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

[tardigrade81]

Double Impact. 10/10. Classic 90s action movie

 

[kingsfan28]

Master and Commander. I love this movie, solid acting top to bottom and the sound design is outstanding.It will give your speakers a serious workout. I use this movie to calibrate all my equipment. Top 10 for me easily.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Re-watched a couple of movies from the 90’s I hadn’t seen in some time.

Dead Man Walking - 1995

Sean Penn plays a man on death row for murder, and Susan Sarandon plays a nun who comes to meet with him. I love Penn’s performance in this movie. He’s excellent, and Sarandon does a great job as well. I also want to give some praise to some of the supporting actors as well. The woman who plays Sean Penn’s mom is very good, and the parents of the two kids who were killed do a very nice job as well.

This is just a great movie. I can’t say much else really. Truly a great piece of work. Tim Robbins deserves tons of credit for his direction and screenplay.

American Beauty - 1999

I loved this movie when I saw it in the theatre in 1999, and it holds up great. Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning are great here, and Chris Cooper is terrific in a supporting role.

Interesting that this was Sam Mendes first film. Very impressive debut.

I think both these films are standouts from the 90’s. Great work.

10/10 for both

 

[Bruins4Lifer]

Master and Commander. I love this movie, solid acting top to bottom and the sound design is outstanding.It will give your speakers a serious workout. I use this movie to calibrate all my equipment. Top 10 for me easily. View attachment 460424

I don't think I've watched anything else where the surround sound was so pronounced throughout the entire film. It is quite something.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

The Cat o' Nine Tails (Il gatto a nove code, Argento, 1971) – Giallo #3 of my run back into the genre. It's a minor Argento film, and really doesn't live up to the brio of his first feature, but it still showcases hints of a real talent for storytelling and a knack for risky directorial choices (mostly very effective, but in this case some of the transitions just don't work – and what's up with recycling a visual gag from The Pink Panther?). Even more so than What Have You Done to Solange?, the film is a quasi-classical giallo, just a little too restraint, serious and realistic (the killer is just trying to cover his ass, not a maniac at all... in fact, there's an interesting tension between the film's proposition of a killer gene and the killer's motivation). And like Solange, it also ends up as a weak whodunit (too bad because it really had the dream team of giallo investigation with the reporter teaming up with a blind puzzlemaker – and most of the clues were typical to the universe of the director, half heard conversations, the killer cut offscreen on a photograph, etc.). The most amazing thing about the film is in the details: like he did later with Profondo Rosso, Argento gives away the killer through his frame composition. It demands attention, but it's there, not as straight up (and not as an editing masterclass) as it was in Profondo Rosso, here through visual association, but still in plain sight. Ballsy move that pushes my rating up to 6/10.
I should rate the Morricone scores of these films too... Like the Solange score, it's kind of uneven, but with amazing moments. Maybe a little less interesting overall, but the highlights here might be a little better.

Blood and Black Lace (6 donne per l'assassino, Bava, 1964) – Is this the very first true giallo? Tough to say, but it certainly set the standard, and way high. The film is a decent classical whodunit on itself, even though the writing is kind of rough (the exposition dialogue to untie the plot is very weak), but it's above all an amazing work of visual extravaganza – a feast for the eyes. Its quasi-neo-baroque aesthetics, with subtle (and pioneer) reflexivity, through mirrors, frames and theatrical settings, is enough to put it among the most important horror films of all times, but it is also very relevant to the gender politics at play in the genre, and an entry you can't overlook regarding the representation of women in films. Its influence on some very important directors that followed (Raoul Ruiz, Peter Greenaway – and a very huge etc.) is undeniable, but mostly it is the source material of the giallo films, and of most of Argento's signature. It even has the killer's face revealed in a quick edit which as said in the previous comment is something Argento will work with to brilliant heights. It doesn't have the great soundtrack that some other gialli have, and it is flawed in dialogue, intrigue, and some weird decisions (speeding up shots for instance), but other than that, it's one of the best of its kind, and certainly the canevas on which everything else was made – and a splendid one. 8/10

 

[OzzyFan]

What do you think of the ending? I'm of the opinion that Gunn isn't that great at closing films out but this was probably his best ending despite being mixed. At least no 'dance off' or crap like that.

