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

[Destor]

John Wick (2014) - 7/10 has a lot going for it. Where it excells the most is in the world building. The characters already have a history. Its a lived in place with a rich baskstory and mythology and the best part is we dont get to know the details. Its implied. That makes for a good watch.

Thats easily the best thing the script offers. After that its a standard Gentleman Theif set up but in an assasin setting. Which im all for mind you. We take the Gentleman Theif and plop us into a world of Gentleman Thieves and top it off with our Hero being a hero in the Greek sense. Wick is without flaw. Never errs. But this is my first gripe. I like a greek hero. But Wick is only one until plot contrivances demand he isnt.

He never misses a shot. Until the plot needs him to. It makes these moments almost feel absurd. He's been completely perfect for 90 min but now he misses the one time we care if he hits or not. Doesnt ruin the picture but it is lazy writing.

As far as the action itself good action, or atleast action done well, demands expert cinematography. Im a cinematography fanatic so i always enjoy the chance to see good action. Wick is a mixed bag. Some of it is outstanding. Well framed well considered shots. Limited edits allowed the audience to understand space. The Gun-Fu specifically is fairly good.

However Wick does something that on paper is super interesting. it melds Gun-Fu with grappling. Gun-Jitsu if you will.This is where it falters. Its interesting and cool but since there's no way principle cast can do these things in 1 wide take itts filled with constant edits at every contact point so we can hide the stunt team.

This keeps the action from every being exceptional. And i think thats my primary take on the film.

Just south of exceptional.

Which still lands it in "quite good." It has tons of interesting ideas, especially in the minutia of the action but the execution juuuuuuust misses...like Wick missing a central character when the plot demands.

[Lock Jaw]

The second one is the best in the series

[Destor]

I watched the 2nd one. The action was much improved. Wider and longer shots. Plot was solid but weaker. There's a novelty about a man seeking vengeance for his dog



Still 7/10


But it was better than the 1st

[road doggy dogg]

I went in blind when I saw the first one, just hit the theatre on a random Tuesday (cheap night) and looked at what was available. Hadn't seen any trailers or anything for it so had no idea what to expect. Movie blew me away, it was so much fun.

2nd was good, by the time the 3rd and 4th movies came out they were getting a bit high on their own farts, but still cool action scenes

[Destor]

Something in the Air: 7/10


French film. Coming of age story using revolutionaries in their own minds in the 60s to illustrate the naivety of youth. I really enjoy this. Id go more into but im worried the forum will die before i hit post

[Seanny One Ball]

Destor how did you feel about the inciting incident in John Wick? I remember you saying you wouldn’t watch it if a dog got hurt but that may have been years ago.

[Lock Jaw]

No Country for Old Men - 7.5/10

Gave it 8 out of 10 on the other boards but have decided to knock it another half point. Was a masterpiece of suspense and tension until suddenly it wasn't and the climax they were building to never comes. Probably supposed to be something "poignant" about the "senslessness" of violence or whatever.

[Destor]

@Seanny

Most is off camera so its not abrasive. Beyond that the film is fairly upfront about the dog being an emotional facsimile for the wife. Wick isnt shown to particularly care about the dog as such. The film doesnt try to emotionally manipulate the audience into grieving for the dog like Marley and Me for example.

Had it been this long time companion that he was bonded with and Wick went ona murderous rampage of cathartic grief in the name of the nameless dead dog...it would have been a rough watch. But as it is the dog is a prop. So its fairly ineffective as a plot device but it isnt designed to be either. The dog is the wife. Thats the emotional hook. And it makes it go down pretty easy.

[Destor]

No Country for Old Men - 7.5/10

Gave it 8 out of 10 on the other boards but have decided to knock it another half point. Was a masterpiece of suspense and tension until suddenly it wasn't and the climax they were building to never comes. Probably supposed to be something "poignant" about the "senslessness" of violence or whatever.
Tarantino had a similar take to yours but I'll counter by saying if there's a big climax as you anticipate then there *is* fundamentally country for old men.

[Destor]

The Badlands (1973) 6/10

Interesting watching this now. Scott was clearly heavily inspired by this when he made True Romance even repurposing some of the score.

Very solid film. Its primarily carried by Sheen's raw charisma.

I think what wouldve put it over the top for me is if it captured some of the more horrific acts from the killing spree that inspired this film. From clubbing babies to death to failed rape attempts.

What we get instead is almost a folk hero version of a senseless killing spree. Doesnt make it not compelling. Its how it felt to them not how it was. But i think you couldve juxtaposed those realities for a more interesting film.

[Destor]

John Wick 3 (2019) - 6/10


Action was pretty good but the growing cgi use hold it back. The story heaviest of the 3 films. I liked it.

[slik]

Longlegs - Terrific cinematography and the acting was great. Creepy but I wouldn't say scary. Narrative issues here and there for me. 7.8/10

[slik]

The more I think about it the more plotholes I am coming up with...

[Lock Jaw]

Hundreds of Beavers - 8/10

Like watching a close to two hour live action Looney Tunes cartoon

[Lock Jaw]

Twisters - 8/10

Just got back from it... didn't really want to see it, and my expectations were low.... but ended up really enjoying it. Real decent flick.

