Last Good Movie You Saw

[deanb]

Oh the newer one with Scarlet Witch in. It's worth a watch I've never seen the older Japanese films but I'm to understand this is much closer to those compared to the 90's Broderick version. Japanese specially made a film to have their Godzilla kill off the American "Zilla". I believe it gets thrown into the Sydney Opera House.

[TheFlyingGerbil]

Pacific Rim has put me off big monster movies for now but I will try and remember there is a newer one worth watching for the future.

[deanb]

Pacific Rim put you off?!?!?!

[danielpholt]

TIL: TheFlyingGerbal has no soul.

 

I know all of Pacific Rim's various problems, but I just don't care. No film has given me more entertainment value over the last few years. Bring on the sequel. 

[TheMightyEthan]

I enjoyed it, but didn't think it had enough giant robot fights.  There were like 3 in the whole movie.

[deanb]

Well this is a first. I think the first time a spoiler has kinda ruined a film for me. I think when you think of film spoilers you think of The Usual Suspects like Rosebud and "I am your father" but I guess this is old enough to be a well known twist.

 

I imagine the ending reveal would be more dramatic with knowing ahead of time. You can kinda see how they tried to build it up and such. Overall it's quite good, bit of "unreliable narrator". The guy telling the story is a known con man.  My only thought is with going in knowing the twist and it feeling a bit poor due to that I'd guess that's more the films fault than the spoilers fault. I knew a lot about GoT before watching but still found it quite enjoyable.

 

Interesting with this film is how many folks pop up nearly 20 years later. In the hospital with have Detective Gustav Fring chatting with Doctor Coulson (first name: Agent). Spacey has had a pretty lucrative film career over the years, though I think this was early on for him (yeah, Se7ven the same year and American Beauty a bit later and so on from there). Even had the Zed/Dorian as as a middle man guy...who kinda faded to nothingness. And despite only being a year between release made a Pulp Fiction reference.

 

Yeah, an good film but kinda fails a bit if you know the twist.

[TheFlyingGerbil]

It was so bad, I couldn't tell if it was a spoof of the genre or not. 

 

edit: oops i guess i left this comment unposted too long. that was about pacific rim not usual suspects

Edited September 6, 2015 by TheFlyingGerbil

[deanb]

The film where they made a set specifically to allow them to delicately knock a newtons cradle with a robots fist, and this is after they're "cancelling the apocalypse". Spoof is kind of the wrong word, more a kind of love letter.

 

How could you come away from that film and go "well that was a terrible way to spend 2 hours. I could have hoovered the car".

[TheFlyingGerbil]

I thought you just put hoover the cat, which would definitely be more entertaining.

 

Spoof may not be a word you'd use for it but when the love letter is about as subtle as Scary Movie I think it fits (minus the implied humour), but it was comically badly written/plotted/acted and like I say well past simple cliché. An ode to the genre may be one thing but it needs its own voice or something unique. I think cassetteboy could have made this exact same film.  Even the action sequences were not exciting to me, which would be the only redeeming feature so no, even the first watch through wasn't worth it. I wouldn't even leave it on in the background if it was on again

[deanb]

Lost In Translation

 

It was meant to be on my list but my "list" was made off films on my computer or disc collection, forgot about Netflix. And they kinda hide the List stuff these days for some reason.

Anyway, it was nice. Just a sort of gentle relaxing film with two people. Sorta balances against a lot of the other stuff I've watched of late. I think I'm gonna slow on the films for a while though. Might have gone a bit heavy, stick a TV show on or something.

[deanb]

John Wick

 

Man you guys are kidding, pretty great film. Pretty slick, keeps plodding along at a good place. It builds up this world through character interaction n the gold coins. Even before you see him in action you know he's a bad ass from the way folks talk of him early on, like Sid refusing to take the car n such. Oh and Reek being all arrogant about it is like TV Tropes level. I liked the Russian subtitles too. Nightwatch is only other film I've seen that does subtitles near people and styled rather just near the bottom (though that only happened in the original release, the DVD did regular subtitles). Oh n great in media res. Nothing sets you up for a film more than a empty car park with a semi destroyed car smashing into a docking bay n a half dead guy rolling out.

 

My only issue really would be that the blood is so clearly CGI. It's like level I learnt at in first year. But that's it.

[deanb]

Mad Max: Fury Road

 

I've seen the older ones years and years ago but like at that point of childhood where you don't wholly remember stuff. I probably should load them into my list. Anywho this was an opportunity for some father-son bonding otherwise I'd have watched this a while back. Was pretty good, I think whoever got to design the cars and characters n what not really enjoyed their time. Very...turned to 11 kind of film. Everything was slightly over saturated, slightly sped up, and slightly more to the characters and action. Very oomphy like John Wick, though not the same kind of slickness but it's not that kind of film. It has the word "mad" in the title.

 

I'd say my only issue is cos of the way much of it is presented early on it take until about 20 minutes into the film until you feel you've an alright understanding of what's going on.

[TCP]

Wild
-Basically Reese Witherspoon does a lot of drugs and has sex. Then, she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, with no experience. It was pretty good! Somewhat similar as Into The Wild. What was with people in the 90s going on dangerous hikes?? 

[Mr. GOH!]

Sicario. Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and James Brolin are just fantastic. The writing is quite good, but the film creates a lot of its copious tension via its wonderful directing and brilliant cinematography (which makes sense, since the cinematographer is the unparalleled Roger Deakins). 

 

The plot is interesting, focusing on Blunt's character, who is an FBI SWAT team leader seconded to an intergovernmental task force combating the Mexican cartels after she leads a raid that uncovers the scene of a very grisly crime linked to the cartel. There are a few twists, but they're both earned and reasonable. The entire movie just pulses with tension and reminded me, in many ways, of some of the best parts of Breaking Bad and Zero Dark Thirty. 

