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.

[Lock Jaw]

Happy Gilmore 2 - 6/10

Was not good, but at the same time I thought there were worse ways to kill a few hours. I dunno what's with the trend of bringing back characters to make them old and miserable.

Also chuckled at MJF pretty seamlessly playing a teenager. Well, I guess they didn't specify how old he is... but I didn't see him as an adult at all. Back in my day rasslers looked like grown men.

[OssMan]

just seen Eddington

was cool to see a "period piece" about covid... though felt a little "irony-pilled"... like "whatever you believe is stupid" south park kinda feeling

Enjoyed the politics and watching the neighbors interactions with each other. Got bored when it turned into a thriller

[road doggy dogg]

watched Barbie last night while eating some Mini Wheats cereal

it was p good, I don't care for singing in movies at all so that kind of soured it for me a bit

[road doggy dogg]

also watched Lord of War the other day, much more my speed. fun Nicholas Cage

[Lock Jaw]

What flavour mini wheats is the important question

[McLegend]

Sinner: 7.5/10

I really enjoyed this movie, and I think it’s good. I wish I saw the movie in a theater, because there are some some awesome scenes that would have looked great on a big screen. I really enjoyed the music also, and thought the setup and the setting was interesting.

There is something missing though, and thought shouldn’t there be more? The climax of the movie happens pretty fast, and I don’t know what else I wanted.

The last scene of the movie kind of sums up the movie for me. I was like “woah I didn’t know this was going to happen. Let’s fucking go! Then I was like “That’s it?”

If I saw it in a theater it probably would have been a high score, but same issues.

[Destor]

Weapons (2025) - 7/10


Really well shot. Tension is built nicely. Fresh premise. Very satisfying climax. Might be called slow by a lot of horror fans. I wouldnt but i expect that to be a common criticism.

[Lock Jaw]

Saw "Shin Godzilla" in the theater cause they were playing it and I randomly decided to go...

7.5/10

First half was kinda naff with some hilariously bad cgi and design. Eventually got ok once Godzilla reached his final form. I didn't care for the format of the movie, the quasi documentary presentation or whatever it was they were going for. Still, it got less annoying in the second half and turned out OK.

[Lock Jaw]

The Naked Gun (2025) - 6.5/10

Was ok... not gonna be a classic or anything. Some good gags. Some lame gags. Some gags that could have been better with better timing/delivery.

[Seanny One Ball]

I remember thinking "Shin Godzilla" was fun, especially the bureaucracy. Gorilla without shit special effects and a plot lined with red tape is literally pointless.

[Seanny One Ball]

The only missed opportunity was not having Godzilla come out dressed as Dude Love. Because shin.

[Lock Jaw]

Watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) in the theater yesterday.... far from the first time I have seen it, but..... 9/10. Great movie.

[poopfromweiner dude]

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

The one where Andy Samberg plays his son.

Low key this is a good one lmao

[McLegend]

Watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) in the theater yesterday.... far from the first time I have seen it, but..... 9/10. Great movie.

Same and took my wife and two kids

10/10

[ClockShot]

Warfare - 4.5/5

Alex Garland does it again.

[Frank Drebin]

Life of Chuck - 1.5 out of 4

I was expecting this to be all about "life", its meaning and why we are here with some bittersweet moments with characters I cared about. I went into this ready to fight back tears for 90 minutes straight.

Oh it was about "life" but only if all you've ever wanted to do in life was to DANCE but were unable because stupid work got in the way. So, this is a movie tailor made for Lock Jaw.

The first part is kinda interesting if you have no idea what you've walked into because it drops you into an end of days scenario. You should be able to figure out pretty quickly what is generally going on even if you don't get it exactly right.

Once you get that, go ahead and turn it off unless you're Destor because there's an average level dance number or two left to go. I never cared about Chuck no matter the age. Very paint by the numbers. The only reason I saw this to the end was because I was watching with my gf. At the end she said "only reason I watched untill the end was because I was watching with you." I could have saved an hour of a weekend day. Oh the humanity of it all.

[Lock Jaw]

Damn work always keeping me from dancing....

#SaveMeKevinBacon

[Destor]

Not gonna lie knowing there are dance numbers made me more interested in it

[Destor]

To that point ive been watching a ton of swashbuckling and kungfu lately. Both have the same technical prowess of the pratt fall and tumbling based dance that used to dominate american film. Jackie Chan is peak dance.

[Lock Jaw]

Jurassic World: Rebirth - 8.5/10

Nothing matches the original of course, but this was a solid return to form for the franchise after a couple of stinkers. Good mindless fun. I was impressed that they refrained from doing the footsteps makes the water ripple thing. I think the last movies did it like every other scene.

[OssMan]

Friendship

Trump-era timneric downstream comedy will feel really insane in a couple decades

[Bad News Gertner]

The Long Walk 5/10

The ending was awful. Boring movie for the most part.

[Seanny One Ball]

I knew they'd fuck it up. Darabont or bust.

[McLegend]

Heat 10/10

Obviously I have seen this before, but first time I saw it in a theater. The sound is incredible was my big takeaway. The screen was shaking in the opening heist, and the shootout exploded my brian.

[drave]

but what about THE VAN!!!???

[Seanny One Ball]

Poor Brian

[McLegend]

Lol suck it Seanny

[McLegend]

One Battle After Another - 9/10

It’s really good. Go see it. I might see it again this week.

There is definitely some scenes that I have never seen before. There is some absurdist things in it which are hilarious. It’s a well done drama, comedy, and action movie that’s all blended together.

More people need to see it.

[Seanny One Ball]

Lol suck it Seanny


Come on

[weather vane]

One Battle After Another 8.8/10

[Frank Drebin]

Train Dreams 3.5 out of 4

Some will hate it and say nothing happens or that's its pretentious. I get it. Thought it didn't try to hit you over the head with anything and was a really good "slice of life" kinda movie. Acting is great. The cinematography is fantastic.

