Rate the last movie that you saw for the first time.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Mad Max 7/10

It is dated and the first 45 mins or so are a bit sketchy, but the second half saves it and the film ends up being pretty good.

Mad Max 2: Road Warrior 7.5/10

An improvement on the first film, even if it does have Vernon Wells camping up the place (as always).

Mad Max 3: Beyond the Thunderdome 6/10

Jesus, man, the only thing that saves this film is the final 30 mins or so.

[Seanny One Ball]

Out of interest which audio did you listen to Mad Max in - the original or the American dub?
The dub is funny but totally pointless so you should always go original.

For some reason I can’t remember the end of Thunderdome but I remember the first 45mins to an hour being far superior to the second half. It all goes wrong when you hear the nonsense the kids call language.

[Seanny One Ball]

The Road Warrior is a damned fine action film though so you’re right in your rankings.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

The original audio.

Yeah, the colony of children section was annoying, but the obligatory chase at the end was pretty good. I did like that they brought Bruce Spence back for Thunderdome, as a slightly different character to the one he played in Road Warrior.

[Seanny One Ball]

Watching “Vacation Friends”.
Good mindless fun, some big laughs early on. Always a good sign.

[Seanny One Ball]

John Cena and Lil Rel are a good combo. John Cena really is a likeable comic actor.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

The 13th Warrior 7/10

A solid action/adventure film.

[Seanny One Ball]

It certainly isn’t as bad as it’s numbers would suggest.

[GD]

Watching "Come As You Are" on Netflix. It's about three disabled men who embark on a road trip to go to a brothel in Montreal.

[Destor]

Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms - 7/10


If i gave half ratings this would prob be a fuzz lower but ill round up cause it is good fun. like the first MK legends its a super busy movie. theres basically 3 films of plot here and because of that everything just happens. and constantly.


the action is good even if just like the 1st one it likes gore for the sake of gore. in both films i would have prefered if it took its time both in plot and gore and let things mean more. give them more weight.


but again the movie is a good time. the characters are themselves. they arent bastardized version a studio exec slapped a stamp on and said this'll sell. they let the characters be themselves and they get out of their way and i appreciate that.


they also hit on lore elements from the 3d era (5, 6 and 7) and i really appreciate that. despite the mechanical issues of the games i enjoyed the mytbos immensely at that time.


tl;dr theres 3 seperate movies happening at once but its still fun

[GD]

Watching "Come As You Are" on Netflix. It's about three disabled men who embark on a road trip to go to a brothel in Montreal.

Come As You Are - 6/10

It was wholesome and inoffensive. I wish such movies weren't categorized as comedies with respect to some of the heart wrenching scenes.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Flatliners (1990) 7.5/10

One of Joel Schumacher's better films, along with Falling Down, before he gave us the abomination that was Batman & Robin.

[M-A-G]

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: 3 1/4 stars out of 4.

First trip back to the movies in over a year and it was quite the film to make that return. The action is top notch, the cinematography is gorgeous in a lot of the scenes, and the interactions between the characters help sell what is a pretty ridiculous premise. Xialing is pretty awesome and the relationship between Shang-Chi and Wen Wu keeps things grounded. Removing all of the fantastical elements, it's a relatable situation. It's worth putting up with Akwafina doing her Darcy schtick for 2 hours. I had my doubts but it's a welcome addition to this universe. It has its own identity. There is a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene, the former being legit funny as it brings a bit of a gag full circle. I'm not keen on recommending people go to the movies under the circumstances but if you think things are safe enough, it's worth a look.

[Seanny One Ball]

I’m not watching anything with Akwafina in it.
Such an easy decision to make.

[M-A-G]

Smart, I suppose. Had to deal with her in Raya and the Last Dragon but there I didn't have to look at her and the world was gripping and beautiful enough to distract me.

[Destor]

Shang-Chi- 7/10

There's a lot to like here but there's enough thats pretty poor that keeps it from being as good as it could be.

The action is mostly excellent. theres a good attention to keeping the shots wide and long. lots of practical kung fu action and some really great wire work. effects are also pretty great. the mostly though is while you will get an action sequence thats a ton of long shots that are shot wide theyll randomly fall back to heavily editing sequences almost randomly. its jarring visually and i have to wonder if they just ran out of time to get the shots perfect so they decided to "fix" it in post. unfortunately whatever the case it keeps the action from being exceptional and leaves it mostly good. which isnt bad mind you. it could have easily been all bad.

the characters are also mostly good. shang-chi is pretty great an he'll be a great addition to the line up in time. Mandarin is a very well fleshed out villain and the complexities of his interations with the protagonist are strong. however his side kick, despite having good material on the page, is woefully exectued in the action sequences. the actress is great in the smaller scenes but cant turn it up to hold the screen when it counts. Xialing isnt fleshed out at all is simply "dad no like girls. me angry." some hits some misses.

the films greatest flaw however comes in a massive 20 min exposition scene in the 2nd act. this was truly painful. im not exaggerating when i say no fewer than 8 people got up to go to the bathroom during this and at least 2 didnt come back. the guy i went with fell asleep. its brutal. the problem is thw information in this scene is completely nessicary to set up the 3rd act its just a shame they couldnt find a way to make it evem remotely interesting. but barring this horrendous rough patch the pacing is mostly good.

and thats the movie in a nutshell: its mostly good. but the bad is PRETTY BAD. which is a shame because if you fix its flaws you have a movie you could really hang your hat on.

[Destor]

that said the symbolism is all smartly crafted and Chinese audience will get a ton out of its plentiful and rich visual symbology. the story has a fairy tale woven into the 3rd act thats timeless even if its choas v order motif occurs after the films climax. the white dragon [order] vs the dark god [chaos] is a tale that will resonate well in china and i gotta say Shang-Chi ressurection/baptism scene followed by his rebirth bursting out of the sea riding on the back of a white dragon [order] is some top shelf hero myth shit. what more can you ask for from a conquering hero?

[Seanny One Ball]

So you went with a guy, there were long side shots and you both stayed for the climax.

Lovely stuff.

[Destor]

10/10. would expirience a climax with him again

[M-A-G]

It's always great when you experience the climax simultaneously. No one gets accused of being selfish.

[M-A-G]

But to add on to your take, I'd also point out a nitpick I had where the film never really spells out what the rings can or cannot do. I mean, you see them in action, sure, but you see them doing what the character requires them to do at a given moment. In the comics, you know what each ring is capable of and what limits they may have. Also the final battle, neat as it is, after a while felt like it overstayed its welcome, at least for me. Still a good flick.

[Destor]

i think, and hope, the rings were deliberately left underdeveloped because if whats done in the film is all they do then theyve left a lot on the table. but i def think we'll get deeper into them over time. magic is clearly going to expand in the coming phase and id imagine the 10 rings will be a part of that.

and i do agree about the climax. i touched on it briefly in my 2nd post but I'll go more into it:


the films climax is obviously father vs son and once we've resolved that we as the audience are good to end the film.

however they still have to solve the chaos vs order issue...which we as an audience have no stake in. the mythical premise may be universal in the metaphysical aspect but the tangible representations...we don't have a reason to care.

they don't establish that this chaotic entity is a threat to the world only that its a threat to these forest people. a forest that isnt implicitly clear that its even on this plain of existence. moreover we dont care about theae forest people. we only just met them and theyre xenophobes. if they die so what?

so here we are. we've blown out loads. but they cant just wrap the film because this chaos plotline needs to be given screen time otherwise it will feel even more like a waste of time. if it doesnt take anytime then it has less value...but we're bored so we want it to end.

its a paradox where you cant win. the better solution would have been to simply not open the gate at all.

Shang-Chi is knocked into the water. the Mardarin is trying to open the gate. baptism/resurrection occurs. the great hero emerges on the back of his dragon. defeats the authoritarian father with the strength given to him by the devine god of order. claims the rings.

if you need to explore the chaos god do it in another film.

[Destor]

but yes the "2nd climax" wasnt needed. i agree.

[Destor]

but i do think it will play very well in china.

[Destor]

Crumb -10/10


i wont give this a big review because ill need to chew on this for a few weeks to really give anything that resembles coherent. what i will say is its easily top 1 or 2 documentaries ever made. fascinating work. amazing.

