Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Mid-Spring Edition. Happy Beltane!

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Couldn't find an interesting screenshot

Le dernier mercenaire (The Last Mercenary, Charhon, 2021) - It's hard to consider the self-referential Van Damme as very original or efficient here - it's certainly not as interesting and original as JCVD, and not as funny as Jean-Claude Van Johnson. Luckily, the tongue-in-cheek reflexivity is limited to just a few moments - problem is, the rest of the film is really just a pretty bad comedy. Because it has Van Damme in a respectable role (he's still very bad, don't get me wrong), I'll push it to 3.5.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Outside the Wire

with people. And Russians. Also robots.

2036. Civil war in the Ukraine, and for some reason the US is balls deep in it. A drone pilot operating out of Nevada looks in on marine patrol getting ambushed, and disobeys orders to fire a hellfire missile that kills a couple while blowing up a launcher that would've killed them all. He's punished by being sent to the conflict zone himself where the remaining platoon members welcome him with warmth and understanding...oh no, wait. They shit all over him and he's tossed aside to assist one particular Captain...who just happens to be a cyborg/robot/android posing as human. He's on a personal mission to find and kill General Koval, leader of one particular bloodthirsty faction who's out to acquire the codes to old USSR nuclear weapons still buried in the Ukraine. Oh, and also to teach lessons of humanity and the horrors of war to the drone pilot. Also other, nefarious motives that nobody who has ever seen a movie before would ever guess at in a million years...oh no, wait. You'll see it all coming a mile away. Heavy-handed moralizing happens.

Loses itself in misplaced morals. There's the old chestnut of trusting AI when you clearly shouldn't and exposing the drone pilot to the reality of what he's been doing, but in reality it's the same thing bomber pilots have been going through for generations. Modern drone pilots still get PTSD at very similar rates to ground troops, so the detachment the movie fears really isn't a thing. Also the endgame of nuking parts of the US to teach them a lesson is dirt stupid. Yeah, they react real well to their own territory being attacked. Ever heard of Pearl Harbor? How about 9/11? People making this movie haven't. Emily Beecham shows up, but she's nowhere near as hot as she was in Into the Badlands. Decent action sequences, though.

On Netflix. Meh.

Does this make me look fat?

 

[ProstheticConscience]

You're making me rich for no reason. Thanks!

I'd shoot you a like for that, but I've been deprived of that ability for now.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

The Green Knight - 8/10

I always give bonus points to films that are original and take chances. And while this is a take on King Arthur, Lowery's spin makes it unique and exhilarating. Not all of it works, but that's usually the case with a film like this. Feels like it requires multiple viewings, I look forward to seeing it again to see how it holds up.

 

[Pink Mist]

Ugetsu (1953) directed by Kenji Mizoguchi

In civil war plagued 16th century Japan, two peasants seek to profit from the ongoing strife around them. Genjūrō (Masayuki Mori), is a pottery maker who abandons his wife and child to sell his wares in the city, whereupon he meets a noblewoman named Lady Wakasa (Machiko Kyō) who seduces him at her castle. Meanwhile his brother, Tōbei (Eitaro Ozawa), wishes to be a samurai and leaves his wife to join a clan of samurai. Released in 1953, Ugetsu is a clear allegory to Japan’s wartime experience during the second world war, and is a critique of the greed, pride, and ambition which fuelled Japan’s militarism to the destructive detriment of its people. Appropriately for its subtext, Ugetsu is a ghost story, and a haunting and evocative one at that. Mizoguchi creates rich, almost dreamlike, settings to develop a sense of the supernatural. Most notably is a slow nighttime journey across a lake surrounded by a mystical fog which encircles the boat and creates a haunting and creepy atmosphere. Mizoguchi has great techniques and they’re all on display here, and he is really seasoned in this film in what I consider a masterpiece. Mizoguchi often is overshadowed by his contemporaries at the time, Kurosawa and Ozu, but his talent was just as good as displayed here.

 

[member 51464]

Stillwater - 7/10

I really enjoyed it. The first few minutes felt like "Matt Damon pretending to be an Okie," but I felt like it hit its stride and he did a solid job. A few moments of suspended belief later, and I must say it was quite a nice night out at the movies.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Dark City

with Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Jennifer Connolly, Keifer Sutherland, and other, surprising people.

