Rate the last movie you watched.

The Equalizer 3 10/10 Saving the Best for Last!

Barbie: 4/5. It's quite funny and made me laugh several times. I feel like a lot has been made about this movie as a big feminist statement, and it is, kind-of, but mostly it seems like some observational humor at the level of a prolonged SNL sketch. Nothing too hard-hitting. It made some interesting choices in that even the "real world" here is cartoonish. I have no idea why Will Farrell's Mattel CEO and his board are riding around on rollerskates, but there we are. I liked Ken's song and appreciated the nod to the Indigo Girls.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

4/5

2nd rewatch of this after seeing it during release year. Back at that time, this would've been 5/5 as this movie was wildly refreshing. However since then, this movie has shown age with the cringy dialogue. +.5 for having a Power Ranger.

The Nun II - 6/10

It's overall a bland sequel compared to the first film which was decent at best. I would say more, but there isn't really much to say about it. The movie wasn't scary, but its hard for horror films to scare me these days, so I won't hold that against it. The storytelling and pacing was not well done.

The Conjuring: The Red Door - 7/10

This movie got a lot of bad reviews from both critics and the audience. But I don't get it. It's another decent entry in the series. Maybe because it doesn't do anything groundbreaking and hence the backlash, but it continues the storyline of the last two films well enough. I recommend it.

Spider Man: Across the Spiderverse - 10/10

Excellent sequel with improved animation and art that seems like it came out of a comic book. And a great story that keeps you engaged until the cliffhanger ending. This film is a must see. I rarely give out 10s, but this one deserves it.

Oppenheimer - 4/5.

I feel I'd have to see this movie a couple more times to articulate my thoughts on it fully. I feel the scenes at Los Alamos are great, particularly the Trinity test, but too much of the dramatic tension - and the full last act - are put on the political sniping between Oppenheimer and Strauss, which to me is not as compelling as the bigger questions at play here about The Bomb. Should we build it? Should we use it? Is there blood on our hands? These are the big questions that should be the focal point of the movie. Those questions are certainly there, but occasionally they feel sidelined. I also feel that the scientific banter feels rather fake and movie-ish. It falls for all the Smart People tropes, like everyone being able to look at some scribbled equations and tell their import within seconds. I get it, it's a movie, and we want the audience to know what's going on - but these people just don't talk like scientists.

Here's a few quick ones from this week. Night Visions film festival screenings, additions to the collection and one from streaming.

Inni ludzie [Other People] (3/5)

An entertaining Polish rap-musical. Some character stereotypes were exaggerated and I was left unsure about what the message was supposed to be in the end. I was still quite drawn in by the story and the rapping wasn't too terrible.

Withnail & I (4/5)

My first time watching this British cult classic. Beautifully funny and sad and that dialogue is legendary for a reason. I'd love to watch it again soon with some UK buddies and will definitely keep it in the collection.

The Animal Kingdom (3/5)

An interesting take on the ever growing pandemic-scifi subgenre. Good acting, good pacing and good music. I also enjoyed the variety of themes and the overall message. The plot was very unsurprising though and I doubt I'll need to see this again.

Abruptio (3/5)

While clearly drawing inspiration from films like Mad God, the animation style in Abruptio is unqestionably unique. I've seen nothing like this in a long time and after the brutal violence and distorted story I saw in it I'm not sure I want to see it ever again. If you want to see something totally original and don't mind feeling a bit unwell while doing it, I might even recommend it. What on Earth was that ending though?

River (3/5)

Not as interesting or unique as Yamaguchi's previous films and the surprise is not there anymore. Still heartwarming and lovely nonetheless. Beautifully shot too. I don't have the same desire to instantly rewatch this though as I did with Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes for example.

Concrete Utopia (3/5)

This will probably grow to be quite popular, expecially consideting the modern facination with Korean cinema and post-capitalist societal themes. The plot was a bit too predictable and pacing was off in a few spots. Entertaining throughout though and I'd recommend it to almost anyone.

Vincent Must Die (3/5)

An excellent first third with good suspence and funny dialogue. It all kind of starts unraveling when character motivations become confused. I kind of felt that the film felt like it constantly needed to escalate things, but the way it was done was very uninteresting. Still a solid watch.

Mad Cats (2/5)

A couple of good laughs and it looked like this was a fun film to make. As an overall package a bit boring though.

The Cloned Tyrone - 2/5

Could not seem to get into this one. Started off strong with the backstory and what was going to happen, but once the climax hit, it call came down for me.