[Destor]

Venom- 5/10


A film with as talented of a cast as you could hope to find with nothing interesting to do. rushed with a complete lack of vision. one of the major conflict resolutions is venom deciding to save humanity and form a partnership with eddie. how do they do this?

venom: we need to stop the symbiots


eddie: what changed your mind?

venom: you did

thats literally it. eddie didnt do anything to bring this on. venom just says he did. film feels like it was meant to run 150 min and they cut it down to 120 and whats left is film vomit.

[rez]

Superhost on Shudder. decent

[Seanny One Ball]

Crumb is a good documentary on a transgressive subject. I'm not a fan of the artist or his work but getting a good look at the family he was raised in tells you everything you need to know about why he's such a weirdo.
It's one of those documentaries where you'll look online for things afterwards and it will only really lead you to a dead end. The stuff about his brother is poignant, not the one who sits on nails but the one who thinks he's a paedophile because he was obsessed with a child actor who is actually older than him... That kind of breaks your heart in a way, but it's easy to look past if you just think "look at that sweaty paedo" and leave it at that.
It's a lot like a documentary about the Heavens Gate cult or G.G Allin in that it gives you as much as the people themselves know about the subject but which ultimately still feels like it isn't enough to fill in the void that you're left with by watching it.
The why isn't really important. It's the what that counts even if the what is very superficial.

I'm still curious about Crumb's dead brother. He was a tortured soul if ever there was one. A man too afraid of himself to ever do anything.

The whole film should have been about him to be honest.

[Destor]

my thoughts are still too scattered to have a decent conversation about it but i view all 3 brothers as completely integral.

they all have this same compulsion to create and its similarly interwoven into their sexuality. Robert is the only one of the 3 who manages to integrate himself in way that he can both accept his shadow and function in society.

Max, convicted sex offender, is completely unable to exists socially becauss he has the very same violent sexual urges but unlike robert cannot integrate them into himself and fails to exist in society.

Charles, the elder brother, is also enveloped by his urges but he's worse off because unlike his brothers who have severe inferiority complexs he has a superiority complex. and this is much more destructive because he's smart enoguh to know that if he is as great as he thinks then he shouldnt be the failure he is. sexually or otherwise. and this leaves him as a man who sees his shadow but not only cant integrate it he cant face his persona either ultimately killing him. the only reason he made it as long as he did was due to the tranquilizers.

but all 3 have an intense need to create only rivaled by their sexual desire and its endlessly interesting. highly creative people are extremely rare let alone compulsively creative people so this trio seems...improbable to say the least. but here they are. authentic as anyone can be.

again my thoughts arent fleshed out very well yet. not been able to really chew on this and get deep with it yet. still very low resolution with what ive taken away from this.

[Destor]

but there's a lot here to take away and thats what makes it so good. i think my favorite aspect of it is it doesnt moralize. it would be very easy for the film to take a stance and tell you what it thinks. it doesnt. it never tries. it just digs as deep as it can go and explores the subject as far as its able to. the rest is up to you. judge them. dont. whatever. thats not what its here to do. this is what is. take what you find.

[Lock Jaw]

Shang-Chi - 7.5/10

I learned that Shang is pronounced Shawng and not Sh-ann-g. Very educational film.

I like the villain, his dad... feel like there was more "money" to be had in for once not killing off their villain and playing more with the family dynamic in any sequels... I guess that they are gonna have that with his sis, but would have been good with his dad still "in the mix".

[Lock Jaw]

Old - 2/10

Believe it or not, this is the first M. Night Shamayalanana film I have ever seen. Friend wanted to go see it at the cheap movie theater right across the street from me.... I would not have gone if I had to drive somewhere, but all I had to do was walk across the street so I said sure.....

Probably one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Horribly written, badly directed, badly acted... it had it all.

[Destor]

unbreakable is the only film of his ive ever cared for. i do think its pretty excellent though...

[slik]

Malignant - 7.5/10

Loved it. Basically a modern Giallo film. Very fun. Last half hour is bonkers and over the top gore.

[Fignuts]

I was thinking malignant was an ok mystery horror movie, but not really all that interesting. Then the 3rd act hits, and it goes fucking bananas. All I could think of was "what the fuuuuuuuuuuuuck for a straight 10 minutes.

[Lock Jaw]

Vacation Friends - 8/10

Was entertained.... John Cena is good... think he is really finding his "groove" in acting...

[Seanny One Ball]

Vacation Friends is funny.

That’s all you really need from John Cena and Lil Rel.

[Jordan]

World Trade Center - 4/10

I finally watched this yesterday after a week of watching Hulu and Netflix's doc's on 9/11 and the aftermath in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both are great and I learned a lot and saw a lot of footage I'd never seen before.

WTC by Oliver Stone is a movie that really shouldn't have been made especially just 3-4 years after the tragedy. To make a movie without complete mastery totally cheapens the actual events in a way, it's almost disrespectful. It's not disrespectful I'm sure the intentions were very good for all involved. But why?

Why would this story need to have been made into a movie? Attempting to portray these events with what amounts to a basic script and some pretty bad acting from the supporting cast, it's quite insulting. It's essentially a propaganda film to support the war in Iraq. There is no point to anyone making a movie about this day. Doc's are all we need to revisit this experience. Reenacting this day is an insult. Watching actors scream in pain and horror is just wrong and fake.

Fuck this movie it's worse than 4/10.

[Seanny One Ball]

They made movies about WW2 while it was happening. Propaganda always works.

[Destor]

except in this case where it clearly didnt

[Seanny One Ball]

Sure it did.

Bin Laden isn’t knocking any more towers down now is he?

[Destor]

oliver stone killed bin laden confirmed

[Seanny One Ball]

Was that so much to ask?

[Fignuts]

They made movies about WW2 while it was happening. Propaganda always works.

That's not really the same. The more accurate equivalent would be a pearl harbor movie.

[Seanny One Ball]

Do you think you’re disagreeing with me there?

[Seanny One Ball]

Two quick wikis later and I discover an “Arnold Schwarzwald” making music for film in the 40’s.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

Shang-Chi-7/10

It’s a Marvel movie. I liked the flashback and cultural scenes more than anything else. Interested by the second post credit scene.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut 8/10

I've always liked the theatrical version, Orlando Bloom's underwhelming presence not withstanding, but the director's cut feels like a superior version to me. The story is allowed to breath and develop, instead of just rushing to get to the final confrontation at the end.

[Sepholio]

SHang-Chi. It's a great marvel movie, easily one of my favorites, but I cant give it an accurate score quite yet. I went to the drive-in to see it and I could not read ANY of the subtitles unfortunately so I feel like theres a solid 30 minutes of stuff that I just have no idea what it was about. The score will be high regardless though. At least an 8.

[Sepholio]

Prob my second favorite Marvel movie at this point behind Dr. Strange. I fucks with Dr. Strange.

[Seanny One Ball]

Jesus Seph...

If Dr. Strange is your favourite I’m genuinely scared to watch this new one.
I’ve been waiting on the HD version on my pirate site.

[Sepholio]

tbf I prefer Dr. Strange because of all the mind bending shit. I'm a sucker for that type of stuff.

[Destor]

visually dr strange was a treat. narratively...eh

[Destor]

Eyes Wide Shut - 9/10


There's a lot here. Like most art worth discussion is hands you very little and expects you to find meaning.

