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

Blast from the Past, starring Brendan Fraser, Christopher Walken, Dave Foley and a lot of other people. It's my family's all-time favorite movie so it automatically gets an A+, and here's why!

1) - Successfully showcases the cultural differences only 3.5 decades can make (move takes place between 1962 and 1997)
2) - Great acting on Brendan Fraser and Sissy Spacek's parts
3) - A funny and original idea for a screenplay
4) - Dave Foley as a gay man is just freakin' hilarious!

Other films I saw recently were Lethal Weapon 1 and 2, again with an A+ rating because they're great movies!
 
The Prestige

8.5/10

It was pretty good. A lot of excitement and plot twists. I kinda felt it lacked something to earn the extra 1.5 stars. It didn't leave me with thrills.
 
The Conjuring - 6.5/10 - Not bad, though was 20 or so minutes too long

Devil Seed - 4.5/10 - I knew it would be bad, but didnt think it would make me fall asleep

Bully - 8/10 - Really good documentary, hit some items that I believe that everyone has dealt with at some point in their life.

My Amityville Horror - 6/10 - A very interesting look at what Daniel went through. Though, at times, it seemed fractured

THe Haunting of Whaley House - 2/10 - Didn't completely care for this at all. Was pretty awful.

A Haunting in Salem - 3/10 - Didn't leave a lasting impression on me

Abduction of Eden - 7.5/10 - This was actually a pretty good film that had a couple of decent actors showing off some decent skills

Last Kind Words - 3.5/10 - Easy to tell what happened in the story line and there were some awful moments of acting

Atlas Shrugged Part II - 2/10 - I love the book, but this series is just ruining it
 
Solomon Kane - 6/10, if you like the character and/or gritty fantasy films (I do for both) a solid 9/10
Finally a US release! Well, it's on Netflix now. I discovered Solomon Kane from a Marvel comics run in the 80s that was mindblowing. Really great stuff, which inspired me to read the original Robert E Howard stories and some of the earlier comic book runs. So, I'm biased, I'm a huge fan, a sucker for everything fantasy and predisposed to liking things. So I loved it.

As a movie, it's a little better than so-so. Kane is not the sharpest tool in the shed, and while the portrayal of the character is spot on, a character that makes that many dumb choices in a row can grate on viewers. But here's the thing. This is a way better movie than Season of the Witch, Pathfinder or the Conan reboot. BOTH of those got US theatrical distribution, but this one didn't? I don't understand. Sure, doesn't have the name recognition as Conan does, or the trainwreck appeal of Nic Cage, but if you like fantasy films, this is a lot of fun.

My girlfriend has never read Kane, but is playing the Elder Scrolls video games right now. She loved the movie, because it seemed like a film version of exactly what she was playing!

The Gamers 3: Hands of Fate - 6/10 (plus points if you ever played Magic or any collectable card game)
I've been waiting almost as long for this film. I loved the first two Gamers movies. They really capture what playing D&D is like, and I've been without a game for a long time, so they're a pleasant substitute. The same folks do the JourneyQuest webseries, which is also a solid watch for fantasy fans. They've been doing well, Kickstarter-wise, so up the production value!

...and miss. It feels a lot less "cinematic" than the second. A lot of it was shot at GenCon (gaming convention, for those who don't know or care) and while that was neat for a huge cast in the LARP section, comes across like a convention video. Ho hum. Like the first two movies, there are "real world" and "in game" sequences. They ditch the party from the second to follow the one jerk (fun character, but not a likable character) as he tries to win a card game tournament to impress a girl. The in-game sequences, because it's a card game, are repetitious, and not as engaging as the previous films. Still, there are some funny moments and the sequence at the beginning is fantastic (the game from the second film keeps getting put off because of real life issues...which is exactly my relationship with gaming these days!) Again, card gamers will like it more.

nerdrage spoiler moment:
the guy who has NEVER played the game before, of course, wins the tournament and saves the day. Impressing the girl who specifically said she wouldn't be impressed by that. Oh yeah, and it's a game that she plays ALL THE TIME and she does not win. It's okay because according to the Magic player I watched it with, he didn't really win it through skill...he just learned how to play someone else's deck. The first film was all about subverting the mysogynistic gamer stereotype...they even made a few jokes about it in this one...and then just decides to go with it. Sigh.
Oh well. JourneyQuest is still good.
 
Ikiru directed by Akira Kurosawa - 10/10
This masterpiece by Akira Kurosawa made me think a lot about mortality and meaning in life. The story is simple but the way it is told is very incredible. Just when you think you have a great movie in the first half you get a second half about the main character's funeral and you have a modernist masterpiece. I've noticed that Akira Kurosawa is not only great at making stories but also at telling them in unique ways. Takashi Shimura's performance as Kanji Watanabe is one of my favorites of all-time.
 