This week has been:

Monkeybone: Henry Sellick directed movie staring Brendan Fraiser. Bonkers film but doesn’t keep you interested. 2/5

Valley Girl: Teen Rom Com with Nick Cage. Early starting role for him. Feels like a front runner to Clueless or Mean Girls. Good fun. 3/5

65: Adam Driver scifi dinosaur movie. Perfectly average scifi action. 3/5

Five Nights at Freddie’s: Not the worst video game movie but far from good. Not craziest enough to be interesting not serious enough to be worth watching. 2/5

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans: Man this film goes some places. Some good Nick Cage hamming it up in this. 3/5

Alien Covenant: Perfectly cromulent movie but also perfectly pointless. It ruins pretty much any mystic about the first movie. 3/5

Maximum Overdrive: Good start good premise but wears out its welcome once the plot actually starts and the humans start acting. 3/5

The Killer - 7/10

A decent thriller about an assassin who botches a job and is now out for revenge when the people who hired him goes after someone he loves. The main thing is the narration, which you'll either find interesting, or annoying because there is a lot of it. I found it interesting, so I was able to enjoy the film. The actions scenes when they happen are top-notch and the lead actor does a good job portraying a ruthless, cold-blooded, killer.

Super Mario Bros. Animated Movie - 8/10

Put off watching this movie, because I was afraid I wouldn't like it. Watched it on Thanksgiving, and I'm glad I finally decided to. Because I really enjoyed it. Chris Pratt... well, was Chris Pratt, but he didn't ruin the movie. His voice acting was good enough. Of course, the stand outs were Jack Black as Bowser and Princess Peach, who isn't the airhead damsel like in most games, but a badass princess. I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel, which I believe will happen. I also liked all the Easter eggs and shoutouts to other classic games, like the protagonist for the Wrecking Crew game being a total dick.

Meg 2: The Trench (2/5)

They somehow managed to make huge sharks boring. Scenes were hard to follow, nothing was exciting and the middle third of the film comprised of a series of messy underwater scenes.

Outlaw Johnny Black: 8.5/10

Yeah, I do half points. Ahhh, ever since Black Dynamite, Michael Jai White has just found that sweet spot of drama, action and comedy for me. It was a little bit long at 2hr16, but I enjoyed myself the whole way through. It was a good watch with the family.

Trolls 9/10 Third Movie as a kid at heart at 49 years old. Good for the whole entire family.

Shin Godzilla (5/5)

This was my 5th or 6th rewatch of Shin Godzilla and it still holds up so well. My favorite Godzilla film. Somehow the terror of Gojira is heightened when viewed through the lens of government boardrooms and procedures. The overt nods towards Neon Genesis Evangelion that Hideaki Anno makes throughout help a lot too. The only thing bringing the film down is the character of the American diplomat played by Satomi Ishihara and her absolutely atrocious English dialogue. Not only is it embarrassing to listen to, it's also genuinely hard to understand in parts.

Excited to go see Godzilla Minus One tonight.

I think Avengers is the best Movie until now

Godzilla Minus One (4/5)

This was some of that good Godzilla. Great action scenes with nice nods to Japanese and international monster films. In addition to the traditional and familiar Godzilla themes, this film delves deeper into the trauma of war. Overall these themes were handled well, but there was a bit too much melodrama and underlining of obvious issues and motivations. The story was predictable but still enjoyable to sit through.

Barbie 3/5

I thought they were pushing their whole society is messed up agenda a little too hard -- not that I have anything against it, but more that they were like "see, SEE?". Overall thought it was good film, with some funny bits and a very catchy song.

Banshees of Inisherin (4/5)

A beautifully shot and acted story about loneliness, isolation and friendship. I especially enjoyed the set design and solid casting. Hoping to add this to the collection if I find a 4K disc for cheap.

Leave The World Behind - 6/10

The Obama's film debut, sort of. The film examines what might happen if the American system falls from within because of an unknown threat. It has an all star cast who mostly do a good acting job, but the overall movie is disappointing. The film tries to get deep and study how a group of humans reacts to the dangerous situation they find themselves in, but there is little to no payoff in the end. It's like the director watched a Jorden Peele film and forgot all the good things he does in them. The acting will keep you until the end, only to realize you just wasted your time you could've used for something else.

Sorry but couldn't pay me to see Obama in a movie. Will leave it like that.

The Fabelmans - 5/5. If you haven't heard of it, this is a slightly fictionalized version of Steven Spielberg's adolescence, showing how he came to love filmmaking. If you're expecting that to be schmaltzy and overly-sentimental - you're wrong. Instead, it's a very bold look at some highly personal family dynamics. It has a perfect mix of melancholy, hope, and humor.

