Recently Watched Movies 2023

[dbmill]

What? "Moonrise Kingdom" and "Grand Budapest Hotel" gotta be on Wes Anderson's best lists. "French Dispatch" easily the worst.

I have said it before on these threads, "Moonrise Kingdom" is easily my favorite Wes Anderson movie, and is one of my favorite films of recent years. I have no desire to watch "French Dispatch" again, that is for sure, suspect that is the only Wes Anderson movie that I would say that about.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I really enjoyed "Gringa." I've long been a fan of Steve Zahn. He doesn't seem to get much credit, but he's a versatile actor who always delivers IMO.

In this one he is a former soccer pro turned alcoholic loser living off the grid in Mexico. He was briefly married to Judy Greer, he left her and his baby daughter about 15 years ago. When tragedy strikes the daughter, Jess Gabor (I was unfamiliar with her but I was impressed), she heads south of the border looking for him. It's got some humor, but it's not a comedy. Plenty of emotional depth to it. He coaches a local girls soccer team. HIs daughter was a bench warmer for her team in the U.S. I haven't seen Roselyn Sanchez in anything in years, she had a nice supporting role.

This was about as under the radar as you can get, but was better than at least 90% of the junk I've seen lately.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I saw "The To Do List" quite a while ago, hardly remembered anything other than I thought I liked it. Streamed it from hoopla. Very raunchy, but funny. Great cast (other than Christopher Mintz-Plasse; has anyone that lacking in talent ever managed to squeeze out a longer Hollywood career than that guy?). Aubrey Plaza is the typical overachieving valedictorian who missed out on almost everything non academic in high school. Decides she needs to get a rapid education in...other things...before college starts. Much awkwardness and hilarity ensues.

 

[ZooCougar]

I have said it before on these threads, "Moonrise Kingdom" is easily my favorite Wes Anderson movie, and is one of my favorite films of recent years. I have no desire to watch "French Dispatch" again, that is for sure, suspect that is the only Wes Anderson movie that I would say that about.

Asteroid City

I concur with @Waquoit and his review. If you have any interest in Wes Anderson movies, this is a must-see.

Visually stunning, creatively stimulating and one of Anderson's deeper and more provoking movies maybe ever. I left entertained, however, confused in a good way. A+ ensemble cast.

In terms of WA Top-3, it's up there. Definitely Rushmore and The Life Aquatic are in the Top 3, can't commit on a the third one, but I loved this movie.

The Royal Tenenbaums is #1 Grand Budapest #2 and The Life Aquatic is #3

I haven’t seen Asteroid City yet though.

 

[HuskyHawk]

65. Adam Driver. A long time ago, he's a space pilot for an advanced race of what seem to be humans. Somebody here gave it a bad review. It's not terrible, it's just not quite good either. There is a decent story about his daughter and the young girl he has to save that is really the main story, rather than "man lands on prehistoric Earth and battles dinosaurs". There's not much dinosaur fighting really, it's not Land of the Lost. It's a short film and there are very few people in it at all, the cast seems to be four people.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Torn," a documentary about the death of climber Alex Lowe and the impact on his family. Documentaries are almost always a bit dry to me, this was as well. Interesting enough. Also felt a bit voyeuristic at times. His oldest son directed it, so the family was inviting us to share their pain. Lowe's climbing partner and good friend Conrad Anker eventually married his widow and adopted the boys (3 of them). It's on National Geographic/Disney +.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I usually don't do a review if I don't finish a movie, but consider this a public service announcement. Trailers for "The Out-Laws" on Netflix made it look entertaining. I shut it down after 10 or 15 minutes. The script must've been horrid. Almost every line of dialogue was completely cringey. How do people get paid to write stuff like this?

 

[Palatine]

Renfield (2023).