Silent Hill: Revelation - 3/10
This about sums up my view, as well:
"Mediocre effort even by the standards of video game adaptations, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D features weak characters and an incomprehensible plot with a shortage of scares"


Rushmore - 3/10
Sadly, although I recently enjoyed 'Moonrise Kingdom' immensely, I did not feel the same about 'Rushmore', much like 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', the first Wes Anderson film I attempted.
I punched this @ 20min after FF the previous 10.
coffee.gif

It was nice to see Bill Murray again, though.
Maybe I'll watch 'Get Low' in the next few weeks.


Oz the Greatly Boring - 4/10
Maybe your children will enjoy it. It is PG, which does not stand for "Pretty Good" in this case.
Echoes of 'Sucker Punch' ring in my memories: a whole lotta SFX doesn't make up for a meh story.
 
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Rushmore - 3/10
Sadly, although I recently enjoyed 'Moonrise Kingdom' immensely, I did not feel the same about 'Rushmore', much like 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', the first Wes Anderson film I attempted.
I punched this @ 20min after FF the previous 10.

WOW rating a film that you only gave 10 minutes worth of attention to...soz Ray but that's a bit LAME.

Rushmore isn't great but if you're going to pass judgement on a film at least watch the damn thing.
 
"M" 1931 - Fritz Lang - 8/10

Brilliant film! When I saw the quality of the visuals I couldn't believe it was made in 1931 ! Very cinematic despite of a purely theatrical ending! And the story is extremely relevant to our time, with all the pedos out there.

D.O.A. 1951 - 8/10

Golden era of Hollywood noir! One of the most cinematic film openings of all time! Even though some clichés and minor naivety sneaked in, I didn't mind given how great was everything else.

A must see!

Kansas City Confidential - 5/10

A good example of how to spoil a great idea.
Intriguing opening ,followed by a serious of dramatically weak scenes screwed up the whole film. It could have been sooo much better...

Oblivion - 6.5/10

An example on how plot holes can be almost ignored, if the structure of the screenplay is good. The tension rises with each plot twist, makes you want to find out what happens next, this way you get connected to the main hero. Solid writing, which to be honest I did not expect from this production.

However... Plot holes,plot holes,plot holes. And a choice of a weakfish ending, lessen the impact of the film.

SPOILERS
Main question which was not answered is - why the hell do alien civilisation with an insane level of technology need a human engineer?
Surely building robots is much more efficient

Drons retarded behaviour + them being defeated so easily (handgun lol),makes me wonder how they won in the first place.

Even if we assume that aliens can not find and kill all the remaining humans, building a hydroplatform in the middle of the ocean and surrounding it with 100 drons would have stopped any human attacks.

There is much more, but you get the drift.

Oh,and happy ending. Sooo sweat,soooo Hollywood. Makes me puke. Argggh.

Still it s much,much better than "Moon". Even though it is a rip off of a rip off.
 
WOW rating a film that you only gave 10 minutes worth of attention to...soz Ray but that's a bit LAME.

Rushmore isn't great but if you're going to pass judgement on a film at least watch the damn thing.
I do not agree with your position or opinion, but I will defend your right to have it.


That said, it's possible that:
A) I may have seen a few, if not considerably, more films than you have allowing me the experience to pass judgement a wee faster than you.
It's kinda like a job interview or dating: I don't have to hire or marry you for a year to to prove my suspicions - I can just call it quits PDQ.

20130820Firsttenortwentyminutes_zpsa80b24c8.png


B) I'm not getting paid to do this. And I strongly suspect this is what happens at film festivals where entry fees are supposed to go toward paying someone (Lord only knows their qualifications) to watch. The. Whole. [Expletive]. Film/monstrosity. Even. When. Anyone. With. Half. A. Brain. Knows. In. The. First TWENTY MINUTES THAT THE WHOLE THING IS GONNA SUCK DONKEY B@LLZZZZZZ!!!! :lol::grrr:

C) I may have better things to do with my time than to sit through 90-110 minutes of excruciating "entertainment" when I can already tell in the first 10-20mins that the remaining 80-90mins isn't going to deliver for me. I just don't have that kind of charity.

I can't recall any films that "deliver in the end" after a plodding beginning.

D) I am very patient, but haven't a sadomasochistic or self loathing bone in my body.
I want salt, fat, sugar, sunshine, and very long naps after a good night's sleep.
I don't want to eat desiccated insects, lawn clippings, posses crotch rot, or to sleep in the alley under a cardboard box when it's raining.
Your mileage may vary.


