Recently Watched Movies 2024

[CardiacAndre7]

The Zone of Interest. This movie has been nominated for and won awards, and critics seem to like it. It's the story of Rudolf Höss the Nazi commander of the Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII. It's really about him, his wife Hilda and their children, who all lived in a nice house, with a nearby river, literally adjacent to the camp. You can see smokestacks and hear what's going on in the camp, which is managed by Hoss. Yet they swim in their pool, or the river, the kids play and they act like they in a suburban neighborhood. They also enjoy the spoils of those brought to the camp. He works with engineers to improve "efficiency". If that sounds truly monstrous and inhumanly awful, well yes. Unfortunately, that's the movie. There's no story arc really just the juxtaposition of his family's attempt to live a nice life while having no empathy compassion or feeling at all about the events at the camp next door. If you can imagine being there and watching that family go through their daily activities and listen to what they talk about, the movie is like that.

I don't recommend it. There is nothing to be learned that you can't get from that summary or Wikipedia. If you feel like you need a refresher on how truly horrific, cold, efficient and brutal the holocaust was, well, this will do it.

I consider my self a big cinephile and love A24, but I walked out of Zone of Interest 45 minutes in. I was excited to see it, the trailer piqued my interest, and was hugely let down. I will watch the rest on my couch at some point, but it was just such a slog.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Sheena" is full on 80s cheese. But Tanya Roberts, so that's a good enough reason to watch it. And the horse painted w/ zebra stripes is pretty classic. I can tell you this, a PG rating in 1984 is not the same as a PG rating now. This would earn a solid R. Streaming on Prime.

 

[Waquoit]

Thought Lily Gladstone was a shoo-in for performance and, hate to say it, political reasons.

You hate to say it? Since when?

 

[storrsroars]

You hate to say it? Since when?

Since I wrote the comment. I thought Lily did a great job and she was a favorite as the first Native American to win, but Emma's effort was on a whole other level, and the film itself was being derided for its theme and its nudity.

 

[CL82]

I get the reticence. I don't know how to best describe the sex parts, but as she was in turbo-driven sexual awakening mode and a more than willing participant, it just didn't seem as bad as it sounds, especially when played as comedy. That said, at some point there was just too much of it. I personally didn't even find it titillating, but I suppose if one has the hots for Emma Stone, it likely would be.

I saw one review that basically said the viewer was apprehensive about watching it, but was glad they did even if they likely won't watch it again. The story has a positive outcome. She is the heroine. Along the way there are fascinating characters, beautiful cinematography, lots of humor, an innocence from looking at the world through what's basically a child's eye, a morality play on the meaning of love and family, a triumph of self-acceptance, and the emergence of a confident woman with power to decide her own path. And yes, plenty of creepiness too. As I noted in my first post, it's a ton to unpack as weirdness and discomfort comes flying at you from all directions very quickly.

In the end, I can't say I felt "dirty" for watching the thing, but I also can't say I feel totally clean either as the argument that if it's a chlld's brain, it's a child, is valid. I suppose I'd respond with, "it's all in the context". Ultimately, my feeling is that it was a pretty heroic effort by Stone to deliver such a unique character and take such risks doing so. But YMMV, and it's perfectly understandable to take a pass based on personal morality regarding the sexual elements of the film.

I got as far as just before she leaves with the lawyer. It was sufficiently gross at that point that I bailed.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Damsel. New movie on Netflix with Millie Bobby Brown (who must have a contract with Netflix) and Ray WInstone. Smaller roles from Angela Basset and Robin Wright (ironic casting). It's not breaking new ground really. Elodie (Brown) lives in a kingdom, is betrothed to a price in a faraway land. There's a dragon (voice by the wonderful Shohreh Aghdashloo) there and things aren't what she was expecting. Elodie is pretty handy and capable, chops wood and isn't a dainty lass. That matters in the end. I liked the Enola Holmes movies (first is better) and this is another "girl power" offering, but in a way that is just fine really (unlike some of the Marvel efforts). I enjoyed it for what it is. Some of the sets are obvious sets, but there's some nice exterior shots in what I recognized as Portugal.

 

[Palatine]

Damsel. New movie on Netflix with Millie Bobby Brown (who must have a contract with Netflix) and Ray WInstone. Smaller roles from Angela Basset and Robin Wright (ironic casting). It's not breaking new ground really. Elodie (Brown) lives in a kingdom, is betrothed to a price in a faraway land. There's a dragon (voice by the wonderful Shohreh Aghdashloo) there and things aren't what she was expecting. Elodie is pretty handy and capable, chops wood and isn't a dainty lass. That matters in the end. I liked the Enola Holmes movies (first is better) and this is another "girl power" offering, but in a way that is just fine really (unlike some of the Marvel efforts). I enjoyed it for what it is. Some of the sets are obvious sets, but there's some nice exterior shots in what I recognized as Portugal.