[Lock Jaw]

Wicked For Good 6/10

Dunno... feel like all the good songs and good choreography was in the first one.... Story much stronger too...

[Frank Drebin]

Lock Jaw standing in for Destor

[Destor]

Id give it a 5. When i heard they were splitting the play into two movies i was confused. The critique of the play has always been before the intermission is outstanding and the second half is...whatever at best.

Despite having an infinite ammount of time to write a second act they just adapted it as is. Certainly a choice.

So yeah super weak film

[M-A-G]

Elio: ***1/4 out of ****

It may seem like a mish-mash of other properties, namely Lilo & Stitch and movies where we do a "liar reveal" bit, but there's a charm to it and enough creativity in the presentation to make it be its own thing. It's at its strongest when it's just bombarding you with the alien stuff, giving you a shining example of the fantastic visuals the studio is capable of.

That being said, the style of animation used when it comes to the human characters kind of needs to go. It's this odd 3D take on something like the Steven Universe style, and it looks like they're going to stick with it for their next film, Hoppers. For something like Luca, it works fine and with Turning Red they were going for an anime-esque presentation, but it's starting to look way to cartoon-ish and something that would get pumped out by lesser animation studios. That aside, it's solid and I'm glad I saw it.

[M-A-G]

Zootopia 2: ***1/2 out of ****

First off, I have to take the piss out of them bringing in reptiles into this world, because I feel like all the whining from the first film forced their hand. It wasn't even a legitimate criticism. OK, so there are only mammals...so what? What would the addition of other classes have added to the story they were trying to tell?

That aside, it was good of them to turn this into an opportunity and weave it into an enjoyable sequel, doing what any great sequel should do, keeping enough familiarity while continuing and expanding the world and story.

Now a case could be made that there might be too much familiarity as there are a couple of repeated story beats. But the world these characters inhabit is so fun and the characters themselves are extremely easy to like, that going along with them on this ride isn't a problem. I wish there had been a way to give more time to some of the new characters, but that's a personal thing. The leads are given plenty to do and have a great showcase for their dynamic, which makes up a strong part of the movie. As far as where they go from here, with what I'm assuming is a tease for a third film judging by the post-credits scene, who knows? This was fun and a definite positive for fans of this universe.

[Lock Jaw]

Avatar: Fire and Ash - 9/10

Didn't really feel hype to see it, and haven't sensed hype except from one friend.... but turned out real good. Feel like it didn't drag as much as the other ones could at times....

[Lock Jaw]

Wake Up Dead Man - 8.5/10

I'd put it on the bottom of the Knives Out movies, feel like the suspects weren't as outlandish and memorable as other entries. The reveal and stuff was still good and engaging and I was never bored.

[Seanny One Ball]

I saw Zootopia 2 with a person I support recently. It was very good. Can't knock it.

[Destor]

I liked the 1st one. Wasnt remarkable but perfectly fine 90ish min romp

[OssMan]

Sentimental Value

Boring/slow movie (good though)... missed the first 10 minutes due to the dumbass theater

[Bad News Gertner]

The HouseMaid

8.5/10. Really good.

[OssMan]

Bogonia


didnt like it... felt like the alien thing was a little too silly

[Seanny One Ball]

I'm trying to find the original.
We're at the point where I can say Yorgos Lanthimos made a great film once. Not for years obviously but him and Taika seem determined to reach oblivion.

[Destor]

The Lobster is phenomenal

[Destor]

Saw Is This Thing On? last night. Really liked it. It had me rooting for Laura Dern which in my book is a stunning achievement.

[Lock Jaw]

Sinners - 9/10

Was pretty good

[Destor]

Been watching 1 movie a day for the last 11 days. I rated and ranked this group of movies .6 8s or greater seems like a good run

1. Gone Girl 9/10

2. Mystic River 9/10

3. Sicario 9/10

4. Kramer vs Kramer 8/10

5. Me Before You 8/10

6. The Sound of Music 8/10

7. An American Werewolf in London 6/10

8. The Full Monty 6/10

9. Analyze That 6/10

10. Hamburger Hill 5/10

11. Rush Hour 2 4/10

[Lock Jaw]

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die - 8/10

Was pretty enjoyable

[Destor]

Ive been considering seeing it. No clue why im on the fence about it

[OssMan]

The shape o water

Love del toro... Bioshock vibes
Loved it but didnt feel like movie of the year to me tbh

[Seanny One Ball]

"Hamburger Hill" was an odd one. I bought it after a mate said it was his favourite war film and my lasting memory is scene chewing and low quality practical effects. I'm fairly certain S Craig Zahler must love it because he has used the same plastic broken bones in every film he makes.

[Lock Jaw]

One Battle After Another - 9/10

That damn dastardly Lockjaw

[road doggy dogg]

Anyone But You - 2/10 didn't even get to see Sydney Sweeney's tits (and the movie was dumb in its own right)


The Rip - 8/10 felt pretty "by the numbers" but it was good comfort food and I liked it


Marmalade - 7/10 it had Steve "the hair" Harrington in it and ended up being better than I expected even though I hated most of the characters in it

[Big Vic]

Anyone But You - 2/10 didn't even get to see Sydney Sweeney's tits (and the movie was dumb in its own right)


Don't they have a shower scene together?

But yes it was awful

[road doggy dogg]

I vaguely recall, I don't think there was any boobs though, "tastefully hidden"

[road doggy dogg]

People We Meet on Vacation - 6/10 I wanted to like it more than I did but the main male lead was just so dreadfully flat and boring


Nonnas - 8/10 idk I love me some Vince Vaughn and Italian food, movie was low stakes and feel-good, could've used an old Italian woman calling someone a mangiacake though

[Destor]

Anyone But You - 2/10 didn't even get to see Sydney Sweeney's tits (and the movie was dumb in its own right)


The Rip - 8/10 felt pretty "by the numbers" but it was good comfort food and I liked it


Marmalade - 7/10 it had Steve "the hair" Harrington in it and ended up being better than I expected even though I hated most of the characters in it

Don't they have a shower scene together?

