• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| May 2014

Status
Not open for further replies.
ViewtifulJC said:
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - I finally found it. The worst Woody Allen movie. Good try, Hollywood Ending. You snooze, you lose, September. Scoop, consider yourself scooped.
Click to expand...

I kinda like Scoop. I mean, it's lazy and messy but entertaining nonetheless.
 
I might be too hard on Scoop; its slight, but it has its pleasantries. I mean, I'd probably watch that one again before Whatever Works, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, or September again. I guess his worst movie must be the first draft of September; He filmed this once, tossed that film in the trash, re-wrote the script and eventually remade it and it was still shit. How bad could the first one have been? At least he spared us that.

Surprise Woody Allen Tier List Time

Top Tier: Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors
Upper Tier: Love & Death, Sleeper, Broadway Danny Rose, Husbands and Wives, Bullets Over Broadway, Deconstructing Harry, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Midnight in Paris
Mid Tier: Stardust Memories, Sweet & Lowdown, Match Point, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Bananas, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Blue Jasmine, Radio Days
Meh Tier: Zelig, Interiors, Everyone Says I Love You, Scoop?
Woody pls Tier: Whatever Works, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, September, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending

-No I haven't seen every one of his movies, dude made like a hundred of them
-Top 4 are legit some of the best movies ever
-I don't love Purple Rose and Match Point the way others seem to. Match Point in particular just seems like poor man's Crimes and Misdemeanors in a city he really didn't know.
-Zelig is like one joke repeated over and over again
 
Captain America:The Winter Solider-I was very meh on this movie through most of the running time.It took some really interesting ideas about the war between freedom and a safer world through control, but condensed them into a sub par story of villains and heros. The first action scene on the ship was pretty cool, but the one with Nick Fury was bad. Things changed with the big freeway action scene the movie really started picking up steam there and maintained it through to the end. I wanted more from the movie, but it at least delivered a fun time by the end. Also there are two after credits scenes for anybody who has yet to see it.
 
Escape From Tomorrow- 1/5

What an utterly tasteless and pointless movie this was. The only redeeming quality of the film is the audacity of the filmmakers and the story of its making. Otherwise, it is a straight-up poorly conceived surrealist snooze-fest. Entirely forgettable.

The Double- 4/5

Ayoade does a great job directing with this film. It is very funny with a likable main character played wonderfully by Eisenberg. The only gripe I had with the film is how shallow the universe seemed. It looked like an engrossing world and I wanted to know more, but it was severely lacking in that respect.
 
Reckoner said:
oSKFkC6.png


Just watched this fantastic movie for the first time. The contrast, camera angles, the starry sky... So much style. Robert Mitchum was absolutely fantastic. Will have to check more german expressionism influenced movies.
Click to expand...

What is this? Night of the Hunter?
 
ViewtifulJC said:
I might be too hard on Scoop; its slight, but it has its pleasantries. I mean, I'd probably watch that one again before Whatever Works, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, or September again. I guess his worst movie must be the first draft of September; He filmed this once, tossed that film in the trash, re-wrote the script and eventually remade it and it was still shit. How bad could the first one have been? At least he spared us that.

Surprise Woody Allen Tier List Time

Top Tier: Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors
Upper Tier: Love & Death, Sleeper, Broadway Danny Rose, Husbands and Wives, Bullets Over Broadway, Deconstructing Harry, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Midnight in Paris
Mid Tier: Stardust Memories, Sweet & Lowdown, Match Point, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Bananas, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Blue Jasmine, Radio Days
Meh Tier: Zelig, Interiors, Everyone Says I Love You, Scoop?
Woody pls Tier: Whatever Works, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, September, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending

-No I haven't seen every one of his movies, dude made like a hundred of them
-Top 4 are legit some of the best movies ever
-I don't love Purple Rose and Match Point the way others seem to. Match Point in particular just seems like poor man's Crimes and Misdemeanors in a city he really didn't know.
-Zelig is like one joke repeated over and over again
Click to expand...

You also don't seem to love Blue Jasmine as much as others do. Upper tier for me. Will watch some more Woody films soon. Manhattan was great, need to see more of his classics.
 
ViewtifulJC said:
Surprise Woody Allen Tier List Time

Top Tier: Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors
Upper Tier: Love & Death, Sleeper, Broadway Danny Rose, Husbands and Wives, Bullets Over Broadway, Deconstructing Harry, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Midnight in Paris
Mid Tier: Stardust Memories, Sweet & Lowdown, Match Point, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Bananas, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Blue Jasmine, Radio Days
Meh Tier: Zelig, Interiors, Everyone Says I Love You, Scoop?
Woody pls Tier: Whatever Works, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, September, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending
Click to expand...