It's not a bad movie. As you said it doesn't break any new ground except it is female centered with some minority inclusion. The Evil Queen and the Damsel are the leads. It is pretty well done if not A+ film making. You can see almost every move coming. Definitely a young adult movie but I made it all the way through. Two Stars.

 

[Palatine]

Beau is afraid (2023) This is the kind of colossal failure that is only possible when a director takes a big swing. I am a fan of big swings but not of this movie. It is the worst piece of garbage I have watched as an adult. The cast is great, Joaquin Phoenix as Beau, Nathan Lane, Patti Lupone, and wasted. At 179 minutes it is torture. The film is unnecessarily long with stretches of virtual nothingness like walking slowly or languid close ups that reveal nothing. You could easily cut an hour (or more) out of this film which would be a great relief for audiences. Beau lives in a violent, dystopia and is making a trip home to see mom who may or my not be dead. I warned you. It is awful. Don't watch it. Zero stars.

 

[Aluminny69]

So I said in my last post about Dune that sci-fantasy is not my thing. But sci-fantasy could be, lol.

I'm an hour into Poor Things (Hulu). It's exhausting to watch, but not for the usual reasons. There is so much going on and so much unexplained - like how people are put off by Willem DeFoe's alarmingly disfigured face, but nobody who visits his home comments on the barking chicken with a dog's head or the giant bubbles DeFoe belches because he can't digest food properly - it's just too much sensory overload, and that's not even counting the numerous coitus scenes and the ethical dilemma of knowing that Mark Ruffalo is banging someone with the mental capacity and dialogue of a 5-year old. On top of that, there's the impeccable costuming, interesting and weird camera work, and overall terrific moviemaking taking place.

It is truly unlike anything I've ever seen regarding the plot, possibly because it's somewhat hard to believe the whole thing seems so scandalous that I'm surprised this film even got made, let alone attract an A-list cast. Based on reviews, I'm fairly sure I know what the point is supposed to be, and I suppose it will become clear in the second hour-plus, but I had to take a break as it was all too much, albeit in delightfully bizarre ways.

There are several videos on Youtube explaining the movie. One video does a deep dive into Mary Shelly's life, book, and tie ins. Also, the different Philosophies covered. But this is a movie that can be enjoyed on several different levels.

 

[Aluminny69]

Poor Things is a comedy. I admit it took me awhile to realize it. Dafoe was especially hilarious.

Yes. I watched this movie on Hulu not knowing anything about it. The first thing that hit me was that this was a remake or retake on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Then I found many scenes and lines funny, and wondered if I was supposed to be laughing. On IMDB the movie is listed as COMEDY/DRAMA/ROMANCE. IOW, it defies any category. The movie is different from any movie you have ever seen. It is one of those movies that you will be thinking about long after it's over. How would you act if unfettered by social norms?

 

[nwhoopfan]

Watched a couple mediocre at best movies this week. "The Kill Room" had potential, but it didn't quite get there. Uma Thurman owns an art gallery that is struggling mightily. It seems she used to be a fairly big player in the art world but has become pretty much a joke. Out of desperation she agrees to launder money through her gallery for Samuel L. Jackson, who in turn is running a Jewish bakery and is under the thumb of some Russian mobsters. To make the whole thing go they feature paintings by an unknown and unheard of artist who goes by "The Bagman"...who happens to be a cleaner for the mobsters. He almost instantly blows up into the hottest artist around. The whole thing is a scathing critique of modern art, dealers/gallery owners, collectors, and anybody else within the periphery.