[Mr. GOH!]

The Martian. I really enjoyed the novel and the movie translates the humor and wonder very well. It does not dwell on the step-by-step engineering of every solution to the problems the main characters face, but to do so on film would make the movie 8 hours long.

As a space adventure movie, it's fantastic and way more hopeful than other Ridley Scott Sci fi movies.

Edited September 28, 2015 by Mr. GOH!

[deanb]

Gonna go watch that tomorrow me thinks.

 

Finally watched Skyfall last night after having started and stopping a few times. The ending is kind of neat with the sort of siege prep n what not, but there's a lot of "people are really stupid" parts such as:

• Plugging the bad guys computer into your network
• Building the bad guys prison above London underground access.
• Not telling the civilians around you of a security threat.

It would seem that this is maybe the first of the nu-Bonds to go back to the older ones a bit, introducing a male M in the old M office (Judi Dench has been great though), with Moneypenny back in and of course the classic DB5. Next film brings in Spectre, and while it was just random skull insignias throughout the "hacked video" n what not in Skyfall I'm well aware that it's sort of Spectres logo (especially given the same logo is plastered on the cover of my Empire).

 

I quite liked this part:

Quite glad I wasn't given a proper scottish welcome.

[danielpholt]

The Martian. I really enjoyed the novel and the movie translates the humor and wonder very well. It does not dwell on the step-by-step engineering of every solution to the problems the main characters face, but to do so on film would make the movie 8 hours long.

 

As a space adventure movie, it's fantastic and way more hopeful than other Ridley Scott Sci fi movies.

 

WAT! When did you see this? 

 

Got my ticket for Wednesday at midday, and I can't wait. I've heard it's fairly true to the novel (obviously minus some of the scientific waffle because time), and on the whole it's a pretty great film on its own.

[deanb]

Gravity

 

It was on my list, and hey Martian this week.

 

On second thoughts let's not go into space.

 

I would have done a few Director's Cuts myself.

 

In my first I'd have had her feet from the shore when *chomp* a shark gets her all Deep Blue Sea Samuel L Jackson style.

In the other at odds of 2^{2,079,460,347}:1 a series of chairs then Heart of Gold appears and rescues them.

 

 

edit: So It's an hour later and I'm still feeling the same effects of post-panic attack. This could be cos the film was way tenser than I'm used to or cos I cycled on my bike a fair bit and it says I burnt 500kcal which is probably more than I should have done in one go after been off it a week.

[Mr. GOH!]

I saw it at a preview screening at the New York Film Festival. Ridley Scott and some of the actors were there (not Chastain or Damon, though).

 

The biggest scientific error in the writing of the Martian was made on purpose:

 

 

a sandstorm on Mars would not hurt anything because the air is very, very thin (hence being able to turn the second MAV into a convertible and survive launch into orbit). It certainly would not have been able to break a piece of metal equipment with such force that it impales someone. There are dust storms on Mars; they're just kinda wimpy. Doesn't take much air to lift up fine and dry Martian dust.

The writer said he went with the storm version because his alternate beginning was about an explosion that caused the team to leave Watney and Mars behind, but it lacked the drama of the storm.

 

[danielpholt]

I saw it at a preview screening at the New York Film Festival. Ridley Scott and some of the actors were there (not Chastain or Damon, though).

 

The biggest scientific error in the writing of the Martian was made on purpose:

 

 

a sandstorm on Mars would not hurt anything because the air is very, very thin (hence being able to turn the second MAV into a convertible and survive launch into orbit). It certainly would not have been able to break a piece of metal equipment with such force that it impales someone. There are dust storms on Mars; they're just kinda wimpy. Doesn't take much air to lift up fine and dry Martian dust.

 

The writer said he went with the storm version because his alternate beginning was about an explosion that caused the team to leave Watney and Mars behind, but it lacked the drama of the storm.

 

 

Does this mean we see 

two storms in the movie or do they simply not bother with the one when he's making his way to the Ares 4 site?

 

[Mr. GOH!]

 

They cut the storm and rover flip on the way to the Ares IV site for sure.

 

[FMW]

I just watched Pirates of the Carribean 4: On Stranger Tides.  This movie got hammered by critics when it came out.  It came out right at the time when everyone was turning on the "Hollywood infinite sequel machine" as it became apparent that this was not just a passing fad, but actually resulting in an awful lot of cinematic stagnation.

 

But you know what?  The critics were WRONG.  This movie is fantastic.  What were the two biggest problems with the Pirates of the Carribean franchise?  1.  Kiera Knightly and Orlando Bloom and 2.  Getting all convoluted and making so much intricate plot that there's no time left for rollicking pirate adventure with Johnny Depp doing his drunk pirate routine.  This movie solves both those problems.  The new male/female leads are way less lame than "rich white people playing pirates" Bloom and Knightly, and the premise (everybody race to the fountain of youth first one to arrive wins) keeps everything moving at a fun speedy clip.  Great movie, highly recommended.

 

So the good news:  These movies are still fun and there's a fifth one coming out even.  The bad news:  They're bringing back Bloom and Knightly.  Oh well, maybe they'll come across less like rich suburban white kids hanging out with a bad crowd to piss off their parents this time.

[TCP]

You shut your dirty whore mouth KIERA KNIGHTLY IS NEVER A PROBLEM!!! 

[TheFlyingGerbil]

The worst thing about pirates of the Caribbean is Jonny depp and I don't see them fixing that.

[FMW]

So after going to sleep I woke up and IMMEDIATELY two giant plot holes jumped out at me.  It was honestly pretty weird.  It's like my sub conscious was working on that and woke me up to report once it's findings were complete.  So... yeah.  Update:  Makes zero logical sense.  Still enjoyed it.