The score is outstanding. the way to piano is used to create tension is legitimately masterful. it may be the films the greatest strength because the tension is immense and its all driven through the score. this of course is a reliable cnstant through the bulk of Kubrick's work and its front and center here.

another constant is the frame compositions. in a lot of ways Kubrick frames his scenes to be murals. there's a good ammount of steady cam thats used to create satisfying one shots in some pretty tight spaces that i really appreciated.

one thing i found interesting was in the bed room scenes Kidmans character was shot hand held and there was an effort to follow her movements to keep her head in center frame through a medium close up shot. this was an active choice but one i dont fully understand. it added a chaos to the framing that makes everything seems unhinged. the why i dunno but the feeling it created i do understand.

there was one scene however very early in the film where kidman was shot hand held and cruise was shot steady which is find but they were mic'd different so kidmans half contained the acoustics of the room and cruise did not. i dont think that result was deliberate. the scene played oddly in what felt like an unintended way.

the acting from the films leads leave a lot to be desired. kidman and cruise have shockingly little on screen chemestry and it burdens the films primary throughline. cruise's performnce is reasonably strong when his wife isnt on screen however kidmans is never particularly revelatory. shes a fine actess but not here. perhaps not all of it falls to them however as the dialogue isnt written particularly well but i do have to imagine others could have gotten more out of the material mediocre though it was.

film itself is superbly eerie especially now in a time where we know with complete certainty that these satanic sex cults are very real and very much enacted by the cultural elites. and this is magnified by the notion that Kubrick had been high enough in society long enough to know for certain they were true as well. but thats obviously the surface observation and isnt what the film is actually about.

the film delves into sexual anonymity. nearly every scene has sexual context, even if its just undertones and this plays very well. even in the early scenes this sexual tension plagues the viewer. hauntingly. this is juxtaposed with the window dressing of christmas. silently loarding in the background. and thats a crucial factor.

in the background of the world is christmas. the shiny happy beacon of goodness...but its superficial. in the background of the mind is sexual deviantcy. and its much much louder.

this split comes to head in the final scene where the couple goes christmas shopping and come to terms to live with their "eyes wide shut" and kidmans final line that closes the film. "we need to fuck." they agree to move forward together, knowing what lurks beneath each of them, and continue in the superficial reality.

that resolution is both dark and honest. i dont think id have accepted any other ending.

[Destor]

what i appreciated most by far was the tension and its done so well i cant not praise the film

[Seanny One Ball]

tbf I prefer Dr. Strange because of all the mind bending shit. I'm a sucker for that type of stuff.



You can split the Marvel movies any way you like, as long as you don’t put Ant Man last.

He’s the best one.

[M-A-G]

Old - 2/10

Believe it or not, this is the first M. Night Shamayalanana film I have ever seen. Friend wanted to go see it at the cheap movie theater right across the street from me.... I would not have gone if I had to drive somewhere, but all I had to do was walk across the street so I said sure.....

Probably one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Horribly written, badly directed, badly acted... it had it all.

Yeah, there's no fucking way a Shyamalan movie would be the one where I risk going out to see in the middle of this crisis.

[Destor]

I'll go for you. you can live through me

[Lock Jaw]

We talking like a "Being John Malkovitch" type scenario?

[Destor]

theres plenty of room in my head so im sure that would work out just fine

[Destor]

it should be noted however that when i say "i will live for you" this does not mean i will watch an m night shamalan picture. this of course sounds like death

[Seanny One Ball]

Jim Carrey is doing another Ace Ventura film...

Written by the guys who brought you National Lampoon’s Dorm Daze.

[Destor]

the 1st 2 were largely improv as far as the gags are concerned. anyone can slap a plot around the gags.


(the 1st 2 films werent any good either however)

[Destor]

fun fact the 1st film was written for rick moranis in the early 80s. script never saw the light of day and was workshopped for half a dozen comedians of the next 10 or so years. Carey did as much of the rewrite as anyone.

[Destor]

i dont enjoy wacky carey though. Cable Guy, Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine are 3 carey movies i reslly enjoyed. closest to the wacky carey i get is liar liar.

[Destor]

man on the moon was solid

[rez]

i'm ready for the onslaught of netflix and shudder horror content

[Seanny One Ball]

the 1st 2 were largely improv as far as the gags are concerned. anyone can slap a plot around the gags.


(the 1st 2 films werent any good either however)



I must have seen them both twenty times

[Destor]

at the time they were huge hits. clearly resonated with audiences. the 2nd film played nearly daily on comedy central for what seems like a decade.


at the end of the day though the writer that matters is carey and he's still coming back. as long as he is given the room to work he was given the 1st 2 times in dont see why it wouldnt be able to be consistent.

[Destor]

unless the plot is what hooked you... then you might be fucked

[Seanny One Ball]

I wasn’t big on plot development when I was nine.

[Seanny One Ball]

A grown man crawling out of a rubber animatronic asshole though?

Hell yes.

[Destor]

that is a legitimately funny scene and the best part is on the page its just *ace crawls out of rhinos anus*


its all carey there. theres nothing any writer did or couldve done for that scene.



ALLS IM SAYIN is dont give up on the project just yet.

[Sepholio]

I still wish they would do some kind of big comedy ensemble movie that has a general plot to it that is laid out but let all the actors just go with it and ad lib all their lines for the entire film. Would be interesting to see how it would turn out I think. Would either be a hilarious masterpiece or hilariously awful but would probably be entertaining either way.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Jim Carey's films haven't aged particularly well, though I still enjoy watching them whenever the opportunity presents itself.

[Destor]

i think to enjoy them you have to be under 16. his early work atleast

[Destor]

but in all fairness most comedy ages really poorly. the point of comedy is to work along the edges of normal. thats where the misdirection lives. once someone works there its not as "edgey." in 20 years its tame.

[Seanny One Ball]

Jim Carey is too old to get away with doing talking arse impressions both as a spectacle and as an expectation of his near sixty year old body.
If he really hurts himself trying to be wacky then they should keep it in the film. I’m thinking a broken wrist from a pratfall would heal slowly at his age.

[Destor]

i do have to wonder how much physical comedy he's capable of. not a lot of tumblers in the old folks home

[Fignuts]

i'm ready for the onslaught of netflix and shudder horror content

There's some good stuff on shudder.

[Destor]

Dear Evan Hansen - 8/10

after listening to the motion picture soundtrack i went into this assuming the absolute worst. the tracks were all overly produced. tons of autotune and synthetic instruments being used. major somgs missing and the 2 new numbers didnt add even half enough to replace what was lost.

to my complete surprise half of these issues werent issues. the motion picture soundtrack isnt used in the film. instead the use the best method: the songs are (overwhelmingly) sung live in camera. this is always best. actors are able to act through their singing. instead of matching their faces. for a musical that is as heavy as this one its crucial to hear the pain through theirs mouths as well as to read it on their faces.

the lost tracks are problematic. the 2 tracks added dont add anything of substantial merit. the tracks lpst are all from the parents leaving only 1 (and a half i guess) of the parents tracks. the one track they left is the final number which is a solo by the mother...and its her first number of the picture. so a song that should be reconciling the 2 major plotlines it only deals with 1 since the other is heavily neutered.

this brings me to wonder would the "final" number give the resonance if i didnt already know the value of it since im so familiar with the stage play. hard to say.

i say "final" becauae this film continues for 10 min after having a new ending and a very brief final song. the song is fine but the ending weakens the point by a large magnitude.

all the adaptation quirks aside the film is very good. the performances are really top notch and the editing is very good. and everything not mentioned from the play is just as great as it always was.

[Frank Drebin]

Waiting for the Seth Hanson sequel.

[Destor]

just wait for the chris hansen prequel

[Seanny One Ball]

I’m interested by Clayne Crawford’s comeback joint “The Killing Of Two Lovers”.

Looks pretty heavy, getting reviews like it’s my sort of movie. Sometimes I just want to watch a fuck up destroy himself.

[slik]

Promising Young Woman - 9/10

Good film. Well-acted, well-written, smart and stylish.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Free Guy 8/10

I found it to be a genuinely entertaining film, with some real 'lol' moments.

[Seanny One Ball]

I found it pretty forgettable.
Jodie Comer isn’t really my cup of tea. She should stick to TV.

[Destor]

Magnolia - 9/10


the score could rise or fall after a second or third viewing but likely it would rise. ill be brief since there is a depth here that a single viewing cant grasp.

what i will say is this structurally is a stunning achievement in writing. there are multiple scenes that play congurently that have an outlandish divide in stakes but dont feel like they have any divide at all. im not sure ive ever seen anything crafted this way tonally and if i have it certainly wasn't as successful at it. i have a lot of thoughts but theyre all half formed so ill stop here but it was very very good.