I also do think that this benefited from the R rating, in the GOTG films, it feels like he's trying to be too edge-lordy and it might be cos of the PG-13 restriction causing that.

I also think Marvel is in a league ahead of DC but I'm perfectly fine if DC goes the route of making weirder films even if they aren't R-rated like this one rather than the Wonder Woman 1984 type crap.

Also I'm probably gonna end up watching Birds of Prey, I actually quite like Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and thought initially I'd hate it.

The ending

Spoiler

I'd say the ending was good but a couple things felt thrown together. The Starro part was fine and fun. Ratcatcher 2's epiphany and remembering of her dad's purpose for using rats didn't work like it should because her and her rats were used as a comedy tool most of the movie, if they actually gave her more backstory and examples for that relevancy, it would have worked better. I like the idea of Captain Boomerang living and starting a feud with Bloodsport because they had some of the best chemistry and back and forth amongst everyone in the movie, and that sequel push/aim could work well with the right surrounding parts. Setting Bloodsport, Harley Quinn, and Ratcatcher 2 free through bribery is a nice twist that gives them more options also in a sequel. The Bloodsport and his daughter moment felt forced. Weird to have such vitriol at an earlier meeting and then a complete opposite reaction from the unexpecting footage from a TV clip. If she heard about what Bloodsport did for her related to prison time and her future trial, then I get it a bit, but not how it was done in the film.

Just read Cena is getting his own HBO Max TV show as Peacemaker in January? Interesting.

Starlord walks a fine line between funny/goofy and annoying/prick, if that's what you mean there. Gunn definitely has to get more creative when he has to work with limitations, ratings/producers/marvel's fairly clean image/character arcs/etc., so you know there's definitely some altering of initial ideas there.

Venom Let There Be Carnage having an R rating and cut from the get go would have been another nice push forward into different territory than Marvel. Although, an unleashed Harrleson alongside Hardy could be fun never the less and more the angle they need to take with that. I have no dog in the fight, but DC obviously need to up the ante. Wonder Woman 2 was a creative choices nightmare and shows they shouldn't have given Jenkins as much control as they did, albeit Pascal was a lot of fun and Pine brought the charisma, but storywise and screentime deviation, just a complete mess. Phoenix's Joker was good different, Pattinson's Batman looks interesting for sure, and Shazam was a success.

Birds of Prey is worth a watch. It's fun and energetic, albeit a bit messy. Think of a girl-centric tamer and less organized The Suicide Squad.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Central Station (1998) - 6.5/10

The station trilogy starts off strong with an actual prolonged scene set at a bustling station (something which the sequels largely ignore). It's a weirdly mixed film in terms of emotions going up/down because of the two leads. A woman with some sort of damaged past we never learn about who's cranky and always annoyed and a little high-pitched punk ~10 year old boy argue the whole time which isn't exactly fun and it's hard to buy into their redemption arc at the end as a result. I really liked the warm Brazilian cinematography moreso than in other Brazilian films I've seen and the emotional ending is really well done but just not the most fun ride to get there.

The Station Agent (2003) - 8/10

One of the better sequels largely because they fixed the issue with casting creating one of the more likable casts I've seen. It's like a Jim Jarmusch film combined with Keneth Lonergan. A good mix of the quirky and the emotional. It's another film which highlights loneliness but focuses moreso on positivity and human connection than any of the other two and with really solid chemistry despite Peter Dinklage being fairly subdued throughout. The sort of makes you believe in people film you want.

