movies What's the last film you watched? And rate it!
- Thread starter GerryLovesU
- Start date
Just wondering, what did you not like about the action scenes?
Mostly the way they're shot. Sometimes he cuts away too quickly or puts the camera too close to the action for my taste. There's some shaky cam in there, too, which I'm really not a fan of. TDK seemed to favor static shots more, which is the main improvement over it.
Toy Story 3. Hadn't seen it yet. But darn good. Maybe an 8 or a 9.
Chronicle. Modern Problems meets Blair Witch Project meets
. Bit of downer, huh? But also quite a bit of fun. Maybe a 7 or even an 8, despite the unappreciated shaky cam gimmick. Is it fair to describe it as a gimmick? Dunno, not sure. But probably count me among those who have probably had their fill of that. Still, decent film.
Chronicle. Modern Problems meets Blair Witch Project meets
Carrie
Prometheus 7/10 - I know it gets a bunch of guff but I really enjoyed it. Especially when it's part of an Alien/Aliens triple feature.
L.A. Confidential - 9/10
Fantastic. Films like these are why I love cinema. A genuinely incredible ensemble, insanely tense sequences (the two motel shoot-outs were unbearably thrilling). One of the best crime screenplays ever written. And the cinematography is beautiful.
American Beauty - 10/10
It's a masterpiece. Perfect performances from absolutely everyone, a flawless screenplay, brilliant cinematography and score and full of unprecedented emotion.
Adaptation - 9/10
Brilliance personified. One of the most original films of all time, as Kaufman's screenplays always are.
That's My Boy - 2/10
Oh man. Rated R, but for insanely vulgar third-grade humor.
And finally!
Prometheus - 7/10
I'm confused as to what to think. I'm judging it as its own and not comparing to Alien.
The cinematography was nothing special. Performances were so-so. The pacing was very well done, however, and the plot laid out perfectly. I could genuinely feel Ridley Scott's style in it, which was pleasantly surprising. I have to say I did not like the cheesy ending (Shaw reporting over radio) and felt it was sort of...empty.
Fantastic. Films like these are why I love cinema. A genuinely incredible ensemble, insanely tense sequences (the two motel shoot-outs were unbearably thrilling). One of the best crime screenplays ever written. And the cinematography is beautiful.
American Beauty - 10/10
It's a masterpiece. Perfect performances from absolutely everyone, a flawless screenplay, brilliant cinematography and score and full of unprecedented emotion.
Adaptation - 9/10
Brilliance personified. One of the most original films of all time, as Kaufman's screenplays always are.
That's My Boy - 2/10
Oh man. Rated R, but for insanely vulgar third-grade humor.
And finally!
Prometheus - 7/10
I'm confused as to what to think. I'm judging it as its own and not comparing to Alien.
The cinematography was nothing special. Performances were so-so. The pacing was very well done, however, and the plot laid out perfectly. I could genuinely feel Ridley Scott's style in it, which was pleasantly surprising. I have to say I did not like the cheesy ending (Shaw reporting over radio) and felt it was sort of...empty.
Enter the Void
I gave it a 9.3/10 on my 365 film reviews tumblr.
I can see why it wouldn't appeal to a large amount of viewers, but it was a fantastic film. I had no idea what to expect when I watched it and it just blew me away.
Gaspar Noé is a genius in my opinion. Irreversible was already one of my favorites, but Enter the Void blew that out of the water.
I gave it a 9.3/10 on my 365 film reviews tumblr.
I can see why it wouldn't appeal to a large amount of viewers, but it was a fantastic film. I had no idea what to expect when I watched it and it just blew me away.
Gaspar Noé is a genius in my opinion. Irreversible was already one of my favorites, but Enter the Void blew that out of the water.