Radio Days and Stardust Memories obviously fell down by mistake but it's nice to see Love & Death get some love. Sweet & Lowdown though? I should rewatch it, I remember seeing it when it came out and not thinking much of it.

Jade Scorpion is the lowest point as far as I'm concerned too.
 
ViewtifulJC said:
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - I finally found it. The worst Woody Allen movie. Good try, Hollywood Ending. You snooze, you lose, September. Scoop, consider yourself scooped.
Click to expand...

Those are not worse than Cassandra's Dream.

Watched Kramer vs Kramer for the first time last night, loved every minute... I usually have a hard time with Meryl Streep ever since a 11-year old kurisu1974 was dragged to the cinema because his mom wanted to see Out of Africa but she was great here. Also the little kid was amazing. Man I love late 70s / early 80s cinema.
 
Linius said:
You also don't seem to love Blue Jasmine as much as others do. Upper tier for me. Will watch some more Woody films soon. Manhattan was great, need to see more of his classics.
Click to expand...

The only thing I really like is Cate Blanchett's admittingly wonderful performance(and Sally Hawkins, to a lesser extent, because Polly).

BaronLundi said:
Radio Days and Stardust Memories obviously fell down by mistake but it's nice to see Love & Death get some love. Sweet & Lowdown though? I should rewatch it, I remember seeing it when it came out and not thinking much of it.
Click to expand...

Radio Days is probably in my top 10, don't know why its down there. Stardust Memories its like...I get it, 8 1/2, but eh. Gordon Willis black and white photography, tho

Sweet & Lowdown may be the only time I like Sean Penn
 
Woody Allen list? Woody Allen list.

Great Tier:
Manhattan (godtier really; the best romance/relationship movie of all time)
Annie Hall
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Play It Again, Sam (not technically a Woody film but basically one)
Husbands and Wives

Good Tier:
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Love and Death
Hannah and Her Sisters
Manhattan Murder Mystery (dopey plot but Woody and Alan Alda together always crack me up)
Blue Jasmine
Midnight in Paris

Okay Tier:
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask (some kits are great, others bad)
Sleeper
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Zelig
Bananas

Boring Tier:
Radio Days
Stardust Memories
To Rome With Love
Match Point (hated it)


I need to rewatch Stardust Memories. I just saw 8 1/2 for the first time a couple months ago and absolutely loved it, so I might have a greater appreciation for Stardust next time around.
 
To Rome with Love has a dude singer in a shower on a stage and Alec Baldwin being awesome. How can you consider it boring?... wait you think Stardust Memories is boring?
 
TheKaeptain said:
To Rome with Love has a dude singer in a shower on a stage and Alec Baldwin being awesome. How can you consider it boring?... wait you think Stardust Memories is boring?
Click to expand...

When I saw it at the cinema I was quite entertained by To Rome with Love, while my friends were not impressed by it. When I rewatched it, it fell down completely in my consideration. Woody Allen's acting is so annoying and the first thirty minutes are almost a marathon of patience. I think this was the first time a movie disappointed me so much afterwards.

I haven't seen much of Woody's work, but I would say my favorites are Midnight in Paris, Vicky Christina Barcelona and Match Point. Whatever Works and To Rome With Love are a no no for me. Oh, and Blue Jasmine was good enough.
 
Have been looking forward to Blue Ruin as potentially exactly the kind of genre piece I can get into, but I thought it was thematically unambitious to a fault and overexerted itself narratively as a way of trying to cover its blemishes, which just called attention to them. Damn if Blair doesn't give a great show in a great role though, and I didn't realize until now that Saulnier was DOP too-- the movie looks pretty beautiful. Just hope that Saulnier can eventually write a whole cast of full characters and direct with more finesse and confidence.
 
Little Children - Like a smarter, much better version of American Beauty. A great satire/evisceration of American suburban culture, and a probing eye into the lives of bored soccer moms and stay at home dads. Field and dop Calvache use a shitload of close-ups on these fragile people, and not in that annoying "I come from the world of Television!" way. Its a very intimate thing, seeing them so close and all their beautiful, imperfect skin. Some really fantastic performances here, particularly in the two main leads in Winslet and Wilson, and Jackie Earle Haley, who has the difficult job of being the resident convicted pedophile.

edit: Also, man, WTF happen to Kate Winslet, b? Just a wonderful actress, I see shit like Movie 43 and Divergent and I'm like "Kate pls you don't gotta do this ;_;". Girl got her Oscar, now she's cash them paychecks and rub that statue in Leo's face

Bhxwp_ICIAAuhXq.jpg
 
I'm most looking forward to boyhood, xmen and interstellar this year

Though I'm sure there's a bunch of other films not yet on radar that will surprise me
 
The Conversation: Well, it's definitely a FFC movie. Gene Hackman was his typical great Gene Hackman self. I've always loved watching him act. Cazale played his typical self as well. Not a negative by any stretch. Interesting seeing Harrison Ford in more of the heel role. It is an interesting movie in today's environment of NSA wire tapping run amuck. It probably has as much or more relevance today as it did at the time of its release, right around Watergate. Loved the piano score.