********************************

And if your a fan of... er... um... "late delivering films"" <cough! cough! Ha!>, try giving each of these a honest full day in court: http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=44510

Five brownie points bets you'll start noticing a pattern in these "cinema gems".
Also, try these two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AHLjjZbIKw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRUm0ZBl868

********************************

By all means, please give me the titles to a dozen films that:
A) have lame first acts or twenty minutes, but
B) deliver in the third act or final twenty.


Seriously.

I promise to hunt them down, give them an honest day in court, watch the whole thing, and (hopefully, sincerely) WANT to prove myself wrong and turn over a new leaf.
Please deliver. :)
 
I just think if you are going to pass a judgement on something you should at least give it a fair crack of the whip, that's how you would want your own work to be reviewed isn't it?

Bail out after an hour... yeah fair play I do it all the time if I'm not in the mood or it hasn't grabbed me. But TEN minutes... Jeeez why bother even pressing play... Just review the cover!!

The Shining 2/10
Guy is just driving on a road for ages and ages... BORING. Switched it off after 5mins. :lol:
 
I just think if you are going to pass a judgement on something you should at least give it a fair crack of the whip, that's how you would want your own work to be reviewed isn't it?
Yes.
In all honesty I'd be embarrassed if the first ten minutes of a feature length film I presented was boring and lame and I had to keep telling everybody "Just WAIT! Wait! It gets better... eventually."

Sigh...

Lame.


Bail out after an hour... yeah fair play I do it all the time if I'm not in the mood or it hasn't grabbed me. But TEN minutes... Jeeez why bother even pressing play... Just review the cover!!
You just gotta watch a lot more films until you start to recognize patterns faster.
Or maybe your BS tolerance is higher than mine.
Maybe you have more faith than I that this COULD pull out.

'Shawn of the Dead'
'Hot Fuzz'
'Aliens'
'Amelie'
'Heat'
'The Incredibles'
'A Knight's Tale'
'The Fifth Element'
'Seven'
'Forest Gump'
'Moonrise Kingdom'
'Argo'
'The Sessions'
'21 Jump Street'
'Kung Fu Panda'
These don't start lame and end great. They start great, continue to be great, and finish great.

'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters'
'Hit and Run'
'Side Effects'
'The Good Doctor'
'Iron Sky'
'Beyond the Black Rainbow'
'The Hills Have Eyes II'
'Seven Psychopaths'
'Killer Joe'
'Machete Joe'
All serve up pretty much the same thing from stem to stern - if you got that far.
If you liked the first twenty I'm sure you liked the rest of the story.
However, if the first twenty wasn't working for you, odds are...



I'm still waiting on your dozen films with snooze-fest first acts and gripping third acts, though. :yes:


The Shining 2/10
Guy is just driving on a road for ages and ages... BORING. Switched it off after 5mins. :lol:
:lol:


You didn't start watching these, did you? :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AHLjjZbIKw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRUm0ZBl868


It's a gold mine! http://www.youtube.com/user/Tromamovies/videos
 
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I'm still waiting on your dozen films with snooze-fest first acts and gripping third acts, though.

Ha ha what would be the point.... You're not exactly displaying an open mind to films are you.

One of my faves of the year was Soderburghs Side Effects. What starts off as a rather generic thriller, about a third of the way in shifts gears, and the film becomes a much more interesting social commentary piece before shifting gears again towards the climactic end. The film is high on my watch again list because I really want to understand just how Soderburgh managed to switch those gears and crank that tension...was very well done.

This was your review of that film...

Side Effects - 4/10
Another Soderbergh hit or miss: Miss.
Too boring. Turned it off after 20mins.

If I remember correctly about the 20minute mark we've just been introduced to the main characters with a little bit of background. So it sounds like you've missed THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE FILM. You may watch the whole thing and not like it, but at least you'd be better informed to make that decision.

I'm trying to discuss films here and you keep throwing YouTube clips at me...It's like chatting about the merits of the renaissance and someone coming over with a picture of a cock drawn on napkin!! ENOUGH ALREADY WASTE YOUR OWN TIME ON THEM :lol:
 
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Ha ha what would be the point.... You're not exactly displaying an open mind to films are you.

Not true.
By all means, please give me the titles to a dozen films that:
A) have lame first acts or twenty minutes, but
B) deliver in the third act or final twenty.


Seriously.

I promise to hunt them down, give them an honest day in court, watch the whole thing, and (hopefully, sincerely) WANT to prove myself wrong and turn over a new leaf.
Please deliver.
:)

One of my faves of the year was Soderburghs Side Effects. What starts off as a rather generic thriller, about a third of the way in shifts gears, and the film becomes a much more interesting social commentary piece before shifting gears again towards the climactic end. The film is high on my watch again list because I really want to understand just how Soderburgh managed to switch those gears and crank that tension...was very well done.

This was your review of that film...



