Recently Watched Movies 2022

[Deadrody]

If it's on Apple+, I won't be seeing it. But if it ever shows up on something I do subscribe to, I'll give it a watch.

Rarbg dot to

 

[storrsroars]

Rarbg dot to

Normally, one would say, "excuse me", after doing that in company.

 

[HuskyHawk]

American Hustle. This is a rewatch. Stats Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Brad Cooper, JLaw, Louis CK and others. This is a quasi fictional view of the ABSCAM investigation. The actors are fantastic. Amy Adams is swoonworthy. JLaw isn’t far behind. Bale is fat and bald with a combover and plays it. It’s fun, funny, complicated and a good movie. Con artists trapped by the FBI help the FBI trap others. Eventually that gets out of hand. But who is playinh whom?

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Last Night in Soho" was creepy. Story went in a different direction than I expected. Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie were both really good. I didn't exactly love it though. The numerous scenes of the 2 actresses mirror imaging each other was definitely intriguing.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Okay BY movie fanatics, is it just me or has anyone else ever thought Gary Cole and William Fichtner are the same person? Both have been in an absolute ton of movies, both great character/supporting actors, both very versatile. I'm never sure which one I'm watching when I see them on screen. Have they ever been seen at the same time in the same place? Just wondering.

I think they were in the same episode of Entourage once or twice, but never on screen together. They were definitely in the same episode of VEEP.

 

[HuskyHawk]

"Last Night in Soho" was creepy. Story went in a different direction than I expected. Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie were both really good. I didn't exactly love it though. The numerous scenes of the 2 actresses mirror imaging each other was definitely intriguing.

I really loved that movie. Thought it was underrated, one of the best movies of 2021.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I really loved that movie. Thought it was underrated, one of the best movies of 2021.

I wanted to like it more than I did. Some amazing cinematography. Just kinda fell short of expectations for me.

 

[nwhoopfan]

A few days ago watched "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." I knew pretty much nothing about it heading it. Found it to be very enjoyable. I don't think I've ever seen the lead actor before, I liked him. Nice to see Michelle Yeow. I don't think she was exactly young when she was first introduced to Western audiences, and here she is quite a few years later, still kicking butt and looking very graceful. I'm not a fan of Awkwafina, I find her to be very annoying. So that was a bit detracting. And then there was Ben Kingsley. In Iron Man III his character Trevor/The Mandarin was just the worst IMO, and for some odd reason they had him reprising that role. Really, really, really unnecessary. Oh well. The finale went a wee bit off the rails with the CGI too.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I was gonna say a little more about Shang-Chi, but my computer got wonky. I thought I saw some nods to movies like Crouching Tiger..., The House of Flying Daggers, etc., and also Jackie Chan. There was an elaborate fight scene outside a huge high rise building, on a series of rickety scaffolding. I think Jackie would approve of the choreography in that part.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Also watched "Black Bear" (Hulu). Odd film. It's almost 2 separate movies, that are kinda connected? I think Aubrey Plaza is the same person in both parts, but Sarah Gadon plays 2 completely different characters. The first part has 3 characters, Aubrey, Sarah and some guy I wasn't familiar with. I thought the guy was in the second part, but maybe it was somebody else who looked exactly the same? Again, totally different characters though. I think I would only recommend this if you're a really big fan of Aubrey. I quit after about 35 minutes, then came back a couple days later and finished it. Did I mention it was weird? Also really awkward and uncomfortable throughout.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I was gonna say a little more about Shang-Chi, but my computer got wonky. I thought I saw some nods to movies like Crouching Tiger..., The House of Flying Daggers, etc., and also Jackie Chan. There was an elaborate fight scene outside a huge high rise building, on a series of rickety scaffolding. I think Jackie would approve of the choreography in that part.

Agreed that it made some of those nods for sure. What made it work for me was the blending in of humor to the story. Awkwafina is somewhat annoying, but I felt like it worked here. The character is really supposed to be annoying.

 

[Kolumbo]

Okay BY movie fanatics, is it just me or has anyone else ever thought Gary Cole and William Fichtner are the same person? Both have been in an absolute ton of movies, both great character/supporting actors, both very versatile. I'm never sure which one I'm watching when I see them on screen. Have they ever been seen at the same time in the same place? Just wondering.

William Fichnter, I think of Sully in The Perfect Storm (2000). Gary Cole, Bill Lumbergh in Office Space (1999). Both born in 1956. Cole's been in a ton more stuff though, I think.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

After first getting a rec to watch it a few months ago, I finally decided to watch Bo Burnham’s Outside on Netflix.

I first learned of Burnham back when I was in college and he was releasing his songs on YouTube. He had talent, but I found him annoying, kinda like a John Mayer of his comedy.

After 15 years of kinda forgetting about him, I am amazed at his work on Outside. He’s an entertainment polymath.

It’s a hard to label production: the lines of entertainment and voyeurism are blurred. It’s pretty incredible to see him manage to finish the project powering through his own mental health issues.

It’s been a while since I’ve watched something where I’ve experienced such a wide range of emotions: everything from pure laugh out loud moments to amusement to fear to empathy to worry…excellent piece of art.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I liked the film so much, I gave it the wrong title. It’s Inside not Outside.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Wolf of Wall Street. 2013. Scorsese. DiCaprio. It’s pretty good, if also ridiculous at times. Certainly runs a bit long. Margot Robbie is stunning. One of the more interesting things is that the real Jordan Belfort evidently shared a jail cell with Tommy Chong, who encouraged him to write the memoir that was turned into this film.