Mirror, Mirror - Much better than I was expecting. Ended up seeing it twice. Julia Roberts was hilarious. Actually, very funny all around. Ending had a very Labyrinth feel to it. Oh, also seemed weird at the end when the very Indian-sounding director's name pops up - just as a Bollywood-esque dance number breaks out. Loved the sets & costumes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8-bMgDANEk
The Cabin in the Woods - Started off great... ended with a most unsatisfying whimper. Great concept that gradually falls apart, and is too lazy to wrap up the loose pieces. It's as if the more involved the film got with gore & fx, the less room for actual content. Best part of the film was the conversation on the speakerphone. Really expected more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8-bMgDANEk
The Cabin in the Woods - Started off great... ended with a most unsatisfying whimper. Great concept that gradually falls apart, and is too lazy to wrap up the loose pieces. It's as if the more involved the film got with gore & fx, the less room for actual content. Best part of the film was the conversation on the speakerphone. Really expected more.
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Inception - 7 or 8/10
It was good, but just not really my thing.
It was good, but just not really my thing.
I really enjoyed Brave, and the short film that proceeds it, La Luna, is pure magic.
Brave is the most Disney-fied of all the Pixar movies, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. The emotion in this movie is really heartfelt. Most movies that deal with teen angst treat it with humor, but this movie treats it with a real sense of heartbreak and redemption, and it works fantastically.
Brave gets a solid "A" from me.
Richy, have you noticed that we tend to like the same films? I'm gonna start paying particular attention to your recommendations.
Brave is the most Disney-fied of all the Pixar movies, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. The emotion in this movie is really heartfelt. Most movies that deal with teen angst treat it with humor, but this movie treats it with a real sense of heartbreak and redemption, and it works fantastically.
Brave gets a solid "A" from me.
Richy, have you noticed that we tend to like the same films? I'm gonna start paying particular attention to your recommendations.
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Jaws - 9/10
Great, solid, classic film.
Music by John Williams was - HALF THE EXPERIENCE!
The Others - 6/10
No murders. No blood. No over special effects. An isolated empty English estate (one setting). Minimal cast.
Not sure where the producers spent $17m on, but for what went into it it was pretty entertaining.
Worth watching every once in a long while.
A good example of 'Once the twist is revealed the bloom is off the stem' sort of story. Not my fave, IOW.
Spoiler or reveal DEPENDENT films, such as The Others or The Village and Planet of the Apes to some extent, kinda disappoint me from a screenplay craftsman POV.
A film should be good EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE KNOWS THE TWIST.
Whatever. JMO.
Hyenas - 1/10
Can't say it any better than this review: http://filmcriticsunited.com/hyenas.html
Underworld: Awakening - 4/10
If you've watched the others in the series you're almost obligated to see just how... obligatory these cinematic soap operas can get.
I'm glad Len & Kate made a buck offa this, and it isn't going to be the last as Selene & child go looking for Michael.
This film has one good take away: "Cool scenes".
A scifi or fantasy film should have "Cool scenes" in it.
Something that makes sense, is plausible, but doesn't trigger the bullsh!t button.
Selene starting a dead heart could-have-should-have been - but wasn't.
Selene sticking a silver grenade inside a self healing lycan was - except that he had been given an atidote to such - but I'm an admitted wienie about such details. (My brain is an integral part of my body. I can't leave it at the door)
Great, solid, classic film.
Music by John Williams was - HALF THE EXPERIENCE!
The Others - 6/10
No murders. No blood. No over special effects. An isolated empty English estate (one setting). Minimal cast.
Not sure where the producers spent $17m on, but for what went into it it was pretty entertaining.
Worth watching every once in a long while.
A good example of 'Once the twist is revealed the bloom is off the stem' sort of story. Not my fave, IOW.
Spoiler or reveal DEPENDENT films, such as The Others or The Village and Planet of the Apes to some extent, kinda disappoint me from a screenplay craftsman POV.
A film should be good EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE KNOWS THE TWIST.
Whatever. JMO.