12 Monkeys (4/5)

Re-watched from a 4K disk. Still holds up incredibly well after all these years and remains one of Gilliam's finest works.

Barbie: The Movie - 7/10

Watched this during New Year's Eve, because when else would be a better time? Anyway, the film is overall entertaining and fun to watch. The deeper issue the film is trying to address could either be a turn on or a turn-off, depending where you might fall on that subject. But, I personally didn't take those messages too serious, and saw it as part of the storyline and nothing more. Both Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling do a good job. It's a good time waster if nothing else.

Marie Antoinette (4/5)

A lovely portrait of an isolated and lonely girl who unwillingly finds herself in the role of Queen of France. Probably my favorite ever performance by Kirsten Dunst and Sofia Coppola's use of colour, composition and music once again really got its hooks into me. Beautifully shot in Versailles and other European palaces with fantastic costuming all around. Dark, funny, tragic and romantic.

Prospect (4/5)

A great modern sci-fi thriller. Well rounded characters, smart special effects and fantastic worldbuilding. Immeadietly ordered a copy after watching.

Wonka (3/5)

Not the biggest musical fan, but it was fun to watch and very cute. It seemed to me like the sort of movie where the entire cast was just having a lot of fun with it. I do think it was a little long for what it was, and it probably could have been edited down a bit. I still quite enjoyed my time with it, though, and it was definitely worth going out to see it.

Wifelike (2022) [ found on Netflix or DVD]
3/5

I'm not sure how I heard about this film by James Bird, but despite early confusion while watching the film I liked it in the end. Like most movies about robots and the AI in them it SEEMS a bit simplistic. However, I would recommend watching the full film even if you get a bit bored in the first half because you don't think it will go anywhere interesting. The film definitely goes somewhere; it has a point, it just lays on the "setup" very thick.

I think I might have agreed with most people analysis of this movie - if I did not watch the whole movie. Its very easy to get mad at this movie because the message of the movie is NOT ONE BIT about the first 4/5th of the movie. In fact, the first 4/5ths you might as well consider the movie taunting you to misinterpret. In fact, I think the movie rides the line between pretending to be woke or pretending to be anti-woke; but is neither. For me, it is I just dig the last 15 minutes of the movie and teh two actors interacting.

In the end I think this is a flawed movie that is worth watching. It retreads a lot of old ground on the subjects of AI, robots, relationships, and the questions of how robots should be used...and by who; but comes up with an interesting view on the driven cop, evil corporation, and love.

Migration 9/10 Sweet family movie. As a kid at heart myself.

Poor Things 4/5 - On par, maybe a little better than Lobster. Great performances especially from Ruffalo; a turn I'd never expect from him. Very funny and visually striking. I'd heard the comparison "Barbie for boys," and I'm stealing that. The Favourite is my top Yorgos movie still.

Anatomy of a Fall 4/5 - Engrossing courtroom thriller. Good look into French court etiquette.

Barbie 3.5/5, 3/5 - 's good.

Past Lives 4.5/5, 4/5 - Emotionally meditative. Less direct romance, more longing and grieving a lost bond.

Zone of Interest 5/5 - Incredible, infuriatingly poignant. Unfortunately, it's already happened that the meaning of the movie is being twisted by some in defense of Zionism. I'd optimistically say it'd still be powerful in any other year, but the current climate makes it cut even deeper. Reminds me of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, but far more sinister and frankly even nauseating. Besides that, I'm tempted to see another screening.

Saltburn 3/5

Giving it an extra point for how far they took some of the scenes. Otherwise it's a you gotta watch this once but never again type of movie.

Fresh (2022) 5/5

Great acting, great direction, great cinematography, great writing. It has everything: blood curdling plot, hilarious moments, successful callbacks, enticing romance, women teaming up to destroy an awful man. It's so crazy that this is the director's first film and the writer's second.

A tale of two Sisters (2003). A captivating fusion of a South Korean Ghost story and a poignant tragedy, this film skillfully keeps viewers in suspense, gradually unraveling the mystery at its core. Rich in melodramatic elements, the narrative leaves a lasting impression, prompting a desire for a second viewing to fully appreciate its intricacies

Bob Marley: One Love: Dramatic with its actors upkeeping relatability, uplifting about me knowing the context why he's popular to this day, and thought-provoking about his movement. I rate it a 8/10.