[Destor]

La Samouraï (1967) - 9/10


Watch it. Its great

[Lock Jaw]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - 7.5/10

Was entertaining, and I loved the use of practical effects. I wish the various plotlines/stories would have "converged" more than they did.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) 7/10

A French adaptation from the same team that produced the recent Three Musketeers films with Vincent Cassel and Eva Green.

A serviceable, good-looking adaptation. However, I feel the story deserves a series rather than being crammed into a 3-hour film.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

They are re-releasing The Mummy (1999) for its 25th anniversary this weekend, so I'll be going to see that this Saturday. I've always enjoyed that film.

[Seanny One Ball]

The 2002 adaptation of “The Count Of Monte Cristo” is great.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I will check it out.

[slik]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was fun

Very zany

[Destor]

Zany out of ten

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Grosse Pointe Blank 7/10
High Fidelity 7/10

I found myself having a John Cusack weekend.

I liked both films, though I found my attention wandering with both by the beginning of their third acts.

[Seanny One Ball]

Minnie Driver looked so good back then. She probably doesn’t look bad now but man alive was she something else in the late 90’s.

[Seanny One Ball]

John Cusack is better now than he ever was back then too. He plays a great villain, never liked him because of his nasal voice but it works for a shit heel.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Minnie Driver looked so good back then. She probably doesn’t look bad now but man alive was she something else in the late 90’s.

I won't lie. She was the reason why I chose to watch Grosse Pointe Blank in the first place.

[Seanny One Ball]

That’s one of the things that really bugs me about you mate. We get so close to being on the same page and then I remember your weak stances on the Tory party and your absurd adoration of insufferable foreign pap music.

You need a good kick up your cock boy.

[Seanny One Ball]

Also that time you were thirty minutes away from me and didn’t tell me until you were safely hours away from me. That annoyed me.

[Seanny One Ball]

I’m a centrist too so you are basically a wildly left leaning loon at this juncture in time. Would your parents be receptive to a queer son?

[Destor]

I have Grosse Point Blank in my wishlist on amazon. I'll get around to it... i dont intend to suck any dick while i watch it unlike some posters who have since deleted their post. I see you though.

[Seanny One Ball]

I didn’t suck any dicks when I saw it. I didn’t suck any boobs either though.

One day I’ll start to live life the way that it should be lived.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

That’s one of the things that really bugs me about you mate. We get so close to being on the same page and then I remember your weak stances on the Tory party and your absurd adoration of insufferable foreign pap music.

You need a good kick up your cock boy.

Also that time you were thirty minutes away from me and didn’t tell me until you were safely hours away from me. That annoyed me.

I’m a centrist too so you are basically a wildly left leaning loon at this juncture in time. Would your parents be receptive to a queer son?

I'm here to confound and disappoint in equal measure.

[Destor]

Anything Else (2003) - 9/10

Off the top of my head it might be the best romcom ive ever seen. Though i hesitate to call it a romcom since the rom is fundamentally a set up for a punchline. Ive watched a lot of Allen over the last year or more and i think this is my favorite of his films ive seen. Aleast on par with Annie Hall and Midnight in Paris or Manhattan.

Biggs gives a solid performance. Ricci is sex personified. The dialogue is A+ and the characters keep you on your toes. It doesnt unravel in a hollywold way because the characters are so neurotic that being typical would never occur to them.

Highly recommend it.

[Lock Jaw]

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Never watched a documentary in the theater before. I rate it "I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying.... shut up!" out of 10

[Destor]

The Substance - 9/10


I dont have time to write a thing. The last 10 min walked an elderly couple. 60ish.

[Lock Jaw]

Joker: Folie a Deux - 6/10

I wasn't necessarily opposed to the idea of a musical... but as it is the musical segments are largely pointless and don't really "add" to anything... and there were sometimes where they went back to back musical segments and it was like "just get back to the story, this is literally just eating screentime".

Other than the musical bits it was kind of slow... enjoyed most of the trial bits once that actually got going... Ending was "meh" and not what I would have gone with.

Movie shows "glimmers" of hope, like if they took kind of the same premise/story but just changed and shifted focus/structure, removed most of the musical bits, and changed the ending they could have had another really good movie on their hands.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

Being John Malkovich 7.5/10

This is one of the most peculiar, bonkers and melancholic films I have seen in a long time. I liked it, but I still need to process what I've just watched. It's going to stick with me for a while.

[OssMan]

Being John Malkovich 7.5/10

This is one of the most peculiar, bonkers and melancholic films I have seen in a long time. I liked it, but I still need to process what I've just watched. It's going to stick with me for a while.

Theres a moment in that movie that turns girls gay

[Lock Jaw]

Problemista - 8/10

I enjoyed it....

[Frank Drebin]

Destor - please review Wicked. You've seen it 5 times at this point. I would like to know which song you loved the most and how emaciated you'd like Ariana Grande to be.

