movies What's the last film you watched? And rate it!

Cracker- The Brendan Frasier one. Its more of a guilty pleasure thing.

When I was like eight till 13 I had a VHS of it abd the sequel and during the Summer would just watch it every single morning.

The third one was dreadful which was sad.
 
cjnixon -- I like the Brandon Frasier one. It's the only one I've seen, but I like it. Not even in my top-100, but it's definitely a fun movie!

Fernando -- no way, I love top-whatever lists. It is pretty funny that my picks are so far off from yours that you thought they must be jokes! :)

That being said -- from your list, I LOVE the first 20 minutes of "There Will be Blood", and the rest of the movie worked really well for me, too. I will admit that "2001" kind of infuriates me, for being too abstract. "Inglorious Basterds" is just about perfect, and I really like "Magnolia", even the crazy-symbolic ending (and I'm normally not one for heavy symbolism). And hey -- our lists do have one movie in common!
 
I've been doing what most writers suggest, which is observing good screenplays, and bad ones. So, to well familiarize myself with bad ones, I decided to pick up a couple of Ed Wood movies. At first I thought it would be torture, but I actually thought it was fun! Plan 9 is definitely not Citizen Kane (or, well, my choice for the best film of all time, which is King Kong) but it's fun! It's horrible, but it's fun! Bride of the Monster was kinda fun too, to be honest. They both have that corny so-bad-it's-fun feeling to them. I'd actually recommend them to someone looking for a laugh.

Does this make me a sadist?

Ratings:

Plan 9: 5 in-shot boom mics

Bride of the Monster: 4 corny monologues

Just revisited the A Nightmare on Elm Street films, and was surprised I liked as many as I
did. I'd actually recommend 1,3,4, 6, New Nightmare, and Freddy vs. Jason.

Ratings:

Original: 9/10, easy. Great, revolutionary film.

2nd: Meh...3/10

3rd: That was one rockin' Dokken movie....8/10

4th: Corny, but still enjoyable....5.5/10

5th: Never watching it again. Ever!...2/10

6th: This one's like 4, but not quite as good....5/10

New Nightmare: So nineties, but you gotta love it!.....8.5/10

Freddy vs. Jason: A homage to the Universal backlot of characters is welcome here. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad, and it was fun....6.5/10
 
King Arthur - 5/10
Meh...
Nice twist on mythology.

Robin Hood (2010 film) - 6.5/10
A well executed nice twist on an old story.

Aliens - 10/10
This film is enjoyable to watch even if I know every scene and line about to happen.

Signs - 4/10
Crude.
The good parts are still good, but the bad parts are rotten.
The budget was just ridiculous for the story told.

The Village - 3/10
The dialog is just excruciating to listen to, and the story eyerollingly stupid.

Insidious - 5/10
Great marketing. Wonderful budget.
The effect for the budget was wonderful. Someone needs to introduce Mr. Shyamalan to Mr. Wan.
I think the music was a bot over-done more than a skosh, lovely that it is.

Predators - 2/10
Cr@p.
Gold digging cr@p.
Nine toughies die one by one. Ooooooo!!! Cleverrrrr!!!
Nice hearing the bongo music from the original though. :)

The Ruins - 4/10
For the budget this wasn't too terrible, however... meh.
FWIW, this quality of work is about what I expect to be the bargain basement floor of a decent production.
Any of that cr@ppy THE DEVIL INSIDE rubbish is just pure sh!t. That director and his marketing geniuses can laugh all the way to the bank with embarrassment.
 
@Cracker, Fernando, and CJNixon
These are the top 10 that I'm in the mood for currently (although a top 20 list would be much better!) --

1. The Prestige
2. Warrior
3. Shutter Island
4. Bourne Trilogy (Ultimatum if I have to choose one)
5. The Assassination of Jesse James
6. Where the Wild Things Are
7. The Fall
8. District 9
9. United 93
10. Lord of the Rings Trilogy

The Dark Knight gets and honorable mention, but since it's already on other people's lists I didn't include it.

And to stay on-topic:
Stranger Than Fiction -- 7/10

I saw this through YouTube's free movie section. I was surprised at how serious this "comedy" was. It certainly fit the genre, but they didn't go for the cheap laughs. And I could connect with nearly all of the characters which added a lot of depth (the writer was way too cliched, but other than that the characters were solid). Definitely recommended, especially when it's free!
 
Last edited:
King Arthur - 5/10
Meh...
Nice twist on mythology.

Robin Hood (2010 film) - 6.5/10
A well executed nice twist on an old story.

Aliens - 10/10
This film is enjoyable to watch even if I know every scene and line about to happen.

Signs - 4/10
Crude.
The good parts are still good, but the bad parts are rotten.
The budget was just ridiculous for the story told.

The Village - 3/10
The dialog is just excruciating to listen to, and the story eyerollingly stupid.