But yes it was awful

I vaguely recall, I don't think there was any boobs though, "tastefully hidden"i googled "anyone but you shower scene"


You see her tits. I have not seen the movie though

[Destor]

The Straight Story - 9/10

Cape Fear - 9/10

Sorcerer - 8/10

Rental Family - 8/10

The People Vs. Larry Flint - 7/10

The Smashing Machine - 7/10

Ocean's 11 - 7/10

American Buffalo - 7/10

Rush Hour 3 - 6/10

Captain Blood - 6/10

Brigadoon - 5/10

[Destor]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nudography.com%2Fphotos%2Fnews%2F2024_2%2Foriginal%2FSydney_Sweeney-Anyone_But_You-2023-4k-1.jpg&f=1&ipt=546c84eef89325e4df58f85db18715255848f90d945340feb37715174610e7b8

[Big Vic]

i googled "anyone but you shower scene"


You see her tits. I have not seen the movie though

You've seen the best part.

[Seanny One Ball]

Watching nothing but Westerns for a year then moving on to war films for a few months pretty much ruined me for film last year. I doubt I watched 100.
I watched "War Machine" a few nights ago and that was more or less perfectly mindless fun.

I need to watch a masterpiece soon. It has been far too long.

[Destor]

Project Hail Mary (2026) - 9/10

[OssMan]

tie me up tie me down


I like "Almodovar"... he knows how to end a movie... Guillermo Del Toro also too

[Lock Jaw]

Project Hail Mary - 9/10

Was indeed very good

[Destor]

1. Blue Moon (2025) 9/10

2. The Graduate (1967) 9/10

3. The Martian (2015) 9/10

4. Training Day (2001) 9/10

5. The Last Duel (2021) 8/10

6. Shutter Island (2010) 8/10

7. Ocean's Eleven (2001) 7/10

8. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) 7/10

9. Some Like It Hot (1959) 6/10

10. Showgirls (1995) 3/10

[Lock Jaw]

Sorry To Bother You - 8/10

Did not expect it to go the way it did, but was a wild ride

[Destor]

1. Isle of Dogs (2018) - 9/10

2. Grizzly Man (2005) -9/10

3. Materialists (2025) - 8/10

4. Yi Yi (2000) -8/10

5. Insomnia (2002) - 7/10

6. Battle Creek Brawl (1993) - 7/10

7. "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex*

*But were afraid to ask*" (1972) - 6/10

8. Mary Poppins (1964) - 6/10

9. Ocean's Twelve (2004) - 5/10

10. Big Boobs Buster (1990) - 4/10 (HILARIOUS THOUGH)

[Seanny One Ball]

"Project Hail Mary" - 3.5/4

Everything that made "Spaceman" a solid heart string tugger but a terrible mood inducer has been replaced with relatable humour and sentiment. This is a very good film, the sort of thing you want to see with family.

[Destor]

I still want to catch it in theater one more time

[Lock Jaw]

I'm waiting for it to go to the cheap movie theater, but they only get movies when the bigger theaters are done with them so it could still be a while yet

[Seanny One Ball]

It's good science fiction. The alien was good value.

[Frank Drebin]

I dunno man....it was "fine". Based on word of mouth I thought it was going to be great.

I get that it's supposed to be more light hearted and not hard sci fi, and maybe that's just what I prefer, but I didn't love it. I couldn't get over the language barrier and how easy it was for them to overcome it.

"Hey, whats your word for dong?"

"Udufhrgdyrutkr"

"OH, ok....Hey Gemini, when he says that, you say dong"

Meanwhile you have a far superior movie in Arrival where the entire fucking thing is about trying to figure out how to communicate with intelligent creatures that don't talk in conventional ways.

I'm glad that an original IP got some steam and people liked it. Maybe that will help embolden studios to take more chances. I can't help but think that the bar for sci fi is so low these days that this is the best we can hope to get.

[Lock Jaw]

That was pretty much the only part I took issue with as well, how it was so fast to get a working AI translator... but I can turn my brain off

[Frank Drebin]

I'm so proud of you

[Lock Jaw]

Thanks mom

[OssMan]

Avocado Toast


Pure shite... 1 of those movies that Letterbox users would "eviscerate"... it sucks though

[Destor]

Frank DreBUM has a heart of ice

[Destor]

1. Two Lane Blacktop (1971) 8/10

Clearly born of the same spirit of Jack Kerouac's The Road. A pair of hippies, The Driver and The Mechanic, travel the country racing cars. For them there is nothing but the road. They are singularly focused. As the film introduces its other two leads, The Girl and The GTO, we begin to explore the morality that underpins this very stoic film.

Initially the film agrees. Theres nothing but the road. Our protagonists have the right of it. The Girls needs are superficial. And it juxtaposes against the antagonist The GTO as he represents more mainstream life.

He too is on the road but he appears to be running from his past unlike our protagonists who are truly at home on the road.

As the film unravels though it challenges these two hippies not from a right wing standpoint but a left wing standpoint. Ultimately posing serious questions on them like the value of their care free hedonic lives and asks them to truly make the case that moment to moment happiness is actually what life is about.

2. Toxic Avenger (2023) 3/10

This film is nothing but problems not least of all that its incredibly unfunny but its biggest issue is the casting. Not a single role is served well by its actor. Top to bottom. No exceptions. I watched it for free and i overpaid.

3. The Bad News Bears (1976) 7/10

Certainly a film that would jive with modern sensibilities but it really does shine as a great sports movie that really highlights how athletics enriches us and it does it with a cast of memorable characters and an excellent 3rd act.

4. All That Jazz (1979) 10/10

Important to note that i dont think this technically is a musical. Its builds to a major nondiegetic number most of the film about a choreography trying to create. These scenes serve a more utilitarian purpose to the narrative as opposed to being emotional expression.

That said it does build to a climax that is indeed a huge musical number that is nondiegetic and its certainly a show stopper. The film is about death and life and the alchemy of a life well (and poorly) lived. In that regard its made for me. Most my life has been spent thinking about what makes a life a good one ao i cant really understand what is driving Fosse here.