Hyenas - 1/10
Can't say it any better than this review: http://filmcriticsunited.com/hyenas.html
Underworld: Awakening - 4/10
If you've watched the others in the series you're almost obligated to see just how... obligatory these cinematic soap operas can get.
I'm glad Len & Kate made a buck offa this, and it isn't going to be the last as Selene & child go looking for Michael.
This film has one good take away: "Cool scenes".
A scifi or fantasy film should have "Cool scenes" in it.
Something that makes sense, is plausible, but doesn't trigger the bullsh!t button.
Selene starting a dead heart could-have-should-have been - but wasn't.
Selene sticking a silver grenade inside a self healing lycan was - except that he had been given an atidote to such - but I'm an admitted wienie about such details. (My brain is an integral part of my body. I can't leave it at the door)
Over the weekend, I attended the fourth annual Frederick Film Festival, in my hometown of Frederick, MD. It's a rapidly growing city with a very small, but dedicated arts community. It's unfortunate how few (between 20-50) people attended films at any given time, as it's a great festival. This year's film selection was probably the best yet. I saw five feature films, all of which I recommend:
Pig - 9.5/10. A weird little thriller with some sci-fi elements. I would describe it as Memento meets Eternal Sunshine meets The Twilight Zone. Fantastic film with a fascinating storyline, and a twist at the end that was nothing short of mindblowing. Excellent acting, editing, and cinematography, too. Check this movie out if it screens anywhere near you (or once it's on DVD).
Welcome to the Machine - 6.5/10. An interesting but unfocused documentary about the development and future of technology. Not bad at all, although the director's message was unclear. Still an enjoyable watch, especially if you have any interest in the Unabomber, robotics, and the future of technology.
Booster - 7/10. A very indie drama about a family's involvement in crime, and a moral decision one member has to make. A good film, although it was a little slow at times and ended rather abruptly. Worth watching for the fantastic cinematography and acting.
Semper Fi: Always Faithful - 7/10. A documentary about the U.S. Marines cover up of water contamination on a base that caused cancer in many of its residents and their families. Good film, although I think it could have worked better as a 30-40 minute short documentary, as the subject didn't require it to be that long. Obviously, water contamination is bad and the USMC absolutely shouldn't have covered it up; not something that needed to be 75 minutes, IMO. Still a well made film.
Carts of Darkness - 8.5/10. Fascinating documentary following homeless men in Vancouver, BC who collect bottles/cans for money, and race shopping carts as an extreme sport in their free time. It was like an extreme sports documentary with a very human element, discussing themes of freedom, alternative lifestyles, and happiness. Highly recommend this one.
Also saw two shorts. One was nothing special; the other was excellent:
Time Freak - 10/10. Nominated for an Academy Award this year for live-action short film. It was a hilarious, quirky comedy about a man who invents a time machine. You can pick it up on iTunes for $2 (or $3 if you want in HD). Check this film out, it was an incredible short, with the potential to be developed into a feature. Nothing but great things to say about this film and the team who made it.
In addition to all of those, I saw a phenomenal documentary on Netflix instant stream last night.
Dad's In Heaven With Nixon - 10/10. Documents three generations of a family, focusing on its struggles with mental illness. Heartbreaking and happy at the same time, this is a very touching film. Check it out before they take it off Netflix at the end of month.
Pig - 9.5/10. A weird little thriller with some sci-fi elements. I would describe it as Memento meets Eternal Sunshine meets The Twilight Zone. Fantastic film with a fascinating storyline, and a twist at the end that was nothing short of mindblowing. Excellent acting, editing, and cinematography, too. Check this movie out if it screens anywhere near you (or once it's on DVD).
Welcome to the Machine - 6.5/10. An interesting but unfocused documentary about the development and future of technology. Not bad at all, although the director's message was unclear. Still an enjoyable watch, especially if you have any interest in the Unabomber, robotics, and the future of technology.
