Movie opinions thread (what have you seen, what did you think?)

[Ralfakick]

Buffalo '66

I should hate this movie, but there is something about it that I found mesmerizing. I have weirdly comparitive feeling towards it as I do with Eraserhead in terms of the human element/performances--just watching humans that look like humans act in ways that are so exaggeratedly bizzare and non-human that it makes me uncomfortable in an engaging way. Everyone is just awful in their own unique ways and everyone is playing those awful parts so perfectly that it ends up working despite the themes on display being so overly toxic and disgusting.

See the Brown Browny? I would say that is even more of what you just said. Buffalo 66 is way more of a cohesive movie. Same guy Vincent Gallo. Probably one of the most depressing sex scenes I’ve ever watched, they made fun of it on American Dad. Crazy backstory on VG going back and forth with Roger Ebert too about BB.

Also, Ben Gazarra is awesome in anything he was in. Saint Jack is great for one. Some channel I had was showing reruns of Run For Your Life one time he was the star of and I watched a bunch, I wish that got a video release.

 

[Ralfakick]

Leviathan and Deepstar Six, two memorable VHS box arts while browsing at Blockbuster. Blast from the past

I just saw Levaithan was added to HBO Max I’m going to put that on now it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.

 

[famicommander]

Jim Carrey unretiring to reprise his role as Robotnik/Eggman in Sonic 3.

Honestly, it's probably the only good comedic role he's had since Bruce Almighty way back in 2003.

 

[Ralfakick]

Jim Carrey unretiring to reprise his role as Robotnik/Eggman in Sonic 3.

Honestly, it's probably the only good comedic role he's had since Bruce Almighty way back in 2003.

Yeah I think the Sonic movies are fun for what they are and he’s a big part of that.

 

[famicommander]

Yeah I think the Sonic movies are fun for what they are and he’s a big part of that.

They're thoroughly average kids movies but Carrey elevates them single-handedly. I was skeptical of his casting when it was announced but you can tell he really enjoys it and he's fully committed.

 

[100proof]

Ski School- I have to hand it to these 80's and early 90's party animals vs. preppy flicks they are absolutely packed with babes. The movies are all trash but damn there are some serious hotties that aren't afraid to show some skin. These movies are all the same though, basically just Animal House without any of cleverness or memorable characters. The skiing party animal movie practically it's own subgenera, so many neon ski suits and so much shitty beer. Simpler times.

I always saw these as the "USA Up All Night" genre.

It's the Roger Corman school of fillmmaking (what if we made an ultra-low-budget knock off of this popular movie but added a bunch of boobs to it?) with the same two or three plots: "we have to save the <building they work at/hang out in> from being shut down!", guy can only get girl by beating a preppy jerk, let's throw a huge party. They're inoffensive softcore trash but there's definitely nostalgia to them for guys who grew up in the pre-internet age.

 

[racecar]

Beekeeper… another Jason statham ass kicking movie has the mechanic feel to it . Good action shit support characters especially the female .

 

[terry.330]

I always saw these as the "USA Up All Night" genre.

It's the Roger Corman school of fillmmaking (what if we made an ultra-low-budget knock off of this popular movie but added a bunch of boobs to it?) with the same two or three plots: "we have to save the <building they work at/hang out in> from being shut down!", guy can only get girl by beating a preppy jerk, let's throw a huge party. They're inoffensive softcore trash but there's definitely nostalgia to them for guys who grew up in the pre-internet age.

And they always end in some ridiculous competition or event. Like we have to win the big race, humiliate the jocks and win the money to save our house. Definitely big cable TV nostalgia. My parents pretty much let me watch anything growing up and that was prime time for this stuff.

The Simpsons episode where Homer goes to college is a perfect parody that covers just about every cliche.

 

[terry.330]

Over the last month or so I've watched the following Godzilla movies:

Godzilla 2000
Final Wars
Godzilla, Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack
Tokyo SOS
vs. Megaguirius
vs. Destoroyah
vs. Mechagodzilla II
vs. Space Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla

I already talked about a couple here and I'm not going to get into each one just some general observations.

I had seen a couple of the older ones over the years but this was my first time watching any of the more modern Toho ones. They are so comically Japanese from giant bug larvae to psychic children and mechs they're just pure unfiltered Japanese weirdness. Quality wise they're all over the place, while I didn't love all of them there was at least always something that made them worth watching. The insistence on adhering to such strict old school production techniques is as endearing as it is frustrating. Also I should have watched these in order as jumping from movie to movie was pretty confusing at times.

