Recently Watched Movies 2021

[Dove]

"Four Christmases" (2008) - First time seeing it and was very surprised to like it. Very funny. Worth a watch. Many big stars in this cast.

 

[Palatine]

Gods and Monsters (1998). The story of the last days of film director James Whale, an open homosexual who lived out his days quietly in the mid century. The story is mildly interesting The performances are very good and nuanced especially Ian McKellen as Whale (no surprise), Brendan Fraser stretches here but keeps up.

I absolutely love the way this is shot. Obviously film . It's beautiful but not self-conscious. Simple, the camera is never in the way or shouts look me. It tells the story, builds or relives tension, let's the actors lead, it exactly how to bring a play to screen.

It's not a great movie. It's a good movie. Worth a couple of hours.

 

[dbmill]

Gods and Monsters (1998). The story of the last days of film director James Whale, an open homosexual who lived out his days quietly in the mid century. The story is mildly interesting The performances are very good and nuanced especially Ian McKellen as Whale (no surprise), Brendan Fraser stretches here but keeps up.

I absolutely love the way this is shot. Obviously film . It's beautiful but not self-conscious. Simple, the camera is never in the way or shouts look me. It tells the story, builds or relives tension, let's the actors lead, it exactly how to bring a play to screen.

It's not a great movie. It's a good movie. Worth a couple of hours.

For those who don't know, James Whale directed several early classic movies, especially of the horror variety, as well as the 1936 version of Show Boat. His horror classics include the following:

Frankenstein
The Old Dark House
Invisible Man
Bride of Frankenstein

 

[CL82]

Doctor Sleep
This is the sequel to The Shining. Danny Torrance survived The Overlook, but he was haunted both literally and figuratively by what happened there. I have kind of a love-hate thing going with Stephen King horror movies. (Not Shawshank or the Green Mile) I watch them, and enjoy them, but they’re kind of formulaic. This one was different. It referenced the original material respectfully and added more depth to “the Shining” world. I want to talk to you about Danny, about the boxes, about the shining girl that he meets, about the steam but this is one of those movies that slowly build to an explosive finish. It’s best to learn the pieces one at a time.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Army of the Dead. Netflix. Zack Snyder makes a zombie move that is a bit too long (like everything he does). It stars Dave Bautista, the former wrestler who is also Dax in Guardians of the Galaxy. Dude has to have used a lot of steroids over the years. The rest of the cast is not well known, but they do just fine. It's a different sort of Zombie movie, maybe one that has a slightly more realistic origin premise. Beyond that it has some wrinkles, in that it's also a crime job story of sorts. Overall this isn't terrible and Netflix made a prequel to it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

CBGB. 2013. How on earth did I miss this movie? Stumbled on it yesterday. My wife's family was in the record business so she just devours stuff like this. It's the mostly true story of Hilly Kristal and the establishment of his CBGB bar in the Bowery section of NYC. Despite his intentions and to some extent, incompetence, he managed to usher in the era of Punk Rock. Giving live to bands such as Blondie, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Television and even The Police. Alan Rickman is the lead as Hilly, not too many notables in the cast (Malin Akerman is gorgeous as Debby Harry). This is just a lot of fun. There are historical inaccuracies, but who cares really? It's not a documentary. They work Punk magazine into the story as well, which gives it a Connecticut connection. It could be nostalgia, but I really enjoyed this.

For Boston folks, in the link above Hilly mentions how he coordinated with the Rathskeller in Boston in booking bands. The Rat was another legendary venue. I have to wonder whether places like this really still exist in our current world.

 

[storrsroars]

CBGB. 2013. Alan Rickman is the lead as Hilly, not too many notables in the cast (Malin Akerman is gorgeous as Debby Harry). This is just a lot of fun. There are historical inaccuracies, but who cares really?

Some of the actors cast then were nobodies but became somewhat somebodies (Rupert Grint, Johnny Galecki), but overlooking Taylor Hawkins as Iggy Pop in inexcusable, lol.

I saw it probably a year or two after its release. I know Rickman was alive when I saw it. It's light entertainment for music fans who remember that scene, and in that regard it's an enjoyable nostalgic trip. But I never sought it out again.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Some of the actors cast then were nobodies but became somewhat somebodies (Rupert Grint, Johnny Galecki), but overlooking Taylor Hawkins as Iggy Pop in inexcusable, lol.

I saw it probably a year or two after its release. I know Rickman was alive when I saw it. It's light entertainment for music fans who remember that scene, and in that regard it's an enjoyable nostalgic trip. But I never sought it out again.