Fruitvale Station (2013) - 6/10

Trilogy ends on a bit of a low-note based on a film which goes for an unflinching look based on a true-story. I don't like Michael B Jordan's punk-ass acting so watching him be the protagonist when you know it'll end in disaster is not exactly the most fun but the film does manage to show a really interesting modern American broken family dynamic which I can appreciate. It just isn't for me gimme more of that dreamist twee stuff from the 2nd film and not worth the 10 year wait.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Superbad - 2007

Funny movie. I never loved it, but I like it, and it has its moments. I’ve seen it a few times, and it has good replay value.

7/10

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Superbad - 2007

Funny movie. I never loved it, but I like it, and it has its moments. I’ve seen it a few times, and it has good replay value.

7/10

One of those dumb comedies that I've always thought held up really well. Unlike the other movies from the Rogen crew, it's the only one that I find doesn't crater after 45-60 minutes, though I find the breakfast scene to end Pineapple Express really inspired and well-placed.

 

[Langdon Alger]

One of those dumb comedies that I've always thought held up really well. Unlike the other movies from the Rogen crew, it's the only one that I find doesn't crate after 45-60 minutes, though I find the breakfast scene to end Pineapple Express really inspired and well-placed.

Not to mention, it has an oscar winner and a two time oscar nominee in it.

 

[kingsfan28]

I don't think I've watched anything else where the surround sound was so pronounced throughout the entire film. It is quite something.

I watched this once on a really high end home theater with a 9 channel surround system, and the open scene, with all the wood creaking sounds when you're walking through the ship was amazing. Just the littlest ambient sounds were picked up. Then when the canons start firing a few minutes later... oh man was it great!

 

[Osprey]

Master and Commander. I love this movie, solid acting top to bottom and the sound design is outstanding.It will give your speakers a serious workout. I use this movie to calibrate all my equipment. Top 10 for me easily. View attachment 460424

I love the sound design of many of those mid-90s to early-2000s movies that were seemingly showcases for DTS. A couple of my favorites for calibration and demonstration were Twister (great rear and side channel usage during tornadoes) and U-571 (fantastic subwoofer usage during the depth charge scene).

I'm reading that a prequel to Master and Commander is in the works. If you've seen Crowe recently, you can guess why a sequel was probably out of the question.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Central Station (1998) - 6.5/10

The station trilogy starts off strong with an actual prolonged scene set at a bustling station (something which the sequels largely ignore). It's a weirdly mixed film in terms of emotions going up/down because of the two leads. A woman with some sort of damaged past we never learn about who's cranky and always annoyed and a little high-pitched punk ~10 year old boy argue the whole time which isn't exactly fun and it's hard to buy into their redemption arc at the end as a result. I really liked the warm Brazilian cinematography moreso than in other Brazilian films I've seen and the emotional ending is really well done but just not the most fun ride to get there.

The Station Agent (2003) - 8/10

One of the better sequels largely because they fixed the issue with casting creating one of the more likable casts I've seen. It's like a Jim Jarmusch film combined with Keneth Lonergan. A good mix of the quirky and the emotional. It's another film which highlights loneliness but focuses moreso on positivity and human connection than any of the other two and with really solid chemistry despite Peter Dinklage being fairly subdued throughout. The sort of makes you believe in people film you want.

Fruitvale Station (2013) - 6/10

Trilogy ends on a bit of a low-note based on a film which goes for an unflinching look based on a true-story. I don't like Michael B Jordan's punk-ass acting so watching him be the protagonist when you know it'll end in disaster is not exactly the most fun but the film does manage to show a really interesting modern American broken family dynamic which I can appreciate. It just isn't for me gimme more of that dreamist twee stuff from the 2nd film and not worth the 10 year wait.

Underrated trilogy.

I really love The Station Agent. An underseen/underappreciated movie.

 

[kihei]

I'm reading that a prequel to Master and Commander is in the works. If you've seen Crowe recently, you can guess why a sequel was probably out of the question.