Still, it's pretty easy to see how it is typically over looked in FFC's output as it was sandwiched between The Godfather I/II, which were then followed by Apocalypse Now. Ridiculous 70s output from FFC.
 
Still haven't seen Monsters. But Godzilla looks like good fun for a blockbuster. I might go for that Imax experience. Haven't been to one yet this year.
 
strobogo said:
The Conversation: Well, it's definitely a FFC movie. Gene Hackman was his typical great Gene Hackman self. I've always loved watching him act. Cazale played his typical self as well. Not a negative by any stretch. Interesting seeing Harrison Ford in more of the heel role. It is an interesting movie in today's environment of NSA wire tapping run amuck. It probably has as much or more relevance today as it did at the time of its release, right around Watergate. Loved the piano score.

Still, it's pretty easy to see how it is typically over looked in FFC's output as it was sandwiched between The Godfather I/II, which were then followed by Apocalypse Now. Ridiculous 70s output from FFC.
Click to expand...

Recommended viewing: One From the Heart, Rumble Fish, and Tucker: The Man and His Dream. You'll either love them or hate them, but I consider them essential Coppola.

Peggy Sue Got Married is a fun 80's flick too.
 
ViewtifulJC said:
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - I finally found it. The worst Woody Allen movie. Good try, Hollywood Ending. You snooze, you lose, September. Scoop, consider yourself scooped.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I still think Small Time Crooks is the absolute worst. I'd argue that Hollywood Ending, September, Scoop are merely forgettable in the grand scheme of things, while Crooks is offensively bad. Actually here's a list I wrote up just after Blue Jasmine was released:

6HOu1kK.png
 
kurisu1974 said:
I love Gallo. Remember his website where you could buy his sperm?

I really want to catch his Kaspar Hauser film.
Click to expand...
I wasn't aware of the sperm selling XD. totally seems like something he would do though.

I haven't seen his Kaspar Hauser film either... but you've added something to my list of movies to watch! The only reason I really know who people like Gallo, Hal Hartley, Clark/Korine (and other weird dudes like Svankmajer) are is because my best friend growing up was really into those directors/writers and their filmography. I didn't really understand it when I was in 7th/8th grade... but I was intrigued and I "get it" now that I'm older.
 
SOME-MIST said:
I wasn't aware of the sperm selling XD. totally seems like something he would do though.

I haven't seen his Kaspar Hauser film either... but you've added something to my list of movies to watch! The only reason I really know who people like Gallo, Hal Hartley, Clark/Korine (and other weird dudes like Svankmajer) are is because my best friend growing up was really into those directors/writers and their filmography. I didn't really understand it when I was in 7th/8th grade... but I was intrigued and I "get it" now that I'm older.
Click to expand...


http://www.vgmerchandise.com/store/pages.php?pageid=4

The sperm selling is the second item :D

Pretty good list you have there... Hartley, Clark (and Jarmush) were my first indie movie obsessions too. Svankmajer I have only seen Otesánek and Něco z Alenky which were both pretty good or even excellent.
 
the_wind_rises_by_digi_matrix-d7hqqf7.jpg


The Wind Rises

Amazing, inspirational, tragic, and in some ways terrifying. Emotional rollercoaster. Destined to be a classic. Go into this blind. The music is marvelous, with the theme and mix of culture styles.

Miyazaki has always expressed the wonder of flight in his movies and this is the ultimate culmination. His personal anxieties are on show here too such as his world-weary views on Japan as a nation among other things. There's a lot to take from it.

The Wind Rises, much like Grave of the Fireflies is mainly for adults. There is still the fantastical in dream scenes, but this is a mature life drama all the way.

It makes for a good companion piece to The Grand Budapest Hotel. Holding onto humanity and whimsy high against the clouds of time and war.

I'm glad I went into the movie blind, not seeing any trailer. This is a movie you wish made a billion dollars, seen by everyone.
 