The film is as a personal introspection as deep and critical as Fosse can muster made with a touch that could only have been made with Fosse's unique skill sets and life. It would be impossible for anyone else to have made this work and it really seems impossible that it would work. But it does and bigly. A must see for film fans.

[Destor]

1. Armour of God (1986) 8/10

Kung Fu Indiana Jones staring Jackie Chan? Yes please.

This is Jackie as his action star peak. Up there with Super Cop but not his Kung Fu peak. Theres some quality Kung Fu here dont get me wrong. The 3rd act has two really sequences but nothing at the absolute top tier as say Wheeles on Meals.

What this does is has huge stunt work and a fun adventure with that trademark Jackie style humor. Climatic sequence has a jaw dropping stunt where we see skydiving onto the top of a hot air balloon. Really ballsy stunt work. And the fight sequences, though a bit (but only a bit) choppy have some really impressive physical stunts that really need to be seen to appreciate.

The story itself is light but light in the way Indiana Jones or The Mummy is light. We know the goals of the adventure and the goals of the antagonists and we go through a series of set pieces until climax occurs. Its what you want this type of film to be.

A nitpick, and i stress nitpick, goes out to thebprops department. The titular armour of god is quite poor. Looking like late 60s early 70s B tier sword and sorcery props at best. Comically low effort work that would barely pass as a halloween costume.

Certainly does ruin anything but its bad enough to call it out on principle.


2. Ocean's 13 (2007) 5/10

Well...it was a lot better than 12. These films really have little going for them outside of star power. They arent clever capers. They arent intense heists. They arent funny ensamble comedies. They just film charming actors being charming and hope thats all you need between the title and the credits. And looking at the box office returns...i guess it is.

3. Unstoppable (2010) 10/10

This is right up there with Speed. It doesnt have Joss Whedons snappy dialogue but Tony Scott makes sure we feel connected to these characters in a human way.

It works in the way only great movies can. Its a guys 1st day at work. He has a runaway train. Then we find out the train is carrying chemicals. Then we find the train is carrying combustables. Then we find out its heading toward the town where his estranged with and son live and its set to derail there. Its the perfect "Runaway Semi Driven by The Incredible Hulk" movie.

Its that escalation of danger that climaxes into the personal. The stakes are human and thats the level of emotion Scott tries to ground us in and Chris Pine, Denzel Washington and Rosario Dawson all really shine through.

Excellent set pieces sprinkle ld exactly when the script needs and some really clever visual choices. At one point Chris Pine has his leg caught between two trains and Scott cuts to the TV footage seen from the perspective of his worried wife. In that moment she and the audience are both shifting our vies trying to see how bad he's hurt. And she is mirroring the audience. Really exceptional.

Action/suspense at its highest level.

4. What We Do In the Shadows (2014) 7/10

Pretty fun movie. What i liked best is how it played with the mockumentary visual langued and how it used the special effects inside that narrative device. The general premise and rhe execution though are pretty fun throughout. Not laugh out load hysterically funny but more smirky i see what you did there funny.

5. I, Tonya (2017) 8/10

Liked this more than i thought i would. It has a 4th wall narrative device where the characters are telling the story interview style that allows for some comedy beats that otherwise couldnt exist but also does away with the need for the film to try and be truthful instead it can live inside the lies of the narrators even to the point of absurdity.

Sebastian Stan is really good here and Margot Robbie is an absolute star and a powerhouse actress. She has a scene looking into the mirror (camera) putting on make up thats maybe...30 seconds...no dialogue. And she conveys a magnitude in this one take that definitely earned her oscar nomination.

Not a much watch but you could do far worse on a Sunday afternoon

6. Hamnet (2025) 8/10

3 very different acts and the pacing in the 1st two can leave a little to be desired its working toward a goal and the 3rd act really delivers. Jessie Buckley is great in the lead and the young actor playing Hamnet is surprisingly good.

The films effort is to strip away the allegory and metophor from Hamlet so when we get to the play in the 3rd act we can feel the subtext of the play as text in the film. Its an interesting idea and i think they pulled it off well.

[Destor]

1. Mortal Kombat 2 (2026) 6/10

Ultimately the films issue is its energy is spent on being a memberberries picture instead of trying to make a world we want to visit in a part 3.

The aesthetics are Mortal Kombat. Everything looks like we want it to. The characters are who we expect them to me. Their motivations are all correct, well mostly enough.

But its inside a film that has mediocre action thats carried by special effects and editing and story beats straight of out mid tier action films of 35+ years ago and not in a campy fun way but in a lazy poorly written way. The script is busy and unfocused. Struggles juggling two protagonists. Soends too much time setting up a 3rd film when its 2nd one is struggle to walk. And a truck load of comedy that just isnt funny.

The games have a rich narrative and i just dont understand why the film cant too.

Still miles better than the first one.

2. Punisher: One Last Kill (2026) 8/10

Not exactly a movie. I think its more of a short film than anything else though so I'll rate.

Honestly i think marvel might have struck gold here but i dont think theyll realize the big idea. 1 shots. Just 1 sharp 50-90 min idea for a story featuring a hero they can do on a TV budget. No need for any crossover (unless you want to) or ongoing plot. Just be true to your character of choice and tell a story that fits in the current greater world of the MCU.

Ya know...like how comics work.

Here we get a very strong hour thats story light but still story rich that lets us explore Frank Castle as we last left him in DD:BA S1 and let's us bridge the gap into where he will be when we see him in Spider-man 4.

The action is violent, well shot, well choreographed, and extremely well executed. It takes the character to exactly the places we expect him to go and pets him do what we want to see him do and it allows him to struggle emotionally through the process.

For what it is and what it intends to be its a home run.