It’s hard to find a new way to do Dracula but Renfield successfully turns the trick. Nicolas Hoult’s ackward yet grounded Renfield elects sympathy for his situation not only as the servant of the Prince of Darkness but as a victim trapped in an abusive relationship. Cage is Cage and that’s all that is really required here. He gladly chews the scenery and it looks delicious.

Unfortunately, Awkwafina is badly miscast and does virtually nothing with the part. There is zero sexual tension between her and Hoult and it is badly needed. This would have been a perfect role for Anna Kendrick or even Amy Shumer. Someone fun and sparky. Renfield deserves A for idea but F for execution. Too bad really. One star.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Avatar: The Way of Water" was better than I expected. It didn't really need to be 3 hours, but I very much enjoyed it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Renfield. I could not tell what scenes were filmed on my cousins' farm. Must have been interior scenes. As for the movie, it was a fun, tongue in cheek monster movie that didn't take itself seriously at all. The violence has a cartoon feel and I think that's very much intentional. I do think @Palatine is right that Awkwafina may not have been ideal in pairing with Hoult. Hoult is terrific and Cage camps it up as he is supposed to. Campy fun really. I enjoyed it, but don't expect much.

 

[M.S.G.]

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was very very very fun

 

[Palatine]

The Gray Man (2022)

Ryan Gosling has made a living keeping his mouth shut. It makes him perfect as the ex-con CIA asset that has his world torn to shreds. I love action movies so I am predisposed to liking this. Throw in Ana de Armas and I'm defenseless. Some of the action sequences - the Vienna scene in particular- are very long. They are also very well done and edited crisply. The body count is near John Wick territory. But this is actually an interesting story. You care about the characters. And everything is plot driven.

Chris Evans gets his chance to play the pyschopathic bad guy and he plays with a slight, very dark, comedic bent that works well. All the material is treated lightly (even the torture) and it really helps the flow of the movie. If you don't like action movies, you'll hate it. I love them. Three stars.

 

[Scoe]

Just saw Sound of Freedom a film everyone should see. Let’s try and keep it civil.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Just saw Sound of Freedom a film everyone should see. Let’s try and keep it civil.

No thanks. It's an important topic that is underreported. But I won't watch any movie with Caviezel.

 

[Dove]

Reality(2023)- This had to be a movie?

A transcribed recording of an FBI investigation of a suspected whistle-blower. Made into a movie.

No need to watch.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Mission Impossible 7: pretty sweet. Non stop action

 

[superjohn]

Just saw Sound of Freedom a film everyone should see. Let’s try and keep it civil.

#2 at the Box Office.

 

[superjohn]

Mission Impossible 7: pretty sweet. Non stop action

#1 at the Box Office.

 

[temery]

I just watched "Wish You Well" 2013, and really liked it.

Famous author father dies in a car accident, mom in some type of coma. Kids (daughter and younger son) and mom (catatonic) go to live with great grandmother in Appalachia.

Daughter is around 12, and wants to be a writer like her dad. Daughter is the focus of most of the story.

Coal company wants great grandmother's land, but that's pretty much the back story that wraps up everything at the end.

Spoiler: Sad story

with a nice ending.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Had a flight across the Atlantic on Saturday returning from a work trip.

Watched Amsterdam on the in-flight entertainment.

Liked the movie. Christian Bale can really do just about any role. Good combination of ensemble cast and newer names. Took me a minute to figure out Mike Myers in his role. It was so obvious I had trouble seeing it.

 

[Palatine]

Had a flight across the Atlantic on Saturday returning from a work trip.

Watched Amsterdam on the in-flight entertainment.

Liked the movie. Christian Bale can really do just about any role. Good combination of ensemble cast and newer names. Took me a minute to figure out Mike Myers in his role. It was so obvious I had trouble seeing it.

Thought it was just okay. Well done as a period piece. Watching Taylor Swift get run over by a truck was a highlight.

 

[temery]

Had a flight across the Atlantic on Saturday returning from a work trip.

Watched Amsterdam on the in-flight entertainment.