[Seanny One Ball]

That was another one of those films I stumbled upon by chance years later and had always meant to watch. That never seems to work out for me...
It’s a strange film. I’ve only seen it once because it made me feel so bad.
I don’t know why he made it or what he was trying to do but it was well acted and a couple of the story threads were at least entertaining rather than soul destroying.

Paul Thomas Anderson doesn’t make happy films though.

[Destor]

maybe a hot take but the scene with Cruise at his fathers bed is very likely the best scene ive ever seen him in

[Destor]

my thoughts are still very underdeveloped but actually think this films point is a happy one. im not ready to defend this statement but i think the point is something along the lines of "the tragedies of the past must be faced forthrightly even if it brings ultimate strife; only after we suffer can we embrace hope and make a new beginning."

[Destor]

something like that. again half formed thoughts

[Lock Jaw]

I saw it a long time ago and remembered enjoying it.... remember very little about it now

[Destor]

the cipher for the film likely is inside the boys rap at the top of the film. he's probably a profit. there's a lot of biblical parallels obviously

[Destor]

I'll rewatch it in a half a year or so after ive digested it a bit

[Destor]

Dunkirk - 7/10

i had been told by people i trust that this was a masterpiece but i went in with very tempered expectations because while nolan is a very quality director i dont believe he has a masterpiece in him. many directors are good, few ever manage anything in the neighborhood of great.

even still this film left me underwhelmed. mostly because it doesnt really have anything to say. its just a war film. its done very well and its historical accuracy is high and thats all well and good. if thats what you want from a picture this will deliver that for you. its tension is often incredibly high and genuine tension is the ear mark of a good film maker.

for me however it isnt nearly enough. i dont feel like nolan, in general, is capable of making a film that merits discussion and ultimately this film simply exists for the time its on the screen and once its run time has ended so is your entire interaction with it. there's absolutely nothing lasting about it.

...and in a world where we have apocalypse now and full metal jacket i dont think making a film about "war is hell" is a particularly worthwhile endeavor. its been done masterfully already and i doubt anyone manages a masterpiece on strictly that topic ever again.

i dont dislike war films, i dont think a 7 out of 10 =a bad movie, but this doesnt have the depth to rise above just "a very good action/war film" and become something truly memorable.

[Destor]

inception merited discussion to some degree but mostly from people who were initially confused by its timeline and whatnot. once they sussed that out though...eh

[Seanny One Ball]

Memento is always going to be his best film.
Pure genius.

[Seanny One Ball]

Looking forward to the new Ben Wheatley film “In The Earth” and I looked at his filmography just to see if I’d missed any. Well he’s making The Meg 2....


I feel like that’s possibly the strangest hiring decision a major studio picture could ever make.
The man is a genius but I dunno how this could ever work.

[GD]

I started watching Sleepers on Netflix without any prior knowledge. It's a bit overwhelming and dark at times, the narration and acting are on point.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Sleepers” has quite an impact on me when I first saw it, and every subsequent viewing since. It’s a Hollywood movie but it’s actually worth watching.
I feel like indie versions of this sort of film get too ugly too quickly and it always sticks in my craw.

The British film “Scum” is also worth a watch but again, pretty harrowing stuff.

I should probably watch “Girl, Interrupted” again to see if that holds up.

[Lock Jaw]

Free Guy - 7/10

Was surprised to find this on Disney+ so soon, so I watched it. Was entertaining enough for what it was. It was like a slightly better Ready Player One.

[slik]

Colour out of Space - 5/10

Weird and not very good. Some nice visuals but they can't compensate for the rest of the film. Nicolas Cage in MANDY this is not.

[Blonde Moment]

She Never Died 8/10

A surprising semi sequel to He Never Died

[Seanny One Ball]

In The Earth - 1/4

Ben Wheatley makes unique films usually, but this is so much like a pagan horror version of “A Field In England” that it amounts to nearly two hours of repetitive weirdness that never resolved itself.
The two leads deserved a lot better than they were given here, both of them performed with a quality that was thoroughly out of place in such a silly film. The two supporting actors were hamming it up so much that any ambiguity in their motivations held absolutely no interest to me.

This is an impressively bad film.
I think it was trying to be like “The Ritual” which was too recent and too good to be replicated or borrowed from so lazily.

British film makers do films about mysterious happenings in the woods a lot better than this usually.
This is officially the worst one.

[Destor]

is it bad enough to watch for the train wreck factor or is it pure avoid at all costs

[Sepholio]

Colour out of Space - 5/10

Weird and not very good. Some nice visuals but they can't compensate for the rest of the film. Nicolas Cage in MANDY this is not.

I can not explain how hyped I was for this movie. Lovecraft is one of my favorite authors ever. I've read everything he ever wrote. And I also like Nick Cage for some reason.

That said, this movie was the hugest of letdowns for me. Did not do the story justice at all and Cage's performance was flat out awful, one of the worst of his career. I wouldn't have been nearly as generous with the score as you were. Prob 2/10 for me.

Also it was kind of baffling that out of all the Lovecraft stories they chose this one. It's a fine story, but so many of others deserve the film treatment more than this did. Give me The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadanth. At The Mountains of Madness (QUIT CANCELLING DEL TORO'S PASSION PIECE YOU HOLLYWOOD ASSHOLES). A new version of The Dunwich Horror even.

[GD]

Sleepers - 7/10

Excellent watch, although difficult at times. Cheesy in parts but solid acting overall.

[Seanny One Ball]

is it bad enough to watch for the train wreck factor or is it pure avoid at all costs


I couldn’t turn it off, mate.
It is completely off the rails from the get go but it loses any semblance of restraint by the end.

It’s jumps from being science fiction to horror by act two and by act three it’s almost Shakespearean. People will compare it to “The Wicker Man” but it’s not that straightforward.

I admire the effort but the last act was objectively mental by anyone’s standards.

[Seanny One Ball]

Just watched Chappelle’s last Netflix special.
Not great by his standards, but I did enjoy it.

[ClockShot]

A Quiet Place: Part 2 - 4/5

Short, sweet, and to the point.

[slik]

THE MORTUARY COLLECTION - 7.5/10

Clancy Brown is great and it's fun horror anthology flick.

[slik]

V/H/S 94 - 7/10

Much like the first V/H/S film each segment actually feels like it was shot on VHS. There's one segment that is just wildly gory too -- turns out it was directed by the same guy who made the Indonesian Cult segment in V/H/S 2. Fun and creative flick overall, especially if you are a fan of found footage horror.

[Savio]

New James Bond 8/10 would recommend.

Make sure you see the previous movie first if you haven't already.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

No Time to Die-8/10

Definitely should watch the last movie as well as the first one. Quite a few call backs to those. This was the best one other than Skyfall, and a fitting, definitive and even ballsy way to end Craig’s run as 007. Very much enjoyed it. Although it needed more Ana de Armas running around in a plunging neckline dress kicking the shit out of evil foreigners.

[Seanny One Ball]

3 hours long? Shoulda named it “No Time To Watch”.

I’ll see myself out.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

It didn’t feel like 3 hours I’ll give it that

[Destor]

The Many Saints of Newark: A Sopranos Story - 6/10

alt title could have been Member Berries Strike Back. film spends far too much of its run time asking the audience "hey member this guy?" and its very unfortunate because that might be exactly what viewers want from this film but its not what i was after.

i was seeking a story told in the style of sopranos instead of a film constantly winking at me. its made worse by the fact that, excluding Gandalfini son, the actors spend all their energy doing impressions of these giant characters and it all feels very hacky.

there is promise in future sequels though. with all the nostalgia credit spent perhaps now we can get into some real story telling because there is potential.

and its for that potential that im left wanting. a film in the vein of what could be argued as both the best telivision series of all time and the single most influential series of the past 30 years (not by me but its a reasonable take [id say top 10 in quality and top 3 in influence {but whatever; its moot}]) it should simply be better. and when what im handed is good its lack of greatness hurts the film more than it would another.

[Seanny One Ball]

I was worried about that...

[Destor]

im not saying dont want it. im saying lower your expectations if you want to have a good time

[Frank Drebin]

Destor was really hoping for a Jersey Boys type dance number.

[Destor]

i dunno what jersey boys is but you have my attention

[Frank Drebin]

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[Destor]

id totally be down

[ron the dial]

lamb - 3/10

beautifully shot, well acted by a very small cast, interesting concept, but none of it really came together for me. and it's slow as fuck in a way that i don't think helps.