Well Rupert was cast long after he was cast as Ron in Harry Potter. I suppose he's a name, but none of the Harry Potter kids have done much except Robert Pattinson and I guess Emma. I suppose Ashley Greene is moderately well known, and is certainly cute as heck as Hilly's daughter. I confess I have never found my way to the Foo Fighters so had to look up Taylor Hawkins.

Agree it's not really a re-watch candidate.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Seems like most modern sci fi is dystopian, dark, grimy, dirty, you can hardly see what's happening sometimes. I liked that this movie was bright, w/ some beautiful cinematography. That house in the sky was amazing. I think mostly filmed in Iceland?

Anyway I really enjoyed the film, have watched it several times over the years.

'In Germany, one of the most important pioneers of science fiction was the Expressionist Fritz Lang. His 1927 film Metropolis was the most expensive film ever released up to that point. Set in the year 2026, it included elements such as an autonomous robot, a mad scientist, a dystopian society, and elaborate futuristic sets.'

weirdorama.

 

[dbmill]

'In Germany, one of the most important pioneers of science fiction was the Expressionist Fritz Lang. His 1927 film Metropolis was the most expensive film ever released up to that point. Set in the year 2026, it included elements such as an autonomous robot, a mad scientist, a dystopian society, and elaborate futuristic sets.'

weirdorama.

Never expected that Metropolis to get a mention in this thread. Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" goes way back with me. Aside from some Charlie Chaplin films, it was one of the first silent movies that I ever saw. I first saw it when I was a kid, I think in my teenage years, and it immediately struck a chord with me, and this movie stuck with me ever since. It is one of my favorite silent movies, and one of my favorite science fiction films as well.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Never expected that Metropolis to get a mention in this thread. Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" goes way back with me. Aside from some Charlie Chaplin films, it was one of the first silent movies that I ever saw. I first saw it when I was a kid, I think in my teenage years, and it immediately struck a chord with me, and this movie stuck with me ever since. It is one of my favorite silent movies, and one of my favorite science fiction films as well.

back in grammar school, the shop steward of our local 'we hate piano lessons' union, scored a dvd with a double feature, 'the 5,000 fingers of dr t,' and 'metropolis.' i asked pops aboot the flix, and he said something like 'so u guys got a union, too? that mad piano teacher story was around in my time. and no, we are not ending ur piano lessons.' about metropolis, 'that's a good sci-fi story.' we figured out the silent part on our own. he was right, and it was my first silent film too. grand, scary, and dark. very german in hindsight, and very great still today. same questions, different props.
the nutcase piano teacher movie? well, it's odd that it was first presented (promo trailers and such) as some kind of 'wonderful, musical entertainment,' but it's not. it's a freak show. the guy sez stuff like 'when the plumber is done fixing the sink, i want him disintegrated, atom by atom,' and so on. he can hit a button, and a rack pops out of the wall with like 30 different cigars, all lit, when he offers a guest a smoke. then there's the piano with 500,000 keys requiring 400 child players. the whole thing was highly disturbing as a kid. not sure which one more.
kant, nietzsche, all them german guys yammerin on ain't got nuthin on thursday nite, 8 pm, when mr teacher visits to see if u practiced last week. lots of praying for ice storms then, i'll tell u what. at least that guy was a hoops fan.
did u ever have to take piano lessons for eight years? lol.
i mean, seriously? 'wonderful entertainment?'

'molten lead, chopping blocks, and hot boiling oil' for not practicing.
a complete freakshow horror movie.

 

[Jay-Bone]

The Last Duel (Netflix) - A Maffleck movie. Worth a watch, especially if you like historical period pieces. A little long and grueling, but entertaining nonetheless. Interesting to see the differences in vantage points and recollections. Women have come a long way, but still have a ways to go with this one ever unfortunate situation. Jodie Comer is so versatile, it didn't take me long to forget about her Killing Eve character, of which was so great seemed would be unforgettable.

 

[Waquoit]

Never expected that Metropolis to get a mention in this thread. Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" goes way back with me. Aside from some Charlie Chaplin films, it was one of the first silent movies that I ever saw. I first saw it when I was a kid, I think in my teenage years, and it immediately struck a chord with me, and this movie stuck with me ever since. It is one of my favorite silent movies, and one of my favorite science fiction films as well.

About a decade or so ago, they re-released Metropolis with added found footage. Real Art Ways sponsored a showing with a live-music accompaniment by the Alloy Orchestra. Cool movie with a live soundtrack made for a great night. The Alloy guys were spent at the end, no breaks.