Last of the Mohicans (1992). 3.5/5. This is a film set in 1757 during the French and Indian / Seven Years War, an under-utilized period for storytelling. For some reason I began listening to the (excellent) soundtrack on repeat, which made me interested in watching the movie. It's unique in portraying Native American tribes not just as oppressed peoples but as the powerful nations they were in their own right at this time, with European nations all vying for their favor. It's a beautiful film, with very atmospheric and realistic lighting throughout and plenty of scenic vistas, and the battle scenes are appropriately tense although not especially bloody. It's held back somewhat by the somewhat ahistorical seeming attitudes of the characters, particularly Daniel Day-Lewis's Hawkeye, who seems to have no allegiance to anyone in particular except himself, his family and the two women he has, for some reason, taken under his protection. Basically he's an RPG protagonist who just wanders around taking on quests to help people. I haven't read the novel by James Fenimore Cooper that this is based on, but in that version, Hawkeye is employed as a scout for the British, which makes way more sense. The romance scenes are also unnecessary and don't seem authentic to the period, and the women sometimes seem like they just stepped out of a photoshoot instead of having spent many days in the wilderness. Overall, I'd say it's a good watch if you enjoy historical films.

Dune Part 2, 4 stars out of 5

Good, but not good enough to rush into the cinema for. I would recommend Lawrence of Arabia, the Matrix and even Armored Core Six over it. I said it's "good" because it did nail the vibe of those 2 stone-cold cinematic classics, but it's not like those 2 particular old flicks are hard to find. Cinema is a lousy place to be. One behind me would not shut up until I shushed him when the Warner water tower was on screen. Then 2 late to this screening assholes just had to walk pass my seat. The cinema being better is nothing more than a myth.

Oppenheimer 7/10

Finally got around to seeing the movie that is a favorite to win all the major Academy Awards this year, and I wasn't that impressed. Yes, it's well directed and well acted, but the first couple of hours leading to the atomic bomb test were kind of boring. It not until after the atomic bomb test that things get interesting, and it is largely because of Robert Downing Jr.'s role in the film. I won't say anything more because of spoilers, but overall the final parts of the film saved it from being a snoozefest for me.

To all the Boys that I Loved

5/5

Well, having finally seen it:

No. The true story get stretched to really fill a daft narrative like the Flugplatz crash being moved up in the timeline for drama, the TEAM OF SUPER GAMER PEOPLE being a pivotal moment despite Yann and Ordonez sharing their car with a veteran. Ordonez himself having already two Le Mans races (and a podium) under his belt. They could've used Ordonez's prior success to bolster how the GT Academy looks within the movie but Yann is held aloft as the Academy's big graduate. Then again, maybe they don't want to draw attention to the Academy's actual success rate. These people generally have short careers due to funding and ability.

I'd have got more joy out of a documentary than a showy, gamey biopic featuring the acting talents of erm ... Geri Halliwell. This simply doesn't go deep enough, like it was made for children. The racecraft they try to demonstrate in this about racing lines is dumb. "COMMIT!" Commit to what? If Martin Brundle can explain traction, racing lines and all that jazz on a fortnightly basis, why can't this movie? I also just don't rate the kid playing Yann. He's got nothing. 2/5.

Anyway, I've also seen Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, In Bruges and The Whale. All great movies although I'd have given Killers of the Flower Moon the Oscar. It has more complex characters and, whilst it's got a longer runtime, it doesn't drag. It is a horrible true story about horrible people. Oppenheimer settles in on Nolan's usual quirks (WHOMP, overpowering soundtrack, back-and-forth timelines) and, whilst it's good, it's too fucking safe. Someone earlier in the thread says these people don't talk like scientists. I'd argue they do ... and then they stop as the focus becomes more about Oppenheimer's political affiliations. 5/5 for Flower Moon, 4/5 for Oppenheimer.

The Whale - This movie is also excellent. Brendon Fraser puts in a great performance but the whole cast has a chance to shine. The reclusiveness of main character allows for a smaller cast to really take the focus. I like digging into the characters motivations and, despite Charlie wanting to reconnect with his daughter, he's not willing to break the addiction or seek medical attention. Despite the grim inevitability of it all, it manages to give a relatively hopeful resolution. There's moments of humour but the real meat of the movie is two people arguing and then crying afterwards in most of the scenes. My kinda jam. 5/5.

Lastly, In Bruges - Just daft fun. Colin Farrell puts in a performance I never knew he had in him as a completely likeable eejit. It's sharply written with plenty of callbacks that make me smile. 4/5.