I think I like the Gamera trilogy from the 90s a bit more than any of these but I'm glad I watched all of these and will definitely be re-watching a few.

 

[SouthtownKid]

Over the last month or so I've watched the following Godzilla movies:

Godzilla 2000
Final Wars
Godzilla, Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack
Tokyo SOS
vs. Megaguirius
vs. Destoroyah
vs. Mechagodzilla II
vs. Space Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla

I already talked about a couple here and I'm not going to get into each one just some general observations.

I had seen a couple of the older ones over the years but this was my first time watching any of the more modern Toho ones. They are so comically Japanese from giant bug larvae to psychic children and mechs they're just pure unfiltered Japanese weirdness. Quality wise they're all over the place, while I didn't love all of them there was at least always something that made them worth watching. The insistence on adhering to such strict old school production techniques is as endearing as it is frustrating. Also I should have watched these in order as jumping from movie to movie was pretty confusing at times.

I think I like the Gamera trilogy from the 90s a bit more than any of these but I'm glad I watched all of these and will definitely be re-watching a few.

Watch Godzilla vs Biolante. It is by far the best of the '80s/'90s series. Story is pretty good, but visually, it's incredible. I mean, for its time, but it still holds up well today. It's got the best practical effects of maybe any Japanese movie ever, including some really nice matte paintings. For 1989, the effects stand up with what Hollywood was doing at that time, which you can't say about many (any?) Japanese movies, other than possibly the 1954 original Godzilla against 1950s Hollywood.

 

[Average Joe]

Watch Godzilla vs Biolante. It is by far the best of the '80s/'90s series. Story is pretty good, but visually, it's incredible. I mean, for its time, but it still holds up well today. It's got the best practical effects of maybe any Japanese movie ever, including some really nice matte paintings. For 1989, the effects stand up with what Hollywood was doing at that time, which you can't say about many (any?) Japanese movies, other than possibly the 1954 original Godzilla against 1950s Hollywood.

I remember watching that one for the first time and having no idea Koichi Sugiyama did the soundtrack. I'm sitting there with my buddy and I'm just like: "Why the fuck does this sound like Dragon Quest?"

 

[NeoSneth]

Oppenheimer
This movie is too long to be a historical film, art piece, and political drama. Pick one or two, but don't do the full gambit.
The casting was hit and miss. Matt Damon did not really give off vibes of a military general. Others nailed it.
The falling action/resolution phase was also too long. The entire movie ran out of momentum before it even ended.

 

[famicommander]

Oppenheimer
The entire movie ran out of momentum before it even ended.

See also: every other movie Nolan has ever made

 

[Teddy KGB]

Over the last month or so I've watched the following Godzilla movies:

Godzilla 2000
Final Wars
Godzilla, Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack
Tokyo SOS
vs. Megaguirius
vs. Destoroyah
vs. Mechagodzilla II
vs. Space Godzilla
Against Mechagodzilla

I already talked about a couple here and I'm not going to get into each one just some general observations.

I had seen a couple of the older ones over the years but this was my first time watching any of the more modern Toho ones. They are so comically Japanese from giant bug larvae to psychic children and mechs they're just pure unfiltered Japanese weirdness. Quality wise they're all over the place, while I didn't love all of them there was at least always something that made them worth watching. The insistence on adhering to such strict old school production techniques is as endearing as it is frustrating. Also I should have watched these in order as jumping from movie to movie was pretty confusing at times.

I think I like the Gamera trilogy from the 90s a bit more than any of these but I'm glad I watched all of these and will definitely be re-watching a few.

Your references here are a good starting point for modern Godzilla... I too haven't taken a deep dive into the modern Toho counterparts so will def keep this in mind.

Although considered corny and/or just plain goofy by many, the earlier Showa-era films are still entertaining in their own right. That, and my young son and I get a kick out of watching them together.

I was gifted this Criterion set over the holidays and while I wouldn't recommend it for most (most if not all of these are also on their streaming app too) it has some fantastic eye-appeal, especially the actual film restorations themselves. The OG from 1954 and Destroy All Monsters will always be a couple of faves.

 

[Average Joe]

Your references here are a good starting point for modern Godzilla... I too haven't taken a deep dive into the modern Toho counterparts so will def keep this in mind.

Although considered corny and/or just plain goofy by many, the earlier Showa-era films are still entertaining in their own right. That, and my young son and I get a kick out of watching them together.