3. Gary (2026) 8/10

Another John Bernthal 1 shot spinoff. The Bear stands as one of the finest shows of the last 15 years as harrowing as it is its always compelling and a show for actors to really stretch their legs. And its rarely as good as when John Bernthals Michael is on screen. His performance in the Christmas episode stands as the finest acting ive ever seen in my life. Full stop.

So a one shot with him as the lead? Absolutely. Sign me up. And this delivers. The uncomfortable tension. The self destructive suicidal implosions. Everything the show has explored is here. So if you like the Bear give it a watch.

4. Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025) 9/10

I loved the writting, characters, world a d humor of the series and thats all present here. I haye the digital animation style but not so much it ruins it for me. It holds it back for me, but not ruined.

For an IP known for its violence it manages to be pretty romantic more often than one would expect. Here two scenes really worked at that level. First one a date day spent going to the movies. They see a marathon. All day viewing. They hate them all but it culminates with them alone in the final viewing both crying to a film that truly moved them.

Later a skinny dipping scene that ends up being more tender than horny. The opposite from what youd expect from a show thats so unapologetically horny as Chainsaw Man.

And then it turns and man it turns hard and fast and it really delivers on the intense actions the show is known for and the villain is outstanding.

The action is as insane as its character designs. It has a sense of momentum thats hard to do in animation and uses really creative and compelling points of perspective that keep you visually stimulated during the action.

Very strong 1st feature for the series. It exactly harnesses the shows key mission statements and nails them perfectly.

5. The Music Man (1962) 8/10

Some oustanding choreography here. Specially Mirian the Librarian. Easily on my short list of my favorite numbers ever. Vocals in the film do little for me for the most part but Roger Ebert was once asked what makes a film great? His reply was simply "2 or 3 great scenes." And i think thats about the truth of it. When this one hits it really hits. Not consistent though and that holds it back a bit. Still worth a watch if you like classic musicals.

6. Armour of God 2: Operation Condor (1991) 8/10

More of the same as the first film but as the biggest compliment possible. Asian Indiana Jackie Jones is at it again. With the crisp and well shot and choreographed kungfu you could hope for with some super cop level stunts and a fair bit of peak Jackie Chan comedy.

Theres a big fight sequence in the 3rd act that has to be seen to appreciate. Its Jackie vs 5ish guys on these suspended platforms that are mechanically moving. Really complex choreography designed to push their balance to its limit. Really wild.

Final fight goes full looney toons but the film was never that serious to begin with.

7. The Game (1997) 5/10

The thing about a mystery is we need a goal. Or some sort of carrot. Something to work toward. Like a whodunnit. We're trying to solve a crime. With The Game were asked "what is the game?" Well we already know. Its a thing he paid for to be done to him. So whats the point of the game?

Im not given a reason to care. I lm not given any reason to care about the protagonist, quite the opposite. It becomes paranoia for paranoias sake and meanwhile youre certain is careening toward "money is the root of all evil" which wasnt exactly a fresh observation in 97 let alone 2026.

Its well made. Fincher doesnt make things poorly. He knows what he's doing. But what he's doing i just dont find compelling here. Its not aimless. The film always feels like we're heading directly toward something and that saves the film from becoming a real burden.

There's something to be said about having the audience and the protagonist asking the same question. "What the hell is going on." It just needed something more than "well that was weird" as the central premise of a mystery. Its not even until the 3rd act that there's amy stakes/tension around the game.

And the reveal.. well its preposterous and unsatisfying.

8. Into The Abyss (2011) 7/10

Werner Herzog's documentary on capital punishment. He chooses a good subject for his clearly anti-death penalty stance. Despite the subjects claims the evidence is overwhelming. Hes guilty beyond all reasonable doubt.

By using a clearly guilty person Herzog is able to more ethically defend his stance. Not to protect the imaginary innocent but life in general.

Its worth stating that im not an absolutist in either direction on the topic. Life in prison sounds far worse to me than death but i also feel like to condemn someone the evidence needs to go much further than DNA which has many short comings the CSIs of the world wont acknowledge. This topic i have a complicated relationship with. I do think retribution has a role in the justice process. Rehabilitation isnt the sole effort and it shouldnt be.

One thing about Herzog that separates him from everyone else is his attention for these slice pf life moments that are tangential to the narrative. Example he's talking to a character witness and through the interview he discovered that at the time the interviewee was illiterate. Herzog has a very charming interation with the man about it and his journey to become literate.

Any other director would have cut that from the final print. Its obvious bloat and completely off topic. Herzog is more interested in showing us humans in motion so it stays.

Not his apex but Herzog has a pretty vast resume and this is definitely high quality.

9. Finestkind (2023) 7/10

The lead, whose name I'll bother to learn as soon as he gives me a reason to, must be related to a producer and/or the casting director. When Jenna Ortega or Tommy Lee Jones are in the scene the it suddenly feels like a real movie. And they're both pretty good. Jones especially.

Film takes a turn at the 1hr mark. Shifts from a fishing story to a crime story. The turn really works for the film but it really needed to get to it about 15-20 min sooner especially with the weak lead.

If you can make it to the second half its very good though.

[Lock Jaw]

Didn't care for Punisher: One Last Kill.

Just felt like it had no purpose and as far as just mindless violence there's been better. Felt "out of place".

I have never been much of a Punisher fan though so that could have something to do with it. In fact, the first time I really enjoyed Punisher was Bernthal and his appearances in Daredevil. Also thought season 1 of his own show was pretty great. Never did watch season 2.

[Destor]

I approached OLK as an acting exorcize and i think it really firmly displays how good Bernthal is. I wont debate on taste or execution thats too subjective but i will say we needed it. It wasnt Gratuitous. We need to bridge the gap between the last we saw of Castle in DD:BA S1 to Spidey 4. We dont need to spend a quester of the film getting Frank out of his bunker. We can walk right in and hit the ground running.

[M-A-G]

Backrooms (2026 film) - *** out of ****.

I find it strange how I don't really consider myself a horror film buff. Horror video games? I'll eat that shit up. Maybe because I'm more involved? Horror films, though, need to have an interesting set-up in order for me to work up any interest. Enter, this movie.

