Recently Watched Movie Thread 2017

[JMick]

Kingsman: The Golden Circle - I totally wasn't expecting this to be as good as the first, and it wasn't, but it was still entertaining in it's own right. I enjoyed Julianne Moore as the villain and the Statesman subplot, although it felt a little underutilized, was still enjoyable and opened up a wealth of possibilities. The fight scenes were again excellent and really well done in terms of blurring what's green screen, CGI, stunt doubles, editing tricks and what have you. Nothing will ever top the Church Massacre from the first one though... if ever there is a Best Fight Scenes thread, that'll be my contribution. Anyway, I guess my only real problem with it was that it felt a little telegraphed in where it was heading since it was a bit derivative of the first film.

Dunkirk - I am a big Nolan fan. His films have been of consistently high quality going all the way back to the beginning and I've found myself anticipating even the announcement of what he's going to be working on greatly. This was a bit of a disappointment for me. I felt the tension he was going for in some scenes. The consequences and desperation were well put on the screen. What was off for me was the scale. I appreciate filmmakers that go for the practical effect over using CGI more often than not... the capsizing of the boats and a lot of the naval scenes were very well done and immersive. But some of the scenes just felt too small scale to me at times. Too tight and constricted. I might be alone in this, but it never felt like I was looking at 400k troops standing around on a beach, hopelessly waiting to be rescued. Some wide establishing shots to set the scale of the events would have really helped me in enveloping me in the enormity of the stakes. I know that would've been a little difficult since his camera was specifically trying to follow a few actors in the events but it would've been well worth it for the story I think.

I didn't really have a reaction to Dunkirk. It ended and all I could think was "that's it?"

 

[G0UCONN]

The Foreigner with Jackie Chan. Really good action revenge movie.

The Post is real good.

Darkest Hour is excellent. Oldham should win an Oscar.

Dunkirk sucked.

 

[Mano]

It - I'm not generally a fan of horror movies. I don't really scare easily and the majority of them are usually just subpar in many different aspects. There are some good ones (28 Days Later, Cabin in the Woods, The Crazies, etc) and I find they usually rely on mood and atmosphere with a decent dose of creepiness and misdirection. I'm not a reader of Stephen King's books and I've heard the ending of the book and original mini-series (haven't seen it) are disappointing. They split the original novel into two parts and it seems that it was a wise choice. This though, this was fantastic. It kept me at rapt attention throughout and Pennywise (great performance by one of the Skarsgård's) was a wonderfully realized malevolent creature preying on these kids. His reveal for each individual kid really kept the pace of the movie at a great clip. Really, really good. Can't wait for the sequel, even if it ends up a disappointment.

 

[John]

agree about Darkest Hour.

Just watched Detroit on DVD - not sure what I was expecting, but wasn't impressed. Some of the cast was very very good, but it felt very heavy-handed and I think it could have been shortened quite a bit. Based on a true story of police brutality.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Here are a few I've seen recently with short thoughts.

• Dunkirk. Thought it was very good. But maybe not everyone gets how astonishing it was. How massive and unprecedented. Loved the approach to telling the story, shifting people and time.
• Blade Runner 2049. At least 40 minutes too long. Tedious, especially the first hour, which drags. Has some positives, but overall was disappointing.
• It. Good, but not all that. Wasn't scary. I liked the kids. I hated that all the kids had completely dysfunctional or useless parents. Skarsgard was good.
• Atomic Blonde. Better than expected. Fun action/espionage movie with a bad ass female heroine.
• Hitman's Bodyguard. Really a lot of fun. Very funny and plenty of action. The pacing is great and the interplay between Jackson and Reynolds is perfect.

 

[8893]

Thanks to @whaler11 for cluing me in to the Xfinity remote's great movie guide feature a few months ago, I have been watching a ton more movies simply because it is much more easy to browse them. Rewatched two classics recently, Rocky the other night and The Deer Hunter last night.