Plenty of material to choose from as Patrick O'Brian's wonderful series stretches to 22 books, every one a great read.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Plenty of material to choose from as Patrick O'Brian's wonderful series stretches to 22 books, every one a great read.

I read one (sometimes two) a year. I think I'm up to book 11.

 

[NyQuil]

Plenty of material to choose from as Patrick O'Brian's wonderful series stretches to 22 books, every one a great read.

I liked Aubrey and Maturin in Space.

Some critics thought he was running out of ideas, but a time travelling interstellar yarn with everyone's favourite Napoleonic duo?

Sign me up!

 

[Osprey]

Plenty of material to choose from as Patrick O'Brian's wonderful series stretches to 22 books, every one a great read.

I read somewhere that Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was intended to start a franchise based on that series of novels. That probably explains the goofy subtitle (ala the Pirates of the Caribbean movies). The disappointing performance at the box office quashed that idea, though. It seems like 20th Century Studios might be trying to take another crack at it by starting over.

 

[kingsfan28]

I love the sound design of many of those mid-90s to early-2000s movies that were seemingly showcases for DTS. A couple of my favorites for calibration and demonstration were Twister (great rear and side channel usage during tornadoes) and U-571 (fantastic subwoofer usage during the depth charge scene).

I'm reading that a prequel to Master and Commander is in the works. If you've seen Crowe recently, you can guess why a sequel was probably out of the question.

Yeah, he looks more like John Goodman now. There were calls years ago for a sequel to be made, but Fox didn't want to spend 150 mil plus on another one because it didn't pull in the big numbers it had hoped. Too bad, that cast had really great chemistry.

 

[kingsfan28]

I liked Aubrey and Maturin in Space.

Some critics thought he was running out of ideas, but a time travelling interstellar yarn with everyone's favourite Napoleonic duo?

Sign me up!

I'm in! They better have brought their musical instruments with them too.

 

[Pink Mist]

12:08 East of Bucharest [A fost sau n-a fost?] (2006) directed by Corneliu Porumboiu

At 12:08pm on December 22, 1989, following anti-government protests which spread across the country, Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu hopped on a helicopter east of Bucharest and fled the country thus ending Communist rule in Romania. 16 years later, a local TV station in a small provincial town hosts a TV debate on the anniversary of the revolution to ask the question of whether or not the revolution occurred in their town or did the town only take to the streets after the revolution occurred and Ceaușescu at 12:08 on December 22, 1989 (the film’s title in Romanian translates to Was it or Was it Not?). The television debate, which was between an elderly man who spends each Christmas dressing as Santa Claus for the local children and a University professor who is deeply in debt and has a drinking problem, which also included a listener call in segment, very quickly spirals out of control and into chaos after the professor claims he was protesting in the town square when the revolution occurred. Similar to Porumboiu’s film Police, Adjective, 12:08 East of Bucharest is a dry comedy preoccupied with the meaning of words, in this case the semantics of what it means for a revolution to occur, with the implication of whether or not the town supported the revolution or jumped on the bandwagon after it already ended. Of Porumboiu’s films, I’ve only seen these two, and while both are fantastic, I think I prefer 12:08 East of Bucharest. Police, Adjective’s humour is a little too dry and understated, and 12:08 East of Bucharest is a much more accessible and satirical film. For fans of dry humour and biting satire who want something a little off the beaten path this is a good film to check out, or for those who are interested in the Romanian New Wave, this is a great place to start. I highly recommend this film, it’s extremely clever and funny.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Gialli #5 and 6