 

[dbmill]

About a decade or so ago, they re-released Metropolis with added found footage. Real Art Ways sponsored a showing with a live-music accompaniment by the Alloy Orchestra. Cool movie with a live soundtrack made for a great night. The Alloy guys were spent at the end, no breaks.

The added footage came from a print that was found in a film archive in Argentina, if remember correctly. Before that, Metropolis was a great movie, but the plot line was a bit difficult to follow due to the missing footage. For me, the discovery of the added footage really did help clean up the story line. I did buy a DVD copy of Metropolis with the missing footage shortly after it was released for sale.

 

[Husky25]

I haven't really followed this thread as close as the 2019 or 2020 ones, but the postponement of the WFT/Philly game yesterday allowed me to not give a second thought about missing football for my second movie theatre movie of 2021. The first was The Croods II for my son's fifth birthday in January, when we rented out a full theatre for about 20 people.

Yesterday, I took my older son to Ghostbusters: Afterlife. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would going in, with multiple call backs to the first two Ghostbusters movies. It even got a little dusty at the very end.

 

[nwhoopfan]

If you're in a contemplative mood, "Little Fish" was intriguing. Filmed several years ago, it's set during a pandemic but purely coincidental and not related to what we're currently going thru. In this the symptoms are somewhat like Alzheimers or dementia. It might be gradual, or it might be rapid onset. But all of that is just a framework, the movie is an examination of how memories shape us and make us who we are. A bit slow, but it kept me interested. Olivia Cooke...what can I say? I always enjoy her acting. Jack O'Connell was the male lead, I thought he was good as well. Small cast. Seems like Raul Castillo has been popping up everywhere lately, that guy is fairly versatile.

It was supposed to be set in Seattle, which means it was probably filmed in Vancouver, BC. I didn't really recognize any locations, other than Gas Works Park, that was definitely the real deal.

 

[CL82]

Out of Death (2021)
No, that is an a typo, that’s the actual movie name. Yes, it makes absolutely no sense, which is perfect for this movie. The plot is that a photo journalist witness is a murder by a police officer and then in turn is stocked by the officer. The bad acting by the actors is only exceeded by the bad judgment of the characters. Nothing anyone does means any sense. Ever wonder what Bruce Willis phoning in a roll just to cash a check would look like? Well, this movie is it. He is underutilized and barely trying. Almost worth watching just so you could say you witnessed its epic badness.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Ever wonder what Bruce Willis phoning in a roll just to cash a check would look like? Well, this movie is it. He is underutilized and barely trying.

Doesn't that describe everything he's done the last 5 years or more? He's been attached to a lot of B grade stuff, seems like they use him to try to draw an audience and he might not play much of a role. Seems like he's one of those "won't say no to anything" kind of actors when it comes to roles and projects.

 

[CL82]

Doesn't that describe everything he's done the last 5 years or more? He's been attached to a lot of B grade stuff, seems like they use him to try to draw an audience and he might not play much of a role. Seems like he's one of those "won't say no to anything" kind of actors when it comes to roles and projects.

Watch it and tell me. For me it was a new level of suck.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Watch it and tell me. For me it was a new level of suck.

I'm gonna have to pass. I've mostly been avoiding Mr. Willis for a while now.

 

[CL82]

Leave No Trace (2018)
This is another movie that explores the people who live on the fringes of society in the vein of Nomadland. A 13-year-old girl named “Tom” and her dad have a camp in a state park near Portland. They live happily together until she is spotted by a jogger in the park police are sent in. They take Tom and her dad into custody and after questioning them social services gives them home to live in and a job for Tom‘s dad. Tom likes the social interaction, and it definitely is an improvement in their living conditions but one day her dad struggles to live summing people. Eventually circumstances push them into another semi-social living arrangement. There is an inherent tension between the dad’s desire to be alone, likely due to mental illness, and Tom’s new found desire to be among people.

The interesting thing about the movie is that it is based on a true story. I enjoyed it so much that I am now reading the book “My Abandonment” by Peter Rock. So far, that’s pretty good too, although different from the screenplay.

This was a good movie and the actress who played Tom whose name in real life is Thomasin McKenzie is one to watch.

 

[CL82]

I'm gonna have to pass. I've mostly been avoiding Mr. Willis for a while now.

Well you can still do that and watch this movie, since his screen time is fairly minimal.

 

[storrsroars]

Ever wonder what Bruce Willis phoning in a roll just to cash a check would look like?

That's about 75% of what he's done since 2007's "Live Free or Die Hard". 45 films since then, nine in 2021 alone. And he's got 10 more in production for 2022-23. My over/under is that most people haven't heard of more than 11 of those.