Insidious - 5/10
Great marketing. Wonderful budget.
The effect for the budget was wonderful. Someone needs to introduce Mr. Shyamalan to Mr. Wan.
I think the music was a bot over-done more than a skosh, lovely that it is.

Predators - 2/10
Cr@p.
Gold digging cr@p.
Nine toughies die one by one. Ooooooo!!! Cleverrrrr!!!
Nice hearing the bongo music from the original though. :)

The Ruins - 4/10
For the budget this wasn't too terrible, however... meh.
FWIW, this quality of work is about what I expect to be the bargain basement floor of a decent production.
Any of that cr@ppy THE DEVIL INSIDE rubbish is just pure sh!t. That director and his marketing geniuses can laugh all the way to the bank with embarrassment.


Funny that you mention The Village, because I read the book it ripped off about a year ago. Basically the same thing, but NOT nearly as dumb. Basically, those "monsters" are no where in it.

I thought there was enough creative difference to be considered its own thing, but apparently not. I think the author of Running Out of Time sued the makers of that film. Don't remember how it turned out, though.

But I can definitely agree on The Village. Watched it on a trip and I rolled my eyes the entire time. I just watched two Ed Wood films, and I give it a lower score than those.

The Village - 2/10
 
Shame - 3/10 - was pretty bored with it and it just couldn't keep my interest - actually walked my dog while the movie was playing and I didn't feel like I missed anything when we got back
 
Man, I can never do a top 10 because I love so many different movies for so many different reasons. And if I do, it'll come out looking fairly random. For example, right now:

1. Legend
2. Kurosawa's Dreams
3. Wild Strawberries
4. Night of the Living Dead
5. Inland Empire
6. Jacob's Ladder
7. Brazil (or possibly Parnassus, depending on the day)
8. Lord of the Rings
9. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
10. Serenity

And I can think of dozens of movies that I want to put on that list too, but none that I'd want to remove, which is the problem. But definitely count me in the list of folks who find Magnolia a great film!
 
Warrior- 7/10
The film was excellent during the parts where it was not pretending to be feel-good. I particularly thought the scenes with the father were perfect and devastating, the fights were intense and kept me at the edge of my seat, almost cheering. The final dad-son confrontation gave me a huge lump in my throat :cry:

The film was overall much more interesting than films like Rocky or The Fighter. It falls short of films like Raging Bull or The Champ, but it's pretty damn good. One of the better films of 2011.
 
Prometheus. Solid "A"!

Don't feel like re-typing, so just gonna quote myself from another thread:

I loved it! Absolutely loved it! Couldn't peel my eyes away for anything, not for one second! I was SO tempted to give it my official "A+", but the ending is just a little too quick and tidy.

Don't expect an "Alien" movie. I finally understand and agree with the studio's decision not to actively promote it as a prequel (although it absolutely is). Different tone. Different themes. Not as much of a thriller, much more of a thinker. I was floored (and for what it's worth, so were all of my nerdy friends). :D

(the following "spoiler" is actually detailed in the trailer, but wrapping spoilers just to be safe)

Oh, and from the beginning, my one gripe
(many months before seeing the movie) was with the entire concept of a master-race planting seeds for modern humanity in the distant-past Earth. That concept gets continually revisited in popular fiction, novels comics and movies. And it's just kind of offensive to the greatness of human ingenuity. It insinuates that our brilliant ancestors couldn't have done it on their own, without alien intervention, and I hate that.

Yeah, well Ridley Scott went and took a familiar premise that flies in the face of modern science, and instead turned it into a brilliant allegory for the kinds of questions that humankind will likely always ask. The aspect of the film that I was expecting to be forced to tolerate is what I ended up loving the most. They even had the courtesy to throw in a single line that I honestly feel had to be aimed at the science geeks, in which they playfully admit that the Darwinian model of evolution is pretty damn solid, and this movie is just tossing it to the wind. Fuck it, they make up for it with symbolism!

Can't wait to see it again.
 
Since I have seen others post a Top Ten, I felt obliged to list mine:

10. Rushmore/Kicking and Screaming (1995)
9. Mulholland Drive
8. O Brother, Where Art Thou
7. Requiem for a Dream
6. Irreversible
5. Goodfellas
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Annie Hall
2. Good Will Hunting
1. 12/12 Angry Men

There are plenty of others that should get honorable mentions (Citizen Kane, Rear Window, A Christmas Story, Full Metal Jacket, Manhattan, Sleepers, Slacker, Breakfast Club, Kids, Mystic River, La Haine, Godfather, Magnolia, etc.) but these are the ones that resonate with me the most
 
Gah, start a new thread for Top 10 Lists. :bag:

In other news...

Saw The Artist last night, at the dollar theater. Wonderful film. Lovely cinematography.