Both as tremendously compelling as I remembered, but the thing about which I am constantly reminded now is how much patience is lacking in most current day movies. I mean, the wedding scene alone in The Deer Hunter is longer than many movies. And it is so nuanced and foreshadows so much. As I watched I couldn't help but wonder if a single one of my kids could make it through the movie. Also still very tough to watch many of the torture scenes.

What a stacked cast and amazingly layered movie though. They truly don't make 'em like that any more.

 

[superjohn]

Thanks to @whaler11 for cluing me in to the Xfinity remote's great movie guide feature a few months ago, I have been watching a ton more movies simply because it is much more easy to browse them. Rewatched two classics recently, Rocky the other night and The Deer Hunter last night.

Both as tremendously compelling as I remembered, but the thing about which I am constantly reminded now is how much patience is lacking in most current day movies. I mean, the wedding scene alone in The Deer Hunter is longer than many movies. And it is so nuanced and foreshadows so much. As I watched I couldn't help but wonder if a single one of my kids could make it through the movie. Also still very tough to watch many of the torture scenes.

What a stacked cast and amazingly layered movie though. They truly don't make 'em like that any more.

Did you just get Comcast? The Deer Hunter is my all-time favorite movie, watch it once or twice a year.

 

[superjohn]

Lady Bird is one of the best coming of age movies I've ever seen. Saoirse Ronan and Tracy Letts wife were amazing in the leads.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I tried watching The Deer Hunter a year or two ago. I couldn't make it through. I just fast forwarded to the good scenery parts. I'd noticed that when I saw a bit of it on tv before. That part of the movie kills me. They are supposedly in Pennsylvania or upstate New York or something when they go hunting, right? Yet magically there are large, heavily glaciated mountains around, which the East Coast has exactly zero of said type of mountain. I know, artistic license and all that, but I had to call B.S. on that. I recognized the scenery, it was filmed around Mt. Baker in Washington, up near the Canadian border.

 

[8893]

Did you just get Comcast? The Deer Hunter is my all-time favorite movie, watch it once or twice a year.

No, I've had Comcast forever and have had the new remote for a year or so but never knew about the feature that allows you to switch the guide only to movies that are on right then and scroll through them (along with their Rotten Tomatoes ratings and other stuff) like you are at a video store, until Whaler mentioned it a few months ago when @August_West and I were raving about the sports app feature, which I was aware of instantly when I got the remote and use daily as well.

Yeah, The Deer Hunter is up there for me, too. I used to watch it every year or so but I realized last night that it's been a while now since I last saw it, so I seemed to have even greater appreciation for it and how different it is than the vast majority of movies that are made now.

 

[8893]

Lady Bird is one of the best coming of age movies I've ever seen. Saoirse Ronan and Tracy Letts wife were amazing in the leads.

I agree. I've seen it twice. Saw it by myself the first time and then I insisted that my wife and two oldest daughters watch it with me; they loved it, too.

 

[G0UCONN]

The Big Sick - great reviews, was looking forward to it...main character Kamail was likeable, couple funny lines, but thought it overall kinda sucked. 2 1/2 hours of mostly boring.

 

[Mano]

Mother! - Man, a couple days after having watched it and I’m still not sure what to make of this movie. It did a sublime job with its mystery and tension (filmed in a forced POV that further kept you guessing) during its first two acts. And it gave plenty of clues as to its true nature along the way. And then the 3rd act comes

Spoiler

and it goes completely allegorical, when it only hinted at it at first. The intensity of these scenes were very well done but upon reflection the actual events feel a bit cheap and played for shock value.

 

[dbmill]

The Big Sick - great reviews, was looking forward to it...main character Kamail was likeable, couple funny lines, but thought it overall kinda sucked. 2 1/2 hours of mostly boring.

I just got through watching The Big Sick as well, a flick that I have been eagerly waiting to see. I did not find it boring at all, although in my mind the great reviews this film have overstated a bit the quality of this movie. It is low key, charming, and kept my interest throughout. I don't think it is a great film, but it is solidly good. Enjoyed the supporting stints of Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as the parents of the girl friend.