Late 90's neo-noir brought to you by the director of The Crow. John Murdock (Sewell) wakes up in a hotel room with no memory of who he is. Oh yeah, the room has a dead hooker in it. Uh-oh. He bails in confused haste, and we soon learn there's a serial killer on the loose. Is it John? He has no idea. The detective on the case (Hurt) is lukewarm on the idea as well, and he's more interested in the mysterious Doctor Schreiber (Sutherland), who's being damn mysterious. Also mysterious is how the sun never seems to come up wherever they all are...and there are these pale guys in wide-brimmed hats and trenchcoats lurking around everywhere. John soon begins to exhibit mysterious powers of telekinesis...which the mysterious men called Strangers also mysteriously have. Did I mention there's a mystery afoot? Questions about who they are, where they are and what's really going on loom large as John tries to regain his memory and sort out how to get out of the city, which is no easy feat. Mystery ensues.

Hard to get much further into the plot without spoiling it, and even though the movie's more than twenty years old, it's still worth watching if you haven't seen it before. At the time I thought the reveal spoiled rewatch value, but it was on tv recently and I discovered I still really enjoyed it. Very much echoes the Matrix, which came out the next year, but has its own unique aesthetic and charm. Odd production note: Mr. Hand, the main Stranger tasked with hunting down John Murdock in the Dark City was played by Richard O'Brien, who played Riff Raff in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. IIRC he might have also been the musical director. Also another Stranger, Mr. Wall, was played by Bruce Spence, who was the gyro captain in the Road Warrior. Huh.

Easy now. Just a little check up from the neck up.

 

[OzzyFan]

I want to get this review out of the way instead of doing my full week in 1 day because friends/coworkers "pushed me" into seeing it after nagging me the last month to check it out, even if they said it wasn't great but a must watch.

The Tomorrow War (2021)
2.25 out of 4stars

First and foremost, as I've seen others state similarly, Chris Pratt can't act and doesn't have much natural charisma. There are countless times throughout this movie I was thinking to myself "why is Chris Pratt making a stupid face that doesn't gel with the scene?". I know after Guardians of the Galaxy blew up he was given some lead roles, but it's clear that was the majority of Pratt's success from that was because of the writing and directing behind that movie. And not that I want or feel a need to analyze a $200 million mediocre popcorn action movie, but I'll give it a go. The writing is hit and miss and beyond "dumb" in some situations. First and foremost, in my mind the solution to the problem at hand with future enemies attacking earth was obvious, and the first thing that hit my mind in said scenario "this problem gets solved in the present one way or another with finding a weakness in the enemies or being over prepared one way or another for them when their estimated arrival occurs or stopping their arrival altogether". In what world is logical, projecting success, or viable to start/force a worldwide draft of completely untrained civilians into 1 week combative military tours into the future to fight an enemy that has been ripping through your trained and 30years more knowledgeable/technically advanced military forces? "Face palm" "face palm" "face palm". That's an easy way to kills tons of people for no reason, expectedly so. That's the main plot everybody. "And they've mastered time travel but can only go from one specific location in the future to one specific location in the past in a loop". Really? And some of the other time travel concepts in this movie I will just say are non-sensical. I'll end with some of the action is good, the "enemy" is designed in an interesting and fun way (and deployed as such with it's actions in the movie), and the side story hits home and does in a way that many parents and their children can connect/relate to. Not all bad, but a really dumb plot all around and some horrible face acting.

 

[NyQuil]

Dark City is a bit of an underrated gem in terms of the sheer audacity of the concept and the visuals.

Sure, the conflict is resolved rather conveniently but it’s the kind of film that I think would have a great deal of trouble being made today.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Dark City is a bit of an underrated gem in terms of the sheer audacity of the concept and the visuals.

Sure, the conflict is resolved rather conveniently but it’s the kind of film that I think would have a great deal of trouble being made today.

I have it on the PVR. Still need to watch it. I saw it a long time ago, and remember very little.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Dark City

with Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Jennifer Connolly, Keifer Sutherland, and other, surprising people.