Also watched "Freelance" with John Cena and Alison Brie (and Christian Slater, totally forgot about that guy). Cena is retired special forces, struggling with hating his job and having his marriage fall apart (oh yeah, Alice Eve is briefly on screen as his wife). Slater was in his unit, pulls him back in for a 1 time only gig working for his private security/paramilitary outfit. He's supposed to babysit Brie, who is a disgraced journalist trying to get back on track w/ an exclusive interview with a South American (made up country) dictator. Of course they end up in the middle of a coup attempt and everything goes spectacularly wrong. Seems like this movie couldn't really decide if it was going for action or comedy. It was okay, but forgettable.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Amazon just did a remake of "Road House" starring Jake Gyllenhaal. You are taking chances when you remake a cult classic, people are most likely gonna hate it (the original is a cruddy movie, let's be honest, but it has a loyal fan club). I thought it was decent enough, but the end went off the rails. Cuz that's where endings usually go. The fight scenes were pretty brutal. It being 2024, if you want a guy to be really tough, he can't just be a brawler, he's gotta be a MMA dude. So Jake was. And they went out and got Conor McGregor apparently in his film debut to play the nemesis. It's not particularly memorable, but it's okay for 2 hours of entertainment.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Marlowe. Stars Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, with a loaded cast. Directed by Neil Jordan. This is an unusual film. Set in LA in the 1930s, detective Marlowe is engaged to find a missing person by a wealthy socialite (Kruger). Nothing unusual there. The challenge is the dialogue. In what I suppose was an attempt at authenticity, it uses lingo and expressions from that time and place and as a result, it’s hard to understand what is being said. It’s slow moving and yet jumps from place to place. It’s ok at best. One interesting element is a

Spoiler: Spoiler

rarely seen powerful individual who is clearly meant to be Joe Kennedy.

 

[CL82]

the original is a cruddy movie, let's be honest,

 

[HuskyDevil]

Amazon just did a remake of "Road House" starring Jake Gyllenhaal. You are taking chances when you remake a cult classic, people are most likely gonna hate it (the original is a cruddy movie, let's be honest, but it has a loyal fan club). I thought it was decent enough, but the end went off the rails. Cuz that's where endings usually go. The fight scenes were pretty brutal. It being 2024, if you want a guy to be really tough, he can't just be a brawler, he's gotta be a MMA dude. So Jake was. And they went out and got Conor McGregor apparently in his film debut to play the nemesis. It's not particularly memorable, but it's okay for 2 hours of entertainment.

Light and entertaining...I didn't regret those 2 hours! McGregor is hilarious with his walk and glares...

 

[HuskyHawk]

Oiuja: Origin of Evil. 2016. Was looking for a supernatural horror movie and every list had this one high up. What? So we watched it. And yes, it was good. Quite scary at times. Well paced, not too long., set in 1969 Stars Elizabeth Reaser who is a bit of a screen queen, as the attractive mom. She's a fake psychic trying to get by after her husband was killed. Her two daughters help out. The older one (Annalise Basso) uses a Ouija Board at a party and suggests it to the mom. Then the younger daughter (a very spooky Lulu Wilson) uses it and well, seems she has some actual psychic juice. Bad things follow. Written and Directed by Mike Flanagan who did the Haunting at Hill House (some of the same cast), Midnight Mass Netflix series and Oculus movies. Naturally, he's from Salem, MA. The reviews said the original Oiuja is awful but this prequel was universally liked and I agree.

 

[NEforceUConn]

I finally watched Atomic Blonde, after several web critics raved about it.

I won’t waste time commenting on it, but I rather should have watched reruns of Barnaby Jones.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Restore Point" is pretty interesting. Czech film I believe. Fairly low budget sci fi that isn't dependent on special effects. More of a detective story really, set in the near future. Had to pay to rent it on Prime. Human brains can be backed up like computers, so if you die you can be set to a restore point. Of course there is more going on behind the scenes with the institute that developed the tech.


edit--I see something claiming this was made for $2 mil Euro. It looks quite good given it's budget. Compare that to many Hollywood films that spend $150-$200 mil and look like junk. Bright, shiny junk, but junk all the same.

 

[Waquoit]

I won’t waste time commenting on it, but I rather should have watched reruns of Barnaby Jones.

Not a spoiler, but you'll find that the meanest of the bad guys is the one who calls Barnaby, "Pops".

 

[NEforceUConn]

Not a spoiler, but you'll find that the meanest of the bad guys is the one who calls Barnaby, "Pops".

I thought it was Mr Drysdale….oh wait.

 

[nwhoopfan]

"Zero Effect" (1997). Saw it way back when, remembered absolutely nothing about it, although my recollection is that I enjoyed it. Kinda different. Bill Pullman plays a brilliant detective but very flawed human. Ben Stiller is his assistant. This is not a comedy. Ryan O'Neal is the client, Kim Dickens becomes a person of interest in the case (blackmail). It's slow, my attention lagged at times, yet there is some nuance and intrigue to it. A bit noirish. It was filmed in and around Portland, OR. I have to tell ya, I was pretty darn happy when there was a scene near the end filmed at Vista House at Crown Point, a very cool local landmark. East of Portland, a stone observatory perched on an outcrop nearly 1000 feet above the Columbia River, on the old scenic highway (pre-I-84). Don't think I've ever seen it in a movie before. Well I did see this movie more than 20 years ago probably and apparently forgot about that detail.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Given the time of year, I went looking for J esus C hrist Superstar. It is on Peacock. I don't love the movie because it has too many lulls and dragged out, 60's style musical songs, but Carl Anderson is simply freaking amazing as Judas. I know Anderson had a good stage career, but he is one of the more puzzling "why didn't this guy do more" actors of that generation.