The dog should have been nominated for Best Supporting role.
 
Dogtooth - WTF/10
WTF is wrong with people?
This is just stupid.
And WHY do so many film critics like it? 93% approval rating from critics at Rotten Tomatoes.
Liiiiiiiick meeeeee! :crazy:


Let The Right One In - 8/10
It's nice to watch all the elements of vampire mythology shown from a new angle.
The thoughtful display of the complexities of young relationships is well appreciated.
Listening to the English voice over while reading the subtitles is a hoot! They do not geehaw. :lol:
FWIW, I just don't care for the Americanized LET ME IN. Meh.


Robot Stories - 3/10
Meh... If you never see this you ain't missing much.
Four C-grade Twlight Zone-lite sophomoric tales.
"My Robot Baby" looked like the inspiration for "Blinky": http://vimeo.com/21216091
 
Last edited:
Saw The Artist last night, at the dollar theater. Wonderful film. Lovely cinematography.

That's bizarre, I saw it at a dollar theater too on that same night. Huh.

The Artist-8/10
Second viewing. Appreciated it much more. Cinematography is top-notch gorgeous, the plot could not have been executed better and the whole atmosphere/vibe of the movie was so cheery. Great to appreciate the old days of cinema.

War Horse-7/10
Typical Spielberg film. That being said, it had a memorable score, amazing shots and the emotion....the
reunion of the boy and the horse
had me holding back tears. Jesus. Spectacular. Had its (many) faults but pretty decent.
 
Prometheus 7/10

Visually stunning and an interesting story, but a few ludicrous plot points kind of turned me off. Overall I'd say, eh... It was pretty good, certainly not mind blowing.
 
Italian All-Nighter Splatter Fest at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA.

Grim Reaper (Joe D'Amato) - 4/10. On the tame side for D'Amato.

Nightmare (Romano Scavolini) - 8/10. For a B-rate 80s horror movie, this one delivers, especially the ending!

Shock (Mario Bava) - 7/10. Bava's done better, but had some decent moments.

Screamers aka Island of the Fishmen (Sergio Martino) - 6/10. Good beginning, slow middle, okay ending. Sorry, the creatures are just silly. +1 point for Barbara Bach.


(Sad to say I ran out of steam and missed the final feature - City of the Walking Dead (Umberto Lenzi)).
 
Videodrome - 3/10
Sorry. I just don't get David Cronenberg's body horror shtick.
I've seen enough of them to just stay away from his work as a director, however I did appreciate Eastern Promises & A Dangerous Method.


The Ring - 4/10
Other than the pervasive language this didn't seem particularly intriguing at all.
My almost 13yo daughter and 9yo son watched it with me and they didn't even find it scary. Creepy, yeah, but not scary.

Budget - $45 million
Box office - $249,348,933
Gottaluvit.


Bug - 4/10
Watch one crazy vet turn a trailer trash girl crazy. Yay.
Again, I'm amazed by the films actresses choose to get naked for. Big whatever.
(Is there something "wrong" with making sex sexy in films? Why do they always gotta be dysfunctional events?)
Opened on 1,661 screens @ $2,933 each. 4 week run. Very sad.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekly&id=bug.htm


Penny Dreadful - 3/10
Suckfest.
This and BUG came up on a screen for low cast & location number horror film.
IDK WTH the point of this was.
When I gripe about film school thesis films looking like sh!t, THIS film is about the caliber where I'd expect a graduating student to be at.
The side story was just completely retarded and had nothing to do with anything other than T&A excuse time filler.
Bah! Horsesh!t.


Act of Valor - 4/10
Ugh. The acting is painful to watch. The story is paint by numbers.
I only watched this to see what could be done with a Canon 5D mk II. It looks very nice.
http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2012/03/shooting-act-of-valor-q-a/
I couldn't recommend the film for entertainment purposes.


Sexy Beast - 4/10
This came up on my recent search for heist films.
Meh...
Too much drama, not enough action for me.
I'd've shot that Don Logan SOB right off the bat rather than allow him to ruin my weekend.
And Bass' motivation for being a d!ck to Gal baffles me.


Miller's Crossing - 4/10
Toooo
Muchhhh
Blabbinnnnn.
I like gangter stuff just as much as the next guy, but this was mostly a convoluted three-card monte procession of whiny-gripey "who's got the bigger d!ck."
Bah! Who cares?! Just kill someone already. Good lord.
 
They Came Back - 6/10

Kind of a weird French drama about a day when 70 million people dead people come back to life. Leave it to the French to take a zombie movie and make it very artsy and slow with more talking than action. Well, actually, there wasn't really much action at all. It wasn't bad but I feel like the director was trying to make a big metaphorical statement and it didn't come through in the end. Kind of left feeling "so what?", which is a shame, because the premise was fascinating.
 
Back
Top