 

[G0UCONN]

I just got through watching The Big Sick as well, a flick that I have been eagerly waiting to see. I did not find it boring at all, although in my mind the great reviews this film have overstated a bit the quality of this movie. It is low key, charming, and kept my interest throughout. I don't think it is a great film, but it is solidly good. Enjoyed the supporting stints of Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as the parents of the girl friend.

Yeah maybe I was a bit harsh but was expecting really good to great based on the reviews and think it was OK at best. I don't get the must-see type of reviews at all.

 

[G0UCONN]

Saw Hostiles today. Excellent western. Christian Bale is great in it.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Saw Hostiles today. Excellent western. Christian Bale is great on it.

Rosamund Pike is also in the cast, which is always a good thing!

 

[Dove]

Super Dark Times was kinda interesting. Mrs Dove and I were bored and tired after moving my mother out of a house. Now the more I think about it the movie was stupid.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Watched American Made last night. Quirky, entertaining. Cruise is pretty good, if about 20 years too old.

 

[G0UCONN]

Watched American Made last night. Quirky, entertaining. Cruise is pretty good, if about 20 years too old.

I liked it. Good (true) story. Only in 'Murica....

 

[HuskyHawk]

Saw Baby Driver the other day. It was very cleverly done and enjoyable. Great soundtrack.

 

[Travelman6]

I have been watching a lot of movies as of late. Usually 1 or 2 for every weekday night and many more on the weekends. These past few weeks are as follows:

Song of the sea - Loved it. You can find a lot of Irish mythology in this but even better is the hand drawn animation. You can tell a lot of love went into it and I liked it a lot more than a lot of the cookie cutter Disney animated movies that have been coming out. Touching story, nice flow to the movie.

Gravity - First of all, BEAUTIFUL visuals. My wife did not like it but I understand, you have to be in the right mood for this. At the very least, you do not need to think as plot is pretty bare bones. Plain and simple, eye candy, but oh so enjoyable!

A cat in Paris - Short and sweet, I loved the pacing of this movie. Interesting story, great style.

Akira - The story is a little confusing and might require a 2nd watch, at least in parts, to fully grasp. A lot was packed into one movie and it shows, for better or worse. With that said, for 1988 the animation is absolutely mind blowing!

Demon Seed - Starts a bit slow but the tension that develops is unavoidable. I liked it a lot. Very good for a 70s movie.

District 9 - Started off slow but the 3rd act is where it really came together. Tons of potential but I do not like the found footage-esque style, of the first 2 acts especially. Overall, I would recommend it just the same as you actually feel a little sympathy for certain..things you would not expect.

Mad Max Tetralogy - I saw all four in the span of about 10 days or so. Amazing stunts for such old movies (the first 3) and despite going big budget for the 4th, I really felt the movie did NOT lose its soul in the process but, instead is one of the best action movies I have ever seen. In fact, it even had a good plot IMO, by action movie standards at least. I love dystopia films and this one (4th) hits the spot! The first 3 are not without their faults, including sometimes confusing story development, but are recommended just the same.

House Party - A "turn your mind off" movie I have seen a few times over the years and saw it again about a week and a half ago. My (Colombian) wife got a kick out of the slang and the story is simple to follow.

National Lampoons christmas - Why? Just showing my wife some movies I liked as a kid. This one holds up after many years and we got a kick out of it.

5 Centimeters per second - GORGEOUS animation, some of the best I have seen in my life. So good it makes up for a movie that is a bit slow at times. However, it is also very short and ends rather abruptly, seeming to set up for (I hope) a sequel. Gentle movie about young love.

Leon the Professional - Awesome movie!

Kramer vs Kramer - I watched it, I think, for the third time recently. Very touching, awesome acting.

Me before you - My wife told me about this one. Not one for romance movies, but this one is better, good story, nice twists, touching overall.

12 Feet deep - The premise sounds stupid but it is actually quite ...decent. Girls get trapped under a fiber glass pool cover and are locked in the building to boot. It does not sound plausible, I know. But as I watched it I said to myself "Somehow how they get trapped, by movie logic, somehow kind of makes sense. Not the best, but not bad and at least some directors are trying something new.