[Destor]

I havent seen it. The marketing deliberately hid that it was a 2 part film and i found that to be extremely deceptive. That said its a monster hit so me protesting isnt going to change anything so I'll probably check it out. The play is great. The best song is defying gravity but its not in this i dont think so the answer is Popular.

[Lock Jaw]

From what I hear that song is in it.... also, yeah.... that 2 part film thing was confusing.... I remember hearing about it being a 2 part film and about "Wicked Part 1" coming..... but then everything started coming out and nothing mentioned two parts so I thought "Oh, they must have decided against the two parts thing". Then it came out and there was "controversy" about it being actually two parts still.

But I digress.... I haven't seen the play and I haven't seen the movie....

I do admit I will probably check out the movie when it hits streaming

[Destor]

Ah so theyll end on defying gravity then. That makes sense.


Then easily Defying Gravity. Its completely iconic.

[Destor]

And ftr make it 2 parts or not i dont care just tell people up front. Convincing people to go to the theater and then gating the end of movie behind a secondary paywall is just shitty. It takes no effort to slap pt1 on a poster.

[Destor]

25th Hour (2003) - 8/10


A little uneven but really good. A man has one final day before going to prison for 7 years. Climax was excellent and theres some strong monologs. Ed Norton, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox all have solid performances. Needed just a little something extra to really put it over the top. Strong though.

[xrodmuc316]

The Mosquito Coast (1986). 7/10

Watched it because I realized I never saw that River Phoenix movie, but Harrison Ford stole the show. He was a manic genius, moved his family to the rainforest, made a big contraption that made ice, burned down a missionary church, burned down his own building killing rebels when he was trying to freeze them to death, and gets shot and dies on a raft.

[Destor]

Dogville (2004) -9/10

Lars Von Trier is a film maker that is impossible to recommend. His films will put virtually everyone off entirely but if you ca stomach is permanently hostile disposition you will find some of the best cinematic essays ever released.

I fundamentally disagree with Dogvilles subtext and conclusion. I wont delve into what either of those are theyre better interpreted by the individual. Despite my objections to his subject matter there's a respect that must be given to the form. The technique. Its to that end the piece is very exceptional. His intent was realized fully in a way that is doubtlessly envied amongst peers.

I avoided this film in particular for a simple reason: i think Nicole Kidman kinda sucks. Like 80% of the time she's just awful. I bit the bullet and im glad for it. Shes good here. Very good even. I still think her best work is Eyes Wide Shut but this is up there for her. Paul Bentley is exceptional here as well.

[poopfromweiner dude]

Lords of Dogville

[Lock Jaw]

The sequel Wasington is no good though... you've been warned.

[Destor]

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) -7/10


Been getting into Wes Anderson more and more lately. This is no Moonrise Kingdom but i really enjoyed the film. Perhaps my favorite Bill Murray performance outside of Lost in Translation.

[Seanny One Ball]

“Dogville” is one of the worst films ever made. It is comprehensively bad, and it’s rare that you can say that about anybody’s work but Lars Von Trier makes a habit of it.

Even his own brain and body hate him.
The one good thing he did with his wretched life was to convince Kirsten Dunst to get her beautiful tits out, and even then it was in a film so bleak that calling it maudlin does a disservice to crying drunks everywhere.

[Seanny One Ball]

I’ve seen the entirety of “Trevor: The Musical” so I know a little something about bad films and guilty wanks.

[Destor]

Yeah we fundamentally disagree on the point of film. He's never made a fun film and he never will. He's not a fun person and he doesnt have a fun soul.


But we agree on one thing: her tits were outstanding in Melancholia

[Seanny One Ball]

I do not expect joy from every film. I also do not expect abject misery from every film. Lars is on two losing fronts there. Inconsistent.
He’s a mealy mouthed cunt if ever I saw one.

[Seanny One Ball]

Lars Von Trier has been giddy with delight in every interview that I have ever seen him partake in by the way. He is very obviously a fun person with a horrible personality disorder and a series of other ailments.

Being a fag is a diagnosis. He is definitely a fag.

[Seanny One Ball]

Lars Von Trier is fundamentally against film making. He makes weird garbage stories but he very rarely makes a film.

I’m annoyed by so many people but he really grinds my gears. He is awful, awful dog shits.

[Destor]

He rides loud motorcycles?

[Seanny One Ball]

He is a lot like one in terms of noise and saying nothing, but a motorcycle takes you somewhere in the end.

[Seanny One Ball]

If I ever saw Kirsten Dunst’s boobs up close in real life around 10 years ago, I reckon I’d be depressed and very shaky right now too.

You are never getting that high again. Not after that Hitler crack.

[Destor]

Serendipity (2001) - 4/10

The casting is thus films issue. The premise i think works on the page atleast. Destiny and love at first sight distilled into becoming the plot itself. You can easily see how youd end up here when putting pen to paper. Its so obvious its preposterous that it wasnt made sooner.

Kate Beckinsale is exactly the kind of woman men hppe would be cast in a romcom they were drug to and she's as stunning here as you'd hope she'd be.