I wasn't walking into this one completely blind as I have an understanding of the whole concept via the various videos out there. My fear, as with other takes on famous viral ideas, was that the movie would completely lose the plot or needlessly over-explain or come up with its own ideas, much like with Slenderman or the Mandela Effect.

This bit of worry is alleviated in that the director, Kane Parsons, is behind those infamous internet videos in the first place. Obviously, he's going to know how to present things visually, and since we have the Word of God instead of some studio suits putting their fingerprints all over things, there's a sense of authenticity to the whole thing.

At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted the whole thing to be presented in the same manner as those Backrooms videos. You know, told entirely through the lens of the first-person perspective? If you've seen one Backrooms videos, you've essentially seen them all, impressive and eerie as some of them can be. Going the route they did, where it's a blend of that style, along with, let's say "traditional" (for the lack of a better word), cinematography served things much better. Going a whole runtime in the found footage style would've been interesting, sure, but we would've missed out on what's trying to get accomplished. The humanity and reality that the Backrooms erodes and distorts, I feel, is essential to really get that uncomfortable sensation.

I put the word "traditional" in quotations earlier to describe how things are presented outside the standard found footage method. This is because the rest of the movie is certainly more traditional by comparison, but even then, things aren't always shot in a way that's 100% normal. You're not always at ease. Maybe it's because it does a great job of capturing that nostalgic feel of the time period that's invoked from all that liminal space porn that's out there. If you lived through that time, things will most certainly ping a couple of alerts in your memory banks, all from the way things are presented.

And that, I think, is the film's biggest strength. Show, don't tell. The style along with the performances allows you to draw your own conclusions. There's no concrete answer to explain everything, but with something like this, it's OK and actually works in the film's favor as you're able to take away what you want from it, be it a metaphorical thing or otherwise. Personally, I saw it as a plea to people who are unable to grow up mentally, refusing to let go of the past, and potentially being "lost" in a quagmire made up of broken pieces that will never be reality.

But take from it what you will. It was probably the most unsettling and thought-provoking psychological horror film I've seen in a while, and this is someone who didn't go into it expecting much. I would say dive in for yourself and see what it stirs in you.

[Destor]

1. Song Sung Blue (2025) 8/10

Ive have a big yen for Kate Hudson since I 1st saw her in Almost Famous and she is an absolute delight here. She and Hugh Jackman have a ton of chemistry together. Both in character and vocally. And the music here shines. Their voices blend together so well id buy an album by them tomorrow if they sold one.

The 2nd act comes hard and fast. The film becomes a very different thing than what you expect from it. It excells musically, romanticly and multiple other levels I'd hate to spoil. Its a very touching film.

2. Mandolorian and Grogu (2026) 6/10

Honestly its not bad at all. Its not funny despite its numerous attempts and it has way too many CGI monster fights for its run time, but it's a perfectly fun and fine little adventure movie. There's no real character growth for either protagonist here so in an episodic sense its highly skippable but its very much a throwback to old adventure movies which is very much what Star Wars owes its lineage to.

Seeing as its mostly visual spectacle i think seeing it theaters is your best chance to enjoy it but as far as its tier of writing its more on the D+ spectrum.

But i liked it and i think if youre not completely off the ship with mando/star wars youll have some fun with it.

[Destor]

1. Pressure (2026) 9/10

Absolutely phenomenal. Andrew Scott gives the performance of a lifetime and its a very reserved one. This film is very much carried by its plot so there's little to say about it. Its a D-Day film about the weather. Full stop. Its exquisite. There is a narrative device about Scott's character's wife that she is pregnant in St Marys when it was bombed during the 72 hour lead up to D-Day that adds a human element to the film and really reminds us what the true stakes were. Brendan Frasier gives a very memorable performance as Ike Eisenhower.

If you know any old men send them to this one. Its WW2 and the weather. It cant miss.

2. Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978) 4/10

A slapstick paraody of the Kung Fu genre. I believe this is Chan's first leading role but im unsure. He was in multiple films in 78 and im unsure which was before which.

At its core its the comedy style that would make chan so successful later but its way too looney toons/benny hill for me to sign off on it. Obnoxious cartoon sounds effects. A love for fast forwarding visual gags. I find the taste of the edit and the sound design to be very off putting.

The Wu-Shu style kung fu is fun enough but the film is 30/70 kung fu/looney tunes at best. Interesting for a film study but i couldnt recommend it beyond the biggest Kung fu/Chan fan.

[Destor]

1. The Boxer (1997) 6/10

Definitely not the film i expected. I expected a film about boxing. I got a film so specific to a certain culture at a certain point in time that its really alien without the proper topical context.

I know very little about "The Troubles" and Irish independence but i had to stop the film to get a crash course in it before i could keep watching.

I try and judge films purely on their merit as films of their time. Weighing them only by the moment and what came before them. This was challenging with this picture.

Theres a great moment when the boxing gym is being burned after a terror attack and they rush into the flames of an empty building to save the photos. Theyre trying to save their history. Their heritage. A wonderful metophor for the nationalist movement.

Daniel Day Lewis gives a fine performance as it to be expected. Brian Cox is also very strong here.

Fije film but its so topical that it holds it back considerably.

[Big Vic]

Found (2021) 5/10

The girls never found any one of their parents.

[Destor]

1. Too Much Sleep (2001) 5/10

I liked the films tone. Its general vibe. But it really does nothing. Its a story about a guy whos a failure launch. He works but he calls out because he doesnt feel like going. Still lives with his mom. Doesnt own a car. Not quite a slacker type just aimless.

He works as a security guard. On a bus ride his gun gets stolen and the rest of the film is a seriest of quests of him trying to find it.

Each sequence ends with someone giving him a new lead and that sends him off again. There's no interconnectivity really and theres no strong theming either.

Somehow at the end of the feature his gunless and has still grown as a man. Im unsure how though.

All that said i still didnt hate the time spent im just left asking...what was the point of any of that? Just an excuse to do it?