I was gifted this Criterion set over the holidays and while I wouldn't recommend it for most (most if not all of these are also on their streaming app too) it has some fantastic eye-appeal, especially the actual film restorations themselves. The OG from 1954 and Destroy All Monsters will always be a couple of faves.

I have that set too and at some point on a particularly hot day before we put the AC in the glue that holds the disc slots/pages together ended up melting and getting all over the discs.

I have the Arrow Gamera box set as well and I must say I prefer that in terms of functionality since the Godzilla one is also a bit too thin.

 

[Teddy KGB]

the glue that holds the disc slots/pages together ended up melting and getting all over the discs.

I have the Arrow Gamera box set as well

Will check it out

 

[terry.330]

That Criterion set is neat but the packaging is a deal breaker unless I can score it on the cheap. I'm really surprised they never re-released it in a more shelf friendly form.

The Arrow Gamera sets are nice. I have the Heisei one and it's excellent.

 

[terry.330]

Crimes of Passion- Kathleen Turner plays a successful fashion designer who moonlights as a $50 prostitute. Her employer thinks she might be selling company secrets and hires a private investigator to follow her who discovers her secret life. The PI is trapped in a bad marriage and ends up hooking up with her and they form a bond. She is also being stalked by a deranged street preacher (Anthony Perkins) who is bent on "saving" her from herself. He intends to save her by way of a razor sharp metal vibrator.

The movie is directed by Ken Russell and it has all of his trademarks. Sex, religion, societal norms, gender roles etc. It's incredibly sleazy, funny, nightmarishly psychedelic and quite smart. The performances by Turner and Perkins are pretty impressive with some really sharp exchanges and dialogue reminiscent of film noir and underground stage plays.

This is definitely not a movie for everyone. One of the early scenes at a peep show is incredible. Shot from the POV of the absolutely haggard stripper showing all the men watching her in an absolutely disgusting old fashioned nudie booth. It slowly pans across the filth and greasy weirdos and focuses on Anthony Perkins feverishly masturbating while huffing amyl nitrate. If you can laugh at that then you should enjoy the rest of the movie. It's really out there.

 

[terry.330]

Tiger Cage 2- A young Donnie Yen teams up with Rosamund Kwan as they both inadvertently find themselves tangled up in a money laundering scheme gone wrong. The plot like a lot of these is simultaneously convoluted but also super basic and doesn't really matter. Directed by Yuen Woo Ping this is peak HK action comedy, there's literally a fight scene, shoot out or chase every 5-10 minutes. The fight choreography and stunts are all top notch, Donnie Yen really gets to show off his athleticism. It is still pretty heavy on the comedy and romance shenanigans but like I said there is a ton of action so you're never bored or irritated. It also helps that Kwan is insanely cute and has good comedic chops. This one ranks pretty high.

 

[Average Joe]

Mad Max: Fury Road

It really doesn't get better than this.

The rare occasion where an Action movie is elevated to pure filmmaking artistry not only through its action sequences, but by its visuals, world-building, and characters. The pacing alone and flow of the shots while utter chaos is unfolding is masterclass work. Whenever I watch this film I often wonder just how much work went into the editing due to how well it flows even when there are a thousand things happening and cameras are constantly changing the perspective.

 

[100proof]

The Evil Dead (1981) - Hadn't seen the OG in about 20 years. It was always my least favorite of the original three movies but largely because I was too young to appreciate it when there weren't already two "sequels" and a thousand imitators. For its time, it's brilliant (especially considering the budget) and it was so unique/fresh as far as filmmaking and horror ideas goes but even now, trying to watch it with unburdened eyes, it still just feels like a dry run for ED2. Partially because that movie is barely a sequel and mostly a bigger-budget remake that improves on the original in pretty much every way (unless you don't like the more goofy tone). However, there are also a lot of small, student-film little experimental shots in the original (blood filling the light bulb, the Raimi-isms, the stop-motion stuff) that evolves and improves in the sequel.

That said, Evil Dead is still absolutely worth watching (especially in a theater if you can). Once the pace picks up, it gets pretty breakneck (post-treerape) and the stop-motion stuff and the pencil scene is incredibly impressive for a movie cobbled together by college students before the democratization of film on an under $400k budget.

 

[Teddy KGB]

As mentioned in one of my last posts, I have been taking a walk down David Lynch memory lane the last several weeks. With recently wrapping up Twin Peaks (yes, season 3 The Return is just about as good or better as I remember it) it was time for Lost Highway (1997), which has most likely been reviewed here already. There isn’t much else to be said that hasn’t been said before but a couple stand-out observations that reaffirmed why I first dug this film to begin with.