[slik]

That's a bummer to hear

[Lock Jaw]

No Time to Die - 8/10

Was enjoyable... might be being generous with the score.... Casino Royale and Skyfall definitely above it for Daniel Craig movies, but it is above Quantum and Spectre....

Will agree that it needed more Ana de Armas

[slik]

Halloween Kills - 6.5/10: Started off strong but was then sort of 'just ok' in the middle. Enjoyed the mass hysteria scenes.

Overall, seems like Kills was more of a setup to Halloween Ends in October 2022. I'm not crazy about Michael basically turning into Jason Voorhees super demonzombie but I'm also ok with it I guess, I don't know. I prefer Michael human and Jason 'unkillable'. Scream better not get any ideas about making 'ol Ghosty supernatural...

[ClockShot]

The Green Knight - 3.5/5

Not sure what all the hype was about. Might need to watch Sword of the Valiant to compare.

[Bad News Gertner]

The Many Saints of Newark: A Sopranos Story - 6/10

alt title could have been Member Berries Strike Back. film spends far too much of its run time asking the audience "hey member this guy?" and its very unfortunate because that might be exactly what viewers want from this film but its not what i was after.

i was seeking a story told in the style of sopranos instead of a film constantly winking at me. its made worse by the fact that, excluding Gandalfini son, the actors spend all their energy doing impressions of these giant characters and it all feels very hacky.

there is promise in future sequels though. with all the nostalgia credit spent perhaps now we can get into some real story telling because there is potential.

and its for that potential that im left wanting. a film in the vein of what could be argued as both the best telivision series of all time and the single most influential series of the past 30 years (not by me but its a reasonable take [id say top 10 in quality and top 3 in influence {but whatever; its moot}]) it should simply be better. and when what im handed is good its lack of greatness hurts the film more than it would another.

It really should have been split into two movies. One focusing on the 60s and one on the 70s. I'm halfway through the movie and everything feels so rushed. And I totally agree with "Member Berries".

[Destor]

i could def get on board for splitting the film in half. the 3rd act was VERY rushed

[Seanny One Ball]

They should have done it like the “L’il Rascals”.

I’d watch it.

[Seanny One Ball]

I watched the new “Dune” movie.
It’s a dark and joyless affair, beautiful though it is.

I’m pretty disappointed that it was only the first half of the book but I won’t be sad to watch another two and a half hour film filled to the brim with all the crazy shit they left out of this one.
There’s an awful lot they didn’t even hint at.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

Is dune going to be the first big box office flop of the post pandemic era? It looks good and I want it to do well. But I don’t see an audience for it.

[Destor]

thhat already came and went. Tenant by Nolan

[Sepholio]

Can't really treat Dune the same in regards to the box office since it's streaming on day 1. That will eat a chunk out of box office sales.

Watching Dune rn myself.

[Seanny One Ball]

Dune will struggle to make money. It must have cost a fortune.
Honestly it is one of the most beautifully realised films I’ve ever seen. It isn’t light in any sense though and the source material is far better suited to a mini-series.

It’s not hard to see why Denis Villeneuve wanted to do it though. I have been fascinated by it since I was a lad and it seems impossibly huge to contemplate making profitable films from.
I just want to see the details thoroughly explained and shown in a way that no film ever will.

He did give it an admirable shot though, so hopefully he gets a crack at the second half.
I really need to see more sandworm action and a guild navigator up close.

[Sepholio]

Well the CEO of Warner Bros all but confirmed earlier today that the sequel has been greenlit already. Apparently was originally going to be one film but Villeneuve insisted on it being split into 2 parts as part of his contract as well. They were supposed to film them both at the same time, but logistics (read: pandemic) messed that up. Either way I am eager for how part 2 is handled.

This movie was art. So beautifully done. I love the original and the miniseries but I feel like I came away with a much better understanding after this version for some reason. Also came away thoroughly pleased with the casting. The score is simple yet amazing.
Everything about it came off far better than I was expecting tbh. Will prob watch again this weekend.

[Seanny One Ball]

I thought the cast was actually pretty weak for a film that size. The most bankable names are Bautista, Momoa and Zendaya by the looks of it.
I can’t fault anyone’s performance too harshly but they could have used a few bigger marquee names to give it a boost.

[ron the dial]

i think little lord chalemet is considered a "big" name atm. not sure how many viewers he'll drive in for dune, though.

[Seanny One Ball]

I suppose Josh Brolin is a huge bankable star but he’s always in an ensemble.
Mickey Rourke as Baron Harkonnen seems too obvious, but I’d have liked that a lot.

I wonder who’ll play Feyd Rautha...

[Seanny One Ball]

Chalamet is lined up to play Willy Wonka ffs

[Fignuts]

Dune was pretty good. I was confused as to why the Emperor would replace the Harkonnens on arrakis if he was just going to send them back to take it by force. It's not until well after the attack that we learn the Emperor fears house atreides, and it's in a single line that's easily missed. Even then, it's still confusing, as the movie doesn't explain the tense political rules of the universe which require the Emperor to use such a roundabout method to crush a possible rival. I had to look that up to find out. It's the crux of the story's conflict and it's barely explained.

Also the mother talks really fast, in a whisper voice and 90% of the time I had no idea what the fuck she was saying.

Other than that, gorgeous film that I mostly enjoyed.

[Sepholio]

There is some dialog earlier on that foreshadows why the Emperor removed the Harkonnens from Arakis and replaced them with House Atreides. It's the scene nearish the beginning where BATISTA barges in angrily asking The Baron why the Emperor would betray them in favor of The Duke and The Baron says something along the lines of a gift isn't always a gift and that the Emperor is a very jealous man.

[slik]

Dune - 9/10

One of the biggest compliments I can give Dune: I'm not a big Sci-Fi person and this is probably one of the best Sci-Fi films I've seen. It won't be for everyone. It has stunning visuals and is very philosophical. Those looking for a pure action film will be disappointed. Dune is smart, very smart. I watched the 80s film and couldn't tell you the plot but here I understood it perfectly. So many themes and topics on display. Looking forward to part 2.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I'm waiting until next month, once I'm back in England, before watching Dune; hopefully it will still be showing on the IMAX.

[Fignuts]

There is some dialog earlier on that foreshadows why the Emperor removed the Harkonnens from Arakis and replaced them with House Atreides. It's the scene nearish the beginning where BATISTA barges in angrily asking The Baron why the Emperor would betray them in favor of The Duke and The Baron says something along the lines of a gift isn't always a gift and that the Emperor is a very jealous man.

I do remember that, but again, it's extremely vague. I don't need to be spoon fed everything, but there needed to be a bit more explanation imo. I get what they were going for, by being so cagey with exposition, but I just think they leaned into it a little too much.

[Seanny One Ball]

I thought it was pretty well laid on between Rabban and the Baron in that scene but I’m familiar with the story, however I think most people can see the classical influence in the way it is done. It’s Shakespearean cloak and dagger talk.

[Fignuts]

That scene does its job in explaining that there are sinister motives in giving the planet to atreides and that its basically a trap.

I guess what I specifically feel is glossed over a little too much is the relationship between Leto and the Emperor and why the latter feels threatened. From what I understand, the book does a better job of exploring that.

Either way I'd prefer the way they did it over boring exposition, so it's a minor nitpick.

[Bad News Gertner]

Finished The Many Saints of Newark 6.5/10

I maintain my stance that it should have been split into two movies. Too rushed. I'm also a MEGA Sopranos fan (I've watched the whole series about a dozen times) so I probably had unrealistically high expectations.

The movie overall was alright.

[Destor]

Nobody - 8/10


I normally pass on action films but Bob Odenkirk has an eye for scripts so i figured there was something here and sure enough there was. this is about as good of an action flick you could hope to get. Its a very good script that avoids being generic like the genre is drawn to. the action is violent and weighty. the soundtrack is SUPERB. cinematography, which is very difficult to do well with action, is good and often even great. this is a very good action movie and im glad i watched it.