I would also wish more people would see it. I enjoyed it just as much as you :D

On the Waterfront

I basically only know Marlon Brando from The Godfather with a bunch of old man make-up all over him so it was quite something to see him as a young bloke. He came across as a really charming actor though he does have that very recognisable 'rough' face making him look like a tough guy. Which came handy with this role as small time gang member by the name of Terry Malloy at the waterfront running errands for leader Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). After seeing Cobb in 12 Angry Men for the first time recently he impressed me again in this film. Though he doesn't get all that much time on screen he makes sure every scene he's in is great. Give this man a speech to work with and he delivers. Besides the great acting from the cast (Karl Malden deserves a mention here too) the story is also very intruiging. I really bought the love story between Terry and Edie (Eva Marie) and the tough relationship between Terry and his brother Charley who's the right hand of Johnny. Terry's twisted thoughts about his life and his part in Johnny's power over the workers make him a very interesting character. Though you can feel that ending coming I feel like they executed it in the right way to make it a compelling story. Oh and I really love the soundtracks in these old movies. They're mostly so loud and present when something exciting is happening on the screen, they really translate what's happening into music. This was a great watch by all accounts.

8,5/10
 
Ben Affleck's recent news reminded me that I'd never actually seen 21. So I watched it.

The movie's fine for what it is, which is mostly designed to be a made for TV movie. I can see why it would feel small for a theatrical release. But overall, I enjoyed the story it told... it actually made card counting look kinda sexy and cool. Probably the biggest takeaway you really get out of the movie is just that... Jim Sturgess should not be a leading man. He just doesn't have the screen presence, charisma... whatever you want to call it. That was a miscast and he never completely feels like a guy you should be rooting for. Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth, coming off of Superman Returns, do decent work and don't embarrass themselves.

I would've preferred if the movie itself had stuck to reality a bit more, since the scenes of the students getting dragged into a shadowy backroom to get beaten up by Laurence Fishburne were completely hyperbolic and nonsensical. You can't get away with doing that to casino clients without suffering huge lawsuits. But of course, they probably felt it'd give the story more danger and risk. The fact that they then turn around at the end and try to make Laurence Fishburne out to be somewhat of a sympathetic good guy feels completely off kilter, precisely because they had emphasized his brutal beatings so much in the earlier part of the film. You can't have it both ways like that.

Not blown away, but it did a decent job telling the story, and I enjoyed the final scene which does tie the whole thing together. Rounders is a much better gambling movie though.
 
MikeMyers said:
Recommended viewing: One From the Heart, Rumble Fish, and Tucker: The Man and His Dream. You'll either love them or hate them, but I consider them essential Coppola.

Peggy Sue Got Married is a fun 80's flick too.
Click to expand...

I think FFC after 1983 is straight garbage besides The Godfather III, which is good but not at all a patch on the first two movies. Dracula is one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
 
Romancing the Stone - There was a time long ago(the '80s) where Robert Zemeckis was one of the best pop entertainment makers in the business. His films rarely matched Spielberg's visual poetry or had the propulsion of Cameron's mechanical perfectionism, but nonetheless he was well trained in the art of classical Hollywood filmmaking, which is fully on display in this movie. A deft combination of humor, adventure, and romance, Romancing the Stone is a breezy delight that crackles with energy throughout its sharp running time, anchored by the undeniably sexy chemistry between the two leads in Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
 
OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather said:
Rumble Fish is awesome. Probably my favorite Coppola. Definitely recommended.
Click to expand...

Nice, glad to see another fan.

strobogo said:
I think FFC after 1983 is straight garbage besides The Godfather III, which is good but not at all a patch on the first two movies. Dracula is one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
Click to expand...

Well after 1982 he went bankrupt and thus had to do a lot of director-for-hire work like Captain EO with MJ, but I still recommend the ones I said.

Linius said:
I really enjoyed that Dracula flick he did. I need to watch The Conversation some time.
Click to expand...

Dracula has a lot of merits, but it somewhat of an over-bloated production. Still need to see the Frankenstein he produced start starred DeNiro.
 
Kill List was really fucking good. It's one of those movies that probably doesn't get its due as its hard to talk about without ruining it. But then again, if you don't know much about it you'll probably dismiss it based on the title. I loved it.

A Field in England was kind of a letdown after being impressed with Wheatley from Kill List. It had some great moments, especially the scene with the seizure inducing editing, but it felt (maybe purposefully) scattershot to me.

Sightseers is up there with Kill List. I love how his movies start sort of dark and then just descend into total blackness. Really impressed with the performances in this one. It was killing me that I recognized Tina but could never place her, turns out she was the pyschic from Garth Marengi.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Movies You’ve Watched Lately | OT | - 2026
|OT| Social  12 13 14 15 16
792
9K
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt replied
What is the weirdest/creepiest thing you've seen while you had sleep paralysis?
2
63
785
IntentionalPun replied
The worst commercials you've ever seen.
2
84
3K
Beretta replied
Film Limbo: 18 High-Profile Movies That Were Shot But Haven’t Seen The Light Of Day
12
666
Panajev2001a replied
What is the weirdest/creepiest thing you've seen while you had sleep paralysis?
2
72
2K
Xeela_sunston replied
Top Bottom