Booster - 7/10. A very indie drama about a family's involvement in crime, and a moral decision one member has to make. A good film, although it was a little slow at times and ended rather abruptly. Worth watching for the fantastic cinematography and acting.
Semper Fi: Always Faithful - 7/10. A documentary about the U.S. Marines cover up of water contamination on a base that caused cancer in many of its residents and their families. Good film, although I think it could have worked better as a 30-40 minute short documentary, as the subject didn't require it to be that long. Obviously, water contamination is bad and the USMC absolutely shouldn't have covered it up; not something that needed to be 75 minutes, IMO. Still a well made film.
Carts of Darkness - 8.5/10. Fascinating documentary following homeless men in Vancouver, BC who collect bottles/cans for money, and race shopping carts as an extreme sport in their free time. It was like an extreme sports documentary with a very human element, discussing themes of freedom, alternative lifestyles, and happiness. Highly recommend this one.
Also saw two shorts. One was nothing special; the other was excellent:
Time Freak - 10/10. Nominated for an Academy Award this year for live-action short film. It was a hilarious, quirky comedy about a man who invents a time machine. You can pick it up on iTunes for $2 (or $3 if you want in HD). Check this film out, it was an incredible short, with the potential to be developed into a feature. Nothing but great things to say about this film and the team who made it.
In addition to all of those, I saw a phenomenal documentary on Netflix instant stream last night.
Dad's In Heaven With Nixon - 10/10. Documents three generations of a family, focusing on its struggles with mental illness. Heartbreaking and happy at the same time, this is a very touching film. Check it out before they take it off Netflix at the end of month.
The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia - 7/10 - An interesting documentary to say the least. Some parts just made me think wtf?!
96 Minutes - 7.5/10 - started off a little slow for me but picked up right before midway point. Evan Ross did a fantastic job in his role. I'm glad I didn't turn it off.
96 Minutes - 7.5/10 - started off a little slow for me but picked up right before midway point. Evan Ross did a fantastic job in his role. I'm glad I didn't turn it off.
I really enjoyed Brave, and the short film that proceeds it, La Luna, is pure magic.
Brave is the most Disney-fied of all the Pixar movies, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. The emotion in this movie is really heartfelt. Most movies that deal with teen angst treat it with humor, but this movie treats it with a real sense of heartbreak and redemption, and it works fantastically.
Brave gets a solid "A" from me.
Richy, have you noticed that we tend to like the same films? I'm gonna start paying particular attention to your recommendations.
A+ review. Yes, I have noticed. I do pay particular attention to your recommendations.
And...did you stay till after the credits and catch that little reward at the end? Also cute. (Ah yeah, for those of you who like to catch those sorts of things and are going to see Brave, there is a little tidbit at the end. I should have mentioned that before.) Great mention on La Luna. Mucho charming. =)
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Population 436 - 4/10
Love this reviewer quote on IMDB: "The movie perhaps also feels a bit like a poor man's "The Village."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462482/
Agreed.
Having watched The Others just last week and The Disappearance of Alice Creed a few weeks back I can't help but sympathize for the director of Pop 436 for all the effort they put into a product with such a "meh... " outcome.
You don't need a big budget, a lot of locations, or a lot of cast, or even spectacular cast to make a nice film.
What you need is a sensible story. Something better than transorbital lobotomies for anyone who wants to leave town alongside convenient birth-death ratios.
But this... this looks like probably $500k to $1m and a whole lotta effort just blown down the toilet.
I admit I over-think films most of the time. These are not stories about "ME!" or "What would I do in that situation."
These are films about "What these jack@sses did in that situation", common effing sense be d@mned.
I would have given the the town the finger and just hiked out the forest, evading all quaker republic law enforcement with hillbilly civil patrol in tow.
But then maybe my nightmares woulda been about trees in the forest falling on me.
Yes, God would smite me down for not staying in the town of numerology.
Sucker Punch - 6/10
The story is retarded.
The SFX cheezy.
May I have one of those transorbital lobotomies, after all?