If I remember correctly about the 20minute mark we've just been introduced to the main characters with a little bit of background. So it sounds like you've missed THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE FILM. You may watch the whole thing and not like it, but at least you'd be better informed to make that decision.
I enjoyed Soderberg's 'Contagion' very much, and it fails to just begin introducing a little bit of background at the 20min mark.
It starts good. Continues good. Ends good.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001752/?ref_=sr_1#Director
Watched all of 'Magic Mike' and didn't care for it. Pretty pointless.
Watched all of 'Haywire' and thought it was okay.
Loved 'Contagion'.
Found 'The Informant' to be less than engaging.
'Ocean's 13' is pretty good.
IDK WTH happened to 'Oceans 12' - thus my cited remark above about Soderberg being a hit or mis director with me.
'Solaris' = snooze-fest.
'Oceans 11' is a delightful film.
'Traffic' is gorgeous story telling, a must see.
'Erin Brokovitch' is fine if you wanna watch it, can't really say it's a must see.
'Out of Sight' is a delight.
And that's about all I can recall and say about his films I've watched.


I'm trying to discuss films here and you keep throwing YouTube clips at me...It's like chatting about the merits of the renaissance and someone coming over with a picture of a cock drawn on napkin!! Yeah, I might be just a wee more informed about what I'm watching than you're extending credit for. ENOUGH ALREADY WASTE YOUR OWN TIME ON THEM :lol:
I really don't understand what that closing statement means.
I think there's supposed to be a period after "ALREADY."

But I will go hunt down side effects and give it a full, honest viewing while you hunt down eleven other films and get back to you with an updated review.
But I'll already agree with you that the film must not become interesting until after the bit of character introduction after the first third.
 
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By all means, please give me the titles to a dozen films that:
A) have lame first acts or twenty minutes, but
B) deliver in the third act or final twenty.


Seriously.

A dozen is quiet a tall order! But I can think of a few..

Man from Nowhere had a boring first 20 minutes until the action starts
On the Waterfront was hell for me the first hour, then AMAZING second hour
Titanic from 1953 had me looking at my watch then blew me away
Citizen Kane is pretty slow in the beginning
The maltese falcon


Anyway sometimes I am guilty of not finishes films either.. like the hunger games..i watched 30 minutes totally bored. jumped forward to the action and that was boring too!! i said damn if the action is boring too this movie blows all around and hit the eject.
 
I think Rushmore is a great film. It starts off a bit slow, but picks up quickly. It's probably in my top 20 favorite films.

There are plenty of films that begin slowly.

A dozen?

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
United 93
Citizen Kane
The Shining
The Lives of Others
Chinatown
2001: A Space Odyssey
It's a Wonderful Life
Cache
The Thin Red Line (actually, most of Malick's work in general).
Barton Fink
Miller's Crossing
 
You're Next - Not quite the genre redefining modern classic that a lot of the horror reviewers are claiming, but a fun film none the less. There were a few strange choices in the pacing, that seemed a bit out of place. I also noticed a few sound issues, particularly in the levels of the dialogue, which surprised me, as this was the first time I've ever noticed this sort of thing while watching a film in the cinema! Still, didn't ruin the movie, so it gets....
7.5/10

Sightseers - Just got round to seeing this. Not quite as good as "Kill List" (which is a must see!), but it's much funnier. A great little british indie flick....
7/10
 
Last night, i watched Back to the Future 1, just for my pleasure and fun. Seriously ? I say 8/10, actors are beautiful, really. Back to the future at marked a whole generation, that's what I think. Very good film and a good director.
 
Body of Lies ****

Really solid, well made film but still not a classic. If you would write top 100 best films book, this would not be on it, even it does have a lot of quality.

The Storm *

This came in dvd form, so I though it was a movie but actually it was just two tv-episodes together. Avoid at all cost, altough a good example to indie people that even if you get the actors that has some name in to your movie, it still does not save your movie.

Also in the cinema I saw:
Pacific Rim 3D ***

The movie is a great fun to see, altough there are plotholes...:) I am not too sure about that 3d, it does seem a bit pointless to me.
 
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I've been enjoying Ripper Street. A new favorite. If you crossed two of my favorite shows, Inspector Lewis and Deadwood, you might get something like Ripper Street. Well, few shows belong to the same rarified company as Deadwood, one of the ultimate TV shows. And it's not From Hell, one of my favorite films. But it's pretty darn good. Love the cast. I'm now a big fan.

Also, these guys get away with the kind of brutality that coppers (or heroes) should not get away with. For that I feel a little complicit by watching and rooting for these characters. Oh well. It's just a show. All in good entertainment.

I was thinking that it had probably been cancelled. But I'm please to see that according to Wikipedia it's coming back for another installment of eight episodes, at least. Excellent!
 
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