[Destor]

oh and Bob Odenkirk, a fucking comedy writer, might be my favorite actor working today

[Bad News Gertner]

He's so great

[Sepholio]

Dune 2 confirmed. Release date is October 20, 2023.

[Seanny One Ball]

That is good news. It should have a hell of a lot of action, much more than the first half.

[Sepholio]

I wonder if they will exclusively use the weirding modules from the original film or if they will actually try to adapt the weirding way style of hand to hand combat from the books? I think with modern CG they could pull off actually adapting it the way it was in the books this time around. I hope they do anyways. Using both would also be ok.

[Seanny One Ball]

They have pretty comprehensively ignored Lynch’s version, which is good.
I like the original but the Dune you see in this film is almost the main character of the film.

[Lock Jaw]

Never read Dune, never seen the original movie or whatever else there was.... barely know anything about it.... something about a big sand worm and spice that must flow.....

Trailers and whatever for the new one didn't really make me want to rush out to see it....

[Big Vic]

didn't see this for the first time but rewatched Jurassic Park recently. That T-Rex scene is suchhhh a good scene.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

An American Werewolf in London 7/10 (probably more 6/10, but Jenny Agutter bumps it up a score)

Us 8/10

Ring (original Japanese version) 7.5/10
Not as good as I remember, but it still creeped the hell out of me.

[slik]

Last Night in Soho - 9/10


Loved this.

[Destor]

Parasite - 9/10


really exceptional. im tired so i wont go into a big thing. kerea has tension down to a science and on the surface it delivers exactly that wrapped in a really imaginative plot but this film goes was beyond that. the socioeconomic commentary on South Korean culture is really outstanding. film is incredibly deep and very smart. it twists the knife in its critique of both sides of the growing caste system and is equally unflattering to both. great film. its as close to a 10 as it gets. if the film sticks with me over the years it could easily become one.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

A Quiet Place: Part 2 7/10

Not as good as the first film, but I still enjoyed it.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

In the Mouth of Madness 7/10

What. The. Fudge.

[Blonde Moment]

In the Mouth of Madness 7/10

What. The. Fudge.

Always fun to watch even if the special effects are pretty dated

[Fignuts]

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin - 6/10

Better than the last few installment, but not quite as good as the first films.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

I’m watching the Clooney Batman and Robin with my daughter. Honestly I’m having a blast. It’s like a high budget homage to the Adam West.

[Lock Jaw]

Yeah, I liked the Schumacher Batman movies when I was a youth. I'd probably still enjoy them now, haven't seen them in many a year.

[Seanny One Ball]

Joel Schumacher was sucking a lot of disco dicks in the 90’s.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Annabelle 6.5/10
Annabelle: Creation 7.5/10
Annabelle Comes Home 6/10

[Sixx]

Yeah, I liked the Schumacher Batman movies when I was a youth. I'd probably still enjoy them now, haven't seen them in many a year.

I don't smoke weed, but I imagine yyou'd have to do exactly that to enjoy them. Either that or receive blaunt force trauma to your head.

[Fignuts]

Eternals - 7/10

I had low expectations going in, as the trailers didn't really do anything for me and the source material bored me to tears, but I ended up enjoying this, overall.

Right off the bat, this would have worked far better as a disney+ series. You've got an entire team of characters being introduced, and a plot that's perhaps even grander in scale than endgame. That said, this is not X-men: Apocalypse. This film actually does a pretty damn good job getting you invested in the many characters and story, despite fitting it all in a single film. It's just not as satisfying as it could have been if it had more time.

It's also been brought to my attention that a large portion of the negativity around this film comes from review bombers upset that the film has a diverse cast and a gay character. Having seen the film, I can safely say that the parallels between extreme woke crowds bombing ghost in the shell for "white washing" and extreme anti-woke crowds bombing this for diversity pandering, would be hilarious if it weren't so depressing. They're two sides of the same coin, and the world would be a better place if said coin got chucked into the sun. The cast is diverse because it has to be, given who these characters are and the effect they have on human history. The gay character just happens to be gay, just like some characters happen to be straight. There's no lgbtq acceptance message anywhere in the movie.

Anyway, moving away from all THAT, this is probably one of, if not the most gorgeously shot films in the mcu. So I'm kind of torn on whether it should have been a tv show or not, as you definitely couldn't have achieved the visual grandeur on a TV budget, disney+ or otherwise.

I think there's going to be people who absolutely love this film. I also think there are people who will hate it. I can't see destor letting some of this movies faults slide as much as I have, for instance. It's definitely not the typical mcu film so it's going to be devisive. They got balls though, to not only try something like that, but do it with an entirely new cast of characters. Gives me hope that marvel is willing to venture out of its comfort zone to keep things from going stagnant.

[Sixx]

Eternals - 7/10

I had low expectations going in, as the trailers didn't really do anything for me and the source material bored me to tears, but I ended up enjoying this, overall.

Right off the bat, this would have worked far better as a disney+ series. You've got an entire team of characters being introduced, and a plot that's perhaps even grander in scale than endgame. That said, this is not X-men: Apocalypse. This film actually does a pretty damn good job getting you invested in the many characters and story, despite fitting it all in a single film. It's just not as satisfying as it could have been if it had more time.

It's also been brought to my attention that a large portion of the negativity around this film comes from review bombers upset that the film has a diverse cast and a gay character. Having seen the film, I can safely say that the parallels between extreme woke crowds bombing ghost in the shell for "white washing" and extreme anti-woke crowds bombing this for diversity pandering, would be hilarious if it weren't so depressing. They're two sides of the same coin, and the world would be a better place if said coin got chucked into the sun. The cast is diverse because it has to be, given who these characters are and the effect they have on human history. The gay character just happens to be gay, just like some characters happen to be straight. There's no lgbtq acceptance message anywhere in the movie.

Anyway, moving away from all THAT, this is probably one of, if not the most gorgeously shot films in the mcu. So I'm kind of torn on whether it should have been a tv show or not, as you definitely couldn't have achieved the visual grandeur on a TV budget, disney+ or otherwise.

I think there's going to be people who absolutely love this film. I also think there are people who will hate it. I can't see destor letting some of this movies faults slide as much as I have, for instance. It's definitely not the typical mcu film so it's going to be devisive. They got balls though, to not only try something like that, but do it with an entirely new cast of characters. Gives me hope that marvel is willing to venture out of its comfort zone to keep things from going stagnant.

Why in the fuck should there be some lgbt acceptance stuff?

[Blonde Moment]

Annabelle 6.5/10
Annabelle: Creation 7.5/10
Annabelle Comes Home 6/10

What would be the best viewing order for those?

[Blonde Moment]

Why in the fuck should there be some lgbt acceptance stuff?

You right. We should wipe all woman on woman and man on man porn off the face of the earth. /S

[Fignuts]

Why in the fuck should there be some lgbt acceptance stuff?

I'm saying there's not, and that's a good thing. This is how including more lgbtq roles should be done. Characters who just are gay rather than sub plots about them being gay and how you had better be okay with that.

[Sixx]

I'm saying there's not, and that's a good thing. This is how including more lgbtq roles should be done. Characters who just are gay rather than sub plots about them being gay and how you had better be okay with that.

Ah, then we agree.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

What would be the best viewing order for those?

The original release order, as listed.

[Destor]

Eternals - 4/10


in a word: boring


im not going to write much on this because it doesnt deserve it. the source material is dull so the film at least held true. jumbled plot. far too much going on. the exposition is needed to establish future films but this whole thing is a massive slog.


GIMME DAT BLACK KNIGHT THO

[Destor]

that post credit scene is worth the ticket though

[Destor]

oh and when it flashed "the eternals will return" the crowd groaned and i laughed. big same.

[Fignuts]

Called it lol

[Destor]

hey man im glad you liked it. i wish i had your experience over mine

[Destor]

i think they should have watched highlander and wrote the script with that methodology. its a wonderful blue print for telling stories across time.

[Fignuts]

Yeah, I'm not poking fun or anything. I just knew after walking out of the theater "Man, Destor is going to HATE this."

[Sixx]

Eternals - 4/10


in a word: boring


im not going to write much on this because it doesnt deserve it. the source material is dull so the film at least held true. jumbled plot. far too much going on. the exposition is needed to establish future films but this whole thing is a massive slog.