And no one else in the film seems like they would be allowed to breathe the air she breathes. Male lead is John Kusack. 15 years past his prime and even in his prime would be an odd fit. If Kusack is the 10 that she should be so lucky to have the guy who plays Beckinsales fiancé is a 4. Molly Shannon of SNL fame plays her BFF and looks 15 years too old for her too.

And none of them have any chemistry whatsoever
They all feel like they put together by a marketing agency instead of someone with a vision. And that includes Jeremy Piven who gives his standard, but enjoyable, Piven performance but like the rest of the cast i struggle to believe he's spent 10 min with Kusacks character despite being his alleged best man.

So the fairly solid script lands flat. Nothing lands outside of Beckinsales smile and it cant save this forgettable film.

[Destor]

The Dead Dont Hurt (2023) - 8/10

Without recency bias i might go to a 7 on this one but as the credits play i feel really good about the film. Written Directed and Starring Viggo Mortensen and honestly he shouldve started writting much earlier. The script is excellent. The direction is at least journeyman. Its some real quality work.

Its a western but closer to a period piece. Husband goes off to fight in the civil war but we follow the story from the perspective of his french wife left at the homestead. The scrilt unravels as we go in a very satisfying way. Id recommend it to anyone who likes the genre but it is action light if thats what you expect from the genre.

[drave]

Favorite Piven role was PCU. Love that movie.

[Seanny One Ball]

Ricochet - 1.5/4

How John Lithgow and Denzel Washington ended up in this piece of shit is anybody’s guess. Directed b Russell Mulcahy of “Highlander” and “Highlander 2” infamy, it’s essentially a revenge thriller told from the wrong perspective and with far too much malarkey to be taken seriously. On the plus side it is quite funny and I wasn’t mad that I watched it, it was just very silly and oddly enough would have been more believable if Christophe Lambert was playing Denzel’s role. He is far more likely to suffer at the hands of Dick Solomon in prison.

[Destor]

Dont lump Highlander in with Highlander 2. Highlander is a scifi classic

[Seanny One Ball]

It’s classic pap. Enjoyable rubbish, a few missteps from being as laughable as the sequel.
Most importantly they were both directed by the same bloke, so you kind of have to lump them in together when you see how bad his other stuff is. It all treads the imaginary line between mental and batshit fucking crazy. A line that only clinical psychologists are inclined to draw.

“Highlander” would be a great film if it had the Scotsman in the right place and no trace of Christophe Lambert who was easily the worst action hero of the time. A time that included Franco Nero leaping around in a ninja costume…

[OssMan]

The Nightingale

Highly unpleasant... powerful though... would not rewatch. Strong though

[slik]

Nosferatu - 8/10

Gothic horror dripping in macabre, mood and incredible cinematography. Lily Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård give excellent performances.

[Lock Jaw]

Thelma - 9/10

A real good time

[drave]

Wait til the sequel "& Louise". it's a helluva ride.

[weather vane]

Strange Darling - 8.4/10

[OssMan]

"Civil War"

stupid title... was more about a camera journalist than a war

[Bad News Gertner]

Nosferatu . 7/10. Felt kinda long. Really cool visuals though
Gf thought it was boring.

[Shisen Kopf]

Beetlejuice Beelejuice it was ok 3/7

[OssMan]

Cadillac Man... so funny...

[OssMan]

The Room Next Door

Been a while since Ive seen "Almodovar"... always with the big art pieces and the symbolism... the acting felt kinda weird... definitely a Thinkingfilm... beautifully "shot"...

[Shisen Kopf]

Oppenheimer. 4/7 it was ok but the bomb scene wasn't nearly as good as Indiana Jones in the fridge

[Bad News Gertner]

Wolfman 6/10


It was ok. At least it wasn't long.

[Destor]

Juror #2 - 9/10

The film mad me incredibly angry.

Why? This is Directed and Produced by Clint Eastwood. Easily one of the best directors to ever do it. He's 95 now. This is very likely his last picture.

Warner distributed this film to 28 theaters

28

Twenty fucking eight.

This is one of the best courtroom dramas ever. Certainly not as good as 12 Angry Men but its wayyyy up there especially in the Juror sub genre.

So Eastwood makes a truly phenomenal film. A script that should be a front runner for Best Screenplay. That film is likely the last one he will ever make. Nicholas Holt and Zoey Deutch and Toni Collette and JK Simmons give outstanding performances and Cedric Yarbrough gives what will certainly be the best performance of his career

And Warner only shows this in 28 fucking theaters and no awards push.

9/10

27/28

[Frank Drebin]

Not enough trans people being represented I guess.

[Destor]

Well thats all it took for Emilia Pérez to get 13 nominations so there's definitely a road map

[Lock Jaw]

People were probably confused by not seeing Juror #1 first

[M-A-G]

Captain America: Brave New World - **3/4 out of ****.


A bit underwhelming, but this corner of the Marvel universe is usually tackled competently enough. The action/spy thriller motif is pretty hard to screw up, and, yeah, there's enough decent action and intrigue to keep you dialed in. I think it's weighed down a tad with its callbacks to previous outings, which are necessary for this story to happen, though. A couple of characters could have been utilized more, too. Nothing overtly terrible here. Just some passable fun. You get one post-credits scene to set up what I'm assuming is one of the Avengers movies and a couple of notable cameos on top of it all.

