck, that movie was a piece of shit. I didn't expect it to be amazing, but I thought it'd have some interesting action at least. Nope. I can't believe they thought the whole "skating through the air with gravity boots" looked cool. It looked lame as fuck, and it was in every single action scene. Like, it was THE thing. And it sucked.

was Eddie Redmayne hamming it up enough to warrant a passing watch? like, was it Cary Grant's levels of ham?

 

[Spinluck]

Amy

Damn, thought this really good. Absolute must see if you are a fan of her music. Or even just a moderate fan of music.

Best documentary I've seen in a while.

8/10

 

[BaronLundi]

Trouble watching films because you have a job? Try having kids. These things will ruin your ICM ranking faster than an army of iPhone watchers skimming through sped up youtube shorts.

And that is the reason I had to watch La vie d'adèle (Chapter 1&2) aka "Blue is the warmest color" over two days. Still blew my mind. It's almost perfect. Camera work is absolutely incredible, performance by the lead is beyond comprehension and the story very moving. I'm glad Kechiche didn't go with the initial ending as it appears in the graphic novel.

For those who loved it as well, don't miss the opportunity to watch L'esquive if it presents itself.

 

[SpaceHorror]

Hell is For Heroes - 4.5/5 - Gritty WWII film from Don Siegel about six soldiers who must protect a position against the Germans that would usually take a company to hold. They come up with inventive ways to fool the Germans, but in the end people start dying, and rather brutally. The black and white photography looks fantastic and really accentuates the grit. Steve McQueen, playing an edgy soldier who gets high off battle and turns into an alcoholic psycho when bullets aren't flying at him, turns in one hell of a volatile performance. What I like so much about it is its subtlety, McQueen doesn't overact, but you can tell he's full of hellfire.

 

[Currygan]

Trouble watching films because you have a job? Try having kids. These things will ruin your ICM ranking faster than an army of iPhone watchers skimming through sped up youtube shorts.

And that is the reason I had to watch La vie d'adèle (Chapter 1&2) aka "Blue is the warmest color" over two days. Still blew my mind. It's almost perfect. Camera work is absolutely incredible, performance by the lead is beyond comprehension and the story very moving. I'm glad Kechiche didn't go with the initial ending as it appears in the graphic novel.

For those who loved it as well, don't miss the opportunity to watch L'esquive if it presents itself.

that's another one I still have to unwrap. Le sigh

 

[mrklaw]

Just watched The Tale of Primcess Kaguya. Really slow but beautiful, and I was welling up at the end. My wife compared it to A River Runs Through It, which I haven't seen, but basically an atmosphere piece until right at the end where they punch you in the feels.

 

[Blader]

Inside Out
I'm not a raving Pixar fan -- I like most of their movies, but outside of the Toy Story trilogy, I've never been in the "omg they're geniuses!!" camp. But this was just brilliant. Really clever, inventive, funny, touching allegory for growing up. One of my favorite Pixaar movies in years and one of their best ever.

The Birds
A surprisingly dull movie punctuated by moments of extreme silliness. The ending is the only thing that really feels like a Hitchcock movie (well that and the extreme exposition littered throughout :lol).

 

[SpaceHorror]

Ordered Hiroshima Mon Amour and Nashville from the Barnes & Noble Criterion sale.

Pretty excited. It has been a long time since I've purchased Criterion blurays of movies I haven't seen.