GIMME DAT BLACK KNIGHT THO

It seemed like shit. Read the plot and I have no idea what this is about.

[Destor]

Yeah, I'm not poking fun or anything. I just knew after walking out of the theater "Man, Destor is going to HATE this."
lol no poke fun. i read your review after i posted mine and had a good laugh. you know me well

[Destor]

i like the bollywood scene and the antartica scene. thats nearly it.

[Fignuts]

I loved Makkari. Likeable character, and she stole the show in every fight scene she was a part of. I greatly appreciate that they didn't go with the "speedster see's everything in slow motion" trope that's been in so many movies and shows. She's shown running and fighting in real time, but it's shot in such a way that you can still tell what she's doing. Very well done. If they were to take one character from this to join the Avengers and show up in other films, I'd pick her.

[Destor]

her powers were appealing unlike...everyone else. a speedster theif is a fun idea but im not sure id say she was a defined character (an issue that plagues every character in the film other than Icarus) so im unsure if i care if she comes back or not.

and thats really the issue with the movie in a nut shell. half the run time is seeking out a host of characters we dont know and never get to know. it just shouts that the stakes are super high and we need to care cause stakes.

Pikes arc the biggest causality. it has the legs to be really fulfilling arc but if you timed the screen time dealing with the set up id be shocked if it had 7 min of screen time.

if you cut half the characters, kept the run time and used it to tell a more focused narrative youd have something thats going to get these characters over.

simply "we dont know where everyone is" and then by hearing about the events of the film in future films the reunite in full. everyone gets properly established.

this instead is akin to skipping all of phase 1 and starting with an avengers film out of the gate.

[Destor]

the ones you arent going to establish in the present have them appear in the past. if you wanted to cast them early fine or show them out of focus or out of frame. build intrigue in meeting them. there's a dozen ways to go about it...what they did though.. ugh.

[Destor]

then theres the unfocused theming, multiple unrealized villains, and over all pacing issues...

[Destor]

and our protag seems to be personality deficient

[Destor]

very very flawed

[Fignuts]

By the the third act there was no point in Kor being there, other than giving Angelina Jolie something to do.

Good ideas in this movie, but no where near enough time to see them fully realized.

[Destor]

yeah the deviants in general are just a narrative device to give the audience action while they get through the exposition to establish the real threat(s)

[Lock Jaw]

Eternals - 8/10

Lock Jaw weighing in here.... was mad worried about this one since I read some Eternals stuff once and it was mad boring... and heard it was getting bad reviews, and it got a bad review from Destor...

But I ended up really enjoying it. Thought it was really well done, and different than most other Marvel movies. For the first time in a long time, I'd actually consider re-watching a Marvel movie, and am super interested in a sequel for the sequel's sake and not "I want to see the next chapter in the MCU" sake.

My biggest gripe with it if I had to choose one was the reveal of Icarus having killed Ajak and knowing about the emergence and everything. Surely there could have been a more dramatic way of revealing it all than just randomly having a flashback to it.

Also, I had predicted that the little kid one/Sprite would die in this movie because it wouldn't make sense for an ageless Eternal character to be suddenly getting older in sequels... I guess transforming her into a human solved that problem too.

I was a bit confused though... why do both Robb Stark and Jon Snow love Cersei in this? Wonder if Jamie Lannister will be in any sequel.

[Frank Drebin]

Everyone seems to agree that this one is "different".

[Destor]

im all for trying new things and i think marvel films have been pretty varried

[M-A-G]

The Eternals - 1 and a half stars out of 4.

I mean, there are some good ideas and cool scenes but, man, is it put together in a way that makes it hard to care. I don't get some of the casting choices and it ultimately feels like a set up more than anything else. I liked it more than I thought I would so that's something...I guess.

[M-A-G]

and our protag seems to be personality deficient

If you're talking about Gemma Chan, yeah, I don't get what they saw in her that made them believe she was worth a double casting.

[Destor]

i chop it up to the writing. there's nothing in that script for her. its a blank slate.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Dune: Part One 9/10

I could have watched another 2-3 hours of this goodness.

I was also supposed to see the new Bond film, but I couldn't be arsed, so I'll watch it on a pirate site tomorrow or at some point soon.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings 7.5/10

Standard Marvel fair, but I enjoyed it more than Black Widow.

[McLegend]

The Last of The Mohicans(1992)- 10/10

The last 35 minutes are crazy.

[Seanny One Ball]

That whole film is tits, in fairness. The Gael at the end is one of the best bits of soundtrack use ever in film. It synchs up brilliantly with the action. Tremendous stuff, it’s a sorely overlooked film for whatever reason but I love it.

[McLegend]

The music is beautiful. There is the “jig” music which I think I want played everytime I walk into a room.

I think it’s overlooked, because the year it came out is a pretty loaded year.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

No Time to Die 8/10

A good send off for Daniel Craig.

[Destor]

Lenny - 7/10


Like most biopics finding a narrative throughline but for the genre this does as well as the bulk. Dustin Hoffman is very good through the entirety and they film hits all the major notes youd want to see covered.

the one moment i wish was in the film is after his final moment. he was famously found dead on his toilet from a morphine OD. the freind who found him pulled his pants up for dignity sake. the legend has it that the police, out of spite and vengeance, striped him naked and layed him in the bathroom floor arranging needles about him to make sure he was finally properly humilated before taking the crime scene photo.

including the photo as the final shot of the film was a great touch for the emotional resonance but to omit the conspiracy i think is a mistake. it should have been an opportunity, like Lennys material, to analyse the hypocrisy and obscenity of the system.

solid film but i wish they had been more aggressive

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Red Notice 6.5/10

Slight, derivative and not as clever as it thinks, but remains watchable due to its three leads.

[Seanny One Ball]

Watching “Shang-Chi” and during the bus fight I am 99% sure he sits down next to Mary Mouser of Cobra Kai game. You only see her face for a second but I’m sure it was her...

[Seanny One Ball]

There’s no “girl on bus” credit on IMDB despite it naming a couple of the seen passengers.
I bet that was her doing a micro-cameo. Like when celebs are secret stormtroopers in Star Wars films...

[Seanny One Ball]

Great fight scene actually. I love a fight to a funky beat.

[Seanny One Ball]

Ok that definitely ain’t Mary Mouser...

Cobra Kai on the brain...

[Destor]

the bus fight is a high point to be sure

[Blonde Moment]

Shang-Chi 7.5/10

Jungle Cruise 8/10

[Lock Jaw]

Home Sweet Home Alone - 5/10

I dunno. Not a good movie at all, but at the same time I didn't completely feel like I hated it. Probably because Lock Jaw :heart: Ellie Kemper.

[Seanny One Ball]

Shang-Chi was good, it got a bit ropey towards the end because they made the lead up far too long but it had some great action and a surprising amount of solid comedy.
Akwafina is an incredibly annoying person though, that was a bad choice.

Interesting that the dad in this is essentially the Mandarin... I’m not too down with the mythology and all that but it was an interesting call-back.

[Sixx]

Home Sweet Home Alone - 5/10

I dunno. Not a good movie at all, but at the same time I didn't completely feel like I hated it. Probably because Lock Jaw :heart: Ellie Kemper.

This franchise is still alive? I imagine this must sùck big time.

[drave]

Tenet - 9/10




Will watch again.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I feel like I should rewatch Tenet, but I would need to do so with some earphones, as when I went to see it at the cinema, I could not make out the dialogue at all.

[Seanny One Ball]

Home Sweet Home Alone - 5/10

I dunno. Not a good movie at all, but at the same time I didn't completely feel like I hated it. Probably because Lock Jaw :heart: Ellie Kemper.



I noticed this was out and when I looked at the cast I thought “Well it can’t be too bad” but I have read some scathing reviews.

Leave Home Alone...Alone

[M-A-G]

Just like with the Taken series, at some point you have to face the fact that we're dealing with some shitty parents.

[Seanny One Ball]

Home Alone would have been called “Not Taken(on holiday)” if it came out now.

In fact why didn’t they do that now. Not Taken, some kid gets left behind by their bad parents and has to fight their way to Barbados or wherever they went.
I’d watch that shit...