Late 90's neo-noir brought to you by the director of The Crow. John Murdock (Sewell) wakes up in a hotel room with no memory of who he is. Oh yeah, the room has a dead hooker in it. Uh-oh. He bails in confused haste, and we soon learn there's a serial killer on the loose. Is it John? He has no idea. The detective on the case (Hurt) is lukewarm on the idea as well, and he's more interested in the mysterious Doctor Schreiber (Sutherland), who's being damn mysterious. Also mysterious is how the sun never seems to come up wherever they all are...and there are these pale guys in wide-brimmed hats and trenchcoats lurking around everywhere. John soon begins to exhibit mysterious powers of telekinesis...which the mysterious men called Strangers also mysteriously have. Did I mention there's a mystery afoot? Questions about who they are, where they are and what's really going on loom large as John tries to regain his memory and sort out how to get out of the city, which is no easy feat. Mystery ensues.

Hard to get much further into the plot without spoiling it, and even though the movie's more than twenty years old, it's still worth watching if you haven't seen it before. At the time I thought the reveal spoiled rewatch value, but it was on tv recently and I discovered I still really enjoyed it. Very much echoes the Matrix, which came out the next year, but has its own unique aesthetic and charm. Odd production note: Mr. Hand, the main Stranger tasked with hunting down John Murdock in the Dark City was played by Richard O'Brien, who played Riff Raff in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. IIRC he might have also been the musical director. Also another Stranger, Mr. Wall, was played by Bruce Spence, who was the gyro captain in the Road Warrior. Huh.

Easy now. Just a little check up from the neck up.

Great f***ing movie. And yet the director's been a total trash can since.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Devil's Advocate (1997) - 7/10

Thought I'd take a break from The Station trilogy to watch what turned into a far stranger film than I expected. So Keanu Reeves can act? Too bad he still gets overshadows by Al Pacino just having fun and going all out here. Charlize Theron's maniacal character's arc is poorly done. The rest of the scenes don't do much in terms of courtroom drama, it's really closer in style to The Firm than anything. Relatively strong film but the lack of cohesion especially in the crazy final 20 minutes pull it down, Primal Fear was the neater film from that year.

Also anyone find it bizarre how many 90s films casually reference Donald Trump?

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Blow-Up (1966) - 7/10

Really hard film to rate because on one hand, it looks and feels sooo good. I cannot emphasize enough how good the outdoor scenes set in London look in Criterion HD to me. The bad though is that it's an Antonioni film so even with a great premise, he squanders it on bad meandering plot and characterization (yet it's still much better than his snoozefest of the Italian L'Trilogy). I guess it's a film for people who like to feel smart about film and themes, it's just wasted potential to me.

Black Panther (2018, rewatch) - 7.5/10

Enjoyed it more on rewatch and appreciate the production design even more. I'm not a Michael B Jordan fan at all though and still think Killmonger is the most overrated MCU villain. Still think the final battle between the two Black Panthers was a weak shaky-cam CGI-fest in comparison to the two better battles on the fall and it still loses itself a bit in the sort of generic-ness that plagued many MCU films from the 1st and 2nd stage as compared to the better ones of the third.

 

[Langdon Alger]

The Devil's Advocate (1997) - 7/10

Thought I'd take a break from The Station trilogy to watch what turned into a far stranger film than I expected. So Keanu Reeves can act? Too bad he still gets overshadows by Al Pacino just having fun and going all out here. Charlize Theron's maniacal character's arc is poorly done. The rest of the scenes don't do much in terms of courtroom drama, it's really closer in style to The Firm than anything. Relatively strong film but the lack of cohesion especially in the crazy final 20 minutes pull it down, Primal Fear was the neater film from that year.

Also anyone find it bizarre how many 90s films casually reference Donald Trump?

TV shows too. It’s funny to go back and watch movies and shows from the 90’s that reference Trump.

 

[Baby Punisher]

Lanskey. 6.5/10
It was decent story telling. It's not a true story, much of it is hearsay and speculation that knocks it down a peg, but it moves the story along to make its point.