Clerks - Another movie I watched as a kid and wanted to show my wife. She did not like it. Has some potty humor but great jokes too and cinematography.

Back to School - One of those movies I watched as a kid and showed to my wife when neither of us wanted to think. RD is funny, one of his best. We liked it enough.

Circus Kane - Just. Awful. I want 90 minutes of my life back.

Killer clowns from outer space - Just, no, just like the above clown movie, terrible. Even for B movie standards, god awful acting. Only redeeming factor is to tune in quickly, for 5 minutes or so to check out the cool clown masks, which were indeed well done. That is it.

Meatballs - A young Bill Murray, of course I had to watch this! My first time watching this and a nice romp! For sure a product of its time (1979) but fun just the same.

Soylent Green - Why does this movie get so much love? Painfully boring, sorry and super slow. Fast forward to the last 5 minutes or so, only part worth seeing. I LOVE dystopia films, so I wanted to like this. I prefer Logans run as far as mid 70s dystopia.

Blade Runner - Had to pause this because my wife was exhausted, 30 minutes in but seems promising. Hope it is good. Will watch tomorrow.

EDIT: Finished this one. I feel like it has so much potential but does not quite live up to it. I love the atmosphere it creates, nice music used sparingly but effectively. But just a little too slow for my tastes.

Whats Eating Gilbert Grape - A bit slow but a beautiful and bittersweet movie. Leo at his best, IMHO. (I do not like Leo, here he was just amazing).

The great outdoors - Another one I wanted to show my wife. She liked it okay. Not sure it has stood the test of time as other comedies of its time.

The Purge Election Year - Okay guys, enough with these movies. For real.

The secret of kells - Found this one to be boring with a messy plot. Song of the sea is way superior!

Unfriended - Just god awful. One of the worst I have ever seen.

jumanji remake - Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Worth it.

Don't hang up - Another cheesy low budget horror flick. Nothing new here and some annoying cliches, like the main characters making every mistake in the book. But I like that they get what is coming to them, so to speak as they are such dbags at the start.


Movies I will watch soon, in my que:
The gods must be crazy - I could watch this a million times. Just a great movie. I will watch it for the 1,000,001 time to show my wife, haha.

Airplane - want to watch again soon to show my wife.

The red turtle

Darbareye Elly - I am really interested in Iranian films, this will be my first.

Persepolis - Ditto the above.

St. Elmos fire - Another one I want to show my wife from when I was young. Ahhh Gtown.

The Triplets of Belleville

Stand by me - A coming of age movie I loved as a kid and want to show my wife.

 

[Mano]

A few to add:

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword - Guy Ritchie does a Londinium gangster film with videogame quality fight scenes and some supernatural and magical bits thrown in here and there. Didn’t work well at all.

Cars 3 - Not saying it makes up for everything that came before in the franchise but this was easily the best of the 3. Told a worthwhile and entertaining story that made sense in its otherwise nonsensical movie universe.

Blade Runner 2049 - Denis Villenueve is my favorite working director. I love sci-fi and the original BR is obviously a pillar of the genre. This had a ton to live up to and it almost totally delivered. Beautiful to look at and listen to, well acted, an interesting story with callbacks a plenty to the original... just great. Only wish it did better at the BO.

 

[Dove]

"Chuck"

Apparently the character of Rocky was based on a NJ heavyweight champ named Chuck Wepner. This movie was really good. Leiv Shreiber excellently plays the champ who's claim to fame was going 15 rounds v. Ali in 1975.

After that fight he lives a celebrity life around his hometown of Bayonne. And when Rocky went big so did his partying.

His marriage ends. He ends up doing 2 years in prison. He falls in love.

Check Chuck out.

 

[Dove]

Tonight we stumbled on the beginning of "The Voices" (2014) and we never turned it off!

Ryan Reynolds is off his psycho meds thus his dog and cat talk to him. The cat, of course, is evil. Reynolds ends up killing three female coworkers and almost gets his psychotherapist before the law closes in.

Very funny. And costars Anna Kendrick and Gemma Arterton.