[Seanny One Ball]

Hang on that’s sort of just Baby’s Day Out isn’t it?

Film was nuts!

[Damian Rey 2.0]

The Harder They Fall-7/10 fun predominately black casted west based on historical figures in a factionalized western story about power, revenge and hard truths. Really liked it. The set pieces are fun but it’s the interactions between characters that’s the selling point.

[OssMan]

Fever Pitch (UK One)

It was fine. I like the neighborhoods around arsenal stadium so thats cool. Ive seen the US one over a hundred times so wanted to check this one out. The guy sucks and the girl kinda sucks too. Its ok

[wwe2222]

Eternals - 4.5/10. Probably my least favorite Marvel film. Too many characters but did not really care about any one of them. Would’ve worked better as a series.

Ghostbusters Afterlife - 7/10. Huge GB fan growing up. Movie has its ups and downs. The third act moves way too fast and the lead up to the final Battle is rushed but movie had enough high points for me to enjoy it. 2nd post credit scene was one of best scenes in the film. Great seeing Ecto-1 in some real action.

[Lock Jaw]

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - 8/10 Pretty entertaining.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Venom: Let there be Carnage 6/10

A bit something and nothing.

[Fignuts]

Venom: Let there be Carnage 6/10

A bit something and nothing.

I think Eddie and the symbiote are great and their interactions are entertaining, but everything around them is shit. That goes for both movies. Glad he's in the mcu now, and will hopefully be in a good movie.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I do not disagree, Figgy, my man.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

Last Night in Soho-7/10

The first two thirds of this was stellar. The twist ending was cool but for some reason felt underwhelming. Probably because everything before it was great.

[drave]

MCU needs to stop faffing about and get Neflix's Daredevil back on television.

[Destor]

never going to happen, least not on netflix. although the contract has lapsed to disney could revive it on D+

[drave]

Yeah, that's what needs to happen.

[Lock Jaw]

Apparently Wilson Fisk is a LOCK to appear in Hawkeye.

In the sense that Mephisto was a LOCK to appear in WandaVision.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

The Last Duel 6.5/10

It is not a bad film by any means, but there is something a bit flat about it; I'm not sure what, though.

[Lock Jaw]

Was it the duel?

[Seanny One Ball]

No Time To Die - 2.5/4

When I sit down to watch a James Bond film I do so knowing that the film requires my full attention otherwise I'll miss something small that matters hugely in a later moment. However, when watching "No Time To Die" I felt like I must have missed something that was to be resolved later on...all the way through the film. There were several issues that should have been used for much more yet which were given cursory nods and nothing more.
When your main villain looks so interesting, then re-emerges looking like he's wearing make-up you had better wipe that shit off at some point before the film ends. They already had that moment in Skyfall though, which begs the question why design a baddie that is a composite of other better baddies in the first place? They gave him almost no backstory and made no effort to flesh the character out in other ways. He was introduced as evil and appeared occasionally only to be slightly more evil than Blofeld...which in itself doesn't really do anything for anybody. The entire series of films was used to build towards Blofeld for fuck's sake...now he's killed off indirectly by "some guy".
That's the main failing point for this series of films, and this film in particular. It builds magnificently towards the film Spectre, then resolves it and yet decides to continue on with a film which kind of spits right in the face of everything you have learned about this iteration of the character so far.
This Bond is a frazzled sociopath from the ground up...he's a fucked up kid who grew into a fucked up man and he's absolutely not the sort of guy who would even want to know he had a child and certainly not the sort to have that child used against him at crunch time. What this Bond becomes by the end of this film is a total convert and martyr to a cause that he has never fully believed in but who's cynicism could not trump his sense of duty. No I'm not talking about National Service, I'm talking about family.

There is a lot to complain about with this because it's a character piece that kills off everything I loved about the character...
They took the best part of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and ran it into the ground twice purely to drive the point home that Bond was now capable of love...they stole the motivation from "License To Kill" by fucking with Felix just to churn out the only truly great line of the film yet which still feels pretty cheap to me. They even made sure to turn Q gay and introduce a black female 007 who had all of the charm and grace of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers... She wasn't bad actually, at least she was great in the physical scenes after seeing Ana De Armas flying around like a telescopically zoomed Tinkerbell kicking shit out of hitmen...

Don't get me started on the inclusion of the child nor of the multiple red herrings, at one point I think Bond is actually carrying one on a hook just to really keep you on your toes. Though now that I think about it maybe it was a red snapper so even the red herring is a red herring...

It just doesn't really make sense overall...the plot itself is pretty good actually if massively derivative and the whole missile silo's in the island base thing is just mind bogglingly on the nose in 2021...but it's the ending that really REALLY fucked me off.
Up to that point this would be a 2.5-3/4 film because the action is about as well shot as you can get, it actually reminded me of the later Mission Impossible films with how brilliantly done the stunts were, but that ending totally wrecked my suspension of disbelief...

You see Blofeld die about twenty seconds after nano bot exposure earlier in the film. It's a pretty odd moment because they sort of throw it away in the context of the series, I mean it's a huge moment and they just pop it right in the middle of the film and race on from it immediately after barely acknowledging it...however the point I'm getting to is that James Bond gets nano-botted at the end and then spends minutes not dying...

This is the world's most deadly weapon apparently...enough to kill a terrorist mastermind in seconds....but Bond has to wait until it rains missiles to actually die.

....and that's another thing! The missiles blowing him to bits at the end were far too abrupt and visible. You don't show James Bond getting vapourised at the end of a goddamn Bond film you fucking heathens.

FUCK!

[Seanny One Ball]

The Last Duel 6.5/10

It is not a bad film by any means, but there is something a bit flat about it; I'm not sure what, though.

I agree, and I think it was an awful big film for such a small and easily told story.

Was it the duel?

The duel is the best part of the film. Fucking class it was...I just wish Ridley Scott would let the action breathe a bit more in his films. He runs it all way too closely together and makes it hard to see the finer details, but I suppose in a real fight that exactly what happens...just not when you're wearing 200lbs of armour plate on top of you.

[Lock Jaw]

@Seanny

The poison Bond got was not his DNA but the braud's (and by extension his daughter). Hence why he didn't die from the poison.

[Seanny One Ball]

Ok that makes sense, I do remember Safin saying that with "just one hair" he had everything he needed of her. Also remember him putting that hair in the napkin earlier.

So why did he bother showing Bond the broken vial in his hand then? Why did Bond acknowledge it as if he was now infected?

What was going on there....

[Seanny One Ball]

Ahhhh ok I just rewatched that ending bit again...

Bond isn't poisoned himself...but he will kill his missus and kid if he sees them again....ok...that's actually not too bad.

[Seanny One Ball]

I was probably just too annoyed by the other stuff to really absorb that speech. I think it might be Rami Malek's teeth that threw me. He should never have had them done, they are absurd. Like Chicklets.

[Damian Rey 2.0]

Belzebuth-8/10

Movie starts out as a seemingly paint by the numbers tortured cop hunts satanic murderer. That changes quickly. It progresses into a horror movie about faith, the debió and Jesus’s resurrection. It takes place in Mexicali, Baja California, MX, which also happens to be my wife’s hometown.

It starts out as a seemingly paint by the numbers tortured soul cop hunts a satanic murderer. That quickly changes as horror and spiritual elements unfold as the story reveals exactly what’s going on about halfway through.

I was high as shit when the Devil stuff kicked in and lemme tell you it was effective lol. I really enjoyed it though. Wasn’t expecting anything like what it ended up being.

[Seanny One Ball]

Yeah but does it start out as a seemingly paint by numbers tortured soul cop hunts satanic murderer? That’s what I want to know.

[OssMan]

True Stories

been watching movies in the morning b4 work, feels very surreal... surreal movie... good... really good music. had a feeling it was talking heads. This would be a good movie to get on LaserDisc

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

The King 7/10

Historical inaccuracies aside, I quite enjoyed it. The film could have done with more Robert Pattinson, though.

[Seanny One Ball]

If it’s not about space it has to be about historical royalty or the aristocracy or a foreign equivalent otherwise El Vaquero won’t watch it.