 

[OzzyFan]

Whiplash (2014)
3.30 out of 4stars

"A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential."
My favorite Chazelle film, it's a powerful intense journey on the dedication and mentoring of a possible jazz prodigy, yet oddly it works quite well also as a purely dark comedy given the over the top-ness, major "turning point" events and conversations had, and one liners spouted out throughout the movie. Altogether bringing back the never-ending discussion on how does one achieve greatness and what is the true cost of greatness, not only in sports/instrumental-excellence shown here? How much dedication, sacrifice, determination, and combined natural skill/talent does it truly take to create masterful symphonies, solos, championships, accolades/awards, or even wealth? Are mind games, emotional and mental distress, verbal abuse, and overly harsh discipline/standards a necessary or even reasonable style of mentoring to push a student to their max potential or does it do more harm than good or somewhere in-between? There is no cookie cutter answer and this is a gray area situation. Are military-esque training tactics and discipline necessary when not preparing for a life or death situation? Easy example on the topic, Jordan's teammates had a love/hate relationship with him because of this style of leadership. That said, Jordan has 6 rings, 6 finals MVPs, and 5 regular season MVPs, alongside being considered the greatest player and greatest scorer in NBA history.

Poltergeist (1982)
3.10 out of 4stars

"A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts that abduct their daughter."
It's Paranormal Activity on Incredible Hulk level steroids, yet came out 25years prior to it. A really fun and excellently filmed must see haunted house story. I really don't want to ruin anything for those who haven't seen it, but the script is tight and event filled, the performances are solid, the paranormal investigators/experts are great (Zelda Rubinstein's perfect), there are excellent accoutrement touches all over the place, and the solution/all encompassing ending ties everything up in an overly gratifying enjoyable way.

A Ghost Story (2017)
2.60 out of 4stars

"In this singular exploration of legacy, love, loss, and the enormity of existence, a recently deceased, white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to try to reconnect with his bereft wife."
A very slow and deliberate artsy style film by David Lowery, this film is a perfect example why some consider him a lesser Terrence Malick. I have a lot of problems with the filmmaking, including the important inaudible song that plays a few times throughout the movie, a few long takes that don't deserve the screentime/audience overly contemplating what they are seeing/just saw/what the character(s) are thinking/experiencing, and altogether an overly pessimistic tale of death, legacy, existence, other musings on the subject that for the most part becomes force fed into the viewers mind through a 5minute monologue at a point during the film. Honestly, this movie doesn't connect to me much at all, so that could be a large part of my issue too. I have no fixation on my direct or indirect legacy on earth, I am not an overly attaching person, I am optimistic yet realistic on life/afterlife but do not meditate on true sadness or darkness, and possibly my favorite point relating to this subject....why do people fixate and overly analyze something that is way beyond their control/no one will ever find a direct answer to/something that should have minimal impact on their lives due to it's ambiguity, living in the present and making the most out of your life in the best way you possibly can moment to moment and day to day is always the correct answer to any life related question. I'll end with this movie is definitely overrated and imperfect imo, but it's above average intelligence depressing subject fodder.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

This thread needs kihei back ASAP.

 

[NyQuil]

This thread needs kihei back ASAP.

Gee, how nice.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

Blow-Up (1966) - 7/10

Really hard film to rate because on one hand, it looks and feels sooo good. I cannot emphasize enough how good the outdoor scenes set in London look in Criterion HD to me. The bad though is that it's an Antonioni film so even with a great premise, he squanders it on bad meandering plot and characterization (yet it's still much better than his snoozefest of the Italian L'Trilogy). I guess it's a film for people who like to feel smart about film and themes, it's just wasted potential to me.

Shoulda called this film Pretension, would have appreciated some self-awareness.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

Whiplash (2014)
3.30 out of 4stars

"A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential."
My favorite Chazelle film, it's a powerful intense journey on the dedication and mentoring of a possible jazz prodigy, yet oddly it works quite well also as a purely dark comedy given the over the top-ness, major "turning point" events and conversations had, and one liners spouted out throughout the movie. Altogether bringing back the never-ending discussion on how does one achieve greatness and what is the true cost of greatness, not only in sports/instrumental-excellence shown here? How much dedication, sacrifice, determination, and combined natural skill/talent does it truly take to create masterful symphonies, solos, championships, accolades/awards, or even wealth? Are mind games, emotional and mental distress, verbal abuse, and overly harsh discipline/standards a necessary or even reasonable style of mentoring to push a student to their max potential or does it do more harm than good or somewhere in-between? There is no cookie cutter answer and this is a gray area situation. Are military-esque training tactics and discipline necessary when not preparing for a life or death situation? Easy example on the topic, Jordan's teammates had a love/hate relationship with him because of this style of leadership. That said, Jordan has 6 rings, 6 finals MVPs, and 5 regular season MVPs, alongside being considered the greatest player and greatest scorer in NBA history.