[Lock Jaw]

Captain America: Brave New World - 6/10

Another "ok" Marvel movie that never really does anything memorable or cool.

lol at two Cap movies in a row involving brainwashing and then the villain "winning" in the end. But "lol" in this one how the villain at the end is all "I have to get myself captured now for my plan to work" and then having his capture literally play zero role in the end result.

Was also weird how the tiny Israeli braud wore a superhero suit for like one scene on a submarine. What was up with that? Google does tell me that she is known as "Sabra" in the comics I guess.

[Destor]

Captain America: Brave New World - 6/10

This is just barely a 6 and very nearly a 5 but i think it gets just enough thats atleast visually interesting, namely in the climax, to feel more positive than neutral about it. That said I'll probably spend most of this post shitting on because there's a lot to improve.

At a broad stroke level excluding Ross no characters in this film are interesting and this is especially true for Mackee. Now its hard to put his head on a pike here because the reshoots really expose the bad writing. They clearly restructured this film at least once and the solution was to bring Mackee in and have him give exposition in really flat scenes. He has 2 or 3 of these in the film. Just Mackee and a character explaining details that were cut from a movie we'll never see but we still need to get the plot to work. So its hard to blame Mackee for a flat performance when the writing forces him to Exposition-Man. Regardless his performance is never interesting. Ever.

He's a sidekick and he feels like it and his sidekicks feel laughable. The film has an insistence that being just a man is a boon for his symbolism. That by not being a superhero he's superheroic. That his greatest power is he's uninteresting. I dont think anyone is actually going to be duped into thinking this actually a laudable trait but there's a scene where his sidekick tells him how much he idolizes Falcon and its just preposterous. "Ya know what my favorite part of super hero movies are? When normal people are the focus!" Said no one ever.

I really liked that this is fundamentally a sequel to The Incredible Hulk and i think it did a decent job at fullfilling that. Though the reshoots show their head here too. We know that Carlos Esposito's role was entirely done in reshoots. So thats about a third of the film. His role replaced Seth Rollins role. Sidewinder is fairly good here i thought but it does demonstrate what was cut. Third act has a huge exposition dump between Sidewinder and Falcon where he lays out The Leaders plan and then Flacon just shows up randomly to where the leader is and has him arrested. There's also a scene where the Leader shows up at an admirals house with no context. This to me clearly demonstrates a lot of what was cut was a leader subplot. We're left with enough to have a functional plot but its a rough edit.

The visual iconography of the Red Hulk fight is pretty fucking epic though. Fighting on the top of the White House as it crumbles beneath Rulk's feet. Using an American Flag as a javelin to hurl through a helicopter...its really badass. Im definitely disappointed they didnt explore Rulks powers though. His heat is a significant part of Red Hulk and it wouldve been nice to have had it on screen.

There's a final case of massive reshoots in the finale. The speech Falcon gives Rulks to talk him down was clearly shot way later. The background detail of Rulk clearly has significant time out into it. Meanwhile Mackees portion is very sloppy and low detail and as the scene is a two shot over the shoulder it visually incredibly jarring every time they cut to Mackee. You smell the lack of money.

tl;dr

The film is a mess but there's some decent ideas here. I dont think Mackee works as a leading man and would strongly recommend either recasting him or strictly use him in buddy cop/team-up movies so he can do what Mackee can actually do: be a sidekick.

[M-A-G]

Final Prayer (U.S.)/The Borderlands (U.K.) - *** of out ****.

I love the set up here and the slow burn that builds to a final ten minutes that goes all out, delivering a neat and surprising and grim payoff to the events. It could be argued that despite the presentation, it's not really found footage per se, more like you're witnessing it all live along with the characters. Speaking of which, it's a refreshing experience to have main characters that you like and feel very real instead of the usual type in these kinds of movies who get afflicted with "horror movie stupidity". This is a great example of "less is more" as it delivers despite the limitations, including the very brisk runtime. I would recommend it, even if you're feeling a bit out of it in the first 15 minutes. I would say stick with it, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

[M-A-G]

Addendum: while there are some creepy moments, it's hard for me to be scared of that lame, stock crying baby sound used in the film after hearing it used in shit like Silent Hill: Downpour. It's more eye-rolling than anything else, especially in that fucking game.

[Lock Jaw]

Moana 2 - 7.5/10

I was entertained. Some catchy songs. I can definitely see it's origins as a Disney+ show before they decided to just make a movie instead. Plethora of characters added to the cast so not as much time for Moana and Maoui characters to have as much focus as they got in the original.

[OssMan]

eephus - quaint

[Lock Jaw]

Mufasa - 7.5/10

I was entertained. Not so much by any of the songs though. Story was ok, but made me feel bad for Scar....

[M-A-G]

And really, isn't that what we were all demanding of the Disney villains while growing up? I know I always wanted to feel for an upper-class snob who wanted to skin puppies.