[Destor]

1. Marty Supreme (2025) 9/10

I dont jive with Timothy Chalemet. Im told, without reprive, that he's this generations shining talent. And he can act for sure. But a leading man? Playing tough guys? I dunno. Big ask.

But Marty Supreme is a role that works wisely with his weak physical frame. Yeah multiple women want to sleep with him. But one is a plain jane in a unhappy marriage. The other is an over the hill aging starlett that wants to feel young and beautiful in the eyes of a younger man. Both logically work for him.

And he's playing an athlete? Well yes. Ping pong. He's not a boxer or what have you. He's a run up from a bowler. His casting absolutely works.

And as to the character? Well its outstanding. One of the most narcissistic and delusional characters ever put to film.

The narrative itself unravels and flowers in unsuspected and constantly surprising ways. You cant get ahead of the story because his character acts in ways no human ever would. But its not unbelievable. The film never feels ridiculous because its very well written lead is absolutely fool enough to do any of the outlandish situations he finds himself in.

Its as well made as you could ask for and the ending has as much poetic justice as you could cram into it. The Safdies are really excellent film makers and this is on par and as intense as any of their previous films. I think thats their real strength. They manifest intensity out of thin air.

2. Fackham Hall (2025) 5/10

Bit of a bizarre film really. It has the comedic sensibilities of Python or Airplane or Naked Gun but it spends a lot of taking its plot...very seriously. Which really doesnt work. Its like having and on/off switch for comedy and its a bit jarring.

Jokes themselves are occasionally a bit cheeky. Smirk worthy. Never laugh out loud or gut wrenchingly funny but cute or clever enough to keep you moving along.

Ultimately it just doesnt land in either realm of comedy or drama. Its not revolting or anything. Just flaccid.

[Lock Jaw]

Mandolorian & Grogu - 4/10

People told me it felt like a long episode of the show... but ultimately it felt to me like several shorter episodes smashed together to make a short inconsequential filler season where no one had a character arc or story

[Frank Drebin]

Men - zero stars

Did you like Mother! ? Well then you'll love this. Just as increasingly nonsensical with a single point that they'll hit you over the head with like mallet time and time again. Instead of "the environment" this one is about toxic masculinity. If you wanted to travel back to peak 2017-18 "All men suck" this is for you. It's like Alex Garland decided during the height of Me Too that this was his "I have a black friend" ticket to being known as an ally.

It starts out well enough and you actually want to know more about the main character, her trauma and how she deals with it. Every male character save for her ex husband is played by the same actor which starts out creepy but turns laughable when it basically turns into "all men are bad". You wonder if shes dreaming, going mad or hallucinating and by the end you won't even care.

The location is so beautiful that its a shame the rest of this thing stinks it up.

The ending sequence is so stupid. It goes on forever and "it" happens over and over to the point of nauseum. Not because its gross (it is) but because you just want it to end. My girlfriend even remarked as it started and we saw it still had 15 minutes left "this is going to happen over and over again isnt it?".

Just like the end of Mother! you'll ask yourself if there was something you didn't get. Was this some avant guard work that went over your head? No. It's the worst movie you've seen in quite some time. Just like Alex Garland, you'll have just one takeaway when explaining this to others.

[Destor]

1. Sheep Detectives (2026) 7/10

If you have kids 8 or under i think this is a real gem. Its a fine whodunnit with a real big heart and age appropriate laughs that arent completely cheap and its a really rich parable. This kind of film has gone out of favor but these rustic barn yard films like Babe and even just animal adventure films of the past this film belongs along side many of the good ones you remember from your childhood.

2. Masters of the Universe (2026) 6/10

The discourse around this one makes no sense to me. What else would the He-Man fandom want from a He-Man film?

The action is really solid. There's alot of digital fight scenes but they arent lazy heavily edited slop like a ton of the marvel films. Theyre really well structured that even have narrative beats inside the cinematography.

The soundtrack is spot on. Tons of lead guitar solos and 80s classica including Princes of the Universe.

Skeletor is menacing and foolish and neither compromises the other.

The Earth portion is debatable but they earn its inclusion by resolving it in the 3rd act.

I dunno. Its a perfectly fun and fine action film that takes the source material as seriously as it should be...which is to say not completely.

3. Attack of the Doc! (2023) 7/10

Documentary made by Chris Gore of DVDuesday notoriety made a documentary about Attack of the Show! the G4 daily news show that ran in the early 2000s.

If you watched G4 back in the day its a wonderful walk down nostalgia lane that lets you revist the show and its high points with the rose colored glasses firmly on.

If you were a fan this is a real good time. If you werent...well it probably has nothing to offer you. It certainly isnt a hard dive into the anything and doesnt do much other than offer some welcome member berries for those who would enjoy them but for me those berries were very sweet.

[Destor]

1. Spiritual Kungfu (1978) 6/10

The 1st act is pretty brutal to get through. No action. Very slow. Mostly centered about a 25 min sequence of the ghosts thats a comedy routine that...would be fine it if it were 5 min but becomes brutal at 25 min.

But once the Kung Fu starts this is a ton of fun. Theres a staff fight thats super solid and probably the Tongfa fung fu ever.

Big climatic fight is pure hand-to-hand. No set pieces. Just complicated kungfu work. Theres some cheating in the editing that is noticeable if you have the eye for it. Some shots made to look like 1 shot that arent blended particularly well. Some frame shaving to fein speed. Etc.

All said it pulls itself together if you can survive the 1st act.

[Destor]

1. Kagemusha (1980) 8/10

Really interesting film. Movie is by Akira Kurosawa which puts its on a pedestal out of the gate but i think it more than deliveres.

Kagemusha translates directly to "Shadow Warrior" and was the term used for body doubles. This film takes place during the Sengoku period, so Samuri times + rifles, and focuses on a real historical figure Shingen who is believed to have used multiple Kagemusha.