Black Belly of the Tarantula (La tarantola dal ventre nero, Cavara, 1971) – Proof that a great title doesn't make a great film, this tale of a blackmailing fake blind man is just as uninteresting as it is bland (and I realize I just spoiled the identity of the killer, but you really should skip this one anyway). It has the poorest and dumbest investigator (who's indirectly responsible for at least 2 of the murders), terrible acting (and atrocious dubbing, but that's a given for most of these films), out of focus shots, and very bad editing – even the Morricone score is pretty weak. It starts off with a pretty naked blond getting a massage, but it's only a tease for sleaze, nothing freaky to report afterwards, except the killer's modus operandi which could have been of troubling perversity had it been better exploited (the link to the tarantula is sadly forced in and could have been interesting – so I guess you should add bad writing to the list of its weaknesses). 2.5/10

The Case of the Bloody Iris (Perché quelle strane gocce di sangue sul corpo di Jennifer?, Carnimeo, 1972) – If, like me, Edwige Fenech is enough for you to enjoy a movie, this one's a pretty solid bet. Otherwise, you might reconsider that choice. This film is blatantly homophobic, kind of racist, and weirdly self-conscious and self-mocking of its portrayal and objectification of women. It has some very inventive camerawork, mixed with bits of (overexposed) cheapo soft porn or quasi-experimental corniness. Again, poor acting and ridiculous dubbing, but more importantly, it has the most ridiculous character reactions ever: after finding a murdered woman in the elevator, one goes “I'm late to work” and the other goes back home ; after being awaken by a man touching her and swearing he was in the room, “oh you must have been dreaming, let's just go back to sleep”, without even checking the room or apartment. Not one for the intellectuals, but it does have Edwige Fenech, and an amazingly intriguing original title. 3/10

 

[jbron]

Watched Grand Prix 1966 movie last night. A blast from the past as it's been many years since I saw it. At the time made, the racing scenes
were incredible. You really get a feel of driving the cars in a era when driver safety wasn't a priority. Music track for the movie was well done even though the start up of the movie is very long. Some of the checkerboard window split images are out dated, but can be appreciated for the work done in 1960's. All around full of excitement, drama, and some of the best in car filming ever made. 8/10.

 

[frisco]

Watched Grand Prix 1966 movie last night. A blast from the past as it's been many years since I saw it. At the time made, the racing scenes
were incredible. You really get a feel of driving the cars in a era when driver safety wasn't a priority. Music track for the movie was well done even though the start up of the movie is very long. Some of the checkerboard window split images are out dated, but can be appreciated for the work done in 1960's. All around full of excitement, drama, and some of the best in car filming ever made. 8/10.
View attachment 460855

Grand Prix was OK but Le Mans (1971) just blew it away as far as the actual racing sequences went. Still the most realistic sports footage ever on the big screen.

My Best-Carey

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Death Note (film) 2017 - Netflix Original 2.5/10
Let me start by saying... this movie is a two-handed slap in the face to the original anime series and the manga from which is was inspired. It was a horrible stand-alone film, but juxtaposed against the series it's almost angering at times.

I had seen it a couple months after it released, but after watching the entire series with my fiancee she decided to give the movie a try. I didn't tell her much about my feelings on it, but she very quickly came to the same conclusion.

The only reason I didn't give this film a 1/10 is because Willem Dafoe & LaKeith Stanfield both did a great job as Ryuk and L, respectively.

I don't even want to give a short synopsis of the movie or discuss the issues it has because of how much I hated this film.

 

[frisco]

Tombstone (5.5/10)-Somewhat entertaining at first. Excellent costumes and realistic settings. Some good actors but the characters are cardboard comic book-esque spouting dialogue in one line semi-ironic western cliché. Despite a lot of stuff happening fairly quickly the redundant gun fighting that makes up the last hour drags on without any real meaning. The shootout at the OK Corral is in the middle with nowhere to go plot wise after that. Clumsy love story. Still OK, and give them credit for trying for a western epic.

Kurt Russell is good and Val Kilmer excellent as an eccentric Doc Halladay. Lots of big names throughout and a pleasant surprise in Chuck Heston near the end.

Probably should have focused on the shootout as the climax and built tension around that and not covered so much ground outside of that event.

My Best-Carey