 

[Palatine]

The Wolf of Wall Street. 2013. Scorsese. DiCaprio. It’s pretty good, if also ridiculous at times. Certainly runs a bit long. Margot Robbie is stunning. One of the more interesting things is that the real Jordan Belfort evidently shared a jail cell with Tommy Chong, who encouraged him to write the memoir that was turned into this film.

Terrible movie. Unwatchable. Zero stars.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Terrible movie. Unwatchable. Zero stars.

Well I didn’t think it was that bad. But it was worse than I expected.

 

[Dove]

What About Bob? - 1991

Definitely a bunch of laughs here but simply a paycheck for Murray and Dreyfuss

 

[CL82]

Richard Jewell 2019
This is Clint Eastwood's take on the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing and the rush to judgement to name the security guard who discovered the bomb, who was initially a national hero, as the bomber. I like Eastwood as a director and this film doesn't disappoint. I remember the story when it happened and the switch was stunning. Jewell was a national hero for three days and then his character was was destroyed in media and he became the villain and national punchline.

In summary, 34 Jewell had been "asked to resign" from his job as a college security guard. He'd moved back in with his mother, who was recovering from surgery and took a temporary job as part of the security for the Atlanta Olympics. At a concert event he discovers a unintended backpack and pendatically pushed to have a bomb team to take a look at it. When they do, they discover it contains three large pipe bombs and he and other push to get the area evacuated. Though two people died (one was a foreign reporter who had a heart attack rushing to the scene after the explosion who is only tangentially mentioned in the movie) his actions undoubted saved many lives and prevented injuries to many more.

Seeing all the press on how Jewell is a hero, his former boss at his college job calls the FBI and says basically that Jewell is a weirdo, and his cadence, and excessive deference to rules, do make him a bit off-putting, and he becomes a person of interest in the investigation. A local reporter discovers that information and runs with it, saying that he meets the definition of the FBI "Hero/Lone Bomber profile". It gets picked up by the media and Jewell's and his mother's life is trashed. (Fun fact: there is no such FBI profile. Kathy Scruggs, the original reporter, made it up tailoring the supposed criteria to the background she discovered about Jewell.)

The movie tells the story of "fake news" and abuse of power by Federal law enforcement it a compelling way. I highly recommend it.

 

[Deadrody]

After first getting a rec to watch it a few months ago, I finally decided to watch Bo Burnham’s Outside on Netflix.

I first learned of Burnham back when I was in college and he was releasing his songs on YouTube. He had talent, but I found him annoying, kinda like a John Mayer of his comedy.

After 15 years of kinda forgetting about him, I am amazed at his work on Outside. He’s an entertainment polymath.

It’s a hard to label production: the lines of entertainment and voyeurism are blurred. It’s pretty incredible to see him manage to finish the project powering through his own mental health issues.

It’s been a while since I’ve watched something where I’ve experienced such a wide range of emotions: everything from pure laugh out loud moments to amusement to fear to empathy to worry…excellent piece of art.

All due respect, but my daughter tried to get us to watch this and I couldn't make it through ten minutes. Maybe because I expected to lump it into the "comedy show" category like a Jim Gaffigan special and it isn't any such thing IMO.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Stardust 2007. Based on a Neil Gaimen book of the same name. This was a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. Did a re-watch, after my daughter said she wanted to see it again. The cast here is just amazing. Charlie Cox is the lead (later in Daredevil), Claire Danes, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mark Strong, Peter O'Toole, the very young Sienna Miller, Ricky Gervais and more. It's an interesting and creative story, as usual from Gaimen. It is changed a bit for the movie, and I don't love the casting of Claire Danes but everybody else is excellent. DeNiro is particularly brilliant in what may be his most unusual role. I just continue to find this a fun, enjoyable movie. Funny at times with some action and an interesting story.

 

[Kolumbo]

The Vanished (2020)
Anne Heche, Thomas Jane, Jason Patric, Aleksei Archer
Never heard of it and not great but it was OK for a weekend evening with nothing else to do. it was somewhat suspenseful with a few twists.

 

[Kolumbo]

The Wolf of Wall Street. 2013. Scorsese. DiCaprio. It’s pretty good, if also ridiculous at times. Certainly runs a bit long. Margot Robbie is stunning. One of the more interesting things is that the real Jordan Belfort evidently shared a jail cell with Tommy Chong, who encouraged him to write the memoir that was turned into this film.

Brilliant! I've watched it a few times. Some of the scenes are hilarious. DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Belfort's crew, a bunch of degenerates, awesome stuff. Yes, Margot Robbie is stunning. Gooble Gobble One of Us!

 

[CL82]

The Vanished (2020)
Anne Heche, Thomas Jane, Jason Patric, Aleksei Archer
Never heard of it and not great but it was OK for a weekend evening with nothing else to do. it was somewhat suspenseful with a few twists.

“OK for a weekend evening with nothing else to do.”. Pretty much a summary of Anne Heche’s movie career.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Nightmare Alley" is now streaming on Hulu. I've tried. Guillermo del Toro just isn't my guy. His low brow stuff (Hellboy, Pacific Rim) is way better than his Oscar bait stuff IMO. I just don't get the hype. Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, now this. His cinematography and F/X are always excellent, but the stories just don't grab me. This was long, slow and in the end just didn't add up to much. And what was with this being touted "the most shocking ending in years." No, it wasn't. Maybe a bit ironic, shocking isn't even close to an accurate description. This movie had a fantastic cast, it's not that any of them didn't perform well, but the whole thing just didn't come together for me. Oh well.