The Daiymo Shingen dies and for political reasons his Kagemusha, a theif set to be executed, is installed full time as Shingen. Only his very closest advisors know of the real Shingens death. Not even his children or mistresses know the truth. The story goes from there.

This becomes an interesting story about power. The Kagemusha on the surface has it all but in truth has none. He isnt truly leading. He's hiding in public. Is also highlights the need for a symbol. A cult of personality at the center of a society that binds a people together that the true power can move the people through.

Its a very thoughtful film with stricking visual and some very fine acting. I'll certainly be thinking about this one for some time.

[Destor]

1. Gattaca (1997) 7/10

Ethan Hawke gives an extremely strong performance here. Id always been told this film was a bit of a dud but i thought it was pretty damn solid. Uma Thurman was a bit flat. She doesnt ruin the picture or anything but her performance was a bit...vacant.

The premise is its a future where success and opportunity are determined by genetics. The human genome as been plotting so efficiently that at birth your worth is fully know.

Ethan Hawkes character is a natural birth. And he has a bum ticker. His value is hes lucky to be a janitor and even that is reaching. I wont give the whole film up but through sophisticated fraud he's able to rise above his station and pursue his dreams. There's a murder. His DNA is linked to it. Yadda yadda plot stuff.

Ultimately the film is about self determination vs destiny and it works fine at that level. Im a pull yourself up by your boot straps kind of guy so it all works well for me.

What I found particularly interesting is watching this in 2026. Genetic superiority is very unlikely to be largely relevant in the future of humanity. This premise is really fantastical now than in 97. With AI racing into the forefront the role of humans in general is being challenged in ways we hardly thought would be and a certain amount of nihilism is almost inevitable in the face of the question: are individual abilities relevent going forward?

The entire scenario just seems impossible now. 29 years later. Wild.

That said the film on its own merits has a very good narrative and everything pays off in very satisfying ways including a very good performance by Jude Law.

2. Sleepy Hollow (1999) 5/10

One thing Burton does well is art direction. He clearly starts there and works backward and Sleepy Hollow might be some of his most visually distinctive work.

Every frame has a clear look and strong atmosphere and it unquestionably is what carries this picture. The only failing the film has in the visuals is the choice to dye Christina Ricci's eye brows the same color as her hair.

Blondes rarely have the same color eyebrows and when they do it makes them look more albino than anything and it makes her look a bit bizarre.

Outside of that though the plot just kinda happens at you. Its major beats are the beats of a whodunnit but the narrative isnt a whodunnit. You cant solve the case. You can finger the culprit, thats easy. But you do it through narrative cues. Like "oh theyre framing her as the villain" not "well if x did y then it benifits z which of motive" yadda yadda.

The only character that has any character is the Horseman and thats kinda comical because...he's headless.

If you strip away the visual style of the film this really has very little to do and really only exist as a platform to explore this gothic setting and leaves as a very mid experience.

[Lock Jaw]

Disclosure Day - 7/10

Feel like it was a perfectly acceptable movie that was neither bad nor particularly great or anything...

[Frank Drebin]

Lock Jaw needs to write more like Destor when doing movie reviews. 3 out of 10.

[Lock Jaw]

Destor very brave for typing that much and trusting that the forums won't crash before he hits that reply button.

[Destor]

1. American Sniper (2014) 8/10

Its easy to dismiss the film as war propaganda. Im sure if we traced its financing there would be tax dollars in there somewhere.

Behind that though is a truly great American film maker that gets slept on. Clint Eastwood is as fine of a director as has ever lived.

Here he takes a biopic, films that are notorious for not having a rudder, and gives it real momentum. The film just pulls you along. With biopics the challenge is life just doesnt have a neat narrative bow on it. Its not a story book.

Despite that being just as true in the script Eastwood finds a way to not have his film meander. It always feels like its an arrow flying toward a target.

Some of that credit should be given to Cooper. He carries the film as its lead and it wouldnt work without him.

Im antiwar. Fiercely. But im not anti-warrior. This film really encapsulates the heart and cost of of the burden of being serviceman.

2. The Housemaid (2025) 7/10

This movie is every Lifetime Movie cliché rolled into one flick but it absolutely works. Every character has a secrete. Phycho wife with the perfect hunky husband. A will-they-wont-they affair. Danger. Twists and turns.

the reveal that the perfect husband is infact the villain i guessed from the leaflet. 2025 theres going to be a film where the woman is a villain when there's a perfectly good man who could be an evil abuser? Not on my watch.

But even with the plots reveals being obvious its still done well and super satisfying. Good film to watch with your girl. It wont get you laid but she'll enjoy it. Its the female power fantasy wrapped insinde the female victim fantasy.

3. Sentimental Value (2025) 9/10

Extremely fine film that really is above synopsis. Film follows a family and their generational family home after the death of their mother. 2 adult daughters and their father.

The father is a writer/film director. The daughters 1 was a child actress now regular person. The other a stage actress. Theyve long been estranged from their father.

After the funeral of the mother the father offers his newest script to his stage actress daughter. She soundly refuses him.

The film goes on to establish their lack of communication. The rift of silence between them. Thats the space the film really takes place in. That rift. That negative space of nothingness.

Its searching if there's a path to communication through art that can circumvent the words they cant find.

I find this film really challenged the idea of "oh you should talk more." Or "why dont you open up?" It not always in the nature of a man to do that. Doesnt mean they cant communicate. And for some art is how they speak. It may not be what you wanted but they are who they are. Not that the film praises that mind you. Just acknowledges.

Several really strong performances and a film thats really confortable is letting an emotion breathe or leaving something for the audience to ruminate with. Certainly "film festival crap" but thats the way i like it.

[Destor]

Destor very brave for typing that much and trusting that the forums won't crash before he hits that reply button.i type my thoughts into a note pad app and then copy and paste them into tpww when it's finally alive

[Destor]

Early supergirl feedback is awful. I was really looking forward to it...

[Lock Jaw]

I was not a big fan of the source graphic novel... I was hoping that maybe the movie would change my mind on it. I will still rush out to see it, perhaps this weekend.