 

[dbmill]

Given the time of year, I went looking for J esus C hrist Superstar. It is on Peacock. I don't love the movie because it has too many lulls and dragged out, 60's style musical songs, but Carl Anderson is simply freaking amazing as Judas. I know Anderson had a good stage career, but he is one of the more puzzling "why didn't this guy do more" actors of that generation.

My wife loves the movie "J esus C hrist Superstar", and I enjoy it quite a bit as well. We own a DVD copy of it, and we tend to watch both it and "The Ten Commandments" around Easter time almost every year.

 

[dbmill]

Given the time of year, I went looking for J esus C hrist Superstar. It is on Peacock. I don't love the movie because it has too many lulls and dragged out, 60's style musical songs, but Carl Anderson is simply freaking amazing as Judas. I know Anderson had a good stage career, but he is one of the more puzzling "why didn't this guy do more" actors of that generation.

Agree with you about Carl Anderson in this movie, he is terrific in this film.

 

[nwhoopfan]

After watching "Along Came a Spider," finally got around to "Kiss the Girls." It is pretty creepy, my memory served me correctly. Strong cast, some good performances. To me it kinda derailed when it shifted to California and never quite got back on track. End dragged out a bit too.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Ricky Stanicky. Typical Farrelly stuff. Crude with about half the jokes missing. Stars Zach Efron and John Cena. Three friends make up a third friend to blame things on and use an excuse (idea borrowed from Bunburry in Oscal Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest). Now adults, these morons still use Stanicky to avoid things they don't want to do. This causes trouble and they hire Cena to be Stanicky when the ploy begins to unravel. So this is where it gets funny. 90% of the good things in the movie and John Cena, the other 10% are Lex Scott Davis being very attractive as Efron's wife (he doesn't deserve her). Before his role as Stanicky, Cena sang altered cover songs with lyrics changed, and while crude, that was very funny (and well done by Cena). 2.5 stars at best.

 

[Palatine]

The Beekeeper Formula, one super dude against the world. Jason Statham is great in these roles. Same here. Lots of fun. Different sort of bad guy. It escalates for a long time. Yes, suspension of reality is required. If you like these kid of movies -I do- you'll enjoy it. Most of the movie takes place in New England. Two and a half stars.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I'm not sure how that works, but sometimes hoopla gets stuff that was just in theaters (or even simultaneous releases I think), and isn't streaming on any of the major platforms. I don't usually watch horror but I decided to give "Night Shift" a try because I like Phoebe Tonkin. Short, only about an hour 20 minutes. Most of the run time was just atmospheric and creepy, trying to make you nervous but nothing actually happening. Finally kicks in about the last 20 minutes. It was okay. I like Lamorne Morris too but he wasn't on screen much. Phoebe is running from her past, moves to a new place and takes a job at a terrible, run down motel as the night shift manager.

 

[Deepster]

Watched Poor Things last night. Spent a bit of today thinking about it and reading random reviews to see what I may have misinterpreted or missed.

I honestly don’t know what to make of it. I didn’t like the movie but I didn’t hate it. I never really liked Emma Stone’s character at any point in the movie. There were interesting parts or scenes and a lot of the movie was clearly well done but in the end? I don’t even know if i liked it or not.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

How to Be Single (2016, on Netflix) - a by the numbers, big-cast romcom that is above average. A strong cast (Leslie Mann, Jake Lacy, Rebel Wilson, Allison Brie, Nicholas Braun) help the movie along quite a bit, although I am amazed that this movie grossed over $100 million.

Dakota Johnson is gorgeous, but has no charisma at all, so it is strange that she is an A list star. Unless the camera is right on her, you end up looking everywhere else but at her.

The movie is based on a book by Liz Tuccillo, who also wrote He's Just Not that Into You, which was also turned into a movie. Those are her only two books, and both were turned into hit movies. I wouldn't say either are that good, but she clearly hits a chord, and I am surprised she has not done anything else.