(God, save me... )
Avatar d - 7/10
I... really, really, really want to like this film. I watched two stupid films in front of it just to make it look better!
But it's just too retarded. I'm sorry.
I had to turn it off at the point when Dr. Grace Augustine stomps into Administrator Parker Selfridge operations control/dispatch center to whine and gripe.
By then I had already observed:
And now that I think about it, if the Na'vi clan was already familiar with Dr. Grace Augustine's avatar through her assorted schooling efforts wouldn't they also be familiar with Jake's brother's avatar? But they act like they've never seen him/it. And being twins, wouldn't a new "Jake avatar" look pretty darn close to the "Tommy avatar"?
Not quite rage-quit.
Just... disappoint-quit.
But the film is pretty.
Love this reviewer quote on IMDB: "The movie perhaps also feels a bit like a poor man's "The Village."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462482/
Agreed.
Having watched The Others just last week and The Disappearance of Alice Creed a few weeks back I can't help but sympathize for the director of Pop 436 for all the effort they put into a product with such a "meh... " outcome.
You don't need a big budget, a lot of locations, or a lot of cast, or even spectacular cast to make a nice film.
What you need is a sensible story. Something better than transorbital lobotomies for anyone who wants to leave town alongside convenient birth-death ratios.
But this... this looks like probably $500k to $1m and a whole lotta effort just blown down the toilet.
I admit I over-think films most of the time. These are not stories about "ME!" or "What would I do in that situation."
These are films about "What these jack@sses did in that situation", common effing sense be d@mned.
I would have given the the town the finger and just hiked out the forest, evading all quaker republic law enforcement with hillbilly civil patrol in tow.
But then maybe my nightmares woulda been about trees in the forest falling on me.
Yes, God would smite me down for not staying in the town of numerology.
Sucker Punch - 6/10
The story is retarded.
The SFX cheezy.
May I have one of those transorbital lobotomies, after all?
(God, save me... )
Avatar d - 7/10
I... really, really, really want to like this film. I watched two stupid films in front of it just to make it look better!
But it's just too retarded. I'm sorry.
I had to turn it off at the point when Dr. Grace Augustine stomps into Administrator Parker Selfridge operations control/dispatch center to whine and gripe.
By then I had already observed:
- An explanation that Jake was picked by the company because as a twin he was a genetic match to his deceased scientist brother - followed by an explanation from scientist Norm Spellman that the avatars are grown during the five year voyage to Pandora. Umm... doesn't Jake already have his brother's avatar waiting for him at Pandora? Genetic match? The reason we're switching jar head Jake for scientific Tom terrific?
- Exactly what was it the company was going to pay a lot to "Jake the grunt who dissected a frog once" to actually doooooo when he got to Pandora?
And now that I think about it, if the Na'vi clan was already familiar with Dr. Grace Augustine's avatar through her assorted schooling efforts wouldn't they also be familiar with Jake's brother's avatar? But they act like they've never seen him/it. And being twins, wouldn't a new "Jake avatar" look pretty darn close to the "Tommy avatar"?
Not quite rage-quit.
Just... disappoint-quit.
But the film is pretty.
Saw "The Amazing Spiderman" - well, most of it. Power grid went down and I didn't get to see the last 8 minutes, which apparently sets up the sequel.
Have to check, but I don't think I can comment on it yet, due to a studio embargo. But, I can safely say, it is definitely a Spiderman movie, and it tells his origin, again.
gelder
Have to check, but I don't think I can comment on it yet, due to a studio embargo. But, I can safely say, it is definitely a Spiderman movie, and it tells his origin, again.
gelder
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?p=269622#post269622
Did you ever get around to posting an actual review of Prometheus, post embargo?Dunno. My girlfriend is a movie critic, so we went to the screening, but we're under embargo not to talk about it. Don't want to put her job in jeopardy, so I don't try to apply logic to studio requests...
gelder