Liked the movie. Christian Bale can really do just about any role. Good combination of ensemble cast and newer names. Took me a minute to figure out Mike Myers in his role. It was so obvious I had trouble seeing it.

'I've never been a big fan of Margo Robbie's, but I've watched three of her movies in the past week - I'm a fan now.

 

[storrsroars]

Had a flight across the Atlantic on Saturday returning from a work trip.

Watched Amsterdam on the in-flight entertainment.

Liked the movie. Christian Bale can really do just about any role. Good combination of ensemble cast and newer names. Took me a minute to figure out Mike Myers in his role. It was so obvious I had trouble seeing it.

I'd never heard of this movie, but I'm familiar with Gen. Smedley Butler, so surprised I'd never heard of it. So I looked it up on Wikipedia and found a somewhat amazing bit of accounting info. Apparently the film cost $80 million to make, yet somehow lost $97 million for the studio.

 

[Palatine]

I'd never heard of this movie, but I'm familiar with Gen. Smedley Butler, so surprised I'd never heard of it. So I looked it up on Wikipedia and found a somewhat amazing bit of accounting info. Apparently the film cost $80 million to make, yet somehow lost $97 million for the studio.

Usually that is the result of a large publicity campaign which is not part of the film production. For example, just the marketing campaign for Avengers End Game was over 200 million dollars. The film cost 350 to make. So to make a profit on End Game the studio had to clear 550 million dollars.

 

[storrsroars]

Usually that is the result of a large publicity campaign which is not part of the film production. For example, just the marketing campaign for Avengers End Game was over 200 million dollars. The film cost 350 to make. So to make a profit on End Game the studio had to clear 550 million dollars.

I get that. Which is why I'm surprised I never heard of it. Never saw an ad, a trailer, earned media or paid PR placement, panel show clips... nothing. So if they spent a ton on promo, it wasn't at my older demographic, which I'd think, given the subject matter, would've been a key target.

Looked up the box office. It did $31 mill, slightly more overseas than in NA, which surprises me. So that would imply about a $48 mill promo budget. Also, most of the cast worked for scale or lower salary demands, so that could imply less willingness to do promo tours. Anyway, it's a subject of interest and I'd never heard of it - something that's kinda weird in an age where Google knows everything about me.

 

[HuskyHawk]

'I've never been a big fan of Margo Robbie's, but I've watched three of her movies in the past week - I'm a fan now.

Evidently, some guys on twitter think she's "mid". Um. Nope.

 

[temery]

Hot Fuzz

Been mentioned here in other threads. Good to very good movie I almost bailed on in the first 45 min or so. There were just too many insufferable characters that I would have wanted to throw out a window, yet the lead character just suffered their stupidity.

It gets better, and the good guy eventually wins.

7.8 IMDB. 91% Rotten Tomatoes.

Hot Fuzz (2007) ⭐ 7.8 | Action, Comedy, Mystery

2h 1m | R

www.imdb.com

 

[HuskyHawk]

Hot Fuzz

Been mentioned here in other threads. Good to very good movie I almost bailed on in the first 45 min or so. There were just too many insufferable characters that I would have wanted to throw out a window, yet the lead character just suffered their stupidity.

It gets better, and the good guy eventually wins.

7.8 IMDB. 91% Rotten Tomatoes.

Hot Fuzz (2007) ⭐ 7.8 | Action, Comedy, Mystery

2h 1m | R

www.imdb.com

This is the second of an informal trilogy from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The first is Shaun of the Dead and the third is The World's End. Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead are hilarious. The last one isn't as good. Fortunately, they also made Paul, which is really funny and adds Seth Rogan to the mix.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Anyone see Oppenheimer yet? Going tonight

 

[HuskyHawk]

Anyone see Oppenheimer yet? Going tonight

My wife and daughter are seeing it right now. My daughter picked the showing and it's Regal's RPX, so my wife is miserable. It's insanely loud. Unsafe volume levels without earplugs.