[OssMan]

patch adams

Dead Poet Society for doctors. noble but a little kitsch

[Seanny One Ball]

Dead Patients Society

[Destor]

Sinners (2025) - 8/10


Really enjoyable. My fav movie of the year so far

[OssMan]

Ballad of wallis island

Like a unbearable weight of massive talent meets inside llewyn davis

[Lock Jaw]

Watched all the Final Destination movies this month

And Paddington in Peru

[Seanny One Ball]

Sinners was decent but I don't understand the hype at all. It was nothing greater than a decent vampire film. Jack O'Connell does the worst Irish accent you'll hear since the last time he played one.

[drave]

James Woods in John Carpenter's Vampires is the best role in a Vampire movie.

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[OssMan]

Mickey 17

Real good... kinda "on the nose" politically but thats ok

Love science fiction plot holes... fun

What was that accent... weird

[Destor]

Watched Mickey 17 yesterday. Definitely ham fisted in its messaging especially with Ruffalos paper thin performance but i did like it fairly well all the same


7/10

[Lock Jaw]

Saw it in the theater and was pretty enjoyable.

17/20

[Destor]

I kinda had a loose head cannon about mickey 18. The film very briefly touches on the metaphysical ramifications of duplicates. Mickey 18 is significantly more aggressive and amoral than 17. Meanwhile 1-17 are very consistent. In my mind 18 either had no or only a small portion of a soul as 17 wasnt dead to release it to him.

[Seanny One Ball]

I watched it last month and it was essentially "Moon" with all of the beauty, sincerity and existential terror removed from it.
The only part that made me think "Now that's actually clever" was the reasoning/plot behind making simultaneous cloning illegal but even that tried to be a bit too cute.

[Seanny One Ball]

2/4

It's like when Alexander Payne made "Downsizing".
I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed.

[Seanny One Ball]

"Saltburn" was bad. Very bad. Too bad to rate.

When he started lapping up the spunkbath I knew it was another exercise in stating the boring. Stating the obvious is one thing but please spare me the pathetic attempts at being obscene. That's nursery level transgression.

It's like when you see respectable people trying drugs for the first time or getting hammered and smoking cigarettes.

Who are they trying to impress

[Seanny One Ball]

"Das Boot" - 3.5/4

I like boats but submarines terrify me. This is one of the films that was made at the right time. Today you'd see it ruined with CGI everywhere but with the practical effects of the eighties you can see real fear in the eyes of the actors when water starts gushing in.

It was made by Wolfgang Petersen and it was so long that he could have actually named it "The Neverending Story" instead.

[Lock Jaw]

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - 8/10

I was entertained.

Brain Donors - 9/10

Was great

[Frank Drebin]

Sinners (2025) - 8/10


Really enjoyable. My fav movie of the year so far

Sinners was decent but I don't understand the hype at all. It was nothing greater than a decent vampire film. Jack O'Connell does the worst Irish accent you'll hear since the last time he played one.

2.5 out of 4 stars

Really good for the first three quarters then everything falls apart as soon as the doors open for the big fight.

They're out numbered like 50 to 10 and they have few lethal weapons but somehow last forever.

No one considers the sun. They're fn vampires and it catches ALL OF THEM off guard.

All the vampires would have died regardless if Preacher Boy gets bit or not.

Bunch of racists randomly show up in the morning and one guy takes 15-20 of them out by himself.

The mid credit stinger only worsens things. So, vampires make deals that are binding or one of them suddenly developed a sense of honor when making a promise? What have the two leftover vampires been doing this whole time? Not rebuilding a vampire cult? Why show up now?

Why did Preacher Boy go all the way back home? To do what? Then he leaves anyway.

You can try to explain those away or say not to care too much but those don't do it for me. All in all pretty forgettable when it could have been a near classic.

[Destor]

The 3rd act falls apart. Absolutely. That kept me from going to a 9 immediately. Further away from it i think its a 7. The issue is its gets too caught up trying to justify its subtext of appropriation by making it text when it doesnt remotely work as a 1 to 1. You cant justify preacher boy leaving home with out the subtext becoming explicit. You cant make the final action sequence or the mid credit scene with making the subtext explicit. Still the visuals and the atmosphere are such high highs that its absolutely justifies a watch.

[Frank Drebin]

I'd agree. Just so frustrating when the 3rd act collapses like that. Felt like the source material ran out and they went full Game of Thones with the ending when it could have been a masterpiece had they stuck the landing.

[Destor]

To play script doctor a bit the redneck land owners shouldve just been the vampires the metaphor works extremely well and solves basically all the issues. Tie it together that they own the land the church is on too and we've got a very nice bow on the whole thing

[Seanny One Ball]

Superman - 3.5/4

This is what happens when you eat off of the good China.
James Gunn pulled the toys out of the box and showed us a glimpse of what could be.

Felt a lot like a TV show doing a special, but a really good one.

[drave]

Meanwhile in the US, everyone is just arguing over the fact that the character is an immigrant :|

[OssMan]

Welcome Back Mr. McDonald

Japanese comedy... funny...