The performances: Robert Blake’s (yes, the same guy who was found guilty/liable of for the death of his 2nd wife in civil court) last film performance as the ghoulish & haunting “Mystery Man” lingers in the dark corners of your brain well after viewing the film. I’d consider Blake’s over-the-top performance here in a similar (yet less superior) vein to Dennis Hopper’s performance in Blue Velvet. Sacrilege comparison, perhaps. But both are 100% “Lynch” for sure. Yes, Patricia Arquette (total Femme Fatale vibe as Alice) indeed has seemingly flawless skin, or at least as far as I could tell (I looked really closely, twas a treat in HD this time around). Bit parts by Richard Pryor, Giovanni Ribisi, Henry Rollins, Gary Busey & Marilyn Manson just seems to work surprisingly well. I’ll leave the other performances alone but Balthazar Getty (dat Getty $$ irl), Bill Pullman & Robert Loggia were all better-than-decent.

The soundtrack: Still kicks ass.

The overall aesthetic: To me, the film has held up over the years. Yes, it has the mid-90s dreamscape vs. reality stank all over it. What perplexing hard-to-follow thriller from that era doesn’t? In the end, there will always be parallels to Lynch's Mulholland Drive and perhaps Inland Empire too but even to this day, Lost Highway stands on its own for sure.

 

[SouthtownKid]

I always felt Mulholland Drive was a bit of a redo of Lost Highway, as if Lynch wanted a version he wrote 100% by himself. But as much as I like it, Lost Highway will always be my favorite.

Bit parts by Richard Pryor

There's nine people down here, and you can ask seven of them. If you can get that price from one of them, I'll let you ask the other two.

 

[Average Joe]

The Evil Dead (1981) - Hadn't seen the OG in about 20 years. It was always my least favorite of the original three movies but largely because I was too young to appreciate it when there weren't already two "sequels" and a thousand imitators. For its time, it's brilliant (especially considering the budget) and it was so unique/fresh as far as filmmaking and horror ideas goes but even now, trying to watch it with unburdened eyes, it still just feels like a dry run for ED2. Partially because that movie is barely a sequel and mostly a bigger-budget remake that improves on the original in pretty much every way (unless you don't like the more goofy tone). However, there are also a lot of small, student-film little experimental shots in the original (blood filling the light bulb, the Raimi-isms, the stop-motion stuff) that evolves and improves in the sequel.

That said, Evil Dead is still absolutely worth watching (especially in a theater if you can). Once the pace picks up, it gets pretty breakneck (post-treerape) and the stop-motion stuff and the pencil scene is incredibly impressive for a movie cobbled together by college students before the democratization of film on an under $400k budget.

I've come to love that movie more and more as the years go on. A lot of that comes from knowing the sheer amount of effort and creativity that went into it from such a small group of people and its pure Horror tone when compared to the more comedic sequels. As much as I love ED2 and AoD, I don't find either of those creepy (ED2 a bit and AoD obviously not at all), but there are genuinely tense moments in ED that hold up super well even to this day. I can really only find fault in Bruce's acting and his unibrow... both of which can be painful to look at times.

 

[terry.330]

Silent Hill- I'll start with the good. Great sets, locations and atmosphere, say what you will about the plot but it's a great looking movie that is very faithful visually. A surprisingly solid cast with Rahda Mitchell, Laurie Holden, Kim Coates, Sean Bean, Deborah Unger and Alice Krige. And of course the score, it's pretty much perfect.

Then there's the bad. It's just terribly written, from the plot to the characters to the dialogue. Frankly it's a total mess. On top of that is a boatload of exposition to spoon feed you the terrible plot. The cult stuff just doesn't work here and over explaining it just makes it worse. Then as was the style at the time they cram in some heavy early 00's J-horror cliches which don't fit at all. It also feels like a video game movie that's trying to feel video gamey when the source material is the exact opposite. It feels like set piece after set piece instead of one continuous mysterious journey. Considering how much the games are inspired by stuff like David Lynch, Jacobs Ladder and The Shining there is zero subtlety, this goes back to the exposition problem. It's also overly long by about 20 minutes.

So yeah it's an extremely flawed adaptation and not a strong enough movie to stand on it's own but the production design is outstanding and it might still be the best video game adaptation that isn't animated.

I feel bad for the director, he wanted to make this so much that he used his own money to film a demo and took it to Konami to convince them that the property was in good hands. Most if not all the failings seem like they are either studio interference or a failure of the writer.