And when he sleepwalks through a role, he really sleepwalks through a role.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I think up thread there was a discussion about various versions of King Arthur over the years. Hulu has the 2004 version starring Clive Owen that was brought up, so I decided to watch it. Probably haven't seen it in 15 years. It was okay. Kind of like Centurion or The Eagle. I gotta say though, it had a killer cast. I think probably most of them weren't very well known by American audiences at the time.

 

[Mano]

8-Bit Christmas - A Christmas Story takeoff for a new generation. A pleasant watch and very relatable for my younger gamer self.

Console Wars - Another nostalgia filled trip this time in documentary form. You could've definitely called me a Sega fanboy at one time so this was a fun watch.

Dragged Across Concrete - S. Craig Zahler is absolutely a writer/director to keep two eyes on. I knew him solely for his reputation for delivering completely brutal flicks like Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99 and that rep is on full display here as well. The first hour is perhaps a bit slow but nonetheless engaging as the dialogue has a great back and forth to it, things really start crackling in the second half. Quality.

Encanto - Delightful songs and visuals. Pretty and witty but drags just a touch here and there. A very solid kid's offering.

Riders of Justice - Love Mads, he's consistently great. The supporting cast are all eccentric, funny, and superb actors as well. A fun, vigilante revenge tale with some twists. Only thing I didn't like was the

Spoiler

total lack of consequence from the authorities for our heroes. Seemed odd that they could wantonly kill as they did and not face any reprisal from the law really.

Another Round - Mads was again superb. Taking his character through his midlife crisis in a very believable manner. Its a slippery slope trying to enjoy the benefits of a little (or a lot) of social lubrication.

The Matrix Resurrections - Oy, what a dud. Plot wise I quite enjoyed the story they were trying to tell but even for a franchise as exposition-heavy as The Matrix this one took it to a new level. So much talking to explain crap we should instead be shown and then its interspersed over and over again with needless flashbacks from the previous movies. Combine that with shoddy CGI and effects, poorly choreographed and lazily shot/staged fight scenes and it comes up well short of the already very low expectations I had coming in. Groff also was a poor fit, Doogie was little better.

Kid's Movie Lightning Round

Back to the Outback - Surprisingly decent. I enjoy an Aussie accent.

Ron's Gone Wrong - Poorly paced and felt like it had more than a few times where it was about to end but not bad overall.

Rumble - Thoroughly forgettable.

Clifford the Big Red Dog - Some charm, lots of boring. CGI isn't quite there yet for what they're asking of it in this instance.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Arthur Christmas. 2013 (I think). Some superb voice talents here and it’s just damned funny. From the folks who do Chicken Run and other kids movies in the UK. This is an animated Christmas gem for the whole family.

 

[Kolumbo]

Knives Out (2019) - Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Aramas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer. I thought it was very good. A great Sherlock Holmes - Hercule Poirot type of role for Daniel Craig, although it was very strange watching him speak with a southern drawl, most likely a Mississippi accent because his inspiration was Shelby Foote. I kept thinking the Judge from My Cousin Vinnie. A clever whodunit. I like the setting and the story, very entertaining overall.

Fire With Fire (2012) - Josh Duhamel, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Vincent D'Onofrio. Not great, but not too bad. Something to watch at home with nothing else to do. Josh has the lead role and Bruce is much more subdued than usual.

Destination Wedding (2018) - Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder. The banter is somewhat entertaining but overall, blah. There are some good lines but it gets very dull after a while.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Being the Ricardos. 2021 Prime. So, the story of Lucile Ball and Desi Arnez, starting Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as the leads. This is an interesting film and I quite like the use of three real people to provide commentary at the start and key moments. People who were actually there and are played by actors in the film. The focus is on on critical week in the making of I Love Lucy. But there are flashbacks that fill out the story of how they met and how the show came to exist. It's quite interesting. One early comment from the real folks involved was certainly interesting: 60 million weekly viewers. In the early 50s. There is no modern equivalent, even in total numbers, let alone as a % population. Both lead actors do a good job, and JK Simmons is great as William Frawley (Fred Mertz). I found it quite an enjoyable film that delves into the story people we also know and remember at some level.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Saw "Don't Look Up" last night, really enjoyed it like everyone else in this thread.

 

[storrsroars]

Death to 2021 (2021, Netflix). When they did "Death to 2020" it was somewhat amusing. But now we've seen it, the jokes are mostly the same and it falls flat. Only of interest to the Nelsons and Jibseys of the world.