[Destor]

Superman - 7/10


There's nothing in the film that warrents the politicized reactions online in the lead up. The basis is some offhand comments made conflating superman as an imagrant in an effort to use him as a tool to bludgeon people during the marketing of the picture but the argument is hardly made by the film itself.

The film calls to question his status as a human which one could argue is a metaphor for nationality but isnt played that way its played in the same way its always played in superman stories. Hes from outer space. And he could kill us all if he got bored. More over the film is very clear: Superman is American and stands for Truth Justice and the American Way and he's just trying to ethically navigate that without becoming a tyrant.

I dont feel like the film moralizes or lectures to the audience and thats saying something because Superman literally moralizes and lectures his villains canonically and in this film but it never feels like pandering to an ideology or dressing down people it may or may not disagree with.

Its just a lot a talk by a lot of people who decided what the film is saying instead of listening to the film speak for it itself.

The characterizations of Clark Kent, Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor have never felt more authentic outside of My Adventures with Superman.

I think the tone of the film is very James Gunn which is sort of an issue. Gunn is someone heavily influenced by Joss Whedon but gun doesnt have the deft touch Whedon has. Whedon has a great sense for when its time to go for the laugh and when its time to build the drama. Joss wants you to laugh AND cry and maybe at the same time. And he's good enough to do it. Gunn can make you laugh but sometimes at the expense of the tension.

Still i liked it a lot. Highly reccomend it.

[M-A-G]

Superman (2025) - 3 out of 4 stars.


Was this really so hard, Snyder? Just giving us Superman? A character that represents the best humanity can achieve while wanting to see the same in said humanity? A noble idealistic hero? You can dip into the drama without going full edge lord with a character that was never about that and this film delivers that.

It's not perfect. Gunn's tone is very obvious in a lot of areas, some elements feel shoehorned, a few effects are janky, and the climax approaches MCU territory. But virtually every actor hits the appropriate beats with their respective character, notably the best incarnation of Lex Luthor I've seen in years. I did have a snicker over Jimmy Olsen being this ladies man.

I've never been completely involved with DC, but stuff like this is a shining example of why it's enjoyed so much. It works on enough levels to be a solid outing, standing on its own while keeping true to the spirit. I'm glad I saw it.

[drave]

Jimmy Olsen being a bonafide ][P ][ ][\/][ ][P is 100% key to that universe, I assure you.

[M-A-G]

It really is something that the day is saved thanks to Jimmy slaying that pussy. :naughty:

[Destor]

Superman - 7/10


There's nothing in the film that warrents the politicized reactions online in the lead up. The basis is some offhand comments made conflating superman as an imagrant in an effort to use him as a tool to bludgeon people during the marketing of the picture but the argument is hardly made by the film itself.

The film calls to question his status as a human which one could argue is a metaphor for nationality but isnt played that way its played in the same way its always played in superman stories. Hes from outer space. And he could kill us all if he got bored. More over the film is very clear: Superman is American and stands for Truth Justice and the American Way and he's just trying to ethically navigate that without becoming a tyrant.

I dont feel like the film moralizes or lectures to the audience and thats saying something because Superman literally moralizes and lectures his villains canonically and in this film but it never feels like pandering to an ideology or dressing down people it may or may not disagree with.

Its just a lot a talk by a lot of people who decided what the film is saying instead of listening to the film speak for it itself.

The characterizations of Clark Kent, Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor have never felt more authentic outside of My Adventures with Superman.

I think the tone of the film is very James Gunn which is sort of an issue. Gunn is someone heavily influenced by Joss Whedon but gun doesnt have the deft touch Whedon has. Whedon has a great sense for when its time to go for the laugh and when its time to build the drama. Joss wants you to laugh AND cry and maybe at the same time. And he's good enough to do it. Gunn can make you laugh but sometimes at the expense of the tension.

Still i liked it a lot. Highly reccomend it.

I wanna add to this some:

My only critiques boil down to what i would have preferred not evaluations of what was done or how it was done or if the intent of the film was achieved. I would have preferred a smaller scale story that focused on Lois and Clark more and their dynamics.

But that isnt a critique thats being an arm chair quarterback. What is given is a very charming and endearing relationship between the two that highlights the best lois and clark dynamic outside of My Adventures with Superman.

Gunn chose to establish a world in motion with Metas running about opposed to that smaller more personal story. I think he achieved the goal of letting the audience be aware that theres a whole world out there. That was the point. Not the Justice Guys as marketable goods. The idea of a world already in motion with stories ready to be jump right into.

Like picking up any DC comic off the rack would be.

He achieved that goal. That was the point. Judging the film by its own merits and not merits i afflict on it i think the one thing that holds against it is Gunn lacks the deft touch of Joss Whedon to know when to let the drama and tension rise and then once the emotional aspect of the narrative has been served to let the levity in to break the tension. After. Not during. At least not when it's a hyper critial. HOWEVER i will say the final scene (no spoilers) is allowed to be played purely as sentimental and it really works to give the devil his due.

But i digress this is a solid 7 out 10 perfectly in line with what a summer blockbuster should be and I firmly looking forward to The Woman of Tomorrow.