Poltergeist (1982)
3.10 out of 4stars

"A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts that abduct their daughter."
It's Paranormal Activity on Incredible Hulk level steroids, yet came out 25years prior to it. A really fun and excellently filmed must see haunted house story. I really don't want to ruin anything for those who haven't seen it, but the script is tight and event filled, the performances are solid, the paranormal investigators/experts are great (Zelda Rubinstein's perfect), there are excellent accoutrement touches all over the place, and the solution/all encompassing ending ties everything up in an overly gratifying enjoyable way.

A Ghost Story (2017)
2.60 out of 4stars

"In this singular exploration of legacy, love, loss, and the enormity of existence, a recently deceased, white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to try to reconnect with his bereft wife."
A very slow and deliberate artsy style film by David Lowery, this film is a perfect example why some consider him a lesser Terrence Malick. I have a lot of problems with the filmmaking, including the important inaudible song that plays a few times throughout the movie, a few long takes that don't deserve the screentime/audience overly contemplating what they are seeing/just saw/what the character(s) are thinking/experiencing, and altogether an overly pessimistic tale of death, legacy, existence, other musings on the subject that for the most part becomes force fed into the viewers mind through a 5minute monologue at a point during the film. Honestly, this movie doesn't connect to me much at all, so that could be a large part of my issue too. I have no fixation on my direct or indirect legacy on earth, I am not an overly attaching person, I am optimistic yet realistic on life/afterlife but do not meditate on true sadness or darkness, and possibly my favorite point relating to this subject....why do people fixate and overly analyze something that is way beyond their control/no one will ever find a direct answer to/something that should have minimal impact on their lives due to it's ambiguity, living in the present and making the most out of your life in the best way you possibly can moment to moment and day to day is always the correct answer to any life related question. I'll end with this movie is definitely overrated and imperfect imo, but it's above average intelligence depressing subject fodder.

I think about that topic a lot. I think about people like Michael Jackson and Tiger Woods and how they were brought up to become exactly what they became. They brought some of the greatest entertainment we’ve ever seen, but at the same time it’s almost like a human sacrifice.

I really enjoyed Whiplash. Definitely over the top at times as you mentioned, but the first time I watched it I was blown away, especially by the ending.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

This thread needs kihei back ASAP.

I'm the Kihei now. Anyways,

Suicide Squad (2021) - 7.75A/10

 

[Osprey]

This thread needs kihei back ASAP.

Unfortunately, things will get worse before they get better because I'll be back in a couple of days.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Unfortunately, things will get worse before they get better because I'll be back in a couple of days.

At this point, I honestly miss you too! I mean,..

I'm the Kihei now. Anyways,

Suicide Squad (2021) - 7.75A/10

So, basically,

Suicide Squad > Black Panther > Blow Up (aka Pretension)

That's where we're now at?

 

[Osprey]

So, basically,

Suicide Squad > Black Panther > Blow Up (aka Pretension)

That's where we're now at?

You could have even more fun comparing my reviews. At least ItsFineImFine gave Blow Up a 7/10. I watched it last year and was bored by it and disliked it. If I'd reviewed it, I probably would've given it a 4/10. I also gave Santa Claus Conquers the Martians a 6/10 last year. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is certainly not objectively better than Blow Up (or Don't Look Now or Nomadland). I just enjoyed it more. Not everyone grades on a strictly objective scale.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I just enjoyed it more. Not everyone grades on a strictly objective scale.

Oh I don't mind that at all if that's all there is to it - but comments like "his snoozefest of the Italian L'Trilogy / I guess it's a film for people who like to feel smart about film and themes" and "shoulda called this film Pretension" kind of sound like anti-intellectualism. I'm probably just in a bad mood.