[OssMan]

what about supperman VS kingkang

[Seanny One Ball]

In retrospect "Superman" is a 3/4 film that I enjoyed more due to alcohol.

[Destor]

Seen it twice. Liked it better the 2nd time

[OssMan]

idiocracy

eh

[Frank Drebin]

There are a lot of good concepts in Idiocracy. The execution isn't always smooth but its over good especially when you consider that Fox did everything in their power to bury it just because they make fun of Fox in the film.

[Destor]

Idiocy is a great elevator pitch that needed to be stewed on for...half a decade to iron out the story. The premise is great.

[Destor]

Also i saw Eddington. Im not going to rate it because it needs a 2nd viewing to speak about it intelligently but i liked it a lot Beau is Afraid i liked better as far as Asters work though. Particular enjoyment from Eddington is it represents BLM as a movement spearheaded by middle class white women and the white men who are trying to fuck them.

[Lock Jaw]

Idiocy is a great elevator pitch that needed to be stewed on for...half a decade to iron out the story. The premise is great.

The opening bit explaining the premise is the best bit.

[Destor]

Truth

[Bad News Gertner]

Saw the new "I know what you did last summer"

3/10

[Destor]

So about as good as the original?

[Big Vic]

Saw the original as a kid and really liked it. Went back and watched it later and noticed how bad it was, lol.

[Destor]

JLH's tits can only carry a film so much

[Seanny One Ball]

SMG sold that film. JLH sold the sequel.

[Lock Jaw]

Superman 8/10

Was pretty enjoyable. Story wasn't perfect and could have been done a lot better, but it gets extra points for all the actors doing pretty sweet in their roles. I think now that they are all "established" a second movie will be a lot better.

One part that is weird

If Kryptonians are bad guys, you would think that Supergirl would know about it... that whole bit about his parent's message in general seemed like it was kind of done without much thought or follow up.

Really, they should just adapt Superman: Birthright if they want a perfect story. Lex's plan of turning the public against Superman is perfect in it.

[M-A-G]

The Fantastic Four: First Steps - ***1/4 out of ****


I'm sure the excuse for the other ones is something along the lines of "IT WAS HAAAAAARD!"

I'll preface this by saying that my expectations were fairly low for this. I think it had a lower bar to clear than James Gunn's Superman. I mean, just being watchable would've been good enough.

Well, they go above and beyond. From the beginning it just feels like a huge love letter to the source material with tons of references and nods. This feels just like a Fantastic Four comic book in all the right ways. A big part of the rating is for the design and atmosphere, which captures the essence of the world that these characters call home, with a lot of creativity.

Everything else makes up the rest of the rating. The Four feel like a family, not just a team. They face dilemmas as a family. They talk as a family. Nobody feels like they're just there. The actors have the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the characters down. Sue is motherly and the heart. Johnny is the hot head. Ben is the good-hearted tough guy. Reed, you just want to shake because of how frustrating he can be. And when the shit starts hitting the fan, you're gripped, largely in part to the tremendous job in building up the [very big] baddie.

All I can say is thank Lzzy that I can go to the grave with a good Fantastic Four movie under my belt. A definite recommendation from my end. You get a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene, with only the former being integral. Like, REALLY integral.

[M-A-G]

Superman 8/10

Was pretty enjoyable. Story wasn't perfect and could have been done a lot better, but it gets extra points for all the actors doing pretty sweet in their roles. I think now that they are all "established" a second movie will be a lot better.

One part that is weird

If Kryptonians are bad guys, you would think that Supergirl would know about it... that whole bit about his parent's message in general seemed like it was kind of done without much thought or follow up.

Really, they should just adapt Superman: Birthright if they want a perfect story. Lex's plan of turning the public against Superman is perfect in it.


https://i.imgur.com/bXOJ858.jpeg

[Destor]

Fantastic Four: 7/10


I think Jack Kirby would have liked it

[Lock Jaw]

Fantastic Four: First Steps - 7.5/10

I liked the tone and style. Was enjoyable, but ultimately not a memorable movie, like most superhero efforts.

[Bad News Gertner]

Happy Gilmore 2

1/10

Just fucking bad. Especially the last 30 minutes. Adam Sandler is terrible.

[M-A-G]

Sandler can't wrap his head around the fact that 1995 was 30 years ago.

[Destor]

Dont blame sandler for that. Theres clear demand for what he delivers he's just creating products for the lowest common denominator. Audiences have made it very clear they want his nostalgia throwbacks. His laziness is the issue.

[Lock Jaw]

To be fair, I can't believe it still isnt 1995 either

[OssMan]

Adam Sandler Innocent

[Destor]

Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) - 4/10


Basically a sizzle real of cameos and in the rare moment when it isnt its just a break long enough to rehash a joke from the 1st film. Low effort. No vision. No story to tell. Just a lay-up for a payday.

[Seanny One Ball]

Adam Sandler has only made one film that I truly hate.

The one where Andy Samberg plays his son.

[Destor]

Murder Mystery is the worst whodunnit maybe ever

[Seanny One Ball]

It's far better than anything Rian Johnson has made in the last ten years.

Give Sandler the Star Wars reins.